Sink or Swim, Better Dive Right In

[D/N]

So after waking up and mulling it all over a bit again, Nikki headed the opposite way from home this time.

(Nikki Nelson-Kelly continued from You Can't Run Away Forever, but There's Nothing Wrong with Getting a Good Head Start)

The trees and jungle were closing against her from all sides the instant she took a few steps off the winding path. She could get lost in here sooooooo easily.

Good think for Nikki's newly patented Expert Mapreading Skillz (TM) that she wouldn't worry about that, huh?

The air was almost as thick here as the tree canopy was, and Nikki could already feel herself starting to sweat in advance of the sun getting higher. She'd slathered herself in deodorant after a breakfast of bread and protein bar and water. OK and chocolate-covered peanuts and coke because all her chocolate was gonna melt and her cokes were gonna get flat so she might as well start using them up now. BUT ANYWAYS, she was hoping the deodorant and sunscreen she had on would get to working and keeping her fresh since she was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday because she really only had a couple changes of outfits and these things would have to last a couple days at least. On a positive not there'd be lots of shade here, but Nikki guessed the cover would end up greenhouse effecting the area or something and heating it up even more as the day went on. She'd have to decide by then if she wanted to stay here a while longer or what. Or else move on to the beach or back to civilized areas. There were plenty of choices to make. Just like the plenty of trees; just like those weird hooting noises way off in the distance. More animals? Another kid deciding that imitating animals was their coping mechanism here? Nikki hoped neither. Although that would leave her imagination as the likely culprit, and that probably wouldn't be good either.

She trotted back from the jungle area to the path and breathed in the fresher air. Yeeeeah. This was nicer, but this was opener. The hooting noise was gone but replaced by some annoying bzzzzting or whatever that could have been mosquitos (she had no bug spray, she belatedly realized. Bad) but was more likely just one of the cameras going oooooh here's someone to watch again and noticing her and all.

So she stepped back off the path into the dense forest and chuckled to herself a bit. There was a huge tree just a few steps away. Indented on one side and angled to make a nice shady place underneath the trunk. That'd be a start. Something to do and wait for those announcements to come on.

And distract her mind from those announcements coming on.

Danny and Shauna wouldn't be on them, would they?

Nikki began hunting around for fallen branches. The bigger and leafier the better. It'd be a bit of an exertion, but she just needed to go slow, pace herself.... and hope for others to maybe help?

[Somersault]

The sun was (sort of) shining, the birds were (maybe) chirping, and Mike was totally doing okay (sort of).

((Mike Brown, continued from ...And You’re Miles and Miles from Your Nice Warm Bed))

Like, after the whole rush of motivation that surged through him, he had marched off back into the woods all brave-like, ready to tackle the unknown, and just like that, he’d managed to get himself lost. Again. That wasn’t the best start to his new plan, (now titled Actually Gonna Do Something Probably), but he was really tryin’ his best not to get too discouraged, even after he realized he’d gone around the same old big ass tree with the same old big ass crack in it five times.

Worst thing was, he was actually using the map, and he was still getting lost. That just sucked balls, but if he continued walking in the same direction for a long enough time, he’d get somewhere, right? By the time Mike resolved to do that, though, the sky was already black as tar, which meant he’d get to that tomorrow.

If he lived to see that tomorrow, at least.

In any case, he shrugged off his bags, placed them down right next to the comfiest-looking tree, even if comfy was kinda not the best word to describe them, and closed his eyes, leaning on that tree. Within a few minutes, the hours he’d spent walking ‘round kicked in, and he was out like a light.

For the second time in two days, it was the the sun he woke up to, right in the (eye-) balls, and God, did it hurt. He grumbled, stretched his aching back, because even on his worst benders, he’d passed out on couches, not fucking trees, and blinked.

A few minutes later, he set off, bags on both shoulders, and map back in hand. The new day was here, and that meant he had a whole ‘nother day to find the team, do some good shit or whatever, and that meant he was gonna have to start on the right foot.

Sneakers back on grass, he pressed on, slightly more confident in his directional skills, back towards the cracked tree. Wasn’t gonna be a whole lot waiting there, but it was a landmark same as any, which meant that he could actually maybe find something better from there.

But wait, who was that over there?

“Ey, Nikki!”

Was a friend, actually, and Mike grinned an actual grin, because a friend was a friend, even if that friendship was the kind that probably coulda had quotation marks placed around ‘cause they only talked about music and all. And like only during English or whenever they bumped into each other, but still chill, still good.

That was back then, though, before all this, and Nikki, he saw as he got closer, seemed to be looking ‘round for something. “What’ve you got goin’ on there?” He asked, more to sate his own boredom than anything.

Still had a plan, still gonna have to find those dudes, but just for a lil’ bit, he could stop. Sun was still right up in there. Abel’d understand.

[D/N]

Ey?

"Heeey Mike!"

This day was already off to a better start than the last one. Mike was great. Great in a sense that Nikki knew he was a good guy and he was friendly and more than that, he was... well good and friendly described a lot of people but Mike was like more of the steady dependable good. The kind of guy that they weren't great friends or anything but she still knew him a lot better than those, really Nikki was sorry but yesterday's group just wasn't dependable and that's why it all went the way it did, didn't it?

Oh! And that was the other thing she knew Mike from! Even though they didn't hang in the same group or anything they were both gonna be U-T Knoxville buddies come fall! Go undeclared Volunteers who wanted to get out of Chattanooga!

So that helped Nikki get a real smile going and Mike asked what she was up to. Yeesssss. Yes, her pretties, come to Nikki and ask what she was doing because she did know what she was doing here.

She gestured at the branches in her arms and the few she'd leaned against the exposed roots of her leaning behemoth tree.

"Oh, I'm..."

Hmmmm.

"I'm making a bit of a shelter. From the... sun and stuff, y'know? Be good to have if you can help a bit."

Should she wink as she said it? No, that'd be dumb. She'd just said stuff and she'd leave it there for now.

"Um, good to see you though. You doing OK?"

Mike would definitely be doing OK and then the announcements went on and Nikki started shivering in the head because ohgod Danny and Shauna were gonna be dead and they were gonna be dead and the stupid voice was going to blame her and call her out for leaving them and Danny and Shauna were OK.

Others weren't.

This was gonna be a test of Nikki's resolved. Cause you couldn't wish away or deny those people that ween't OK.

The announcements stopped.

"Jeez...."

Tyrell had ripped a girl's throat open and killed Felix Rees?! Toby was a super-great guy. Everyone knew Beryl. Every girl knew Dante. None of Nikki's closest people she knew were dead or killed and that was OK? Oh God, one of the triplets was dead. Wait, Katrina? No way on that. They...

She hadn't lost any composure, had she?

"They... I think they lie about a lot of the kills and stuff. Make them all sound like crazies when it's only a couple."

Nikki swallowed. Let Mike react. And then let him hopefully help her out here because THAT, Nikki's friends, it would really bring everyone back out from the post-announcement blues.

[MethodicalSlacker]

[Liberty "Bert" Wren continued from My Body Is Ready.]

Bert stumbled wearily through the trees, tall Camilla in tow. The other one had departed shortly after showing them to the wilds, leaving just one bottle of water in Bert's possession. Just a singular bottle. She really needed to get back to the woods soon, which she just learned she could do from the announcements both telling her that Benedict's death wasn't her fault in any way, shape, or form, and that the woods where she left her stuff was still a place she could return to go get it. Not that she really expected anything to be there. They probably gutted her bag as soon as she left the area.

Oh, and the rest of the announcements? They made her sad, a little, sure, but she wasn't involved in any of that. It was clear that they wouldn't know the full story of what happened with any of these passings. It was possible that Abel had attacked Paloma first, for example, and they'd never know. Same with Tyrell—that guy creeped Bert out sometimes, but biting through the neck had to be a euphemism for something, right? No way that anyone was actually that messed up in the head or else they would have started killing people before this cruel game even started, right? Hunter Owls, and all that.

She wore a neutral expression on her face as she strode into the clearing and picked up the last thing that Nikki was saying to Mike. Just the same line of thinking she was going down. Convenient, an opportunity that Bert couldn't afford to pass up on. If there was one skill that Bert kept with her here on hell-murder island, it was her ability to insert herself into anybody's business, whether they liked it or not.

"I don't buy the bit about Christine," she said, waltzing up to the group, waving hello with her hand, "it's a little too extreme."

"Plus, how'd he get around this thing?" Bert asked, pointing to the collar around her neck, "wouldn't that be a little difficult? I feel like they just made that one up."

[Somersault]

“Trying my best, ya know? All you can really do.”

Well, Mike didn’t really know if anything ‘bout this could be called great, but the smile on Nikki’s face was still something, something better than nothing. Meant that she wasn’t crazy, meant she was still keeping it all together, and right now, that’s all Mike needed to be. Was a lot to ask for here, being great, but it was still good. Good too that she had some sort of a plan, because he was starting to lose confidence in his plan real quickly, and he’d make it happen he had one, but it was still easier to just go and say cool, cool, but that was then.

This was now, though, this was when the announcements started to blare out of some random tree, and even though Mike knew what was coming, seen the proof with his own fucking eyes, it hurt to know that Paloma whoever-everer did Abel in, was the one who left him like that. It still hurt like a fucking bitch.

He was blinking now, blinking real hard, because had put this goddamn mud on his face for a reason, and he was gonna have to man up and be a man about this, right? Do meaningful action, be thoughtful, be like fucking Max or whatever. Without all the weird stuff, though.

More names continued coming in, Toby, Beryl, Dante, all of them, all dead, done for, gone, gone, gone. Katrina killed someone, Tyrell ripped a throat out, but it was all dull noise, all faint elevator music to the struggle waging to keep any more water from seeping out of his eyeballs.

He was still trying to blink out any trace of tears when Nikki started saying that they had to be exaggerated, couldn’t be the way they said. It was a good thought, good idea to have. Nikki’d always been good at giving those, actual analysis rather than just plain BS. It would’ve been nice to believe, especially when Bert came in, chiming the same old tune. Bert was cool too, small but a lotta fun at parties.

Fucking sucked, then, that he was gonna have to be the party pooper this time ‘round.

He gave a halfhearted wave before his arms crossed, eyes only slowly returning back up to the two. His voice came out deep, terse.

“...I found Abel.” Didn’t need to give much more than that, they were smart cookies. “Eyes’re still open, like fuckin’ plates.”

He could still see them now.

“Dunno ‘bout the whole neck thing,” he shrugged, cause he really didn’t know, “But shit’s goin’ down.”

[BlizzardeyeWonder]

When Camilla had woken up again, she was in the stables once more. Max and Lucas came by, one by one. And then they set off. Everything happened as it did the day before- except the grass was so tall it actively tried to tangle the group up when they walked, the trees were riddled with bullet holes that made so much noise whenever Camilla came close, and most of the buildings they walked past (they walked past many more this go around) had a dark red or black handprint or two on them. Then they came to the forest, where they met the large group with the guns, and Henry came up to talk and-

Camilla looked down. There was a hole in her chest. Blood dripped down it. Henry smiled, and told her she was doing great. Others burst into laughter. Beryl- why was Beryl covered in blood? She didn't have any wounds- she came up and hugged her, telling her "Congratulations!". Her embrace felt like hot embers against bare skin. She let out a shrill scream.

And then she was back.

[Camilla Bell continued from My Body Is Ready]

The announcements blared from... wherever, as the two of them, Bert and Camilla, walked. She couldn't see the speakers, or at least didn't care to look. As each death spilled through the speakers, she tried to not take it personally. Even Beryl-

Oh. She got a knife in the throat by Nick, the slimeball with the fucking gross beard. So that's how it was gonna be.

But Beryl was dead before that, wasn't she? Shot in the chest, and last night Henry simply said she "didn't make it", as if a team of doctors had failed to save her. It made her suspect that it was simply a last resort- nothing else could save her but an end to her misery.

The other deaths muddled around in her mind. Benny, that was the person yesterday, right? He just... dropped? Must have been quite the delayed death, she couldn't see anyone else for a good distance around the rice paddies. And Abel...

They saw other people, two others to be exact. Bert was quick to go up to them and begin discussing the announcements. Yeah, she heard about how some guy named Tyrell ripped out a person's throat, but she didn't really digest it. As Bert said, she had no idea how he'd get around the collars. Just the thought made her put a hand to her neck where the collar was and press on it.

One of them said they found Abel, his eyes open.

"I found him too. Wrapped in... some kind of blanket thing I think? I was pretty tired at the time," she added to his comments. "And..."

She paused. Why did she want to make this about herself? But she had something to say, didn't she? In this place, she supposed it was speak now or never live to say them.

"...Nick was a mercy kill I think. Beryl, she..."

She hoped nobody saw her shudder.

"She was shot in the chest before. I..."

There was no need to make it all about herself. She fell silent, and looked away from the group.

[D/N]

Well. Yeah.

"Well, yeah."

Nikki wasn't gonna deny Mike's statement that stuff was going down.

"It's definitely going down. It's..."

It really was.

Siiiiigh. Yeah.

At least the newsome twosome were more in agreement with her? Camilla Bell and Bert Wren. Camilla was tall enough to eat Bert for a midmorning snack. Looked like... Mike and Sully was the first thing that popped into Nikki's head. She'd go with that. Nikki knew pretty much zip about Camilla except from AP English and... was Camilla actually UT-Knoxville too? Woo if so. Liberty was one of those girls that knew everyone, so they were ganky enough.

More to the point, wow cause everyone else had already seen some of the stuff that Nikki was just now hearing about. She briefly wondered if that was a bad omen or something, if these people were all carrying around something like a shroud that meant she she think about skedaddling, before shutting that off. Because this was the kind of more levelheaded type she's been hoping to talk to for a while, because they hit all three of her mission statements, and because they were all in at least near-agreement with Nikki about the announcements which shows that they all had good sense.

"It's I mean like you all said. If you didn't see it how can you know for sure? I met up with some others. Shauna Cooke, Phil Oliveras, uh, Danny something. They were all pretty freaked and didn't want to stick around. But I didn't see anything like that. Sorry."

So Nikki added on the ratty piece she had to add which she hoped didn't sound like she was trying to pass herself off as lucky or something and hoped the conversation wouldn't last forever. Because what those announcements were saying couldn't be what they focused on!

[MethodicalSlacker]

It was a lot to take in. Camilla and Mike had both, on separate occasions, stumbled on Abel's corpse. Camilla had even seen Beryl get killed, and thought it was a mercy killing. If both of those things were true, plus what Bert had been through, then it was likely that the terrorists were probably telling the truth about all of it. Maybe she was just small-brained, but Bert couldn't tell why they'd mix lies and truths like that. To make the lies more believable? What was the point of that if the truths were already believable enough.

Wait. Oh! Bert had been through some stuff too.

"I did see Benedict get clobbered if we're talking about murders we saw," Bert added uselessly, "but he didn't actually die for a few hours. It, um, the blood clotted in his head, or something. It wasn't a vicious bashing to death. We even got the thing bandaged up before he keeled over after a while, which, um, hum, I guess they did say explain all that, hrm."

She put her hands on her hips and looked at the sky.

"Do you guys have any food you could spare? I haven't eaten in like, a whole day."

[Somersault]

Well, okay, it was good to hear that Nikki agreed with him on the whole shit going down thing. Like, ‘cause shit definitely was going down, but also ‘cause it was nice to have someone here who finally agreed with him, unlike yesterday. Mike felt just a little bit of guilt when that popped up in his mind, but only a little. Just for Connor and Gina.

He didn’t dwell on that for too long, because it turned out White Camilla was just behind Bert, and she’d witnessed someone actually dying! Shit! Fuck! Like actually though, shiiiit. The same ol’ hackles raised on Mike again, just like with Amber, but this time he was able to simmer down just a little. Camilla wasn’t crazy. Just like real depressed. He could relate.

Mike nodded at her comments, took the little bit of quiet to stuff the map back inside the bag with the number in it. Maybe it would’ve been good for him to walk over, try to give her some sorta pep talk, but guessing by the way she looked like she’d rather be anywhere else than right there, it seemed just a tad bit smarter to let her figure her shit out in her own.

Honestly, he was getting kinda antsy again about the death talk and all. Bert starting to talk about Benedict getting clobbered and patched up and still dying didn’t really help those, and so he started playing with his wristbands again, almost unconsciously. This was really starting to go sideways.

Thankfully, another question popped up, and Nikki was tryna change the topic, which was good. ‘S all good. “I can go throw you one of the bar things,” he said in response to Bert’s request, if only because it seemed like something to do. “They’re...kinda cardboard-y, but they’re food.”

Mike unzipped the numbered bag again, took out a bar, before tossing it over to Bert’s feet. All muscle memory now, the toss of the ball, the whish of the air.

Looking back at the rest of the group, he gave a questioning look, eyebrow furrowed. “So, um, other than finding my dead friend,” deep breath, calming breath. “My day happened and all. Saw Matt Davis, Gina, Connor, Drew, and it was all aight, but then Amber comes in like a crazy bitch and we all kinda ran off.”

A bitter smile ran across his face.

“...Guess most of y’all got up to more than I did, huh?”

[BlizzardeyeWonder]

Camilla turned back to the group again. This time she could more reliably put names to faces. She believed she shared a class with the girl, Nikki was it? If memory served, the other boy's name was Mike.

And they were both right. Shit was going down. There were nearly ten deaths on the announcements, bigger than her circle of friends by any chance. All of the dead had names, and friends they left behind on this very island. Five friends per fallen, who had friends too, who had friends-

A domino effect, with many different triggers.

She gulped. Took a deep breath.

All of the dead had names, but Beryl still stung in her mind- and her chest. She felt no pain in that dream, yet she could still feel its aftereffects after waking. If that made any sense? It didn't even make any sense to her. Yet... no, it couldn't be. Yet she knew it was true, deep down.

That dream was the happier reality. Beryl had something to give to the world, she was a treasure- no, that didn't do justice. Her time in the gardening club was brief, yet for months after she simply vanished Camilla often found herself reminiscing, wishing she'd come back to even visit. Then she got her chance- a ray of hope in a forsaken death-filled hellhole. And what did she do? She threw it away. Didn't say a word. The next thing she knew, she was told Beryl died, from Nick's blade apparently. Why was Beryl the one who had to die?

Why wasn't it Camilla?

She continued to breathe deeply, savouring every breath as a monument to her continued survival- something she thanked whatever god was out there profusely for, then berating that same deity for letting her hold onto it any longer. Bert asked for food, and Camilla was about to fish a spare protein bar out of her bag, even pinching the zipper of it, if only to distract herself. Unfortunately, Mike got to that first. He said the others- presumably including Camilla- probably got up to more than he did.

"That's a good thing," she curtly stated her thoughts- but then she realized-

"I-! I don't mean to be rude-!" she really didn't.

Wait.

He mentioned Drew.

"Wait- Drew. You saw Drew?" Immediately she perked up again, looking to Mike fully in the eye now. Suppressing the urge to bite her lip in worry, she asked him, "Was he... okay?"

[D/N]

Nikki almost narrowed her eyes at Bert.

Was that a remark about how she obviously had extra food OK of course it wasn't and Nikki knew that and everyone knew that but it still sucked if Bert had lost her supplies and stuff.

But uh... Nikki was almost ready to start ruminating on whether it was a good idea or not to offer Bert anything because even though yes she had snacks and stuff she was still... you know it didn't really mesh with her rules... and Liberty was really uh... on and thank you so much Mike for stepping in there. Seriously, seriously, he helped continue to move the conversation onto what they'd done which would hopefully lead into what they were doing.

What WERE Mike, and the Monsters Inc assuming they were a team, planning on doing next anyway? That'd be interesting to know. Good things, Nikki thought. Good things that can last. Good things that can lead to...

Camilla had seized on someone Mike had mentioned and was peppering him about that. Nikki glanced on over to Bert. Didn't sigh outwardly or anything but felt like she wanted to.

"Uh, hey, I have some chocolate-covered peanuts left."

She fished in her bag but didn't have to for long cause of course they were near the top.

"They're starting to melt but uh, you can have them."

Nikki stepped and extended them out to Bert and even smiled. She did have other stuff still in the bag for later, at least.

"I'm just trying to uh, put together a little shelter here with this tree. Get some shade and... hopefully won't take too long."

[MethodicalSlacker]

"Thanks, both of you," said Bert, taking the protein bar and the peanuts, "I lost my stuff a little while ago and all I have is this power drill."

She held the drill up so that others could see it. There was a Gurren Lagann joke to be made here, but the last thing she wanted to do on hell-murder island right now was to reveal her power-level to a bunch of normies who might believe that her being a big dork was enough to justify her murder, because hey, some people really didn't like anime. Bert held both the bar and the bag of peanuts in one hand, frowning when she realized that she didn't have anywhere to put them away in. Her shirt didn't have pockets, she was wearing a skirt that didn't have pockets, and the bag situation was well and explained already. She looked enviously at Mike. Look at all those goddamn pockets. Sure, he was wearing skinny jeans, but he could still probably stuff a protein bar in his front pocket and maybe the peanuts in his bum ones.

"You wanna hold onto these for me for a moment, Cam?" she asked, holding the bag of peanuts over, "Maybe we can split them between the two of us in a moment."

Bert turned back to Nikki. She? Was trying to build? Something??? The idea was totally foreign to Bert, trying to actually construct something useful amidst all the dirty and pain and all that goody good stuff. It was sorta fuckin' strange, y'know, because—

"A shelter's cool and all, but what'll you do if they make this place a Danger Zone? It's too eas-y to get dee-zee'd like that."

[Somersault]

Mike was just about ready to let things just chill, shoot the breeze and all, even in the face of all this because some kinda peace was all he was askin’ for.

He was just about ready to continue on down that road when Camilla started at him and began asking about Drew. And like, really asking like a woman possessed or something, which was kinda stressful to deal with and all but but he did know a thing so-

“I mean, he was alive last time I saw, so yep?” Okay, maybe his voice raised just a tad, but it was only ‘cause he was surprised with how she started asking shit after she’d seemed all quiet and all, and also maybe just a little bit because she was taller than him. “Like, uh, he was kinda freaking out, but I helped him chill and he left to find his friends,” Mike motioned over back to Camilla. “Like you, I reckon.”

So, well, that was done and dusted, and now it was back to better and brighter things, like Bert questioning Nikki’s plans with drill in hand. Kinda weird that she kept on holding it, but different strokes for different folks and all that. Really, though, he was just hoping that this stroke didn’t end up in some kinda argument between all these different folks. At least she had her food now? Maybe that’d mean something. Or not. Eh.

“Well,” Mike started off, voice all pep-talk like. “That’s something to think ‘bout.”

He waved around, motioning to all the trees ‘round them. “Like, there’s a lot we could do, I guess, but I’m up for anything, pretty much. And maybe the Shelter’d be nice, even if only for a bit?”

Sorta back on track again. And ‘sides, he could still do something without the team, right? Maybe. Maybe if someone else actually had an idea.

[BlizzardeyeWonder]

Camilla sighed in relief. Of course she knew Drew wasn't dead- yet- he wasn't dead because she didn't hear his name on the announcements- yet- or what if he died really early in the morning...?

"That's good to know," she told Mike.

Speaking didn't help her shrug off her thoughts. All of her friends could have died at this very moment, couldn't they? No, no, thinking about it wasn't going to help her. There's nothing she could do about it if they were- who was she kidding?! Of course she could do something! She could go and find them, protect them- she really shouldn't lie to herself like this, she wouldn't be able to do jack shit to prevent them from dying.

It was a choice between despair and anxiousness, between hope and peace, and she wasn't ready to choose.

Bert asked her to hold onto the chocolate peanuts, so she took hold of them. "Oh, um. Sure."

She turned the bag over a bit, not examining anything in particular. It was good to keep her hands busy, it hid their shakiness just a bit. Sweets probably weren't the best food to survive off of in these conditions, but they weren't empty handed when it came to food (yet), and she supposed sweets were better than nothing. Say, it had been a while since she last tasted chocolate, wasn't it?

No, it couldn't have been more than a week ago, when she decided to indulge herself just a little bit and get a bar of dark chocolate, the nice kind from an actual chocolatier store thingy she stumbled across. It was probably one of the more luxurious things she bought with her own money on that trip. Of course these peanuts were likely of lesser production value, and it was hard to imagine them not melting in this heat. Honestly, Camilla was melting herself. But hey, chocolate is chocolate. She wanted to reach in and grab a bite while Bert was talking about the merits (or lack thereof) of building a shelter on this island, but figured that wouldn't be fair to Bert.

[D/N]

Bert had a drill.

Oh wow.

Actually, Nikki was realizing that she hadn't seen anyone with a gun yet. Lucky break for her. But a drill?

A drill certainly wasn't safe. A drill could be dangerous as all everything. A drill could...

It could also maybe and Nikki was just thinking this now maybe be the most positive thing she'd seen yet.

She just needed to get Bert to realize that. Good thing she'd offered those peanuts and gotten them off on the right foot then! Especially since Nikki was actually really feeling bad for them now since they didn't even have a bag at all. Sure Nikki'd lost her rope, but she had her own bag and her TerrorBag and all her other comforts and yeah yeah.

"I'm not looking to make a permanent shelter or anything. But I think it'd be smart to... have a couple places on the island. That aren't marked. In case you need to hide out or something."

And maybe she could do something else to show her intentions without violating her laws.

"But I'm really sorry you lost your bag. Sucks, but..." and Mike was totally having her back and that just told you that sometimes you did have to cut and run from a group if it wasn't working out. Not just for your own benefit, but for everyone's! The group back at the menagerie, well they were like three Camillas, cause Camilla was the one here who was the most obviously freaked. But Nikki could have one Camilla. Just not three. One Camilla was still a net positive.

"But um maybe after we get it put up I can transfer my stuff into one bag and give you my empty one to carry your stuff in?"