AJ scratched the back of his head for a moment as he thought about it. What had it been like before everything? "Well, I was born in nineteen, the year before that virus that killed a whole buncha people. Includin' my entire family, as it goes..." And things after that? "It just got worse. At least, that's what my uncle tol' me. I was alright though, cause my uncle had this ranch that we lived on and I didn' see none of the bad shit that went down. Not least till it came to my doorstep." He chewed some more jerky, then gestured with it. "This is real good, by the way."

"Thanks" she smiled as she took another bite and put the rest back into her bag "I haven't met many people who knew much of or well lived during the time before it went to Hell... I've found journals... diaries while I was making my way to here" she sighed reaching in her bag again and pulling out a small water bag "Thirsty?" She took a drink and handed it to him "I say we give it a couple more minutes before heading back, given that it takes time to cook anything so I mean that might eat up some of the time too..."

AJ chuckled. "Journals and diaries will only tell you part of it. You should talk to the elders." Ah, the elders; the endless source of knowledge and entertainment who had lived long before everything went to hell. Sometimes they spoke to one another in what everyone else assumed to be some sort of code, seeing as none of it made sense. They were still considered the wisest of the entire settlement, though, even if everyone suspected they were going a little senile. AJ hoped he lived that long. "Oh, yeah, thanks." He took the proffered water and took a few gulps. He poured a little into his palm and rubbed it on the back of his neck before handing it back. "Mmm. Hope I can get this out by then..." The bottle was definitely coming lose; he reckoned another few minutes ought to do it.

They continued asking random questions as they shifted through the bins, when it was coming close to time, Lily started looking through the glass and picking out what she wanted to take and what was to her liking "So the elders... I haven't meet them yet what do you know of them?"

The more AJ dug around the bottle, the looser it was getting. He was determined to present it to Lily before they left, and was reminded of the time he found a bug for a girl he'd liked. Needless to say, she didn't appreciate his gift. He smiled to himself at the memory, even though it was completely different. "I've only talked to 'em on a handful of occasions, but they're pretty cool guys. Maybe a little nuts, but..." He shrugged. "They were born in the late eighties, if you can believe it. They're the oldest people I know."

"Before I found my way here my partner was the oldest person I've known.. that was still living.. then I came here and it's a mixture of ages here which is nice... I haven't however mingled with many people here.. Cept you, to think of it you're the only person I've kind of spent more than a few words with" smiling she finished with the bottles in the bin and went to test it if she could carry it by herself "When will be the next time you head out to some hunting or gathering? I'd like to come with if you don't mind?"

"Mm. I don't really talk to people." He'd probably said more things to Lily in the short space of time he'd known her than the entire time he'd known Vince. "I'm not really the minglin' type though. People think I'm weird." AJ shrugged. He didn't mind it so much, seeing as he knew he was weird. That and people thought Vince was weird too, so it sort of rubbed off. "Ah, probably in the mornin'. Vinny's an early-bird when it comes to huntin'." He got up pretty early himself, but Vince always managed to be awake before him. He was sure the guy just didn't sleep. "I doubt he'd mind a bit o' company though." He smiled, then gave the bottle one final tug. He let out a small cheer as the bottle came out whole. "Oh, hey!" He held it up to the light and examined it. It was full of dirt, of course, but the lettering around the outside was still readable. "Diet Coke." He smiled at Lily. "Think this'll look nice in your collection?"

smiling she took the bottle from him and started examining it in her hands, turning it over as dirt fell out she lightly tapped the glass with her finger as it made a soft ring "Perfect..." she shook it a bit to loosen up the rest of the dirt and tucked it in with the bin of bottles "You ready to go? We can just go straight to my place unless you need to stop somewhere in that case I'll just meet you at my place?"

AJ removed his glasses and tucked them back into his pocket. "I err...I'll go home first, if that's alright? Just freshen up a bit." By freshen up, of course, he meant give himself a very brisk wash and change his shirt. "I can meet you after." He smiled. It would be weird for him to relinquish control of his food intake, but perhaps it was a welcome change. He relied on the same basic meals to get him through everyday, so a bit of variety would probably do him some good.

Smiling "That works it'll give me some time to get some things ready"  the two left the yard closing the gates behind them and headed back to the colony.

"Well I will see you in a bit, if I don't answer just go around back I'll be there most likely" she gently shook his hand and headed off towards the hill.

once she got home she set the bin of glass in the back and went inside her little home to clean up and start making some stew with left over food she had