What did Johnny know about Drew? Loud, talkative, gay, and a fellow animal...person. God, that made Johnny sound like such a nerd. He had a bullet hole in him, apparently.
Juliette was silent. That was weird. She'd been the one to notice him, call him out, and now she was just standing there. Julien-fuck, that was his name-was more active. Wow, three people with a J name. Some people would probably give a shit.
Julien was talking to Johnny, actually. Asking if he could keep his guard up, watch out for trouble. That was fine. Johnny could always just, you know, leave, but at least here he had people watching his back. He hoped. If nothing else he had the trump card over them if things went south. Couldn't say that for anyone else.
"Uh... fine." Johnny turned away from Drew, keeping the others in the corner of his eye just in case. There was something he'd like to know, though. Something he had to start keeping track of. "So...who shot ya?"
Like A Pack of Wild Dogs
Open, pre-announcements Day 2
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Primrosette
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:58 am
- Location: In the Dark Abyss
Drew couldn't believe that Julien was actually offering to help him and he wondered if that meant that he could trust him. The gun was still making him a bit nervous, but if Johnny was going to use it for other people- Oh god. He didn't even think about if someone had been following him. What if it had been Cecil? Jackson? That other guy called Bill? If it had been Gervais, he would have been sure that Gervais would have started shooting without a care in the world.
Julien was gesturing to him to sit down and Drew mouthed a quiet 'Thank you' to him. He did so by sitting cross-legged on the ground and he glanced around at the other two. It looked like he was asking the girl - Juliette - to help out as she seemed to be just standing there and he wondered if she had been shocked by his appearance. Should he ask if she was alright? Maybe he shouldn't as Julien was talking to her anyway.
Johnny was asking who shot him and Drew's mind went blank for a moment. Can I trust these three enough to tell them who shot at me? He had to tell someone sooner or later, right? It would be rude if he didn't ask the question at all, right? He just needed to tell them because that they could possibly avoid Gervais in the future at some point.
"....G....Gervais...."
Julien was gesturing to him to sit down and Drew mouthed a quiet 'Thank you' to him. He did so by sitting cross-legged on the ground and he glanced around at the other two. It looked like he was asking the girl - Juliette - to help out as she seemed to be just standing there and he wondered if she had been shocked by his appearance. Should he ask if she was alright? Maybe he shouldn't as Julien was talking to her anyway.
Johnny was asking who shot him and Drew's mind went blank for a moment. Can I trust these three enough to tell them who shot at me? He had to tell someone sooner or later, right? It would be rude if he didn't ask the question at all, right? He just needed to tell them because that they could possibly avoid Gervais in the future at some point.
"....G....Gervais...."
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Now, it was Julien who was proving and applying his knowledge of the bystander effect. Juliette could appreciate the way he barked orders, assigning her and Johnny where they seemed most likely to be useful, almost the same way she had back on the boat.
Of course, he made a few miscalculations. This was expected; Julien was notable for a number of interesting attributes and talents, but diplomacy was not a standout among them. He could, Juliette believed, be incredibly convincing and genuine when he meant it, when he was speaking to someone he saw as an equal or a friend. But in other circumstances—when he was forced to interact with someone he felt scorn or contempt towards, for instance—he easily fell prey to his emotions and let his true feelings slip out. He was trying, at least. She could appreciate it. She could see through it, but the effort was almost touching.
Why Juliette was the target of his ire, she couldn't say but could certainly speculate. It was the same old song with everyone, each and every peer of hers who decided she was stuck up, two-faced, robotic. It frustrated her, not to tears, but close. She had self control, and an image, and she spent immeasurable time and energy maintaining both, and that seemed to be incalculably threatening to those among her class who were unwilling to invest their own resources towards the same ends. They took pride, instead, in challenging her, always circling, looking for weakness, sniffing for blood in the water, watching for the smallest crack to help widen into a fissure. They wanted to tear her down, because they thought she thought she was better than them. But of course, the truth was that it was all internal; they hurt because they believed that they were worse.
Well, so be it. Right now, initiative suited Juliette quite well.
She collected her belongings from the tree, securing them snugly on her back, and moved next to Julien, but made no move to open her own bag. She crouched beside the boy, center of gravity low enough to keep her balance, toes pressing into the loose dirt and undergrowth. She was ready to take off in a moment, if she had to.
She'd paid attention to the other words, those Drew had spoken, had turned them over in her mind, of course. Gervais Lambotte was one of the baseball team. He'd once been somewhere outside of the recognizable popular sphere, but that had changed, and he had the air of an ambitious social climber about him. Juliette could empathize with the way that could sting, but the difference between her and Gervais was that he probably came by his mixed reputation honestly. She could absolutely imagine him opening fire.
But, now that she knew the identity of the assailant, Drew's value was even more limited than it had been before. In any other time and place, Juliette would've dropped everything to help anyways. She wasn't heartless. It hurt her to see someone in pain, in a real way; her arm ached dully in sympathy when her eyes fell on the bloodied boy before her. But now, any time she spent, any emotion she invested, was a sacrifice that would cost her, and the only payoff would be making others feel transiently better. And, she could not let herself forget, Drew was already dead. This was, therefore, no longer about him. It never had been.
"I'm not using up my stuff on this," she said to Julien, under her breath which hopefully kept Johnny from catching on, but there was no helping being overheard by the injured boy who was the subject of her speech. "I'll do what I can while I can and while I feel like it, but if that changes, I'm out. And you owe me one. You. Not Drew."
She gave Drew a little apologetic shrug at that. Yes, he was effectively a bystander to the negotiations regarding his own fate (which, she could not reiterate often enough, were pointless because his destiny was sealed), but he was still for the moment a person, and it was unfortunate that the situation required her to lay things out so directly. It wasn't her usual style. Far too crass.
Of course, he made a few miscalculations. This was expected; Julien was notable for a number of interesting attributes and talents, but diplomacy was not a standout among them. He could, Juliette believed, be incredibly convincing and genuine when he meant it, when he was speaking to someone he saw as an equal or a friend. But in other circumstances—when he was forced to interact with someone he felt scorn or contempt towards, for instance—he easily fell prey to his emotions and let his true feelings slip out. He was trying, at least. She could appreciate it. She could see through it, but the effort was almost touching.
Why Juliette was the target of his ire, she couldn't say but could certainly speculate. It was the same old song with everyone, each and every peer of hers who decided she was stuck up, two-faced, robotic. It frustrated her, not to tears, but close. She had self control, and an image, and she spent immeasurable time and energy maintaining both, and that seemed to be incalculably threatening to those among her class who were unwilling to invest their own resources towards the same ends. They took pride, instead, in challenging her, always circling, looking for weakness, sniffing for blood in the water, watching for the smallest crack to help widen into a fissure. They wanted to tear her down, because they thought she thought she was better than them. But of course, the truth was that it was all internal; they hurt because they believed that they were worse.
Well, so be it. Right now, initiative suited Juliette quite well.
She collected her belongings from the tree, securing them snugly on her back, and moved next to Julien, but made no move to open her own bag. She crouched beside the boy, center of gravity low enough to keep her balance, toes pressing into the loose dirt and undergrowth. She was ready to take off in a moment, if she had to.
She'd paid attention to the other words, those Drew had spoken, had turned them over in her mind, of course. Gervais Lambotte was one of the baseball team. He'd once been somewhere outside of the recognizable popular sphere, but that had changed, and he had the air of an ambitious social climber about him. Juliette could empathize with the way that could sting, but the difference between her and Gervais was that he probably came by his mixed reputation honestly. She could absolutely imagine him opening fire.
But, now that she knew the identity of the assailant, Drew's value was even more limited than it had been before. In any other time and place, Juliette would've dropped everything to help anyways. She wasn't heartless. It hurt her to see someone in pain, in a real way; her arm ached dully in sympathy when her eyes fell on the bloodied boy before her. But now, any time she spent, any emotion she invested, was a sacrifice that would cost her, and the only payoff would be making others feel transiently better. And, she could not let herself forget, Drew was already dead. This was, therefore, no longer about him. It never had been.
"I'm not using up my stuff on this," she said to Julien, under her breath which hopefully kept Johnny from catching on, but there was no helping being overheard by the injured boy who was the subject of her speech. "I'll do what I can while I can and while I feel like it, but if that changes, I'm out. And you owe me one. You. Not Drew."
She gave Drew a little apologetic shrug at that. Yes, he was effectively a bystander to the negotiations regarding his own fate (which, she could not reiterate often enough, were pointless because his destiny was sealed), but he was still for the moment a person, and it was unfortunate that the situation required her to lay things out so directly. It wasn't her usual style. Far too crass.
Julien couldn't help but roll his eyes at just how simple her terms were, even if it did draw a slight smile out of him. "Alright. Consider me in your debt then." He kept his voice low too, of course.
He could have been less hostile about how he'd asked for her help, yes, but something told him that the conditions might be the same regardless, were he even made aware of them. Better to know where he stood. "You really are dependant on control, aren't you?" She wasn't at all unlike certain others he knew... but there was no point thinking of what could have been in another life, especially not now. "That'll probably be what kills you in the end, you know."
It was unfortunate that Drew had to sit there and listen to the people supposedly helping use him as a bargaining chip between themselves, but at least he was sat down and Julien could see to whatever was underneath those bandages now. Going by the shape of his arm, it wouldn't be good, but good and gunshot wounds didn't really go together. So he began to unravel them, nice and steady, and soon pulled away the last of— oh. Oh, well that was all kinds of fucked alright.
"Right, ah... I'm not telling you that the arm has to go, so this could genuinely be worse, but I still hope you're left-handed." It looked like something feral had thought a large chunk of Drew's arm would make for a tasty snack. Stitching it shut was out of the question, given just how fucking much was gone, so it would have to be sterilised and covered up again instead.
Other things first, though. Julien fished his flashlight out of his pack and handed it to Juliette. "I need you to shine that on it, because there could still be slivers in there," he said to her, some unused bandages set aside for later. He could have held it himself, perhaps, but one of his hands would have to hold Drew in place while he did this, and keeping it in his mouth wouldn't have been very conducive to focusing.
He was certain there were slivers of bone inside, maybe lead too. Whatever he had been shot with was big, because he couldn't really see most rifle bullets doing anything quite like this. Probably old enough it wasn't guaranteed to be steel either; otherwise it wouldn't have glanced and he wouldn't be looking at a mostly intact arm, just an obliterated stump in the making.
He could have been less hostile about how he'd asked for her help, yes, but something told him that the conditions might be the same regardless, were he even made aware of them. Better to know where he stood. "You really are dependant on control, aren't you?" She wasn't at all unlike certain others he knew... but there was no point thinking of what could have been in another life, especially not now. "That'll probably be what kills you in the end, you know."
It was unfortunate that Drew had to sit there and listen to the people supposedly helping use him as a bargaining chip between themselves, but at least he was sat down and Julien could see to whatever was underneath those bandages now. Going by the shape of his arm, it wouldn't be good, but good and gunshot wounds didn't really go together. So he began to unravel them, nice and steady, and soon pulled away the last of— oh. Oh, well that was all kinds of fucked alright.
"Right, ah... I'm not telling you that the arm has to go, so this could genuinely be worse, but I still hope you're left-handed." It looked like something feral had thought a large chunk of Drew's arm would make for a tasty snack. Stitching it shut was out of the question, given just how fucking much was gone, so it would have to be sterilised and covered up again instead.
Other things first, though. Julien fished his flashlight out of his pack and handed it to Juliette. "I need you to shine that on it, because there could still be slivers in there," he said to her, some unused bandages set aside for later. He could have held it himself, perhaps, but one of his hands would have to hold Drew in place while he did this, and keeping it in his mouth wouldn't have been very conducive to focusing.
He was certain there were slivers of bone inside, maybe lead too. Whatever he had been shot with was big, because he couldn't really see most rifle bullets doing anything quite like this. Probably old enough it wasn't guaranteed to be steel either; otherwise it wouldn't have glanced and he wouldn't be looking at a mostly intact arm, just an obliterated stump in the making.
"That motherfucker."
That was all Johnny had to say about the proceedings. Juliette was trying to weasel her way into getting something out of helping, Julien agreed, and then they set to work. Johnny stood by and tried to stay alert, not get distracted by whatever was going on.
He wasn't squeamish, not by a long shot, but it hit a little close to home. Johnny could be in Drew's spot right now, if he hadn't been both lucky and smart in responding to Gervais attacking him. Drew was...unlucky, probably. All it took was one misstep and now he was fucked, with a bullet in him and probably no chance to use that arm for the rest of his life.
Johnny bit his lip. This place sucked. He turned to glance at the trio to his flank, avoiding looking at their faces, before returning to his silent vigil.
That was all Johnny had to say about the proceedings. Juliette was trying to weasel her way into getting something out of helping, Julien agreed, and then they set to work. Johnny stood by and tried to stay alert, not get distracted by whatever was going on.
He wasn't squeamish, not by a long shot, but it hit a little close to home. Johnny could be in Drew's spot right now, if he hadn't been both lucky and smart in responding to Gervais attacking him. Drew was...unlucky, probably. All it took was one misstep and now he was fucked, with a bullet in him and probably no chance to use that arm for the rest of his life.
Johnny bit his lip. This place sucked. He turned to glance at the trio to his flank, avoiding looking at their faces, before returning to his silent vigil.
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Primrosette
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:58 am
- Location: In the Dark Abyss
Drew instantly felt dislike towards Juliette, but he wasn't going to say it to her face. This wasn't a time for him to be petty towards someone who he barely knew at all. He then felt a bit bad for not liking how she was being towards him and he wished that he was suddenly anywhere else but here. He could understand why she didn't want to use her supplies as she might need them more herself and he guessed he couldn't really hold it against her. She was still willing to help so he was going to take that and try not to think selfish thoughts that seemed unfair.
Drew blinked a little. Julien was going to be the one who owed her...? That didn't really make sense to Drew and it seemed like Julien was willing to accept it. Drew guessed it wasn't really any of his business and it was making him feel more and more awkward to be around them now. He wanted to go back. Why did he leave? He wanted to cry, but then that wasn't going to help anything. So he just sat there and listened to Julien's words.
Drew wished he hadn't been so stupid to put himself in danger. He should have known that a guy with a gun was bad news for him. He shouldn't have been himself in this messed-up place. He felt himself gritted his teeth with an expression of frustration for a few moments before his face went back to a look of exhaustion and he just hoped that the others were too focused on his arm to see.
He just hoped that Julien could help him and then.... then what...?
Go off on your own again? Because that's all you're good for, Drew.
Drew blinked a little. Julien was going to be the one who owed her...? That didn't really make sense to Drew and it seemed like Julien was willing to accept it. Drew guessed it wasn't really any of his business and it was making him feel more and more awkward to be around them now. He wanted to go back. Why did he leave? He wanted to cry, but then that wasn't going to help anything. So he just sat there and listened to Julien's words.
Drew wished he hadn't been so stupid to put himself in danger. He should have known that a guy with a gun was bad news for him. He shouldn't have been himself in this messed-up place. He felt himself gritted his teeth with an expression of frustration for a few moments before his face went back to a look of exhaustion and he just hoped that the others were too focused on his arm to see.
He just hoped that Julien could help him and then.... then what...?
Go off on your own again? Because that's all you're good for, Drew.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"Alright."
With a much more cheerful smile, Juliette took the proffered flashlight and held it steady, illuminating the gory mess that was what was left of Drew's arm. It was not a pretty sight. She'd never been much for medical dramas, and while she hadn't swooned over the rat dissection in biology lab or anything, wielding the scalpel had brought little shivers of sympathetic pain. This was far worse than that. At least all the blood made it somewhat indistinct; she couldn't say what was exposed that shouldn't be, whether she was gazing upon muscle or fat or bone or tendon or something else. She could feel some of that burning ache on Drew's behalf again, but it quickly became too much, enough that her mind blocked it out and viewed the affair with a measure of detachment. Her grip on the flashlight was steady.
More pleasant to contemplate were Julien's little quips and jabs. He thought he had her number, that was for sure. She was surprised by how upfront he was willing to be about it, but then, he was perhaps caught off guard in turn by her easy candor. He actually had her number to a degree, she would grant, but didn't quite see the whole picture all the same.
It would've been easy to let go. It probably would've rankled more, too. Juliette knew that people who prodded and poked at her, who tried to excavate insecurities and turn them against her, hated it when she gave them nothing. She had mastered the art of the delayed breakdown, of letting the smile slip from her face only when she was finally alone. It almost certainly made people hate her more, but only those who already did so and would've felt the same no matter what she did, unless she became someone less. And it played so much better to the peanut gallery.
But that was not what things were about here and now. Julien was not her enemy—not at this stage, at least, and hopefully not anytime soon—and she didn't feel the sort of irritation at his potshots that might have compelled her to strike back. Besides, his motives were uncertain. He might have even thought he was offering her useful insight into her condition, or advice likely to help her in some way (or else certain to be ignored, the better to be gloated over later on).
Juliette shuffled her feet a little, keeping her limbs loose just in case she had to move quickly. It would not do for the prickles she felt stirring in her toes to climb her legs and trip her up in a disaster. She broke her gaze from the wound for a moment and scanned the surroundings. The foliage was thick enough to impair sight at a distance, but she had enough line of sight to say they were probably not imminently expecting further company. Johnny still stood sentinel, seemingly a little agitated by the proceedings. If he stuck around, it might be worth figuring out why. She doubted he would. He seemed genuine in his desire for solitude.
Returning her attention to Julien's face, she spoke, circling back to his words from before.
"You might be right about what'll happen to me," she said, "but almost all of us are doomed. If I have to die, I'd far prefer it to be the result of my own choices."
With a much more cheerful smile, Juliette took the proffered flashlight and held it steady, illuminating the gory mess that was what was left of Drew's arm. It was not a pretty sight. She'd never been much for medical dramas, and while she hadn't swooned over the rat dissection in biology lab or anything, wielding the scalpel had brought little shivers of sympathetic pain. This was far worse than that. At least all the blood made it somewhat indistinct; she couldn't say what was exposed that shouldn't be, whether she was gazing upon muscle or fat or bone or tendon or something else. She could feel some of that burning ache on Drew's behalf again, but it quickly became too much, enough that her mind blocked it out and viewed the affair with a measure of detachment. Her grip on the flashlight was steady.
More pleasant to contemplate were Julien's little quips and jabs. He thought he had her number, that was for sure. She was surprised by how upfront he was willing to be about it, but then, he was perhaps caught off guard in turn by her easy candor. He actually had her number to a degree, she would grant, but didn't quite see the whole picture all the same.
It would've been easy to let go. It probably would've rankled more, too. Juliette knew that people who prodded and poked at her, who tried to excavate insecurities and turn them against her, hated it when she gave them nothing. She had mastered the art of the delayed breakdown, of letting the smile slip from her face only when she was finally alone. It almost certainly made people hate her more, but only those who already did so and would've felt the same no matter what she did, unless she became someone less. And it played so much better to the peanut gallery.
But that was not what things were about here and now. Julien was not her enemy—not at this stage, at least, and hopefully not anytime soon—and she didn't feel the sort of irritation at his potshots that might have compelled her to strike back. Besides, his motives were uncertain. He might have even thought he was offering her useful insight into her condition, or advice likely to help her in some way (or else certain to be ignored, the better to be gloated over later on).
Juliette shuffled her feet a little, keeping her limbs loose just in case she had to move quickly. It would not do for the prickles she felt stirring in her toes to climb her legs and trip her up in a disaster. She broke her gaze from the wound for a moment and scanned the surroundings. The foliage was thick enough to impair sight at a distance, but she had enough line of sight to say they were probably not imminently expecting further company. Johnny still stood sentinel, seemingly a little agitated by the proceedings. If he stuck around, it might be worth figuring out why. She doubted he would. He seemed genuine in his desire for solitude.
Returning her attention to Julien's face, she spoke, circling back to his words from before.
"You might be right about what'll happen to me," she said, "but almost all of us are doomed. If I have to die, I'd far prefer it to be the result of my own choices."
"See, there you go again," Julien said, as he began to set about plucking out anything stuck inside Drew in places it shouldn't be that he could find, "trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel and get whatever you can. We all lost any semblance of control over our lives the moment that bus pulled over, Juliette, and even whoever leaves this place isn't getting theirs back. You can think it's different for you if that's what helps you carry on, though. Everyone's got to have something."
As he talked, he flicked stray slivers of bone and what he guessed was lead out of the tweezers and onto the forest floor when they were fished out. There weren't all that many, which was some small comfort; most of them must have been blown out with the bullet as it went.
"And... If you wouldn't mind humouring me, what exactly is your plan to live? I'm betting that you at least have something passing for one or else you wouldn't be talking in the way that you are and I, ah, I must say I'm really curious about the part of it where you have to kill somebody. That's the most important thing, after all." Juliette very much seemed to be coming at the problem of how not to die with an opportunistic approach, which meant that quite a few nasty possibilities could spring from that favour he owed her now. Of course, Julien would deal with that in the moment of it should he need to.
Getting everything out of Drew still took a few minutes. With that out of the way, some of the saline solution the furry terrorists had so generously provided went onto the wound to clean it, and then Julien started to bandage it up again.
As he talked, he flicked stray slivers of bone and what he guessed was lead out of the tweezers and onto the forest floor when they were fished out. There weren't all that many, which was some small comfort; most of them must have been blown out with the bullet as it went.
"And... If you wouldn't mind humouring me, what exactly is your plan to live? I'm betting that you at least have something passing for one or else you wouldn't be talking in the way that you are and I, ah, I must say I'm really curious about the part of it where you have to kill somebody. That's the most important thing, after all." Juliette very much seemed to be coming at the problem of how not to die with an opportunistic approach, which meant that quite a few nasty possibilities could spring from that favour he owed her now. Of course, Julien would deal with that in the moment of it should he need to.
Getting everything out of Drew still took a few minutes. With that out of the way, some of the saline solution the furry terrorists had so generously provided went onto the wound to clean it, and then Julien started to bandage it up again.
All of them were doomed.
That's what caught Johnny's attention. The rest of the talk was pretty uninteresting, plans and shit. Johnny didn't care about the other people here. He couldn't. These people meant nothing to him. That's how it had to be.
But they were doomed, unless they killed someone (or someones) and were the last one left. Johnny wanted that. He didn't wanna die. He looked over at the people, standing or huddling around one another. The temptation was obvious. He had to make the choice sooner or later. If he didn't, someone else would for him.
He didn't like it. He wanted nothing to do with it, actually. It was fucked up. But that was his life now. He hadn't come to a conclusion last night on the beach, but he wouldn't have that luxury for long.
Johnny stared at the shotgun in his hands. Try as he might, he couldn't help what the others had decided on. If they had made their choice.
That's what caught Johnny's attention. The rest of the talk was pretty uninteresting, plans and shit. Johnny didn't care about the other people here. He couldn't. These people meant nothing to him. That's how it had to be.
But they were doomed, unless they killed someone (or someones) and were the last one left. Johnny wanted that. He didn't wanna die. He looked over at the people, standing or huddling around one another. The temptation was obvious. He had to make the choice sooner or later. If he didn't, someone else would for him.
He didn't like it. He wanted nothing to do with it, actually. It was fucked up. But that was his life now. He hadn't come to a conclusion last night on the beach, but he wouldn't have that luxury for long.
Johnny stared at the shotgun in his hands. Try as he might, he couldn't help what the others had decided on. If they had made their choice.
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Primrosette
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:58 am
- Location: In the Dark Abyss
Drew had remained silent while Julien and Juliette were talking and while Julien was taking care of him. He wondered if the wounded arm would end up getting worse as time went on for him and he thought that that was a scary way to die. What if it got infected or something like that? There was no hospital here so if it did get worse as the hours or days went on.... Wait, he was getting ahead of himself. Days? Why did he think that he would survive for a few more days? Was he really thinking that someone would not take advantage of him like this? He knew that they had to kill a person if they wanted to go home. But that was something that he couldn't do.
You could if you stop being a coward and face the reality of the situation that you are in, Drew. Only one gets to go home. But you don't want that to be you? No, you rather have someone that you love to go back home. Or someone that is a close friend of yours. Why don't you want to be selfish for once in your life? Because you are too afraid of hurting someone else. You're too weak-willed, you're going to be a prey. You need to get more serious and stop being a crybaby. Stop being clingy. But you can't do that.... You want to continue being human... Being you....
Drew turned his head to watch Julien bandage his arm and he was trying to push his bad thoughts into a void for the time-being. "Thank you for taking care of me, Julien." He said with a forced smile that he mustered up painfully and that he glanced at Juliette for a brief moment. "I don't really want to say this as I don't really know you that much and I don't want to come off as an insensitive jerk. But I want to be as honest as I can and I honestly don't mind if you hate me for my own opinion. But you're pretty dumb if you can think that you can die from your own choices or plans. For all I know, someone could randomly shoot at us right now and your head would get hit by a bullet. And well, that's the end of you and your choices. Do you really think that it was my choice to be shot by a guy that I thought that I could trust? No."
Drew could feel that his blunt, harsh side was something that had been building up for some time and he knew that he was taking it out on Juliette. Honestly, he rather take it out on Connor who had been giving him some 'weird' vibes. But he didn't think that using her brain here was going to help her. Unless she met someone who was not going to shot or stab her on first sight.
Drew let out a soft sigh and he looked more apologetic. "Sorry.... I just can't understand why you think that you could make things go your way, Juliette. You can't in this place. No one can." Drew said quietly, then he forced himself to look back at Julien. "I really do owe you for helping me, Julien. But I need to leave. There are people that I need to try to find. There are people that I need to apologize, to hug, to cry with. Ha...."
You could if you stop being a coward and face the reality of the situation that you are in, Drew. Only one gets to go home. But you don't want that to be you? No, you rather have someone that you love to go back home. Or someone that is a close friend of yours. Why don't you want to be selfish for once in your life? Because you are too afraid of hurting someone else. You're too weak-willed, you're going to be a prey. You need to get more serious and stop being a crybaby. Stop being clingy. But you can't do that.... You want to continue being human... Being you....
Drew turned his head to watch Julien bandage his arm and he was trying to push his bad thoughts into a void for the time-being. "Thank you for taking care of me, Julien." He said with a forced smile that he mustered up painfully and that he glanced at Juliette for a brief moment. "I don't really want to say this as I don't really know you that much and I don't want to come off as an insensitive jerk. But I want to be as honest as I can and I honestly don't mind if you hate me for my own opinion. But you're pretty dumb if you can think that you can die from your own choices or plans. For all I know, someone could randomly shoot at us right now and your head would get hit by a bullet. And well, that's the end of you and your choices. Do you really think that it was my choice to be shot by a guy that I thought that I could trust? No."
Drew could feel that his blunt, harsh side was something that had been building up for some time and he knew that he was taking it out on Juliette. Honestly, he rather take it out on Connor who had been giving him some 'weird' vibes. But he didn't think that using her brain here was going to help her. Unless she met someone who was not going to shot or stab her on first sight.
Drew let out a soft sigh and he looked more apologetic. "Sorry.... I just can't understand why you think that you could make things go your way, Juliette. You can't in this place. No one can." Drew said quietly, then he forced himself to look back at Julien. "I really do owe you for helping me, Julien. But I need to leave. There are people that I need to try to find. There are people that I need to apologize, to hug, to cry with. Ha...."
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Juliette laughed as Julien and Drew told her she was wrong. What else could she do?
Well, actually, there were several options. She was good at controlling how she expressed her emotions, if nothing else, and if she'd wanted to it would have been nothing to shrug and lapse into silence or even to feign some consideration or acceptance of their points. At school, she would've. Here, now? There was no reason to. Drew was dead, and Julien was either lying or also dead, and Johnny seemed to know better than to get tangled up in the discussion. Really, the biggest thing this was doing was quietly stripping away some of that troublesome sympathy she'd held for the corpse busily chewing her out.
"You're wrong," she said to Drew once she'd finished laughing. She spoke calmly and without anger. "About almost everything. Yes, there's a chance something unexpected happens. That chance increases if you do nothing to prevent it. But until you're actually dead, you have choices."
She split her gaze between Drew and Julien, with occasional glances towards Johnny just in case he did something unexpected. The rest of the woods, she was mostly aware of on an auditory level. She kept her voice down, like usual when she wasn't working a group.
"You just said you have to leave, but you don't. Nobody's forcing you. You want to and you're probably going to, but you're too scared to own that decision so you act like your hands are tied. You didn't choose to get shot, but you did choose to trust. Your mistake."
She shrugged.
This half-baked nihilism the others were spouting actually did bother her, she was coming to realize, because of what it said about them as individuals and her class in general. She'd tried, long and hard, to think the best of her generation, to have faith in her peers and see the good in them, and time and again she was disappointed. That was a choice, too, and with potential death looming so imminently, Juliette was through being a Pollyanna. She could be disappointed, she could offer another point of view, but she wasn't going to force them to do something other than throw their lives away. It was ultimately better for her if they did so, anyways.
More and more, she was coming to understand how someone could gather them all and throw them to their deaths. If this was the best they could come up with, they deserved it.
"And, my plan?" she added to Julien. "It's to stay safe. Yes, the winner is ultimately expected to kill at least once, but running around attacking people at random is as stupid as it is immoral. I won't cry myself to sleep if I have to put down somebody doing that, and at a certain point that kind of encounter will become inevitable."
The thing about displaying uncharacteristic candor was that it often encouraged others to think you were being completely straightforward and upfront. That was a presumption that, in this moment, Juliette was more than happy to take advantage of.
Well, actually, there were several options. She was good at controlling how she expressed her emotions, if nothing else, and if she'd wanted to it would have been nothing to shrug and lapse into silence or even to feign some consideration or acceptance of their points. At school, she would've. Here, now? There was no reason to. Drew was dead, and Julien was either lying or also dead, and Johnny seemed to know better than to get tangled up in the discussion. Really, the biggest thing this was doing was quietly stripping away some of that troublesome sympathy she'd held for the corpse busily chewing her out.
"You're wrong," she said to Drew once she'd finished laughing. She spoke calmly and without anger. "About almost everything. Yes, there's a chance something unexpected happens. That chance increases if you do nothing to prevent it. But until you're actually dead, you have choices."
She split her gaze between Drew and Julien, with occasional glances towards Johnny just in case he did something unexpected. The rest of the woods, she was mostly aware of on an auditory level. She kept her voice down, like usual when she wasn't working a group.
"You just said you have to leave, but you don't. Nobody's forcing you. You want to and you're probably going to, but you're too scared to own that decision so you act like your hands are tied. You didn't choose to get shot, but you did choose to trust. Your mistake."
She shrugged.
This half-baked nihilism the others were spouting actually did bother her, she was coming to realize, because of what it said about them as individuals and her class in general. She'd tried, long and hard, to think the best of her generation, to have faith in her peers and see the good in them, and time and again she was disappointed. That was a choice, too, and with potential death looming so imminently, Juliette was through being a Pollyanna. She could be disappointed, she could offer another point of view, but she wasn't going to force them to do something other than throw their lives away. It was ultimately better for her if they did so, anyways.
More and more, she was coming to understand how someone could gather them all and throw them to their deaths. If this was the best they could come up with, they deserved it.
"And, my plan?" she added to Julien. "It's to stay safe. Yes, the winner is ultimately expected to kill at least once, but running around attacking people at random is as stupid as it is immoral. I won't cry myself to sleep if I have to put down somebody doing that, and at a certain point that kind of encounter will become inevitable."
The thing about displaying uncharacteristic candor was that it often encouraged others to think you were being completely straightforward and upfront. That was a presumption that, in this moment, Juliette was more than happy to take advantage of.
He liked the sound of her laughing, all light and easy on the ears. He hated having to hear it come out of her mouth.
While Juliette said her piece to Drew, Julien busied himself with packing up his first-aid kit, putting it back in its prior place and zipping up his bag. Allowing her to finish was only fair, after all, and besides he would need to keep his voice calm and clear when he spoke, much as she had, and look straight at her. Meaningless bluster was the domain of someone who lacked conviction in what they were saying, and she clearly didn't, so how could he possibly afford to?
The matter of safety was a proactive one. Reactive mitigation could only so far, because there were too many things out of control, such as someone juiced up on a gun in hand and a stupid grudge in the head. And besides, she herself had said that eventually danger was inevitable, and Julien did agree with her on that. So the most rational approach would be to ensure taking the lowest risk possible. Choosing somebody willing to kill people to tick that particular box off of the list with seemed a touch too much.
"Juliette," he said, "there is absolutely no situation in which I could envision you engaging someone with the desire and means to kill you in an actual fight when having your help for that," Julien's gaze turned to Drew's arm for a second, "came with such conditions that all I could really count on you to do was be a glorified lamp. You seem far more likely to kill someone who doesn't see you coming. If you manage to find such a person after a few days spent here, then frankly they wasted the chance they had, but all the same."
While Juliette said her piece to Drew, Julien busied himself with packing up his first-aid kit, putting it back in its prior place and zipping up his bag. Allowing her to finish was only fair, after all, and besides he would need to keep his voice calm and clear when he spoke, much as she had, and look straight at her. Meaningless bluster was the domain of someone who lacked conviction in what they were saying, and she clearly didn't, so how could he possibly afford to?
The matter of safety was a proactive one. Reactive mitigation could only so far, because there were too many things out of control, such as someone juiced up on a gun in hand and a stupid grudge in the head. And besides, she herself had said that eventually danger was inevitable, and Julien did agree with her on that. So the most rational approach would be to ensure taking the lowest risk possible. Choosing somebody willing to kill people to tick that particular box off of the list with seemed a touch too much.
"Juliette," he said, "there is absolutely no situation in which I could envision you engaging someone with the desire and means to kill you in an actual fight when having your help for that," Julien's gaze turned to Drew's arm for a second, "came with such conditions that all I could really count on you to do was be a glorified lamp. You seem far more likely to kill someone who doesn't see you coming. If you manage to find such a person after a few days spent here, then frankly they wasted the chance they had, but all the same."
Drew was mopey, Juliette was way too poised, and Julien was...okay, at least he seemed somewhat practical about this. Johnny still didn't want any of them around. He trusted none of them, and the longer he stood here listening, the more Johnny was sure of that. He wasn't afraid of them now, sure, but he didn't trust Juliette or even Julien not to slit his throat in his sleep. Better to keep that risk as low as possible.
Besides, even if he liked them, they'd have to die for him to have any chance of not dying, and he didn't imagine liking them enough to take that risk. So fuck it. Fuck them. Still, Johnny grimaced. If he went away now, he'd probably never see them again. One of the two would be dead first. And that was admittedly a really creepy thought.
But so was them dying in front of him. Or them killing him. That was the kicker. There was no good way out. Every choice from here was going to suck, but fuck if he wasn't going to make it anyway.
Silently, he walked away.
((Maybe now he could get some peace and quiet.))
Besides, even if he liked them, they'd have to die for him to have any chance of not dying, and he didn't imagine liking them enough to take that risk. So fuck it. Fuck them. Still, Johnny grimaced. If he went away now, he'd probably never see them again. One of the two would be dead first. And that was admittedly a really creepy thought.
But so was them dying in front of him. Or them killing him. That was the kicker. There was no good way out. Every choice from here was going to suck, but fuck if he wasn't going to make it anyway.
Silently, he walked away.
((Maybe now he could get some peace and quiet.))
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Primrosette
- Posts: 1033
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 9:58 am
- Location: In the Dark Abyss
Stay safe? I really don't think Juliette knows what she is talking about. Staying safe in a place like this, that is a strangely laughable matter to me. Does she even have a weapon that could keep her safe? I don't know and I honestly don't really care what she does next. I just want to find my friends and then.... I don't know. Maybe they could come up with something. I'm too exhausted and tired to think of another plan right now.
Drew was starting to feel more uncomfortable as Julien basically talked about Juliette doing a sneaky kill on someone and Drew felt like that was more likely to happen at some point. But he wasn't sure when and he honestly didn't want to stick around to find out. He felt bad about leaving Julien behind, but he knew that the guy could take care of himself. Just looking at Julien was giving Drew that feeling and he was going to be hopeful about that gut feeling. Juliette just made Drew want to get away from her as soon as possible and he was going to make his move now.
What if Julien kills someone?
Drew's paranoid thought was running through his head as he got up to his feet at a wobbly pace and he used his good hand to pick up the water bottle. He glanced over to where Johnny should have been and he was a bit surprised to see that he was gone. It looked like Drew was going to make a mental note of not trusting Johnny to be a reliable person to watch other people's backs. Two people with guns to not trust....
"Huh.... Well, Johnny's gone. Looks like you should avoid that guy in the future if he can't even back up others for a few minutes or so." Drew commented exhaustedly, looking between Julien and Juliette. "Seriously, thank you for helping me, Julien. And you too, I guess, Juliette. Honestly, whatever you two do next, I hope that it is worth it. So, I'm gonna go now. Y-Yeah, um.... Goodbye, guys."
Drew took a quick sip from the bottle in his hand, put it back in the bag, swung the bag over his good shoulder and then he made his way out of there with a goal in mind.
((Drew Woods continued in Raw Deal))
Drew was starting to feel more uncomfortable as Julien basically talked about Juliette doing a sneaky kill on someone and Drew felt like that was more likely to happen at some point. But he wasn't sure when and he honestly didn't want to stick around to find out. He felt bad about leaving Julien behind, but he knew that the guy could take care of himself. Just looking at Julien was giving Drew that feeling and he was going to be hopeful about that gut feeling. Juliette just made Drew want to get away from her as soon as possible and he was going to make his move now.
What if Julien kills someone?
Drew's paranoid thought was running through his head as he got up to his feet at a wobbly pace and he used his good hand to pick up the water bottle. He glanced over to where Johnny should have been and he was a bit surprised to see that he was gone. It looked like Drew was going to make a mental note of not trusting Johnny to be a reliable person to watch other people's backs. Two people with guns to not trust....
"Huh.... Well, Johnny's gone. Looks like you should avoid that guy in the future if he can't even back up others for a few minutes or so." Drew commented exhaustedly, looking between Julien and Juliette. "Seriously, thank you for helping me, Julien. And you too, I guess, Juliette. Honestly, whatever you two do next, I hope that it is worth it. So, I'm gonna go now. Y-Yeah, um.... Goodbye, guys."
Drew took a quick sip from the bottle in his hand, put it back in the bag, swung the bag over his good shoulder and then he made his way out of there with a goal in mind.
((Drew Woods continued in Raw Deal))
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
Juliette smiled, gave Julien a nod. He could think what he wanted. He was neither precisely right nor totally wrong. In truth, Juliette was certainly willing to entertain the idea of taking an easy shot if the opportunity presented itself, for a number of reasons. She would need to know that she was actually capable of such things come the end, and it would also be a weight off her shoulders to have the prerequisite for victory fulfilled in advance. She was pretty sure at least one of the past winners had failed to score a kill in the finals, and while she believed that she could likely negotiate an ending besides that which was threatened for a kill-free run, could maybe even work such a situation to her favor (framing it, perhaps, as a reason to let her join, a middle ground between going free and being thrown back), she didn't want to risk it needlessly.
More than that, a kill would give her opportunities. She might land a prize for it, if she stood out in some manner (and data to this point suggested a certain favoring of deception, even the transparent variety). It would make others consider carefully before tangling with her.
Scoring many kills, however, would do the opposite, as would preemptive violence. She did not envy Tyrell's situation. She had no intention of being known as an active murderer. The best option would be one that could be spun as self defense (preemptive or otherwise), revenge of her own, or mercy. People would set out for payback, she expected, because that was what they could manage in this place. That was the cycle of violence encouraged by the core setup of the game. She did not want to end up on the wrong end of it.
Had she encountered Drew alone, she mused, she might have been tempted. She could have helped him, patched him up herself, but maybe "accidentally" made things worse, slipped and nicked a vein or otherwise exacerbated the bleeding, or else perhaps she would've told him to get some rest and then mumbled a few words to the cameras about the mercy of a quick and relatively painless exit before slitting his throat. It wouldn't have been particularly difficult, and she didn't think it would've made her feel all that guilty. Drew was, as she'd reminded herself so often, already dead. She would not be ending his life, but rather stealing the credit for somebody else's—Gervais'—accomplishments. She was not too bothered by the prospect of robbing Gervais.
"You're welcome," Juliette called to Drew as he took off. "Take care."
She didn't say anything about his assessment of Johnny. She'd noticed the heavily-armed boy's departure, of course, but had little to add on that matter. Drew's distaste for the boy's actions meant nothing to her. Johnny had been upfront about his lack of desire to be involved in the group, had had every opportunity to complicate their lives or take advantage of his comparative power, and yet had simply gone off on his own when he got tired of the job he'd clearly held no enthusiasm for in the first place. Juliette trusted Johnny more than anyone else she'd met on the island.
And, like that, the party was reduced to just Juliette and Julien. Juliette straightened up, flicked the flashlight off, spun it around, and held it out again for him to take, handle-first.
"I doubt he'll last too long," she said, offhandedly, flicking her gaze the direction Drew had set out. "It looked pretty bad, and I don't think he has the right temperament to go it alone."
More than that, a kill would give her opportunities. She might land a prize for it, if she stood out in some manner (and data to this point suggested a certain favoring of deception, even the transparent variety). It would make others consider carefully before tangling with her.
Scoring many kills, however, would do the opposite, as would preemptive violence. She did not envy Tyrell's situation. She had no intention of being known as an active murderer. The best option would be one that could be spun as self defense (preemptive or otherwise), revenge of her own, or mercy. People would set out for payback, she expected, because that was what they could manage in this place. That was the cycle of violence encouraged by the core setup of the game. She did not want to end up on the wrong end of it.
Had she encountered Drew alone, she mused, she might have been tempted. She could have helped him, patched him up herself, but maybe "accidentally" made things worse, slipped and nicked a vein or otherwise exacerbated the bleeding, or else perhaps she would've told him to get some rest and then mumbled a few words to the cameras about the mercy of a quick and relatively painless exit before slitting his throat. It wouldn't have been particularly difficult, and she didn't think it would've made her feel all that guilty. Drew was, as she'd reminded herself so often, already dead. She would not be ending his life, but rather stealing the credit for somebody else's—Gervais'—accomplishments. She was not too bothered by the prospect of robbing Gervais.
"You're welcome," Juliette called to Drew as he took off. "Take care."
She didn't say anything about his assessment of Johnny. She'd noticed the heavily-armed boy's departure, of course, but had little to add on that matter. Drew's distaste for the boy's actions meant nothing to her. Johnny had been upfront about his lack of desire to be involved in the group, had had every opportunity to complicate their lives or take advantage of his comparative power, and yet had simply gone off on his own when he got tired of the job he'd clearly held no enthusiasm for in the first place. Juliette trusted Johnny more than anyone else she'd met on the island.
And, like that, the party was reduced to just Juliette and Julien. Juliette straightened up, flicked the flashlight off, spun it around, and held it out again for him to take, handle-first.
"I doubt he'll last too long," she said, offhandedly, flicking her gaze the direction Drew had set out. "It looked pretty bad, and I don't think he has the right temperament to go it alone."