Love and Marriage

[MK Kilmarnock]

((Sean Mulcahy, continued from Tragedy + Time))

"Just married," Sean read aloud. Something about that banner on the ruined gazebo, set against the rising sun, made him want to sit down and stare at it for a long, long time. Once upon a time, this place would have appeared happy and joyous. Walking up the steps to the gazebo, his mind wandered to a time when the paint hadn't all peeled off, when the plants were still nice and maintained and the sun was shining. People were dancing, including a happy bride and groom. Or groom and groom. Or bride and bride. He didn't want to judge. Now there was only a dimly lit sky of dawn, splintered boards, and a dead body of a former classmate on the floor.

Because of course there was.

Sean turned away from it, preferring to look at his still-living companions. He wasn't quite sure how long he'd have Gray with him, or Kathryn for that matter, though time was fleeting. That much was for sure. Beforehand, when he was about ready to give up, he thought his only redemption would come in making the best of the time he had left. Gray had fed him back some will to survive; Hansel had a hand in doing that too, funny enough, but maybe not in a way either of them would have liked. Sean was going to see this through to the end, to live if he had any say in the matter. This wasn't about just making the best of the time you had left anymore.

He was ensuring he had a lot, LOT more time left.

"Anybody got the time?" Sean jested, staring up at the sky. "Kidding. I thiiiiink we're looking at six thirty-ish. Also don't stick around the gazebo. Ian's up there. Dead. Obviously."

[Deamon]

So he was back at the park. He hadn't expected that.

((Gray Emerson continued from Tragedy + Time))

Grass, check. Gazebo, check. Dead classmate, check. It was basically the same, apart from the body. Didn't look like there would be any escape from bodies anymore. There were more bodies than living people Gray would've have guessed, especially since the announcements had still been giving a fairly consistent number of deaths. Gray came to a stop by Sean and carefully placed his leg onto the ground. Sean could tell the time by the sun apparently. Gray hadn't actually known that. It seemed like a useful skill to have though. Ian was also dead in the gazebo. So there went the cover they could have stayed under. Because you couldn't get something good without something being taken away.

"Funny." Gray said as he put his bag down and started looking through it for something in particular. Sean seemed to have gotten some of his old spirit back. It didn't look like he was thinking of running or killing himself anymore. It was a good sign and one Gray had been waiting for. He'd had Sean's gun since they'd left the ship that felt like a long time ago now. It was about time he gave it back. "Hey Sean, come here."

Gray flipped the gun over so he was holding the barrel. The grip was facing Sean. "You can have this back." Gray didn't know if Kathryn would approve of Sean getting his gun back. He did know that he didn't care. Sean had proven himself through things he'd done and things he hadn't. He deserved a second chance and Gray was willing to give it to him. He was his friend after all.

[Arscapi†]

((Kathryn Nguyen continued from Tragedy + Time))

Kathryn straggled after the boys. She'd traveled to a lot of different places on the island, but she'd never been here before. A chill ran down her spine when Sean mentioned that Ian's dead body was in the gazebo. She wanted to object, but didn't want to call more attention to killers and victims. Kathryn wasn't happy about staying here, but they were rapidly running out of options. If she remembered correctly, at least half of the island was now a danger zone.

She decided to focus instead on the fact that somehow Sean knew the time from the sun. "Really, six thirty, huh, and you can tell that by looking," she was unconvinced of his accuracy. Although she couldn't disprove him, it wasn't like she had a clock on her. And by now all the days had started to blend into one, she wasn't sure she could tell you exactly how long they'd been here.

Kathryn took note of the gun exchange and wondered again just how in control Sean was and if Gray could reign him in again.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Sean took the gun silently, but with a nod and a smile on his face. Somehow the weapon didn't seem as scary to him anymore, not like it would have if they were still back home and none of this ever happened. He guessed this is what the extent of desensitizing could do to a person. Sean looked over the gun and fiddled with it a bit to make sure the safety was on. They used rifles in the scouts, not handguns, but all the proper pieces were there. He fired this thing before, so he probably wouldn't have any issues using it again.

Once he was sure it was safe, Sean placed the gun in the large thigh pocket of his cargo pants and looked back up to the sky. "Ish," he repeated to Kathryn's remarks. "That's assuming we're in the northern hemisphere, still. And kinda near Washington. I mean, either way, it's still dawn with like... a range of five-thirty to seven in the morning." His eyes burned as he said it. It'd been a while since he'd had some restful, meaningful sleep.

"You don't suppose we could try napping? If we move Ian and make it a bit more pleasant up there, the gazebo will at least protect us from the rain." He paused for a moment, then grimaced. "Then again, I dunno if any of us want to touch him."

[Deamon]

Ok so Sean didn't know the exact time and he was making some assumptions. Regardless having an idea of the time was better than having no idea at all. It felt weird giving Sean his gun back. On the one hand he had gotten rid of one burden in theory but on the other he had given Sean a gun. If he did break again would there be a repeat of the first time? When Gray and Corey had found Sean originally. It was something that needed to be considered. It would always be hanging over them like a specter.

The idea of sleep hadn't really come to Gray; he guessed he had gotten some rest back in the house. Since he was assuming he had passed out or something and that may have counted. He couldn't account for what Sean had been doing though; there had been a door between them. "Guess you could." Gray moved closer to the gazebo so he could get a closer look at Ian. It was nasty. Lots of blood and a big wound across his stomach. He thought about Sean's suggestion for a moment.

"I could move him. Would need some help but it wouldn't be hard." He pointed out a patch of grass with the FAMAS. "Put him there then we can use the gazebo." Simple plan but it was the little things that were starting to become hard. Gray was worried about the moments when he'd start forgetting the basics to surviving. That would be when the trouble began.

[Arscapi†]

Kathryn shivered. "I think I'd rather sleep out here. Leave Ian to rest in the gazebo." Kathryn stated. She really, really didn't want to see let alone touch another dead body.

Looking up at the sky she added, "I don't think we're going to have to worry about the rain, at least for today." She laughed. "Now I sound like Sean. Don't quote me on that. The only experience I have with judging the weather is the countless hours at practices and games."

"I'm not super sleepy, so if you want to nap first, I'll stay awake. Then we can switch off," Kathryn offered. She wasn't sure how much she trusted them, but for now she'd do her best to watch over them. Hopefully, they would return the favor and they'd make it through another day.

[MK Kilmarnock]

"It's a prep thing," Sean sighed while craning his neck this way and that to scan the area once more. "It doesn't look like it's gonna rain right now, no, but I wanna make sure we're okay later in the day. Just so long as this area ain't like... immediately made 'Bomb Land' or anything. It's happened before."

He stood at the bottom of the steps to the gazebo, continuing his protests about clearing the area in his head. When it all came down to it though, he was forced to admit he didn't want to touch Ian's body either. Thing looked gruesome, and the blood... it was enough to make him shiver. Violently, even. He's just happy he hadn't caught a downwind whiff of him, seeing as he couldn't remember hearing Ian's name to gauge how long he'd been dead. Observing the body up close, well... that wasn't happening, either.

"This place doesn't really cater to sleeping as well as the last place Gray and I were in," Sean muttered, mostly to himself. As he said it, his eyes searched along the edge of the gazebo. Didn't seem to be any spiders or wasps mucking about, so leaning against the side of it for a bit of shut-eye wouldn't be such a bad idea. He picked the west side to lean against; it would put him in the shade for longer until the sun neared noon.

He trusted Gray more than he trusted Kathryn. If he weren't ever to wake up again, though, he figured it wouldn't the worst thing in the world. Pretty crappy, but not the worst. With his other option being 'sit awake until your eyes dry and fall out', Sean slowly closed his eyes and dozed off for a little bit in the company of his friend. Only thing left to do was to wait with his eyes shut.
He wouldn't wake until the blare of the announcements.

[Deamon]

Sean set himself down against the gazebo and closed his eyes. Gray didn't follow suit, he wasn't tired. Alternatively he was so tired he had just looped around. Not that it mattered, he just didn't feel tired. He stretched his leg out and appreciated the relief it gave him from the pain.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there lost in his own thoughts when the speakers blared into life. It was time for the worst part of the day. The part where they found out if any of their friends had died. On that morning it was Claire. Katarina had killed again and this time it was Claire who had been the victim. It meant that Gray's plan had failed. No more of their friends were left alive. That made Gray feel empty. He no longer had a goal anymore. He didn't know what the second stage of his plan actually was after he'd found his friends. But it didn't matter anymore the first stage had failed so there was need for stage two.

Andi was dead too. That hit Gray harder than he thought. He had always been expecting it at some stage Andi didn't have a personality that went well with diplomacy. But still it hurt to hear. The real question was how Sean was going to react to the news that all the people they used to be friends with were now dead.

Gray looked over to Kathryn; she'd killed as well, the announcement made it sound like an accident. Only one way to find out the real answer.

"So what happened?"

[Arscapi†]

Gray asked the question so calmly, that Kathryn was unsure about how to answer. Was he really that calm? Would he listen to her story? The last person she'd run into had wanted to kill her on the hint of her killing someone. Still, she didn't have anything to hide. It had been an accident. If he turned on her, she could easily outrun him.

"It was an accident I swear. Iselle and I had a big fight and left me all alone in that big mansion. I tried to stay up, but I fell asleep. Something woke me and I saw a shape in the doorway. I was half asleep and fired without thinking. Iselle was my best friend. I never meant to hurt her."

The story came out in a rush and by the end she was practically begging him to believe her. She glanced over at Sean. If Gray woke him, or if Sean was feigning sleep it was two against one. Yet, she didn't want to run. It was the first time she'd told anyone the story and she was curious how he'd react.

"You believe me don't you," she said her voice barely above whisper.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Sean pushed off of the wall of the gazebo to right himself, standing groggily on morning feet. Ever since the first screech of the morning blaring over that PA system, he had been fully awake and devouring every piece of information that came through the announcements. He hated that they were delivered so casually and he hated that his classmates were still dropping like flies. He hated that he had to actually 'hate' anything, when it was an activity he always tried to eschew in life. He hated how the game had affected him. How it changed him.

What he didn't necessarily hate was hearing Kathryn's name. If anything, that piqued his curiosity. Between that and her hasty explanation, her desire to try and profess her innocence before anybody shot her in the back, was what caused him to stand up.

"It's not whether we believe you or not," Sean said, struggling not to mumble so soon after waking. "Or... yeah, maybe it is. I'unno, but forget that." The gun was in his shorts pocket. He didn't reach for it, not yet. He was really, REALLY hoping he wouldn't have to. "I, um... I'm like you, 'kay? Aria's dead because of me, and I didn't really mean for it either." The words still bit at him when he said them, and Sean just had to understand that sentence was never going to get any easier to say. Kathryn likely wouldn't believe him, but he knew exactly what she was going through.

"So if Gray n' I were to attack you, well, it'd be just like Ami and Ruby freakin' out because they wouldn't let me explain myself. Yeah. That was a thing." He thought about taking a step towards her, and then he thought twice. He settled the shift in his weight by leaning against the gazebo once more, this time still on his feet. "So... don't worry, I guess is what I'm trying to say."

[Deamon]

Sean was awake and he was interrupting the conversation but whatever. He was comforting Kathryn or making his best attempt to. At least he was trying, that was something. He was telling Kathryn his story Gray guessed the idea was to show her he knew what she was going through. It made sense as an idea; Gray wasn't sure if Sean actually knew that was what he was doing or if he was just rambling. It was always hard to tell.

"Not like I can do much anyway." Gray said raising his hand and pointing at his knee. "Only got one leg." He didn't make any effort to stand up. It would hurt too much and would achieve nothing. It wasn't like he could only speak standing up. He thought about the story Kathryn had told about her kill.

It sounded legit; there was no reason to doubt her either. If she had been planning to kill him and Sean there had already been plenty of chances. The fact they were still alive was a testament to the fact she was on the level. Gray looked at Kathryn and met her gaze.

"I believe you."

[Ciel†]

(Ami Flynn continued from All at Once, the Consequences;)

Ami stood there. She didn't know for how long. The second she saw Gray, Sean, Kathryn, she just... stopped walking. She edged closer over time but she did not make her presence known. Soon she was feet away from the steps leading up and still they did not notice. They were talking. That explained why they didn't notice her. Or maybe they did notice and they were choosing to ignore her...

The revolver was in her one hand. Maynard's gun in the other. She didn't fire either of them.. She just stood there.

They were all in the gazebo. She gave both Kathryn and Gray glances, the sort of glance she'd give a passing car as she crossed the street.  Under normal circumstances Ami Flynn would have engaged them equally. There wasn't that many people left. But, to Ami Flynn at that moment, Gray Emerson and Kathryn Nguyen were transparent entities. As far as she was concerned, there was no one but Sean Mulcahy. No one. Sean Mulcahy mattered.

She thought about the guns in her hands, how easy it would be, how it had no right to be so easy and how this is what she should have done since the start. But she ignored herself. Just like she had a thousand times over.

Instead, she thought of how best to enter the conversation. There was enough of a usable brain inside her thick skull to realize that standing there and staring was very off-putting.  Unfortunately, Ami didn't know what to say. Fitting. Not knowing what to say -- that always happened back home. Two of her friends would be talking and she'd decide to join. She was always bad at small talk though, so she'd always stand on the outskirts of conversation, shuffling her feet and waiting for them to notice. It always happened with Mallory and she hated that, and she couldn't just wave or clear her throat. That was rude. Wasn't it? She was pretty sure it was rude.

Then again, this wasn't high school. No one would judge her. And, frankly, Ami didn't give a fuck about being rude. Not anymore.

She lifted the arm holding the revolver, pointed it, then she shot the sky.

[MK Kilmarnock]

Sean jumped at the deafening crack of a gun.

He pulled away from the side of the gazebo and instinctively checked himself, as though he had been shot but was somehow unable to feel the bullet enter him. When he saw now blood, his eyes shot from Gray to Kathryn. None of them had a weapon drawn, none of them were bleeding. His mind raced, clouded in a panic as he turned all around to try and figure out where the shot had come from.

The figure standing outside the group finally became apparent to him, gun raised in the air. Ami... Sean had run into Ami before. He wasn't sure if she had managed to find Gray on the way out of the freighter, but just the look of her began to replay all those events in his mind. The announcements blared like before as Sean had to relive the trauma of losing yet another friend due to his carelessness, with everything spiraling out of control after an accident in the flight control tower. Sara's blood was on his hands... but it was also on Ami's.

Now she had the nerve to stand here, to flag them down and scare the living daylights out of all of them. A more rational mind might have reasoned that perhaps Ami was there to talk, since she bothered to get their attention first without just popping them off. Around this moment, though, Sean was everything but rational. The gun came out of his pocket, held by a trembling hand. He leveled the weapon at Ami, eyes wide and head shaking.

"What are you doing here?"

[Ciel†]

Good. He noticed her. Finally.

It was strange; she felt calm despite just having fired a gun. It was as if... Ami was in control. She was in control of something and she relished it. It filled her with confidence.

"Sorry."

Ami didn't know who she was apologizing to. She didn't even know why she was apologizing. What was there to apologize for? They were ignoring her, she made her presence known. That's all. No reason to apologize. So why?

Sean wanted to know why she was there. Good question. Part of Ami Flynn knew the answer to that. Part of her didn't. She had to trust her gut. It was going to lead her to the promised land.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Ami said. The gun was at her side again. "I was just passing by. I thought... I'm turning a new leaf. Burying the hatchet? Something." Ami closed her eyes. She couldn't find the right words. "I'm here to apologize."

She didn't look away from Sean. She didn't acknowledge the others because this had nothing to do with them and everything to do with Sean and Ruby. She just started talking. Just get it out. Put it out there.

"I wanted to save Ruby, I didn't mean to kill Sara. I just... I snapped. I was trying to kill you, I think, and she just jumped in front of me. I can't explain it any more than that. I wasn't myself..."

Ami's voice did not crack. She did not start crying. The only outward sign of guilt was the slight twitch in her frown and nothing else.

"Look. I can't feel sorry for you, because you didn't tell us about Aria." Ami said. "But I still owe you an apology for what I did to your friend... So..."

She didn't know how else to put it. She was wasting enough time as it was. So.

"Sorry."

[MK Kilmarnock]

"... Sorry."

That was what she had to say for herself? That situation spiraled out of control and got crazy, and she killed somebody, and that was all she had to say?

"Sorry? You're sorry?"

So what if he hadn't explained the situation with Aria? Ruby never gave him a chance, not how he remembered it! What he and Gray were trying to do with Kathryn was, to him, a way to rectify the unfairness that took place there on the freighter, the place that was supposed to be HIS sanctuary. But no, Ruby didn't see things that way. She... she was the one that forced him to draw the weapon, just like Ami showing up now, pretending to be the better person, apologizing for killing somebody in cold blood all while 'innocently' holding a gun... Sean didn't buy it. He didn't buy any of it.

She didn't get to be any better than him. She was NOT better than him; she killed too, all because her and her stupid... her stupid friend decided to shoot first and ask questions later. His mind continued to vilify them both as the events of the freighter played again and again, Ami continuing to taunt him just by standing there. His hand shook, then stilled. He really, really thought he was going to get better.