Have It Your Way

In Canada - After the Hospital, before the plane

For the first time ever, students from the fourth version of Survival of the Fittest were rescued and returned to their families. This is where the eventual fates of the twenty-nine surviving students is detailed.
User avatar
Brackie
Posts: 787
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:37 pm

Have It Your Way

#1

Post by Brackie »

Seconds, hours, days, it was an age ago they were ushered out of the hospital and into the waiting bus. The plane was waiting for them, that godforsaken plane which was waiting to rescue the twenty or so survivors back to their native soil. So many days in recovery, so many days in therapy, so many days spent crying and mourning over those who never made it. But they were all safe, and that was the thing that mattered to most of them.

At least that's how Brendan saw it.

After a long time on the bus, it churned to a stop outside a familiar sign. It wasn't the airport, obviously. It wasn't another hospital, or anything useful really. It was just an unfulfilled promise.

One of the members, a woman with a blonde ponytail, jumped up from out of her seat, and clasped her hands on the bars as she spoke loudly to the bus of Bayview survivors.

"Alright folks, we promised you a happy meal, and here we are. Anyone who wants to chow down before we head back to the good old U-S-of-A, here's your last stop."

((GMing done with permission by staff. Open thread for any character who wanted that sweet sweet Happy Meal from McDonalds))

---

There wasn't that many who stepped in, at least not to Brendan's perceived standards. Chase had joined him, and he'd clasped his hand around the small asian girl who'd been almost catatonic, even after the hospital treatment, and taken her too. She was close to death, she needed to eat something.

They ordered their meals, Brendan ordering a silent Sarah her own Fillet o' Fish meal with coke, with the gift voucher the man in charge provided (four hundred dollars? No questions there), got them just as quickly, then sat down at one of the many empty booths.

But it was way too uncomfortable. Sure, it was a large booth, but so much empty space. Too much silence.

Brendan in particular was just...sitting there. Staring. Not at anyone in particular, but at the glorious piece of food that sat in front of him. Rations for a week, hospital food for even longer, and now he was getting real food. As much as McDonalds could be considered real food, though.

He wanted to talk to them. He'd been in recovery in the hospital for most of the time, so his time had been spent less worrying about Chase, and Sarah, and everyone he saw on the boat or heard about, and more about his cracked ribs, his missing teeth, the bruising in his head that could just have easily given him a concussion or sent him into a coma or even killed him. Kitty really had fucked him up good. He never wished bad against too many people in his past before, but he really wanted her dead for what he put him and Chase through in those last few hours.

But he didn't know what to say. He'd thought it over, and most words were meaningless after what he needed to say.

Instead of speaking, he picked up his large quarter pounder, took the box away, and started wolfing it down.
[+] The Island
V4: G069 - Clio Gabriella: Hold me closer, tiny dancer; count the headlights on the highway to hell.
V4: G083 - Paige Strand: Feelings don't try to hurt you, even the painful ones. You're responsible for all of the damn consequences.
V4: B118 - Jacob Charles: Every grieving heart has screamed at one time or another 'why can't you just let me die?'
V4: G114 - Aston Bennett: A woman who desires revenge must dig three graves.
V4: B108 - Ma'afu Tuigamala: Most men would rather forget a hard truth than face it.
V5: G015 - Janie Sinneave: Every human being must find her own way to cope with the impossible, and the only job of a true friend is to facilitate whatever method she doesn't choose.
V6: B018 - Maxim Kehlenbrink: Too much self-centered attitude brings isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger, and a hammer to the skull.
V7: G044 - Mikki Swift: It takes 18 years to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it.
V7: G070 - Jessica Rennes: Despair is our chance to wrestle with water and fall through.
V7: G075 - Aditi Sharma: She can still scream that rebel yell, just as loud as it was in 2005.
[+] Home
V4: B042 - Brendan Wallace: History has a way of repeating itself for years to come.
Meanwhile...
v5 - Penny Huang: Good girls can make bad decisions.
v5 - Jasper Rourke: Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "what could have been".
v7 - Gaelan Meloy: And nothing matters.
v7 - Jordan Brankovich: Rethinking it all.
v7 - Kayden Brockman: Not done yet.
v7 - Ji-hyun Christensen: Just getting started.
[+] Remind Me Tomorrow
Destiny Martinez will live fast and die faster.
Aidan Winston is going to let you know you're not solving anything.
Lara Rodriguez thinks you should keep your opinion on her to yourself.
Peyton Hoffman isn't fond of the PC Police ruining everything.
Lindsey Sewall wants to make sure you drank water today you stupid bitch.
Luke Travers needs to have a code.
I'm hosting a SOTF!
SOTF: International
Applications Open Now!
User avatar
KamiKaze
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:47 pm
Location: Behind you.

#2

Post by KamiKaze »

She'd made it.

She never thought she'd live to see another Happy Meal. Chase didn't even like fast food. Working at fast food had lessened her opinion of it, and normally she'd be sick of it. But for the first time in her life, she was kind of happy to see the burger in front of her.

What could she say?

Being in the hospital was kind of stressful, she had to admit. Initially, she had tried to decline being there in the first place, even offering to prove that she didn't need to go by doing a lap around the place, but in the end they had won out and soon Chase was with everyone else. Chase wasn't injured, but as the doctors quickly found she still needed medical care.

They had two main concerns regarding her health; one, she had lost a lot of weight. Chase, being naturally somewhat scrawny to begin with, had lost a significant amount of weight on the island, potentially putting her life in danger. As a result, it was a goal to increase weight even now. She had plumped up a small amount since she had arrived at the hospital, and while she was still skinny she at least was gradually gaining weight. It was difficult to even keep food down at first, but she was getting there.

The other concern? Her mental well-being. Which wasn't so easy to conquer. Chase ended up having multiple panic attacks when she was in the hospital. The first time was when they decided to cut her hair for "hygiene reasons". Her long dark hair, normally well-taken care of, had been extremely tangled during her time on the island, to the point where according to the people there said it was wasn't salvageable and it was a good idea to remove part of it for both comfort and hygiene reasons. Needless to say? Chase initially agreed despite the fact that she would miss having long hair, only to start hyperventilating when the hair was actually touched. It just... somehow reminded her too much of Gracie, that time where she grabbed her by the hair. A good portion had been cut off by the end, but still, for obvious reasons it took a while. The second time was when she was having a conversation with one of the therapists, only to start breaking down in tears partway through. It then happened a third and fourth time, the same way. She was triggered by a beeping noise in the hospital. And, most humorously of all, she had once been triggered by Scooby Doo. Chase happened to be watching it at the time, it ended up making her panic, and, well, the nurse had a hard time getting her to calm down even after she turned it off.

In hindsight, that last one was kind of funny. Her. Freaking out over Scooby Doo.

The downside was, it left a small warning to her. It meant that if Scooby Doo, of all things, could trigger her, then... most things she couldn't watch anymore, at least right now. It left Chase with a small sense of melancholy, knowing that all those horror films she liked to watch would never be the same again. Even if she magically stopped panicking over films, she'd still be reminded of what happened on that island. It only served to emphasize how much had been taken from her.

Heck, to be honest? She still wasn't sure if she deserved it as much as other people. Erik hadn't escaped. Aston hadn't escaped. Peter, that boy who had rescued them, hadn't escaped. She didn't even get to say goodbye or, heck, even a thank you. There were so many people who deserved to live over her. Much better, and much braver. What about Jon, or Dawne, or Rekka? Or what about Joshua, Marty, Michelle, Ben, pretty much everyone? Of course, there were people that didn't deserve to escape. The obvious choices were people like Maxwell, but she personally had to add people like Kitty and Gracie to the list. Chase could never forgive Kitty for what she did to Brendan. She had attacked him for no good reason, and could have killed him.

But in the end, she'd made it. It was a beautiful thing really. In a way, she had been given a second chance at life. And in the end, she had taken it. Initially for Brendan's sake, but she was now alive. For the time being, it was over. Almost. Kind of. She knew her life would be different from this point forward, but she was, for the first time in a while, happy to be alive.

So, how about them Mickey D's? She had gotten the hamburger, milkshake and fries she had wanted. Burgers and fries man. Somehow, fast food seemed delicious right now. Then again, anything was preferable to starvation and having to salvage for food. Chase had gone in with Brendan, and gotten herself a meal. So now she was trying her best to awkwardly peel apart the wrapper concealing her meaty glory. It took a few more seconds than it really should, but soon the Big Mac was unwrapped and made its way towards her mouth.

It was delicious.

For now, she just needed to spend time with Brendan. She had been awfully protective of him lately. Who wouldn't, with his condition? Just a meal between two friends. What else could one ask for? Well, a lot of things, but perhaps it was the simple things that counted right now.
selphie_trabia†
Posts: 197
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am

#3

Post by selphie_trabia† »

After the rescue and subsequent hospitalisation for exposure, all the pent up adrenalin Sarah had on the island left her body, leaving her in a semi-catatonic state for some time.

She hadn't dealt well with the post-traumatic stress disorder. She'd spent the first few days by Brendan's side, throwing a fit and screaming non-stop when they tried to get her to leave him. At first, she didn't want to eat at all, then she started throwing up everything she ate. Now, she hardly ate, but at least kept down what she ate. Then, of course, there were the nightmares and the panic attacks and the bouts of catatonia. She had some counselling, of course and lots of medication, which she hated. They'd deemed her sane enough to travel home, now, though she was under some supervision.

With Brendan there to guide her, Sarah shuffled into the well-franchised fast food outlet, working her way towards the counter. She stood in front of the counter, staring at the pimply-faced young boy behind it.

He gawped back at her. "Hey, you're not Stan are you?"

Sarah opened her mouth. No sound came out. She clenched her fists and tried again. Still no answer.

After some time, Brendan ordered for her, then led her to her seat. Sarah looked at her food. Even the smell of it was making her sick. She opened up the paper box, revealing the plastic meal inside. She stared at it, then took a tiny nibble.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler selphie_trabia. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
Little Boy†
Posts: 256
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:47 am

#4

Post by Little Boy† »

"First off, you motherfuckers are going to supersize everything."

Jay Holland stood at the front of the line, speaking with authority. His face was hardened, a dangerous look in his eyes. Comical, in truth. Jay had lost a lot more weight then he'd initially thought. Coupled with lack of sleep, both on the island and off, and Jay looked more like a starving African child than anything else.

"I want six McDoubles. You are going to stack that shit. You are going to put fries inside the fucking burgers, and you're gonna have someone fill up those dinky little ketchup cups with Oreo McFlurry, so I can take some shots of that. I want four quarter pounders, and I want you to put THAT together, so you can call it like, a fuckin' pounder or something. Also. All of the ice cream. Empty the god damn ice cream machine. Keep filling up milkshakes until its empty, I'll take all of it."

The bespectacled boy behind the register looked completely bewildered for a second, before dutifully inputting Jay's order.

Jay paused for a moment, taking a breath and shooting a hasty glance back towards the door, where a member of STAR stood, keeping an eye on things. Jay turned back to the Cashier, realizing he'd begun clenching his fists. Awkwardly he cleared his throat, and the youth looked up at him again, expecting more. Jay zoned back into reality, blinking away memories.

I left them on a beach...

"I didn't mention drinks, did I?" Jay said sternly.

The youth shook his head.

"Biggest cup size you got, I want a coffee and a Pepsi," Jay said. "Yeah, I want a ten by ten, sugar and milk. I want sugar grains at the bottom of the cup, unable to dissolve because there is so fucking much of it. And because I'm an American, I want all of this super fuckin' fast."

"For... here?" The employee said.

Jay nodded sharply, trying his best to avoid cracking a smile.

"And toys. Do you guys have like, Hot Wheels? I want one of each of them."

"I'm sorry. We've got uh, Transformers at the moment."

"Fuck it then."

------

It took him several trips to take all the food to the table.

I survived Terrorism. I have the right to get fat.

As he dropped his tray down next to Brendan, Jay let out a sigh, and stretched.

"Fuckin' Canadians."

With that he sat down, grabbing at the nearest bag and withdrawing a Quarter Pounder. As he flipped open the lid, he looked around the table.

Brendan, Chase and Sarah. He didn't know any of them particularly well, but he'd been placed in the same wing as Brendan at the hospital, and they'd talked a bit. Not a whole lot, and certainly not about the game.

Doesn't matter much. Not like I can go and sit with Hayley and Alex and Jas'.

A dull pain in his stomach. A twitch in his hand. Before he could start thinking, Jay shoved the burger in his mouth, nearly causing himself to gag. He pulled away, chewing loudly, slurping at his Pepsi.

"Oh my fuck, this is good guys," He said, his eyes bulging. Jay pointed toward his burger, looking at his fellow classmates with wonder in his eyes. "I take it back, I like these people now. They patch us up for free, and their burgers don't even have spit in it. You can totally tell there is a lack of spit in this burger."

He glanced toward the girls, Chase and Sarah. He hadn't known them before. Quiet girls. Never in a million years had he thought he'd been here, in the middle of bumfuck B.C, dining on five trays of food with maniac depressive terrorist victims. His life had taken a turn for the strange.

Don't think about anything, eat your burger and act stupid.

Jay took another bite, savoring it. Before he was even finished chewing, he had his hand in another bag, searching for fries.

"Weirdest boner right now, am I right? Whole new meaning to the term happy meal," Jay said, elbowing Brendan in the arm. "You should have seen the clerk's face, when he realized I was serious. I don't think anyone has ever dropped 120 bucks on McDonalds before. Least not up here in moose country."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Little Boy. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
Brackie
Posts: 787
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:37 pm

#5

Post by Brackie »

The silence evaporated like piss on a scorching sidewalk the moment Jay started walking up, hands chock-a-block full of bags upon bags of what smelt like god threw up every cheeseburger in the world. Trip after trip, and Brendan paused the devourment of his own burger just to watch what the hell was happening right next to him.

It was the exact kind of thing he expected from the same guy he shared a ward with for however long it was. The guy would talk, and he would talk, and he would not shut up. He spoke nothing of the game, nothing of everyone they'd lost, everyone he'd seen on TV die, and everything that had been weighing on his mind and conscience, but it was like he spoke of everything but that.

In hindsight...it helped a lot. It got his mind away from the things he'd read, the things he'd seen over those television feeds before they cut out. Those were the toughest days, and without the help of people like Sarah by his bedside, and watching people like the girl who'd been shot all those times make the lengths of recovery, he might have just given up.

Brendan smiled at the ribbing from the new acquaintance, even managed a fake chuckle. But there was something about the guy. Everyone in the ward, hell everyone in the hospital had taken massive amounts of therapy, and it showed. Chase cried almost at the drop of a hat, Sarah wasn't even speaking, and Brendan wasn't even sure what fucked-up part of his subconscious was gonna crop up if he lived to see forty. But Jay...

It wasn't time to think about it right now. He was past that, past thinking about that fucking island.

"You, uh, sure you can eat all that? Cause if you vomit over me, you're buying me new clothes."

Turning his attention a bit towards the half-mooned burger, he took one more bite. Secretly he kinda just wanted an extra burger from the mountain on Jay's adjoining table. And he also kinda just wanted Jay not to explode his intestine in a rare case of irony unseen outside of dramas and melodrama.

"It's...it's kinda hard to believe, really, we're out of there. Off...well...you know..." A few flakes of sesame seed and processed burger came flying out, only narrowly missing Jay's own burger.

"Oop, sorry."

It really was something hard to believe right now.

Not the fact that Erik-

No. No.
[+] The Island
V4: G069 - Clio Gabriella: Hold me closer, tiny dancer; count the headlights on the highway to hell.
V4: G083 - Paige Strand: Feelings don't try to hurt you, even the painful ones. You're responsible for all of the damn consequences.
V4: B118 - Jacob Charles: Every grieving heart has screamed at one time or another 'why can't you just let me die?'
V4: G114 - Aston Bennett: A woman who desires revenge must dig three graves.
V4: B108 - Ma'afu Tuigamala: Most men would rather forget a hard truth than face it.
V5: G015 - Janie Sinneave: Every human being must find her own way to cope with the impossible, and the only job of a true friend is to facilitate whatever method she doesn't choose.
V6: B018 - Maxim Kehlenbrink: Too much self-centered attitude brings isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger, and a hammer to the skull.
V7: G044 - Mikki Swift: It takes 18 years to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it.
V7: G070 - Jessica Rennes: Despair is our chance to wrestle with water and fall through.
V7: G075 - Aditi Sharma: She can still scream that rebel yell, just as loud as it was in 2005.
[+] Home
V4: B042 - Brendan Wallace: History has a way of repeating itself for years to come.
Meanwhile...
v5 - Penny Huang: Good girls can make bad decisions.
v5 - Jasper Rourke: Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "what could have been".
v7 - Gaelan Meloy: And nothing matters.
v7 - Jordan Brankovich: Rethinking it all.
v7 - Kayden Brockman: Not done yet.
v7 - Ji-hyun Christensen: Just getting started.
[+] Remind Me Tomorrow
Destiny Martinez will live fast and die faster.
Aidan Winston is going to let you know you're not solving anything.
Lara Rodriguez thinks you should keep your opinion on her to yourself.
Peyton Hoffman isn't fond of the PC Police ruining everything.
Lindsey Sewall wants to make sure you drank water today you stupid bitch.
Luke Travers needs to have a code.
I'm hosting a SOTF!
SOTF: International
Applications Open Now!
User avatar
KamiKaze
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:47 pm
Location: Behind you.

#6

Post by KamiKaze »

So here they were, just snacking on burgers. Brendan's friend Sarah- not the Sarah who was an activist and apparently like brains a bit too much, but a different Sarah, who was even smaller than her- had joined them, and looked at her food miserably. All around, it was eerily quiet between them.

Maybe Chase should say something. Non-island related. For example, would they allow them to play on the Play thing, even though they were teenagers and have to go to the airport soon? Wait, no, don't do that. Some sort of discussion about movies? What movies? No one got to see movies on the island. Perhaps small talk? But where to go from there?

And magically, an answer fell from the sky. Or rather, started yelling at the cashier to give him... pretty much everything supersized. Chase withdrew the burger from her mouth again, chewing with an interested look. What was that guy doing? Wait a sec, was that Jay Holland? She knew of Jay. He seemed like a talker, to say the least.

After she had swallowed, Jay had appeared and placed a tray on their table. And another. And another. It was like some cartoon! Chase couldn't help but giggle a bit harder as the trays continued.

Finally, he set what she hoped was the final tray, and made comments about his decision to pile up as much food as possible. Even at a time like this, saying you having a boner over the food brought a new meaning to the phrase "Happy Meal" was still like a condiment to the whole "look at how many burgers I'm eating" thing.

As Chase tried to calm down from her laughter, Brendan had finally spoke, asking if he could really eat that much. Personally? She think only someone with a steel stomach could eat that much. Then again, you never know with this Jay man and his tray upon tray of supersized everything.

But Chase's smile faded when Brendan spoke again.

They're really talking about that now? Really? For the time being, Chase wanted to leave it behind her. She wanted nothing more to forget and just... she didn't know. She guessed she didn't really want to talk about that topic that much. Maybe because it was personal. Everyone's time on murder death island was kind of like a snowflake, really. One of a kind experience? Yeah. In any case, not good McDonalds' talk material. She had already been triggered by of all things Scooby Doo, she didn't need to add the "McDonalds' story" to the list. That would be a dumb story, anyways. Chase happily is eating a burger, guy pops up with an enormous amount of burgers, discussion turns to that place, Chase panics eventually. Yeah, no. She wanted to keep it at the guy pops up with an enormous amount of food part, really.

"I... uh, kinda don't want to think about that", she said quietly, and immediately after shoved the burger in her mouth again.

It was like a gag, really, at least temporarily. She prayed to god that no one would talk about that. Sarah didn't talk too much, which made Chase kind of worried about her of course. Poor girl had taken the whole thing harder than she did. She didn't know about Jay, though. Come to think of it, she didn't know him that well.

Once that bite was done, she asked "Uh, Jay, right? Are you sure... you know... that you'll be able to finish before we go or even... you know, keep it down? Because, erm, it looks like a lot. Are you going to take a doggie bag and bring it on the plane if you're not even done? Because, well, th-that would be kind of funny."

Another smile came from her. So far so good.
User avatar
MK Kilmarnock
Posts: 1931
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
Location: On one of the coasts, generally

#7

Post by MK Kilmarnock »

There was only so much a delicious double quarter pounder with cheese, complete with fries and chocolate shake, could cure. It beat the hell out of starvation for sure; hospital food just wasn't making the cut. But despite all the magical properties Felicia heard chocolate was supposed to have, the artery-clogging goodness of her meal did nothing to fill the void in her heart.

Samaya, Melissa, Aislyn, Rosa... all of them had died. Felicia was momentarily reminded of the less important fact that she had left her yearbook, the one she had been using to mark those who had died in some sort of morbid ritual, on the island. That's right, she left it there when they were at the infirmary, and that kid... Another pile of bullshit, just like everything else. That's all it was. She had to learn to put this all in the past if...

No. She'd never do that.

She had hardly said a word to anybody in the hospital. Almost anybody, anyway. Felicia turned her thoughts back to a particular person as she quietly muttered her order to the McSlave behind the counter. In almost no time at all, true to McDonalds fashion, there was a tray of food set before her that all of a month ago, she would've scarfed down in no time flat. Then she would've gone back to playing some DotA or shit like that. Lately, Felicia had been feeling too sick to eat. Crying did wonders to ruin one's appetite, and when you combined that with the hospital food... well, she was pretty sure there were starving kids in third world countries who were eating more than her. Perhaps the fast food would coax out a bite or two.

The girl took her tray with another mumbled 'thank you', then turned towards the tables. The look in the clerk's eye was irritating... as though he was trying to pretend that he knew what she was going through. Like anybody knew what they were going through on that island. As though any of them - Felicia slid her eyes over to the table that was being very lively, mostly thanks to Jay - knew what she was going through in particular. They didn't have to watch Rosa die in front of them, did they?

You're being selfish. We all had friends die, so don't pretend like it only happened to you.

Fuck you! There was only one Rosa!

... Yeah, there was. But there was only one EVERYBODY, and none of them are coming back. Only a complete loner stood any chance of not losing anybody on the island. And all the loners are probably dead too, y'know?

... Yeah. I know. I'm being selfish.

Just eat your burger. Maybe you'll feel better, huh? Aislyn wouldn't want you moping. You survived. You lived.

Right. I'll just... uh... eat this burger which totally won't kill me.


Felicia sat down at a nearby table, drowning her sorrows in a chocolate shake.
selphie_trabia†
Posts: 197
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am

#8

Post by selphie_trabia† »

Sarah nibbled another small portion of her burger, and took a sip of her coke. The doctors said she had to gain some weight. She swallowed the food down and sat there, looking somewhat miserable, more so that Brendan had brought up her little eating problem.

Sarah shrank back in her seat and shook her head vigorously, taking the fish burger with her. She bit into it again, chewing and swallowing.

Chase joined them. Sarah liked Chase, who was more cheerful than she was all the time now. They'd become friends in group therapy, and Sarah had latched onto Chase as her pillar of sanity, so to speak. Well, there was that one incident where BOTH of them wigged out at the same time, but it was all right otherwise.

She smiled and patted the chair next to her, indicating an invitation to Chase, then took another bite, chewing the food and swallowing it. She had to keep the food down. She'd eaten three bites of the burger now, and had at least half the coke, giggling at Jay's weird behaviour. Perhaps he was on the other side of the eating spectrum.

Then Brendan said something awful, again. Sarah gawped at the boy. She had to expect Brendan to be a little bit insensitive, but this was really pushing it. She felt the bile rise up in her throat. She shut her eyes, swallowing it back down. She didn't want to think about the island. She just wanted to forget. Everyone kept reminding her of it.

They all died to protect little Sarah. And Sarah, she'd run away. She ran when she could have stayed and helped. She ran. Everyone else's deaths, from after she left. They were all her fault!

Sarah swallowed and put the burger back in its box, pushing it away from her, she murmured "I'm not hungry anymore..."

Three bites and half a coke. A personal record.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler selphie_trabia. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
Little Boy†
Posts: 256
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:47 am

#9

Post by Little Boy† »

It was just his luck.

Brendan was a nice enough guy. Jay was sure he'd have gone crazy at first, locked up in a hospital with nothing to do. Brendan had been a constant source of amusement, and for that Jay was glad. He'd survived with nary a scratch, which had turned into more of a curse than a blessing. He wasn't allowed to leave the grounds unaccompanied. A STAR member was usually close by, or some other hospital staff. It was maddening, infuriating. He was fine, maybe a little unhealthy physically, but nothing a good meal couldn't fix. But he was still kept under tight control, his every move monitored, as if they expected him to do something crazy.

Even worse was the bullshit sessions he was mandated to take.

It drove him up the wall, and as irrational as it was, he hated it more than the Island. On the Island at least he could piss by himself.

Bitching would have been his first option, had they not let him wander the halls and entire other students rooms.

Some of it was rough. Andrea Raymer had been in a fight on one of the last days, and had been set up on some machines. Jay hadn't caught the full story, and the Hospital staff would rather bite off their own tongues then show him real SotF footage. The most he got was hearsay and gossip from STARs and other surviving students. Something about a kid named Alex White, who Jay didn't know.

Andrea had never been his closest friend. But seeing her hooked up with some sort of spinal injury, it sent his stomach into fits all the same. He couldn't stay long in her room, and any attempt at sympathy died in his throat. How could he understand? How could he even dare to? He barely knew the girl. Everyone had suffered differently, and to prying into it wasn't something he intended to do.

What happened was her business.

Brendan was awake though. Brendan had been awake, and he had been Jay's roomie for the stay at the Hospital. Jay had a feeling Brendan was more than slightly annoyed at his constant chatter, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Brendan was a decent kid, and he was never rude. That was all Jay could have asked for. But Brendan had it wrong.

The only way off the Island, and the only way forward was to move on.

Stop thinking. Start joking.

Chase understood. He'd never been close friends with her, but Jay appreciated her more than ever in that moment. Jay gave a chuckle, purposefully avoiding Brendan's remark. It was obvious, but he jumped on it quick before anyone else could respond.

"Hey Chase. You ever heard of this Japanese guy, Kobayashi?"

Jay grabbed a Quarter Pounder from out of another box, holding it up dramatically for all the table to see.

"Dude could swallow this in one bite. He's like... like Shaggy from Scooby Doo. He eats and eats and doesn't get fat. Fastest metabolism in the west."

Jay took a bite, pausing to savor it for a second before continuing.

"Dude ate 69 hotdogs in a minute. I wiki'd that shit! I'm like him, I've got a black hole in my stomach. I could eat all this if you give me enough time."

Jay's eyes flickered around the table and over the various trays of food, before falling on a smaller bag. Opening it, a grin spread across his face. Triumphantly he pulled out two ketchup holders, filled with Oreo McFlurry. Jay leaned back in his chair, admiring the prize in his hands.

"I can't believe they actually did it," He said, a look of childlike onder in his eyes. "Someone deserves a raise. McFlurry Shots."

He looked across the table, from Chase to Brendan, to Sarah, the quieter girl. Reaching across the table, he offered her a ketchup container.

"Yo', have a shot. This is awesome, you need to try it." He said, dropping it on Sarah's tray. He placed the second in front of Brendan, an apology of sorts for shifting the conversation so rapidly.

Jay cast a backwards glance toward the doors, watching the other students eat. Some sat together, others alone. He bit his lip lightly, his fingers jittering and tapping on his knee.

"I think I've got some more. Maybe we could call some other people over. Have a contest, just for shits and giggles."
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Little Boy. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
Brackie
Posts: 787
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 3:37 pm

#10

Post by Brackie »

So he was the only one really ready to acknowledge it?

Fine.

Time to shut up.

He wasn't sure what this made him - disaffected? Disinterested? Something with a d. Maybe that was how much the island screwed him up. Disassociated? He was so willing to talk about it, despite everything happening - Chris, Charlotte, Jaclyn, Carla, Liz, Steven, Jackie, and the girl he saw freshly dead on the shore...not to mention Andrea, dear god nobody should ever forget Andrea and what she went through making it back - despite everything he was so okay talking about his days spent so close to death, only sweet lady luck granting him reprieve. What did that make him compared to his friends who survived?

But like everyone seemed to shoot him, especially Jay: put it behind you. get your foot out of your mouth. stop thinking about it, and you'll stop yourself and everyone else around you from grief.

So he sat there, curling his lip at the noticeable whiplash from the conversation change.

And his lip swelled into a smile once he started listening to Jay's story.

And his lips coughed up laughter once he realised what Jay was proposing. So he'd gotten himself actual shots of McFlurry. Dammit Brendan loved McFlurry, especially Oreo. Oreo McFlurry shots like he ordered shots of spirits. Was it just for shits and giggles? Did he have any other reason to order it that way other than shits and giggles?

But then again, this sounded like something he could get behind. A McFlurry-shot contest.

"So what, like-" Brendan mimed drowning a shot in rapid speed then slamming it on the table, then again. "-that kind of contest?"

"Sounds like fun."

He did mean that kind of contest, right?
[+] The Island
V4: G069 - Clio Gabriella: Hold me closer, tiny dancer; count the headlights on the highway to hell.
V4: G083 - Paige Strand: Feelings don't try to hurt you, even the painful ones. You're responsible for all of the damn consequences.
V4: B118 - Jacob Charles: Every grieving heart has screamed at one time or another 'why can't you just let me die?'
V4: G114 - Aston Bennett: A woman who desires revenge must dig three graves.
V4: B108 - Ma'afu Tuigamala: Most men would rather forget a hard truth than face it.
V5: G015 - Janie Sinneave: Every human being must find her own way to cope with the impossible, and the only job of a true friend is to facilitate whatever method she doesn't choose.
V6: B018 - Maxim Kehlenbrink: Too much self-centered attitude brings isolation. Result: loneliness, fear, anger, and a hammer to the skull.
V7: G044 - Mikki Swift: It takes 18 years to build a reputation and a minute to ruin it.
V7: G070 - Jessica Rennes: Despair is our chance to wrestle with water and fall through.
V7: G075 - Aditi Sharma: She can still scream that rebel yell, just as loud as it was in 2005.
[+] Home
V4: B042 - Brendan Wallace: History has a way of repeating itself for years to come.
Meanwhile...
v5 - Penny Huang: Good girls can make bad decisions.
v5 - Jasper Rourke: Of all the words of mice and men, the saddest are, "what could have been".
v7 - Gaelan Meloy: And nothing matters.
v7 - Jordan Brankovich: Rethinking it all.
v7 - Kayden Brockman: Not done yet.
v7 - Ji-hyun Christensen: Just getting started.
[+] Remind Me Tomorrow
Destiny Martinez will live fast and die faster.
Aidan Winston is going to let you know you're not solving anything.
Lara Rodriguez thinks you should keep your opinion on her to yourself.
Peyton Hoffman isn't fond of the PC Police ruining everything.
Lindsey Sewall wants to make sure you drank water today you stupid bitch.
Luke Travers needs to have a code.
I'm hosting a SOTF!
SOTF: International
Applications Open Now!
User avatar
KamiKaze
Posts: 937
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:47 pm
Location: Behind you.

#11

Post by KamiKaze »

That brief look that flashed on Brendan's face wasn't a good sign.

What could she say? He was now curling his lip as if in displeasure. Maybe he did actually want to chat about their time on the killy place. But even if Chase wanted to... well, Sarah was clearly upset and stopped eating. That wasn't a good sign. Chase already had a good indicator of how fragile she was based on the group therapy sessions, and, well, again, McDonalds' wasn't a good place to talk about triggers, at least, she didn't think. Maybe in private, certainly, heck, maybe on the plane, but in a crowded Micky D's where everyone can notice you? She didn't even know. She wasn't the expert on this. Maybe they should have let him talk if he really did want to talk.

For a few seconds, a look flashed on Chase's own face, this time resembling an abused puppy. Maybe he did. Maybe they should have let him speak. What really could she say, though? Sarah was sensitive enough as is, Chase wanted to not talk about it, Jay... she didn't even know, and Brendan wanted to talk apparently. It was awkward, to say the least.

But Jay continued, and the look went away.

Okay, according to him he could eat that, because... there was a guy who was able to eat 69 hot dogs and never get fat. She couldn't help but make an awkward smile at the whole comparison to Shaggy from Scooby Doo. It was like that show was haunting her lately or something. In any case, apparently he felt like he could eat it. She had a vague premonition of him vomiting it all up on the plane due to motion sickness or whatever, or heck, possibly eating more food.

And suddenly, he unveiled what appeared to be those tiny condiment cups, only instead of actual condiments they were... Oreo McFlurry. Really. She didn't even know people at McDonalds' could fulfill that request to put McFlurry into ketchup containers like they were shots.

At least Brendan was laughing now. Which was a relief. It wasn't that bad, it seemed.

Jay soon immediately started offering some to Sarah, who was currently shrinking away, and then to Brendan. Apparently he had more, as well. Perhaps she could ask for some, as well?

But too late. Because you know what was apparently about to happen? Eating contest. She took a quick glance towards the door. Would the STAR people approve? Hopefully they would. Then again, the last time she participated in an eating contest she started choking on her donut. Eh, probably she'd be fine this time.

God, what a weird way to celebrate making it home. All our friends are dead. We almost died. Let's eat McFlurrys in ketchup cups. Really.

"I agree! It sounds kinda fun. Just... just how many do you have, Jay? J-just so we know?"
selphie_trabia†
Posts: 197
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 7:51 am

#12

Post by selphie_trabia† »

Sarah didn't recognise the cheerful boy. She was never a social butterfly, and that carried through to after the games as well. She knew that the boy was from their school, remembering his face among the sea of faces in the school halls.

But, he was funny and he gave her a present. She smiled at him, but shook her head when he suggested an eating contest.

"I don't... eat very fast, but I can still have this?" she murmured.

Before anyone gave her an answer, she began to eat it, ever so slowly. Somehow, ice cream made her hungry when everything else didn't.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler selphie_trabia. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
Little Boy†
Posts: 256
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 4:47 am

#13

Post by Little Boy† »

Jay tapped his fingers on the table, bobbing his head. It hadn't been a smooth transition, but it was plain to see that everyone was on the same page. No talk about the game.

Well, everyone except Brendan. But even he seemed to get over it quickly, when confronted with Oreo McFlurry shots. Jay reached into the bag, producing cup upon cup, around fifteen in all.

"Okay, yeah, exactly like that Brendan. Just like normal shots, only with McFlurries."

He spread the cups out to the four of them, nudging another towards Sarah. The girl seemed pretty shaky still. He doubted she'd join them, but there was no sense in not playing the good bartender and refusing her another shot.

I hope she doesn't start bawling. Holy fuck, that would be so awkward.

Chase had been giggling the entire time. Jay turned his attention back towards her, a smile coming easy to his face. She was pretty cute. Odd, but she wasn't ugly.

"I agree! It sounds kinda fun," Chase said. "Just... just how many do you have, Jay? J-just so we know?"

"Just do as much as you can! We all got uh...," Jay paused a moment, mentally calculating. "Uh... Six. Yes, we all got Six cups. No, no we need way more than that."

Jay quickly glanced back into his bag, grabbing a few more containers out and putting them on the table.

First and last time I bash Canadians. If I had a job, I wouldn't have given a shit if some douchebag told me to make McFlurry shots for 'em.

"Okay, not gonna bother counting them out to you all, we all know I'm a fucking idiot who doesn't know math. Uhhh, if anyone goes past six, just grab another." He said.

Jay craned his neck, turning around in his seat.

"We need more people..." He mumbled to himself.

The rest of the survivors had spread out all around the store under the watchful eyes of STAR. They were clustered in groups at other tables, most talking quietly. Some however, sat alone. Jay felt goosebumps on his skin.

They always been loners, or is this a new experience for them? We can fit our entire graduating class into a McDonalds. Heh. I shouldn't have even graduated.

His eyes fell on a girl sitting at a table nearby. Felicia.

"Hey, Felicia," He said, a bit louder than he'd meant. Several heads turned, but Jay paid them little mind. Jay raised up a ketchup container, tipping it in her general direction. "McFlurry Shots. Want in?"
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Little Boy. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
User avatar
MK Kilmarnock
Posts: 1931
Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
Location: On one of the coasts, generally

#14

Post by MK Kilmarnock »

The lonely girl sitting by herself at the table held the heart-attack-bestowing sandwich in both hands, staring down at it. Felicia was hungry, but for some reason, she just found herself unable to gain the motivation to make burger meet mouth. Was this the rest of her life? If she could never again muster up the drive to do anything, then life from here on out would be empty. She would never be able to accomplish any of her life goals. She would never love again. She'd probably never play another shooter without bursting into fits of PTSD. Life was useless, now.

"Hey, now. That's not the way to be, is it?"

Felicia stared at the burger in her hands. It wasn't very hard to imagine, with the two dabs of ketchup that spattered the top bun and the pickle slice that just slightly jutted past the sandwich's edge, that there was a little face in there. Kind of cute, actually.

I really hope you're not talking to me, seeing as you're my food. And I'm really hungry.

"Yes, yes, I know that. And yet, you're not eating me."

... Point being?

"What's the problem?"


Felicia narrowed her eyes. This burger was really starting to piss her off, bringing up stupid questions like that. What's the problem? Any figment of her imagination should've known what the god-damned problem was.

Gee, let's see. Most of my friends are dead. My girlfriend is dead. I watched most of them die, sometimes in my arms. Had a dead body fall on me, once. Killed two people, and that's two faces I ain't ever going to forget. And, just because my brain hates me, I'm talking to supper.

"So?"

So? The hell do you mean, SO!?

"... I mean, if you keep living that out... what happened in the past. You're going to suffer forever."

Look, just... can we stop? I went down this road with Aislyn, and that conversation was every bit as real as this one. Meaning... not at all. I've heard it all before. Keep moving onward. Live for the future. Blah blah blah. Now, get in my belly.

"Sure. That is, if you can eat me."

... Come again?

"You've been holding me for, like, five minutes. If you were going to eat me, you would have already. What gives? This is what I'm wondering. You should be hungry. Don't I smell AWESOME?"

... You do. It's just, it's hard to eat when-

"Hey, Felicia."


"Hey, Felicia."

The mention of her name snapped Felicia out of her feverish conversation with her burger. Setting the thing down so she could turn her attention to finding who had called her, Felicia's eyes fell upon an unforgettable face: Jay. Jay was sitting with some kids... no, that wasn't proper, was it? Felicia knew them all. She had better know them all, especially the way their graduating class had gotten cut down to size like that. They were all very precious, those who were left. And precious moments like eating not-hospital food were always best when shared with precious people.

She felt moments of shyness, wanting to make her be a wallflower. That wasn't her. The Felicia Carmichael of Bayview would go into social situations with reckless abandon, party like it was going out of style, and dance like nobody was watching. Maybe that girl would never be exactly the same, but... maybe that's how the healing started.

"Yeah, alright, I'm game. Just... one sec," Felicia uttered, pushing her chair out and leaving her food where it was when she went over to the table."Puuuuuush over, my ass is comin' through! I'll McFlurry you under the goddamn table, son!"
User avatar
Whirlpool531†
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2018 4:14 am

#15

Post by Whirlpool531† »

Jojo was still looking at the menu while the others had begun ordering. Part of it was that he couldn't decide on what he wanted, the other part was trying to not let his survivor's guilt get in the way that others wouldn't ever get to taste this type of stuff ever again. True, he had escaped with next to nothing wrong with him physically aside from being malnourished. His mind however was a constant battlefield of emotions for most of the time they were kept at the hospital. There were plenty of faces that he recognized at the hospital of his classmates. But, for every one that he saw, he knew another that he'd never see again outside of the pictures left of them on Facebook and the like. Maria, John, Sunil, Roman, Saul...the list just went on and on in his head.

Until the therapy started he could hardly think about anything but those who he lost on the island. When it did start, all he could say was how it was all his fault most of the time. If only he'd kept a better watch on Maria she wouldn't have wandered off, if he kept John and Sunil around they could've been safe, if he had stayed up a bit longer he could've saved Roman, if he had been a bit more forceful he could've dragged Saul to the boat. After that came all the anxiety about the bodies, how their stench, decomposition, and wrecked forms had permeated every part of the island he walked through. He talked about how he still had nightmares about Maria's slashed throat and her bloodied corpse. After a while the nightmares stopped happening so frequently and he began to understand there wasn't much he could've done differently to stop what had happened, he still had a long road ahead of him.

But now, now was a time for indulgence, he saw how Jay had ordered and knew he couldn't do anything like that. He was going to have his way and love each and every moment of it.

"Excuse me..." he said as he finally approached the cashier who seemed anxious about this next order, "...I want a 50 piece box of chicken nuggets, three filet o' fish, two large fries, a Mcflurry in your largest cup with every type of McFlurry topping in it and a Coke in the same size. That'll all be for here" He layed down his voucher and watched as the cashier quickly took it and gave him his reciept. When he finally got his order, he couldn't do much more than smile as he took it along with several barbecue sauces and ketchups and took a seat close to Jay and the others but not too close. He missed talking with Jay but Brendan and that Sarah girl were over there along with a few others and he didn't want to talk with them right now. All he wanted to do was pop open the barbecue sauce, break out the chicken nuggets and slip right into his gluttony.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Whirlpool531. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Locked

Return to “V4 Post-Game”