(G23: Start)
"Say hi to Cara for me, she was stupid enough to believe me too," he said, and pulled the trigger.
Blood spattered everywhere.
***
Claire Lambert sat on a pew in the front row of the currently empty chapel, or eyes fixated on an empty spot on the wall.
"This is unreal. This is fucking unreal..."
Her whispered re-assurances did nothing to comfort her, though. She knew that every emotion she'd experienced in the hours since her abduction had been more than called for.
The feeling of being stabbed in the chest as her English teacher had collapsed to the ground in front of her, blood pooling around her on the concrete...
Of intense fear, as she noticed the steeled resolution in a few of her classmates' eyes, as they adjusted to their hopeless situation much quicker than she ever could've hoped to...
And finally, or at least the final major emotion she could recall, was one of abrupt realization as she'd withdrawn a Magnum from her assigned daypack and stared breathlessly at the box of ammunition beside it.
She didn't feel lucky, though. Despite the fact that she was probably much better off than some of her fellow students on the island, the absolute last thing Claire felt was luck. Or fortune. Or like she'd been blessed by the Saviour who watched over her from his deathbed.
She felt cursed.
"Way to go, Claire. Had to be such a bitch to all the rejects at Bayview, and now look where you've found yourself."
Claire gulped, swallowing a lump in her throat as dry tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
"They're coming for you."
She would not be the next Cara Scholte. There was no way Ryan and Kelly Lambert were losing their only daughter to this fucking game. She was smart. She was athletic. She could get out of here. All she had to do was make sure she didn't make the same mistake as the girl on the monitor had.
"You're on your own, now."
Claire stood up, gazing around the room in an attempt to get familiar with her surroundings. Her peripheral vision was compromised by the liquid embodiment of her terror, but it wasn't enough to distract her from her goal. She exhaled, surveying the perimeter.
The room was modest, to say the least. Her back was to the raised stage behind her, with a non-descript altar conveniently placed at its center. Two rows of pews took up the majority of the small room, whose most noteworthy features were the front and back door. Had she been more aware that this had once been a church for a small town, she would have surmised that it didn't receive enough donations.
The brass handle on one of the solid oak doors at the front of the chapel stood out to her, polished gold radiating against its redwood background. She didn't even have time to make note of whether or not the chapel had a back door, however, as one feature of the chapel caught her now widened eyes.
Half of the front door was open.
Claire panicked, grabbing her daypack and zipping it up. She whipped her left arm frantically between its straps, hastily dashing through the pews and dropping her bags in the corner of the room. She had positioned herself at the front of the chapel in the southwest corner, so that she had her back to the same wall as the front door found itself embedded in. From this spot, her line of fire was optimal. She'd be able to see whoever came in before they could see her.
The fact that she was already thinking a bit too tactically didn't cross her mind. Claire had mechanically loaded her magnum as per the instruction manual upon its discovery, so all that was left for her to do was hold her position. Maybe she'd get lucky and nobody would wander by...
Or maybe her worst fear would come true, and her need for a surprise attack would become a reality.
Claire took a deep breath.
Resolve
Resolve
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
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B 113 Nick LeMonde- Start
Nick approached the little building in the distance. Over his shoulder was slung his duffle with his backpack contained within. With both the pack was pretty weighty, but Nick didn't really notice. In his right hand he gripped a strange axe-like weapon. Nick rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand which held the hunga munga. As he did so, he continued walking, but he seemed to trip on nothing at all and nicked his cheek with the weapon in his hand.
Dang it. That's the second time.
Nick cut the back of his left hand when he had initially stuck his hand into the pack to see what he had received.
Where are we? Those people, they killed our teachers. They want us to kill each other.
He reached up and noticed for the first time that there was a metal collar around his neck.
We do have to kill each other. There's no choice. They didn't give us a choice. Why would they do this? Why would anyone do this to people? I don't have a choice, it looks like.
Nick's eyes went wide. He looked down sadly at the axe in his hand.
Our teachers are dead. I really liked them. I wonder if they buried them? If they were respectful to them in death.
The door was slightly ajar. Did that mean that someone was inside? If there was someone inside, were they lying in wait for somewhat to come through the door? He pushed the door with his foot. Nick stuck his head slightly past the door to see what was inside.
Nick approached the little building in the distance. Over his shoulder was slung his duffle with his backpack contained within. With both the pack was pretty weighty, but Nick didn't really notice. In his right hand he gripped a strange axe-like weapon. Nick rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand which held the hunga munga. As he did so, he continued walking, but he seemed to trip on nothing at all and nicked his cheek with the weapon in his hand.
Dang it. That's the second time.
Nick cut the back of his left hand when he had initially stuck his hand into the pack to see what he had received.
Where are we? Those people, they killed our teachers. They want us to kill each other.
He reached up and noticed for the first time that there was a metal collar around his neck.
We do have to kill each other. There's no choice. They didn't give us a choice. Why would they do this? Why would anyone do this to people? I don't have a choice, it looks like.
Nick's eyes went wide. He looked down sadly at the axe in his hand.
Our teachers are dead. I really liked them. I wonder if they buried them? If they were respectful to them in death.
The door was slightly ajar. Did that mean that someone was inside? If there was someone inside, were they lying in wait for somewhat to come through the door? He pushed the door with his foot. Nick stuck his head slightly past the door to see what was inside.
B053 Teo Weinstock Start
"Pssst"
Teo hissed as he threw a small rock to the side of the church door. Placing his front foot forward, heel first, to test the ground, he advanced a step, still half protected by the cover a nearby tree. Braced against his shoulder and gripped with his right hand the football player aimed his modern compound crossbow at Nick's chest. Most people would aim for the head but Teo knew enough that the chest was a more likely shot. And having never shot a bow (apart from the test bolt he fired to gauge speed and distance) before he didn't want to take any chances. His duffel bag had been stashed a few metres back and he had already planned a route to flee by if the crap hit the fan.
Usually at this point he would be told to advance and disarm any threat in his dad's Krav Marga lessons , removing their weapon and disabling them. But given Nick was wielding an axe... thing and he himself had a ranged weapon, it would be best to keep him at a distance, at least for now, until he ascertained the boy's intent.
As Nick turned his head to face Teo the footballer shook his head slowly, holding his free hand up in the universal sign of the stop sign. He then motioned the boy to move towards him.
"Nick," Teo stated, softly but firmly. "We've got a problem. Firstly I'm going to have to get you to drop that weapon you're hefting and kick it over to me. No talking now, just be real quiet. Nod your head if you are following."
Teo paused for a second, confirming that Nick understood what he was saying before continuing on. "Secondly I'm going to need you to do a favour for me. Now, I'm not going to shoot anyone but we need to make sure no one loses their head here. I'm guessing someone's probably in that church, and we need to make sure they come out safely, and more importantly unarmed. I have a plan so just follow my lead and we'll get out alive."
The crossbow wielding student did a quick scan with his eyes over the area, making sure no one else had decided to stumble across the parish. He was hoping his words were calm and reassuring. "I need you to call out to anyone inside and tell them to come out and that you have your hands up and are standing in plain view. If they look dangerous, I'll take them out. You just gotta trust me. We good?"
Teo wasn't lying when he said he had a plan. He had spent a little time thinking it through after he had woken up and checked his gear. It wasn't likely it was going to work, but he hoped, just hoped one of the students would know what to do with his idea. So the first step was to find as many students as possible. If he could drill some sense in to people he hoped at least some bloodshed could be avoided. People panicked in these kind of situations and what they needed was a leader, someone who at least acted confident enough. He'd have to take some risks, but it was better than doing nothing, although... there was always the problem if something went wrong. Teo hoped it wouldn't.
He watched carefully to see if Nick followed his instructions, acutely aware that whoever was inside, if indeed anyone may of heard the exchange, even though he tried to be as quiet as possible.
"Pssst"
Teo hissed as he threw a small rock to the side of the church door. Placing his front foot forward, heel first, to test the ground, he advanced a step, still half protected by the cover a nearby tree. Braced against his shoulder and gripped with his right hand the football player aimed his modern compound crossbow at Nick's chest. Most people would aim for the head but Teo knew enough that the chest was a more likely shot. And having never shot a bow (apart from the test bolt he fired to gauge speed and distance) before he didn't want to take any chances. His duffel bag had been stashed a few metres back and he had already planned a route to flee by if the crap hit the fan.
Usually at this point he would be told to advance and disarm any threat in his dad's Krav Marga lessons , removing their weapon and disabling them. But given Nick was wielding an axe... thing and he himself had a ranged weapon, it would be best to keep him at a distance, at least for now, until he ascertained the boy's intent.
As Nick turned his head to face Teo the footballer shook his head slowly, holding his free hand up in the universal sign of the stop sign. He then motioned the boy to move towards him.
"Nick," Teo stated, softly but firmly. "We've got a problem. Firstly I'm going to have to get you to drop that weapon you're hefting and kick it over to me. No talking now, just be real quiet. Nod your head if you are following."
Teo paused for a second, confirming that Nick understood what he was saying before continuing on. "Secondly I'm going to need you to do a favour for me. Now, I'm not going to shoot anyone but we need to make sure no one loses their head here. I'm guessing someone's probably in that church, and we need to make sure they come out safely, and more importantly unarmed. I have a plan so just follow my lead and we'll get out alive."
The crossbow wielding student did a quick scan with his eyes over the area, making sure no one else had decided to stumble across the parish. He was hoping his words were calm and reassuring. "I need you to call out to anyone inside and tell them to come out and that you have your hands up and are standing in plain view. If they look dangerous, I'll take them out. You just gotta trust me. We good?"
Teo wasn't lying when he said he had a plan. He had spent a little time thinking it through after he had woken up and checked his gear. It wasn't likely it was going to work, but he hoped, just hoped one of the students would know what to do with his idea. So the first step was to find as many students as possible. If he could drill some sense in to people he hoped at least some bloodshed could be avoided. People panicked in these kind of situations and what they needed was a leader, someone who at least acted confident enough. He'd have to take some risks, but it was better than doing nothing, although... there was always the problem if something went wrong. Teo hoped it wouldn't.
He watched carefully to see if Nick followed his instructions, acutely aware that whoever was inside, if indeed anyone may of heard the exchange, even though he tried to be as quiet as possible.
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Frozen in place by both fear and necessity, Claire kept her gun trained on the door. She had never fired one before, with the exception of a couple excursions to laser tag for birthday parties and the like, but she got the gist of it. Point and click. Fill up with bullets when it's empty. The instruction manual would help her take care of the rest.
"Hopefully, I don't NEED to use it..."
Idealism was still intact for her, but Claire, ever the rational and sensible girl, did not realize how out of character she was being. She had no time to comprehend anything other than the fact that over two hundred of her classmates were in the same situation as her right now, and not one of them was going down without a fight.
*clunk*
Claire stiffened, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts as something solid hit the door of the church. She took two steps back reflexively, still training her firearm against the door, now quivering a little. Her breathing became heavier and more forced, but she forced herself to quiet down a bit as a voice broke the silence.
"...drop that weapon...be quiet..."
Claire strained to hear the soft words being spoken by her visitor, but against the silent backdrop of the early dawn, she didn't have too much difficulty making the remainder out.
"...if they look dangerous, I'll take them out."
A new word had been added to Claire's vocabulary in that instant - panic.
He'd take them out!? This wasn't good. Whoever said that probably had a big, heavy gun, and was just waiting for an excuse to blow somebody away. Claire's firearm still didn't give her much comfort, but she could use it to defend herself if need be. The last thing she needed, though, was somebody giving her a bullet hole when one could be avoided.
In that moment, she decided to take a new approach.
Hesitant about it firing on her when she least expected but not having time to worry about the consequences, Claire stuffed the gun into the back pocket of her jeans. The gun was miniature-sized, and therefore any evidence of it being hidden away was easily covered up by her pulling the length of her shirt down a bit to cover up the opening of the pocket.
Pulling the day pack over her back and reaching down for her duffle bag, Claire paused a little as a boy's head poked through the entrance to the Parish. Thankfully, it was somebody she recognized.
"Nick...?" Claire inquired softly, standing up to show that she wasn't hiding anything harmful.
"It's just me..."
"Hopefully, I don't NEED to use it..."
Idealism was still intact for her, but Claire, ever the rational and sensible girl, did not realize how out of character she was being. She had no time to comprehend anything other than the fact that over two hundred of her classmates were in the same situation as her right now, and not one of them was going down without a fight.
*clunk*
Claire stiffened, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts as something solid hit the door of the church. She took two steps back reflexively, still training her firearm against the door, now quivering a little. Her breathing became heavier and more forced, but she forced herself to quiet down a bit as a voice broke the silence.
"...drop that weapon...be quiet..."
Claire strained to hear the soft words being spoken by her visitor, but against the silent backdrop of the early dawn, she didn't have too much difficulty making the remainder out.
"...if they look dangerous, I'll take them out."
A new word had been added to Claire's vocabulary in that instant - panic.
He'd take them out!? This wasn't good. Whoever said that probably had a big, heavy gun, and was just waiting for an excuse to blow somebody away. Claire's firearm still didn't give her much comfort, but she could use it to defend herself if need be. The last thing she needed, though, was somebody giving her a bullet hole when one could be avoided.
In that moment, she decided to take a new approach.
Hesitant about it firing on her when she least expected but not having time to worry about the consequences, Claire stuffed the gun into the back pocket of her jeans. The gun was miniature-sized, and therefore any evidence of it being hidden away was easily covered up by her pulling the length of her shirt down a bit to cover up the opening of the pocket.
Pulling the day pack over her back and reaching down for her duffle bag, Claire paused a little as a boy's head poked through the entrance to the Parish. Thankfully, it was somebody she recognized.
"Nick...?" Claire inquired softly, standing up to show that she wasn't hiding anything harmful.
"It's just me..."
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Nick heard someone whisper to him. He saw Teo and turned to him.
"Hey-!"
He stopped when there was a compound crossbow pointed at his chest.
"...Teo."
His heart sped up and he swallowed nervously. Nick tilted his head and looked at the weapon. He put his finger to his chin and inspected the thing in Teo's hands
"Wow, neat weapon pull. It's a range weapon so you don't have too get close, and it even has the advantage over a gun in that you can reuse your amo if you go pick up the arrows after you use 'em. You know- Ow!"
Nick put his hand on his hip, forgetting that his hunga munga had an extra blade poking out of the handle. He looked down at his shirt which now had a small hole.
"Yeah. I got this thing. How are you supposed to use it? Obviously pointy side goes in opponent but this just seems poorly constructed. I should have a word with the terrorists about their poor weapon selection."
He hoped his rambling might distract from the fact that he hadn't laid down his weapon. It also served the purpose of making Teo think he might be stupider than he really was, or perhaps that he was not taking this situation seriously.
No way am I laying down my weapon, buddy. That's just how it is.
"Nick?...It's just me..."
Hearing his name, Nick leaned so that he was half visible from the church door. He smiled at Claire and waved.
"Heeeeyyy Claire," he said in a sing song tone. "How's it going?"
Leaning into the door as he was, Teo couldn't see Nick's face. Using this to his advantage his expression became serious. He shifted his eyes and slightly jerked his head to the right to indicate that something was there.
"Hey-!"
He stopped when there was a compound crossbow pointed at his chest.
"...Teo."
His heart sped up and he swallowed nervously. Nick tilted his head and looked at the weapon. He put his finger to his chin and inspected the thing in Teo's hands
"Wow, neat weapon pull. It's a range weapon so you don't have too get close, and it even has the advantage over a gun in that you can reuse your amo if you go pick up the arrows after you use 'em. You know- Ow!"
Nick put his hand on his hip, forgetting that his hunga munga had an extra blade poking out of the handle. He looked down at his shirt which now had a small hole.
"Yeah. I got this thing. How are you supposed to use it? Obviously pointy side goes in opponent but this just seems poorly constructed. I should have a word with the terrorists about their poor weapon selection."
He hoped his rambling might distract from the fact that he hadn't laid down his weapon. It also served the purpose of making Teo think he might be stupider than he really was, or perhaps that he was not taking this situation seriously.
No way am I laying down my weapon, buddy. That's just how it is.
"Nick?...It's just me..."
Hearing his name, Nick leaned so that he was half visible from the church door. He smiled at Claire and waved.
"Heeeeyyy Claire," he said in a sing song tone. "How's it going?"
Leaning into the door as he was, Teo couldn't see Nick's face. Using this to his advantage his expression became serious. He shifted his eyes and slightly jerked his head to the right to indicate that something was there.
(B098 Start)
They're not trying to kill each other yet, are they?
It was definitely worth considering, and Julian Avery kept repeating the thought to himself as he moseyed around in search of his fellow man. He considered it a testament to his own steely resolve that he was still capable of moseying rather than frantic scurrying. Nobody could blame him if he started scurrying.
Instead, Julian was content to swish his sword around idly, scoring a few minor victories against the underbrush. There was something that looked vaguely like a church straight ahead of him, which looked like as good a place as any to meet people and have a pleasant chat. Or if the place was empty, a vast range of possibilities presented themselves, from quietly contemplating the ethics of killing in self-defense to swinging his sword around wildly and pretending to be a goddamn fucking samurai. Something edifying.
It was not to be, however, since there were already a pair of guys standing outside the church and chatting about something. Julian thought he could recognize the one from his current distance, that looked like it might be Teo... Teo Weinstock. Teo Weinstock, who was holding something big and wooden, like- yeah, he was holding a crossbow, and he was pointing it at- oh, at the other guy. Teo was aiming a crossbow at the other guy.
They're already trying to kill each other, aren't they?
Julian crept a little closer and heard some kind of demand to "drop that weapon", which meant approaching the situation while holding a badass sword was probably out of the question. Julian found a tree to stash the thing behind inconspicuously, planted it into the ground blade-first, and did his best to ruffle some plants in a way that partially concealed it. Eh, fuck it. If someone's gonna steal it, they're gonna steal it. Defusing this hostage situation was a little higher priority right now than meticulously protecting his badass sword.
Julian picked up a smallish stone, made his way closer to Teo and the other fella- Nick Something?- and rolled the stone at Teo lightly. Julian spoke clearly and in his least threatening tone, holding his hands above his head.
"Teo, I'm officially surrendering my weapon to you. And don't think this came easy, man. Me and that rock were tight." A goofy sort of grin made its way across Julian's face, almost certainly a staggeringly inappropriate response to the situation. "Hey, if there's some kinda problem here, you guys wanna try and talk it over first?"
He's already gonna try to kill me, isn't he?
They're not trying to kill each other yet, are they?
It was definitely worth considering, and Julian Avery kept repeating the thought to himself as he moseyed around in search of his fellow man. He considered it a testament to his own steely resolve that he was still capable of moseying rather than frantic scurrying. Nobody could blame him if he started scurrying.
Instead, Julian was content to swish his sword around idly, scoring a few minor victories against the underbrush. There was something that looked vaguely like a church straight ahead of him, which looked like as good a place as any to meet people and have a pleasant chat. Or if the place was empty, a vast range of possibilities presented themselves, from quietly contemplating the ethics of killing in self-defense to swinging his sword around wildly and pretending to be a goddamn fucking samurai. Something edifying.
It was not to be, however, since there were already a pair of guys standing outside the church and chatting about something. Julian thought he could recognize the one from his current distance, that looked like it might be Teo... Teo Weinstock. Teo Weinstock, who was holding something big and wooden, like- yeah, he was holding a crossbow, and he was pointing it at- oh, at the other guy. Teo was aiming a crossbow at the other guy.
They're already trying to kill each other, aren't they?
Julian crept a little closer and heard some kind of demand to "drop that weapon", which meant approaching the situation while holding a badass sword was probably out of the question. Julian found a tree to stash the thing behind inconspicuously, planted it into the ground blade-first, and did his best to ruffle some plants in a way that partially concealed it. Eh, fuck it. If someone's gonna steal it, they're gonna steal it. Defusing this hostage situation was a little higher priority right now than meticulously protecting his badass sword.
Julian picked up a smallish stone, made his way closer to Teo and the other fella- Nick Something?- and rolled the stone at Teo lightly. Julian spoke clearly and in his least threatening tone, holding his hands above his head.
"Teo, I'm officially surrendering my weapon to you. And don't think this came easy, man. Me and that rock were tight." A goofy sort of grin made its way across Julian's face, almost certainly a staggeringly inappropriate response to the situation. "Hey, if there's some kinda problem here, you guys wanna try and talk it over first?"
He's already gonna try to kill me, isn't he?
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Teo's face flashed with irritation for a brief second as Nick entered his rant. The guy was not listening and if whoever was in that church was packing a gun this could end badly, very badly for all involved. One deep breath and Teo returned to calm, collected and in control. Nick was a wrestler, and he had a melee weapon which clearly from the tightening of its grip he was not going to be putting down any point in the foreseeable future. He needed to change his tactics.
As Nick turned away, so nonchalantly, as if he didn't care about possibly being shot through the chest at all and called out to Claire Teo let himself relax just that tiny bit. Either the guy was the biggest idiot out there or he hadn't fully grasped the concept that had been so well drilled in to Teo's mind the night before. People were going to be killing each other and if you didn't accept the fact you were going to get shot, stabbed or worse. He wasn't going to be the one to do it to a lumbering idiot so he relaxed the finger squeezing the trigger of the bow.
Taking a few quick steps to the wall to establish a better position he called out to the church.
"Claire, it's Teo babe, you can come out, Nick and I are tight now. We're working on making sure everyone comes out safe and nobody gets hurt."
Teo gave a curt nod to Nick. Situation was back under control, albeit with some minor modifications. Using both hands now he steadied his crossbow, If Claire came out with a weapon and firing gung-ho hopefully he could close the distance and disarm her from the side, if she wasn't hefting anything apparent he was sure easy going Claire could be talked down from doing anything stupid. His mind briefly flashed to a mental image of the girl. She *was* fine and given that there was no 'authority' on the island maybe he could... No! Concentrate Teo. The footballer checked himself. Don't get distracted on this one, plus there was Nick right there so there would be no 'tapping that,' at least until he sorted things out.
Another call, this time, even more relaxed came from the bushes behind him just as the rock rolled to his feet. Teo cursed inwardly. This was getting out of control again.
"Hey, if there's some kinda problem here, you guys wanna try and talk it over first?"
Came the voice from the bushes again. Teo turned around. He was exposed and vulnerable, but if Julian did only have a rock then he was relatively safe. He could handle this. It always could be handled.
"Julian fucking Avery, you sly dog. That's exactly what we're trying to do, just taking precautions you know. Claire's inside the church, you know, the tennis hottie and I'm thinking she's just a little scared so we want to all relax, why don't you come out and hang with Nick and help talk to Claire?"
Julian was a fast talker, but Teo had him figured out in school. Even if Julian had a gun, he could of shot him by now, so worse case scenario he had some sort of melee weapon which meant once again as long as he didn't get close Teo was safe, Claire was still the unknown factor. Still... the crossbow to a second to reload, that meant he would only get one shot off. He was confident he could take Julian if worse came to worse but Nick was a different issue. 225 pounds of wrestler was not something Teo wasn't to deal with at any point in his life. He would have to shoot Nick and run if it came to that.
"We're all cool bro, we're all cool."
As Nick turned away, so nonchalantly, as if he didn't care about possibly being shot through the chest at all and called out to Claire Teo let himself relax just that tiny bit. Either the guy was the biggest idiot out there or he hadn't fully grasped the concept that had been so well drilled in to Teo's mind the night before. People were going to be killing each other and if you didn't accept the fact you were going to get shot, stabbed or worse. He wasn't going to be the one to do it to a lumbering idiot so he relaxed the finger squeezing the trigger of the bow.
Taking a few quick steps to the wall to establish a better position he called out to the church.
"Claire, it's Teo babe, you can come out, Nick and I are tight now. We're working on making sure everyone comes out safe and nobody gets hurt."
Teo gave a curt nod to Nick. Situation was back under control, albeit with some minor modifications. Using both hands now he steadied his crossbow, If Claire came out with a weapon and firing gung-ho hopefully he could close the distance and disarm her from the side, if she wasn't hefting anything apparent he was sure easy going Claire could be talked down from doing anything stupid. His mind briefly flashed to a mental image of the girl. She *was* fine and given that there was no 'authority' on the island maybe he could... No! Concentrate Teo. The footballer checked himself. Don't get distracted on this one, plus there was Nick right there so there would be no 'tapping that,' at least until he sorted things out.
Another call, this time, even more relaxed came from the bushes behind him just as the rock rolled to his feet. Teo cursed inwardly. This was getting out of control again.
"Hey, if there's some kinda problem here, you guys wanna try and talk it over first?"
Came the voice from the bushes again. Teo turned around. He was exposed and vulnerable, but if Julian did only have a rock then he was relatively safe. He could handle this. It always could be handled.
"Julian fucking Avery, you sly dog. That's exactly what we're trying to do, just taking precautions you know. Claire's inside the church, you know, the tennis hottie and I'm thinking she's just a little scared so we want to all relax, why don't you come out and hang with Nick and help talk to Claire?"
Julian was a fast talker, but Teo had him figured out in school. Even if Julian had a gun, he could of shot him by now, so worse case scenario he had some sort of melee weapon which meant once again as long as he didn't get close Teo was safe, Claire was still the unknown factor. Still... the crossbow to a second to reload, that meant he would only get one shot off. He was confident he could take Julian if worse came to worse but Nick was a different issue. 225 pounds of wrestler was not something Teo wasn't to deal with at any point in his life. He would have to shoot Nick and run if it came to that.
"We're all cool bro, we're all cool."
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"Heeeeyyy Claire, how's it going!?"
Offering a miserable attempt at a smile, Claire did her best to politely acknowledge her visitor. She didn't exactly associate with a lot of the jocks (she had in fact avoided them on principle for the last few months in an attempt to stave off JJ), but from what she knew of Nick, he was pretty much harmless. The fact that he could sound so peppy at all surprised her-...
That was, of course, until his jovial expression melted into one of stern warning. Nick's motion wasn't lost on Claire, who nodded quietly to acknowledge him and carefully moved her hand over her pocket to re-assure herself that her hidden defense was still available.
Kneeling down, Claire retrieved her duffle bag from the ground and gripped it a bit too tightly with her left hand, her knuckles whitening from the loss of circulation to that extremity. Casting a cursory glance towards Nick one more time to make sure she was safe, she took in a deep breath, relaxing her muscles and steeling herself to face whomever was outside, before taking a couple steps towards the door.
"Claire, it's Teo, babe, you can come out-..."
Irritation drowned out the remainder of the footballer's sentence.
"Babe? Really? Who the fuck do you think you are?" Was Claire's first thought. Of course, if she didn't learn to keep control of her tongue she'd most certainly wind up with a bullet between her eyes as a prize, so instead of showing her irritation to the boy (boys?, she could hear voices) outside she merely rolled her eyes as a form of release. She was sure Nick would catch a glimpse of her frustration, but it was all right. He was definitely the lesser of all the evils in the vicinity right now.
Taking another moment to compose herself, Claire took a few careful steps around Nick and through the door, onto the dew-laden moss.
"Hey," she offered flatly, able to keep herself relatively calm as she revealed her empty hands to the boys outside. Her eyes widened a bit as she noticed Teo's crossbow, but she did her best to keep her poker face intact.
"Looks like you got more lucky than me..." she bluffed, regarding the projectile weapon before turning her attention back to the his face.
Offering a miserable attempt at a smile, Claire did her best to politely acknowledge her visitor. She didn't exactly associate with a lot of the jocks (she had in fact avoided them on principle for the last few months in an attempt to stave off JJ), but from what she knew of Nick, he was pretty much harmless. The fact that he could sound so peppy at all surprised her-...
That was, of course, until his jovial expression melted into one of stern warning. Nick's motion wasn't lost on Claire, who nodded quietly to acknowledge him and carefully moved her hand over her pocket to re-assure herself that her hidden defense was still available.
Kneeling down, Claire retrieved her duffle bag from the ground and gripped it a bit too tightly with her left hand, her knuckles whitening from the loss of circulation to that extremity. Casting a cursory glance towards Nick one more time to make sure she was safe, she took in a deep breath, relaxing her muscles and steeling herself to face whomever was outside, before taking a couple steps towards the door.
"Claire, it's Teo, babe, you can come out-..."
Irritation drowned out the remainder of the footballer's sentence.
"Babe? Really? Who the fuck do you think you are?" Was Claire's first thought. Of course, if she didn't learn to keep control of her tongue she'd most certainly wind up with a bullet between her eyes as a prize, so instead of showing her irritation to the boy (boys?, she could hear voices) outside she merely rolled her eyes as a form of release. She was sure Nick would catch a glimpse of her frustration, but it was all right. He was definitely the lesser of all the evils in the vicinity right now.
Taking another moment to compose herself, Claire took a few careful steps around Nick and through the door, onto the dew-laden moss.
"Hey," she offered flatly, able to keep herself relatively calm as she revealed her empty hands to the boys outside. Her eyes widened a bit as she noticed Teo's crossbow, but she did her best to keep her poker face intact.
"Looks like you got more lucky than me..." she bluffed, regarding the projectile weapon before turning her attention back to the his face.
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Ruggahissy
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"Hiya, Claire," he responded in the most cheerful tone he could muster. The cheer was tinged with a veneer of falseness. "Good thing you found us, right?"
Nick shifted only his eyes but continued to face forward at the sound of another voice. He looked over to see a boy approach and roll a rock to Teo's feet. He seemed friendly; at least he had a sense of humor.
"Me and that rock were tight."
Despite the situation Nick couldn't help but chuckle. The chuckle was not free of the nervousness he still felt at being up against a cross bow.
"We're all cool bro, we're all cool."
"We-we sure are."
Nick struggled to understand Teo. He seemed.....angry? Was that it? He was angry? He tried to piece together context clues about what he knew of anger. Nick desperately needed to assess how likely it was that this person really wanted to kill him. Fingers clenched on the cross bow, brows furrowed, short, loud tone of voice. His mouth was pulled slightly downward in a frown. All the signs pointed to angry, probably with annoyed mixed in. At the approach of the other boy he seemed less than truthful. Signs also pointed to it being beneficial for Nick to be skeptical of this boy. It rubbed him the wrong way how he referred to Claire as a "hottie."
Nick slowly lowered his hunga munga, however it slipped and hit him in the foot. He winced, but smiled sheepishly at Teo and Claire.
"There. All better. All the weapons are down. Now what? We're going to chat?"
Nick shifted only his eyes but continued to face forward at the sound of another voice. He looked over to see a boy approach and roll a rock to Teo's feet. He seemed friendly; at least he had a sense of humor.
"Me and that rock were tight."
Despite the situation Nick couldn't help but chuckle. The chuckle was not free of the nervousness he still felt at being up against a cross bow.
"We're all cool bro, we're all cool."
"We-we sure are."
Nick struggled to understand Teo. He seemed.....angry? Was that it? He was angry? He tried to piece together context clues about what he knew of anger. Nick desperately needed to assess how likely it was that this person really wanted to kill him. Fingers clenched on the cross bow, brows furrowed, short, loud tone of voice. His mouth was pulled slightly downward in a frown. All the signs pointed to angry, probably with annoyed mixed in. At the approach of the other boy he seemed less than truthful. Signs also pointed to it being beneficial for Nick to be skeptical of this boy. It rubbed him the wrong way how he referred to Claire as a "hottie."
Nick slowly lowered his hunga munga, however it slipped and hit him in the foot. He winced, but smiled sheepishly at Teo and Claire.
"There. All better. All the weapons are down. Now what? We're going to chat?"
"We're all cool bro, we're all cool."
Yeah, that was a lie. Maybe goofy old Nick was cool, maybe poor terrified Claire in the church was cool, but Teo wasn't invited to that exclusive club today. Far as Julian could tell, the guy had been holding Nick at crossbow-point for wonderfully coercive purposes. But now he'd turned his sights towards Julian, which was... worse? Better? It was still shit.
Teo, whether he was immediately threatening to shoot someone or not, was still trying to play sheriff. Still trying to set the rules of engagement for something that didn't even need to be an engagement if he'd just calm down and stop waving his dick around.
All that was pretty solidly un-cool. But those were all kinda sensitive issues to bring up, so Julian decided to focus on the most visibly lame thing about Teo.
"Naw, man, it ain't like that. I'm cool. He's cool." Pointed to Nick. "She's cool." Pointed to Claire and turned it into a little wave. "But you got a crossbow. That's some Ren-Faire-level shit, man, ain't nobody ever made friends with a crossbow."
Julian let his big goofy smile fade, and motioned to the ground in front of Teo. "Come on, Teo, I'm serious. Nobody's askin' you to hand the thing over, just set it down so we're all sure that nobody's about to get shot. And then we all do whatever, yeah? Small talk, team up, go our separate ways... hell, you and Nick can get some UFC shit goin' on if you want."
A small pause. A quick glance to Nick and Claire, making sure they weren't visibly disgusted with these proposals of peace. A step forward, with his hands still held above his head but without the slightest indication he was going to back down at all. "But uh, look Teo. We got a strict no-pointing-crossbows-at-people policy at the Cool Kids' Club. You in or you out?"
Yeah, that was a lie. Maybe goofy old Nick was cool, maybe poor terrified Claire in the church was cool, but Teo wasn't invited to that exclusive club today. Far as Julian could tell, the guy had been holding Nick at crossbow-point for wonderfully coercive purposes. But now he'd turned his sights towards Julian, which was... worse? Better? It was still shit.
Teo, whether he was immediately threatening to shoot someone or not, was still trying to play sheriff. Still trying to set the rules of engagement for something that didn't even need to be an engagement if he'd just calm down and stop waving his dick around.
All that was pretty solidly un-cool. But those were all kinda sensitive issues to bring up, so Julian decided to focus on the most visibly lame thing about Teo.
"Naw, man, it ain't like that. I'm cool. He's cool." Pointed to Nick. "She's cool." Pointed to Claire and turned it into a little wave. "But you got a crossbow. That's some Ren-Faire-level shit, man, ain't nobody ever made friends with a crossbow."
Julian let his big goofy smile fade, and motioned to the ground in front of Teo. "Come on, Teo, I'm serious. Nobody's askin' you to hand the thing over, just set it down so we're all sure that nobody's about to get shot. And then we all do whatever, yeah? Small talk, team up, go our separate ways... hell, you and Nick can get some UFC shit goin' on if you want."
A small pause. A quick glance to Nick and Claire, making sure they weren't visibly disgusted with these proposals of peace. A step forward, with his hands still held above his head but without the slightest indication he was going to back down at all. "But uh, look Teo. We got a strict no-pointing-crossbows-at-people policy at the Cool Kids' Club. You in or you out?"
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Teo kept an eye on Julian as Claire stepped out of the church, the girl said she hadn't drawn anything good but there was no reason to hide it if it wasn't dangerous. He didn't know the girl that well. Apart from the fact she had a stunning arse when she was playing tennis, those short tennis skirts really complimenting her butt. Clearly she was a smart cookie and was tuned in to the situation, one to watch out for he thought.
In fact all three of the students who had somehow surrounded him despite his best efforts seemed pretty clued in. Nick was perceptive, he knew that much, but the boy could be read like a book if you knew what to look for; you could literary see the cog's turning in the boy's eyes as he worked out what was going on. Julian was another story; he was a politiction through and through, he could twist anything you said to become what he wanted to be truth, a good person to have on your side, a dangerous one if your view didn't match his.
A brief thump alerted Teo to the fact that Nick had dropped his weapon and now theoretically he was the only one holding anything out. As Julian spoke up Teo reassessed. Julian just made Teo the aggressor here; and sure he was being a bit forward with his tactics but better safe than sorry right?
"Julian, that rule must of been amended in the last meeting, but yeah, you are totally right. Crossbow's coming down, you probably can step out of those bushes now, but lets not have anyone getting to close, nerves are at a all time high now and I think we all remember that time Nick caught that guy in a sleeper choke and won the wrestling match in under half a minute."
Teo let the crossbow fall to his hip, the the strap around his shoulder placing it at his side. He held his hand out, palms up as if asking Julian to continue. If this was how it was going to be with everyone his plan wasn't going to work, they all wanted to be in control and Teo didn't like not being in charge, he had a few options now but was going to go with plan A. Keep an eye on Claire until he knew what she had and let Julian talk. Information was power and if they were talking at least he could figure out their intent. His bag was still in the bushes past Julian, he'd have to push past him if he wanted to get at it, no easy task but better than taking Nick on.
"So guess we're doing this the smart way, talking, like adults, Claire you pull anything useful? Anyone got a plan?"
In fact all three of the students who had somehow surrounded him despite his best efforts seemed pretty clued in. Nick was perceptive, he knew that much, but the boy could be read like a book if you knew what to look for; you could literary see the cog's turning in the boy's eyes as he worked out what was going on. Julian was another story; he was a politiction through and through, he could twist anything you said to become what he wanted to be truth, a good person to have on your side, a dangerous one if your view didn't match his.
A brief thump alerted Teo to the fact that Nick had dropped his weapon and now theoretically he was the only one holding anything out. As Julian spoke up Teo reassessed. Julian just made Teo the aggressor here; and sure he was being a bit forward with his tactics but better safe than sorry right?
"Julian, that rule must of been amended in the last meeting, but yeah, you are totally right. Crossbow's coming down, you probably can step out of those bushes now, but lets not have anyone getting to close, nerves are at a all time high now and I think we all remember that time Nick caught that guy in a sleeper choke and won the wrestling match in under half a minute."
Teo let the crossbow fall to his hip, the the strap around his shoulder placing it at his side. He held his hand out, palms up as if asking Julian to continue. If this was how it was going to be with everyone his plan wasn't going to work, they all wanted to be in control and Teo didn't like not being in charge, he had a few options now but was going to go with plan A. Keep an eye on Claire until he knew what she had and let Julian talk. Information was power and if they were talking at least he could figure out their intent. His bag was still in the bushes past Julian, he'd have to push past him if he wanted to get at it, no easy task but better than taking Nick on.
"So guess we're doing this the smart way, talking, like adults, Claire you pull anything useful? Anyone got a plan?"
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All Marybeth had just wanted to do was tell a story. A story that would be remembered by many people.
Survival of the Fittest had not been one of her plans for a story. Nevertheless, Marybeth was somebody who had learned to adapt strange circumstances into her stories, and this was just yet another oddball scenario.
Marybeth had seen some of it, and caught on to the rest from the school grapevine. Survival of the Fittest, she had concluded, was not something she would enjoy watching: it tried too hard to be dark and edgy. Why couldn't have more touching romance, or explosion packed action?
She had been thrilled when she had awoken in the auditorium. While the others around her were crying like spoiled children about their situation, Marybeth could only think of the myriad ways in which her involvement would make the game so much more interesting. She could be a matchmaker and finally get those pesky pairings she'd written in her notebook to be canon. Or she could make up rumors about groups making conspiracies against other groups. Or maybe just strap some explosives onto some hapless kid and use him as a bomb. There were so many possibilities.
That last idea got scrapped when she woke up on the island and discovered that her assigned weapon was a piddly egg beater. Well, scrapped until maybe she could pilfer some grenades from somebody else. Someone was bound to have gotten grenades or something else that'd go boom. In any case, there were plenty of ways to spice up the story. As long as she could find other people. Marybeth had the unfortunate luck of being dropped fairly far away from most of the other students. In the end, she decided to pick a random direction in the hopes of finding a budding group of students. Then the fun could start.
Or the fun could end, because Teo Weinstock had just lowered his crossbow. What an idiot.
"Oh come on, Teo," Marybeth yelled as she stepped into the clearing around the church. She had, of course, missed most of the earlier dramatics, only arriving in time to see Teo put his crossbow down. "You've just ruined the tension in this scene. You had them dead to rights. The sensible thing to do is to shoot them." Marybeth glanced over at the other two standing at the church's doorway. Tennis player Claire Lambert and big bulky wrestler Nick LeMonde. "Or at least shoot Nick and then start macking on Claire. Where's the Teo we all know?"
A hint of not-green caught in her peripheral vision. She had almost not seen Julian, staying back in the bushes. "Julian! Get out here where people can see you." She pointed down at the ground in front of her. "The cameras are pointed here, not there." With her other hand, which was holding the egg beater, she waved Julian toward her. She couldn't see any interesting weapons, aka guns, from her vantage point. Marybeth gave a little sigh. Guns always helped make things more intense. Guess it won't be getting intense here.
Survival of the Fittest had not been one of her plans for a story. Nevertheless, Marybeth was somebody who had learned to adapt strange circumstances into her stories, and this was just yet another oddball scenario.
Marybeth had seen some of it, and caught on to the rest from the school grapevine. Survival of the Fittest, she had concluded, was not something she would enjoy watching: it tried too hard to be dark and edgy. Why couldn't have more touching romance, or explosion packed action?
She had been thrilled when she had awoken in the auditorium. While the others around her were crying like spoiled children about their situation, Marybeth could only think of the myriad ways in which her involvement would make the game so much more interesting. She could be a matchmaker and finally get those pesky pairings she'd written in her notebook to be canon. Or she could make up rumors about groups making conspiracies against other groups. Or maybe just strap some explosives onto some hapless kid and use him as a bomb. There were so many possibilities.
That last idea got scrapped when she woke up on the island and discovered that her assigned weapon was a piddly egg beater. Well, scrapped until maybe she could pilfer some grenades from somebody else. Someone was bound to have gotten grenades or something else that'd go boom. In any case, there were plenty of ways to spice up the story. As long as she could find other people. Marybeth had the unfortunate luck of being dropped fairly far away from most of the other students. In the end, she decided to pick a random direction in the hopes of finding a budding group of students. Then the fun could start.
Or the fun could end, because Teo Weinstock had just lowered his crossbow. What an idiot.
"Oh come on, Teo," Marybeth yelled as she stepped into the clearing around the church. She had, of course, missed most of the earlier dramatics, only arriving in time to see Teo put his crossbow down. "You've just ruined the tension in this scene. You had them dead to rights. The sensible thing to do is to shoot them." Marybeth glanced over at the other two standing at the church's doorway. Tennis player Claire Lambert and big bulky wrestler Nick LeMonde. "Or at least shoot Nick and then start macking on Claire. Where's the Teo we all know?"
A hint of not-green caught in her peripheral vision. She had almost not seen Julian, staying back in the bushes. "Julian! Get out here where people can see you." She pointed down at the ground in front of her. "The cameras are pointed here, not there." With her other hand, which was holding the egg beater, she waved Julian toward her. She couldn't see any interesting weapons, aka guns, from her vantage point. Marybeth gave a little sigh. Guns always helped make things more intense. Guess it won't be getting intense here.
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"Thank God for Julian Avery."
Everything around her was happening far too fast for her own good, but in the midst of the exchanges Claire found herself taking careful notice of Julian's successful coercion of Teo. The more threatening boy lowered his weapon and put it away, and Claire found herself in a far more comfortable position. At least now, if worst came to worse, she'd have the upper hand.
"Claire, you pull anything useful? Anyone got a plan?"
"Think fast, Claire. Think f-..."
"...i-if you call a notebook useful," she stumbled uncharacteristically, with faux irritation. Rolling her eyes, Claire lowered her duffel bag to the ground and unzipped it, retrieving a bound purple notebook out of the bag and flashing it towards Teo. She didn't have time to consider whether the bluff was believable or not - though, to her credit, not many students would have brought a notebook with them on the senior trip, aside from the other members of the editorial staff writing the final issue of the school paper - all she knew was that her story was out, and she was sticking to it.
"Like I said, yours is much better," she added to finish the thought, replacing the book in her bag and zipping it up.
"Oh, come on, Teo..." came a sly voice in the distance.
Claire's head snapped in response to the sound of Marybeth Witherspoon descending upon the group. Her first instinct was to reach her hand towards her back pocket, but she resisted, noticing that Mary had drawn some kind of kitchen utensil (which she couldn't quite make out from this distance) as her weapon, and it looked rather harmless. Her taunts, however, dealt far harsher blows.
"Oh, how I'd love to put a bullet between that sorry bitch's eyes..." Claire mused internally, noting that her everyday frustrations were now intensely amplified by the tension surrounding the parish. What was Marybeth trying to do, get people killed? Claire was more than familiar with her desperate desire to have (and create) all the latest gossip, but this was definitely pushing the envelope.
"Shut it, Marybeth," Claire snapped, unaware that this probably wasn't the first time she'd ever used that line. "None of us are killing each other," she affirmed, casting a glance towards the three boys on her sides. The last word Ryan and Kelly Lambert's daughter would ever be called by anyone was "pushover".
Claire relaxed herself, forcing a sigh and shaking her head. It was pounding. She wasn't sure if it was the after-effects of the tranquilizer, or just sheer frustration, but she couldn't shake the feeling of an all-encompassing beat that echoed against the walls of her cranium. Marybeth's provocation wasn't doing much to ease that pain.
"...Sorry," she whispered to nobody in particular, hoping to cut the tension before anyone could scold her. Teo, however, still had his attention focused on her.
Oh, a plan. Right.
"I'm gonna..." Claire paused, scrambling to figure out exactly what she should do. She hadn't given much thought to anything besides the fact that she was trapped on a deserted island with all of her classmates and fighting for her life.
"...find Aislyn," she concluded, looking more directly into Teo's eyes. "I never got to thank her for the help she gave me at prom..." Claire trailed off, reminiscing about how the beautiful Italian girl had helped her steer clear of JJ for an entire night. It was thanks to her that she was able to have a relatively pleasant evening.
...It was thanks to her that Claire was able to have what would most likely be the last enjoyable night of her life.
"...I'm sorry, but right now, she's the only one I trust."
Never one to be dishonest, Claire picked up her duffel bag once more, nodding curtly to Teo and Marybeth.
"Stay safe," she wished formally, turning in the direction of Nick and Julian as she began to walk away. She first passed Nick, whom she whispered a rushed "thank you" to as she waltzed by him briskly, keeping the corner of her eye trained on Teo to make sure he didn't pull any sort of surprise attack. After a few strides she caught up to Julian, whom she also thanked, before casting one last glance back at the group and breaking into a determined jog.
(Claire Lambert continued in Bump in the Night)
Everything around her was happening far too fast for her own good, but in the midst of the exchanges Claire found herself taking careful notice of Julian's successful coercion of Teo. The more threatening boy lowered his weapon and put it away, and Claire found herself in a far more comfortable position. At least now, if worst came to worse, she'd have the upper hand.
"Claire, you pull anything useful? Anyone got a plan?"
"Think fast, Claire. Think f-..."
"...i-if you call a notebook useful," she stumbled uncharacteristically, with faux irritation. Rolling her eyes, Claire lowered her duffel bag to the ground and unzipped it, retrieving a bound purple notebook out of the bag and flashing it towards Teo. She didn't have time to consider whether the bluff was believable or not - though, to her credit, not many students would have brought a notebook with them on the senior trip, aside from the other members of the editorial staff writing the final issue of the school paper - all she knew was that her story was out, and she was sticking to it.
"Like I said, yours is much better," she added to finish the thought, replacing the book in her bag and zipping it up.
"Oh, come on, Teo..." came a sly voice in the distance.
Claire's head snapped in response to the sound of Marybeth Witherspoon descending upon the group. Her first instinct was to reach her hand towards her back pocket, but she resisted, noticing that Mary had drawn some kind of kitchen utensil (which she couldn't quite make out from this distance) as her weapon, and it looked rather harmless. Her taunts, however, dealt far harsher blows.
"Oh, how I'd love to put a bullet between that sorry bitch's eyes..." Claire mused internally, noting that her everyday frustrations were now intensely amplified by the tension surrounding the parish. What was Marybeth trying to do, get people killed? Claire was more than familiar with her desperate desire to have (and create) all the latest gossip, but this was definitely pushing the envelope.
"Shut it, Marybeth," Claire snapped, unaware that this probably wasn't the first time she'd ever used that line. "None of us are killing each other," she affirmed, casting a glance towards the three boys on her sides. The last word Ryan and Kelly Lambert's daughter would ever be called by anyone was "pushover".
Claire relaxed herself, forcing a sigh and shaking her head. It was pounding. She wasn't sure if it was the after-effects of the tranquilizer, or just sheer frustration, but she couldn't shake the feeling of an all-encompassing beat that echoed against the walls of her cranium. Marybeth's provocation wasn't doing much to ease that pain.
"...Sorry," she whispered to nobody in particular, hoping to cut the tension before anyone could scold her. Teo, however, still had his attention focused on her.
Oh, a plan. Right.
"I'm gonna..." Claire paused, scrambling to figure out exactly what she should do. She hadn't given much thought to anything besides the fact that she was trapped on a deserted island with all of her classmates and fighting for her life.
"...find Aislyn," she concluded, looking more directly into Teo's eyes. "I never got to thank her for the help she gave me at prom..." Claire trailed off, reminiscing about how the beautiful Italian girl had helped her steer clear of JJ for an entire night. It was thanks to her that she was able to have a relatively pleasant evening.
...It was thanks to her that Claire was able to have what would most likely be the last enjoyable night of her life.
"...I'm sorry, but right now, she's the only one I trust."
Never one to be dishonest, Claire picked up her duffel bag once more, nodding curtly to Teo and Marybeth.
"Stay safe," she wished formally, turning in the direction of Nick and Julian as she began to walk away. She first passed Nick, whom she whispered a rushed "thank you" to as she waltzed by him briskly, keeping the corner of her eye trained on Teo to make sure he didn't pull any sort of surprise attack. After a few strides she caught up to Julian, whom she also thanked, before casting one last glance back at the group and breaking into a determined jog.
(Claire Lambert continued in Bump in the Night)
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Nick was grateful for Julian's attempt at diffusing the situation, though whether his plan would be successful had yet to be seen.
"Small talk, team up, go our separate ways... hell, you and Nick can get some UFC shit goin' on if you want."
"Sure, I'm down for some talking. Maybe not the fighting part. We can do ultimate fighting later on if we have the time," he said with a weak smile.
When Teo finally put down the crossbow he let out a loud sigh and wiped his forehead. Allowing himself a bit of relaxation, he leaned on the wall of the parish. He stumbled, scraped his leg on a bit of the wall and almost slipped when he heard a girl's voice coming from far off.
"Oh come on, Teo. You've just ruined the tension in this scene. You had them dead to rights. The sensible thing to do is to shoot them. Or at least shoot Nick and then start macking on Claire. Where's the Teo we all know?"
Nick's mouth hung open in a twisted frown at the suggestion. What was wrong with this girl?
"Don't say that, you crazy girl!" he yelled at her. "If you really think it's too boring around here maybe he should shoot you with a crossbow. See? Doesn't sound so exciting does it?"
He returned his attention to thoughts of a plan when Claire had mentioned hers. He didn't really have too much of a plan except to survive and escape the island, but there was a lot of room in that plan to fill in the details. Nick gave her a slight nod as she walked past to acknowledge the thanks she gave.
I hope Claire will be okay. I feel sort of bad for not going with her to make sure she'll be fine. Maybe I should. Though, three guys together with two weapons seems like a pretty solid group, except I don't know how much I can trust Teo here. He seems kind of trigger happy. And what about this nut job who just waltzed on the scene? Maybe I'll hear Teo out. Then I can decide.
"What did you have in mind?" he said, trying his best to ignore the other girl.
"Small talk, team up, go our separate ways... hell, you and Nick can get some UFC shit goin' on if you want."
"Sure, I'm down for some talking. Maybe not the fighting part. We can do ultimate fighting later on if we have the time," he said with a weak smile.
When Teo finally put down the crossbow he let out a loud sigh and wiped his forehead. Allowing himself a bit of relaxation, he leaned on the wall of the parish. He stumbled, scraped his leg on a bit of the wall and almost slipped when he heard a girl's voice coming from far off.
"Oh come on, Teo. You've just ruined the tension in this scene. You had them dead to rights. The sensible thing to do is to shoot them. Or at least shoot Nick and then start macking on Claire. Where's the Teo we all know?"
Nick's mouth hung open in a twisted frown at the suggestion. What was wrong with this girl?
"Don't say that, you crazy girl!" he yelled at her. "If you really think it's too boring around here maybe he should shoot you with a crossbow. See? Doesn't sound so exciting does it?"
He returned his attention to thoughts of a plan when Claire had mentioned hers. He didn't really have too much of a plan except to survive and escape the island, but there was a lot of room in that plan to fill in the details. Nick gave her a slight nod as she walked past to acknowledge the thanks she gave.
I hope Claire will be okay. I feel sort of bad for not going with her to make sure she'll be fine. Maybe I should. Though, three guys together with two weapons seems like a pretty solid group, except I don't know how much I can trust Teo here. He seems kind of trigger happy. And what about this nut job who just waltzed on the scene? Maybe I'll hear Teo out. Then I can decide.
"What did you have in mind?" he said, trying his best to ignore the other girl.
"The sensible thing to do is to shoot them. Or at least shoot Nick and then start macking on Claire."
Well. How about that. Marybeth Witherspoon, you are just dumb as shit. Going around inciting murders all chirpy and bouncy... well, at the very least, it was a refreshing sign that some things never changed. The sun shined, the birds sang, the flowers grew, and Marybeth Witherspoon was just dumb as shit.
Julian resisted the urge to start shouting at her about exactly how dumb she was (as shit), since Goofy Old Nick looked like he had the shouting covered. A far more pressing concern was Claire running off to find her friend: unarmed, scared girl taking off into the foreboding distance to look for someone completely aimlessly. Shit was gonna end up on the evening news unless she had a guy with a badass sword watching her back. Not that Julian's reasons for wanting to follow her were born out of sexist chivalry, since Teo the Ren Faire Asshole looked like he had the sexism covered.
So he had a few options. He could stay and sign up for whatever agreement Nick and Teo were working out, but that prospect was growing less and less interesting. He'd already done his part by defusing the earlier deadliness, and those two could figure out the rest for themselves. He could run off and tag along with Claire, which honestly seemed like the right thing to do. Or he could stay and strike up a conversation with Marybeth, which- Hahahahaha, yeah, not gonna happen.
Although.
She did present a problem. Left to her own devices, it seemed like she wouldn't be satisfied till she'd convinced half the island to murder the other half. Julian imagined a perky girl with curly brown hair bouncing atop an endless pile of bodies. Babbling to nobody in particular about which pairs of corpses looked cutest together. Avoid that outcome if at all possible.
But Julian wasn't exactly sure how, short of outright taking her out of the competition. Which was not. An. Option. As the rest of the gathering chatted amongst themselves, Julian quickly took stock of what he know about Marybeth. What did she like? Violence. Out of the question. Gossip. Not sure how I can use that... Romance Wait a minute. Think I got somethin'.
"Julian! Get out here where people can see you. The cameras are pointed here, not there."
Julian couldn't help but crack a little smile. And she wants me to come out and put on a show! I love it when a plan comes together. It was that simple, Marybeth wanted a good show. Or... her definition of a good show. That could involve rampant violence, sure, but if Marybeth's endless sordid gossiping was any indication, it could also involve some cheesy soap opera romance bullshit. Julian could handle that. With any luck, Marybeth would be... satisfied, or at the very least confused enough that she wasn't telling folks to murder each other. And he could move onto protecting Claire. And so:
Julian Avery, a strapping young lad with a troubled past but a heart of gold, boldly stepped out of the bushes. He cast a steely gaze at Marybeth Witherspoon and started to stride towards her. "Out in the open?" came his booming voice. "Is that how you prefer it now? I remember you used to have so many..." Dramatic pause. "Secrets. How do I know if I can trust you, Marybeth? I don't even know anymore whether the baby is mine!" He turned towards the nearest camera and looked distraught, anguished. Then back to Marybeth. "But goddammit, Marybeth Witherspoon..." He brushed her hair away from her face with a tender hand and spoke softly. "I still love you."
And then he kissed her on the forehead. He turned away and looked conflicted, doing his best to inform viewers that though this romance was touching and heartfelt, it was also troubled. "I... I have to go. Don't try to follow me, it's too dangerous."
Julian took off, not really having any intention to survey the aftermath of his (admittedly quite heroic) idiocy. He made a quick dash by the bushes to pull his sword out from the ground, then doubled around in a fairly wide arc to try and catch up with Claire. Teo, Nick, and Marybeth could have fun with whatever, even if whatever turned out to be talking about what an idiot and a creep Julian was.
Oh, the sacrifices that Julian Avery made in the name of peace.
((Julian Avery continued in Bump in the Night))
Well. How about that. Marybeth Witherspoon, you are just dumb as shit. Going around inciting murders all chirpy and bouncy... well, at the very least, it was a refreshing sign that some things never changed. The sun shined, the birds sang, the flowers grew, and Marybeth Witherspoon was just dumb as shit.
Julian resisted the urge to start shouting at her about exactly how dumb she was (as shit), since Goofy Old Nick looked like he had the shouting covered. A far more pressing concern was Claire running off to find her friend: unarmed, scared girl taking off into the foreboding distance to look for someone completely aimlessly. Shit was gonna end up on the evening news unless she had a guy with a badass sword watching her back. Not that Julian's reasons for wanting to follow her were born out of sexist chivalry, since Teo the Ren Faire Asshole looked like he had the sexism covered.
So he had a few options. He could stay and sign up for whatever agreement Nick and Teo were working out, but that prospect was growing less and less interesting. He'd already done his part by defusing the earlier deadliness, and those two could figure out the rest for themselves. He could run off and tag along with Claire, which honestly seemed like the right thing to do. Or he could stay and strike up a conversation with Marybeth, which- Hahahahaha, yeah, not gonna happen.
Although.
She did present a problem. Left to her own devices, it seemed like she wouldn't be satisfied till she'd convinced half the island to murder the other half. Julian imagined a perky girl with curly brown hair bouncing atop an endless pile of bodies. Babbling to nobody in particular about which pairs of corpses looked cutest together. Avoid that outcome if at all possible.
But Julian wasn't exactly sure how, short of outright taking her out of the competition. Which was not. An. Option. As the rest of the gathering chatted amongst themselves, Julian quickly took stock of what he know about Marybeth. What did she like? Violence. Out of the question. Gossip. Not sure how I can use that... Romance Wait a minute. Think I got somethin'.
"Julian! Get out here where people can see you. The cameras are pointed here, not there."
Julian couldn't help but crack a little smile. And she wants me to come out and put on a show! I love it when a plan comes together. It was that simple, Marybeth wanted a good show. Or... her definition of a good show. That could involve rampant violence, sure, but if Marybeth's endless sordid gossiping was any indication, it could also involve some cheesy soap opera romance bullshit. Julian could handle that. With any luck, Marybeth would be... satisfied, or at the very least confused enough that she wasn't telling folks to murder each other. And he could move onto protecting Claire. And so:
Julian Avery, a strapping young lad with a troubled past but a heart of gold, boldly stepped out of the bushes. He cast a steely gaze at Marybeth Witherspoon and started to stride towards her. "Out in the open?" came his booming voice. "Is that how you prefer it now? I remember you used to have so many..." Dramatic pause. "Secrets. How do I know if I can trust you, Marybeth? I don't even know anymore whether the baby is mine!" He turned towards the nearest camera and looked distraught, anguished. Then back to Marybeth. "But goddammit, Marybeth Witherspoon..." He brushed her hair away from her face with a tender hand and spoke softly. "I still love you."
And then he kissed her on the forehead. He turned away and looked conflicted, doing his best to inform viewers that though this romance was touching and heartfelt, it was also troubled. "I... I have to go. Don't try to follow me, it's too dangerous."
Julian took off, not really having any intention to survey the aftermath of his (admittedly quite heroic) idiocy. He made a quick dash by the bushes to pull his sword out from the ground, then doubled around in a fairly wide arc to try and catch up with Claire. Teo, Nick, and Marybeth could have fun with whatever, even if whatever turned out to be talking about what an idiot and a creep Julian was.
Oh, the sacrifices that Julian Avery made in the name of peace.
((Julian Avery continued in Bump in the Night))
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