an unwelcome reception (jagger)

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

He was gone. Her younger brother had vanished overnight, and with virtually no sign as to whom had taken him or where they were headed.

It seemed to be the only fragment of reality she allowed herself to acknowledge as anything more than an illusion, and the realization hit her with such force that, at first, she was certain she might be sick. In all honesty, his disappearance as a whole - despite the fact she found it thoroughly disturbing - perplexed her. There had been no blood to suggest that he had been attacked by the infected, and even if that was the case, she would surely have suffered the same fate. It was just as doubtful that their fellow kinsmen might have had had a hand in it, which meant that there was only one plausible conclusion to draw from it all. He had left her of his own free will; abandoned the only family he had in this godforsaken world. None of it made any sense, and it was that helplessness that aggravated her above and beyond anything else.

Still, none of it mattered. She had promised that she'd protect him, whatever the cost. And she intended to keep that promise to the bitter end.

Clinging to the possibility that he may have headed towards the military's sanctuary without her, Jennifer forced herself to depart from their makeshift camp and journey in the direction of their original destination, only this time ... alone.
The hot sun had gone to work on the exposed flesh of her shoulders and she could feel the discomfort of blisters that had since formed upon the backs of either heel. Sweat beaded her forehead, and her hair felt disheveled and dirty. Yet even in her sorry state she managed to feel some semblance of relief flood through her at the sight of the gates that loomed in the distance, and she felt as though hope was once again attainable.

That was when the men in uniform spotted her, and without any real warning, they surrounded her with their weapons drawn. She was then dragged unceremoniously towards a waiting vehicle, inspected several times to ensure she was not an infected, and then whisked off through the gate and into the awaiting courtyard when everyone appeared to be satisfied. It all passed in so much of a blur that she had little time to ask what was going on, and the soldiers demonstrated little patience with her questions, even when she moved as quickly and obediently as she knew how. Finally - if only for a moment - she was left to her own devices as two of the men stalked off in search of their superior; the others remaining nearby so as to keep an eye on her while they waited.

Much to their chagrin, Jennifer was not accustomed to being told what to do, neither was she impressed with the cold reception she had been met with. Someone, and she could care less as to who, was bloody well going to sit down and listen to what she had to say.

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

The outbreak had torn apart so many people's lives in such a short amount of time. Despite all the shit he'd seen in the weeks after the outbreak, Jagger was quite content. The only real problem he'd had since was the lack of women and food. Resources were quickly dwindling and the thought of having to grow his own food for the rest of his life caused a pang in the little black hole known as his heart. The soldiers had been tending to a garden out back but had yet to reap the rewards. In Jagger's honest opinion, the plants would probably die before too long. The men really didn't know the first thing about plants or gardening. In his eyes, that was woman's work, anyway. Not that he viewed them as lesser or anything, it was just he saw that as something they enjoyed or grasped better than their male counterparts.

Wearing his uniform, Jagger was situated at an outpost with a number of other soldiers. Though his thoughts were occupied, his animalistic tendencies made it easy for him to be on watch as well. While he mulled over thoughts of starvation and eventual destruction, thoughts he wished he didn't have to think over, his eyes were scanning the area. It'd been a few days since the last time they'd had to kill an infected person. Most certainly not the last time they'd seen one though. They saw one everyday -- Mailer. He was a perpetual reminder of what could go wrong. But they weren't about to kill him. He was left alive for the soldiers to study. Jagger's thoughts turned to those of Mailer and he bit at his lip, slightly. Before he had the chance to feel a twist of anxiety in his chest, he spotted movement. Soon, Jagger and the other soldiers had swarmed the source of movement and realized it wasn't infected.

Jagger took his time looking over the female, but making sure not to make his intentions clear. In fact, the soldiers were mostly quite cold towards her but he was sure most of them were thinking the same thing he was. During the initial inspection that a couple of soldiers were performing on her, Jagger turned to a mate and nudged him, a devious smile planted on his face. The man smiled back and chuckled slightly. It was quite amusing to the two of them that a woman had shown up - and fortunately for them - was quite the beauty.

Before long, Major Henry West made his way toward the group. He offered a warm and welcoming smile to the girl as he stood in front of her. "As you're standing here, I'm guessing you heard our broadcast. My boys have informed me that you are not infected. We offer safety and refuge to all and I do hope you find our abode suiting." The man spoke with a charming accent, like the rest of them, but his speech was much more refined and elegant. "You're welcome to stay as long as you please. But, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I have work to do. My men will show you around the mansion. If you need me for any reason, you may ask one of them to retrieve me." With that, the conversation was over and the man smiled again towards her and then turned to his men, offering a look of leadership- he expected them to behave their selves. It didn't take words from him to understand that.

As West retreated back to the mansion, Jagger stepped forward. With a small smile, he looked at the girl. "Where do you want to go first, then?" He'd taken it upon himself to be the first to talk with the girl. He would give her the tour of the mansion. The others would stay at the outpost and stand at attention. While Jagger was quite the detestable man on the inside, he seemed to be somewhat admirable and quite well-behaved at the moment.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

Left to stand within the courtyard in wait, it wasn't long before Jennifer became increasingly more aware of the lingering glances the surrounding men slid in her direction. Minutes prior she may have considered them brash and detached, but as time passed she began to understand the far more malicious intent they concealed so expertly beneath the protocol that was expected of them as soldiers. No, not simply expected. It was enforced. But with what degree of success? In response to this realization, her heartbeat became suddenly erratic, and it wasn't long before the young woman found herself pacing nervously in an effort to keep herself sufficiently distracted. They were human beings after all, and had likely been without proper food or companionship for some time. She'd been so absorbed with thoughts of her brother that she hadn't spared much consideration for the state of the people that resided within the blockade. How were the other survivors faring? In fact, were there any other survivors to speak of?

It was within that brief moment of paranoia that she seriously began to wonder whether she would have been safer simply remaining out in the sprawling hills, combing the countryside for her brother; governed by her own instincts and not by the rules or regulations of people she did not know and had no reason trust. Part of her weighed the potential consequences and rate of success if she were to attempt to flee the encampment now, but before she could really give it much thought, a voice - male and considerably warmer than that of the soldiers - addressed her. This man looked as though he might very well have led the entire operation, and so she kept her lips firmly sealed until he was finished speaking, and instead examined his expression and uniform with unbridled curiosity. She knew then, that if anyone could guarantee her safety, it would be him.

"Thank y-" but he had turned on his heel and gone before she could manage much else. Stunned, she simply stood there, staring after him with her mouth agape before she felt her jaw clench, finding herself swelling with indignance. "Is everyone here always in such a bloody rush?" She directed the rhetorical question to the soldier who had stepped up before her, slender brows narrowing as she heaved an exasperated sigh. He seemed polite enough, it wouldn't have been fair of her to take her anger out on him when he'd done nothing wrong.

"Wherever I'll be sleeping would be a fine place to start I suppose."

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

It was obvious she was a bit peeved at the Major's sudden absence. The Major always tried his best to be formal and polite so whatever he was working on must've been pretty important. It was probably some sort of battle plan. At least, that's the best Jagger could think of. He wasn't exactly creative and that extended to his ability to think up scenarios. In all fairness, though, the Major was a man who enjoyed solitude. The woman appeared antsy before Major had showed up and it appeared to Jagger, at least, that she'd relaxed a bit in his presence. He was a man that could do that to most people. As soon as he'd left, quite rudely so, she seemed frustrated.

Jagger wasn't going to mess this up anytime soon. Had she just turned around and left, the only real answer in his eyes was to shoot her - after all, there was the threat of her returning with others and raiding the place - and that was something he wanted to avoid. It wasn't often that they encountered women after the outbreak, in fact she was the first one, and they were lucky to have one around... especially one as easy on the eyes as her. He would be on his best behavior for as long as he could.

"I'd like to say he hasn't always been but he's always been pretty important to the Army, so... yeah." With a sideways grin, he continued. "Plus this whole outbreak thing... the infected... it doesn't make his job any easier." He chuckled a bit, trying to be humorous for her sake. It wasn't like him to let a comment like that slide. He may be a beast but he wasn't the kind to allow disrespect of the Major. Normally, he'd say the same for his fellow soldiers, but really they were like him. Flawed. For the sake of keeping the girl around and not hurting her feelings, he let the comment slide and made a joke out of it.

He acknowledged her reply with a nod and started walking ahead of her at a normal pace. "Follow me, then." The other solders watched him walk away and it was obvious they were jealous of his task. Normally, they might have caused a fuss over him thinking he could just take the role like that, but they were most likely on the same wavelength as Jagger. They knew they had to be polite around her, at least for a little while. Until she realized just how badly she needed them for survival. That wasn't just some warped sense of superiority, either, it was only probability. They had food, shelter, trained soldiers and weapons. What did any other survivor out there have, if there were any that is? Nothing.

Jagger walked into the mansion and cordially opened the door for the woman, letting her walk in ahead of him. "So, uh, what's your name? I'm Jagger." He inquired as he walked up the stairs and toward the second floor. With a slight swagger in his step, he walked down the hall and opened up the last room on the left. It had four bunkbeds in it. He took a step in and ushered her in with a shrug. It wasn't great, but it would do. At least there was a blanket, sheets, and a pillow. He wouldn't worry too much about it, though, as it was probably the first bed she'd seen in a while.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

She listened absently as the man began making excuses for his superior's curt behavior and hurried introduction, chewing on the tip of her finger and making a sincere effort to ignore the blatant staring of the people around them. "I suppose. Then again, I've traveled a very long way under extremely grim circumstances. You'd think he'd be willing to spare more than a handful of seconds in which to see me." Yeah, so she'd never claimed to be tactful. And if this pretty boy didn't like it, he could kiss her ass. Besides, she was still exhausted and hungry, which meant she had every right to be in a pissy mood. Even so, she had enough courtesy left to restrain herself from making any further remarks and remained silent as he gestured for her to follow him through the entrance doors and into the foyer.

There was no doubt it was a gorgeous building, with a sort of victorian flair and turn-of-the-century embellishments that were now something of a rare spectacle. Regardless of how beautiful it was, it would have had a considerably more homey feel had there not been a distinct lack of personal touches that made a house a home. She missed things like family portraits, a vase of fragrant wildflowers, the sound of pleasant conversation somewhere in the kitchen. Here, there was only an overwhelming feeling of emptiness and despondency. Men dressed in uniform hovered in groups, poring over maps and transcriptions with either severe or perplexed expressions. Most seemed to pay her little heed as she walked by, though she could feel their eyes train themselves upon her retreating form as she followed Jagger upstairs. Something else she noticed was that it was cold, and she shivered involuntarily as they reached the upper floor.

"Jagger? That's interesting." her face broke out in a bemused smile then and she chuckled a bit, trailing after him in the direction of what could only have been the bedrooms. "Are you sure you're not just lying to me? You changed your name to make yourself sound more badass, didn't you?" She was obviously teasing him now, but feigned conviction as she added, "Your first name was probably something boring and unoriginal like ... Henry." A pause settled between them as she considered the irony of the jest, lifting a hand to ruffle her hair a bit. "I can't really talk though, my name's pretty dull in and of itself. And before you can try to guess, it's Jennifer. I should also warn you that I'm not a fan of petnames, so don't pull any 'Jenny' or 'Jenn' bullshit on me. I can't stand it."

Before she could say any more on the subject however, they'd arrived, and she stared into the room with newfound hope. These rooms were designed for more than one person. Which meant she wasn't the only survivor, and would be sharing it with others who had arrived.

She took careful measures to hide her elation however, and managed instead, "Well, it'll be a hell of a lot comfier than the cold, hard ground."

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

It was clear the woman had been through enough so far. Her bitterness stemmed from a personal feeling of suffering, or at least that was the way he saw it. What she had to learn was that the men in the military were strictly that. Men in the military. Men, who already had enough trouble expressing feelings and understanding others, treated to images of unforgettable terror. The institution had long ago become a cold and unforgiving place and it wasn't about to change. She would just have to adapt to her new-found situation, whether she liked it or not. For the time being, he'd give her time to adjust.

As she actually made an attempt to create conversation, he laughed. "Nah, I promise I didn't make up my name. I tried but Thor was already taken." To him, his first name reminded him of a boy from his past. A skinny, long-haired, plain stoner. It had never occurred to him really that the name was badass but hearing it from her made him feel quite masculine and appealing. "Actually, the Major's name is Henry." With another small chuckle, he nodded understandingly. "Well, I wouldn't want to get on your bad side so I'll refrain from doing that."

Had the other soldiers seen him interacting with this woman, they most likely would have dogged him for being fake. It wasn't that he was fake. It felt kind of good to be treated to some humanity every once in a while and as long as she returned the favor, he was going to be friendly. As she perused the room he'd taken her to, he caught a glimpse of something in her - a change. But he couldn't place what had come over her and just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. When she commented, he smirked. "I figured. It's not all the bad, to be honest." After a moment, he cleared his throat and continued. "You're probably wondering about the other beds. They're for other survivors. However... you're the first survivor that's made it to the blockade." It seemed like the air in the room had suddenly become stuffier and a new, depressing tension had been created when he said this.

Noticing how dismal his words came across, he quickly recovered by flashing a small grin. "So. The kitchen's downstairs, along with the dining room and living room and whatever else. Bathroom's down the hall and to the right. The level above is off-limits. It's the Major's quarters." It might've seemed somewhat blunt but it was just the rules, another part of the military experience she'd have to adjust to. From the looks of it, she wasn't much for being bossed around. He leaned casually against the doorframe. "Jones is our cook around here but he isn't all that great. Still... food's food. So, uh... Any questions?" The food would've been a lot better had it not been expired most of the time. But that was what the garden was for, even though Jagger felt that the plants would most likely die before they were able to eat them. It was pretty grim to think about it... everything was.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

After the preliminary phase of awkward chit-chat, Jennifer found herself becoming steadily more comfortable around the man designated as her temporary tour guide. He didn't present himself as cold or as indifferent as the others, and his face held a calm sort of quality about it that somehow managed to put her at ease. When he laughed, she felt as though this could actually have been a place where she could be safe; a place where she could escape the clutches of the destructive virus that had wreaked havoc across the country.

And then the words she had been so dreading spilled from his lips, and she found herself having to force a neutral expression to hide the distraught one that threatened to betray her already fragile composure. He'd confirmed it ... the fact that she was the only survivor to have arrived at the blockade. That meant Nathan wasn't there. It meant he was still wandering, alone and possibly hurt, out amongst those monsters. And that was under the assumption that he was, in fact, still alive. However, she could not allow herself to break down so easily. She still didn't trust these people, and she didn't know what might happen should she show weakness now.

No, she had to bide her time and act as casually as she had when they'd found her.

"Thor? ... Seriously?" her laughter - although forced - sounded genuine as she stepped into the middle of the room, examining the neatly folded sheets and the dim sunlight that filtered in through a single, small window. "I'll take more care not to badmouth Major Henry then, since I have a feeling he could kick me out of this place as quickly and easily as he welcomed me." While she continued to converse with Jagger, she'd noticed that the leather jacket she'd been wearing for the past several days was completely filthy, and proceeded to shrug out of it, holding it at arm's length with a wrinkled nose. "Is there anywhere I could possibly shower ... or even find some clean clothes?" The tee-shirt she was left in stuck to her skin and served as a sudden reminder of how grimy and disheveled she must have looked in comparison to the clean-cut soldier standing nearby. Her jeans too, were ripped at the knee and splattered liberally with mud. "For God's sake, no wonder everyone was staring at me so openly earlier. I'm a fucking mess." Shaking her head, she turned to toss Jagger an embarrassed grin and slung the jacket over one shoulder; left hand finding her hip.

Ugh, what she wouldn't have given for a cigarette. It was the one luxury she wasn't entirely certain she could live without.

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

The sheer thought of there being no more survivors had driven some of the men mad around the mansion. Particularly Farrell, who had a rather grim outlook on the situation at hand. But, in all honesty, who could blame him? What man in their group hadn't been silently fearing the same things? If they weren't ripped apart by the infected, they could very well starve to death or run out of clean drinking water. It was also quite a reasonable assumption that they were being quarantined, as well. Being in the military, he knew he should expect as much but he couldn't bear the thought of never getting out of this shithole situation. A lot of the soldiers used humor but it would be ignorant to assume they weren't afraid - everyone was afraid.

"It's a guy thing." He chuckled at her crack about the name Thor. As she went on to talk about West, his grin remained intact. West deserved a lot of respect for what he did and the more people that saw it, the better. Perhaps she only respected him out of fear of being kicked out, but it was all the same to Jagger. Fear and respect blended together in his eyes. "He's really a nice man, I promise. But yeah, once you get used to the rules around here and our kind of distant ways, you'll be fine." What he failed to mention was the promise West had offered the men about the women that did come to the blockade - they were intended to be used for insuring a future, but really it was mostly a way to motivate the soldiers. What better way to motivate depraved men then to offer them women, after all? There had actually been a female soldier in their ranks up until a couple weeks prior. When she was attacked by a fellow soldier, she went AWOL and hadn't been seen since.

As she shrugged out of the leather jacket, he felt his jaw tense up and he looked toward the ground but not before letting his eyes linger a moment. The only real reasons he'd looked away were for her own comfort and to control his self. It was difficult for him, having gone longer than a month without any kind of sexual relations, to mask his desires and he nibbled at the bottom of his lip. He looked up at her at her comment about a shower and clothes. The tension was growing increasingly thicker, at least for him, with the mentioning of it. "The bathroom down the hall has a shower. I wouldn't suggest taking longer than thirty minutes in the actual shower, though. We have to ration shower time, as well, to keep the water somewhat hot. Plus, it's the only bathroom on this level." Jagger moved away from the wall and toward the door. "There are some really nice dresses in the wardrobe upstairs I could go get for you." Something made him think that she wasn't a dress type but desperate times called for desperate measures.

She did look quite disheveled but who wouldn't at this point? Her trip was a long and winding one. It was expected and actually quite normal for her to be all dirtied up. The soldiers were almost routinely covered in mud and debris but today was Jagger's exception. There hadn't been much reason for him to get dirty, honestly. No infected had shown up and he didn't have to participate in any gardening duties until later on during the day. "Haha, that's not your fault, dear. It's pretty understandable for someone in your situation." He smiled and crossed his arms, casually.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

The degree of fear and devastation that overcame Jennifer upon acknowledging the confirmation that she was - as of yet - the blockade's only survivor ran deep. And perhaps she would have allowed her grief to consume her before the outbreak. However, in the span of only a few weeks she had lost everything, and had become accustomed to that feeling of utter defeat. She'd gone through hell and back, and survived to speak of it; she'd made it to the military's sanctuary alive, so fuck if she was going to suddenly curl up and surrender now. Yes, fate had played the cruelest joke of all, but she'd be damned if she allowed herself to show weakness in the face of it. After all, how could she possibly hope to protect Nathan when she fell apart at the seams over a single disappointment? Part of her had known all along that there was a chance he hadn't shown up at the encampment, she simply hadn't allowed herself to consider the worst-case scenario up until this point.

She was a big girl now. It was time to deal with the bad news she'd received, and throwing a tantrum or shedding tears wouldn't change anything. Taking the time to remind herself of that made feigning complacency easy, and suddenly the act of smiling became natural again. Whether Jagger had noticed, she hadn't a clue. But if he had, he didn't bother to bring it to light. And for that she was grateful.

"Distant ways, huh? Well I haven't seen anything that's had me running for the hills just yet. ... I think I'll manage."

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and winked, pausing to examine him closely for the first time since they'd made their introductions. He was handsome, but not in such a way that was conventional or common.
No, it was something in those eyes that caught and held her attention. As though he was hiding some wave of emotion that so desperately longed to unleash itself; an insatiable ferocity that likely came tacked on to the hard life of a military man. She couldn't even begin to imagine the horrors he had seen, or the difficult decisions he must have had to make. It hardened a person, but she knew that not everyone adapted as well as others. "You're not like the other men, are you?" she asked, taking a few bold steps in his direction and cocking her head to one side. "I can tell. There's something different about you." She was grinning again, this time more slyly, and made a point of looking him up and down before brushing past him and out into the hallway.

"I promise I won't be long. I just need to get all this dirt and grime off of me. You'll understand when I say it only serves as a reminder of what I faced outside." Her expression had grown solemn again, and she gave a casual roll of her shoulders. "As for the dresses ... that's not normally my thing. But I obviously can't wear this anymore." She gestured to her shirt. "I'm a lady after all."

Haha. Right.

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

Wait - was that a wink? His thoughts came to halt when he realized her promiscuous behavior. Was she suggesting something? Perhaps the man had laid the charm on well enough and she really did like him. Before the outbreak, he was constantly enjoying the comforts of some woman. It wasn't hard for him to snag a beauty and take her home. But since the outbreak, he'd been forced into a sort of change where he questioned everything about himself and everyone else. Perhaps it was because he knew people were more guarded when there were infected crazies running around or perhaps it was because he needed to get laid often to keep up his self-confidence. He missed the raw feeling, the power of being on top and in control, the stroking of his ego.

The woman was getting herself in over her head if she had no intentions of sleeping with him. It really wasn't nice to tease. The fleeting thought that she was as sexually frustrated as him proved to cause quite the stir inside his head. For a moment, his face was stern but a mischievous smile soon replaced it. "No, I'm not like the other men." What was different about him wasn't exactly a good thing. An animosity and hatred. An ability to kill without thinking twice. A power trip. Seeing red when things don't go as planned. And in this period of time, the inability to care about ravaging an unwilling partner. Nothing she'd want to know about him.

As she brushed past him, he followed almost as if in a trance. The mention of a shower again left an intensity between his eyes, something he couldn't control at the moment. "I can take care of that." For a moment, he probably gave off a creepy vibe but then he quickly spoke again. "The dress, I mean. I can go get a dress for you." With a laugh, he started down the hall and towards the staircase. "I'll be back shortly." And with that, he climbed the staircase and once on the third floor, began stepping with a swagger. Obviously, he was quite happy with himself. He was quite sure he'd be the first to break in the new girl.

He rapped on the Major's door, stated his name and purpose, and awaited permission to enter. Once inside, they exchanged a few words, mostly about how Jennifer was settling in. Jagger neglected to mention how provocative she'd been and was planning on keeping it hush-hush for the time being. Jagger went to the wardrobe and grabbed a medium-length black lacey dress. It didn't take long for him to make his way back down the stairs and into her room. He laid the dress on the the bunk closest to him and waited. It might've seemed a little weird to her to walk in and see him there but he was going to see where it would go.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

If she had known just how distorted his interpretation of her body language would be, Jennifer never would have acted so candidly in Jagger's company.

She seemed to have forgotten that this was a man who likely hadn't slept with a woman since the initial stages of the outbreak and, who knew? Possibly longer. He was a soldier after all, there was no telling how often they were permitted time off or away from base. Unless of course, they'd specifically brought women in to entertain the men in an effort to boost and maintain morale? Whatever the case, she knew very little about how the military dealt with such issues, and had apparently overlooked them in this particular instance as well. Regardless, she had unintentionally led him to believe that her curiosity had been meant more as a come on, when really? She'd just been making an effort to be friendly. And it wasn't going to end well.

For the moment however, she went completely unaware that anything out of the ordinary had transpired. In fact she found herself feeling considerably more relaxed as she slipped into the bathroom and then into the shower beneath the stream of steaming water, allowing it to wash all of the impurities from her skin and strip her of the dirt, the grime and all other evidence of what had gone on beyond the gate. It was honestly as though she was flushing away all of the horrible memories where she would never be forced to relive them again. As the minutes wore on her fingers became more frantic, and she scrubbed as thoroughly as possible with the fragrant soap that had been left in one of the cupboards. Quality shampoos and lotions were unavailable of course, so she made do with whatever she could find, and wrapped herself in a large and fluffy towel when her time was up.

As she turned towards the door however, she realized that she hadn't waited for the dress, and therefore had nothing but the towel to walk around in until Jagger delivered it to her room. Or perhaps he already had? Part of her figured no one would be wandering around near her rooms to begin with, while her more rational half suggested that she simply slip into her jeans for the time it took to walk the length of the hall. It wasn't worth the risk of bumping into the Major in a bath towel after all. She may be bold, but she wasn't quite that nervy.

So she - unhappily - slid into her jeans, refusing to pull the filthy tee-shirt back on, and peeked out into the hall to ensure there was no one around before slipping out and crossing the length of it to her room. That way the dress would be waiting for her and she'd have enough time to change before anyone could think twice about it.
Unfortunately for Jennifer, it wasn't just the dress that had deposited itself within what she'd thought was her unoccupied room. Jagger himself stood there, leaving her hovering in the doorway in her jeans and bra, with a horribly embarrassed look on her face.

"Jesus," she exclaimed, pulling the towel and the tee-shirt up to cover herself. "I-I thought you'd have gone by now. I only had the towel with me in the bathroom so I figured it'd be safe to just ... well, come back." She realized she was stuttering a bit then, and rolled her eyes at her own blathering. "Sorry."

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

As he stood in the room and waited for her to return, he was left to his thoughts. He thought up a million and one different scenarios for when she entered the room, mentally preparing himself for her. This girl was interesting and different then others. She seemed like a spitfire, equipped with an intelligent head on her shoulders and looks to kill. It wasn't often that you got so much in one little package. Jagger wondered if it was too good to be true. If he'd gone so crazy, he'd imagined her coming on to him. He was sure that it was mutual, though. That look in her eyes said so. But at the moment, he didn't care. He continued on thinking about his fantasies before the depression took over.

The silence left a familiar ringing noise in his head and it was as if his hearing had become much more advanced. He mulled over thoughts of a dark future. There almost wasn't any hope. No matter what he did from the point of the outbreak to the day he would die would matter because society wasn't present in their world anymore. Things that were frowned upon in normal society were trivial now. He could go out and steal from a store and no one would care, unless of course they'd staked a claim in the loot. When West had mentioned the answer to infection, Jagger knew it would lead to several counts of abuse from him and many other soldiers. In his mind, he had justified the act. This was the only way of having a future, even if it was one he didn't believe in. And with the downfall of society in full-swing, there was no risk of punishment.

It didn't take long before Jagger heard the pitter patter of Jennifer's feet down the hall. The man stood close to the bed, preparing for her, making it look as if he'd just laid the dress down. She opened the door and was obviously taken off-guard by his presence. He turned and did a quick sweep from head to toe. He turned his body to face her and laughed. "It's alright, it's alright. Don't be sorry. I apologize. I was just leaving." For a moment he just stood there, wondering if she'd make a move. He'd convinced himself that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

He made a gesture toward the dress on the bed and spoke again. "This was one of the less formal dresses in the wardrobe." He looked at it for a lingering moment and bit his lip before looking back to her, as if he were waiting. Though he'd promised himself to be on his best behavior, it was becoming increasingly more difficult to refrain himself from hitting on her or making a move of his own. It wasn't helping that she was topless and wet, not too mention clean and fresh now that she'd showered.

Slowly, he walked toward her. It might have seemed intimidating to her, but he thought it was a sort of attractive swagger. He started to walk past her but stopped as he came up beside her. Putting his hand on the doorknob behind her, he looked at her, leering over here a little too closely. "I guess I'll let you to get dressed." His gaze traveled down to her lips and for a flickering moment, he let his peripheral view focus on the skin above her towel. After that moment was over, he looked back up to her eyes and left his hand on the doorknob, not budging to move until she did.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

The mortifying events that were unfolding played out in painfully slow succession, and Jennifer felt as though she'd been suspended within time. Realistically of course, she was simply left dripping wet in the empty doorframe, and clutched desperately to the towel as though it formed some sort of substantial barrier between herself and Jagger. Granted, he hadn't done anything to warrant such a defensive reaction from her, and - realizing this - she relaxed her posture, listening as he quickly explained himself and then moved by her in the direction of the hall. Cursing her bad luck, it wasn't until he stood behind her that she noticed the beautiful, if not slightly outdated, dress that had been spread carefully across the bedsheets. With all of her inhibitions suddenly gone, the brunette tossed the towel and shirt to he floor, skipping over to where the dress had been left so that she could hold and examine it with an expression of obvious approval. It was a black, lace number that probably would have reached the curve of her knee and the intricate designs bespoke of a masterful eye for detail. Honestly, it was the last thing she'd expected.

"Wow, this is stunning. I was ... sort of anticipating something more akin to a shapeless potato sack. No offense."

Turning, she cast him a quick smile and held the material up against her before moving towards the door, finding that the set of his features had changed. She couldn't tell what exactly was different, but the atmosphere seemed to have adopted a much more tense, almost electric quality. She didn't like it, and she didn't like the fact that he didn't seem eager to leave. In fact his hand remained stubbornly upon the doorknob, even after she closed the distance between them and he made his parting remark. Something was wrong. And then he was leaning in close, his eyes boring into hers with an intensity that hadn't been there before. She knew this look. It was the same one all those other young men had treated her to while she'd awaited the Major in the courtyard.

Or was she simply allowing her imagination to run amok? She was exhausted, to be sure. Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her?

Silence settled between them, and her discomfort returned. He hadn't said anything else but the expectation was there that she would. And because the entire situation was both bizarre and unexpected, she found that the best course of action would be to just say whatever it was she had on her mind. If he took it in stride, the air would be cleared, and they could get on with things without all of the awkward tension. So, taking a sharp intake of breath, Jennifer placed one hand against the wall and met his gaze pointedly.

"Look, I understand that I'm likely the only female now residing in this blockade. I look young and vulnerable, and I've had a rough few days. When I arrived here I was scared shitless. But then you showed up and played the part of a perfect gentleman. I think you're a nice guy, but I don't want you getting the wrong idea." She paused for a moment, considering how next to word what she wanted to say without seeming like a total bitch. "Taking a jab at your name, joking with you ... I was simply returning the favor. And I certainly wouldn't have barged in here in my bra if I'd known you were still inside. ... All I'm asking is that we don't make things awkward by reading too deeply between the lines. So, friends ... yeah? I'll see you later."

And with that, she placed her hand against the door, fully anticipating that this was the end of their conversation. If not an incredibly awkward one.

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[JAGGER GAGE VALKO]

When she walked past him and tossed the towel and her shirt on the ground, he couldn't help but be surprised. The look on his face said it all. Here was this woman, who he thought was coming on to him moments before, walking around in her bra as if it were nothing. This only furthered his speculations toward her promiscuity. "A lot of the other dresses were frilly and poofy and I figured you wouldn't like that so I picked something I liked." He grinned, impishly. To tell the truth, he would've gone with a much more revealing dress, but he decided to sacrifice his desire and go for the lacy dress for her comfort - not that it wasn't sexy and beautiful in it's own way, either. It was like a meeting halfway.

He let his hand off the doorknob, fully intending on staying in the room for a little while longer. Casually, he put his back against the door, effectively blocking her way out. Again, he didn't exactly see it as an intimidating behavior but it probably looked like it to her. He crossed his arms and smiled at her. "Just friends, huh? 'Cause I think you kinda like me." Though he seemed mostly cool on the outside, he was already having doubts in his head and they were causing a rush of mixed emotions.

Had she led him on? Or was she just trying to be coy? Did she think this was some kind of game? Because he could assure her very quickly that it wasn't. After the connection they'd made in the short time that she'd been there, she was going to say they were only friends. He found it audacious that he'd let himself thoroughly enjoy her company in a non-sexual way for her not to be sexually attracted to him. He studied her movements and it became obvious that she was not comfortable. The way she had paused between breaks in her speech made him think she was nervous. This all was beginning to annoy him, that after he'd been on his best behavior and she led him on, she still was fighting it. It made him feel almost repulsive in a way and that made him confused; being confused made him angry. One could tell by his appearance that he was beginning to get a bit on edge as he flexed his jaw and shifted the weight from one leg to another, still leaning against the door.

He looked down at his uniform and brushed at a spot on his chest, out of sheer lack of any idea of what to do with himself. Every bone in his body was urging him to act upon his impulses but his brain told them to back the fuck off. It was a silent war raging inside his body and mind. The fit soldier bit at his lip and studied the girl once again. He couldn't help but feel he'd ruined his chance at any willing relations with the woman. The feeling was draining his self-confidence and he felt more and more anxious as he thought about it. It wasn't like she could very well leave but she seemed like the type that would try and he really didn't want to risk the potential last woman on Earth getting shot.

[JENNIFER IMOGEN HARLOW]

Even before the words had left him, Jennifer knew exactly what was going on. Or at the very least, she felt confident that she did. To be completely fair, she'd even admit that perhaps there had in fact been a flirtatious undertone to their earlier conversation. But regardless of whether or not that was the case, she hadn't intended for it to amount to anything serious. Jagger had obviously misinterpreted this, and judging by the hard set of his jaw and his sudden fidgeting, he wasn't very pleased with her response.

"I do like you, but keep in mind ... I also barely know you." she had taken a cautionary step back into the room now, and considered him with an expression that bordered on annoyance. It was almost stifling between them at this point, and her heart had begun beating rapidly as her nerves kicked in. "And coming on so strongly so early in the game isn't exactly an attractive quality. Aren't you supposed to take your time and woo me or something?" She was attempting to joke with him again, but it didn't seem to be working. He simply stood against the door, watching her with that same unwavering attentiveness.

Before long, she had come to a decision, telling herself that if he wasn't gone by the time she had changed, she'd have to resort to more forceful measures. So, she used the awkward silence to pull the dress over her head, smoothing the soft material over her body. It felt cool against the warmth that radiated from her, and she reveled in the sensation of cleanliness. People didn't realize how much of a luxury bathing truly was, did they? Turning away from Jagger, she then reached underneath to unzip her jeans and pushed them down to expose her bare legs until it was possible to kick them off, thus leaving her with nothing on but the dress itself; all without having to expose herself. The whole process had worked out surprisingly well actually - save for the fact that the few buttons along her spine had been left undone - and she turned back to face her soldier friend again, lifting one eyebrow when she noticed he hadn't moved.

An exasperated sigh escaped her as she made a motion of surrender, not really knowing how she should go about asking him to leave a second time. The last thing she wanted to do was make him angry, but he wasn't giving her very much of a choice. She'd been as polite as possible before, but his stubbornness was beginning to irritate her and she knew that if she didn't act more severely, he would simply remain where he was.

"I'm not going to sleep with you," she enunciated as slowly and clearly as she could. Her expression was hardened now, and she folded her arms across her chest to ensure he understood that she meant what she said. "I know you've probably been entertaining the idea since I arrived, and I can sympathize with the fact that you haven't been with a woman in quite a long while, but if you're that horny ... go and beat off to a magazine or something. I'm not some whore that's going to be tossed between you and all of your friends, so forget it. Please, just leave."

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