((Nadia Riva continued from You Gave Up Being Good When You Declared a State of War))
Nadia stared over the edge of the cliffs, staring at the asylum across the way. She held her thumbs and index fingers up to make a rectangle, closing one eye as she looked through the shape of her fingers. If this was a photography trip, she might have actually enjoyed her time here. It could be like one of those photo shoots set in Chernobyl or Hashima Island, where someone could be standing around in a pretty dress with all the chaos and decay around her.
Of course, she could only enjoy this for a few moments. She didn't have her camera here, and she was still playing the game. Any beauty she found here was buried underneath the atmosphere of death and suffering.
After leaving the office, Nadia had walked out of the asylum and walked around for a bit. She ended up on the other side of the island from the asylum, and took to staying away from the man made structures. She didn't like camping, but it felt better than being in a place where people were more likely to stumble across her. Granted, that meant sleeping in her clothes with little protection from the elements, no fire, and so on.
The announcements were more of the same. More death, more repeated murder, and more rewarding for the killings. Brendan had apparently killed some guy and got a reward for it. Nadia couldn't believe the awkward guy with the cat food she met the other day had killed. But then again, her expectations for anything were never accurate to her life right now, so she was learning to have none.
After hearing the announcement, Nadia had taken the other chair leg and sharpened it against a rock. It was clear that more people were playing and more were going to be repeat killers. She couldn't just beat someone to death with a leg and hope that would be enough. The end was a bit sharper on one end, which should be useful if she jammed hard enough. She'd need to find something better, but it'd do for now.
Nadia took a step back from the cliffs. The last thing she needed was someone to run up and push her off the edge. She needed to figure out what to do next, and admiring the scenery wasn't going to cut it in the long run.
The Thing About Life Is That One Day You'll Be Dead
Open, Day 3 midday
((Will McKinley adopted from AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH))
Will had spent the second day feeling awful, almost as if he'd been in Limbo. Rea's body was cold in his hands, a part of him felt tempted to throw her out to sea, let her be in peace from all this, but he didn't. Even now he couldn't believe that she was dead, it'd been a day and he was still processing it. He had left her behind in storehouse, but he...couldn't, He had to get her back. He had to rush into the area to get her out, not long after it was a dead zone.
In that entire time he hadn't encountered anyone somehow, which was good. As all that was on his mind was one person. Alex Tarquin. The things he was going to do this prick. He hadn't heard him on the announcements and honestly, he didn't care nor was he paying any attention to them as much as he was fuming on the inside. Thoughts about shooting Alex dead festered in his mind. It's why he didn't notice a certain girl in the area.
Nadia was standing near the edge, Rod's girl. He felt some kinship for her back in Kingman, in his mind neither were fully American, but she was more with them than he was, and besides that was back in Kingman, here's a different ball game. A certain temptation flowed through, but he quelled it, not yet...
"What are you doing here?" His accent rolling off his tongue. He had set Rea down by this point, and was in the motion of pulling the gun out from the back of his pants. It wasn't aimed at Nadia yet, but if she acted up, well, Rod's not here...
Will had spent the second day feeling awful, almost as if he'd been in Limbo. Rea's body was cold in his hands, a part of him felt tempted to throw her out to sea, let her be in peace from all this, but he didn't. Even now he couldn't believe that she was dead, it'd been a day and he was still processing it. He had left her behind in storehouse, but he...couldn't, He had to get her back. He had to rush into the area to get her out, not long after it was a dead zone.
In that entire time he hadn't encountered anyone somehow, which was good. As all that was on his mind was one person. Alex Tarquin. The things he was going to do this prick. He hadn't heard him on the announcements and honestly, he didn't care nor was he paying any attention to them as much as he was fuming on the inside. Thoughts about shooting Alex dead festered in his mind. It's why he didn't notice a certain girl in the area.
Nadia was standing near the edge, Rod's girl. He felt some kinship for her back in Kingman, in his mind neither were fully American, but she was more with them than he was, and besides that was back in Kingman, here's a different ball game. A certain temptation flowed through, but he quelled it, not yet...
"What are you doing here?" His accent rolling off his tongue. He had set Rea down by this point, and was in the motion of pulling the gun out from the back of his pants. It wasn't aimed at Nadia yet, but if she acted up, well, Rod's not here...
(Adopted from Dannyrulx)
Nadia was prepared to quietly walk along the cliffs until she either found some shelter or something of use. However, that was interrupted by the question of a certain Scottish accent. Nadia knew who that could belong to. What she didn't know, was who that accent was accompanied with.
Nadia turned to face the boy, but her eyes widened when she realized who was lying by the tree next to him. Rea Adams was someone who died on the first day, and yet she was somehow here, when Nadia was quite sure there wasn't a dead body there before. This was the first time Nadia had seen a corpse since she woke up here, and it was quite gross. Rea was a lifeless husk, and she looked like she was in the early stages of decomposition. Nadia didn't want to throw up, so she tried to not look at her. She had to ask: who could be disturbed enough to carry a body around, Weekend at Bernie's style?
Will McKinley, apparently. To use a colloquialism Will was familiar with: he was a prat. He had a pretty lousy reputation around Cochise. Rod had some mentioned some unpleasant things about him in private, but she herself never really had any interactions with the guy. Granted, maybe he was breaking down at the loss of his girlfriend, but that didn't make Nadia feel better. Here was an angry Scot with necrophiliac undertones and a revolver, facing her with her back to a cliff. This was not her day.
"Um...walking," Nadia said.
His question was kind of dumb, so she couldn't help but respond in a smart way. She then pointed at Rea with the chair leg.
"I guess I could ask you the same. What are you doing here, and why does it involve a corpse?"
Nadia turned to face the boy, but her eyes widened when she realized who was lying by the tree next to him. Rea Adams was someone who died on the first day, and yet she was somehow here, when Nadia was quite sure there wasn't a dead body there before. This was the first time Nadia had seen a corpse since she woke up here, and it was quite gross. Rea was a lifeless husk, and she looked like she was in the early stages of decomposition. Nadia didn't want to throw up, so she tried to not look at her. She had to ask: who could be disturbed enough to carry a body around, Weekend at Bernie's style?
Will McKinley, apparently. To use a colloquialism Will was familiar with: he was a prat. He had a pretty lousy reputation around Cochise. Rod had some mentioned some unpleasant things about him in private, but she herself never really had any interactions with the guy. Granted, maybe he was breaking down at the loss of his girlfriend, but that didn't make Nadia feel better. Here was an angry Scot with necrophiliac undertones and a revolver, facing her with her back to a cliff. This was not her day.
"Um...walking," Nadia said.
His question was kind of dumb, so she couldn't help but respond in a smart way. She then pointed at Rea with the chair leg.
"I guess I could ask you the same. What are you doing here, and why does it involve a corpse?"
Her reaction was about what he expected, not every day you see someone carrying their dead girlfriend around, she couldn't look at her. It was when she asked why he was doing it that made him stop for a bit, it felt like an accusation.
"I left her there at first, where she died, but I..." The words almost got stuck in his throat. He looked at Rea, holding her hand. "I walked around y'know, saw one of the girls from our grade, the state she was in convinced me I had to get her." He didn't know why he felt the need to explain himself, he didn't care what Nadia thought of him. Knowing Rod it wouldn't be any good before she saw him lounging corpses about, but letting it all out felt good in a way.
He looked at her now. "As for why I'm here, well..." The gun was aimed at the floor for now, his eyes narrowed at the girl. "Alex Tarquin, have you seen him?"
"I left her there at first, where she died, but I..." The words almost got stuck in his throat. He looked at Rea, holding her hand. "I walked around y'know, saw one of the girls from our grade, the state she was in convinced me I had to get her." He didn't know why he felt the need to explain himself, he didn't care what Nadia thought of him. Knowing Rod it wouldn't be any good before she saw him lounging corpses about, but letting it all out felt good in a way.
He looked at her now. "As for why I'm here, well..." The gun was aimed at the floor for now, his eyes narrowed at the girl. "Alex Tarquin, have you seen him?"
Yep, he was losing it. Nadia shook his head at his question.
"Sorry, I haven't seen Alex Tarquin. I haven't seen anyone since yesterday, in fact."
Nadia cleared her throat, her eyes darting back and forth between Will and Rea's body. Between the corpse and the vengeful Scot with a gun, she was in a really uncomfortable place.
"So, are you just going to keep carrying her around? Have you considered burying her or cremating her or something?"
"Sorry, I haven't seen Alex Tarquin. I haven't seen anyone since yesterday, in fact."
Nadia cleared her throat, her eyes darting back and forth between Will and Rea's body. Between the corpse and the vengeful Scot with a gun, she was in a really uncomfortable place.
"So, are you just going to keep carrying her around? Have you considered burying her or cremating her or something?"
A scowl appeared on Will's face as Nadia replied, she hadn't seen anyone since the last day. Trying to find this guy was going to be a pain in the ass. How many were there here anyway? Hundreds? He better not have gotten himself killed before Will got to him.
It was then she asked him what he was going to with her. He looked at Rea, her body showing signs of decomposing. Should he have left her back there? He couldn't take the chance someone would...rob her is the reason he gave himself. Was this what she wanted? Him obsessing over her dead body like a creeper while hunting her murderer?
"...I don't know." His response was muddled, He truly didn't have an answer for her, so he did the first thing that came to mind, force the issue away.
He let go of her hand and finally stood up, He looked Nadia straight in the eyes. "Why? What's it to you?" He had taken a cursory glance at her weapon earlier, a glorified sharp stick. He had the advantage.
It was then she asked him what he was going to with her. He looked at Rea, her body showing signs of decomposing. Should he have left her back there? He couldn't take the chance someone would...rob her is the reason he gave himself. Was this what she wanted? Him obsessing over her dead body like a creeper while hunting her murderer?
"...I don't know." His response was muddled, He truly didn't have an answer for her, so he did the first thing that came to mind, force the issue away.
He let go of her hand and finally stood up, He looked Nadia straight in the eyes. "Why? What's it to you?" He had taken a cursory glance at her weapon earlier, a glorified sharp stick. He had the advantage.
Nadia was somewhat annoyed that Will got a scowl at her response. Okay, so she didn't know where Tarquin was, but why get pissy over that? That wasn't helped that he got really annoyed about her asking about Rea. His response sounded like the kind of weak response a fourth grader gave when some of their friends were bothering them. Nadia placed her free hand on her hip.
"It doesn't matter a lot to me, but it matters a ton for you," Nadia said. "I know you've had a shitty couple of days, but lugging a corpse around will not help in the long run of things. I mean, you were carrying her and had your only tool of defense stashed away in your drawers. That could get you killed."
Nadia shrugged. It really shouldn't matter so much to her whether someone like Will McKinley lived or died, but he asked for her opinion.
"I don't know. I'm just wondering if you're aware that she's basically a liability right now, and maybe it'd be good to make peace with her passing before it turns out badly for you."
"It doesn't matter a lot to me, but it matters a ton for you," Nadia said. "I know you've had a shitty couple of days, but lugging a corpse around will not help in the long run of things. I mean, you were carrying her and had your only tool of defense stashed away in your drawers. That could get you killed."
Nadia shrugged. It really shouldn't matter so much to her whether someone like Will McKinley lived or died, but he asked for her opinion.
"I don't know. I'm just wondering if you're aware that she's basically a liability right now, and maybe it'd be good to make peace with her passing before it turns out badly for you."
She made sense regarding the gun, he wouldn't have done much in a fight. "I am aware of that, does it look like I have the means of doing that to you?" He spread out his arms, as to emphasize this. "I've got nothing to bury her with, and nothing to burn her with." He should have left her where she was, it was a DZ now, fucking hell.
"Unless you've got something I can use, which from the looks of it, you don't." Unless she used that stick to try to cut her to pieces, which Will would shoot her for incidentally, she wasn't going to be much help there either. "There's not much either of us can do for her." He can't keep her around anymore, He knew that much. Finding someone in this place is hard enough, to do so while carrying a body around...He might as well be wearing a sign that says shoot me on it.
"But..you're right, I can't carry her anymore." He looked around the area. It was peaceful, a disconnect from all blood and murder going on. "I'll leave her here, She would have liked this place." She liked the ocean he remembered, a good view and nice wind. God, he was picking out a spot for the corpse of his girlfriend to stay as if she was some piece of furniture, this place was fucking him up.
"Unless you've got something I can use, which from the looks of it, you don't." Unless she used that stick to try to cut her to pieces, which Will would shoot her for incidentally, she wasn't going to be much help there either. "There's not much either of us can do for her." He can't keep her around anymore, He knew that much. Finding someone in this place is hard enough, to do so while carrying a body around...He might as well be wearing a sign that says shoot me on it.
"But..you're right, I can't carry her anymore." He looked around the area. It was peaceful, a disconnect from all blood and murder going on. "I'll leave her here, She would have liked this place." She liked the ocean he remembered, a good view and nice wind. God, he was picking out a spot for the corpse of his girlfriend to stay as if she was some piece of furniture, this place was fucking him up.
Nadia slowly nodded as Will made his point. Yes, there was no way to bury Rea or cremate her. But that didn't mean he couldn't try. Lugging a rotting corpse for two days couldn't do him any good. Will elected to just leave her in that spot he plopped her. Nadia shrugged.
"I guess that works," Nadia said. "And if not..."
Nadia turned slightly and pointed to the cliff behind her.
"There's always burial at sea. That way, no one else has to stumble upon her."
"I guess that works," Nadia said. "And if not..."
Nadia turned slightly and pointed to the cliff behind her.
"There's always burial at sea. That way, no one else has to stumble upon her."
She was talking about burying her at sea. He chuckled at that, something he should have done yesterday than dick around. Hindsight's 20/20.
Like when some cunt from the drama club loses his shit and stabs your girlfriend and you couldn't do diddly dick about that? That kind of hindsight?
"I've ruined her enough, she deserved better." His grip on the gun loosened for a bit, he started stepping away from Rea, letting her rest. He had carried her around like she's some thing...it wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be alive, get to the end and go home, and he''d waste away in hell. Not this shit.
He stopped in his tracks and looked over at Nadia. "What about you? What are you going to do?" Why did he care? Will didn't know, but it was always good to ensure their interests didn't conflict.
Like when some cunt from the drama club loses his shit and stabs your girlfriend and you couldn't do diddly dick about that? That kind of hindsight?
"I've ruined her enough, she deserved better." His grip on the gun loosened for a bit, he started stepping away from Rea, letting her rest. He had carried her around like she's some thing...it wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be alive, get to the end and go home, and he''d waste away in hell. Not this shit.
He stopped in his tracks and looked over at Nadia. "What about you? What are you going to do?" Why did he care? Will didn't know, but it was always good to ensure their interests didn't conflict.
Nadia kept her eyes trained on Will as he walked away from Rea and towards her. She still didn't know what his deal was aside from lugging a stiff around for days. Either way, she still had he back to a cliff and he was armed with a deadlier weapon. She figured the best thing to do would be to give him little reason to think poorly of her.
"Not sure," she said. "I know most people are probably looking for friends and trying to make peace with their situation, but I'm not so concerned with that. My boyfriend wasn't on the bus, I'm not really close to anyone here, and I already know what's likely to happen to me here. I can live, or I can die."
Nadia tightened her grip on the sharpened chair leg.
"I already made a choice on that. I'm not going to take the 'kill 'em all' route like some people here, but I'm not going to die here. I can die when I'm 80 and lived a successful life as a fashion photographer and philanthropist, not because some asshole from high school decided to play Charles Whitman."
"So yeah, that's where I'm at right now."
"Not sure," she said. "I know most people are probably looking for friends and trying to make peace with their situation, but I'm not so concerned with that. My boyfriend wasn't on the bus, I'm not really close to anyone here, and I already know what's likely to happen to me here. I can live, or I can die."
Nadia tightened her grip on the sharpened chair leg.
"I already made a choice on that. I'm not going to take the 'kill 'em all' route like some people here, but I'm not going to die here. I can die when I'm 80 and lived a successful life as a fashion photographer and philanthropist, not because some asshole from high school decided to play Charles Whitman."
"So yeah, that's where I'm at right now."
Will listened intently as Nadia spoke of her plans forward. It wasn't much of a plan really, just laying low and not dying. Then again with how the days have been going that's probably the smartest idea he's heard yet.
"Your plans to lay low then? Probably the best option we've got." All you do killing this early was come off as psychopath, not much of a victim card you can play when you've murdered people nearly every day. They'd get a wake up call if they got home, and that's a big if.
"Personally, I would love to do that. Just hide till the end and hope for the best, but I can't chance letting Alex get close to winning. He has to die." Would people hunt him down if he did kill him? Will knew people didn't like him much, he didn't mind that as they left him alone most of the time, but if anyone tries their luck...
"As you said you've got people back at home waiting for you, probably plans too if you do get out of here." He attempted to spin the gun in his hand, just like they did in the westerns as he talked. "Me? I've got nothing, furthest I've come up with is drinking myself to death because I'm dramatic like that, specially since the original plan got fucked."
He was rambling now, he hadn't talked to anyone over a day since he left Sabrina back at the Depot. And since a corpse wasn't a good conversation partner, not much he could have done the last day. He laughed to himself, place was making him sound mad. "Sorry about that, you're the first person I've seen in a day. Haven't had a good conversation with anyone in a while."
He holstered his gun at the back of his pants and grabbed his bag, made his way out of his area when he stopped and turned to her. "Either way, you've got a good plan for youself. Take care Nadia, and good luck to you." With how things have been going lately, she would need it. With that said, he continued his way out the area.
((Will McKinley continued in Haunted Reality))
"Your plans to lay low then? Probably the best option we've got." All you do killing this early was come off as psychopath, not much of a victim card you can play when you've murdered people nearly every day. They'd get a wake up call if they got home, and that's a big if.
"Personally, I would love to do that. Just hide till the end and hope for the best, but I can't chance letting Alex get close to winning. He has to die." Would people hunt him down if he did kill him? Will knew people didn't like him much, he didn't mind that as they left him alone most of the time, but if anyone tries their luck...
"As you said you've got people back at home waiting for you, probably plans too if you do get out of here." He attempted to spin the gun in his hand, just like they did in the westerns as he talked. "Me? I've got nothing, furthest I've come up with is drinking myself to death because I'm dramatic like that, specially since the original plan got fucked."
He was rambling now, he hadn't talked to anyone over a day since he left Sabrina back at the Depot. And since a corpse wasn't a good conversation partner, not much he could have done the last day. He laughed to himself, place was making him sound mad. "Sorry about that, you're the first person I've seen in a day. Haven't had a good conversation with anyone in a while."
He holstered his gun at the back of his pants and grabbed his bag, made his way out of his area when he stopped and turned to her. "Either way, you've got a good plan for youself. Take care Nadia, and good luck to you." With how things have been going lately, she would need it. With that said, he continued his way out the area.
((Will McKinley continued in Haunted Reality))
Nadia waited as Will said his piece. He was determined to kill Alex Tarquin and then go home and die of alcohol poisoning. That wasn't what Nadia thought would be a good way to live after you returned. Sure, some survivors of this game disappeared, one guy died, but some seem to have probably put the whole ordeal behind them. If 100-some people had to die for Will to turn his skin yellow from liver failure, then there was no way it'd be worth everything that happened.
Either way, Will was at least leaving her alone, off to carry on with his vague revenge plot. Nadia was just glad his anger was being directed away from her and towards someone else. Once he was out of sight, Nadia quickly moved away from the cliffs, back towards the woods. This did put her closer to Rea's body though. Nadia grimaced as she looked over Rea.
Rea was starting to get discolored, and there was a bit of a smell too. Being on the ground probably left her vulnerable to insects and other animals looking for a meal or a breeding ground. It was a gross image to take in, but Nadia took it in. She had avoided a lot of chaos over the first three days; enough that she could assume the issues of the island were on the other side of the world. She could wander around, feeling uncomfortable about being here, but for the most part, SOTF seemed like an insurrection in a third world nation or a genocide in some underdeveloped nation: she could hear about it, have a reaction, and then carry on because it wasn't as much of a personal issue for her.
But no, SOTF was real, and Rea's corpse was Nadia's first real tangible evidence that death was coming. She could ignore it as long as she wanted, come up with a plan to avoid trouble, but most likely, she'd have to confront it directly sooner than later. Nadia sighed and turned away from Rea.
"Well, I'm certainly not gonna drink myself to death if I win," she muttered to herself.
Nadia walked along the cliffs, closer to the woods. She was going to survive, but she wasn't going to be wasteful. She had spent enough time dwelling on Rea, but now she needed to move on. She'd find a way to survive and not make a waste of everyone's time here.
((Nadia Riva continued in The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))
Either way, Will was at least leaving her alone, off to carry on with his vague revenge plot. Nadia was just glad his anger was being directed away from her and towards someone else. Once he was out of sight, Nadia quickly moved away from the cliffs, back towards the woods. This did put her closer to Rea's body though. Nadia grimaced as she looked over Rea.
Rea was starting to get discolored, and there was a bit of a smell too. Being on the ground probably left her vulnerable to insects and other animals looking for a meal or a breeding ground. It was a gross image to take in, but Nadia took it in. She had avoided a lot of chaos over the first three days; enough that she could assume the issues of the island were on the other side of the world. She could wander around, feeling uncomfortable about being here, but for the most part, SOTF seemed like an insurrection in a third world nation or a genocide in some underdeveloped nation: she could hear about it, have a reaction, and then carry on because it wasn't as much of a personal issue for her.
But no, SOTF was real, and Rea's corpse was Nadia's first real tangible evidence that death was coming. She could ignore it as long as she wanted, come up with a plan to avoid trouble, but most likely, she'd have to confront it directly sooner than later. Nadia sighed and turned away from Rea.
"Well, I'm certainly not gonna drink myself to death if I win," she muttered to herself.
Nadia walked along the cliffs, closer to the woods. She was going to survive, but she wasn't going to be wasteful. She had spent enough time dwelling on Rea, but now she needed to move on. She'd find a way to survive and not make a waste of everyone's time here.
((Nadia Riva continued in The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))