((Aaron Hughes continued from Death is not a Game))
Well, Aaron was not in the least bit sure where he was going. He was on the move, at least. He was edging away from the gazebo, the horrible amusement park, the mansion. He was hoping that there would be more civilization somewhere. A place to rest and regroup, without such a distinct lack of cover as the gazebo.
Of course, the woods weren't half bad for that. Aaron liked the woods. They were something familiar, just as the gazebo had been. How many hours had he spent trekking through the Minnesota wilderness in costume, pretending to be a wizard or an elf? How much time had he spent hiding behind trees, a foam sword in his hand, waiting to ambush whoever followed him?
Now, though, ambushes were not on the menu. Now, Aaron had a real quest, a real impossible mission. He would escape. Somehow. He was still pretty vague on how one would go about achieving this goal, but Bounce would have something. He knew she would. She must have spent hours plotting just this contingency. Bounce always had a plan, always had an out. It was just like D&D. She was always the one to throw a wrench into Aaron's carefully-laid plans. Now, that talent would for once be put to constructive use.
They just had to find her.
Aaron leaned up against a tree and dug out a water bottle. He popped the top off and took a small sip, just enough to wet his throat. He would have to ration. The water and the food. He wasn't looking forward to it, but he had to make them last. Good thing he was a small eater.
He'd gotten a bit ahead, and hoped the others were still following him. He hadn't really been looking back much. That would have messed up his confident image. No, what mattered was ahead. The future. Life. Unobserved for a second, he quickly scribbled a note on the piece of paper he'd removed from his notebook, before stuffing it back into his pocket. Good. Now he was truly prepared.
My Kingdom for a Plan!
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
((Richard Han - B040 - COMMENCE))
Richard rubbed the rectangular mark on his forehead. It was the third time he'd woken up that day, the first time had been the hall, when several of his teachers had been slaughtered. Although the manner of their deaths had been... disturbing, he'd somehow managed to stay calm during it all. Whether because it hadn't seemed real at the time or whether he was just okay with the thought of joining his ancestors he couldn't be sure. Alternatively he might've just been a cold, emotionless husk of a man... Nah, definitely the ancestors.
The second time had been earlier, when it was still pitch black, and when he'd startled a couple of terrorists with his confused mumbling. A flashlight beam and a few shouts later and the last thing he remembered was a rifle butt flying towards his head.
Now though, he could see whacking him across the forehead near his temple hadn't been enough for them. The ground lay maybe half a meter below his head, and if the pressure that seemed to have built in his neck and head was anything to go by, that was by far the closest appendage to the ground he had. This startling realisation sent him sliding down the side of the tree branch, flailing around trying to get a grip on the bark snagging at his trousers and shirt.
Unfortunately, gravity won out over friction and the large chinese boy found the ground rush up to meet him. He greeted it with his forearms. Despite the pain, he felt happier down here, at least he didn't have to worry about falling any further. Ground was good. Falling was not. See, he was doing well with the whole thinking logically thing already.
He looked around, not gathering any information he didn't know already. It was morning and the sun was well and truly up, that was obvious. He was in a forest, that had already been made well clear to him. Apart from that there didn't seem to be much to say, let alone anyone to say it to. Though he had the sneaking suspicion something was conspicuously absent...
Where were his bags?
He took another glance around, hoping he'd missed them in the first sweep, before he looked up, past where he'd dropped from, into the branches above.
Oh, there they are.
This was going to be tricky. Strolling into action he clambered up the first branch, where he'd been sleeping, without much hassle. The next one was thinner, younger, that little bit more precarious, if not any higher. He was starting to feel the burn in his arms now, It felt good though, he could keep this up, no problem.
Next branch up was even worse, and he swore he could feel it wobble a bit. He looked down, he wasn't that far off the ground, and if he landed right it'd probably be fine but god he didn't want to fall. The sound of a slight gust of wind making it's way across the treetops left him clinging to the branch like some kind of desperate koala.
Really, really, really wish I was a ninja.
A moment later the flow stopped, and he could finally shimmy across the branch to his bags, hanging precariously from a twig. As he carefully pried the day pack off, the twig snapped, sending the duffel bag hurtling down to the ground.
Had to happen...
Richard rubbed the rectangular mark on his forehead. It was the third time he'd woken up that day, the first time had been the hall, when several of his teachers had been slaughtered. Although the manner of their deaths had been... disturbing, he'd somehow managed to stay calm during it all. Whether because it hadn't seemed real at the time or whether he was just okay with the thought of joining his ancestors he couldn't be sure. Alternatively he might've just been a cold, emotionless husk of a man... Nah, definitely the ancestors.
The second time had been earlier, when it was still pitch black, and when he'd startled a couple of terrorists with his confused mumbling. A flashlight beam and a few shouts later and the last thing he remembered was a rifle butt flying towards his head.
Now though, he could see whacking him across the forehead near his temple hadn't been enough for them. The ground lay maybe half a meter below his head, and if the pressure that seemed to have built in his neck and head was anything to go by, that was by far the closest appendage to the ground he had. This startling realisation sent him sliding down the side of the tree branch, flailing around trying to get a grip on the bark snagging at his trousers and shirt.
Unfortunately, gravity won out over friction and the large chinese boy found the ground rush up to meet him. He greeted it with his forearms. Despite the pain, he felt happier down here, at least he didn't have to worry about falling any further. Ground was good. Falling was not. See, he was doing well with the whole thinking logically thing already.
He looked around, not gathering any information he didn't know already. It was morning and the sun was well and truly up, that was obvious. He was in a forest, that had already been made well clear to him. Apart from that there didn't seem to be much to say, let alone anyone to say it to. Though he had the sneaking suspicion something was conspicuously absent...
Where were his bags?
He took another glance around, hoping he'd missed them in the first sweep, before he looked up, past where he'd dropped from, into the branches above.
Oh, there they are.
This was going to be tricky. Strolling into action he clambered up the first branch, where he'd been sleeping, without much hassle. The next one was thinner, younger, that little bit more precarious, if not any higher. He was starting to feel the burn in his arms now, It felt good though, he could keep this up, no problem.
Next branch up was even worse, and he swore he could feel it wobble a bit. He looked down, he wasn't that far off the ground, and if he landed right it'd probably be fine but god he didn't want to fall. The sound of a slight gust of wind making it's way across the treetops left him clinging to the branch like some kind of desperate koala.
Really, really, really wish I was a ninja.
A moment later the flow stopped, and he could finally shimmy across the branch to his bags, hanging precariously from a twig. As he carefully pried the day pack off, the twig snapped, sending the duffel bag hurtling down to the ground.
Had to happen...
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Gwbiiii.
((Lillian Hayes START))
Bad things happen to good people.
It wasn't something that Lily could deny. As beautiful as the world was, it harbored much injustice and misfortune. Her father didn't deserve to have his leg painfully broken, requiring months of grueling rehabilitation and hospital rest. None of the people at the homeless shelter she volunteered at deserved their circumstances, deserved their poor health and lack of amenities. And none of her classmates deserved to die here.
She kept telling herself that as she sat at the base of the driest tree she could find. Her eyes kept a watch for more students, knowing she should seek them out, knowing she should find her friends, her brother. But fear kept her rooted to the ground, clutching at her unopened daypack. She looked at it again, tempted to open it and look, see what God had given her to provide for herself with.
Her hand trembled as it reached for the zipper. Two more inches. One more. One half. The feel of the metal zipper brushing against the tips of her fingers made her eyes widen. She withdrew her hand as if it was a hot stove she'd just touched.
She was afraid of the daypack almost as much as death itself. It represented a temptation, a temptation that some of her peers had already succumbed to. Once she started using her weapon, it would get harder and harder for her to stop. It was possible to wash her hands of it later, yes, but was that any excuse? Could she spill blood as long as she kept telling herself that it would be the last time?
And yet, what else could she do? There were no options, no alternate scenarios. Anything else would just be delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, the bodies would litter the land, bodies produced from misery and agony and suffering. All of her experience in alleviating the pain of others was insignificant for this game. Was there anyone who could accomplish it? She doubted it.
Left with little recourse, she huddled under the shade of the tree and began to pray silently. But she was soon interrupted by the sound of snapping wood. She got up and walked around the tree, seeing another boy stuck in the branches of a second tree. It looked like an uncomfortable position. It seemed he was trying to retrieve his bags; he'd already gotten one down.
Lily gave the tree a look and decided that she could help someone, after all. She walked under his location, holding her arms out for him. "Don't worry!" she said. "I'll catch you if you fall!" She wasn't entirely sure she could, but it didn't hurt to try.
Bad things happen to good people.
It wasn't something that Lily could deny. As beautiful as the world was, it harbored much injustice and misfortune. Her father didn't deserve to have his leg painfully broken, requiring months of grueling rehabilitation and hospital rest. None of the people at the homeless shelter she volunteered at deserved their circumstances, deserved their poor health and lack of amenities. And none of her classmates deserved to die here.
She kept telling herself that as she sat at the base of the driest tree she could find. Her eyes kept a watch for more students, knowing she should seek them out, knowing she should find her friends, her brother. But fear kept her rooted to the ground, clutching at her unopened daypack. She looked at it again, tempted to open it and look, see what God had given her to provide for herself with.
Her hand trembled as it reached for the zipper. Two more inches. One more. One half. The feel of the metal zipper brushing against the tips of her fingers made her eyes widen. She withdrew her hand as if it was a hot stove she'd just touched.
She was afraid of the daypack almost as much as death itself. It represented a temptation, a temptation that some of her peers had already succumbed to. Once she started using her weapon, it would get harder and harder for her to stop. It was possible to wash her hands of it later, yes, but was that any excuse? Could she spill blood as long as she kept telling herself that it would be the last time?
And yet, what else could she do? There were no options, no alternate scenarios. Anything else would just be delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, the bodies would litter the land, bodies produced from misery and agony and suffering. All of her experience in alleviating the pain of others was insignificant for this game. Was there anyone who could accomplish it? She doubted it.
Left with little recourse, she huddled under the shade of the tree and began to pray silently. But she was soon interrupted by the sound of snapping wood. She got up and walked around the tree, seeing another boy stuck in the branches of a second tree. It looked like an uncomfortable position. It seemed he was trying to retrieve his bags; he'd already gotten one down.
Lily gave the tree a look and decided that she could help someone, after all. She walked under his location, holding her arms out for him. "Don't worry!" she said. "I'll catch you if you fall!" She wasn't entirely sure she could, but it didn't hurt to try.
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.
(Tom Guthrie continued from Death is Not a Game)
Tracking Aaron down had been more difficult than Tom had expected. The group's great leader had chosen to run far ahead, leaving his subordinates mostly to fend for themselves. Though he hadn't had any experience with leading people, even the class clown knew that a leader ought to make sure that his team stays together, rather than letting them scatter.
Having replaced his sword into his bag as best as he could (length was still a large problem), Tom had his hands free to push aside a branch as he stepped onto the part of the path where Aaron had chosen to take a rest. Seeing his great leader taking a drink of water reminded Tom that he was also getting thirsty, and so, as he stepped into view, he tipped back a quick sip of water and screwed the cap back onto his assigned canteen, replacing it back into the bag by the time he had stepped up to Aaron's shady resting spot.
Just as Tom was about to reprimand Aaron for leaving him at the Gazebo, a loud crack made him jump, followed by muffled speaking from a nearby part of the forest. Putting his finger to his lips to indicate silence, he slowly drew out his sword and jabbed his thumb in the general direction that the noise had come from, hoping to signal Aaron that he was going to check out the noise and make sure it was safe. Tom had never learned proper sign language, so communicating without words would have to be improvised, but he'd done silent improv before, so he didn't figure that it'd be too hard.
Creeping slowly through the trees, Tom came across an interesting sight. A girl, who he knew to be Lillian Hayes, was looking up at something up in a tree and talking upwards at it. Presumably, there was somebody up there, but the leafy branches hid this person from sight. The important detail, however, was that there were at least two other people close at hand occupying the same space as him, and it wasn't clear whether they were playing or not. This was a recipe for disaster.
Stepping back to where Aaron was, Tom pantomimed the information he had just discovered, albeit with a little difficulty. While he was perfectly okay with taking the people out, he wanted to make sure that he had at least a little backup, even if the only aid he would receive was an extra pair of hands clutching a Catwoman figurine. The main problem to consider was that they didn't know how many people were there. While there was one confirmed person on the ground, there were who knows how many people up in the trees, and they could be packing shotguns for all he knew. They would have to approach this situation carefully.
Tracking Aaron down had been more difficult than Tom had expected. The group's great leader had chosen to run far ahead, leaving his subordinates mostly to fend for themselves. Though he hadn't had any experience with leading people, even the class clown knew that a leader ought to make sure that his team stays together, rather than letting them scatter.
Having replaced his sword into his bag as best as he could (length was still a large problem), Tom had his hands free to push aside a branch as he stepped onto the part of the path where Aaron had chosen to take a rest. Seeing his great leader taking a drink of water reminded Tom that he was also getting thirsty, and so, as he stepped into view, he tipped back a quick sip of water and screwed the cap back onto his assigned canteen, replacing it back into the bag by the time he had stepped up to Aaron's shady resting spot.
Just as Tom was about to reprimand Aaron for leaving him at the Gazebo, a loud crack made him jump, followed by muffled speaking from a nearby part of the forest. Putting his finger to his lips to indicate silence, he slowly drew out his sword and jabbed his thumb in the general direction that the noise had come from, hoping to signal Aaron that he was going to check out the noise and make sure it was safe. Tom had never learned proper sign language, so communicating without words would have to be improvised, but he'd done silent improv before, so he didn't figure that it'd be too hard.
Creeping slowly through the trees, Tom came across an interesting sight. A girl, who he knew to be Lillian Hayes, was looking up at something up in a tree and talking upwards at it. Presumably, there was somebody up there, but the leafy branches hid this person from sight. The important detail, however, was that there were at least two other people close at hand occupying the same space as him, and it wasn't clear whether they were playing or not. This was a recipe for disaster.
Stepping back to where Aaron was, Tom pantomimed the information he had just discovered, albeit with a little difficulty. While he was perfectly okay with taking the people out, he wanted to make sure that he had at least a little backup, even if the only aid he would receive was an extra pair of hands clutching a Catwoman figurine. The main problem to consider was that they didn't know how many people were there. While there was one confirmed person on the ground, there were who knows how many people up in the trees, and they could be packing shotguns for all he knew. They would have to approach this situation carefully.
((Aileen Borden continued from Death is not a Game))
Although she did not realize it right now, Aileen was a mess.
A few auburn strands of hair had fallen out of her trademark braids, and while her face was normally pale and freckled, there was instead a redness to her face alongside said freckles. There was also a certain disheveled look to her clothes. She had been wearing long socks on the day of the trip, and although when she had woken up they stayed at full-length, as of right now the one on her left leg was down to her ankle, while the other was only just falling down. She usually did not have a problem with knee-socks falling down, but they had started to while she was walking, and she had not bothered to stop and fix them for a few seconds. Add in the dirt on her clothes and how her glasses were slightly smudged, and she did not look her best.
She had tried her best to follow Aaron. Unfortunately, she was one of the non-athletic kids at Bayview, and so she had walked a long distance, without stopping, and that meant only one thing; she was exhausted. How far away were they from the gazebo? It was quite a distance, actually, but she had no clue just how far away they were.
Also, how many people were coming? Aileen did not check, now that she thought of it. But, she was sure there were others. No one had encountered a psycho, hadn't they? How many had decided to kill? So far, everyone she had encountered was more focused on escaping rather than killing.
But, oh look. She had caught up with Aaron and that other kid. As of right now, Aaron himself was leaning up against a tree, and taking a sip of water. Where was everyone else? Was she the second person to show up? Was she the only other person that had decided to join him? What if someone had decided to come, but another student... got them? What then? It couldn't just be her, that other kid, and Aaron! There had to be other people, right? But who? Let's see... there was that oddball, that other girl, that strangely dressed man...
They all made her feel nervous, to be honest. She knew that Aaron and that other girl had said that if they did not trust each other, then the whole thing would go flat. But, what if Aaron lied? What if- deal with that later. Aileen had a hammer, she could defend herself if someone attacked her, right? Whether or not she could kill, that was another question. But, the hammer was nice and blunt... perfect for a getaway, and could probably be used somewhere along the line for other purposes, like if something other than a person needed to be hit at for whatever reason. But, did Aaron want to take it? She'll find out.
Aileen placed her bags on the ground, and stumbled towards the two. "Ah... there you are..." Aileen mumbled.
She looked around, noticing that she felt kind of thirsty. She would have to take care of that in a few seconds.
Aileen rubbed her right shoulder, noticing that it ached after all that walking and carrying heavy stuff around. This was going to be her life for the next few days, wasn't it? This gave her a pretty good damn vision of what was to expect. Okay, maybe she could expect to see a few dead bodies lying about, but none yet, at least, that she could see. Which actually was a good thing, in a way. It meant not many people were dead yet. Yet.
As she glanced at Aaron, still breathing heavily from exhaustion, she asked "Is anyone else coming?"
Just then, she heard something thud to the ground, causing her, despite all the exhaustion, to jump. A few seconds later, a muffled shouting of some kind was heard. Was that a girl?
"Hey guys..." she whispered. "Did you hear that?"
She glanced at the other boy, and then noticed he was wandering off, presumably to check out the sound, judging by his gestures. As he went to check it out, Aileen went to one of her bags, and quietly withdrew the hammer, just in case. Again, she was not planning on killing, but if she had to defend herself...
The boy came back a few seconds later, and started gesturing again. What was he doing? Aileen raised an eyebrow, and attempted to decipher it. There was someone nearby, of course... were they threatening? Damn it, she did not know much about sign language or charades or anything else he could be doing! Aileen frowned, still trying to figure it out. She stepped out to him, a confused look on her face. Aileen pointed at her head with her free hand and shook it, indicating she didn't understand. Seriously, what was he doing? This wasn't some god damn circus act they all were participating in!
Although she did not realize it right now, Aileen was a mess.
A few auburn strands of hair had fallen out of her trademark braids, and while her face was normally pale and freckled, there was instead a redness to her face alongside said freckles. There was also a certain disheveled look to her clothes. She had been wearing long socks on the day of the trip, and although when she had woken up they stayed at full-length, as of right now the one on her left leg was down to her ankle, while the other was only just falling down. She usually did not have a problem with knee-socks falling down, but they had started to while she was walking, and she had not bothered to stop and fix them for a few seconds. Add in the dirt on her clothes and how her glasses were slightly smudged, and she did not look her best.
She had tried her best to follow Aaron. Unfortunately, she was one of the non-athletic kids at Bayview, and so she had walked a long distance, without stopping, and that meant only one thing; she was exhausted. How far away were they from the gazebo? It was quite a distance, actually, but she had no clue just how far away they were.
Also, how many people were coming? Aileen did not check, now that she thought of it. But, she was sure there were others. No one had encountered a psycho, hadn't they? How many had decided to kill? So far, everyone she had encountered was more focused on escaping rather than killing.
But, oh look. She had caught up with Aaron and that other kid. As of right now, Aaron himself was leaning up against a tree, and taking a sip of water. Where was everyone else? Was she the second person to show up? Was she the only other person that had decided to join him? What if someone had decided to come, but another student... got them? What then? It couldn't just be her, that other kid, and Aaron! There had to be other people, right? But who? Let's see... there was that oddball, that other girl, that strangely dressed man...
They all made her feel nervous, to be honest. She knew that Aaron and that other girl had said that if they did not trust each other, then the whole thing would go flat. But, what if Aaron lied? What if- deal with that later. Aileen had a hammer, she could defend herself if someone attacked her, right? Whether or not she could kill, that was another question. But, the hammer was nice and blunt... perfect for a getaway, and could probably be used somewhere along the line for other purposes, like if something other than a person needed to be hit at for whatever reason. But, did Aaron want to take it? She'll find out.
Aileen placed her bags on the ground, and stumbled towards the two. "Ah... there you are..." Aileen mumbled.
She looked around, noticing that she felt kind of thirsty. She would have to take care of that in a few seconds.
Aileen rubbed her right shoulder, noticing that it ached after all that walking and carrying heavy stuff around. This was going to be her life for the next few days, wasn't it? This gave her a pretty good damn vision of what was to expect. Okay, maybe she could expect to see a few dead bodies lying about, but none yet, at least, that she could see. Which actually was a good thing, in a way. It meant not many people were dead yet. Yet.
As she glanced at Aaron, still breathing heavily from exhaustion, she asked "Is anyone else coming?"
Just then, she heard something thud to the ground, causing her, despite all the exhaustion, to jump. A few seconds later, a muffled shouting of some kind was heard. Was that a girl?
"Hey guys..." she whispered. "Did you hear that?"
She glanced at the other boy, and then noticed he was wandering off, presumably to check out the sound, judging by his gestures. As he went to check it out, Aileen went to one of her bags, and quietly withdrew the hammer, just in case. Again, she was not planning on killing, but if she had to defend herself...
The boy came back a few seconds later, and started gesturing again. What was he doing? Aileen raised an eyebrow, and attempted to decipher it. There was someone nearby, of course... were they threatening? Damn it, she did not know much about sign language or charades or anything else he could be doing! Aileen frowned, still trying to figure it out. She stepped out to him, a confused look on her face. Aileen pointed at her head with her free hand and shook it, indicating she didn't understand. Seriously, what was he doing? This wasn't some god damn circus act they all were participating in!
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Well, at least Aileen and Tom turned up quickly. Actually, that was good, really good, since they were the two Aaron felt most comfortable with. They both had melee weapons. They both had stayed fairly calm and sane. Aileen, Aaron knew a bit from before. Tom had been the first to join (Aaron had already forgotten that Tom had been the one to propose teaming up in the first place). They were the two he could probably count on to help keep things under control. Well, as much as he could count on anyone, that is. It was absolutely perfect that they'd arrived.
Unfortunately, there was a noise from somewhere nearby. Clearly, someone else was there. Someone else... Were they armed? Were they dangerous? Well, Tom was going over to check it out, so if Aaron heard gunshots, he'd know to flee. He'd just have to be really careful. If these people were sane, and were well-armed, they'd be great additions. Heck, they'd be especially great because Aaron planned to hold the weapons of new recruits for a day or so, just to make sure. He was positive he could get a read on someone by then, know if they were going to flip out or not.
Tom returned, and started to pantomime something. He was telling them to keep quiet, that there were people nearby. That was about all Aaron got, though. He paused. What should they do? Sneak closer, probably. But first, Aaron had an important thing to show the others.
He held up the small piece of paper he'd written on. His handwriting wasn't amazing, but was definitely adequate, certainly readable. He quickly showed it to Aileen and Tom, but didn't let them take it. He wasn't about to let this evidence of his suspicion out of his direct control. That was a recipe for total disaster.
The note read: "Hey, I think Lilly is a bit crazy. she has that gun, though, so we can't get rid of her. if you get a chance when she's distracted, try to take it from her okay? we'll all be a lot safer then."
After a few seconds had passed, long enough that Aaron hoped they had both read it, he stuffed the note back into his pocket. There was a chance he'd need it later, if other trustworthy people came along. Then he turned back to the others, gestured in the direction Tom had gone, and shrugged. He was drawing a blank on charades. That wasn't good. Now was not the time to have trouble. He gave up, sighed, and whispered as quietly as he could, "Think we should go check it out?"
He really hoped they'd meet some more helpful people. Anyone who joined his group was an asset, even if they weren't exactly useful, because the larger the group got, the safer and more persuasive they all were.
Unfortunately, there was a noise from somewhere nearby. Clearly, someone else was there. Someone else... Were they armed? Were they dangerous? Well, Tom was going over to check it out, so if Aaron heard gunshots, he'd know to flee. He'd just have to be really careful. If these people were sane, and were well-armed, they'd be great additions. Heck, they'd be especially great because Aaron planned to hold the weapons of new recruits for a day or so, just to make sure. He was positive he could get a read on someone by then, know if they were going to flip out or not.
Tom returned, and started to pantomime something. He was telling them to keep quiet, that there were people nearby. That was about all Aaron got, though. He paused. What should they do? Sneak closer, probably. But first, Aaron had an important thing to show the others.
He held up the small piece of paper he'd written on. His handwriting wasn't amazing, but was definitely adequate, certainly readable. He quickly showed it to Aileen and Tom, but didn't let them take it. He wasn't about to let this evidence of his suspicion out of his direct control. That was a recipe for total disaster.
The note read: "Hey, I think Lilly is a bit crazy. she has that gun, though, so we can't get rid of her. if you get a chance when she's distracted, try to take it from her okay? we'll all be a lot safer then."
After a few seconds had passed, long enough that Aaron hoped they had both read it, he stuffed the note back into his pocket. There was a chance he'd need it later, if other trustworthy people came along. Then he turned back to the others, gestured in the direction Tom had gone, and shrugged. He was drawing a blank on charades. That wasn't good. Now was not the time to have trouble. He gave up, sighed, and whispered as quietly as he could, "Think we should go check it out?"
He really hoped they'd meet some more helpful people. Anyone who joined his group was an asset, even if they weren't exactly useful, because the larger the group got, the safer and more persuasive they all were.
Richard winced as the bag met the ground. It didn't sound like anything was broken, at least.. He pulled his daybag over his shoulder, clinging onto the branch with the rest of his body. It was then that something he hadn't noticed flashed into his attention. He looked up and stared into the tree opposite, not entirely sure what he was looking for until the little red LED flashed again.
Oh. Hey there.
He gave the camera a nervous wave as it stared at him with it's shiny black eye. He couldn't help but wonder how many people were looking at him. He really hoped they were enjoying his performance. And the one about to come. Only now that he was up there did getting back down cross his mind, and god was it going to be more difficult.
He was just trying to find a way to shuffle backwards without slipping of the branch, and preferably without tearing his pants up, when he heard the voice below him. The mention of "Catch you if you fall" couldn't help but put a smile on his face. He loved that song.
He looked over the side of the branch to see who was offering, to find it was the perpetually beautiful Lillian Hayes, though he knew she'd never really accept that complementary evaluation. No lady worth pursuing ever did.
"No no, It's okay! I'll be down in a moment!"
Though this bag was giving him a bit of extra greif. Maybe he could drop it to Miss Hayes. No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't drop the bag to someone with such a petite frame, to ask that of a lady. Why, it would be, it would be...
Unchivalrous!
He couldn't drop the bag onto the ground, it was too fragile, like dear Lily, and since dropping it to her was out he'd have to carry it with him. Burden though it was.
Maybe it'd be easier if I turned around...
Oh. Hey there.
He gave the camera a nervous wave as it stared at him with it's shiny black eye. He couldn't help but wonder how many people were looking at him. He really hoped they were enjoying his performance. And the one about to come. Only now that he was up there did getting back down cross his mind, and god was it going to be more difficult.
He was just trying to find a way to shuffle backwards without slipping of the branch, and preferably without tearing his pants up, when he heard the voice below him. The mention of "Catch you if you fall" couldn't help but put a smile on his face. He loved that song.
He looked over the side of the branch to see who was offering, to find it was the perpetually beautiful Lillian Hayes, though he knew she'd never really accept that complementary evaluation. No lady worth pursuing ever did.
"No no, It's okay! I'll be down in a moment!"
Though this bag was giving him a bit of extra greif. Maybe he could drop it to Miss Hayes. No, he couldn't do that. He couldn't drop the bag to someone with such a petite frame, to ask that of a lady. Why, it would be, it would be...
Unchivalrous!
He couldn't drop the bag onto the ground, it was too fragile, like dear Lily, and since dropping it to her was out he'd have to carry it with him. Burden though it was.
Maybe it'd be easier if I turned around...
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Gwbiiii.
Lily chuckled when she heard Richard protest her assistance, reaching for another bag that she hadn't seen earlier. Seeing him act self-consious like this reminded her of better times, times when they had a society to catch them when they fell, instead of just one gymnast and amateur theologist.
Trying to remember what she could about Richard, she only managed to recall eating at his family's restaraunt once. It was a pleasant experience, a good opportunity to try unfamiliar foods like mushu pork. The service was good and Richard, though a bit awkward in conversation, what with those strange gestures he kept making with his hands and all, was a sweet kid and Lily felt glad to know him.
Shame she hadn't really talked with him since then. The thought of missed opportunities made Lily's eyes water a bit. No tears yet, though. She liked to think she was stronger than that, at least.
A rustle in the bushes diverted her attention, causing her to tilt her head back down to ground level. Her eyes darted between the tree and the direction she heard the noises, and she turned to face the bush. "Hello?" she asked. "Is anyone there?"
No one replied to her, as far as she could tell. She thought she saw a vaguely humanoid shape or two in the brush, but that could have just been her imagination. "It's Lily and Richard!" she said. "It's okay, we won't bite!" She briefly wondered if that was true; Richard could have developed unseemly intentions in the short time since that horrible briefing in the auditorium.
But it was just as likely that Richard could be secretly nursing the same suspicions of her. Sure, he sounded like he was secretly glad to see her, but what if that was itself a cover for his fear? The bag that was on the ground now, she realized, looked very different from her daypack. He still had access to his mystery weapon, which could be a gun that he could potentially use on her from up in those branches. Not much she could do about that.
She decided to cross that bridge when she came to it, focusing her attention once more on the sound she heard. There wasn't much she could do about that, either, but she had more to worry about from someone whose identity remained a mystery.
Trying to remember what she could about Richard, she only managed to recall eating at his family's restaraunt once. It was a pleasant experience, a good opportunity to try unfamiliar foods like mushu pork. The service was good and Richard, though a bit awkward in conversation, what with those strange gestures he kept making with his hands and all, was a sweet kid and Lily felt glad to know him.
Shame she hadn't really talked with him since then. The thought of missed opportunities made Lily's eyes water a bit. No tears yet, though. She liked to think she was stronger than that, at least.
A rustle in the bushes diverted her attention, causing her to tilt her head back down to ground level. Her eyes darted between the tree and the direction she heard the noises, and she turned to face the bush. "Hello?" she asked. "Is anyone there?"
No one replied to her, as far as she could tell. She thought she saw a vaguely humanoid shape or two in the brush, but that could have just been her imagination. "It's Lily and Richard!" she said. "It's okay, we won't bite!" She briefly wondered if that was true; Richard could have developed unseemly intentions in the short time since that horrible briefing in the auditorium.
But it was just as likely that Richard could be secretly nursing the same suspicions of her. Sure, he sounded like he was secretly glad to see her, but what if that was itself a cover for his fear? The bag that was on the ground now, she realized, looked very different from her daypack. He still had access to his mystery weapon, which could be a gun that he could potentially use on her from up in those branches. Not much she could do about that.
She decided to cross that bridge when she came to it, focusing her attention once more on the sound she heard. There wasn't much she could do about that, either, but she had more to worry about from someone whose identity remained a mystery.
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.
The contents of that note were a welcome change of pace for Tom, who had almost given up hope in his leader's ability to make coherent decisions. Though slightly offended that neither of his partners appeared to understand what he was trying to communicate, he shrugged and spoke nothing of it, partially because he was afraid of the other people hearing it. Of course, that worry was rendered moot when the girl he had seen before shouted, "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Oh, flip..." Tom muttered under his breath, and said nothing, looking at his leader for advice. However, the voices persisted, and it was a reasonable guess to assume that if nobody answered, the girl would begin to investigate, and they'd be found anyway. Might as well bite the bullet and hope that the expression didn't come true in the literal sense.
Ooh! That's kind of dark. I should use it sometime to loosen the mood.
"It's Tom Guthrie!" he shouted, stepping out into view with the sword back in his bag. "There is no need to be alarmed. I mean you no harm." He spoke this line with the deliberate slowness of an average homeowner greeting his first extraterrestrial life form, in the hopes that the person would get the reference. "Seriously though," he continued as he stopped a short distance from the tree where Richard was still perched. "we don't want to start a fight. In fact, Aaron here-" he jerked his thumb back out into the woods, "-has an idea to get us off the island. Isn't that right, Aaron?"
Better not mess this up for me, man. I don't want to be left hanging.
"Oh, flip..." Tom muttered under his breath, and said nothing, looking at his leader for advice. However, the voices persisted, and it was a reasonable guess to assume that if nobody answered, the girl would begin to investigate, and they'd be found anyway. Might as well bite the bullet and hope that the expression didn't come true in the literal sense.
Ooh! That's kind of dark. I should use it sometime to loosen the mood.
"It's Tom Guthrie!" he shouted, stepping out into view with the sword back in his bag. "There is no need to be alarmed. I mean you no harm." He spoke this line with the deliberate slowness of an average homeowner greeting his first extraterrestrial life form, in the hopes that the person would get the reference. "Seriously though," he continued as he stopped a short distance from the tree where Richard was still perched. "we don't want to start a fight. In fact, Aaron here-" he jerked his thumb back out into the woods, "-has an idea to get us off the island. Isn't that right, Aaron?"
Better not mess this up for me, man. I don't want to be left hanging.
Aaron had been writing something down, and soon enough he showed what it read.
"Hey, I think Lilly is a bit crazy. she has that gun, though, so we can't get rid of her. if you get a chance when she's distracted, try to take it from her okay? we'll all be a lot safer then."
Lilly? Was that the girl from the gazebo who was acting all happy about bloodsports and how Aileen was running around with a hammer? And they gave her a gun? Aileen felt the urge to do her trademark palm-to-face gesture, but stopped herself. She swore to god, if she snapped and attacked everyone with that thing, they were screwed. On one hand, it might be counterproductive to be so suspicious of everyone. Aaron had said so himself, after all, so he was probably aware of this. On the other, she had absolutely no clue if this "Lilly" had always been like this, or if she had become that way ever since arriving on the island.
Well, better to cross that bridge when they got there.
Aileen glanced back at the other boy, who seemed to shrug. A few seconds later, before anyone could react, more shouting could be heard. Was that a girl? She was asking who was there, and something about people named Lily and Richard. Oh god, if it was that girl from the gazebo, they had to be careful. But, it didn't sound like her, at least. Maybe she just thought gazebo girl was Lilly, and in actuality Aaron was referring to someone else.
The other boy had stepped out again, shouting out his name. Tom Guthrie? Apparently. He told the voice that they meant no harm, and started to explain that Aaron was already thinking up a plan to get off the island.
However, a number of scenarios popped into Aileen's mind. One of the most prominent was a deranged classmate jumping out from the bushes with a gun, a smile on their faces and having blood all over their clothes. Well, there was no use thinking like that, but sometimes Aileen's mind had the better of her.
However, she called out "As he said, we mean you no harm! There are only three of us here! And we're trying to get the hell out!"
Oh god, please don't be psychotic after all, please don't be happy little murderers, just please! Be someone who isn't into the whole killing thing!, her mind raced, as the hand holding her hammer trembled noticeably.
"Hey, I think Lilly is a bit crazy. she has that gun, though, so we can't get rid of her. if you get a chance when she's distracted, try to take it from her okay? we'll all be a lot safer then."
Lilly? Was that the girl from the gazebo who was acting all happy about bloodsports and how Aileen was running around with a hammer? And they gave her a gun? Aileen felt the urge to do her trademark palm-to-face gesture, but stopped herself. She swore to god, if she snapped and attacked everyone with that thing, they were screwed. On one hand, it might be counterproductive to be so suspicious of everyone. Aaron had said so himself, after all, so he was probably aware of this. On the other, she had absolutely no clue if this "Lilly" had always been like this, or if she had become that way ever since arriving on the island.
Well, better to cross that bridge when they got there.
Aileen glanced back at the other boy, who seemed to shrug. A few seconds later, before anyone could react, more shouting could be heard. Was that a girl? She was asking who was there, and something about people named Lily and Richard. Oh god, if it was that girl from the gazebo, they had to be careful. But, it didn't sound like her, at least. Maybe she just thought gazebo girl was Lilly, and in actuality Aaron was referring to someone else.
The other boy had stepped out again, shouting out his name. Tom Guthrie? Apparently. He told the voice that they meant no harm, and started to explain that Aaron was already thinking up a plan to get off the island.
However, a number of scenarios popped into Aileen's mind. One of the most prominent was a deranged classmate jumping out from the bushes with a gun, a smile on their faces and having blood all over their clothes. Well, there was no use thinking like that, but sometimes Aileen's mind had the better of her.
However, she called out "As he said, we mean you no harm! There are only three of us here! And we're trying to get the hell out!"
Oh god, please don't be psychotic after all, please don't be happy little murderers, just please! Be someone who isn't into the whole killing thing!, her mind raced, as the hand holding her hammer trembled noticeably.
-
MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
There was definitely someone over there. Someone talking. Were they a danger? Aaron could really use some more helpful people, especially since half of his team had yet to catch up. He was beginning to worry that they weren't coming. That they'd abandoned him after all, decided to make some attempt on their own. If so, they were idiots. They were abandoning their best chance of actually getting something done. A series of groups was useless. It just meant factional disputes and squad-based feuds, a war instead of a free-for-all. Everyone still ended up dead.
Speaking of dead, it was one thing Aaron had no intention of being. He was the weak one at the moment, the outclassed one, and he hated it. He was useless if push came to shove. That had to be changed, and quickly, especially with the machine gun wielder missing. Fortunately, Aaron was smart enough to do something about it. Diverting his attention from his companions for a second, Aaron unzipped the bag he'd packed, the one containing all of his belongings from home. He suspected the terrorists had removed some of his things. It made sense, and the bag had clearly been rummaged. His phone was still there, though. Another taunt? Perhaps.
That was not what he wanted at the moment, however. What Aaron needed was an item so innocuous, so simple, that it would never have been confiscated. Hell, even if it had, he had backups on him. Surrendering them would just lead to a little discomfort. Then, he found it. A pair of socks. Standard, white, athletic fair. Perfect. He removed one sock from the pair, and quietly rezipped his bag, glancing around, checking on Tom and Aileen. He was halfway armed. Now, for the rest. He scanned the ground, and quickly found exactly what he was looking for. Rocks. Aaron selected three, one the size of his fist, the other two about half that, and dropped them into the sock, then knotted the end. He gave it an experimental swing. Crude, but passable. A more-than-usable improvised blackjack or flail.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying that much attention to the situation, so he jumped as the voice rang out. Oh hell. Aaron froze. Had he just blown their cover? Why hadn't Tom warned him that they were this close? Wait, no, the people were calling out. They were alright. Lilly and Richard? Lily? But, surely not the Lily of before, not from the sound of that voice. How many other Lilys were in class? He couldn't remember.
Tom and Aileen stepped up to the plate, speaking, introducing the group. Better yet, they were still deferring to him. He truly was the fearless leader of this expedition. The smart one. the brains of the operation. It wasn't great that Tom had ascribed a plan to Aaron, or that Aileen had given away their numbers, but the warm glow of authority was enough to silence any annoyance Aaron would otherwise have felt. Yes, he was the one the others would join. The one who would lead them off this island. He was going to be known around the world when this was done. Wait, maybe he was already famous. The cameras had surely been tracking him, with his performance and all. They also provided the perfect stalling mechanism, the absolutely ideal way to keep their potential new recruits from get anxious before Aaron could actually come up with a good idea or they could find Bounce.
"Hello," he called softly. "Lily? Richard? It's Aaron. Hughes."
Damn the other Aarons at Bayview. Why on earth had his parents given him such a boringly mundane name? He'd be very lucky if he didn't get confused for some total psycho by the time things got into gear. Aaron Hicks, that football meathead, might be out there right now, blowing people away. Wait a second, had Hicks even come on the trip? He hadn't been paying attention on the bus, and had no way to know.
"We're going to escape," he continued. "I have some ideas as to how, but I can't share them in front of the cameras. Wouldn't do to get blown up. If you want to trust me for the moment and help us, we'll gladly help you as well. We have three here right now, but there are another couple coming. We're decently protected."
As he spoke, Aaron moved forwards. He left all cover behind him. He was absolutely suspicious of these two new people, absolutely terrified that they would shoot him dead on the spot, but he had to make a show of confidence now. It was a calculated risk. They didn't seem to be the murderous sort, and if they were, they were likely to try to lure him closer or otherwise catch him off guard. They wouldn't open fire without knowing how he and his allies were armed. By acquiring a large group in the early game, Aaron figured they could attract even more recruits easily. A large group offered safety, and the threat of vengeance to anyone who attacked it. Sure, it was open to infighting, but only if leadership was poor. Aaron was not a poor leader.
At first, he could only see the girl. Lily. Hayes, he thought, though he only knew her last name because it was near his on the rolecall. The boy, Richard, was nowhere to be found, until Aaron glanced up. He was in a tree. Flashes of suspicion struck. Why was he up there? Setting a trap? Holding a rifle? But no, Richard looked harmless enough, and he and Lily were outnumbered. For just a moment, Aaron considered abandoning his plan to recruit them, and simply shaking them down for their equipment. They couldn't resist well, in their current positions. In the long run, it might prove to be the more useful choice, if his other allies caught up. A smaller, yet consistently-equipped group would be easier to manage.
But he couldn't do that. Aaron was no bully.
"Do you need a hand up there?" he asked.
Speaking of dead, it was one thing Aaron had no intention of being. He was the weak one at the moment, the outclassed one, and he hated it. He was useless if push came to shove. That had to be changed, and quickly, especially with the machine gun wielder missing. Fortunately, Aaron was smart enough to do something about it. Diverting his attention from his companions for a second, Aaron unzipped the bag he'd packed, the one containing all of his belongings from home. He suspected the terrorists had removed some of his things. It made sense, and the bag had clearly been rummaged. His phone was still there, though. Another taunt? Perhaps.
That was not what he wanted at the moment, however. What Aaron needed was an item so innocuous, so simple, that it would never have been confiscated. Hell, even if it had, he had backups on him. Surrendering them would just lead to a little discomfort. Then, he found it. A pair of socks. Standard, white, athletic fair. Perfect. He removed one sock from the pair, and quietly rezipped his bag, glancing around, checking on Tom and Aileen. He was halfway armed. Now, for the rest. He scanned the ground, and quickly found exactly what he was looking for. Rocks. Aaron selected three, one the size of his fist, the other two about half that, and dropped them into the sock, then knotted the end. He gave it an experimental swing. Crude, but passable. A more-than-usable improvised blackjack or flail.
Unfortunately, he hadn't been paying that much attention to the situation, so he jumped as the voice rang out. Oh hell. Aaron froze. Had he just blown their cover? Why hadn't Tom warned him that they were this close? Wait, no, the people were calling out. They were alright. Lilly and Richard? Lily? But, surely not the Lily of before, not from the sound of that voice. How many other Lilys were in class? He couldn't remember.
Tom and Aileen stepped up to the plate, speaking, introducing the group. Better yet, they were still deferring to him. He truly was the fearless leader of this expedition. The smart one. the brains of the operation. It wasn't great that Tom had ascribed a plan to Aaron, or that Aileen had given away their numbers, but the warm glow of authority was enough to silence any annoyance Aaron would otherwise have felt. Yes, he was the one the others would join. The one who would lead them off this island. He was going to be known around the world when this was done. Wait, maybe he was already famous. The cameras had surely been tracking him, with his performance and all. They also provided the perfect stalling mechanism, the absolutely ideal way to keep their potential new recruits from get anxious before Aaron could actually come up with a good idea or they could find Bounce.
"Hello," he called softly. "Lily? Richard? It's Aaron. Hughes."
Damn the other Aarons at Bayview. Why on earth had his parents given him such a boringly mundane name? He'd be very lucky if he didn't get confused for some total psycho by the time things got into gear. Aaron Hicks, that football meathead, might be out there right now, blowing people away. Wait a second, had Hicks even come on the trip? He hadn't been paying attention on the bus, and had no way to know.
"We're going to escape," he continued. "I have some ideas as to how, but I can't share them in front of the cameras. Wouldn't do to get blown up. If you want to trust me for the moment and help us, we'll gladly help you as well. We have three here right now, but there are another couple coming. We're decently protected."
As he spoke, Aaron moved forwards. He left all cover behind him. He was absolutely suspicious of these two new people, absolutely terrified that they would shoot him dead on the spot, but he had to make a show of confidence now. It was a calculated risk. They didn't seem to be the murderous sort, and if they were, they were likely to try to lure him closer or otherwise catch him off guard. They wouldn't open fire without knowing how he and his allies were armed. By acquiring a large group in the early game, Aaron figured they could attract even more recruits easily. A large group offered safety, and the threat of vengeance to anyone who attacked it. Sure, it was open to infighting, but only if leadership was poor. Aaron was not a poor leader.
At first, he could only see the girl. Lily. Hayes, he thought, though he only knew her last name because it was near his on the rolecall. The boy, Richard, was nowhere to be found, until Aaron glanced up. He was in a tree. Flashes of suspicion struck. Why was he up there? Setting a trap? Holding a rifle? But no, Richard looked harmless enough, and he and Lily were outnumbered. For just a moment, Aaron considered abandoning his plan to recruit them, and simply shaking them down for their equipment. They couldn't resist well, in their current positions. In the long run, it might prove to be the more useful choice, if his other allies caught up. A smaller, yet consistently-equipped group would be easier to manage.
But he couldn't do that. Aaron was no bully.
"Do you need a hand up there?" he asked.
B117 - Andrew Mitchell - Start
"Mmmph...five more minutes, dad...geez, I have a meet tomorrow, remember?" Andrew grumbled tiredly as he raised his head and slammed it straight back down on his pillow...which was actually a tree root. The impact was more than enough to rouse him from his slumber and he blinked as he tried to gather his wits. He found himself in the middle of a forest of some sort, lying on the ground with a pair of bags lying right in front of his eyes. He groaned as he moved into a sitting position, his body aching from the less than comfortable ground, and quickly reached for his duffel bag. He shut out the daypack from his mind, not wanting to recall the events that it quickly brought to mind. He remembered exactly where he was...and he most certainly did not want to be here. A part of him still wished this was some sort of sick dream that his mind had conjured up, but as the pain in his head reminded him, this was 100% real and he had better deal with it.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his medication and popped open the top. Peering in the small, orange bottle, he frowned when he saw that there were only around six pills left in it. Good enough for four days if he was really stingy with it...hopefully that would be enough time to actually find a way to escape. Because in the end, Andrew Mitchell was an optimist. He knew what the island and the game could do to people...it was almost impossible to miss talk about the previous SotF games. Friend killing friend, brother killing sister, lovers killing each other...it was enough to make his skin crawl. But the game wasn't infallible...mistakes always happened. After all, there was that time when all the cameras suddenly shorted out. No one knew what exactly had happened, but there were thousands of rumors ranging from a crazy UFO attack to some rival group of terrorists invading the island to kill Danya. Either way, it meant that weird shit could sometimes happen...and he definitely hoped that they'd happen here.
But what a weapon he had been given for killing someone! As he gathered the courage to open his daypack, the Vektor CP1 stared back up at him, complete with three extra cartridges just in case he needed to fill even more of his classmates with lead. Nestled under the gun was a guidebook on the handgun as well along with what seemed like a teasing note by some other writer who had wrote on the book ("Five points if you get them in an eye!"). Grimacing, he picked up the weapon and quickly dropped it by his side, not wanting to touch it if possible. But despite all that...Andrew knew he'd need it to help protect himself and after taking a quick look around to make sure he was alone, he skimmed through the manual. He read the how-tos of actually firing the pistol ("Aim it at someone you don't like and pull the trigger. Pull it twice. Third time's the charm.") as well as the Vektor's main problem and reason why it was recalled ("Don't drop it, dumbass.").
Sighing to himself, Andrew stuffed the book back into the daypack and zipped it closed after loading a magazine into the pistol. The book said it was a concealed weapon...but the last thing he wanted to have happen is conceal a gun, somehow have it be discovered, and then get shot in the face because someone was paranoid. With a sigh, he pocketed his medicine, grabbed both of the bags (dumping some of his clothes to lessen the weight), and set off to find a place that was hopefully safe. 'Or I could find people instead...'
Andrew paused behind another tree as he heard sounds of talking and he quickly tried to hide behind a tree, quietly dropping his bags to the ground and holding the Vektor loosely in his hand. He didn't want to fight, but if whoever was speaking had already decided that killing people was the way to go, Andrew definitely didn't want to make himself a target. Peering around the tree, he saw a bunch of his fellow classmates standing around, talking. Things looked peaceful enough, but he didn't want to tip his hand too early, so he stayed behind his tree, taking in deep breaths and trying hard to concentrate.
"Mmmph...five more minutes, dad...geez, I have a meet tomorrow, remember?" Andrew grumbled tiredly as he raised his head and slammed it straight back down on his pillow...which was actually a tree root. The impact was more than enough to rouse him from his slumber and he blinked as he tried to gather his wits. He found himself in the middle of a forest of some sort, lying on the ground with a pair of bags lying right in front of his eyes. He groaned as he moved into a sitting position, his body aching from the less than comfortable ground, and quickly reached for his duffel bag. He shut out the daypack from his mind, not wanting to recall the events that it quickly brought to mind. He remembered exactly where he was...and he most certainly did not want to be here. A part of him still wished this was some sort of sick dream that his mind had conjured up, but as the pain in his head reminded him, this was 100% real and he had better deal with it.
Reaching into his bag, he pulled out his medication and popped open the top. Peering in the small, orange bottle, he frowned when he saw that there were only around six pills left in it. Good enough for four days if he was really stingy with it...hopefully that would be enough time to actually find a way to escape. Because in the end, Andrew Mitchell was an optimist. He knew what the island and the game could do to people...it was almost impossible to miss talk about the previous SotF games. Friend killing friend, brother killing sister, lovers killing each other...it was enough to make his skin crawl. But the game wasn't infallible...mistakes always happened. After all, there was that time when all the cameras suddenly shorted out. No one knew what exactly had happened, but there were thousands of rumors ranging from a crazy UFO attack to some rival group of terrorists invading the island to kill Danya. Either way, it meant that weird shit could sometimes happen...and he definitely hoped that they'd happen here.
But what a weapon he had been given for killing someone! As he gathered the courage to open his daypack, the Vektor CP1 stared back up at him, complete with three extra cartridges just in case he needed to fill even more of his classmates with lead. Nestled under the gun was a guidebook on the handgun as well along with what seemed like a teasing note by some other writer who had wrote on the book ("Five points if you get them in an eye!"). Grimacing, he picked up the weapon and quickly dropped it by his side, not wanting to touch it if possible. But despite all that...Andrew knew he'd need it to help protect himself and after taking a quick look around to make sure he was alone, he skimmed through the manual. He read the how-tos of actually firing the pistol ("Aim it at someone you don't like and pull the trigger. Pull it twice. Third time's the charm.") as well as the Vektor's main problem and reason why it was recalled ("Don't drop it, dumbass.").
Sighing to himself, Andrew stuffed the book back into the daypack and zipped it closed after loading a magazine into the pistol. The book said it was a concealed weapon...but the last thing he wanted to have happen is conceal a gun, somehow have it be discovered, and then get shot in the face because someone was paranoid. With a sigh, he pocketed his medicine, grabbed both of the bags (dumping some of his clothes to lessen the weight), and set off to find a place that was hopefully safe. 'Or I could find people instead...'
Andrew paused behind another tree as he heard sounds of talking and he quickly tried to hide behind a tree, quietly dropping his bags to the ground and holding the Vektor loosely in his hand. He didn't want to fight, but if whoever was speaking had already decided that killing people was the way to go, Andrew definitely didn't want to make himself a target. Peering around the tree, he saw a bunch of his fellow classmates standing around, talking. Things looked peaceful enough, but he didn't want to tip his hand too early, so he stayed behind his tree, taking in deep breaths and trying hard to concentrate.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Tythanin. 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.
Taking Lily's distraction as an opportunity to move without embarrasing himself too much Richard had managed to shimmy back a bit further, finally feeling comfortable as the branch stopped moving up and down with his movements.
Apparently Guthrie the apprentice humorist had arrived. Richard liked considering the boy something of a rival in the jovial arts. He liked thinking of him this way especially because, though he didn't want to be conceited, Tom was one of the few 'rivals' he knew he could consistently out-perform. Hell, he was up a tree. That was already funny.
"Hell yeah i'm in a tree..." he muttered inaudibly before calling out to "HEY TOM!"
Take a good hard look at the motherfuggen tree...
Unlikely but statistically plausible coincidental anachronisms aside, he really needed to get back towards ground level. He carefully stepped down to the branch below, waving his foot around in mid air until he felt solid branch below it. Not being able to see exactly what he was doing made things that much more difficult, but he really, really didn't like the idea of trying to turn around now.
At least with the angle he was at he had a clear view of what was going on with Tom, now doing an admittedly somewhat amusing "we come in peace" impression. Nice, Tom, very nice. Another voice called out, a girl's, though one he couldn't quite recognise.
And lastly, Aaron. Hughes.
He finally managed to get into a comfortable position on the branch below as Aaron started talking, dangling his legs over the wider branch as he leaned into the trunk for support. Aaron wasn't exactly the first person Richard wanted to see, he'd always struck him as a little bit... unusual.
Pot, kettle.
Touche.
He seemed to pack a lot of information into a couple of sentences, and Richard couldn't help but wonder why. It just didn't seem necessary, more like a tactical maneuvre than normal conversation, but then again, Richard didn't know what else he should have been expecting. The situation did rather call for it, and perhaps he and Lily were more exceptions than he'd thought.
Not that it's a problem.
"Hello Aaron! Sounds like a plan!" He smiled nervously, being several metres above the ground right now was simultaneously reassuring and worrying. Reassuring because for some strange reason it felt safer having a bit of seperation, worrying because he seriously couldn't move anywhere in a hurry from up there... Made him a bit of a sitting duck...
Though he supposed he could jump...
Quack.
Apparently Guthrie the apprentice humorist had arrived. Richard liked considering the boy something of a rival in the jovial arts. He liked thinking of him this way especially because, though he didn't want to be conceited, Tom was one of the few 'rivals' he knew he could consistently out-perform. Hell, he was up a tree. That was already funny.
"Hell yeah i'm in a tree..." he muttered inaudibly before calling out to "HEY TOM!"
Take a good hard look at the motherfuggen tree...
Unlikely but statistically plausible coincidental anachronisms aside, he really needed to get back towards ground level. He carefully stepped down to the branch below, waving his foot around in mid air until he felt solid branch below it. Not being able to see exactly what he was doing made things that much more difficult, but he really, really didn't like the idea of trying to turn around now.
At least with the angle he was at he had a clear view of what was going on with Tom, now doing an admittedly somewhat amusing "we come in peace" impression. Nice, Tom, very nice. Another voice called out, a girl's, though one he couldn't quite recognise.
And lastly, Aaron. Hughes.
He finally managed to get into a comfortable position on the branch below as Aaron started talking, dangling his legs over the wider branch as he leaned into the trunk for support. Aaron wasn't exactly the first person Richard wanted to see, he'd always struck him as a little bit... unusual.
Pot, kettle.
Touche.
He seemed to pack a lot of information into a couple of sentences, and Richard couldn't help but wonder why. It just didn't seem necessary, more like a tactical maneuvre than normal conversation, but then again, Richard didn't know what else he should have been expecting. The situation did rather call for it, and perhaps he and Lily were more exceptions than he'd thought.
Not that it's a problem.
"Hello Aaron! Sounds like a plan!" He smiled nervously, being several metres above the ground right now was simultaneously reassuring and worrying. Reassuring because for some strange reason it felt safer having a bit of seperation, worrying because he seriously couldn't move anywhere in a hurry from up there... Made him a bit of a sitting duck...
Though he supposed he could jump...
Quack.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler Gwbiiii.
Lily got more responses than she bargained for. Two boys she vaguely recognized, Tom Guthrie and Aaron Hughes, walked out of the brush. Another girl also replied, though she declined to show herself. Lily didn't blame her. She wondered if there were more people who'd remained silent. Aaron told her there were, but they hadn't shown up yet. It made sense, and though he could be lying, she didn't buy the possibility that four people were setting up a trap for her. Why would they?
The three of them seemed friendly, and talked about escaping. Lily blinked, a bit surprised by their announcement. She knew that during each program there had been people who rejected their situation, opting for another way out, and though most of them never made it past the drawing board, one of them seemed to work, or at least Roland had told her so. Nearly everything she knew about SOTF came from Roland.
As soon as Lily woke up, she knew that she would have to confront her own mortality. She was certain that she was going to die on the island, likely in a pointless and sensible fashion. The thought that her own life meant nothing troubled her, and she would have struggled with it for a long time if Richard hadn't distracted her. Now the question came up again, and Richard distracted her again, showing interest in Aaron's secret plan. "Hello Aaron! Sounds like a plan!"
"Yeah, it does," Lily said. She needed guidance right now, something she could fool herself into doing instead of sitting around waiting to be killed. Maybe, just maybe, this was the way out. If she could help save at least one life from this game, it wouldn't have all been for nothing.
"You guys help Richard get down from there and we'd be happy to help!"
Giving up was pointless. She had to try. After all, you never know what you can do if you really try.
The three of them seemed friendly, and talked about escaping. Lily blinked, a bit surprised by their announcement. She knew that during each program there had been people who rejected their situation, opting for another way out, and though most of them never made it past the drawing board, one of them seemed to work, or at least Roland had told her so. Nearly everything she knew about SOTF came from Roland.
As soon as Lily woke up, she knew that she would have to confront her own mortality. She was certain that she was going to die on the island, likely in a pointless and sensible fashion. The thought that her own life meant nothing troubled her, and she would have struggled with it for a long time if Richard hadn't distracted her. Now the question came up again, and Richard distracted her again, showing interest in Aaron's secret plan. "Hello Aaron! Sounds like a plan!"
"Yeah, it does," Lily said. She needed guidance right now, something she could fool herself into doing instead of sitting around waiting to be killed. Maybe, just maybe, this was the way out. If she could help save at least one life from this game, it wouldn't have all been for nothing.
"You guys help Richard get down from there and we'd be happy to help!"
Giving up was pointless. She had to try. After all, you never know what you can do if you really try.
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.
Much to Tom's relief, there seemed to only be two people in this patch of the forest, and both of them appeared to be friendly. In fact, he recognized one of them, as he had also declared himself to be one of Bayview's great comedians. Still, he didn't hold a candle to Tom's mastery of humor. As of the moment though, he was doing an excellent job of putting himself in one of the classic comedy situations, even going so far as placing a thick tree branch right between his legs.
I really REALLY hope that was unintentional.
He couldn't see any guns on them, even though that wasn't a good indication that there weren't any. Still, he was enough at ease to not even consider drawing his own sword on them. There were probably enough real threats on the island to keep him busy without having to worry about people who were just as scared and suspicious as he was.
Naturally, the instant that Aaron popped into view, he immediately started acting like he was the guy who was running the show. What he probably didn't realize was that Tom was deferring all responsibility to him specifically so that, when something went wrong, he'd have the means to blame it all on him. Aaron seemed to be only too happy to pretend to be the fearless leader with the big plan, so it wasn't really taking too much work to paint the guy as that sort of role. At least subconsciously, Tom wanted to win the game, and if doing so required duping a bunch of people into following an idiot into the grave, then so be it.
Lily Hayes' request seemed like a fairly easy one to manage, after a bit of examination to determine the route that Richard had taken. Honestly, the fellow could have probably brought himself down, and in fact appeared to be in the process of doing just that, but if the lady wanted to make her friend seem like a helpless idiot, that was her funeral.
I guess there's one way that I could contribute.
"Hey Richie! Toss the bag down and I'll catch it. That oughta make it easier on ya." A voice in the back of Tom's mind suggested that he should run off with the bag once he had it. Steal the weapon inside and leave before anyone could catch him. After all, running was one of the things that this young comedian did best. However, he dismissed that idea, mainly because it meant that he would lose the trust that he had been working very hard to build up. Besides, what if this man had something like a Catwoman figurine? Was he really willing to risk being a large target for something that silly? Absolutely not.
Best to just play along, and wait until these people are distracted.
I really REALLY hope that was unintentional.
He couldn't see any guns on them, even though that wasn't a good indication that there weren't any. Still, he was enough at ease to not even consider drawing his own sword on them. There were probably enough real threats on the island to keep him busy without having to worry about people who were just as scared and suspicious as he was.
Naturally, the instant that Aaron popped into view, he immediately started acting like he was the guy who was running the show. What he probably didn't realize was that Tom was deferring all responsibility to him specifically so that, when something went wrong, he'd have the means to blame it all on him. Aaron seemed to be only too happy to pretend to be the fearless leader with the big plan, so it wasn't really taking too much work to paint the guy as that sort of role. At least subconsciously, Tom wanted to win the game, and if doing so required duping a bunch of people into following an idiot into the grave, then so be it.
Lily Hayes' request seemed like a fairly easy one to manage, after a bit of examination to determine the route that Richard had taken. Honestly, the fellow could have probably brought himself down, and in fact appeared to be in the process of doing just that, but if the lady wanted to make her friend seem like a helpless idiot, that was her funeral.
I guess there's one way that I could contribute.
"Hey Richie! Toss the bag down and I'll catch it. That oughta make it easier on ya." A voice in the back of Tom's mind suggested that he should run off with the bag once he had it. Steal the weapon inside and leave before anyone could catch him. After all, running was one of the things that this young comedian did best. However, he dismissed that idea, mainly because it meant that he would lose the trust that he had been working very hard to build up. Besides, what if this man had something like a Catwoman figurine? Was he really willing to risk being a large target for something that silly? Absolutely not.
Best to just play along, and wait until these people are distracted.