'<i>Lorenzo Orfeo'</i>Sofia repeated in her head clearly noticing the use of last names. Perhaps it was a thing where they were from but most of the town folk she knew had deemed them useless. Her own last name hadn't been uttered since before a year or two after her parent's death. '<i>Lucille'</i>She nodded slightly in acknowledgment to his advice, her tongue pressing against the roof of her mouth in thought. Of course she wouldn't use a nickname, the act alone was incredibly personal and if Lucille's prickly behavior was any indication Sofia knew a cuddle fest was not in their future. Not that she had anything against the woman, she didn't know her enough to pass judgement but she didn't live this long without keeping her guard up. Sofia tossed her long braid over her shoulder and wiped the sweat from her brow as she continued her task of collecting the tinder. The dried foliage crinkled as she gathered them, pressing them together in order to collect enough.<br/><br/>Her eyes rolled at his question and she sighed in exasperation. "You'd be surprised." She switched to gathering thicker sticks to act as kindling. "There are plenty of people who still live in denial, thinking that others will care for them." She said almost rhetorically. Her tone was more exhausted, a hint that she didn't desire to continue that conversation. While she was trying to get a feel for the man that would be traveling with her, she didn't want to pretend like they were going to be best pals. It was a dog eat dog world out here, trust few and the chances of survive went up. As if sensing her lack of desire, he flawlessly picked up the conversation. Whether it was to offer comfort for either person or to just eat up the silence, she didn't know. Her burden in her arms began to grow heavier as she applied what flimsy scraps could be called firewood to her load.<br/><br/>Still, despite the scraping of bark against her olive complexion and the tiring of her muscles from maintaining the position, Sofia found herself drawn into the man's story. His accent was charming and helped to paint the scene he was building for her. The chuckle that escaped her dried lips at the end definitely surprised her. Still, she felt the small amount of amusement at his previous plight and the corner of her lips tilted into a small smile.<br/><br/>"That sucks." She laughed lightly as she straightened her stance. Her eyes landing on him briefly before scanning their surroundings once more. She had stories of her own blunders she could offer but she remained silent. Her eyes weren't sharp like a hunter's but movement was easy to notice. Thankfully the other coyotes decided not to return but it didn't mean their danger was over. She shifted the load in her arms, wincing slightly as a sharp edge poked her stomach through her flimsy shirt. "As much as I'd love to hear embarrassing stories, it's getting late." She nodded towards the position of the sun. They would need to establish their shelter with the remaining sunlight they had and try to make it as safe as possible to last throughout the night.<br/><br/>"Let's go back." She said firmly, not liking the way the quiet environment surrounded them. Based of his fighting skills from earlier he wouldn't be much protection until the real fighters could make it. Hell, she was sure they could distract them long enough to be seriously injured by the time the others could help. Sofia waited until he stood as well and both headed back towards the outdoor shopping district. Her mouth remained firm as she focused on listening, turning your back on open area was definitely dangerous. Thankfully their trek was uneventful and Sofia could feel her heart lightening as they came to the part where they would go their separate ways.<br/><br/>"If you guys need anything, let us know." She said awkwardly. It was an odd thing to say. Children always had their protection, mostly Dex did the protecting while she was the second defense, but other adults....she and Max mostly kept to themselves. He exchanged his offer to break the tension and this was hers, even if she didn't fully mean it. Sofia gave a small smile and nod as her parting words before turning towards the shop she had seen Dex claim as theirs. Broken glass crunched beneath her shoes and she inhaled the familiar scent of mildew and disappointment. The run down shop was better than nothing but the smoke stained walls, broken glass displays, and tattered remains of things once beautifully displayed definitely didn't give it a warm welcome. Her footsteps didn't falter despite her dismay, it had been so long since they were able to have nice housing. Even the 'pristine' conditioned homes would have been considered run down in the past. Max's father had painted the scene of what the world was like before hell took over. As she crossed the jagged glass threshold, she shook her head, unable to imagine it to be safe and clean. Where people could walk without any concerns and children had nothing to fear.<br/><br/>Most of the glass had long since been cleared, her footsteps were silent just like Max had relentlessly taught her. A genuine smile lit up her features as she noticed the cleared away space. It never failed to amuse her that he would offer her a clear path so she could work on the rest. Her need to push out clutter from their dirty world was something she refused to sacrifice. Most of the things were long since gone, the plants consuming most of the garbage but there were somethings even the plants wouldn't touch. Sofia nodded at his impatient words, quietly handing over her burden before setting her backpack down. Immediate relief filled her muscles and she arched her back and raised her hands above her head until she heard the little 'pop' and the instant relief.<br/><br/>"Mmm." She sighed in satisfaction before bending down to get started on clearing the rest of the debris. "Well, Lorenzo was interesting to talk to. He's funny too." She added knowing funny didn't really mean much but it did lighten the mood somewhat. She pushed all the rubbish towards the front entrances, knowing that should anything come in, the noise would alert them before the intruders could do harm. She paused in her movements, satisfied that there wasn't much but at least enough was cleared that they could rest without being cramped, a fire could take place, and she could skin the coyotes without worry about getting too much dirt on the fresh meat.<br/><br/>"What do I think?" She cocked her head to the side, pondering his question. She snagged her backpack, maneuvering around the larger pieces of furniture that would hide them from immediate view. "I think that the girl--Lucille," Sofia corrected herself. "I think Lucille will be a good asset and I know you think so too. You rarely pay anyone a compliment and you gave her one from the get go." She rolled her eyes a little miffed at that. A slight sting of jealousy tightened her chest before she pushed it down. Their small world would get bigger and they would be less reliant on each other, of course others would fill in those gaps.<br/><br/>"I think Lorenzo is...interesting." She studied her skinny blade, appreciating the work Dex put into it the other night. The edges were sharpened beautifully for their journey making skinning animals much easier. "I'm not sure what purpose he serves but he has a nice...calming I guess, demeanor." She shrugged her shoulders. He admitted to volunteering so he must have his uses. "But then again, the same could be said about me. I'm just smart when it comes to plants." She said sarcastically, a little sore about her uselessness in battle. She had already been proven a danger to herself and others when wielding sharp weapons. Sofia plopped down next to the coyote's feet and set to work on skinning the animal. Each cut was precise and she worked quickly. "I think we could do worse..." She added quietly.  "And who knows, we could if there are others." She paused to look at Dex.<br/><br/>"What do you think about them?" She asked softly, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before returning to her task. She wasn't sure if Dex had enough info to formulate a good judgement but she knew that he was usually just as weary as she was with new people, sometimes more.