((Aston Bennett rages on from And As If It Couldn't Get Any Worse))
All this was was cross-country.
It was across an area of land, and there was a set course she had to follow. She had to run. She was on her own again, probably ahead of the pack.
Now, how wasn't it like cross country?
For starters, there wasn't any set course that she /knew/. Vague directions weren't a course, no point in pretending otherwise. Oh, look, angry girl is getting angry, she's gonna chase after the two guys who fucked her over, right? She can chase them down and beat the crap out of them and show them who's the fucking boss, right? Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong. They must have been fucking masters of stealth, cause in the time it took for that goth chick to get that bolt out of her arm and heal her up, they'd made like a tree and crumbled the fuck into the wilderness and gave her the middle finger. Yeah, just like a tree.
Oh, and another thing; she was used to being at full health when she ran. She usually didn't have a hole in her shoulder, yeah, those weren't exactly all the rage back home. Even with the minor amount of limited first aid applied, she was still FUBBed in the wilderness. Nature didn't take kindly to the stragglers like back home did, now did they?
Aww, fuck, the wound was bleeding through the gauze. Every heartbeat sent a cascade of blood pouring down her arm. She stopped where she was, looking around for somewhere to sit. Aston had been circling the base of the mountain for some time now, trying to find SOMETHING through the trees. Nothing. Not a single fucking track, or even a dead body. What, it wasn't like Marty was gonna keep his big secret now was he?
Yeah, you bet your ass she heard the announcement, and boy did she let off a wide fucking grin when she did. She was right! Marty and Joshua did let Aston get shot, shoot Superdeadbitch, then leave her there to die! They even ran off with her gun! They robbed her and left her to die! With a GOTH GIRL!
The trees weren't getting any clearer, and Aston was feeling dizzy. Her arm glanced along the rocky ledge to her left as she continued, counter-clockwise along the base of the mountain.
Just up ahead, Aston glanced at a gap in the rock that lead straight into the mountain. Now fuck, wasn't this something? And by something, it was a bad something, cause she knew better than anyone how easy it was to escape into the tunnel, hell she spent the last few days stumbling around in there herself. If they went in there, then she had to follow them.
Come hell and high water, she was going to get her gun back.
Aston changed her course.
Stepped forward into the darkness of the cave.
No idea she was being followed at all, but that was Aston for you.
Amazing Journey/Sparks
((Eiko Haraguchi continued from It's Everything's Nature to Fall))
Eiko wasn't following Aston, per se. She just happened to catch sight of her as she was passing by. It was pure chance, really, that her route happened to cut past the mouth of an open tunnel. Her route would have veered farther east if that didn't mean a trip through the Residential Area, a danger zone. That meant she had to go through somewhat rougher terrain, cutting across the logging road and through some forest, some foothills, then more forest to get to the Mansion, where Peter advised her to go.
Yes, advised her to go. Instead of keeping watch over her like he'd done since the beginning of the game, he'd ditched her to look for William and Brook. She blamed herself, really. After all, it was thanks to her tearful testimony that Peter had decided that Brook needed his attention after all. But she thought that he would bring her along, at least. As for William, well, he'd parted ways with them as well. Why? Who knew. All she knew was that she was once again alone and defenseless, reliant only on a cumbersome spiked pole for protection.
But on her way to the mansion to retrieve the supplies that Peter said she left for her (not that she knew how Peter had intended to keep them hidden from scavengers for the days since he left the mansion), she saw this girl stumbling along, stubbornly determined to reach the nearby cave despite rather severe-looking injuries. One of her arms appeared to be completely disabled, but Eiko was too far away to see why. The girl vanished into the mouth of the cave, and Eiko stood at the edge of the forest, ready to follow her if she so chose.
This other girl looked feeble. Depending on what sort of weapon she had, it would be possible for Eiko to finish her off. But she didn't want to do that just yet. It wouldn't bring Tiffany back, after all, nor would it get her any closer to Brooks or Harris. And if she did follow her, it could be a trap. As soon as Eiko turned around the mouth of the cave, a spray of bullets would tear her apart. And if she did pursue the girl, it would give hypothetical scavengers more time to snatch away the hypothetical supplies waiting for her.
Then again, maybe she could get a much better weapon from this girl somehow. And maybe, if she was friendly, Eiko could make a new alliance, get a new protector, finally have another goddamn girl to talk to!
Her mind was made up. She started to creep towards the side of the cave entrance, as much as she could with her weapon, and sat with her back to the rock wall, trying to hear something else from this girl.
Eiko wasn't following Aston, per se. She just happened to catch sight of her as she was passing by. It was pure chance, really, that her route happened to cut past the mouth of an open tunnel. Her route would have veered farther east if that didn't mean a trip through the Residential Area, a danger zone. That meant she had to go through somewhat rougher terrain, cutting across the logging road and through some forest, some foothills, then more forest to get to the Mansion, where Peter advised her to go.
Yes, advised her to go. Instead of keeping watch over her like he'd done since the beginning of the game, he'd ditched her to look for William and Brook. She blamed herself, really. After all, it was thanks to her tearful testimony that Peter had decided that Brook needed his attention after all. But she thought that he would bring her along, at least. As for William, well, he'd parted ways with them as well. Why? Who knew. All she knew was that she was once again alone and defenseless, reliant only on a cumbersome spiked pole for protection.
But on her way to the mansion to retrieve the supplies that Peter said she left for her (not that she knew how Peter had intended to keep them hidden from scavengers for the days since he left the mansion), she saw this girl stumbling along, stubbornly determined to reach the nearby cave despite rather severe-looking injuries. One of her arms appeared to be completely disabled, but Eiko was too far away to see why. The girl vanished into the mouth of the cave, and Eiko stood at the edge of the forest, ready to follow her if she so chose.
This other girl looked feeble. Depending on what sort of weapon she had, it would be possible for Eiko to finish her off. But she didn't want to do that just yet. It wouldn't bring Tiffany back, after all, nor would it get her any closer to Brooks or Harris. And if she did follow her, it could be a trap. As soon as Eiko turned around the mouth of the cave, a spray of bullets would tear her apart. And if she did pursue the girl, it would give hypothetical scavengers more time to snatch away the hypothetical supplies waiting for her.
Then again, maybe she could get a much better weapon from this girl somehow. And maybe, if she was friendly, Eiko could make a new alliance, get a new protector, finally have another goddamn girl to talk to!
Her mind was made up. She started to creep towards the side of the cave entrance, as much as she could with her weapon, and sat with her back to the rock wall, trying to hear something else from this girl.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Anna Chase spazzing in from And As If It Couldn't Get Any Worse))
Oh god, where was she?
Spiky-Head was still nowhere to be found, Marty and Joshua Krakowski had ran off, she was carrying a bag that was starting to get somewhat heavy, and it wasn't like she hadn't heard the announcement!
Ben... Ben... Ben... oh dear god. Someone shot him. Someone shot him and killed him. And Joshua Krakowski lied to them. Marty. Marty shot that girl, not some random person. Ben was dead, and Marty was a murderer, and Joshua Krakowski had lied to them, and that girl Michelle had been shot after going crazier, and- and-
Oh god, things weren't working out well again, were they?
She needed to find Spiky-Head right now. She had ran off while she was still bleeding, for Christs' sake! What she needed to do was lay down and rest, not running around willy-nilly to the point where the wound was unable to heal.
So, needless to say, Chase was basically a pile of nerves by this point.
And Marty and Joshua Krakowski weren't coming back after all. Were they? Joshua Krakowski had said that they were coming back, right? But... Marty had killed... could she look at him normally now that he did that? And Michelle-person and Ben were dead. Not coming back.
They weren't coming back.
Currently Chase was nearby some kind of rock wall. A rocky terrain? Looked like it. Looked like part of the mountain that had loomed over them for the past few days. That was probably it. Now to find Spiky-Head. Taking a second to wipe her face of sweat and tears, she went off looking once more.
She turned around a corner, and...
Bingo! Spiky-Head was right there, entering what appeared to be a cave! There, now she can catch up to her, make her calm down, and possibly head back to the little shack they were in before so they could rest properly.
Taking a few more steps forward, she soon placed her bag on the ground and ran towards the girl.
"Spiky-Head!" Chase yelled. "Don't... d-don't do that! You still need to re-recover! And they're coming back..."
Thing was, though, how would she react to Marty's killing once they got back? Ben's death? She was so panicked right now. But she found Spiky-Head, which was a relief. For now, worry about her. Not about Ben. Not about Marty. Her. Just stay calm.
Oh god, where was she?
Spiky-Head was still nowhere to be found, Marty and Joshua Krakowski had ran off, she was carrying a bag that was starting to get somewhat heavy, and it wasn't like she hadn't heard the announcement!
Ben... Ben... Ben... oh dear god. Someone shot him. Someone shot him and killed him. And Joshua Krakowski lied to them. Marty. Marty shot that girl, not some random person. Ben was dead, and Marty was a murderer, and Joshua Krakowski had lied to them, and that girl Michelle had been shot after going crazier, and- and-
Oh god, things weren't working out well again, were they?
She needed to find Spiky-Head right now. She had ran off while she was still bleeding, for Christs' sake! What she needed to do was lay down and rest, not running around willy-nilly to the point where the wound was unable to heal.
So, needless to say, Chase was basically a pile of nerves by this point.
And Marty and Joshua Krakowski weren't coming back after all. Were they? Joshua Krakowski had said that they were coming back, right? But... Marty had killed... could she look at him normally now that he did that? And Michelle-person and Ben were dead. Not coming back.
They weren't coming back.
Currently Chase was nearby some kind of rock wall. A rocky terrain? Looked like it. Looked like part of the mountain that had loomed over them for the past few days. That was probably it. Now to find Spiky-Head. Taking a second to wipe her face of sweat and tears, she went off looking once more.
She turned around a corner, and...
Bingo! Spiky-Head was right there, entering what appeared to be a cave! There, now she can catch up to her, make her calm down, and possibly head back to the little shack they were in before so they could rest properly.
Taking a few more steps forward, she soon placed her bag on the ground and ran towards the girl.
"Spiky-Head!" Chase yelled. "Don't... d-don't do that! You still need to re-recover! And they're coming back..."
Thing was, though, how would she react to Marty's killing once they got back? Ben's death? She was so panicked right now. But she found Spiky-Head, which was a relief. For now, worry about her. Not about Ben. Not about Marty. Her. Just stay calm.
Another throb of pain, and Aston stumbled against the tunnel wall. She wasn't that far into the cave now, once she was in here and alone she could start with her mission to track them down.
Well, it's not like fate would let her do that unhindered now, would it?
And the Goth Girl decided to appear again, insisting on ignoring her name, and being a clueless little girl who really had no idea what was going on! Of course, what else would she be, useful?
Sighing, with a slight scream mixed in somewhere in the mix that sounded like a frustrated grunt, she turned back around to face the tiny girl, not moving any further. She adjusted her hand to clutch her bleeding wound, and yelled back at the little girl standing there.
"Look, my name is not SPIKY HAIR, okay? It's Aston, and why am I even speaking to you? What do you have to do with this? I'm looking for those two retards because they let me get shot, they took my gun, and they left me injured with you! And don't forget about them lying to me! And you as well, remember? Marty didn't own up to shooting that girl because he has no intention of coming back! He took my frigging gun, I have nothing now!"
Spit flew through the air, though never quite reaching the semi-distant figure. Aston was angry, who the hell did she think she was trying to tell her what to do, how to heal, where to go, what the fuck ever?
She held a silence. The two were at best trying to hold some structure of a conversation, but just outside...
Scuffling.
...
"Anna, who's out there? Did you bring someone along?!" the rather miffed girl demanded.
Well, it's not like fate would let her do that unhindered now, would it?
And the Goth Girl decided to appear again, insisting on ignoring her name, and being a clueless little girl who really had no idea what was going on! Of course, what else would she be, useful?
Sighing, with a slight scream mixed in somewhere in the mix that sounded like a frustrated grunt, she turned back around to face the tiny girl, not moving any further. She adjusted her hand to clutch her bleeding wound, and yelled back at the little girl standing there.
"Look, my name is not SPIKY HAIR, okay? It's Aston, and why am I even speaking to you? What do you have to do with this? I'm looking for those two retards because they let me get shot, they took my gun, and they left me injured with you! And don't forget about them lying to me! And you as well, remember? Marty didn't own up to shooting that girl because he has no intention of coming back! He took my frigging gun, I have nothing now!"
Spit flew through the air, though never quite reaching the semi-distant figure. Aston was angry, who the hell did she think she was trying to tell her what to do, how to heal, where to go, what the fuck ever?
She held a silence. The two were at best trying to hold some structure of a conversation, but just outside...
Scuffling.
...
"Anna, who's out there? Did you bring someone along?!" the rather miffed girl demanded.
The arrival of another girl decreased the likelihood of an aggressive strategy from Eiko. While the new girl's speech indicated that she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, it wouldn't take much brains for her to use a weapon and come to the aid of a defenseless ally by killing the girl attacking her.
The nicknamed girl expressed exasperation with her new friend, identifying herself as Aston Bennett. Eiko leaned forward to try to get a little closer to their conversation, but sadly, that made her foot move. It didn't move quietly.
"Anna, who's out there? Did you bring someone along?!"
Drat. Another decision made for her. As if to confirm her blown cover, Eiko found herself sneezing as she approached the mouth of the cave. She might as well reveal herself now, and hopefully make peace with the girls inside. Heck, the fact that Bennett hadn't shot the other girl at first sight was quite the silver lining.
She stood at the mouth of the cave, doing her best to look embarrassed at having been caught. She saw that the other girl was Anna Chase, a weird girl that she'd talked to a couple of times about anime and manga. Talking to Chase frustrated her; it seemed that anime and manga were the only Japanese things that America cared about sometimes. There were traditional holiday celebrations and kimonos and tea ceremonies and the Shinto religion to talk about, too, but no. It was just cartoons and comics. She was grateful that Chase's interest at least grew beyond the puerile subgenre of shonen.
"I'm afraid that I followed you here of my own initiative," Eiko explained. "I saw you on my way to the mansion and you piqued my curiosity." Her eyes drifted to Bennett's crooked nose, an unfortunate feature of hers that made Eiko glad she didn't dedicate her life to athletic pursuits. Not that the black and purple bruise on her jaw made her look any better at the moment. "I know this sounds rather self-serving in these circumstances, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to talk to somebody after far too much time spent alone. I just needed to make sure that you wouldn't reply with bullets, as it were."
The nicknamed girl expressed exasperation with her new friend, identifying herself as Aston Bennett. Eiko leaned forward to try to get a little closer to their conversation, but sadly, that made her foot move. It didn't move quietly.
"Anna, who's out there? Did you bring someone along?!"
Drat. Another decision made for her. As if to confirm her blown cover, Eiko found herself sneezing as she approached the mouth of the cave. She might as well reveal herself now, and hopefully make peace with the girls inside. Heck, the fact that Bennett hadn't shot the other girl at first sight was quite the silver lining.
She stood at the mouth of the cave, doing her best to look embarrassed at having been caught. She saw that the other girl was Anna Chase, a weird girl that she'd talked to a couple of times about anime and manga. Talking to Chase frustrated her; it seemed that anime and manga were the only Japanese things that America cared about sometimes. There were traditional holiday celebrations and kimonos and tea ceremonies and the Shinto religion to talk about, too, but no. It was just cartoons and comics. She was grateful that Chase's interest at least grew beyond the puerile subgenre of shonen.
"I'm afraid that I followed you here of my own initiative," Eiko explained. "I saw you on my way to the mansion and you piqued my curiosity." Her eyes drifted to Bennett's crooked nose, an unfortunate feature of hers that made Eiko glad she didn't dedicate her life to athletic pursuits. Not that the black and purple bruise on her jaw made her look any better at the moment. "I know this sounds rather self-serving in these circumstances, but I'm glad to have the opportunity to talk to somebody after far too much time spent alone. I just needed to make sure that you wouldn't reply with bullets, as it were."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
((Ah, sorry, fumbled and accidentally clicked post before I was finished because I'm a klutz.))
Oh hell.
Spiky-Head... was definitely not happy. First off, apparently she didn't like the nickname she had picked out for her. Aston. That was her name. This entire time, she had only been calling her that because she didn't know her name, even after her hair had started to become less spiky. Apparently she knew hers somehow, but she didn't know that she liked to be called Chase. In any case, she was becoming angered by this alone.
And then Spiky- Aston reiterated the announcement to her. Marty was a killer, Joshua Krakowski lied, yadda yadda. Like she didn't know that. Like she didn't notice Ben's name came up as well. Like she hadn't noticed what the hell kind of situation they were in.
Seriously, she wasn't an idiot. Yes, she did say and do stupid things from time to time. But she wasn't a complete moron, was she? Chase's face briefly contorted in an expression of frustration.
Before Chase could lash back, Aston focused her attention on... something else. Chase spun around, pointing the crossbow at the newcomer. Asian... Ishida? Chase only thought that for a split second before deciding against it. No, this girl was taller and looked nothing like her. Wait, Haraguchi? Yes, Haraguchi! She had ended up talking to Haraguchi a few times. She was the Japanese exchange student, right? She probably thought that she was some deranged foaming at the mouth weeabo, based on the few conversations she had with her. For whatever reason, the conversations had turned to anime. Why, she didn't know. To be honest, she didn't know why she did anything. But in any case, she probably didn't leave a good impression in hindsight.
Haraguchi talked about how she had ended up following them on her way to the mansion. So wait. First off, there was a mansion on the island? Second, why was she following them? Haraguchi had also said that she had been off by herself for a while, but she was glad to have found someone.
Chase lowered the crossbow. It could be a trick. Haraguchi was probably planning something. But it was best to keep her talking, and not react hostilely.
"Uh... we're just a little upset because... uh... two people in our group r-ran off after k-killing someone. They'd s-said they'd be back soon, but... well, th-they kind of... well, lied to us. And her arm's hurt... so..."
She had tried her best to appear calm, casual, and not at all frightened or angered. Heck, she had even forced a smile on her face while talking. Appear calm to her, and she won't look down on her, right?
Looking back at Sp- Aston, she said "Uh, listen. They didn't t-take your gun. I have it. It was still lying out-outside the shack just after you left. I w-went ahead and brought the weapons with me at-at the cost of my back. I only m-managed to get it and the crowbar in my b-bag. And they're coming back, right? Said so. They didn't leave us to die, did they?"
Chase... wasn't actually sure they were coming back or if she wanted them back. They had killed someone and lied to them, leaving them to their own devices. But... but... she had to look up for the time being, right? In any case, she was trying her best not to lash out at her.
Oh hell.
Spiky-Head... was definitely not happy. First off, apparently she didn't like the nickname she had picked out for her. Aston. That was her name. This entire time, she had only been calling her that because she didn't know her name, even after her hair had started to become less spiky. Apparently she knew hers somehow, but she didn't know that she liked to be called Chase. In any case, she was becoming angered by this alone.
And then Spiky- Aston reiterated the announcement to her. Marty was a killer, Joshua Krakowski lied, yadda yadda. Like she didn't know that. Like she didn't notice Ben's name came up as well. Like she hadn't noticed what the hell kind of situation they were in.
Seriously, she wasn't an idiot. Yes, she did say and do stupid things from time to time. But she wasn't a complete moron, was she? Chase's face briefly contorted in an expression of frustration.
Before Chase could lash back, Aston focused her attention on... something else. Chase spun around, pointing the crossbow at the newcomer. Asian... Ishida? Chase only thought that for a split second before deciding against it. No, this girl was taller and looked nothing like her. Wait, Haraguchi? Yes, Haraguchi! She had ended up talking to Haraguchi a few times. She was the Japanese exchange student, right? She probably thought that she was some deranged foaming at the mouth weeabo, based on the few conversations she had with her. For whatever reason, the conversations had turned to anime. Why, she didn't know. To be honest, she didn't know why she did anything. But in any case, she probably didn't leave a good impression in hindsight.
Haraguchi talked about how she had ended up following them on her way to the mansion. So wait. First off, there was a mansion on the island? Second, why was she following them? Haraguchi had also said that she had been off by herself for a while, but she was glad to have found someone.
Chase lowered the crossbow. It could be a trick. Haraguchi was probably planning something. But it was best to keep her talking, and not react hostilely.
"Uh... we're just a little upset because... uh... two people in our group r-ran off after k-killing someone. They'd s-said they'd be back soon, but... well, th-they kind of... well, lied to us. And her arm's hurt... so..."
She had tried her best to appear calm, casual, and not at all frightened or angered. Heck, she had even forced a smile on her face while talking. Appear calm to her, and she won't look down on her, right?
Looking back at Sp- Aston, she said "Uh, listen. They didn't t-take your gun. I have it. It was still lying out-outside the shack just after you left. I w-went ahead and brought the weapons with me at-at the cost of my back. I only m-managed to get it and the crowbar in my b-bag. And they're coming back, right? Said so. They didn't leave us to die, did they?"
Chase... wasn't actually sure they were coming back or if she wanted them back. They had killed someone and lied to them, leaving them to their own devices. But... but... she had to look up for the time being, right? In any case, she was trying her best not to lash out at her.
Just as surprised as Aston was, the goth girl turned around on the spot and faced the new arrival. Now, picture this; a girl Aston didn't recognise! That didn't match half the school at all! Course, she was Japanese, and spoke like she swallowed a dictionary, so that didn't make her all bad no wait it did. If Aston wasn't currently bleeding out, she would have cared a bit more about the level of company.
Words were exchanged between all parties. Aston leant herself against the wall of the cave and listened, waiting for the attention to be driven right back in her direction. Fuck them, really, they had no idea what to talk about in a situation like this. Sentiment dribbled down the caveway, and Aston just stood there and sighed.
Oh, what, the goth girl wanted to talk to her again? What the hell could this possibly be about now-
"Uh, listen. They didn't t-take your gun. I have it. It was still lying out-outside the shack just after you left. I w-went ahead and brought the weapons with me at-at the cost of my back. I only m-managed to get it and the crowbar in my b-bag. And they're coming back, right? Said so. They didn't leave us to die, did they?"
...
...
...
Oh.
...That.
...
...well, this changed things.
A lot.
So...god
fucking
dammit
HUMILITY WAS IN ORDER NOW, HUH?
With her free arm, Aston unexpectedly threw her hand to her forehead, ran it down slowly, and let out a disgruntled moan. Her fingers moved to massaging the bridge of her nose, for several seconds, while she thought and grumbled.
So...if everything she thought had to be rewiped, then...Aston tried to work this out from the top.
So Marty somehow got his hands on the gun, shot Michelle, dropped it, then ran away.
Since he hadn't kept it, things now had to work a bit differently. So...he ran cause of the most obvious reason of them all. He had to have been scared. He just killed a person, didn't he, so...naturally, scared. And if Joshua wasn't in on it, then...just comforting his best friend, of course. And because they left everything behind, the crossbow, the crowbar, her own gun, then...
...they really were doing everything Anna said.
The girl removed her hand from her face, took in a deep breath, then sighed deeply.
Apologize?
...Fuck.
Aston stood there, leaning against the cave wall like she was imitating someone from one of her parents TV shows, and took in a breath.
Okay, so..."Sorry about that, don't let it happen again?" Uh, no. "Sorry about that, everyone was being stupid?" Nada. "Sorry about that, if you'd have just been a little calmer, then it never would have happened?"
Well, perfect.
She began to speak.
"I...am s-"
Before she could get the full sentence out, however, something scratched at her ears.
Was that...that had to have been a gunshot. It wasn't coming from inside the cave, nor was it near, but it was definitely a gunshot.
....Aww, fuck, they were in trouble now, weren't they? Aston was grasping at the metaphorical straws with a metaphorical fucking mechanical claw now, but chances were that they were in trouble now. Fuck, go help them? All her instincts yelled at her to leave them to die for what they did-no, those instincts were running on the wrong type of gears, shift them back, shift them forward, shift them into the goddamn great Aston Bennett.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, during which she was sure they must have heard the gunshot as well, Aston walked forward, towards the girl. Fuck, she must have looked a real piece of work, huh? Still that didn't stop her from taking the gun slowly from her hands, walking past the short girl, past the mystery girl, and wordlessly taking off into the wilderness, as fast as she could possibly go. Screw the two girls behind her, this was important to her self-confidence.
If they're in trouble, and they have to rely on me to save their ass, they're sooo-
((Aston Bennett continues in Later, Buddy))
((Also, 500th post, yay))
Words were exchanged between all parties. Aston leant herself against the wall of the cave and listened, waiting for the attention to be driven right back in her direction. Fuck them, really, they had no idea what to talk about in a situation like this. Sentiment dribbled down the caveway, and Aston just stood there and sighed.
Oh, what, the goth girl wanted to talk to her again? What the hell could this possibly be about now-
"Uh, listen. They didn't t-take your gun. I have it. It was still lying out-outside the shack just after you left. I w-went ahead and brought the weapons with me at-at the cost of my back. I only m-managed to get it and the crowbar in my b-bag. And they're coming back, right? Said so. They didn't leave us to die, did they?"
...
...
...
Oh.
...That.
...
...well, this changed things.
A lot.
So...god
fucking
dammit
HUMILITY WAS IN ORDER NOW, HUH?
With her free arm, Aston unexpectedly threw her hand to her forehead, ran it down slowly, and let out a disgruntled moan. Her fingers moved to massaging the bridge of her nose, for several seconds, while she thought and grumbled.
So...if everything she thought had to be rewiped, then...Aston tried to work this out from the top.
So Marty somehow got his hands on the gun, shot Michelle, dropped it, then ran away.
Since he hadn't kept it, things now had to work a bit differently. So...he ran cause of the most obvious reason of them all. He had to have been scared. He just killed a person, didn't he, so...naturally, scared. And if Joshua wasn't in on it, then...just comforting his best friend, of course. And because they left everything behind, the crossbow, the crowbar, her own gun, then...
...they really were doing everything Anna said.
The girl removed her hand from her face, took in a deep breath, then sighed deeply.
Apologize?
...Fuck.
Aston stood there, leaning against the cave wall like she was imitating someone from one of her parents TV shows, and took in a breath.
Okay, so..."Sorry about that, don't let it happen again?" Uh, no. "Sorry about that, everyone was being stupid?" Nada. "Sorry about that, if you'd have just been a little calmer, then it never would have happened?"
Well, perfect.
She began to speak.
"I...am s-"
Before she could get the full sentence out, however, something scratched at her ears.
Was that...that had to have been a gunshot. It wasn't coming from inside the cave, nor was it near, but it was definitely a gunshot.
....Aww, fuck, they were in trouble now, weren't they? Aston was grasping at the metaphorical straws with a metaphorical fucking mechanical claw now, but chances were that they were in trouble now. Fuck, go help them? All her instincts yelled at her to leave them to die for what they did-no, those instincts were running on the wrong type of gears, shift them back, shift them forward, shift them into the goddamn great Aston Bennett.
After a few seconds of awkward silence, during which she was sure they must have heard the gunshot as well, Aston walked forward, towards the girl. Fuck, she must have looked a real piece of work, huh? Still that didn't stop her from taking the gun slowly from her hands, walking past the short girl, past the mystery girl, and wordlessly taking off into the wilderness, as fast as she could possibly go. Screw the two girls behind her, this was important to her self-confidence.
If they're in trouble, and they have to rely on me to save their ass, they're sooo-
((Aston Bennett continues in Later, Buddy))
((Also, 500th post, yay))
Eiko let the other two girls talk. Chase seemed friendly, but Bennett looked like she was barely tolerating Eiko's presence. One foot of Eiko's discreetly stepped back, in case it turned out that the Bennett would resort to harsh measures in getting Eiko out of her hair.
Chase offered an explanation for what the two of them were doing. Apparently they were waiting for someone else - multiple someones - to show up again, but they thought they wouldn't show up. And Bennett's arm was hurt, which Eiko could clearly see. An idle part of her mind wondered who the other two people were, and what sort of circumstances transpired between the four of them. Mere speculation on her part; she suspected she's never know these other stories of trial by fire, and that she didn't need to. She was busy enough ensuring that hers had a happy ending.
"That's a pity," she said. "I was traveling with someone else, too. Peter Siu. We met on the first day. But last night he just left. Apparently he had business elsewhere and didn't want me getting in the way." She looked to the side and let a little bit of acid slip into her tone. She was under the impression that Peter had dedicated himself to protecting her. Funny way he had of doing that!
Before Chase could properly reply to Eiko, she decided to let something else slip to Bennett. Eiko caught that Chase had the gun that Bennett thought "they" took, whoever "they" were. And that Bennett could trust "them" to come back. Sounded like good news to Eiko, but apparently Bennett thought differently. Her hand rose to her face, then fell again, and she took a deep breath and started to say something.
Then a gunshot rang out, grabbing Bennett's attention, and she made a hasty exit from the cave in its direction. Eiko was left with a bewildered expression. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?" she asked Chase.
It was apparent that Chase would move with Bennett, leaving Eiko all alone. Again. And they were probably not going to the mansion, where the much-vaunted supplies rested. So which way would Eiko go?
Part of her wanted to leave them be. They were clearly headed towards trouble, trouble which could get Eiko killed. It would be better for her to avoid other human contact until the game was down to the wire. Pace herself. Let herself be fresh when the other finalists were stale.
Fat lot of good that would do without a weapon. She wasn't going to stand up to any gun-wielder with her polearm thing. Besides, seeing more people die, people like Tiffany, would desensitize her, make her more likely to do what she had to. But she had to make herself look cheerable, like a victim who only did what she had to. Not a monster like the others.
But what good would all of that do if she was ill-equipped? She probably didn't have enough food to last herself another week, and if Peter's word was true (big assumption right there), those supplies could be the difference between a good or bad performance out of her.
"Chase-san, I have to go to the mansion and pick something up," she said, taking a few steps out of the cave. "But I hope we can meet again afterwards. Where are you and your friend going?"
Chase offered an explanation for what the two of them were doing. Apparently they were waiting for someone else - multiple someones - to show up again, but they thought they wouldn't show up. And Bennett's arm was hurt, which Eiko could clearly see. An idle part of her mind wondered who the other two people were, and what sort of circumstances transpired between the four of them. Mere speculation on her part; she suspected she's never know these other stories of trial by fire, and that she didn't need to. She was busy enough ensuring that hers had a happy ending.
"That's a pity," she said. "I was traveling with someone else, too. Peter Siu. We met on the first day. But last night he just left. Apparently he had business elsewhere and didn't want me getting in the way." She looked to the side and let a little bit of acid slip into her tone. She was under the impression that Peter had dedicated himself to protecting her. Funny way he had of doing that!
Before Chase could properly reply to Eiko, she decided to let something else slip to Bennett. Eiko caught that Chase had the gun that Bennett thought "they" took, whoever "they" were. And that Bennett could trust "them" to come back. Sounded like good news to Eiko, but apparently Bennett thought differently. Her hand rose to her face, then fell again, and she took a deep breath and started to say something.
Then a gunshot rang out, grabbing Bennett's attention, and she made a hasty exit from the cave in its direction. Eiko was left with a bewildered expression. "Do you mind telling me what that was about?" she asked Chase.
It was apparent that Chase would move with Bennett, leaving Eiko all alone. Again. And they were probably not going to the mansion, where the much-vaunted supplies rested. So which way would Eiko go?
Part of her wanted to leave them be. They were clearly headed towards trouble, trouble which could get Eiko killed. It would be better for her to avoid other human contact until the game was down to the wire. Pace herself. Let herself be fresh when the other finalists were stale.
Fat lot of good that would do without a weapon. She wasn't going to stand up to any gun-wielder with her polearm thing. Besides, seeing more people die, people like Tiffany, would desensitize her, make her more likely to do what she had to. But she had to make herself look cheerable, like a victim who only did what she had to. Not a monster like the others.
But what good would all of that do if she was ill-equipped? She probably didn't have enough food to last herself another week, and if Peter's word was true (big assumption right there), those supplies could be the difference between a good or bad performance out of her.
"Chase-san, I have to go to the mansion and pick something up," she said, taking a few steps out of the cave. "But I hope we can meet again afterwards. Where are you and your friend going?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
So Aston just stood there, as if in surprise. So she seriously did think they took her gun, huh? They were coming back, as she kept reminding herself. They were just... well, they had to be careful around them from now on. After all, one was a liar and one was a murderer. Sure, Michelle had been attacking them, but... you know. She wasn't sure if she could hang around someone who had previously killed. And his friend had... he had lied to them, didn't he?
They could head back to the shack, hide out, wait for those two to return. Well, Aston needed to rest, didn't she? Her arm was bleeding again. She didn't need to be up and about like this, obviously. She needed rest, not to be wandering around searching for them and her gun!
And Eiko. Would she hurt them? Apparently she was looking for someone else too. Peter Siu... that name didn't ring a bell, did it? It did, actually, but she didn't remember who it belonged to. It had been a while. She knew a fair amount of people at school, but sometimes she drew blanks at names. This was one of those times.
Aston was about to say something, but-
And suddenly, a gunshot. Chase jumped at the sound. It sounded far off, but it was close enough for them to hear. What was that? Oh god, someone was off shooting something close enough where they can hear them. That... wasn't good news.
Aston seemed to notice it as well. And suddenly, before she knew it, Aston had brushed beside them and had headed out of the tunnel, seemingly walking off.
No! Not this again! Lie down! That was what she had to be doing! Please, she just needed to rest! She had already made her wound start bleeding again!
"N-no... come back!" Chase yelled at her, trying to get her attention.
Before she could run after her, Eiko started to ask her something. What was going on? And she wanted to go to the mansion to find something. But what? It seemed she wanted to meet up again afterwords. Could she trust her, though? Something told her that Eiko might be like the others. Most, if not all, people here were in some way messed up. It wasn't as if people here weren't fighting in some way or another, or that they were nice people. Heck, Michelle... Michelle in the end turned out to be psychotic, like she predicted. And Ben, Dawne, Jon, Rekka, Michelle... all gone. It only showed that no matter what move she made, she had to be careful. Even if Eiko was friendly. She had to worry. Eiko was being nice. But she didn't know whether she was being nice because it was the right thing or because she wanted her to lower her guard.
Taking a deep breath, she said "Uh... honestly don't know where w-we're going. I'm going to run after her. She-she's hurt, you know. Listen, we w-were sup-supposed to meet up with the other-er two nearby the mines. Right in a shack we had found. Hopefully th-they'll be back soon, but we don't know if... if they... erm, changed since they left. If they did..."
She didn't know where she was going with this.
"I'll go look for her and bring her back, okay?"
With that, Chase brushed past Eiko and grabbed her bag, spinning around to look at her again.
Please don't die. She didn't want any more death. What would happen if she found the spot and Joshua Krakowski and Marty were different? What if someone like Lombardi got her? What if... oh god, even when she was suspicious of people she worried about them.
"I guess I'll see you soon, then?"
And so, Chase wandered off in search of Aston.
"SPIK-" she had started to call out, but corrected herself. "ASTON!"
((Anna Chase continued in Later Buddy))
They could head back to the shack, hide out, wait for those two to return. Well, Aston needed to rest, didn't she? Her arm was bleeding again. She didn't need to be up and about like this, obviously. She needed rest, not to be wandering around searching for them and her gun!
And Eiko. Would she hurt them? Apparently she was looking for someone else too. Peter Siu... that name didn't ring a bell, did it? It did, actually, but she didn't remember who it belonged to. It had been a while. She knew a fair amount of people at school, but sometimes she drew blanks at names. This was one of those times.
Aston was about to say something, but-
And suddenly, a gunshot. Chase jumped at the sound. It sounded far off, but it was close enough for them to hear. What was that? Oh god, someone was off shooting something close enough where they can hear them. That... wasn't good news.
Aston seemed to notice it as well. And suddenly, before she knew it, Aston had brushed beside them and had headed out of the tunnel, seemingly walking off.
No! Not this again! Lie down! That was what she had to be doing! Please, she just needed to rest! She had already made her wound start bleeding again!
"N-no... come back!" Chase yelled at her, trying to get her attention.
Before she could run after her, Eiko started to ask her something. What was going on? And she wanted to go to the mansion to find something. But what? It seemed she wanted to meet up again afterwords. Could she trust her, though? Something told her that Eiko might be like the others. Most, if not all, people here were in some way messed up. It wasn't as if people here weren't fighting in some way or another, or that they were nice people. Heck, Michelle... Michelle in the end turned out to be psychotic, like she predicted. And Ben, Dawne, Jon, Rekka, Michelle... all gone. It only showed that no matter what move she made, she had to be careful. Even if Eiko was friendly. She had to worry. Eiko was being nice. But she didn't know whether she was being nice because it was the right thing or because she wanted her to lower her guard.
Taking a deep breath, she said "Uh... honestly don't know where w-we're going. I'm going to run after her. She-she's hurt, you know. Listen, we w-were sup-supposed to meet up with the other-er two nearby the mines. Right in a shack we had found. Hopefully th-they'll be back soon, but we don't know if... if they... erm, changed since they left. If they did..."
She didn't know where she was going with this.
"I'll go look for her and bring her back, okay?"
With that, Chase brushed past Eiko and grabbed her bag, spinning around to look at her again.
Please don't die. She didn't want any more death. What would happen if she found the spot and Joshua Krakowski and Marty were different? What if someone like Lombardi got her? What if... oh god, even when she was suspicious of people she worried about them.
"I guess I'll see you soon, then?"
And so, Chase wandered off in search of Aston.
"SPIK-" she had started to call out, but corrected herself. "ASTON!"
((Anna Chase continued in Later Buddy))
Eiko frowned as she watched her new "friend" leave, making half-baked assurances that the three of them would meet up together at this same location. She had doubts about that, to say the least, but she politely stepped aside to let Chase pass anyway, sighing as she looked down and out of the tunnel.
Yep, her weird little weapon was still there. Nobody saw it or bothered to pick it up. Good, she guessed.
Let's re-evaluate our options here.
On one end, we have the supplies Peter left for her. Probably provisions and something else, too. Definitely not a weapon, unless Peter got one in the brief time before he met her. On the other, there was the option to join up with another team, maybe get some protection. Leaving aside the fact that the two of them were heading towards a gunshot. Towards trouble. What to do, what to do.
Her mind was made up. She checked around for a sign of a trail left by Chase. She thought she'd be able to follow it. Go in its general direction at least. Hopefully the trail would stay there in the time it took for her to get her gear.
The mansion was in sight now. It couldn't be more than a quick detour.
((Eiko Haraguchi continued in Feral Intelligence))
Yep, her weird little weapon was still there. Nobody saw it or bothered to pick it up. Good, she guessed.
Let's re-evaluate our options here.
On one end, we have the supplies Peter left for her. Probably provisions and something else, too. Definitely not a weapon, unless Peter got one in the brief time before he met her. On the other, there was the option to join up with another team, maybe get some protection. Leaving aside the fact that the two of them were heading towards a gunshot. Towards trouble. What to do, what to do.
Her mind was made up. She checked around for a sign of a trail left by Chase. She thought she'd be able to follow it. Go in its general direction at least. Hopefully the trail would stay there in the time it took for her to get her gear.
The mansion was in sight now. It couldn't be more than a quick detour.
((Eiko Haraguchi continued in Feral Intelligence))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Solitair. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.