The concrete tasted like bitter dust.
As Andrew Ponikarovsky, hereby dubbed Boy #13 dragged himself up off of the ground, half of his face covered in dust, he immediately took notice of a twinge of a headache that seemed to hit him out of absolutely nowhere. He likened the feeling to any kind of morning wake-up, though adding in a hangover plus a lack of sleep the night before, then multiplying it by five.
Needless to say, Andrew felt like shit.
That was, at least, his body, for his mind hadn't yet registered the fact that he was miles away from anywhere, on a deserted island, and the video that the kids had seen...
It was all too sinister, all too real. Andrew couldn't believe it. He'd watched in horror on television at SOTF version 1 had taken place, and had been utterly appalled at the goings-on. What had appalled him more was that he'd known people in the game. Two of his best friends had walked into V1, and only one of them had walked out. The only one to have walked out. The sole survivor. Adam Dodd had lived past 122 other people on the island to manage to escape with his life; and barely. In the months since Adam had returned, Andrew had spoken with him at length - and he knew that the boy was unbelievably traumatized. The ordeal that Adam had gone through was something Andrew knew that very few ordinary people would be able to cope with, and his best buddy wasn't doing such a great job of it himself. Andrew had always left those conversations shaking his head, wondering what kind of a sick monster would be able to do such a thing to children.
And now, here he was, involved in it himself. It was almost a sick joke of some sort, that after having such close ties to people involved in the first SOTF, that here he was, involved in the second, fucked almost as much as his other friends had been.
Andrew took a few minutes and leafed through his pack, seeing that he'd been apparently assigned number thirteen, as it was stencilled on his pack.
How is it that they know that's the number that I wore during hock-
Andrew cut himself off when he looked down and realized what he was wearing, and it all made sense. As he looked down, he grimaced, and wondered if people who were watching this on the numerous television cameras that likely were planted all around were already drawing numerous comparisons to Adam Dodd.
His primarily white Toronto Maple Leafs jersey was almost a bright white, and in the sun, he almost radiated amongst the black tarmac. On the back was the number 13, belonging to Mats Sundin, and underneath, a blue t-shirt. The t-shirt had a very simple saying on the front - 'Everyone is entitled to MY opinion'. He still wore his usual blue jeans, and his white running shoes were stained with a light grey helping of dust.
"Now what?"
Ruffling through his pack, he pulled out his assigned weapon, and his face fell when he saw that it was a small bottle of potassium cyanide. It was one of the deadliest poisons known to man, but Andrew didn't figure he'd do very well at defending himself with it.
Excuse me, Mr. Killer? Do you mind if I run up to you and squirt this little thing in your throat? Wow, gee, thanks!
Glancing at his watch, Andrew saw that it was early in the morning. If he were to have any hope of surviving, he would likely need to find an ally. As he watched Adam in version 1, he'd seen how Adam had met up with and become close with a group of people, and while they all ended up dying, they'd been somewhat of a support group to help each other deal with it all.
"Looks like I'm going to need to find a few friends..."
Sighing, more in a general sense of frustration for the entire situation than anything else, Andrew began to walk down the long freeway, unsure of who or what the coming moments would bring.
It's a long and winding road...
Start - Boy #13
-
LadyMakaze†
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Just as evening started to fall, no sooner did the sun suddenly start to sink into the horizon did a lone figure appear from just beyond a curve in the expressway, having travelled in the opposite direction.
The petite, young redhead, though actually she looked more a mature woman in spite of her small size, looked suddenly surprised to see Andrew Ponikarovsky standing before her, catching her completely off guard and startling her into a tentative and suddenly fearful stance. She gripped the strap of her handbag, stepping back slightly and freezing in place, a look of unease and apprehension forming on her face.
"Ah!" She exclaimed in a startled voice, staring straight towards Andrew, watching his every movement. "Please don't kill me. I don't want to hurt anyone... Please don't attack."
~-~-~
Fifteen minutes earlier...
Carmen perched along the edge of the expressway, staring at her feet as they danged above a ravine. Every so often, she cast a wary glance over her shoulder, before she went back to her contemplation. For someone who was deep in reflection, collecting her thoughts, she appeared to be far from relaxed. Her body was tensed up slightly, her long-nailed, long-fingered hands gripping the straps of her bag as she thought over in silence of the situation she was now thrown into.
Survival of the Fittest... you'd have to be living the better part of your life beneath a rock to not know about the killing game that terrorized the entire world and claimed the lives of teenagers of such a young age...Carmen's age in fact. That said, of course Carmen had to know perfectly well of the sort of circumstances she was currenly in right now. Though it wasn't really her thing to watch such a program...just the small fragments of what she saw on occasion were enough to to chill her and push everything that had to do with SOTF out of her mind.
She thought it couldn't happen to her. She thought she'd never have to experience what over a hundred children had gone through barely a year prior.
"This isn't happening," she uttered firmly, as though trying to convince herself. She'd hoped that upon saying these words, this awful dream would just end, and she would wake up at home, surrounded by warmth and comfort and the security she'd always known.
But it didn't happen, and that was when Carmen Somerset knew that she was trapped. The only way she was to escape this nightmare now was to kill everyone else. Ali, Sera....everyone else. She had to kill them all, if she were to survive and return home.
But would she be able to do such a thing? Would she be able to go so far as to kill a fellow student, and even a friend to acheive her ends? Lying was not below her. Sabotage wasn't either. Neither were spreading rumours, or backstabbing.
Of all the things she had done, purely to achieve her goals and put herself in a position from which she can look down upon others...was she to add murder to her list?
...Somehow, the concept didn't seem so bad, now that Carmen took careful thought of it. Killing...didn't seem like such an unpleasant thing to do, so long as the ends justified it. Or something to that extent anyways. Carmen imagined that it would be a bit gruesome, and possibly messy depending on the method of execution used for such a purpose...but hey, anything she had to do to survive, right?
After all, it was in the very motto of the concept. The strong will survive, and the weak must die. That said, Carmen knew she was not weak... she was strong. She had to stay strong in order to survive this and return to the life she loved.
But first...she would have to put to good use her connections aroudn the island, and perhaps make some more. Carmen knew she couldn't do this by herself until she got the hang of the game.
Sliding off the railing of the expressway, she began rummaging through her daypack, eager to see what her designatd weapon was. Her fingers searched, and found an object of interest in her pack.
"Oho! What do we have here?"
It took Carmen the effort of both hands to pull out the splitting axe from the bag. Her eyes widening, Carmen gripped the handle with one hand, her other hand balancing the weight of the blade in her other hand.
She gazed at its shape, her evergreen eyes catching the glint of the blade. Holding it in her hands, she began to imagine the very killing power of this weapon, speculating on what it would be like to lodge its wedged blade into flesh and bone...spltting skin and letting out blood and life in one blow...
"Aren't we deadly looking today?" she murmured, smiling slightly in satisfaction. Her head turned slightly when she noticed the approach of an unknown stranger on the distance. Quickly, she stowed the splitting axe, along with the delight of her discovery of the weapon.
Daypack slung over her arms, she looked towards the approaching figure yet again, taking a deep breath of resolution as she began to walk towards the unfamiliar form in the distance.
As for whether or not she would attack him on sight or make an attempt at a temporary alliance with him...Carmen left it all up to whim.
The petite, young redhead, though actually she looked more a mature woman in spite of her small size, looked suddenly surprised to see Andrew Ponikarovsky standing before her, catching her completely off guard and startling her into a tentative and suddenly fearful stance. She gripped the strap of her handbag, stepping back slightly and freezing in place, a look of unease and apprehension forming on her face.
"Ah!" She exclaimed in a startled voice, staring straight towards Andrew, watching his every movement. "Please don't kill me. I don't want to hurt anyone... Please don't attack."
~-~-~
Fifteen minutes earlier...
Carmen perched along the edge of the expressway, staring at her feet as they danged above a ravine. Every so often, she cast a wary glance over her shoulder, before she went back to her contemplation. For someone who was deep in reflection, collecting her thoughts, she appeared to be far from relaxed. Her body was tensed up slightly, her long-nailed, long-fingered hands gripping the straps of her bag as she thought over in silence of the situation she was now thrown into.
Survival of the Fittest... you'd have to be living the better part of your life beneath a rock to not know about the killing game that terrorized the entire world and claimed the lives of teenagers of such a young age...Carmen's age in fact. That said, of course Carmen had to know perfectly well of the sort of circumstances she was currenly in right now. Though it wasn't really her thing to watch such a program...just the small fragments of what she saw on occasion were enough to to chill her and push everything that had to do with SOTF out of her mind.
She thought it couldn't happen to her. She thought she'd never have to experience what over a hundred children had gone through barely a year prior.
"This isn't happening," she uttered firmly, as though trying to convince herself. She'd hoped that upon saying these words, this awful dream would just end, and she would wake up at home, surrounded by warmth and comfort and the security she'd always known.
But it didn't happen, and that was when Carmen Somerset knew that she was trapped. The only way she was to escape this nightmare now was to kill everyone else. Ali, Sera....everyone else. She had to kill them all, if she were to survive and return home.
But would she be able to do such a thing? Would she be able to go so far as to kill a fellow student, and even a friend to acheive her ends? Lying was not below her. Sabotage wasn't either. Neither were spreading rumours, or backstabbing.
Of all the things she had done, purely to achieve her goals and put herself in a position from which she can look down upon others...was she to add murder to her list?
...Somehow, the concept didn't seem so bad, now that Carmen took careful thought of it. Killing...didn't seem like such an unpleasant thing to do, so long as the ends justified it. Or something to that extent anyways. Carmen imagined that it would be a bit gruesome, and possibly messy depending on the method of execution used for such a purpose...but hey, anything she had to do to survive, right?
After all, it was in the very motto of the concept. The strong will survive, and the weak must die. That said, Carmen knew she was not weak... she was strong. She had to stay strong in order to survive this and return to the life she loved.
But first...she would have to put to good use her connections aroudn the island, and perhaps make some more. Carmen knew she couldn't do this by herself until she got the hang of the game.
Sliding off the railing of the expressway, she began rummaging through her daypack, eager to see what her designatd weapon was. Her fingers searched, and found an object of interest in her pack.
"Oho! What do we have here?"
It took Carmen the effort of both hands to pull out the splitting axe from the bag. Her eyes widening, Carmen gripped the handle with one hand, her other hand balancing the weight of the blade in her other hand.
She gazed at its shape, her evergreen eyes catching the glint of the blade. Holding it in her hands, she began to imagine the very killing power of this weapon, speculating on what it would be like to lodge its wedged blade into flesh and bone...spltting skin and letting out blood and life in one blow...
"Aren't we deadly looking today?" she murmured, smiling slightly in satisfaction. Her head turned slightly when she noticed the approach of an unknown stranger on the distance. Quickly, she stowed the splitting axe, along with the delight of her discovery of the weapon.
Daypack slung over her arms, she looked towards the approaching figure yet again, taking a deep breath of resolution as she began to walk towards the unfamiliar form in the distance.
As for whether or not she would attack him on sight or make an attempt at a temporary alliance with him...Carmen left it all up to whim.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler LadyMakaze. 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.
Andrew looked at the girl who'd come up behind him, and all but startled him with some scrutiny. Truth be told, Andrew'd been having issues putting the entire concept of 'SOTF' into his mind - not as much the concept of it as much as the fact that he was currently involved in it. The glancing headache that he'd awoken with had all but vanished, and he'd been walking along the freeway for about twenty minutes. It was odd, as it seemed that this setting for Survival of the Fittest had far more of a rural setting - almost as though Danya and the people behind it had removed an entire town from the map, and had decided to replace all of its inhabitants with corpses. Yawning a little, he had been rather surprised at the absolute lack of anyone at all on the freeway. It was as though the only person who'd been kidnapped was Andrew himself, and it was all a sick sort of joke.
So when the girl had snuck up behind him and scared the hell out of him, Andrew had turned quickly and stopped, simply looking the girl up and down. It seemed almost strange to see another living, breathing human being, and she wasn't a bad looking one, to boot. As he listened to the obviously-startled-herself redhead, Andrew wondered if she would try and attack him. There was absolutely nobody else in sight at all, and judging by Andrew's absolute lack of a weapon, he knew that if she chose to, even though she was small and didn't look threatening, he might have a difficult time with her. With that being said, Andrew wasn't a person who was paranoid by any stretch of the imagination, and anyone who wasn't running at him with guns ablazin' seemed okay by him.
Andrew laughed out loud at the girl's proclaimation, and threw his hands out in front of him to show her that he had nothing in them.
"Attack you? With what? The best I can do is to throw harsh language at you, and frankly, I don't think it'd be worth the effort, because you don't look much like someone who'd attack anyone, yourself."
Putting his hands down to his sides, he studied the girl a little, looking her up and down. She was undoubtedly attractive, Andrew would've had to be an idiot not to have seen it. As such, making an alliance with her might not be that bad of an idea.
"I hope I'm not misjudging you or anything, but I'm really not the kind of person who..." He trailed off. "...who'd be really in to playing the game. Fact is, I wouldn't mind doing everything that I can to get out of here."
As he spoke, Andrew chose his words very carefully.
"It won't be easy, no doubt. But I'm willing to make a go of it. By the looks of things, we're in almost a city, right? There has to be something that somebody could use to get these collars off, you know?"
Andrew straightened up, cocking an eyebrow at the girl and smiling slightly.
"Now maybe you're all about the killing of the people, and if so, well...that's kind of a shame. But I know that me? I'm scared out of my fucking mind, and I wouldn't mind some company while I'm on my quest to save the world." He paused, mainly for effect. "So even though I don't know you...at all...I could use someone to watch my back."
Taking a calculated risk, Andrew held out his hand to the girl.
"Name's Andrew Ponikarovsky. My friends, and generally everyone who has issues with prounouncing my last name calls me 'Pants'. It's just easier that way. So...what do you say? You want to hang around for a bit, or are you one of the ones that's probably a little more focused on just killing me? If so...I'd appreciate it if you told me and gave me a five count so I could start running the other way."
Andrew smiled his little smile at the girl, and hoped to God that she wouldn't attack him.
So when the girl had snuck up behind him and scared the hell out of him, Andrew had turned quickly and stopped, simply looking the girl up and down. It seemed almost strange to see another living, breathing human being, and she wasn't a bad looking one, to boot. As he listened to the obviously-startled-herself redhead, Andrew wondered if she would try and attack him. There was absolutely nobody else in sight at all, and judging by Andrew's absolute lack of a weapon, he knew that if she chose to, even though she was small and didn't look threatening, he might have a difficult time with her. With that being said, Andrew wasn't a person who was paranoid by any stretch of the imagination, and anyone who wasn't running at him with guns ablazin' seemed okay by him.
Andrew laughed out loud at the girl's proclaimation, and threw his hands out in front of him to show her that he had nothing in them.
"Attack you? With what? The best I can do is to throw harsh language at you, and frankly, I don't think it'd be worth the effort, because you don't look much like someone who'd attack anyone, yourself."
Putting his hands down to his sides, he studied the girl a little, looking her up and down. She was undoubtedly attractive, Andrew would've had to be an idiot not to have seen it. As such, making an alliance with her might not be that bad of an idea.
"I hope I'm not misjudging you or anything, but I'm really not the kind of person who..." He trailed off. "...who'd be really in to playing the game. Fact is, I wouldn't mind doing everything that I can to get out of here."
As he spoke, Andrew chose his words very carefully.
"It won't be easy, no doubt. But I'm willing to make a go of it. By the looks of things, we're in almost a city, right? There has to be something that somebody could use to get these collars off, you know?"
Andrew straightened up, cocking an eyebrow at the girl and smiling slightly.
"Now maybe you're all about the killing of the people, and if so, well...that's kind of a shame. But I know that me? I'm scared out of my fucking mind, and I wouldn't mind some company while I'm on my quest to save the world." He paused, mainly for effect. "So even though I don't know you...at all...I could use someone to watch my back."
Taking a calculated risk, Andrew held out his hand to the girl.
"Name's Andrew Ponikarovsky. My friends, and generally everyone who has issues with prounouncing my last name calls me 'Pants'. It's just easier that way. So...what do you say? You want to hang around for a bit, or are you one of the ones that's probably a little more focused on just killing me? If so...I'd appreciate it if you told me and gave me a five count so I could start running the other way."
Andrew smiled his little smile at the girl, and hoped to God that she wouldn't attack him.
-
LadyMakaze†
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
The petite, red-headed young girl cringed slightly before Andrew Ponikarovsky, though she began to relax significantly as he told her that he wasn't about to attack. Still looking somewhat apprehensive, and gazing at Andrew with a certain amount of scrutiny and suspicion, the red-head released her hold on the straps of her day pack and began to stand normally, though she shifted her weight back and forth between her feet with a certain amount of nervousness.
"O...okay...." She murmured timidly, as though still deliberating on whether or not to trust him. However, it was quite apparent that she was relieved with his proclaimation, the look of fear on her face subsiding slightly. "That's good...You're not one of those people playing the game, then? That's good then...I was worried that I would run into someone who would want to kill me. I was so worried..."
As Andrew made speculation that the girl herself might be looking for blood, the red-head in return shook her head vigorously as a response.
"Nonono, I'm not playing! I couldn't possibly kill anyone," she told him. She hesitated for a moment, biting a full, red lip in thought. "I, actually...I want to get out of here too. But...I don't want to be all by myself, either. I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't want to die. I just want to get out of here and go home..."
As Andrew stretched out an inviting hand towards her, the girl blinked at it, her suspicion rousing yet again as she lifted a hesitant hand. Looking him in the eye, as though trying to discern his motives from face value alone, she took a moment before she allowed her cautiousness to relent, taking his hand and giving it a timid shake.
"N-nice to meet you," she told him, smiling shyly. "I'm Carmen...Carmen Somerset. I don't think we go to the same school..."
Letting go of his hand, Carmen stepped back for a moment to take in her current surroundings, looking around and about as she began to frown in contemplation. "That probably means that different schools are here too. The first one...it had over a hundred. Maybe there are people like us who don't want to kill anyone. Maybe they just want to escape..."
She looked towards Andrew with a look of tentative hope on her face. "We could try to escape! If we could just gather a bunch of people and get everyone to work together.... even though it didn't work in the first version, maybe it'll work for us! We just gotta try, right? I mean, we can't just give up, there's gotta be something we can do.... Isn't there? I don't know. I'm just scared."
She paused to draw in a deep, shaking breath, looking towards Andrew with a reticent, yet anxious expression on her face.
"I'm really scared."
~-~-~
Carmen had to admit, she could have fallen for her own little improvisational acting had she been fully unaware of how she really felt and what she really thought at the time. Of course, this one Andrew Ponikarovsky was completely oblivious to the fact that he was talking to a mask that projected an image of naivety and helplessness to shield the pretense and calculation that lay underneath.
Of course, Carmen wasn't about to make the same mistake. For all she knew, this Andrew boy, or 'Pants', however he cared to call himself, could be looking to escape through the conventional method, by eradicating the competition, if only by gaining trust through lies and feigned friendliness and letting the opportunities come to him. For that, Carmen regarded him with the utmost level of caution and suspicion, inspite of all that she was saying to him now. After all, it was a guy's nature to trust a girl who was of a trusting nature herself, and all Carmen had done at this point was work that to her advantage.
She wanted to go home. She wanted to leave this unsightly place and return to her customary life, and she was about to go to every length and sink to every depth to get what she wanted. But no matter what she wanted, or what she would do to achieve it, Carmen knew that she could never do it alone.
For now, she could stand having the boy at her side. After all, she could always use someone to depend on, if only for a while. Who knows, perhaps he might be of some asset to her in her goal to emerge the sole survivor.
"O...okay...." She murmured timidly, as though still deliberating on whether or not to trust him. However, it was quite apparent that she was relieved with his proclaimation, the look of fear on her face subsiding slightly. "That's good...You're not one of those people playing the game, then? That's good then...I was worried that I would run into someone who would want to kill me. I was so worried..."
As Andrew made speculation that the girl herself might be looking for blood, the red-head in return shook her head vigorously as a response.
"Nonono, I'm not playing! I couldn't possibly kill anyone," she told him. She hesitated for a moment, biting a full, red lip in thought. "I, actually...I want to get out of here too. But...I don't want to be all by myself, either. I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't want to die. I just want to get out of here and go home..."
As Andrew stretched out an inviting hand towards her, the girl blinked at it, her suspicion rousing yet again as she lifted a hesitant hand. Looking him in the eye, as though trying to discern his motives from face value alone, she took a moment before she allowed her cautiousness to relent, taking his hand and giving it a timid shake.
"N-nice to meet you," she told him, smiling shyly. "I'm Carmen...Carmen Somerset. I don't think we go to the same school..."
Letting go of his hand, Carmen stepped back for a moment to take in her current surroundings, looking around and about as she began to frown in contemplation. "That probably means that different schools are here too. The first one...it had over a hundred. Maybe there are people like us who don't want to kill anyone. Maybe they just want to escape..."
She looked towards Andrew with a look of tentative hope on her face. "We could try to escape! If we could just gather a bunch of people and get everyone to work together.... even though it didn't work in the first version, maybe it'll work for us! We just gotta try, right? I mean, we can't just give up, there's gotta be something we can do.... Isn't there? I don't know. I'm just scared."
She paused to draw in a deep, shaking breath, looking towards Andrew with a reticent, yet anxious expression on her face.
"I'm really scared."
~-~-~
Carmen had to admit, she could have fallen for her own little improvisational acting had she been fully unaware of how she really felt and what she really thought at the time. Of course, this one Andrew Ponikarovsky was completely oblivious to the fact that he was talking to a mask that projected an image of naivety and helplessness to shield the pretense and calculation that lay underneath.
Of course, Carmen wasn't about to make the same mistake. For all she knew, this Andrew boy, or 'Pants', however he cared to call himself, could be looking to escape through the conventional method, by eradicating the competition, if only by gaining trust through lies and feigned friendliness and letting the opportunities come to him. For that, Carmen regarded him with the utmost level of caution and suspicion, inspite of all that she was saying to him now. After all, it was a guy's nature to trust a girl who was of a trusting nature herself, and all Carmen had done at this point was work that to her advantage.
She wanted to go home. She wanted to leave this unsightly place and return to her customary life, and she was about to go to every length and sink to every depth to get what she wanted. But no matter what she wanted, or what she would do to achieve it, Carmen knew that she could never do it alone.
For now, she could stand having the boy at her side. After all, she could always use someone to depend on, if only for a while. Who knows, perhaps he might be of some asset to her in her goal to emerge the sole survivor.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler LadyMakaze. 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.
Sighing a little bit at the girl, Andrew scratched the side of his nose, which had developed a bit of an itch, likely due to the dust that was occasionally blowing through the freeway. The girl had a good idea - forming a group would likely be the best idea at this point. There was undoubtedly safety in numbers, and if nothing else, it would allow them to put their collective heads together and formulate a plan to escape. Nodding to the girl as she professed her fear, Andrew half wondered what to do next.
"Yeah...I am too, but we can't allow our fear to take us over, right? We have to be strong, and then...maybe we can find some way out."
Andrew glanced up at the ever-darkening sky. The day had seemed to pass by almost ridiculously quickly, and night was settling in relatively quickly. Perhaps it was because of the intensity of the day, or maybe it was just that Andrew had been alone for so long and lost in his thoughts, but the fact that his first day was ending seemed almost...lost on him.
"I think that your idea about finding people to ally with is a good one. I'm sure that if the entire plane was captured, there are a lot of people from Hobbsborough here...wherever 'here' is. You said you're not from my school - which I figured, I don't recognize you. Where do you go? And d'you think there'll be anyone that we can meet up with if we find them?"
Preferably someone with a better weapon than a small bottle full of poison might be good, too. How am I going to protect or help anyone with this?
Taking a step forward, Andrew looked as far as he could down the Expressway. It didn't seem like there were really any places that one could take cover, but it stretched down what seemed to be the entire length of the island. There were a few scattered cars, and he figured that if need be, they could probably take refuge in one of them, provided the doors weren't locked.
"We should probably get moving. I don't know about you, but I don't want to end up like the kids from the last game, walking zombies because they didn't try and sleep at all. Without any sleep, you're going to lose your sanity pretty quickly, anyways...if worse comes to worse, we can probably pack into one of those cars and sleep..."
Andrew looked back at the pretty red-head.
"Well, what d'you think?"
"Yeah...I am too, but we can't allow our fear to take us over, right? We have to be strong, and then...maybe we can find some way out."
Andrew glanced up at the ever-darkening sky. The day had seemed to pass by almost ridiculously quickly, and night was settling in relatively quickly. Perhaps it was because of the intensity of the day, or maybe it was just that Andrew had been alone for so long and lost in his thoughts, but the fact that his first day was ending seemed almost...lost on him.
"I think that your idea about finding people to ally with is a good one. I'm sure that if the entire plane was captured, there are a lot of people from Hobbsborough here...wherever 'here' is. You said you're not from my school - which I figured, I don't recognize you. Where do you go? And d'you think there'll be anyone that we can meet up with if we find them?"
Preferably someone with a better weapon than a small bottle full of poison might be good, too. How am I going to protect or help anyone with this?
Taking a step forward, Andrew looked as far as he could down the Expressway. It didn't seem like there were really any places that one could take cover, but it stretched down what seemed to be the entire length of the island. There were a few scattered cars, and he figured that if need be, they could probably take refuge in one of them, provided the doors weren't locked.
"We should probably get moving. I don't know about you, but I don't want to end up like the kids from the last game, walking zombies because they didn't try and sleep at all. Without any sleep, you're going to lose your sanity pretty quickly, anyways...if worse comes to worse, we can probably pack into one of those cars and sleep..."
Andrew looked back at the pretty red-head.
"Well, what d'you think?"
-
LadyMakaze†
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
At Andrew's words, Carmen's fearful and anxious expression melted into one of hopeful, tentative cheerfulness as she nodded vigorously in agreement at had he was saying.
"You're right... we have to be brave."
But even her attempt at courage and hope seemed to diminish slightly when she saw that the world around them was slowly immersing itself in the shadows of night. Shivering slightly, she rubbed her bare forearms and hissed slightly as a cold breeze blew past. Though she refrained from complaining, she looked quite uncomfortable to say the least.
That look of anxiety and discomfort only seemed to augment at Andrew's suggestion at forming an alliance, even more so at the speculation that Carmen herself might have a few potential allies in mind. Her green eyes suddenly turned downcast as she looked towards the ground, kicking the ground slightly with her wooden sandals in a somewhat forlorn manner.
"Well...I come from Bathurst High," she murmured in a somewhat hesitant voice. She paused as though deliberating on what she was to say next. "Actually though...I don't really know anyone that well in my school, maybe one or two people. But...I don't really know..."
Carmen folded her hands together and played with them, looking upwards with a somewhat nervous, meek look towards Andrew. "I guess I'm not really well liked in the school... People have gotten mad at me. I even get the feeling that they don't even like me, because of the things they say about me... spreading rumours, writing nasty things on my lockers... They aren't even things that are true! So I don't know how they came up with such things...Maybe I did something to them, but I don't know what....I really don't. I don't have that many friends in school, and just...the thing is..."
She bit her lip, pausing for a moment before continuing.
"I'm just...scared of them sometimes. I mean, there are some rough people at my school, a lot of people I don't trust... and I just get the feeling that they might be after me in particular...just because I'm not that well-liked."
Carmen shrugged slightly, smiling apologetically as though trying to ease the forlorn mood, though she still looked somewhat anxious on the matter.
"I don't know, I'm just being paranoid...That's just me!" She tried to laugh awkwardly, though it came out weak and quite strained.
As she looked towards the direction of Andrew's gaze, she tilted her head to the side at the suggestion he was making, frowning slightly in contemplation, though at the same time looking pleased with the idea.
"Yeah...That would work! At least it's some kind of hiding place, right? And finding a place to sleep would sound like a great idea about now, better than wandering around when it's pitch black out here. We could take turns staying awake and keeping watch."
Placing a finger to her lip, she appeared to run over the idea in her mind, musing aloud. "I'm sure we could find something to pry it open...or maybe find some keys..."
It was then that she suddenly grabbed Andrew by the forearm with a sudden realization and said excitedly, "Oh! I know, maybe we could find one that still has the keys inside and....hmm, try to drive it, perhaps? Sort of conspicuous, but I wouldn't like walking around in the open either..."
She flashed a brilliant, red-lipped smile towards him that prompted for his opinion. "C'mon, let's try it!"
*~*~*
Had all of this really been a play, and Carmen was merely an actress fulfilling a scripted role, she might have burst out into peals of laughter there and then. It was simply outrageous really, how she, of all people was playing the red-headed ditz, all naive and innocent before a trusting boy that had no idea of the true thoughts that ran through the mind of his newfound 'ally'. No one was more aware of her own character than Carmen herself, and she knew that in truth she was anything but a meek and innocent little dimwit without a pretense in the world, nor was she a target of bullying or alienation within her school.
The very irony of it all would have made Carmen laugh, and it took all of her power to channel such dark humour into the character of her outward mask, her little disguise, to project herself as the cheerful, docile little redhead that this Andrew boy was taking her to be right now.
And now, beyond the desire to survive, and beyond any sort of ulterior motive in forming such alliances, it was simply curiosity and excitement that drove Carmen to explore to what extent she could manipulate and use her newfound role, and just how long could she keep up playing this game. It was little different from her customary life at school, Carmen found, for even in the past she had kept her darker and more calculating nature well-concealed, selling herself as an innocent and friendly girl with a penchant for harmless coquettishness. Harmless or not, it was always a seller among the boys, who always seemed to enjoy having someone such as Carmen depend on them. Who would have thought that their attraction to her own trusting demeanor was also due to their own trusting nature? It was funny how the way worked at times.
For now, everything seemed to be going well for Carmen. She was building her assets while she still had time, and doing well at it. She had to admit, this Andrew boy was quite useful for his quick mind and ideas alone. Already she was starting to see the benefits of having someone as handy as him at her side.
Perhaps she might keep him longer than she'd originally intended to. A bit longer, anyways.
"You're right... we have to be brave."
But even her attempt at courage and hope seemed to diminish slightly when she saw that the world around them was slowly immersing itself in the shadows of night. Shivering slightly, she rubbed her bare forearms and hissed slightly as a cold breeze blew past. Though she refrained from complaining, she looked quite uncomfortable to say the least.
That look of anxiety and discomfort only seemed to augment at Andrew's suggestion at forming an alliance, even more so at the speculation that Carmen herself might have a few potential allies in mind. Her green eyes suddenly turned downcast as she looked towards the ground, kicking the ground slightly with her wooden sandals in a somewhat forlorn manner.
"Well...I come from Bathurst High," she murmured in a somewhat hesitant voice. She paused as though deliberating on what she was to say next. "Actually though...I don't really know anyone that well in my school, maybe one or two people. But...I don't really know..."
Carmen folded her hands together and played with them, looking upwards with a somewhat nervous, meek look towards Andrew. "I guess I'm not really well liked in the school... People have gotten mad at me. I even get the feeling that they don't even like me, because of the things they say about me... spreading rumours, writing nasty things on my lockers... They aren't even things that are true! So I don't know how they came up with such things...Maybe I did something to them, but I don't know what....I really don't. I don't have that many friends in school, and just...the thing is..."
She bit her lip, pausing for a moment before continuing.
"I'm just...scared of them sometimes. I mean, there are some rough people at my school, a lot of people I don't trust... and I just get the feeling that they might be after me in particular...just because I'm not that well-liked."
Carmen shrugged slightly, smiling apologetically as though trying to ease the forlorn mood, though she still looked somewhat anxious on the matter.
"I don't know, I'm just being paranoid...That's just me!" She tried to laugh awkwardly, though it came out weak and quite strained.
As she looked towards the direction of Andrew's gaze, she tilted her head to the side at the suggestion he was making, frowning slightly in contemplation, though at the same time looking pleased with the idea.
"Yeah...That would work! At least it's some kind of hiding place, right? And finding a place to sleep would sound like a great idea about now, better than wandering around when it's pitch black out here. We could take turns staying awake and keeping watch."
Placing a finger to her lip, she appeared to run over the idea in her mind, musing aloud. "I'm sure we could find something to pry it open...or maybe find some keys..."
It was then that she suddenly grabbed Andrew by the forearm with a sudden realization and said excitedly, "Oh! I know, maybe we could find one that still has the keys inside and....hmm, try to drive it, perhaps? Sort of conspicuous, but I wouldn't like walking around in the open either..."
She flashed a brilliant, red-lipped smile towards him that prompted for his opinion. "C'mon, let's try it!"
*~*~*
Had all of this really been a play, and Carmen was merely an actress fulfilling a scripted role, she might have burst out into peals of laughter there and then. It was simply outrageous really, how she, of all people was playing the red-headed ditz, all naive and innocent before a trusting boy that had no idea of the true thoughts that ran through the mind of his newfound 'ally'. No one was more aware of her own character than Carmen herself, and she knew that in truth she was anything but a meek and innocent little dimwit without a pretense in the world, nor was she a target of bullying or alienation within her school.
The very irony of it all would have made Carmen laugh, and it took all of her power to channel such dark humour into the character of her outward mask, her little disguise, to project herself as the cheerful, docile little redhead that this Andrew boy was taking her to be right now.
And now, beyond the desire to survive, and beyond any sort of ulterior motive in forming such alliances, it was simply curiosity and excitement that drove Carmen to explore to what extent she could manipulate and use her newfound role, and just how long could she keep up playing this game. It was little different from her customary life at school, Carmen found, for even in the past she had kept her darker and more calculating nature well-concealed, selling herself as an innocent and friendly girl with a penchant for harmless coquettishness. Harmless or not, it was always a seller among the boys, who always seemed to enjoy having someone such as Carmen depend on them. Who would have thought that their attraction to her own trusting demeanor was also due to their own trusting nature? It was funny how the way worked at times.
For now, everything seemed to be going well for Carmen. She was building her assets while she still had time, and doing well at it. She had to admit, this Andrew boy was quite useful for his quick mind and ideas alone. Already she was starting to see the benefits of having someone as handy as him at her side.
Perhaps she might keep him longer than she'd originally intended to. A bit longer, anyways.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler LadyMakaze. 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.
Andrew's eyebrows raised a little at the mention of the school that he knew to be in the general viscinity of Hobbsborough. Bathurst wasn't a school that he knew a great many people from - his status as an exchange student really worked against him in that respect. But if history was to be any kind of a teacher, Andrew knew that there were likely schools from all over the place that had been dragged into this edition of Survival of the Fittest. In the back of his mind, Andrew was a little aggravated. He'd seen the highlights of the first competition, they were all over TV and the Internet, not to mention that his best friends had been involved in it. And now, for him to be involved all the same?
That was some shit luck, on his part.
Turning his attention back to Carmen, he listened as she told her sad tale of how she'd been bullied and wasn't popular. Frowning a little, Andrew shook his head a little, and finally smiled at the girl beside him. He couldn't explain why such a person would be ostracized like she was, for the girl was undoubtedly great-looking. She seemed nice enough, and he just shook his head.
God, kids can be such pricks sometimes. Being assholes like that for no good reason at all...well, if this girl's in need of a friend, I don't see why that can't be me! God only knows that I could use as many as I can get right now...
As the girl seemed to look saddened, Andrew put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.
"That really sucks for you, and I mean that. Kids can be such dickheads sometimes. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Unless anyone has a really good reason to hold a grudge against you, the odds are in your favour that they won't be looking to exact any revenge on you. From what I know of the first version of this...thing, more kids were simply focused on staying alive as long as possible."
Andrew sighed a little, and looked down towards the empty freeway.
"I'll be honest with you...I guess you could say that I'm sort of popular at Hobbs. Not...really all that much, though. I'm actually here on an exchange from Canada for the year, so I've only got to know people throughout this year. I have...a few friends we could meet up with, but not too many..."
Andrew shrugged, but lifted his eyes up and forced a smile again.
"...so if that's the case, then looks like we're stuck with one another, for the time being."
As Carmen suggested starting up a car and using it to drive around in, the twinkle returned to Andrew's eyes, and he shrugged, though obviously contemplating the suggestion quite a bit.
"Y'know? That's not such a bad idea. At the very least, if someone comes up and starts shooting at us, we can run them the fuck over!"
As he walked over to one of the cars, he tried the latch on the door. It didn't budge, and looked to be locked. Andrew noted that the license plates on the cars didn't seem to have any discernable markings that would give him an idea of whereabouts the island might be - which was something that dismayed him a little. That had been the main thing about the first edition of Survival of the Fittest. Nobody had done any realistic thinking about an escape plan. Even Adam Dodd hadn't thought much about it, or so he'd said.
"Shit..." Andrew muttered, shaking his head slightly at the situation. The look that passed by was moreso one of annoyance than sadness or frustration, and he walked over and tried the next door on the car, again to no avail. Looking back at Carmen, who he had assumed was doing the same thing, he tossed a few words back over his shoulder, hoping to stimulate conversation with the shy girl.
"So...what kinds of things are you in to? You...play any sports, in to any clubs? I know you said you weren't the social butterfly of your school, but I'm sure you've got to have some hobbies, right? Dance, maybe? Drama? Any boyfriend?"
Immediately, at the question, Andrew blushed a little, which wasn't noticable in the darkness, but was likely betrayed by the sudden cease in conversation. Mentally cursing, he tried another door.
"Sorry, I didn't...I didn't mean anything by that, I just...I tend to talk a lot anyways, and when I'm in this kind of a situation, it really fucks with my head a bit. I guess I've got kind of a unique perspective on things, too, so it's even worse...but there isn't much you can do but just focus on something else, right?"
Andrew stopped trying car doors and turned around and looked back at the girl. He quickly glanced up and down again, and from what he could see in the light, he realized that maybe his nervous slip hadn't been such a nervous slip after all. This girl was quite beautiful, and perhaps in trying to take his mind off of things, they were on other things...
Hah, and isn't that a fucking cliche, too?
That was some shit luck, on his part.
Turning his attention back to Carmen, he listened as she told her sad tale of how she'd been bullied and wasn't popular. Frowning a little, Andrew shook his head a little, and finally smiled at the girl beside him. He couldn't explain why such a person would be ostracized like she was, for the girl was undoubtedly great-looking. She seemed nice enough, and he just shook his head.
God, kids can be such pricks sometimes. Being assholes like that for no good reason at all...well, if this girl's in need of a friend, I don't see why that can't be me! God only knows that I could use as many as I can get right now...
As the girl seemed to look saddened, Andrew put his hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.
"That really sucks for you, and I mean that. Kids can be such dickheads sometimes. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Unless anyone has a really good reason to hold a grudge against you, the odds are in your favour that they won't be looking to exact any revenge on you. From what I know of the first version of this...thing, more kids were simply focused on staying alive as long as possible."
Andrew sighed a little, and looked down towards the empty freeway.
"I'll be honest with you...I guess you could say that I'm sort of popular at Hobbs. Not...really all that much, though. I'm actually here on an exchange from Canada for the year, so I've only got to know people throughout this year. I have...a few friends we could meet up with, but not too many..."
Andrew shrugged, but lifted his eyes up and forced a smile again.
"...so if that's the case, then looks like we're stuck with one another, for the time being."
As Carmen suggested starting up a car and using it to drive around in, the twinkle returned to Andrew's eyes, and he shrugged, though obviously contemplating the suggestion quite a bit.
"Y'know? That's not such a bad idea. At the very least, if someone comes up and starts shooting at us, we can run them the fuck over!"
As he walked over to one of the cars, he tried the latch on the door. It didn't budge, and looked to be locked. Andrew noted that the license plates on the cars didn't seem to have any discernable markings that would give him an idea of whereabouts the island might be - which was something that dismayed him a little. That had been the main thing about the first edition of Survival of the Fittest. Nobody had done any realistic thinking about an escape plan. Even Adam Dodd hadn't thought much about it, or so he'd said.
"Shit..." Andrew muttered, shaking his head slightly at the situation. The look that passed by was moreso one of annoyance than sadness or frustration, and he walked over and tried the next door on the car, again to no avail. Looking back at Carmen, who he had assumed was doing the same thing, he tossed a few words back over his shoulder, hoping to stimulate conversation with the shy girl.
"So...what kinds of things are you in to? You...play any sports, in to any clubs? I know you said you weren't the social butterfly of your school, but I'm sure you've got to have some hobbies, right? Dance, maybe? Drama? Any boyfriend?"
Immediately, at the question, Andrew blushed a little, which wasn't noticable in the darkness, but was likely betrayed by the sudden cease in conversation. Mentally cursing, he tried another door.
"Sorry, I didn't...I didn't mean anything by that, I just...I tend to talk a lot anyways, and when I'm in this kind of a situation, it really fucks with my head a bit. I guess I've got kind of a unique perspective on things, too, so it's even worse...but there isn't much you can do but just focus on something else, right?"
Andrew stopped trying car doors and turned around and looked back at the girl. He quickly glanced up and down again, and from what he could see in the light, he realized that maybe his nervous slip hadn't been such a nervous slip after all. This girl was quite beautiful, and perhaps in trying to take his mind off of things, they were on other things...
Hah, and isn't that a fucking cliche, too?
-
LadyMakaze†
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Startled, Carmen had looked up suddenly, taken slightly off guard as Andrew had placed his hand upon her shoulder, giving her a consoling smile and offering words to comfort her. For a moment she had stared at him with a surprised, wide-eyed expression into his face, apparently not at all expecting that he would offer her such sincere sympathy. Though she seemed unable to come up with any sort of reply, she seemed to cheer up with Andrew's words, blushing slightly and hiding what appeared to be a pleased smile with her hand.
She did, however, nod with agreement when Andrew brought up the idea of meeting up with whatever friends of his they could find on the island, though she did not say anything in particular on the matter.
Watching him as he began walking towards the car doors and tugging at them to open, Carmen followed meekly and began doing the same. With each car she came across, she would peep in curiously through the window, often times pressing her nose against the ones that were tinted to see clearly through. All the while she would try to tug the car door open, with little result to bear from her efforts other than causing the car to shake side to side and tiring her a bit. Then she would move onto the next car, making sure that she did not overlap with the ones Andrew was working at opening, though ever so often she would steal a curious glance towards him, observing him as he made note of the licence plates and various details of each car in general.
Though their progress was bearing little benefit by this time, Carmen continued to carefully try each car she came across, looking back towards Andrew in surprise as he attempted to prompt a bit of friendly conversation between them.
At Andrew's question, she blushed slightly, more as a result of the latter question, undoubtedly. Nevertheless, she tilted her head to the side abit in contemplation, as she began peering through the windows of what seemed to be a van, perched near the edge of a small ridge that dropped down maybe a half a foot.
"Uhm..." she began timidly. "I'm not that good in sports... but I do a bit of photography for the school annual, nothing big though. Oh! And I'm also in choir, and I like dancing..." She shrugged with a modest smile towards Andrew, as though to say that whatever ability and talent she had wasn't much at all.
Then came the subject that seemed to put her at the slightest discomfort and embarrassment as she began to oblige his last question, inspite of its somewhat personal nature.
"I've..." Carmen started in a somewhat hesitant voice. In a pensive state, she began to turn the direction of her gaze towards her own reflection on the passenger window. "I don't have a boyfriend now... But before, I've actually...had a few boyfriends. I've had...quite a few relationships, actually. But it's really in the past, and none of them ended up....uhm....going well in the end."
Her voice broke frequently, as though she were uneasy, simply talking about the matter. Cutting herself off, she rubbed the back of her head apologetically and shrugged a bit towards Andrew.
"It's okay...I get asked that a lot," she reassured him, giving him an easygoing smile, though she still seemed somewhat dismayed at having to talk about the subject.
"It's nothing at all."
As though to distract herself from the thought of it, she immediately reverted all of her attention towards the vehicle she was now inspecting, a rather large and heavy van that was in obvious need of maintenance, but still looked functional. What caught Carmen's eye, though, was the glint of metal near the wheel.
Blinking slightly with interest, Carmen's evergreen eyes began to widen slightly as she discerned the shape of a set of keys, stirring slightly as the van shifted under Carmen's hands. Immediately, she began to make her way towards the driver's side of the car, stepping on the lower side of the ridge. To her apparent delight, the window there had been left partially open, and the space of entry provided was enough to squeeze in something that was about the width of Carmen's arm.
Excitedly, she reached through the open window, feeling for the keys that dangled freely from the wheel. Unfortunately, the way that the van was parked right next to the edge of the ridge left her with no foothold to support herself, which gave the van an extra foot in height on her. There was no way she could reach the keys from this height, though Carmen attempted hopping up at several intervals to make a grab for the keys.
She tilted her head towards Andrew, calling out to him somewhat shyly.
"Ummm....I think I've found something. I think I see keys in there, but I can't reach...do you think you could help me? Maybe give me a lift...or something..?"
She did, however, nod with agreement when Andrew brought up the idea of meeting up with whatever friends of his they could find on the island, though she did not say anything in particular on the matter.
Watching him as he began walking towards the car doors and tugging at them to open, Carmen followed meekly and began doing the same. With each car she came across, she would peep in curiously through the window, often times pressing her nose against the ones that were tinted to see clearly through. All the while she would try to tug the car door open, with little result to bear from her efforts other than causing the car to shake side to side and tiring her a bit. Then she would move onto the next car, making sure that she did not overlap with the ones Andrew was working at opening, though ever so often she would steal a curious glance towards him, observing him as he made note of the licence plates and various details of each car in general.
Though their progress was bearing little benefit by this time, Carmen continued to carefully try each car she came across, looking back towards Andrew in surprise as he attempted to prompt a bit of friendly conversation between them.
At Andrew's question, she blushed slightly, more as a result of the latter question, undoubtedly. Nevertheless, she tilted her head to the side abit in contemplation, as she began peering through the windows of what seemed to be a van, perched near the edge of a small ridge that dropped down maybe a half a foot.
"Uhm..." she began timidly. "I'm not that good in sports... but I do a bit of photography for the school annual, nothing big though. Oh! And I'm also in choir, and I like dancing..." She shrugged with a modest smile towards Andrew, as though to say that whatever ability and talent she had wasn't much at all.
Then came the subject that seemed to put her at the slightest discomfort and embarrassment as she began to oblige his last question, inspite of its somewhat personal nature.
"I've..." Carmen started in a somewhat hesitant voice. In a pensive state, she began to turn the direction of her gaze towards her own reflection on the passenger window. "I don't have a boyfriend now... But before, I've actually...had a few boyfriends. I've had...quite a few relationships, actually. But it's really in the past, and none of them ended up....uhm....going well in the end."
Her voice broke frequently, as though she were uneasy, simply talking about the matter. Cutting herself off, she rubbed the back of her head apologetically and shrugged a bit towards Andrew.
"It's okay...I get asked that a lot," she reassured him, giving him an easygoing smile, though she still seemed somewhat dismayed at having to talk about the subject.
"It's nothing at all."
As though to distract herself from the thought of it, she immediately reverted all of her attention towards the vehicle she was now inspecting, a rather large and heavy van that was in obvious need of maintenance, but still looked functional. What caught Carmen's eye, though, was the glint of metal near the wheel.
Blinking slightly with interest, Carmen's evergreen eyes began to widen slightly as she discerned the shape of a set of keys, stirring slightly as the van shifted under Carmen's hands. Immediately, she began to make her way towards the driver's side of the car, stepping on the lower side of the ridge. To her apparent delight, the window there had been left partially open, and the space of entry provided was enough to squeeze in something that was about the width of Carmen's arm.
Excitedly, she reached through the open window, feeling for the keys that dangled freely from the wheel. Unfortunately, the way that the van was parked right next to the edge of the ridge left her with no foothold to support herself, which gave the van an extra foot in height on her. There was no way she could reach the keys from this height, though Carmen attempted hopping up at several intervals to make a grab for the keys.
She tilted her head towards Andrew, calling out to him somewhat shyly.
"Ummm....I think I've found something. I think I see keys in there, but I can't reach...do you think you could help me? Maybe give me a lift...or something..?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler LadyMakaze. 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.
While unsuccessfully trying to wrench open the door of yet another vehicle; this one an old silver Cadillac, Andrew's mind strayed slightly off-kilter from his current situation. It seemed to have been a long time since he'd last spoken with his older brother Mark, and in fact it had been at least six months. Mark had always been the kind of guy who would put people at ease - the natural prankster; and Andrew thought that he'd absolutely KILL to have Mark here with him now.
Of course, it was a selfish thought. Mark was (presumably, though Andrew didn't know exactly where HE was at the moment) millions of miles away in Japan, working for a year as an English teacher. Mark had been excited about the opportunity he'd be able to have, and while his brother wasn't planning on becoming a teacher, he knew that Mark would undoubtedly come back more learned than he'd been before.
But for Andrew to wish his brother here with him, to go through this ordeal by his side - it was selfish. Andrew had to be frank with himself. The vast likelihood of Survival of the Fittest odds had him living through the last days of his life. Mark would live a full life, and it was a shame that Andrew wouldn't be around to see his older brother become successful.
Shaking his head a little bit, Andrew made his way back into the real world. He wasn't having too much luck with these cars, and breaking the window of one would likely prove difficult, if not pointless. The point of the entire exercise was to find a place to hide out and rest, if not to make up some ground on the massive freeway that seemed to connect the majority of the island. Andrew had noticed that unlike the first version of SOTF, this time around it was more like a small town had been on this island. What had happened to them...? Andrew didn't know, nor did he care to speculate.
WE are the people of this town now, and there's something to be said for trying to keep yourself alive...
As Carmen called out to him that she'd finally found a vehicle that had keys in it, Andrew relaxed and sighed a bit. It was about time. Making his way over to what looked to be a large van, Andrew sized it up. It's pale green colour was god-awfully ugly, but it seemed to be in decent condition and Andrew could see the crack in the window that would likely allow for someone with smaller arms to reach through and grab the keys...
Carmen would undoubtedly be able to stick her arm through, but getting herself up that high would be an issue. As Carmen verbalized Andrew's thought, Andrew shrugged, and without really thinking about it, wrapped his arms around Carmen's legs and lifted her up in the air, likely surprising the girl quite a bit.
"Can you get to them?"
Of course, it was a selfish thought. Mark was (presumably, though Andrew didn't know exactly where HE was at the moment) millions of miles away in Japan, working for a year as an English teacher. Mark had been excited about the opportunity he'd be able to have, and while his brother wasn't planning on becoming a teacher, he knew that Mark would undoubtedly come back more learned than he'd been before.
But for Andrew to wish his brother here with him, to go through this ordeal by his side - it was selfish. Andrew had to be frank with himself. The vast likelihood of Survival of the Fittest odds had him living through the last days of his life. Mark would live a full life, and it was a shame that Andrew wouldn't be around to see his older brother become successful.
Shaking his head a little bit, Andrew made his way back into the real world. He wasn't having too much luck with these cars, and breaking the window of one would likely prove difficult, if not pointless. The point of the entire exercise was to find a place to hide out and rest, if not to make up some ground on the massive freeway that seemed to connect the majority of the island. Andrew had noticed that unlike the first version of SOTF, this time around it was more like a small town had been on this island. What had happened to them...? Andrew didn't know, nor did he care to speculate.
WE are the people of this town now, and there's something to be said for trying to keep yourself alive...
As Carmen called out to him that she'd finally found a vehicle that had keys in it, Andrew relaxed and sighed a bit. It was about time. Making his way over to what looked to be a large van, Andrew sized it up. It's pale green colour was god-awfully ugly, but it seemed to be in decent condition and Andrew could see the crack in the window that would likely allow for someone with smaller arms to reach through and grab the keys...
Carmen would undoubtedly be able to stick her arm through, but getting herself up that high would be an issue. As Carmen verbalized Andrew's thought, Andrew shrugged, and without really thinking about it, wrapped his arms around Carmen's legs and lifted her up in the air, likely surprising the girl quite a bit.
"Can you get to them?"
-
LadyMakaze†
- Posts: 475
- Joined: Fri Aug 17, 2018 9:48 pm
Struggling to stretch her arm through the partially opened window, Carmen clicked her tongue in slight frustration. Just beyond the window, she could see, were the set of keys, slung upon the lower part of the wheel. They dangled slightly inside the van, which shifted as Carmen struggled to push the length of her arm through the window, no easy feat at her height. All the while, her mind wandered to the fact that she had just disclosed a bit of truth to her ally of sorts. No sooner had he the nerve to inquire of such personal aspects of her did she suddenly find herself answering with partial truths, though they were truths nonetheless.
Talking about her talents and interests seemed rather harmless enough. After all, Carmen took plenty of pride in the fact in her skill in singing and dancing, though there was no leeway for her to brag about any of it now that she was playing the timid girl act. Overall it just seemed out of character. And there was no way she could ever disclose the fact that she'd used her position as a photographer for the school annual to publicly divulge candid photos of various students in shameful or embarrassing situations, or to further the rumours that she herself started in order to give base for them. Losing the trust of one Andrew Ponikarovsky was hardly a wise thing to do at the moment, particularly when Carmen believed that she would soon find yet use for him.
And then there was talking about the various boyfriends and relationships she'd had in her past...there was not one reason Carmen could think of to explain why she had been so free and careless in her speech as to disclose such information to a complete stranger, of all people. Obviously, she had let her guard down, for of all the things Andrew had asked of her, it was the most personal question that Carmen obliged with the most truth, relatively speaking, when it came to what glossed over and vague answers she had given him before.
The way it came out sounded as though Carmen was simply asking for pity through a white lie. Surprisingly, particularly to Carmen herself, this was not entirely true. She'd had gone through a number of relationships in the past, neither of them ending too well. Playing the role of the demure, innocent girl was always enough to win the affection of any guy...but was it enough to keep it in the end? After all, it was just a mask. Just a façade. Just a front that Carmen used to get what she wanted, because she knew not how she could possibly get anything she wanted by letting everyone know the kind of person she truly was.
Nevertheless, hiding behind a mask seemed like the ideal way to keep a low profile in this game for survival. Staying alive was the most important thing. Not reputation. Not pride. Not achieving that feeling of being in a position above all others. It was that very basic instinct to survive, and for that reason, Carmen had no inclination to let go of the very weapons that had aided her greatly in the past: Primarily, her charm; secondly, her looks; and most importantly, her mask of innocence.
And all the while she must keep ever vigilant, this Carmen thought as her hands continued to fish for the keys. There was no knowing what people had in mind, and there was especially no knowing the true intent of her newfound, tentative ally. For all she knew, he could be as dumb and oblivious as she'd perceived, completely unaware of her true character. Then again, he could be on the borderline between trust and distrust. Perhaps he'd even caught wind of something amiss in her mannerisms, and suspected that she was up to something. Normally, that wasn't the case with guys who normally lost wit in the presence of a pretty girl, but there was always a chance that this particular one might be perceptive enough to find reason to suspect Carmen...
And then there was the possibility that he might be plotting something. Maybe he was the one looking to win her trust through underhanded means, only to further some ulterior motive. Lord knew what such could be. Carmen's lip tightened as she suddenly realized what sort of position she may have been put into. For all she knew, he could be plotting to sneak up on her at any time, perhaps to kill her, stab her in the back and be done with it.
This was the point where Carmen's imagination, which had a penchant for melodrama, started to take over.
What if...what if he was planning to do something else? Perhaps he had taken her to be a naïve, overly trusting girl, found alone and helpless in a cold and dangerous world. Perhaps he was planning to take advantage of her, wait until she was exactly where he wanted her to be? What if he leered at her? Oh God. What if he tried to grope a feel while she had no one to help her and then try to-
"Eeek!"
Carmen's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she felt something grab her around the legs to lift her high into the air, just as her hands managed to reach the dangling keys.
Startled momentarily by a completely new point of view about two feet up from her original height, Carmen wobbled precariously in place, looking down to see Andrew standing below her with his arms wrapped around her bare legs to support her, essentially just below eye level with the hem of her denim miniskirt.
Her skin crawled with utter revulsion as she began to struggle from Andrew's hold, screeching in a shrill voice.
"GAH! Let go of me, you pervert!!"
Just as she started beating him around the head with her tiny fists(wherein one of them she grasped the handful of keys), she felt her balance fail her. Before she knew it, she found herself clawing at his head to keep herself from falling over.
But it only postponed the inevitable, it seemed, for soon after Carmen suddenly started to feel herself falling within a split second that stretched to a full minute. All that she could think about as she landed ontop of poor Andrew Ponikarovsky as she fell, was just what kind of kick her old enemies and victims in Bathurst would get seeing her in such an embarrassing state.
Talking about her talents and interests seemed rather harmless enough. After all, Carmen took plenty of pride in the fact in her skill in singing and dancing, though there was no leeway for her to brag about any of it now that she was playing the timid girl act. Overall it just seemed out of character. And there was no way she could ever disclose the fact that she'd used her position as a photographer for the school annual to publicly divulge candid photos of various students in shameful or embarrassing situations, or to further the rumours that she herself started in order to give base for them. Losing the trust of one Andrew Ponikarovsky was hardly a wise thing to do at the moment, particularly when Carmen believed that she would soon find yet use for him.
And then there was talking about the various boyfriends and relationships she'd had in her past...there was not one reason Carmen could think of to explain why she had been so free and careless in her speech as to disclose such information to a complete stranger, of all people. Obviously, she had let her guard down, for of all the things Andrew had asked of her, it was the most personal question that Carmen obliged with the most truth, relatively speaking, when it came to what glossed over and vague answers she had given him before.
The way it came out sounded as though Carmen was simply asking for pity through a white lie. Surprisingly, particularly to Carmen herself, this was not entirely true. She'd had gone through a number of relationships in the past, neither of them ending too well. Playing the role of the demure, innocent girl was always enough to win the affection of any guy...but was it enough to keep it in the end? After all, it was just a mask. Just a façade. Just a front that Carmen used to get what she wanted, because she knew not how she could possibly get anything she wanted by letting everyone know the kind of person she truly was.
Nevertheless, hiding behind a mask seemed like the ideal way to keep a low profile in this game for survival. Staying alive was the most important thing. Not reputation. Not pride. Not achieving that feeling of being in a position above all others. It was that very basic instinct to survive, and for that reason, Carmen had no inclination to let go of the very weapons that had aided her greatly in the past: Primarily, her charm; secondly, her looks; and most importantly, her mask of innocence.
And all the while she must keep ever vigilant, this Carmen thought as her hands continued to fish for the keys. There was no knowing what people had in mind, and there was especially no knowing the true intent of her newfound, tentative ally. For all she knew, he could be as dumb and oblivious as she'd perceived, completely unaware of her true character. Then again, he could be on the borderline between trust and distrust. Perhaps he'd even caught wind of something amiss in her mannerisms, and suspected that she was up to something. Normally, that wasn't the case with guys who normally lost wit in the presence of a pretty girl, but there was always a chance that this particular one might be perceptive enough to find reason to suspect Carmen...
And then there was the possibility that he might be plotting something. Maybe he was the one looking to win her trust through underhanded means, only to further some ulterior motive. Lord knew what such could be. Carmen's lip tightened as she suddenly realized what sort of position she may have been put into. For all she knew, he could be plotting to sneak up on her at any time, perhaps to kill her, stab her in the back and be done with it.
This was the point where Carmen's imagination, which had a penchant for melodrama, started to take over.
What if...what if he was planning to do something else? Perhaps he had taken her to be a naïve, overly trusting girl, found alone and helpless in a cold and dangerous world. Perhaps he was planning to take advantage of her, wait until she was exactly where he wanted her to be? What if he leered at her? Oh God. What if he tried to grope a feel while she had no one to help her and then try to-
"Eeek!"
Carmen's thoughts were suddenly interrupted as she felt something grab her around the legs to lift her high into the air, just as her hands managed to reach the dangling keys.
Startled momentarily by a completely new point of view about two feet up from her original height, Carmen wobbled precariously in place, looking down to see Andrew standing below her with his arms wrapped around her bare legs to support her, essentially just below eye level with the hem of her denim miniskirt.
Her skin crawled with utter revulsion as she began to struggle from Andrew's hold, screeching in a shrill voice.
"GAH! Let go of me, you pervert!!"
Just as she started beating him around the head with her tiny fists(wherein one of them she grasped the handful of keys), she felt her balance fail her. Before she knew it, she found herself clawing at his head to keep herself from falling over.
But it only postponed the inevitable, it seemed, for soon after Carmen suddenly started to feel herself falling within a split second that stretched to a full minute. All that she could think about as she landed ontop of poor Andrew Ponikarovsky as she fell, was just what kind of kick her old enemies and victims in Bathurst would get seeing her in such an embarrassing state.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler LadyMakaze. 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.
((And here we'll pick up from where we left off, oh...I dunno, a couple months ago? XD))
As Andrew had grabbed the girl and lifted her up to get a better angle at the car door, the thought entered his mind as to what a bad idea it had likely been. Taking the girl off-guard wasn't the best of ideas, especially with someone that he didn't know.
Especially since she was wearing a mini-skirt.
Caught off-guard by the glimpse up her skirt that he instantly felt embarrassed (but happy) to see, he lost his balance a little bit - this occurring at about exactly the same time that she freaked out and began to pummel him about the head and shoulders. The blows were light, as the girl obviously wasn't trying to disable him, but it was enough to topple his already failing equilibrium and send him backwards, falling to the ground with the girl having lost her balance and falling on top of him. As she landed on top of Andrew, face to face, the wind flew from his lungs leaving him gasping for air. By the look on Carmen's face, Andrew could tell that she was likely trying to regain her breath as well. As he painfully looked at the girl who was lying on top of him, her face basically in his face, Andrew couldn't help but smirk a bit; albeit a painful one.
So this is the part in the movies that we gaze into each other's eyes and start feverishly ravishing each other.
Andrew glanced down at the girl, still lying on top of him, neither making any sudden movements, likely both rather aware of the connotations of their current situation. Quickly glancing downwards at the rest of Carmen, Andrew found himself even more amused.
Goddamn, I wish this was a movie! This girl's fucking hot! Unbelievable that she's the quiet type.
Sighing a little bit, Andrew looked back at Carmen, meeting her pained gaze, the wind obviously not having returned to her lungs just quite yet. Sheepishly, he put on a pained grin.
"Uh...sorry..."
It was all that he could muster out without chuckling a little bit. The girl's body heat was making him comfortable, and he had to admit, these situations never did turn out quite like the movies...maybe sometimes they were even better...
...or worse...?
((Continued in To Be the Strongest))
As Andrew had grabbed the girl and lifted her up to get a better angle at the car door, the thought entered his mind as to what a bad idea it had likely been. Taking the girl off-guard wasn't the best of ideas, especially with someone that he didn't know.
Especially since she was wearing a mini-skirt.
Caught off-guard by the glimpse up her skirt that he instantly felt embarrassed (but happy) to see, he lost his balance a little bit - this occurring at about exactly the same time that she freaked out and began to pummel him about the head and shoulders. The blows were light, as the girl obviously wasn't trying to disable him, but it was enough to topple his already failing equilibrium and send him backwards, falling to the ground with the girl having lost her balance and falling on top of him. As she landed on top of Andrew, face to face, the wind flew from his lungs leaving him gasping for air. By the look on Carmen's face, Andrew could tell that she was likely trying to regain her breath as well. As he painfully looked at the girl who was lying on top of him, her face basically in his face, Andrew couldn't help but smirk a bit; albeit a painful one.
So this is the part in the movies that we gaze into each other's eyes and start feverishly ravishing each other.
Andrew glanced down at the girl, still lying on top of him, neither making any sudden movements, likely both rather aware of the connotations of their current situation. Quickly glancing downwards at the rest of Carmen, Andrew found himself even more amused.
Goddamn, I wish this was a movie! This girl's fucking hot! Unbelievable that she's the quiet type.
Sighing a little bit, Andrew looked back at Carmen, meeting her pained gaze, the wind obviously not having returned to her lungs just quite yet. Sheepishly, he put on a pained grin.
"Uh...sorry..."
It was all that he could muster out without chuckling a little bit. The girl's body heat was making him comfortable, and he had to admit, these situations never did turn out quite like the movies...maybe sometimes they were even better...
...or worse...?
((Continued in To Be the Strongest))
-
AtomicWaffle†
- Posts: 230
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2019 6:55 am
((Continued from Natural Disaster))
Jeff had been running for a long time. He couldn't tell how long, but it felt good. Like the satisfying crack of bone, or the warm sensation of blood, cut and exposed to the air.
"Jeff... don't hurt anyone." Jeff noticed Derrin running beside him.
Jeff sighed. This was going to be fun; a last man standing contest, no rules, only that you have to Kill. But then Derrin had to interrupt. Always ruining Jeff's fun with his "morals" and "ethics". Pathetic.
"Why wouldn't I want to hurt anyone? What's stopping me? Not you!"
Derrin frowned.
"Please..."
"No."
Derrin vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
Jeff had been looking at Derrin while he was running and did not notice the car he ran into.
Derrin awoke, slumped against the car. The last thing he remembered was being in the forest.. then running.. Jeff?
The pills!
Derrin rummaged through his pack to find the last remaining pill. It lasted exactly twenty-four hours.
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
Letting Jeff "out of his cage" was not something he wanted to do.
Derrin brushed back his hair and ran off down the expressway.
((Continued Elsewhere))
Jeff had been running for a long time. He couldn't tell how long, but it felt good. Like the satisfying crack of bone, or the warm sensation of blood, cut and exposed to the air.
"Jeff... don't hurt anyone." Jeff noticed Derrin running beside him.
Jeff sighed. This was going to be fun; a last man standing contest, no rules, only that you have to Kill. But then Derrin had to interrupt. Always ruining Jeff's fun with his "morals" and "ethics". Pathetic.
"Why wouldn't I want to hurt anyone? What's stopping me? Not you!"
Derrin frowned.
"Please..."
"No."
Derrin vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
Jeff had been looking at Derrin while he was running and did not notice the car he ran into.
Derrin awoke, slumped against the car. The last thing he remembered was being in the forest.. then running.. Jeff?
The pills!
Derrin rummaged through his pack to find the last remaining pill. It lasted exactly twenty-four hours.
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
Letting Jeff "out of his cage" was not something he wanted to do.
Derrin brushed back his hair and ran off down the expressway.
((Continued Elsewhere))
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the former handler AtomicWaffle.