Time had passed but Kimiko wasn't sure how much. No one else had entered her corner of the asylum, not since the girl had been murdered. Kimiko hadn't taken another look at her body since she had taken the assault rifle.
((Kimiko Kao continued from Autoscopy))
It was a big bulky gun, but with that Kimiko knew it possessed the ability to take a life in an instant. All she had to do was hold down the trigger and more bullets would roar forth then anyone could react to. That was of course only if she needed to and if the one-on-one therapy rooms continued to stay as abandoned as they were she would have no need for it. Sitting around surrounded by the ghosts of the asylum made Kimiko uncomfortable but it was the safest option she had available.
It had been a good plan for as long as she had been using aside from the one encounter she had been involved with. Luckily that had ended safely for her only due to her own cowardice and avoidance of confrontation.
She took a drink and looked around the observation room from where she was sat, it would have been a sterile room when the asylum was in use, or at least as sterile as an asylum would have been back then. It felt weird sitting in a room that had once been used to watch people but now all the surroundings rooms contained nothing but corpses.
Kimiko rubbed her eyes and stretched her legs out, trying to work some feeling back into them after sitting on the cold, hard floor for what felt like an age. She stood up and bent down at the waist to touch her toes, feeling the muscles go taut at the back of her legs. A life of gymnastics allowed her to be naturally flexible which she assumed had helped her avoid injury during her time on the island but she didn't want to risk going too long without even trying to stretch.
It wouldn't be too long now she assumed. It had to end soon and she would need to be ready for when that happened. She was a target, everyone knew about her and no matter how prepared she thought she was something could have always gone wrong.
So she needed to stay alert and not loose her focus. Every encounter had the potential to be deadly and she couldn't fail now. Not after so long.
Takasago
Open
((Blair Moore continued from Toxic))
The asylum was just as she remembered it, dimly lit, cavernous, creepy, and generally awful. Plus, by now the sickening smell she'd come to connect to corpses wafted through the entire place. Asylum literally referred to a sanctuary or a safe place; the irony in the use of the phrase to describe human rights violations in building form was palpable.
Even in the context of Blair's life, it was farcical. A safe place on this island was about as available as an airplane ride home. There were so many dead people here by now. One of them, of course, was probably Georgia Lee Day. Blair's second victim.
Walking up the stairs back to the doctor's offices, Blair found Georgia Lee's corpse in a different position than expected. Had the announcement described her bleeding out? Maybe. Blair had no idea, but it was either that or someone moved her around postmortem for god-only-knows-what-reasons. People did crazy things. Like murder defenseless classmates!
It was hard for Blair to articulate her feelings, standing over a dead girl's body while biting her lip. She knew, rationally, it was a bad thing to have done. Duh. Shooting people is not okay. But there were other ways she could justify herself. Accident, maybe, but she could also try to blame it on the situation. Sure, she'd overreacted entering the room, but Georgia Lee had been pulling out a weapon. It was a misjudgment, but not an unfounded one.
Overall, the most disturbing thing about the incident wasn't that Blair had murdered someone in a reckless pull of the trigger, but that she was struggling to recall the emotion from that situation. She couldn't find it in her to feel bad. No tears, no sorrow. Not even that much regret. A girl was dead, but in the end, it didn't really matter who killed her, did it? It could just as well have been literally anyone else on the island. Blair was responsible, but was she guilty?
Blair stood there for a long time. Eventually she went back downstairs.
---
Hindsight 20/20, right?
Staying upstairs was probably safer, since by her logic most of the survivors were probably more inclined to stick to the exits. The therapy rooms off to the right weren't a great place to hide out for that reason, but Blair had honestly not been thinking about her path at the time.
Rounding the corner, though, Blair was jolted out of her musings by the sound of steps in the room. She raised her SMG, which was still in her hand, though honestly it had been so close to her for so long she'd forgotten about it. Saying something about familiarity in violence was probably appropriate here, but she didn't care.
Blair's immediate thought was to turn and book it. Her survival past this point was reliant on her wits. Everyone left with a shot at winning would be showing no mercy. Eliminating the competition.
...Shit.
Blair had the drop on whoever was in there if anyone, as far as she could tell; she wasn't a loud walker, but the damn building was awfully good for loud echoes. Hard to say; if it was an ambush, better to go the other way. But if they were harmless or an off-guard killer, she'd have the advantage. Gambles weren't like her, but contemplating murder wasn't either, as much as she threatened her little sister with it on occasion.
Blair poked her head around the corner, the muzzle of the gun just below her scrutinizing eyes. There was a lot of broken glass, a horrible stench of corpses and a few actual bodies visible from this angle. There was a body right in the middle of the room, and from the look of it, she'd not been dead long. And since Blair had arrived through the only entrance...
From her vantage point, she couldn't quite see if there was anyone in there. Of course, it wasn't impossible that the killer had made an exit well before she'd arrived. Blair wasn't exactly a forensic scientist, the girl could've been dead for minutes or hours and she wouldn't know the difference. There was a good-sized part of her mind saying to leave. That was probably the smart part of her.
Instead, Blair dipped back behind the corner, and tried to keep from breathing loudly without choking herself, a feat easier said than done. Was she going to fight, or what? What did she get out of it? Removal of an enemy, or possibly killing innocent just 'cause. They'd die anyway, a part of her said, but that part was an asshole.
Were they right?
The asylum was just as she remembered it, dimly lit, cavernous, creepy, and generally awful. Plus, by now the sickening smell she'd come to connect to corpses wafted through the entire place. Asylum literally referred to a sanctuary or a safe place; the irony in the use of the phrase to describe human rights violations in building form was palpable.
Even in the context of Blair's life, it was farcical. A safe place on this island was about as available as an airplane ride home. There were so many dead people here by now. One of them, of course, was probably Georgia Lee Day. Blair's second victim.
Walking up the stairs back to the doctor's offices, Blair found Georgia Lee's corpse in a different position than expected. Had the announcement described her bleeding out? Maybe. Blair had no idea, but it was either that or someone moved her around postmortem for god-only-knows-what-reasons. People did crazy things. Like murder defenseless classmates!
It was hard for Blair to articulate her feelings, standing over a dead girl's body while biting her lip. She knew, rationally, it was a bad thing to have done. Duh. Shooting people is not okay. But there were other ways she could justify herself. Accident, maybe, but she could also try to blame it on the situation. Sure, she'd overreacted entering the room, but Georgia Lee had been pulling out a weapon. It was a misjudgment, but not an unfounded one.
Overall, the most disturbing thing about the incident wasn't that Blair had murdered someone in a reckless pull of the trigger, but that she was struggling to recall the emotion from that situation. She couldn't find it in her to feel bad. No tears, no sorrow. Not even that much regret. A girl was dead, but in the end, it didn't really matter who killed her, did it? It could just as well have been literally anyone else on the island. Blair was responsible, but was she guilty?
Blair stood there for a long time. Eventually she went back downstairs.
---
Hindsight 20/20, right?
Staying upstairs was probably safer, since by her logic most of the survivors were probably more inclined to stick to the exits. The therapy rooms off to the right weren't a great place to hide out for that reason, but Blair had honestly not been thinking about her path at the time.
Rounding the corner, though, Blair was jolted out of her musings by the sound of steps in the room. She raised her SMG, which was still in her hand, though honestly it had been so close to her for so long she'd forgotten about it. Saying something about familiarity in violence was probably appropriate here, but she didn't care.
Blair's immediate thought was to turn and book it. Her survival past this point was reliant on her wits. Everyone left with a shot at winning would be showing no mercy. Eliminating the competition.
...Shit.
Blair had the drop on whoever was in there if anyone, as far as she could tell; she wasn't a loud walker, but the damn building was awfully good for loud echoes. Hard to say; if it was an ambush, better to go the other way. But if they were harmless or an off-guard killer, she'd have the advantage. Gambles weren't like her, but contemplating murder wasn't either, as much as she threatened her little sister with it on occasion.
Blair poked her head around the corner, the muzzle of the gun just below her scrutinizing eyes. There was a lot of broken glass, a horrible stench of corpses and a few actual bodies visible from this angle. There was a body right in the middle of the room, and from the look of it, she'd not been dead long. And since Blair had arrived through the only entrance...
From her vantage point, she couldn't quite see if there was anyone in there. Of course, it wasn't impossible that the killer had made an exit well before she'd arrived. Blair wasn't exactly a forensic scientist, the girl could've been dead for minutes or hours and she wouldn't know the difference. There was a good-sized part of her mind saying to leave. That was probably the smart part of her.
Instead, Blair dipped back behind the corner, and tried to keep from breathing loudly without choking herself, a feat easier said than done. Was she going to fight, or what? What did she get out of it? Removal of an enemy, or possibly killing innocent just 'cause. They'd die anyway, a part of her said, but that part was an asshole.
Were they right?
Blair should have been a little more concerned with what was going on behind her.
As it was, neither she nor Jae properly registered the other's presence until he collided with her and sent them both to the ground in a heap.
((Min-jae Parker continued from Talons))
There was a shriek and an explosion of gunfire from almost underneath him that left his ears ringing but otherwise only impacted the walls and shattered more glass from the broken windows. He had fallen on top of someone, but didn't have the strength to push himself up as his terror-driven adrenaline rush faded and left an aching hollowness and exhaustion in its wake. The gunshots were startling, but couldn't hit him from this angle, so it wasn't much in the way of motivation.
"Guh."
Jae slid to the side and painfully managed to turn onto his back. He left a smear of blood on the floor as he moved. He was... bleeding a lot. He should probably do something about that. When he could properly move again.
"Ah..." His throat hurt from screaming and yelling. His entire body hurt from everything else. He couldn't even pinpoint where all his injuries were at this point.
He still half-expected to see Jon shamble in through the doorway after him.
As it was, neither she nor Jae properly registered the other's presence until he collided with her and sent them both to the ground in a heap.
((Min-jae Parker continued from Talons))
There was a shriek and an explosion of gunfire from almost underneath him that left his ears ringing but otherwise only impacted the walls and shattered more glass from the broken windows. He had fallen on top of someone, but didn't have the strength to push himself up as his terror-driven adrenaline rush faded and left an aching hollowness and exhaustion in its wake. The gunshots were startling, but couldn't hit him from this angle, so it wasn't much in the way of motivation.
"Guh."
Jae slid to the side and painfully managed to turn onto his back. He left a smear of blood on the floor as he moved. He was... bleeding a lot. He should probably do something about that. When he could properly move again.
"Ah..." His throat hurt from screaming and yelling. His entire body hurt from everything else. He couldn't even pinpoint where all his injuries were at this point.
He still half-expected to see Jon shamble in through the doorway after him.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Kimiko heard a shriek and gunfire, followed by some glass falling from the edge of what remained of the one way mirror. It was from the interview room, she heard more movement but no more sounds of violence. It left her with a choice.
Neither option was particularly appealing to her on any real level. But she felt like she had to do something but she wasn't sure if what she had decided to do was even the right thing to do. It was nearly an impossible question. Just one of the many she and others had been forced to make as time had gone on. Past a point whether or not something was the right thing to do changed. There was no way to tell how their decisions could cause a domino effect and bring the entire house of cards tumbling down.
That entire idea had been a powerful motivator for Kimiko. She had spent her time working towards one goal and she had been reminded that in the end that it may have been wasted effort. All her struggle a pointless endeavor when all was said and done. She wouldn't know that until that time arrived though. That was a piece of knowledge that terrified her. She swallowed and took a deep breath, wondering just what she must have looked like.
It had been...the days had been long.
She swung the assault rifle up and rested it on the lip of the mirror, taking stock of the room for the first time since the boy and girl had fought. Now it turned out there was another boy and another girl, although of the pair the boy, Jae looked to be in the worst shape.
Kimiko had first met Jae when she had moved to Kingman. He had moved to the town around the same time she had and they'd become friends but eventually they had ended up drifting apart due to a combination of factors, none of it was helped by their disagreements over his treatment of other students. In the end they had just stopped being friends. Blair was someone else Kimiko was aware of but she wasn't friends with the girl or even knew that much about her. Regardless they were both here now and both within her sights.
She pulled back the bolt handle to get their attention, the noise splitting through the air in the room.
Keeping her eyes on both Jae and Blair Kimiko waited for their reactions.
Neither option was particularly appealing to her on any real level. But she felt like she had to do something but she wasn't sure if what she had decided to do was even the right thing to do. It was nearly an impossible question. Just one of the many she and others had been forced to make as time had gone on. Past a point whether or not something was the right thing to do changed. There was no way to tell how their decisions could cause a domino effect and bring the entire house of cards tumbling down.
That entire idea had been a powerful motivator for Kimiko. She had spent her time working towards one goal and she had been reminded that in the end that it may have been wasted effort. All her struggle a pointless endeavor when all was said and done. She wouldn't know that until that time arrived though. That was a piece of knowledge that terrified her. She swallowed and took a deep breath, wondering just what she must have looked like.
It had been...the days had been long.
She swung the assault rifle up and rested it on the lip of the mirror, taking stock of the room for the first time since the boy and girl had fought. Now it turned out there was another boy and another girl, although of the pair the boy, Jae looked to be in the worst shape.
Kimiko had first met Jae when she had moved to Kingman. He had moved to the town around the same time she had and they'd become friends but eventually they had ended up drifting apart due to a combination of factors, none of it was helped by their disagreements over his treatment of other students. In the end they had just stopped being friends. Blair was someone else Kimiko was aware of but she wasn't friends with the girl or even knew that much about her. Regardless they were both here now and both within her sights.
She pulled back the bolt handle to get their attention, the noise splitting through the air in the room.
Keeping her eyes on both Jae and Blair Kimiko waited for their reactions.
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Of course her slow and cautious decision-making pause would end up screwing Blair over worse than making a reckless snap decision. Of course.
So focused on identifying any signs of life in the room before her, she'd completely failed to notice the sounds of an approaching person until he tackled her to the ground. Blair shrieked in alarm, her finger pulling the machine pistol's trigger to unleash a burst of bullets more out of reflex than anything. A moment later and she was down on the ground, slightly disoriented but thankfully mostly unhurt.
Unfortunately, she was still pinned to the ground by someone much taller and heavier than she was, so as soon as Blair had her wits about her it became apparent that she was stuck. The machine pistol was still in her grasp, and it was the other arm that was pinned under her, but the angle made it impossible to point it at anything but the doorframe.
A moment of panic gripped her. If she couldn't get up or shoot them or fight back, how was she going to get away? If this asshole was trying to kill her, she might be fucked. Shit, shit, shit-
Oh, wait. He wasn't strangling her or anything. After a moment, he rolled off of her, even. Blair bounced up to her knees, gasping for air in between raspy coughs. God, what a load of shit. If someone was going to kill her with suffocation then she would have to kick God's ass, or whoever it was that decided ironic death was appropriate for this hellhole.
As Blair was about to stand up, though, the sound of something similar to a gun cocking brought Blair's attention to Kimiko. Who had killed like 6 people by now, including another killer, Nancy. She had a big gun aimed in the general direction of Blair.
Her eyes widened. Shit. Blair's first instinct was to put her hands up like she was being arrested, but luckily she didn't do that because that was a fucking stupid idea. You only did that so the cops didn't shoot you, but here there was a good chance Kimiko would shoot her no matter what. Then again, she had had a good opportunity to kill Blair and the dead-looking guy a second ago, so maybe she was holding back for some reason?
Blair stood up, both hands on her own firearm, but pointing it at the ground, finger off the trigger. She wasn't exactly confident that she could win a quick-draw if it came to that, but Kimiko didn't need to know that. Finally able to muster some of her lung capacity to speak, Blair croaked out, "Hey, uh, thought I heard someone in here." She cleared her throat again. Corpse on the ground didn't look shot up, so possibly Kimiko hadn't killed her. How wonderful.
"I can just, like, leave?" Blair glanced between Kimiko and the guy on the ground, who was bloody all over and also alive, possibly by technicality. Min-jae, was that him? Hadn't he killed a bunch of people, too? Jesus, was this a murderer convention or what?
Her eyes returned to Kimiko, trying not to betray any fear.
So focused on identifying any signs of life in the room before her, she'd completely failed to notice the sounds of an approaching person until he tackled her to the ground. Blair shrieked in alarm, her finger pulling the machine pistol's trigger to unleash a burst of bullets more out of reflex than anything. A moment later and she was down on the ground, slightly disoriented but thankfully mostly unhurt.
Unfortunately, she was still pinned to the ground by someone much taller and heavier than she was, so as soon as Blair had her wits about her it became apparent that she was stuck. The machine pistol was still in her grasp, and it was the other arm that was pinned under her, but the angle made it impossible to point it at anything but the doorframe.
A moment of panic gripped her. If she couldn't get up or shoot them or fight back, how was she going to get away? If this asshole was trying to kill her, she might be fucked. Shit, shit, shit-
Oh, wait. He wasn't strangling her or anything. After a moment, he rolled off of her, even. Blair bounced up to her knees, gasping for air in between raspy coughs. God, what a load of shit. If someone was going to kill her with suffocation then she would have to kick God's ass, or whoever it was that decided ironic death was appropriate for this hellhole.
As Blair was about to stand up, though, the sound of something similar to a gun cocking brought Blair's attention to Kimiko. Who had killed like 6 people by now, including another killer, Nancy. She had a big gun aimed in the general direction of Blair.
Her eyes widened. Shit. Blair's first instinct was to put her hands up like she was being arrested, but luckily she didn't do that because that was a fucking stupid idea. You only did that so the cops didn't shoot you, but here there was a good chance Kimiko would shoot her no matter what. Then again, she had had a good opportunity to kill Blair and the dead-looking guy a second ago, so maybe she was holding back for some reason?
Blair stood up, both hands on her own firearm, but pointing it at the ground, finger off the trigger. She wasn't exactly confident that she could win a quick-draw if it came to that, but Kimiko didn't need to know that. Finally able to muster some of her lung capacity to speak, Blair croaked out, "Hey, uh, thought I heard someone in here." She cleared her throat again. Corpse on the ground didn't look shot up, so possibly Kimiko hadn't killed her. How wonderful.
"I can just, like, leave?" Blair glanced between Kimiko and the guy on the ground, who was bloody all over and also alive, possibly by technicality. Min-jae, was that him? Hadn't he killed a bunch of people, too? Jesus, was this a murderer convention or what?
Her eyes returned to Kimiko, trying not to betray any fear.
Oh, hey Kimiko.
Jae didn't have it in him to be surprised or even particularly annoyed that she chose now of all times to pop in. He could take some small solace in the fact that she looked maybe half as fucked up as he probably did, at least. He could make that much out even looking at her upside down from the ground.
Well, anyway. If she was planning to shoot him and... Blair? She probably would have done it by now. Jae hadn't ever known her to be someone who half-assed things.
Kimiko was another in the long line of sort-of friends that Jae had latched onto and then drifted away from over the years. They had moved to Kingman around the same time and been two of the few Asian kids in their middle school classes, and that had been enough to form a short-lived friendship. It had died the way most of his others had, though with less lingering bad blood between them than some.
A few days ago, he had planned on shooting her on sight if he ever ran into her.
Now, he lifted his arms instead of trying to raise the rifle and oh Jesus his hand.
He hadn't stopped to look at it before. It was... split. There was a dip in between his ring and middle fingers, nearly an inch deep into his palm, full of blood and shredded flesh. If he looked hard enough he thought he might be able to make out a sliver of bone. He stopped looking.
His arms were shaking pretty badly, but he still managed to move his hands in the first formation that came to mind.
<Good morning.>
It wasn't morning and nothing was good, but it all seemed funny somehow. Jae couldn't recall if he had ever told Kimiko he had started learning sign language during that short time that they called themselves friends.
Jae didn't have it in him to be surprised or even particularly annoyed that she chose now of all times to pop in. He could take some small solace in the fact that she looked maybe half as fucked up as he probably did, at least. He could make that much out even looking at her upside down from the ground.
Well, anyway. If she was planning to shoot him and... Blair? She probably would have done it by now. Jae hadn't ever known her to be someone who half-assed things.
Kimiko was another in the long line of sort-of friends that Jae had latched onto and then drifted away from over the years. They had moved to Kingman around the same time and been two of the few Asian kids in their middle school classes, and that had been enough to form a short-lived friendship. It had died the way most of his others had, though with less lingering bad blood between them than some.
A few days ago, he had planned on shooting her on sight if he ever ran into her.
Now, he lifted his arms instead of trying to raise the rifle and oh Jesus his hand.
He hadn't stopped to look at it before. It was... split. There was a dip in between his ring and middle fingers, nearly an inch deep into his palm, full of blood and shredded flesh. If he looked hard enough he thought he might be able to make out a sliver of bone. He stopped looking.
His arms were shaking pretty badly, but he still managed to move his hands in the first formation that came to mind.
<Good morning.>
It wasn't morning and nothing was good, but it all seemed funny somehow. Jae couldn't recall if he had ever told Kimiko he had started learning sign language during that short time that they called themselves friends.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Neither of them tried anything. That was good, it meant she didn't have to use the rifle. Not yet anyway.
Blair said that she could leave but Kimiko wasn't sure if she trusted her. In truth she had no reason not to trust Blair but that had the side effect of her not having any reason to trust her either. There was no way of knowing Blair wouldn't try looping around behind her to shooting her through the other broken mirror. Blair had a gun after all and Kimiko knew she had used it. So letting her walk way was a risk she wasn't going to take. Kimiko just remained silent in response to Blair, instead of giving a response she merely kept the gun trained on the pair.
Min-Jae was a known factor or as much of one as there could be on the island. He was someone she had known once and he was now a killer like she was. He didn't have as many kills as she did but that didn't make him any less dangerous. He looked like he had survived more than most people had face on the island. If he was able to keep himself moving and functioning giving the state he was in it meant he was still a threat that needed to be taken seriously.
Even so when he spoke to her in sign language she was caught off-guard. Her eyes widened slightly and she felt a twinge of something in her gut. The last time someone had spoken to her like that had been Caleb. She didn't even know Jae had learned sign language. She took her left hand off the grip of the gun, her right still remained by the trigger leaving the rest of the guns weight resting on the lip of where the mirror used to be. The low wall it created helping to keep most of her body behind cover.
She raised her left hand up and returned his greeting with a shaking hand.
"Good morning."
Kimiko didn't know what to do next so with her hand that was already raised she signed out a reply to Min-Jae.
"What happened?"
Hopefully everything would stay calm.
Blair said that she could leave but Kimiko wasn't sure if she trusted her. In truth she had no reason not to trust Blair but that had the side effect of her not having any reason to trust her either. There was no way of knowing Blair wouldn't try looping around behind her to shooting her through the other broken mirror. Blair had a gun after all and Kimiko knew she had used it. So letting her walk way was a risk she wasn't going to take. Kimiko just remained silent in response to Blair, instead of giving a response she merely kept the gun trained on the pair.
Min-Jae was a known factor or as much of one as there could be on the island. He was someone she had known once and he was now a killer like she was. He didn't have as many kills as she did but that didn't make him any less dangerous. He looked like he had survived more than most people had face on the island. If he was able to keep himself moving and functioning giving the state he was in it meant he was still a threat that needed to be taken seriously.
Even so when he spoke to her in sign language she was caught off-guard. Her eyes widened slightly and she felt a twinge of something in her gut. The last time someone had spoken to her like that had been Caleb. She didn't even know Jae had learned sign language. She took her left hand off the grip of the gun, her right still remained by the trigger leaving the rest of the guns weight resting on the lip of where the mirror used to be. The low wall it created helping to keep most of her body behind cover.
She raised her left hand up and returned his greeting with a shaking hand.
"Good morning."
Kimiko didn't know what to do next so with her hand that was already raised she signed out a reply to Min-Jae.
"What happened?"
Hopefully everything would stay calm.
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Oh right. Kimiko had the whole mute thing. That made things weird.
More problematic than Blair's minor social faux pas was the followup hand gestures between the other two. Blair hadn't the slightest knowledge of any form of sign language, unless you counted thumbs-up, flipping someone off or whatever. There was no indication to tell Blair what was being discussed.
Glancing from Jae's movements to Kimiko's, Blair felt a familiar anxiety bubble up, ironically a familiar anxiety about unfamiliarity. She was in a situation she couldn't try to analyze, and it was both scary and frustrating. The best she could do was sit there and watch for trouble. The two seemed more shaken than anything, after all, and with Jae's injuries Blair hoped Kimiko would be more worried about him than her.
Since running off here might get her shot, she'd just play nice and watch for the slightest notion of an attack to know if she'd have to bolt. Biting her lower lip, Blair stayed put and waited. Whether she was waiting for an all-clear or a warning sign was as yet unclear. She tried to glance backwards towards the hallway, trying to work on an escape route if she sensed ill intent, but couldn't take her eyes off of Kimiko and, more importantly, Kimiko's rifle. A sudden, absurd thought crossed her mind; if only she had chameleon eyes, which if she recalled had independent eye movement.
She didn't smile, but the silly idea lifted her spirit. For the moment.
More problematic than Blair's minor social faux pas was the followup hand gestures between the other two. Blair hadn't the slightest knowledge of any form of sign language, unless you counted thumbs-up, flipping someone off or whatever. There was no indication to tell Blair what was being discussed.
Glancing from Jae's movements to Kimiko's, Blair felt a familiar anxiety bubble up, ironically a familiar anxiety about unfamiliarity. She was in a situation she couldn't try to analyze, and it was both scary and frustrating. The best she could do was sit there and watch for trouble. The two seemed more shaken than anything, after all, and with Jae's injuries Blair hoped Kimiko would be more worried about him than her.
Since running off here might get her shot, she'd just play nice and watch for the slightest notion of an attack to know if she'd have to bolt. Biting her lower lip, Blair stayed put and waited. Whether she was waiting for an all-clear or a warning sign was as yet unclear. She tried to glance backwards towards the hallway, trying to work on an escape route if she sensed ill intent, but couldn't take her eyes off of Kimiko and, more importantly, Kimiko's rifle. A sudden, absurd thought crossed her mind; if only she had chameleon eyes, which if she recalled had independent eye movement.
She didn't smile, but the silly idea lifted her spirit. For the moment.
Jae didn't know the sign for "machete", but he knew "knife". He settled on that and "fight", followed by an attempt at a shrug.
<You know how it is.>
Jae dropped his arms, half-folding them over the rifle but not actually grasping it. He stole a glance at Blair, who was herself glancing warily between him and Kimiko. He was a little surprised he hadn't injured her when he fell, so far as he could tell. She was pretty frail-looking. Not the least likely person he had seen making it this far, but up there.
Survival of the Fittest. What a sick fucking joke. Jae's mind wandered back to the rooftop, his and Vanessa's joint hysterical breakdown. He wondered where Cass was now, if she had made good use of the weapon he left her on a whim.
It occurred to Jae that he was, frankly, being pretty stupid. He should be holding Kimiko at gunpoint like she was doing to him. He should be focused right now, not thinking about inane things. His head felt fuzzy.
"I think I'm dying," he croaked. He didn't know how to sign that. He wasn't sure how true his words were or why he felt the need to say them in the first place to two people who would directly benefit from it coming true.
He couldn't bring himself to care. All of his anger and terror had ebbed away as he put distance between himself and whatever was left of Jon, and now he felt hollow. His spark had gone out.
<You know how it is.>
Jae dropped his arms, half-folding them over the rifle but not actually grasping it. He stole a glance at Blair, who was herself glancing warily between him and Kimiko. He was a little surprised he hadn't injured her when he fell, so far as he could tell. She was pretty frail-looking. Not the least likely person he had seen making it this far, but up there.
Survival of the Fittest. What a sick fucking joke. Jae's mind wandered back to the rooftop, his and Vanessa's joint hysterical breakdown. He wondered where Cass was now, if she had made good use of the weapon he left her on a whim.
It occurred to Jae that he was, frankly, being pretty stupid. He should be holding Kimiko at gunpoint like she was doing to him. He should be focused right now, not thinking about inane things. His head felt fuzzy.
"I think I'm dying," he croaked. He didn't know how to sign that. He wasn't sure how true his words were or why he felt the need to say them in the first place to two people who would directly benefit from it coming true.
He couldn't bring himself to care. All of his anger and terror had ebbed away as he put distance between himself and whatever was left of Jon, and now he felt hollow. His spark had gone out.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Kimiko was taken aback by Min-Jae's statement. It was true he looked bad, she could readily believe that he was in fact dying. But she didn't find herself rushing to his aid like she had always assumed she would have done if she been in a similar situation. Now however she didn't move, she just stayed where she was.
It wasn't that she didn't want to help Min-Jae. She just didn't trust the scenario they found themselves in. If she tried to help Min-Jae tend to the wound his fight had caused she left herself to open to Blair attacking them, Min-Jae himself taking advantage of her or someone else just happening to stumble upon them. It was a form of paranoia and Kimiko knew that but it was a healthy degree of it that was helping keep her alive. It had helped prevent her becoming like the girl on the floor.
Despite her suspicions and wariness however Kimiko knew that she needed to lower her gun to deescalate the situation. Rising properly to her feet made her ankle flare up in pain where Isabel had cut it but Kimiko tried to ignore it as best she could. She kept her eyes on Blair and Jae as she moved, making sure they didn't try to do anything while she was at a disadvantage.
Using her left hand again she signed out a response to Min-Jae.
"Do you need help?"
In a strange way it felt good to be able to talk naturally to someone again even if the situation wasn't a pleasant one. She didn't think she would get another chance after Caleb. It was refreshing to be able to engage in a proper conversation for perhaps the last time. Kimiko was aware though that Blair was out of the loop with the conversation and as such could have thought they were saying anything. She picked her gun up and propped it against the side of her body using her arm, freeing her hand up so she could communicate with Blair.
"We're not plotting."
She tried to make the genuineness of the statement show in her eyes but wasn't sure how well it translated in the darkened room. After the near communicative freedom of talking to Min-Jae having to return to the clunky and slow letter by letter method of communication for Blair was a stark reminder of where she was. No matter what happened both of the people standing opposite her would need to die if she wanted to return home; to whatever new struggles that brought with it.
That was a problem for the future though, for now she was in a stand-off that featured three guns. Just because they hadn't turned to violence so far didn't mean it wasn't going to happen at some stage and she needed to be aware of that.
One mistake could make all the difference.
It wasn't that she didn't want to help Min-Jae. She just didn't trust the scenario they found themselves in. If she tried to help Min-Jae tend to the wound his fight had caused she left herself to open to Blair attacking them, Min-Jae himself taking advantage of her or someone else just happening to stumble upon them. It was a form of paranoia and Kimiko knew that but it was a healthy degree of it that was helping keep her alive. It had helped prevent her becoming like the girl on the floor.
Despite her suspicions and wariness however Kimiko knew that she needed to lower her gun to deescalate the situation. Rising properly to her feet made her ankle flare up in pain where Isabel had cut it but Kimiko tried to ignore it as best she could. She kept her eyes on Blair and Jae as she moved, making sure they didn't try to do anything while she was at a disadvantage.
Using her left hand again she signed out a response to Min-Jae.
"Do you need help?"
In a strange way it felt good to be able to talk naturally to someone again even if the situation wasn't a pleasant one. She didn't think she would get another chance after Caleb. It was refreshing to be able to engage in a proper conversation for perhaps the last time. Kimiko was aware though that Blair was out of the loop with the conversation and as such could have thought they were saying anything. She picked her gun up and propped it against the side of her body using her arm, freeing her hand up so she could communicate with Blair.
"We're not plotting."
She tried to make the genuineness of the statement show in her eyes but wasn't sure how well it translated in the darkened room. After the near communicative freedom of talking to Min-Jae having to return to the clunky and slow letter by letter method of communication for Blair was a stark reminder of where she was. No matter what happened both of the people standing opposite her would need to die if she wanted to return home; to whatever new struggles that brought with it.
That was a problem for the future though, for now she was in a stand-off that featured three guns. Just because they hadn't turned to violence so far didn't mean it wasn't going to happen at some stage and she needed to be aware of that.
One mistake could make all the difference.
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
When Kimiko lowered her gun, Blair was glad to follow suit. If Kimiko wasn't going to be an aggressor, Blair would be happy not to start something herself.
Still, this situation was still very awkward. Kimiko and Jae's communication was completely impenetrable to Blair, and though Kimiko was clearly trying to communicate to Blair with some sort of hand signals, she had trouble identifying the actual meaning.
Briefly pausing when Kimiko was done, Blair watched the other girl and tried to piece together Kimiko's statement. It was still frustrating, and it made her feel weird. Stupid, like she was a strange animal that the humans were attempting to communicate with. She was pretty sure she got the jist of what was meant; they weren't planning anything. Great. She supposed that if they were planning something then they wouldn't waste time telling her they weren't when they could just continue scheming.
Or it was a complex cat-and-mouse game of predicting the other party's moves. But that was stupid and nobody would waste time like that here.
All that said, Blair was eager to take her leave as soon as possible. Travelling with two other known killers would definitely raise eyebrows, and given that there were probably a few more people out for any of the trio's blood, it would seem a safer bet to stick to her tactic of going at it solo.
Blair stood up, slowly. "Okay, I can see you two are busy." Blair spoke. Her voice was perhaps a bit too flippant about the situation, but what could she do? "Not to be abrupt, but I think I'll be heading off. Uh, good luck, I guess." Geez, something so cheery in normal life was so morbid by now. It was like 'oh, hope you don't die but kinda hope you do because there can only be one etcetera,' and it was just grim. If anything it was just a self-assurance that hey, you were nice. You didn't kill them, you just hoped they died to someone else so you didn't have to deal with it. Yay!
Blair walked backwards from the two, and once she felt confident enough in her departure she turned around. Once she passed the corner, she broke into a brisk jog.
((Blair Moore continued in Amen))
Still, this situation was still very awkward. Kimiko and Jae's communication was completely impenetrable to Blair, and though Kimiko was clearly trying to communicate to Blair with some sort of hand signals, she had trouble identifying the actual meaning.
Briefly pausing when Kimiko was done, Blair watched the other girl and tried to piece together Kimiko's statement. It was still frustrating, and it made her feel weird. Stupid, like she was a strange animal that the humans were attempting to communicate with. She was pretty sure she got the jist of what was meant; they weren't planning anything. Great. She supposed that if they were planning something then they wouldn't waste time telling her they weren't when they could just continue scheming.
Or it was a complex cat-and-mouse game of predicting the other party's moves. But that was stupid and nobody would waste time like that here.
All that said, Blair was eager to take her leave as soon as possible. Travelling with two other known killers would definitely raise eyebrows, and given that there were probably a few more people out for any of the trio's blood, it would seem a safer bet to stick to her tactic of going at it solo.
Blair stood up, slowly. "Okay, I can see you two are busy." Blair spoke. Her voice was perhaps a bit too flippant about the situation, but what could she do? "Not to be abrupt, but I think I'll be heading off. Uh, good luck, I guess." Geez, something so cheery in normal life was so morbid by now. It was like 'oh, hope you don't die but kinda hope you do because there can only be one etcetera,' and it was just grim. If anything it was just a self-assurance that hey, you were nice. You didn't kill them, you just hoped they died to someone else so you didn't have to deal with it. Yay!
Blair walked backwards from the two, and once she felt confident enough in her departure she turned around. Once she passed the corner, she broke into a brisk jog.
((Blair Moore continued in Amen))
Blair left. Jae supposed he didn't blame her, insofar as he cared at all. He kept his eyes on Kimiko as she moved. There was nothing stopping her from executing him right here, bullet to the face as he laid on the floor.
But she didn't. Not yet.
"Yeah," he said. "I think I need a lot of help." There was an ironic edge to his voice. Near-death self-deprecation.
Was she offering genuine help? Jae couldn't tell. He didn't think he would have done the same if their positions were reversed. She probably knew that, too.
God, this place stank. There was a body nearby, fresh. There were others crowding the surrounding rooms.
Henry was here. Henry's body. Henry was gone, had been gone for a long time now. Maybe it was a good thing after all that they had never met up. What would Jae have done, if he had watched or heard Henry die like he did Asha or Hazel?
Probably all the same fucking things. He would have screamed and cried and plotted revenge, for all the good it did. He hadn't killed Isabel or Alessio. Fuck, he hadn't even been able to catch up to Alvaro and avenge himself, much less anyone else. He shot Lily in the back for being an accomplice, and the other three... Well, Brendan was unprovoked, beyond the way that Brendan had always provoked Jae with his very existence. Samuel was a mistake and Jon...
Jon had to be dead, right? Nobody could shrug off that much, especially not some scrawny five-foot-tall nerd, no matter how much of an action movie hero he thought he was.
There were no footsteps coming down the hall. No sound but his own ragged breathing and the faint noise of Kimiko's movements on the other side of the shattered mirror.
"I'm not going to shoot you," Jae rasped eventually. "I don't want to kill you anymore, I don't think."
But she didn't. Not yet.
"Yeah," he said. "I think I need a lot of help." There was an ironic edge to his voice. Near-death self-deprecation.
Was she offering genuine help? Jae couldn't tell. He didn't think he would have done the same if their positions were reversed. She probably knew that, too.
God, this place stank. There was a body nearby, fresh. There were others crowding the surrounding rooms.
Henry was here. Henry's body. Henry was gone, had been gone for a long time now. Maybe it was a good thing after all that they had never met up. What would Jae have done, if he had watched or heard Henry die like he did Asha or Hazel?
Probably all the same fucking things. He would have screamed and cried and plotted revenge, for all the good it did. He hadn't killed Isabel or Alessio. Fuck, he hadn't even been able to catch up to Alvaro and avenge himself, much less anyone else. He shot Lily in the back for being an accomplice, and the other three... Well, Brendan was unprovoked, beyond the way that Brendan had always provoked Jae with his very existence. Samuel was a mistake and Jon...
Jon had to be dead, right? Nobody could shrug off that much, especially not some scrawny five-foot-tall nerd, no matter how much of an action movie hero he thought he was.
There were no footsteps coming down the hall. No sound but his own ragged breathing and the faint noise of Kimiko's movements on the other side of the shattered mirror.
"I'm not going to shoot you," Jae rasped eventually. "I don't want to kill you anymore, I don't think."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Blair walked out, not turning her back on Kimiko or Min-Jae until she was around the corner and out of view. It was smart from her point of view, especially considering who she was in the room with.
After she left a long silence descended over the room, smothering it. Two killers, not in a stand-off but not at ease. The only real noise was her and Min-Jae's breathing. There wasn't any noise coming from anywhere nearby, they were as alone as they could be within the asylum. The little corner of it they found themselves in adrift from the rest. If either one of them decided to kill the other the only way anyone still alive would find out was if they heard it on the announcement. Kimiko still held the rifle. She could have just shot Min-Jae right then, he was a killer like her, it wasn't like anyone else left would care one or another.
Her index finger on her right hand still rested on the trigger.
Then Min-Jae spoke.
His response to her question wasn't surprising to Kimiko but the second statement he made was the revealing one. She had known that people wanted to kill her, she was aware of how they all viewed her. But it hurt that someone who had once been her friend had wanted to kill her. She knew it made no sense to be hurt or upset by it. She knew that there was no reason to continually feel the way she did about everyone's opinions of her. In the end they didn't matter and she knew that, she had accepted that, but deep down some part of her still hoped for some other response. There wouldn't be anything like that though. She had killed Caleb after all.
Perhaps that was why despite everything she had planned and worked out she found herself removing her finger from the trigger of her gun and climbing over the divide.
She crouched down, while keeping her gaze focused on Min-Jae the entire time, to rest the gun against the wall and raised her hands up to begin to sign.
"Do you want first aid?"
Kimiko was sure she wouldn't be able to help Min-Jae with his injuries.
The offer was a gesture more than anything; they had been friends after all and a friend had given her help and treated her like a person when she needed it.
Maybe that was why she decided to try and help him.
Maybe.
After she left a long silence descended over the room, smothering it. Two killers, not in a stand-off but not at ease. The only real noise was her and Min-Jae's breathing. There wasn't any noise coming from anywhere nearby, they were as alone as they could be within the asylum. The little corner of it they found themselves in adrift from the rest. If either one of them decided to kill the other the only way anyone still alive would find out was if they heard it on the announcement. Kimiko still held the rifle. She could have just shot Min-Jae right then, he was a killer like her, it wasn't like anyone else left would care one or another.
Her index finger on her right hand still rested on the trigger.
Then Min-Jae spoke.
His response to her question wasn't surprising to Kimiko but the second statement he made was the revealing one. She had known that people wanted to kill her, she was aware of how they all viewed her. But it hurt that someone who had once been her friend had wanted to kill her. She knew it made no sense to be hurt or upset by it. She knew that there was no reason to continually feel the way she did about everyone's opinions of her. In the end they didn't matter and she knew that, she had accepted that, but deep down some part of her still hoped for some other response. There wouldn't be anything like that though. She had killed Caleb after all.
Perhaps that was why despite everything she had planned and worked out she found herself removing her finger from the trigger of her gun and climbing over the divide.
She crouched down, while keeping her gaze focused on Min-Jae the entire time, to rest the gun against the wall and raised her hands up to begin to sign.
"Do you want first aid?"
Kimiko was sure she wouldn't be able to help Min-Jae with his injuries.
The offer was a gesture more than anything; they had been friends after all and a friend had given her help and treated her like a person when she needed it.
Maybe that was why she decided to try and help him.
Maybe.
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
"I don't know how much good it will do," Jae said in response to Kimiko's question. "But why not."
He decided he ought to try sitting up, leaning heavily on his good arm to lever himself off the ground. The shallow cut across his stomach started bleeding again with the movement, further staining the front of his already ruined shirt. The rifle slid down into his lap, resting across his legs. He didn't set it aside, but it was probably fairly obvious that he wasn't capable of handling it with his one good hand occupied with the business of holding him up.
"There's stuff in my bag."
Jae's hair was sticking to the side of his face irritatingly, plastered against the cut on his cheek with blood and sweat. Once he deemed that he was sitting up steadily enough, he pulled it back, wincing as it peeled free of his skin.
God, he must look like a horror movie. Night of the Living Goth.
His thoughts had taken on that detached, floaty quality again. Jae wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion and shock, or if it was a sign of something more serious. He didn't bother to spend time wondering about it.
<How are you?> He signed when he was sure Kimiko was looking at him again. It would be more accurate to ask how have you been, but Jae didn't quite have a grasp on tense in ASL at the best of times, much less when he was falling apart at the seams.
Awkward small talk between former friends. Like it was normal. Like nothing had really changed.
He decided he ought to try sitting up, leaning heavily on his good arm to lever himself off the ground. The shallow cut across his stomach started bleeding again with the movement, further staining the front of his already ruined shirt. The rifle slid down into his lap, resting across his legs. He didn't set it aside, but it was probably fairly obvious that he wasn't capable of handling it with his one good hand occupied with the business of holding him up.
"There's stuff in my bag."
Jae's hair was sticking to the side of his face irritatingly, plastered against the cut on his cheek with blood and sweat. Once he deemed that he was sitting up steadily enough, he pulled it back, wincing as it peeled free of his skin.
God, he must look like a horror movie. Night of the Living Goth.
His thoughts had taken on that detached, floaty quality again. Jae wasn't sure if it was from exhaustion and shock, or if it was a sign of something more serious. He didn't bother to spend time wondering about it.
<How are you?> He signed when he was sure Kimiko was looking at him again. It would be more accurate to ask how have you been, but Jae didn't quite have a grasp on tense in ASL at the best of times, much less when he was falling apart at the seams.
Awkward small talk between former friends. Like it was normal. Like nothing had really changed.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Kimiko winced as Min-Jae pushed himself up into a seated position. It was painful enough just watching him move. She didn't want to imagine what it actually felt like for him to have to try and make his body do what he wanted. She nodded when he said he had supplies in his bag. She moved over and withdrew his first aid kit. She didn't worry about him potentially attacking her. He was struggling to stay sitting upright, so it would have been a big ask to expect him to be able to fight. Luckily when his hands moved again it was merely to ask her a question.
Min-Jae's first aid kit still had a full roll of bandages inside it. It wasn't a surprising find, judging from his condition Min-Jae hadn't been taking very good care of himself. Kimiko pulled out the scissors that came with the kit, she knew there were blunted so they weren't a danger to either of them. As she turned and looked back over Min-Jae she realised that giving him first aid was going to be the equivalent of papering over a hole in the wall. The hole was still there, you just couldn't see it.
As she began unrolling the bandages Min-Jae signed another question to her. Asking how she was, Kimiko set the bandages back down in the first-aid kit as she signed out a response.
"Alive."
That was the best answer she could give.
"I'd ask how you are but..."
Her hands dropped and she picked the bandages back up, it looked like the worst of Min-Jae's bleeding was around his stomach so she would start there.
Min-Jae's first aid kit still had a full roll of bandages inside it. It wasn't a surprising find, judging from his condition Min-Jae hadn't been taking very good care of himself. Kimiko pulled out the scissors that came with the kit, she knew there were blunted so they weren't a danger to either of them. As she turned and looked back over Min-Jae she realised that giving him first aid was going to be the equivalent of papering over a hole in the wall. The hole was still there, you just couldn't see it.
As she began unrolling the bandages Min-Jae signed another question to her. Asking how she was, Kimiko set the bandages back down in the first-aid kit as she signed out a response.
"Alive."
That was the best answer she could give.
"I'd ask how you are but..."
Her hands dropped and she picked the bandages back up, it looked like the worst of Min-Jae's bleeding was around his stomach so she would start there.
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine