((Tirzah Foss continued from Deep Honey Bath ))
Tirzah stopped when she approached the area that seemed to be the start of the rice paddies. Her shoes were sinking a little deeper with each step. What to do? She backed up, changed back into her now dry, now mostly blood-free crop top and miniskirt and packed the robe away into her bag along with her shoes.
As she tromped forward, she was relieved to find that her collar stayed silent. It was also kind of fun to feel the mud on her feet, regardless of the occasional ancient horse bone she came across.
Off in a drier patch of the land there looked to be a box. It seemed that the other prize recipient hadn't shown yet. Tirzah kept one gun in her hand and the other tucked into the back of her skirt. She walked towards the box, which also had a large pot, a small Tupperware container, and a thermos on top of it.
The First SOTF Chili Cook Off
Netflix and chili
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Ruggahissy
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MK Kilmarnock
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((Justin Greene, reporting to flavortown from Epithet))
So that's where he'd been.
Justin found himself crouching over the body of Benedict Murray, who'd never seen the morning light of day two. Benedict was the first mistake; the second mistake was thinking the first could be washed away with some apologies and a hug. The damage had been done to Benedict. Now it was done to everybody.
Even face-down, Justin knew it was him. Benny had a very distinct appearance to him. Nobody at GHHS had a chinstrap that looked exactly like that. Nobody had a back of the head that looked quite like that either. Funny, in a little bit of a dark way, that it was the physical feature Justin could consider himself most acquainted with. Whispering an apology that nobody could actually hear, Justin tip-toed back up to the path that headed to the higher levels. He carried his shoes in his left hand, with his socks balled up and stuffed in the toes, while he held Nia's pistol in his right. The rifle had been assembled in a manner he could only hope had been correct (it didn't fall apart straight away so that had to be a victory) and it was slung around his back along with his daypack. Not the kind of weapon he could access quickly, nor was it meant to be used as such. It was meant for killing from far away, which is a distance Justin would greatly prefer his next kill be at.
If there was a next one.
Of course there would be a next one. They were all just barely halfway out of this mess as of less than an hour ago.
There was a spot of land at some such elevation that was a bit drier. If nothing else, Justin figured it might be a good vantage point to see where the dropoff was. Best case scenario, the weapon and meal were there, and he'd be the first to arrive. He'd take what he could and run before-
He stumbled into plain view of the crate, a girl, and the sordid little picnic set up just for two. Catching himself by surprise, Justin helped and jumped back, dropping his shoes in the dirt.
"Wait! I come in peace!" he said, before thinking.
I come in...
Justin bit his cheek in aggravation at his idiotic outburst. What the hell was he, an alien!?
So that's where he'd been.
Justin found himself crouching over the body of Benedict Murray, who'd never seen the morning light of day two. Benedict was the first mistake; the second mistake was thinking the first could be washed away with some apologies and a hug. The damage had been done to Benedict. Now it was done to everybody.
Even face-down, Justin knew it was him. Benny had a very distinct appearance to him. Nobody at GHHS had a chinstrap that looked exactly like that. Nobody had a back of the head that looked quite like that either. Funny, in a little bit of a dark way, that it was the physical feature Justin could consider himself most acquainted with. Whispering an apology that nobody could actually hear, Justin tip-toed back up to the path that headed to the higher levels. He carried his shoes in his left hand, with his socks balled up and stuffed in the toes, while he held Nia's pistol in his right. The rifle had been assembled in a manner he could only hope had been correct (it didn't fall apart straight away so that had to be a victory) and it was slung around his back along with his daypack. Not the kind of weapon he could access quickly, nor was it meant to be used as such. It was meant for killing from far away, which is a distance Justin would greatly prefer his next kill be at.
If there was a next one.
Of course there would be a next one. They were all just barely halfway out of this mess as of less than an hour ago.
There was a spot of land at some such elevation that was a bit drier. If nothing else, Justin figured it might be a good vantage point to see where the dropoff was. Best case scenario, the weapon and meal were there, and he'd be the first to arrive. He'd take what he could and run before-
He stumbled into plain view of the crate, a girl, and the sordid little picnic set up just for two. Catching himself by surprise, Justin helped and jumped back, dropping his shoes in the dirt.
"Wait! I come in peace!" he said, before thinking.
I come in...
Justin bit his cheek in aggravation at his idiotic outburst. What the hell was he, an alien!?
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Ruggahissy
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Tirzah tipped the lid of the pot to look inside and was hit with the startling scent of spices. She looked up sharply when she heard Justin's voice call out to her with a proclamation of peace.
"That makes one of us, right?"
Tirzah pointed the gun at the sky and made imitation gun noises.
"Pew pew. Reach for the sky, partner. This chili cook off ain't big enough for both of us."
She smiled to herself and pointed at the gun with her free hand, then continued pointing at it as she slowly put it down on the box, signaling for him to do the same.
"Just kidding. Except I do want this food. I don't care about the weapon, you can take it."
"That makes one of us, right?"
Tirzah pointed the gun at the sky and made imitation gun noises.
"Pew pew. Reach for the sky, partner. This chili cook off ain't big enough for both of us."
She smiled to herself and pointed at the gun with her free hand, then continued pointing at it as she slowly put it down on the box, signaling for him to do the same.
"Just kidding. Except I do want this food. I don't care about the weapon, you can take it."
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MK Kilmarnock
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Justin's body tensed like a spring, coiling up under pressure and ready to unleash all the energy at any moment. It was visible in his body, his stance, how he carried himself. He didn't even bother to hide that sort of thing anymore, knowing all the good it wouldn't do.
The gun wasn't pointed at him. Not yet. Both hands were on his gun, sweat soaking into the grip and waiting for the provocation he needed to raise it and shoot her. That provocation never came. Instead, the girl set her weapon down... slowly, apparently making it really clear what she wanted him to expect. She even had the time to make a stupid joke along the way.
But if Justin laughed, did he really have the right to call it stupid? It probably sounded more like a scoff; he was incredulous at the beginning when the laughter started and the middle part faded practically to silence... but then he relaxed his neck and his back, no longer scrunched like a threatened cat ready to lash out. Now he could laugh for real. He'd laughed harder and longer in his life because he'd been far happier, but this was something.
He believed her, but he wasn't going to place his life out on the end of a tree branch where a careless mistake could get it snatched away from him. He had to consider threats from all- no, no he didn't. This area was blocked off. Overthinking or not putting enough thought into his surroundings, Justin was in the process of doing one of the two and was all-too-aware of the details he kept dropping. Think about them too little or think about them too much. He wished he didn't have to think at all.
Okay, so then he'd break it down.
Point one: They were the only two kids in the paddies (still alive, anyway).
Point two: She had a gun. Thankfully, Tirzah had been willing to set it down on the box. If she'd hid it, he'd assume she had one anyway. She got here from killing one of the Carters, what else was she going to use to get that done?
Point three: She could have another weapon on her... in fact, she most definitely had to. But that was fine, so did he.
Justin took his right hand off the gun and stepped up to the box, looking Tirzah in the eyes as he slowly set his weapon down. Her eyes looked kind of weird to him. Like she was always ready to laugh, or scream, and you couldn't tell which one it was going to be until she did it.
"Um... thanks," Justin said, sighing and tapping his fingers on the grip of the pistol before finally pulling his hand away. He let his dayback slide off his shoulder most of the way and swung it in front of him until it rested on his feet. "Whaguh- what... kind, of gun is it?" Justin asked. "Is, uh, it in the box?"
His stomach rumbled.
"And..." He didn't finish his question, but he looked pointedly at the thermos.
The gun wasn't pointed at him. Not yet. Both hands were on his gun, sweat soaking into the grip and waiting for the provocation he needed to raise it and shoot her. That provocation never came. Instead, the girl set her weapon down... slowly, apparently making it really clear what she wanted him to expect. She even had the time to make a stupid joke along the way.
But if Justin laughed, did he really have the right to call it stupid? It probably sounded more like a scoff; he was incredulous at the beginning when the laughter started and the middle part faded practically to silence... but then he relaxed his neck and his back, no longer scrunched like a threatened cat ready to lash out. Now he could laugh for real. He'd laughed harder and longer in his life because he'd been far happier, but this was something.
He believed her, but he wasn't going to place his life out on the end of a tree branch where a careless mistake could get it snatched away from him. He had to consider threats from all- no, no he didn't. This area was blocked off. Overthinking or not putting enough thought into his surroundings, Justin was in the process of doing one of the two and was all-too-aware of the details he kept dropping. Think about them too little or think about them too much. He wished he didn't have to think at all.
Okay, so then he'd break it down.
Point one: They were the only two kids in the paddies (still alive, anyway).
Point two: She had a gun. Thankfully, Tirzah had been willing to set it down on the box. If she'd hid it, he'd assume she had one anyway. She got here from killing one of the Carters, what else was she going to use to get that done?
Point three: She could have another weapon on her... in fact, she most definitely had to. But that was fine, so did he.
Justin took his right hand off the gun and stepped up to the box, looking Tirzah in the eyes as he slowly set his weapon down. Her eyes looked kind of weird to him. Like she was always ready to laugh, or scream, and you couldn't tell which one it was going to be until she did it.
"Um... thanks," Justin said, sighing and tapping his fingers on the grip of the pistol before finally pulling his hand away. He let his dayback slide off his shoulder most of the way and swung it in front of him until it rested on his feet. "Whaguh- what... kind, of gun is it?" Justin asked. "Is, uh, it in the box?"
His stomach rumbled.
"And..." He didn't finish his question, but he looked pointedly at the thermos.
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Ruggahissy
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She let her own bag slide off and to the ground. She rolled her shoulder and removed her gun from the top of the box, setting it near her things.
Tirzah looked inside the Tupperware and took the lid off the thermos to smell the contents. Then she took both and removed them from the top of the box, setting them just to the side. She did the same with the pot of chili, hefting it off the box and onto the ground.
"It's chili in there," she responded. "The food, not the temperature. Also cornbread and some kind of drink. Ice tea maybe?"
She opened the box and removed the Madsen M50, or so a card with the gun said. Tirzah grabbed it with both hands like it was a dead animal and hurled it as far as she could in the direction Justin had come from.
"That's for you. You can pick it up on your way out."
With that, she opened the Tuperware, took out a piece of cornbread and took a big bite out of it. It was buttery and warm and corny.
"'Kay, nice doin' business witchu," she said through a full mouth.
Tirzah looked inside the Tupperware and took the lid off the thermos to smell the contents. Then she took both and removed them from the top of the box, setting them just to the side. She did the same with the pot of chili, hefting it off the box and onto the ground.
"It's chili in there," she responded. "The food, not the temperature. Also cornbread and some kind of drink. Ice tea maybe?"
She opened the box and removed the Madsen M50, or so a card with the gun said. Tirzah grabbed it with both hands like it was a dead animal and hurled it as far as she could in the direction Justin had come from.
"That's for you. You can pick it up on your way out."
With that, she opened the Tuperware, took out a piece of cornbread and took a big bite out of it. It was buttery and warm and corny.
"'Kay, nice doin' business witchu," she said through a full mouth.
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MK Kilmarnock
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Justin grimaced, both at the girl's complete lack of table manners (talking with her mouth full and, even when she chewed with her mouth closed it was so loud... how do you chew so LOUD with your mouth closed!?) and her brusque dealings. He planted heels and stood with locked knees as he watched her take another bite, fidgeting and rocking his shoulders just slightly, enough that they heaved more with his breathing than anything else.
He hoisted the bag back up by the strap until it rested around his knees. His hand found and wrapped around the tire iron still safely tucked away hidden in the dufflebag; Justin made no attempt to pull it out from its hiding place, preferring to rub his thumb back and forth along the metal until it warmed up and became more familiar. That relaxed him a little bit, making him feel like maybe he could talk.
"Uhm..." Justin mumbled while lowering the bag again, flexing his fingers into his palm and extending them again. "I wundas- I, I was wonder...ing, if I could too. ... Have some of the chili. If I could have some too."
He winced and it felt wrong to ask because the girl was already being so generous by offering him the gun, and here he was asking to share some of the food too. Nia and Johnny died so he could eat and the only real food he'd enjoyed since his time here was that precious few sections of orange. He was tired of plain old bread and plain old crackers and those tasteless bars. He wouldn't starve, thanks to his last two... victims, as Justin regrettably had to identify them. But an opportunity for food, REAL food, presented itself.
He got greedy. Not greedy enough to attack, not yet, but enough to ask, hoping Tirzah would just let him have at least a little.
He hoisted the bag back up by the strap until it rested around his knees. His hand found and wrapped around the tire iron still safely tucked away hidden in the dufflebag; Justin made no attempt to pull it out from its hiding place, preferring to rub his thumb back and forth along the metal until it warmed up and became more familiar. That relaxed him a little bit, making him feel like maybe he could talk.
"Uhm..." Justin mumbled while lowering the bag again, flexing his fingers into his palm and extending them again. "I wundas- I, I was wonder...ing, if I could too. ... Have some of the chili. If I could have some too."
He winced and it felt wrong to ask because the girl was already being so generous by offering him the gun, and here he was asking to share some of the food too. Nia and Johnny died so he could eat and the only real food he'd enjoyed since his time here was that precious few sections of orange. He was tired of plain old bread and plain old crackers and those tasteless bars. He wouldn't starve, thanks to his last two... victims, as Justin regrettably had to identify them. But an opportunity for food, REAL food, presented itself.
He got greedy. Not greedy enough to attack, not yet, but enough to ask, hoping Tirzah would just let him have at least a little.
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Ruggahissy
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Tirzah swallowed harshly and looked over Justin. The way that he was being so bashful about asking for whatever it was he wanted was strange, considering he was a murderer -- at least he must have been to be here. But it was also pretty funny. And being pretty funny, she wanted to see if it would be funnier to make it more awkward, which partially motivated her next actions.
Tirzah stepped to the side of the prize items, then stepped forward and kissed Justin. Then she looked at the food.
"I guess. Mostly because I don't think I can eat all the chili by myself and it doesn't seem like an easy thing to carry or keep for later. So we pretty much have to eat it now."
She picked up the container holding the corn bread and looked inside, discovering two plastic spoons.
Tirzah stepped to the side of the prize items, then stepped forward and kissed Justin. Then she looked at the food.
"I guess. Mostly because I don't think I can eat all the chili by myself and it doesn't seem like an easy thing to carry or keep for later. So we pretty much have to eat it now."
She picked up the container holding the corn bread and looked inside, discovering two plastic spoons.
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MK Kilmarnock
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Justin's hackles raised just a little too late when Tirzah got close, much closer than he'd anticipated. He began to pull his hand out of the daypack with one end of the tire iron unearthing itself from under his most recently-gained foodstuffs. The other end had caught on something and it wasn't coming out smoothly. No time to do anything, not even panic, when...
She kissed him. A quick tilt of her head to the side and a peck on the lips. Justin froze up, utterly unable to process what had happened. "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-" he stammered, slamming his mouth shut because she kept talking like nothing had ever happened, turning her attention to the food. No, wait, go back! Explain the kiss! What did he do, if he did anything, that made her do that in the first place? Did she like him or something, for how he looked or what he did or because he wasn't a corpse and apparently that was getting hard to come by lately?
Justin let go of the tire iron and hated himself for it, because what if that kiss HADN'T been a kiss? Tirzah had the opportunity to close distance on him with a knife and end his game then and there all while he was too busy fumbling and failing to draw the most basic of weapons. He looked down to the food, barely comprehending what she'd said.
"What?" Justin asked, retroactively understanding almost the moment he said it that Tirzah said she'd share her food with him. He couldn't un-ask the question though; only direction left was forward. "M- I mean, thanks. We h-have to eat it now." There were still two guns on the table, one was his and one was hers. Unbelievably, that wasn't his main focus at this point in time, because while he hadn't yet directly looked at the chili he could smell it and... damn, whoever made that was a good cook.
That was his first kiss.
"Uh, there's n...no bowls?" Justin observed after a quick round of looking, questioningly staring over to Tirzah who'd discovered something in another container.
She kissed him. A quick tilt of her head to the side and a peck on the lips. Justin froze up, utterly unable to process what had happened. "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-" he stammered, slamming his mouth shut because she kept talking like nothing had ever happened, turning her attention to the food. No, wait, go back! Explain the kiss! What did he do, if he did anything, that made her do that in the first place? Did she like him or something, for how he looked or what he did or because he wasn't a corpse and apparently that was getting hard to come by lately?
Justin let go of the tire iron and hated himself for it, because what if that kiss HADN'T been a kiss? Tirzah had the opportunity to close distance on him with a knife and end his game then and there all while he was too busy fumbling and failing to draw the most basic of weapons. He looked down to the food, barely comprehending what she'd said.
"What?" Justin asked, retroactively understanding almost the moment he said it that Tirzah said she'd share her food with him. He couldn't un-ask the question though; only direction left was forward. "M- I mean, thanks. We h-have to eat it now." There were still two guns on the table, one was his and one was hers. Unbelievably, that wasn't his main focus at this point in time, because while he hadn't yet directly looked at the chili he could smell it and... damn, whoever made that was a good cook.
That was his first kiss.
"Uh, there's n...no bowls?" Justin observed after a quick round of looking, questioningly staring over to Tirzah who'd discovered something in another container.
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Ruggahissy
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Tirzah was unable and unwilling to suppress her smirk in response to his reaction. She sighed, hoping that some of her amusement could escape that way and she could talk to him without letting on the game too much.
"No bowls," she said, containing her laughter. She held up the two spoons she found in the corn bread container.
"I guess we're doing this family style."
Tirzah sat down on the ground and put the large pot in front of her. She motioned with her head for him to sit on the opposite side and placed the spoon opposite of her like it was a place setting on the grass and dirt. To be extra generous, she placed the corn bread and thermos of sweet tea to the side of the pot, roughly in the middle as well.
Tirzah sat cross-legged -- caring less for the length of her short skirt than for comfort -- and began eating.
"C'mon. Before dinner gets cold."
The chili was pretty good. Appropriately tomato-y. Quite beefy. Not too spicy. She unscrewed the top of the thermos and took a drink.
"So who'd you kill?" she said, spooning more chili into her mouth.
"No bowls," she said, containing her laughter. She held up the two spoons she found in the corn bread container.
"I guess we're doing this family style."
Tirzah sat down on the ground and put the large pot in front of her. She motioned with her head for him to sit on the opposite side and placed the spoon opposite of her like it was a place setting on the grass and dirt. To be extra generous, she placed the corn bread and thermos of sweet tea to the side of the pot, roughly in the middle as well.
Tirzah sat cross-legged -- caring less for the length of her short skirt than for comfort -- and began eating.
"C'mon. Before dinner gets cold."
The chili was pretty good. Appropriately tomato-y. Quite beefy. Not too spicy. She unscrewed the top of the thermos and took a drink.
"So who'd you kill?" she said, spooning more chili into her mouth.
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MK Kilmarnock
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What the fuck? What kind of insensitive assholes would, for an award that was meant to be shared, give them food that was difficult enough by itself to be shared but they didn't even get separate bowls? Well... the terrorists, that's who. The same people who kidnapped them, drugged them, put bombs on their necks and forced them to... Okay, the more Justin thought about it, the pieces puzzled themselves together picture-perfectly. In fact, knowing the nature of this game, they were probably expected to fight over the food as somebody on the other end of a camera got their amusement for the day.
Well, fuck them! Tirzah and he could eat together like proper civilized people, even if they were scooping food directly out of the pot like some schlub eating mac n' cheese in his trailer. "Mmnh..." Justin eloquently said, nodding and obeying Tirzah's commands both silent and verbal. He sat across from her and dug in, trying to focus on the food and not the way she was sitting, how cute she was, how he could see her black panties and how she'd kissed him-
"So who'd you kill?"
Justin was thankful for the opportunity for his boner to wither up and die as it did with that question. He took a piece of cornbread and popped half of it in his mouth; whoever made this food might have been from the actual South, because they'd managed to get all the authentic flavors that only kids like them could point out. Yanks couldn't make cornbread.
"Five-" Justin stopped himself. Tirzah meant who he killed in order to be here today, sitting with her and eating food in relative solitude. He wracked his brain, struggling to remember if it had been for Nia or for Johnny. "Fuh... uhm, I... two people. Thew- they-there were two people in this hu-boathouse, by the lake." Another bite. "... It was a bad idea. I just was- I just wanted food, because I was hungry." He again realized the poetry in how his kill had gotten him more food than he'd initially planned for. "And-" he looked up at Tirzah, totally unreadable. She didn't ask for the story, she just wanted to know who. WHO.
"... Nia. And Johnny. Why, know them?"
He didn't bother asking who she'd killed. He knew. Nobody would miss him, either.
Well, fuck them! Tirzah and he could eat together like proper civilized people, even if they were scooping food directly out of the pot like some schlub eating mac n' cheese in his trailer. "Mmnh..." Justin eloquently said, nodding and obeying Tirzah's commands both silent and verbal. He sat across from her and dug in, trying to focus on the food and not the way she was sitting, how cute she was, how he could see her black panties and how she'd kissed him-
"So who'd you kill?"
Justin was thankful for the opportunity for his boner to wither up and die as it did with that question. He took a piece of cornbread and popped half of it in his mouth; whoever made this food might have been from the actual South, because they'd managed to get all the authentic flavors that only kids like them could point out. Yanks couldn't make cornbread.
"Five-" Justin stopped himself. Tirzah meant who he killed in order to be here today, sitting with her and eating food in relative solitude. He wracked his brain, struggling to remember if it had been for Nia or for Johnny. "Fuh... uhm, I... two people. Thew- they-there were two people in this hu-boathouse, by the lake." Another bite. "... It was a bad idea. I just was- I just wanted food, because I was hungry." He again realized the poetry in how his kill had gotten him more food than he'd initially planned for. "And-" he looked up at Tirzah, totally unreadable. She didn't ask for the story, she just wanted to know who. WHO.
"... Nia. And Johnny. Why, know them?"
He didn't bother asking who she'd killed. He knew. Nobody would miss him, either.
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Ruggahissy
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Tirzah raised her eyebrow at his initial number, but kept eating chili. Every once in a while, she punctuated it by eating some of the corn bread or drinking some of the sweet tea. She tried to avoid having her plastic spoon run into his. They kind of got into a scooping rhythm like those YouTube videos of guys pounding mochi or whatever.
"Well, you got some food I guess." She said between bites. True, she hadn't intended to share it and was only doing so because their hand was forced. She wasn't enough of a jerk to pour half the chili into the rice paddies and then eat the other half alone.
"Nope, don't know 'em," she responded, unfazed by his story. "Killing for food it just as good as any other reason I guess. Probably one of the better once since you doing have a chance if you starve to death first," she mused.
"Just wanted to make conversation and stuff."
Slurp. Slurp.
"You got a family or like, something you wanna do when you go home?"
"Well, you got some food I guess." She said between bites. True, she hadn't intended to share it and was only doing so because their hand was forced. She wasn't enough of a jerk to pour half the chili into the rice paddies and then eat the other half alone.
"Nope, don't know 'em," she responded, unfazed by his story. "Killing for food it just as good as any other reason I guess. Probably one of the better once since you doing have a chance if you starve to death first," she mused.
"Just wanted to make conversation and stuff."
Slurp. Slurp.
"You got a family or like, something you wanna do when you go home?"
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MK Kilmarnock
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He sure did get some food.
It was darkly validating to Justin in some fashion that even Tirzah had to take note of how coincidental it all seemed. He ended up killing somebody to sate his hunger and now he was having all the food he could handle. His stomach was starting to hurt a little, but he didn't feel full yet and none of this chili was coming with him. So it was eating it here and now or forgetting all about it. But more than noting the circumstances, she seemed to understand them when Justin was unsure anybody he spoke to from now on would.
The girl seated across from him was kind of a mystery to him. She had killed to get as far as she'd gotten; that's how she was joining him here in these rice paddies, enjoying some admittedly delicious chili gifted to them by their uncaring overseers. But she seemed calm and carefree, like she had it all handled. He would have thought prior to meeting her that that kind of person was the most dangerous kind on the island because they could kill without a moment's notice, but she already had her chance to kill him and now it just didn't make any sense. Just like him, she wanted a break.
"H-.." Justin started to ask, and stopped, because he'd been asked a question first. He closed his jaws and clenched, swishing spit in his mouth before popping a piece of cornbread in to soak it all up and get swallowed together. He breathed in and out to reset his airway before starting to answer her. "Yeah. M- my m, ugh, just my mom and my dad," he said. "Sih, no siblings. Uhm, I don't, um..." He took a bite of chili.
"My god, my brain's blanking li-hu... like, really hard right now." Justin squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember the second part of the question. He worked backwards. She asked about... his... family, his family! Right. And then what he wanted to do. Like, with his life? That was a hard question.
"I don't know. When I go home... I wanted to be an electrician. Luh-uh, like my dad. I know music too- I play but like- not going to be famous or anything." Justin shook his head. What are your career options after you pull yourself through a death game? He never planned to make anything special of himself; other people on this island probably had some grand aspirations. Most of those people with such grand plans were already dead. Now, he thought about who 'deserved' to go home, if that was even a thing. Up til now he hadn't put much thought to that but with very little else to do, almost nobody to talk to, the simplest of questions could be the most provocative.
"I deserve it," Justin muttered, not even realizing he'd said it aloud.
It was darkly validating to Justin in some fashion that even Tirzah had to take note of how coincidental it all seemed. He ended up killing somebody to sate his hunger and now he was having all the food he could handle. His stomach was starting to hurt a little, but he didn't feel full yet and none of this chili was coming with him. So it was eating it here and now or forgetting all about it. But more than noting the circumstances, she seemed to understand them when Justin was unsure anybody he spoke to from now on would.
The girl seated across from him was kind of a mystery to him. She had killed to get as far as she'd gotten; that's how she was joining him here in these rice paddies, enjoying some admittedly delicious chili gifted to them by their uncaring overseers. But she seemed calm and carefree, like she had it all handled. He would have thought prior to meeting her that that kind of person was the most dangerous kind on the island because they could kill without a moment's notice, but she already had her chance to kill him and now it just didn't make any sense. Just like him, she wanted a break.
"H-.." Justin started to ask, and stopped, because he'd been asked a question first. He closed his jaws and clenched, swishing spit in his mouth before popping a piece of cornbread in to soak it all up and get swallowed together. He breathed in and out to reset his airway before starting to answer her. "Yeah. M- my m, ugh, just my mom and my dad," he said. "Sih, no siblings. Uhm, I don't, um..." He took a bite of chili.
"My god, my brain's blanking li-hu... like, really hard right now." Justin squeezed his eyes shut and tried to remember the second part of the question. He worked backwards. She asked about... his... family, his family! Right. And then what he wanted to do. Like, with his life? That was a hard question.
"I don't know. When I go home... I wanted to be an electrician. Luh-uh, like my dad. I know music too- I play but like- not going to be famous or anything." Justin shook his head. What are your career options after you pull yourself through a death game? He never planned to make anything special of himself; other people on this island probably had some grand aspirations. Most of those people with such grand plans were already dead. Now, he thought about who 'deserved' to go home, if that was even a thing. Up til now he hadn't put much thought to that but with very little else to do, almost nobody to talk to, the simplest of questions could be the most provocative.
"I deserve it," Justin muttered, not even realizing he'd said it aloud.
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
"I'm sure you do," she said, looking at him with a kind of calm intensity. She supposed maybe this was what it was like to be other people talking to her. Why should it be me? Well because I'm me. I'm in this meat bag instead of in another meat bag, so this is the one that should live.
There was something a little hollow about that and it made her feel uncomfortable. She supposed maybe it was time to get going, having consumed most of the consumables.
"Well, thanks for the date," she said, getting up. "Guess I'm off to ruse some people into letting me join their group for awhile. Since i gave you some food and didn't cause too much trouble...."
She thought about asking Justin to put in a good word for her for whoever he came across but given what his reputation likely was by now, maybe she didn't want his endorsement.
"Well, never mind."
Tirzah picked up her things and started off in the direction she came from. She turned around and waved goodbye to Justin.
"Kill you later!" she said. A moment of silence passed.
"Just kidding."
((Tirzah Foss continued elsewhere))
There was something a little hollow about that and it made her feel uncomfortable. She supposed maybe it was time to get going, having consumed most of the consumables.
"Well, thanks for the date," she said, getting up. "Guess I'm off to ruse some people into letting me join their group for awhile. Since i gave you some food and didn't cause too much trouble...."
She thought about asking Justin to put in a good word for her for whoever he came across but given what his reputation likely was by now, maybe she didn't want his endorsement.
"Well, never mind."
Tirzah picked up her things and started off in the direction she came from. She turned around and waved goodbye to Justin.
"Kill you later!" she said. A moment of silence passed.
"Just kidding."
((Tirzah Foss continued elsewhere))
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
Justin watched her leave without responding to her... joke, if he was giving her the benefit of the doubt to call it that.
If they ever saw each other again, he'd have to do his best to try and kill her. It was nice that they got to enjoy a little reprieve from all the madness and just talk, but it was all with the knowledge that the peace was illusory. He'd leave, and would try to kill the next person he saw. Rinse and repeat, until he killed the last remaining classmate or until he died.
Now there was a joke, so smokey and bitter, leaving a bad taste just from thinking about it.
Justin smiled, because there was no other response.
((Justin Greene continued in you're nobody till somebody kills you))
If they ever saw each other again, he'd have to do his best to try and kill her. It was nice that they got to enjoy a little reprieve from all the madness and just talk, but it was all with the knowledge that the peace was illusory. He'd leave, and would try to kill the next person he saw. Rinse and repeat, until he killed the last remaining classmate or until he died.
Now there was a joke, so smokey and bitter, leaving a bad taste just from thinking about it.
Justin smiled, because there was no other response.
((Justin Greene continued in you're nobody till somebody kills you))