((This post is a transition into day 3))
It was moments away now, the gun would fire and there would be nothing she could have done. Tabi could only squeeze her hands and clench her eyelids down into blindness. She didn't want to see it, when it did happen. Nick was going to die...
And yet, there was no sound. There was just...
Silence...
Her eyes began to creak open slowly. Her vision was blurry at first, clearing up as she opened more. Ivan and Nick were still there, but something had changed. Ivan didn't point have the gun pointing down at her classmate. He was as silent as the night air around her. She could feel her heart still rapidly beating in her chest, her breathing starting to regulate in silent puffs.
And then Ivan spoke.
Tabi was unsure of what to think at that moment. She felt happy to see that Ivan wasn't going to kill him, but there was a fear growing that he still may be ready to kill.
Her emotions continued to flip flop until Ivan ordered Nick to leave. She began to walk over to him, her legs wobbling with every step forwards. The event had taken hold once more in her mind. She had almost died today and she had almost watched another murder...
It was all so wrong, she was excited to wear that big cap that they gave you on the day of graduation. It was silly, and yet, it was also so cool to look at. She was ready to wear that cap too, she had bet that it was going to be snug too just they way she liked it...
Tabi watched Nick closely as he scurried away into the woods. He had stopped though for just a moment looking directly at her. He was bowing...
"Milady"
A shiver of disgust went through her body, as well as a pang of hurt. Tabi was never very good at catching sarcasm usually. Yet she could feel it right then and there and it had hurt her, the way that he had mocked her. He scrambled off into the distance and Tabi fought back a series of sniffles. If she cried to that now...He would win...
Tabi wiped her eyes and turned to Ivan. He looked calmer now, but still very odd. She fought back the urge to latch herself onto his arm. Her thoughts telling her that just being close would be enough right now.
"I-Ivan...are...are you okay?"
Peacemaker
*Private Thread we promise this is the last one for a while*
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GregTheAnti-Viking†
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MK Kilmarnock
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For all the words the defeated boy had said, there was nothing that could pierce the ice that had come over Ivan in order to extinguish the fire that had been there before. There was always the annoying feeling that maybe he had done the wrong thing as he watched Nick go; the smarmy rat of a boy was clearly begging to be shot. He had the nerve to bitch at Ivan when there was a gun pointed at him. He had the guts to insult Ivan when he was clearly the one in control, not Nick... any second, and he could have been dead. Maybe he wanted to be dead, but in that case, it was a wish Ivan had not granted. Then, worst of all... Nick had referred to Ivan as 'Danya's favorite boy'.
At the memory of those words, he finally understood what the right choice had been... he had made it. Ivan had already done a terrible act that many, many humans on this earth had never committed, much less a teenager. He could justify it all he wanted like he had been doing, but there was no excuse. In nearly repeating his mistake, it was made clear that, at any time, the beast within Ivan was still ready to come out. The dream of the weapon, the prize of his crimes just making all his fears go away was just that... a dream.
The grip on the shotgun in his left arm slackened, and Ivan's eyes lowered to the ground. Sweat had accumulated under his glasses and causing an uncomfortable amount of slipping, prompting Ivan to reach his right arm up to adjust them. Doing so, though, sent him a sharp reminder of the shape he was in in the form of a searing shot of pain, localized around the outside of his right arm.
"I-Ivan...are...are you okay?"
With his glasses in place, Ivan jerked his head to stare Tabi right in the eyes, while the tint of the lenses somewhat prevented her from reciprocating.
"I'm fine."
The statement in itself was abrupt and insincere, seeing as he was far from 'fine': he was annoyed at Tabi getting in trouble, angry at Nick's pride, furious at what he had tried to do to her, and in a bit of pain from his arm, which nagged at him once more. Maybe a bit of it was also the adrenaline still coursing through the boy's body (a familiar chemical introduction by this point), but even that couldn't take all the blame for the boy's reaction.
"And you? You nearly got done in by a prick. I won't always be able to save your ass."
At the memory of those words, he finally understood what the right choice had been... he had made it. Ivan had already done a terrible act that many, many humans on this earth had never committed, much less a teenager. He could justify it all he wanted like he had been doing, but there was no excuse. In nearly repeating his mistake, it was made clear that, at any time, the beast within Ivan was still ready to come out. The dream of the weapon, the prize of his crimes just making all his fears go away was just that... a dream.
The grip on the shotgun in his left arm slackened, and Ivan's eyes lowered to the ground. Sweat had accumulated under his glasses and causing an uncomfortable amount of slipping, prompting Ivan to reach his right arm up to adjust them. Doing so, though, sent him a sharp reminder of the shape he was in in the form of a searing shot of pain, localized around the outside of his right arm.
"I-Ivan...are...are you okay?"
With his glasses in place, Ivan jerked his head to stare Tabi right in the eyes, while the tint of the lenses somewhat prevented her from reciprocating.
"I'm fine."
The statement in itself was abrupt and insincere, seeing as he was far from 'fine': he was annoyed at Tabi getting in trouble, angry at Nick's pride, furious at what he had tried to do to her, and in a bit of pain from his arm, which nagged at him once more. Maybe a bit of it was also the adrenaline still coursing through the boy's body (a familiar chemical introduction by this point), but even that couldn't take all the blame for the boy's reaction.
"And you? You nearly got done in by a prick. I won't always be able to save your ass."
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GregTheAnti-Viking†
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Tabi recoiled slightly, raising an arm up in defense. It's hand was still half curled into a fist. The adrenaline from the moment before was still in her system. As calm as she attempted to be on the outside, it seemed that she was still as tense and as weak as ever. Her breath was still rapid and her knees still quivering.
Ivan had been so curt in response, digging the emotional wounds caused by Nick even deeper. Her gaze turned from the fuzzy vision of Ivan's glasses down to the ground below. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could guess what they looked like. Irritated and angry. Irritated about what had happened and angry at her for causing this to happen. She couldn't blame him though...
At times, he had been quiet, but understanding over these two days. Though it seemed that the moment had passed again. She was a burden...
"And you? You nearly got done in by a prick. I won't always be able to save your ass."
Tabi began to hug herself, shivering as the world became suddenly colder with his words. A confirmation of her helplessness. Ivan was right. If there was a moment when...when Ivan wasn't around...
She stared up at the sky, but found no comfort in it. There was only a multitude of stars above her head. There was no roof waiting above her.
"I'm..."she began, willing herself to not look at Ivan, "Fine..."
Another fit of sneezes took over for the young girl. Her nose began to run yet again. Tabi had a feeling that she was getting sick. By now she would have been under the covers. The next morning soup would have been waiting for her. She probably would have missed a day or two of school if it was really bad. Of course, she had missed two days on this island already.
A loud yawn crept out of Tabi's mouth. A part of her wanted to sleep right now. Find a refuge from the reality she was placed in. But she doubted that Ivan would agree to rest now...
Ivan had been so curt in response, digging the emotional wounds caused by Nick even deeper. Her gaze turned from the fuzzy vision of Ivan's glasses down to the ground below. She couldn't see his eyes, but she could guess what they looked like. Irritated and angry. Irritated about what had happened and angry at her for causing this to happen. She couldn't blame him though...
At times, he had been quiet, but understanding over these two days. Though it seemed that the moment had passed again. She was a burden...
"And you? You nearly got done in by a prick. I won't always be able to save your ass."
Tabi began to hug herself, shivering as the world became suddenly colder with his words. A confirmation of her helplessness. Ivan was right. If there was a moment when...when Ivan wasn't around...
She stared up at the sky, but found no comfort in it. There was only a multitude of stars above her head. There was no roof waiting above her.
"I'm..."she began, willing herself to not look at Ivan, "Fine..."
Another fit of sneezes took over for the young girl. Her nose began to run yet again. Tabi had a feeling that she was getting sick. By now she would have been under the covers. The next morning soup would have been waiting for her. She probably would have missed a day or two of school if it was really bad. Of course, she had missed two days on this island already.
A loud yawn crept out of Tabi's mouth. A part of her wanted to sleep right now. Find a refuge from the reality she was placed in. But she doubted that Ivan would agree to rest now...
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MK Kilmarnock
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Oh, she was fine, alright. An outright burden to him, and her own ridiculous desire to take, of all things, a damn bath in the river was probably catching up to her. It wasn't warm on this island, so it only made sense that Tabi would be shivering and sniffing. Hell, Ivan got the feeling the girl was going to fall ill.
Good... serves her right, maybe it'll teach her to smarten up a little!
It took a while for the words that he had just thought to sink in. Only once all the shiver-inducing rage and fear coursing through him from the events with Nick had died down, had Ivan realized what he was expecting from Tabi. She was just a kid, for fuck's sake. They were both kids. Childhood and high school don't exactly prepare you for situations where you have to kill or be killed on an island with absolutely no law, where murder, thievery, and perhaps even rape ran rampant. Had any other guy found Tabi, yeah, they probably could've had their way with her by now, no doubt about it. Maybe Nick had the same thing in store for her... the thought made Ivan all the more regret not having ended his run. In response, he had to punish himself for his regrets.
Well, there was more to punish himself for than that. The way she was standing before him right now, Tabi was looking... pretty pathetic. Even worse, all that pain she was suffering seemed to be...
Did I put her through that?
No. Of course not. Nick was the one who was trying to choke her and steal all her things, Ivan was the one who saved her. She should be glad, she should be thankful, damn it! Right from square one, Ivan had been the one saving her ass. He was basically her fucking hero. A hero who threw her to the ground. A hero who demanded things from her constantly. A hero who murdered another student right in front of her with little provocation. Finally, a hero who had pretty much constantly abused her, emotionally. Some hero.
Ivan tipped his head forward a bit, shutting his eyes with a sigh. He had concluded before that there were no heroes on this island, and he had pretty much been helping to prove it. There was still some certainty the statement was true. Even so... even if there were no more heroes, he could at least be a friend. In a place like this, with hope so fleeting, a friend or guardian would mean a whole hell of a lot. Tabi needed both, and not one who would constantly put her down at every moment. Could she be annoying? Yeah, the requirements of attention and communication were a pain, but there was some reason Ivan was keeping her around, and it wasn't just so she can play medic whenever his arm was acting up.
Tabi yawned, and that provided Ivan with the idea of what to say or do next.
"Okay..." Ivan walked past Tabi, trying not to look at her lest he feel guilt for what he said. "Let's... find some place to rest." There was a comfy-looking nook formed by two boulders, an overhanging tree and a bed of pine needles... well, about as comfy as a scene like that could possibly look, but it had the strange appearance of looking like a good place to nap for a bit, with the added benefits of shelter and proximity. Ivan looped his bag through his right arm and grabbed the handle of the umbrella with his right hand, wincing as his injured arm was forced to bear the load. He sure as hell wouldn't make Tabi carry it, not right now.
"Just right here..." He uttered quickly, nodding to the crevasse to indicate that he and Tabi weren't walking another damn mile or anything. "... And I promise I won't leave this time."
Good... serves her right, maybe it'll teach her to smarten up a little!
It took a while for the words that he had just thought to sink in. Only once all the shiver-inducing rage and fear coursing through him from the events with Nick had died down, had Ivan realized what he was expecting from Tabi. She was just a kid, for fuck's sake. They were both kids. Childhood and high school don't exactly prepare you for situations where you have to kill or be killed on an island with absolutely no law, where murder, thievery, and perhaps even rape ran rampant. Had any other guy found Tabi, yeah, they probably could've had their way with her by now, no doubt about it. Maybe Nick had the same thing in store for her... the thought made Ivan all the more regret not having ended his run. In response, he had to punish himself for his regrets.
Well, there was more to punish himself for than that. The way she was standing before him right now, Tabi was looking... pretty pathetic. Even worse, all that pain she was suffering seemed to be...
Did I put her through that?
No. Of course not. Nick was the one who was trying to choke her and steal all her things, Ivan was the one who saved her. She should be glad, she should be thankful, damn it! Right from square one, Ivan had been the one saving her ass. He was basically her fucking hero. A hero who threw her to the ground. A hero who demanded things from her constantly. A hero who murdered another student right in front of her with little provocation. Finally, a hero who had pretty much constantly abused her, emotionally. Some hero.
Ivan tipped his head forward a bit, shutting his eyes with a sigh. He had concluded before that there were no heroes on this island, and he had pretty much been helping to prove it. There was still some certainty the statement was true. Even so... even if there were no more heroes, he could at least be a friend. In a place like this, with hope so fleeting, a friend or guardian would mean a whole hell of a lot. Tabi needed both, and not one who would constantly put her down at every moment. Could she be annoying? Yeah, the requirements of attention and communication were a pain, but there was some reason Ivan was keeping her around, and it wasn't just so she can play medic whenever his arm was acting up.
Tabi yawned, and that provided Ivan with the idea of what to say or do next.
"Okay..." Ivan walked past Tabi, trying not to look at her lest he feel guilt for what he said. "Let's... find some place to rest." There was a comfy-looking nook formed by two boulders, an overhanging tree and a bed of pine needles... well, about as comfy as a scene like that could possibly look, but it had the strange appearance of looking like a good place to nap for a bit, with the added benefits of shelter and proximity. Ivan looped his bag through his right arm and grabbed the handle of the umbrella with his right hand, wincing as his injured arm was forced to bear the load. He sure as hell wouldn't make Tabi carry it, not right now.
"Just right here..." He uttered quickly, nodding to the crevasse to indicate that he and Tabi weren't walking another damn mile or anything. "... And I promise I won't leave this time."
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GregTheAnti-Viking†
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Tabi shook her head to clear it. She had heard Ivan said something, but had been lost in her self-inflicted daze. In an attempt to follow what he had said to her, the girl turned her head and saw that Ivan had begun to walk away from her, before finally stopping, he did not look to her. She was not sure why...
"Let's... find some place to rest."
Tabi blinked in between struggling breaths. She was stricken dumb by what she had heard. They were staying? She walked over to where he was standing, saying nothing. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.
He had pointed to a small area that they were to sleep in. It was nice in her eyes. It looked like it would be a comfortable place to sleep for the rest of the night. After that, who knew what would happen next.
"And I promise I won't leave this time."
Tabi instinctively turned her head towards Ivan. Her hand found its way over to her mouth as she tried to hold emotion in. She breathed in slowly, but her breath wavered. She felt some hot tears starting to well into her eyes that she tried to bat away with her other hand.
Perhaps it was the situation they were in, perhaps it was the fact that she had almost died several times already, but for the first time on this island, she felt...happy. It was so simple, what he Ivan said, but it meant so much to her. Moments ago, she was petrified that Ivan would leave her and then it would all be over. But now that fear was gone.
She inhaled deeply one last time and wiped her face. She felt her face flush in embarassment. It really was just a simple suggestion, she felt rather silly for being so emotional right then, so she tried her best to hide her face.
"O-okay," she mumbled, trying to hide her choked voice.
Once she reclaimed her composure, Tabi turned back and saw Ivan wincing while holding his umbrella. She found herself frowning, his arm was still tender from Clio shooting at her. She still felt guilty for being responsible for the wound, yet he kept on powering through and no longer said anything about it.
Tabi moved her hand towards the umbrella that he had been given.
"Here...let me take that for you..."
Her hand touched the umbrella and she met resistance at first when she tried to pull it out of his hand. The resistance faded away, however and she pulled it out of his hand. It was rather light in her own, if only a little unwieldy. Without saying a word, she rushed over to their sleeping area.
She felt another yawn sneak its way out of her mouth, covering her mouth this time as it happened. She droped the umbrella onto the ground and placed her ventilated backpack onto the ground. She gently eased her self onto the ground and placed her hands as a pillow.
The ground was soft and the nettles on the ground provided a surprising, effective cushion. It was still cold and she still shivered to herself, but it was going to have to do...
"Ivan..." she called out, closing her eyes as she did so, "Thanks..."
Tabi said nothing more as she lay there. She was far to tired to do so. She breathed in and out, slowly drifting off to sleep...
"Let's... find some place to rest."
Tabi blinked in between struggling breaths. She was stricken dumb by what she had heard. They were staying? She walked over to where he was standing, saying nothing. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.
He had pointed to a small area that they were to sleep in. It was nice in her eyes. It looked like it would be a comfortable place to sleep for the rest of the night. After that, who knew what would happen next.
"And I promise I won't leave this time."
Tabi instinctively turned her head towards Ivan. Her hand found its way over to her mouth as she tried to hold emotion in. She breathed in slowly, but her breath wavered. She felt some hot tears starting to well into her eyes that she tried to bat away with her other hand.
Perhaps it was the situation they were in, perhaps it was the fact that she had almost died several times already, but for the first time on this island, she felt...happy. It was so simple, what he Ivan said, but it meant so much to her. Moments ago, she was petrified that Ivan would leave her and then it would all be over. But now that fear was gone.
She inhaled deeply one last time and wiped her face. She felt her face flush in embarassment. It really was just a simple suggestion, she felt rather silly for being so emotional right then, so she tried her best to hide her face.
"O-okay," she mumbled, trying to hide her choked voice.
Once she reclaimed her composure, Tabi turned back and saw Ivan wincing while holding his umbrella. She found herself frowning, his arm was still tender from Clio shooting at her. She still felt guilty for being responsible for the wound, yet he kept on powering through and no longer said anything about it.
Tabi moved her hand towards the umbrella that he had been given.
"Here...let me take that for you..."
Her hand touched the umbrella and she met resistance at first when she tried to pull it out of his hand. The resistance faded away, however and she pulled it out of his hand. It was rather light in her own, if only a little unwieldy. Without saying a word, she rushed over to their sleeping area.
She felt another yawn sneak its way out of her mouth, covering her mouth this time as it happened. She droped the umbrella onto the ground and placed her ventilated backpack onto the ground. She gently eased her self onto the ground and placed her hands as a pillow.
The ground was soft and the nettles on the ground provided a surprising, effective cushion. It was still cold and she still shivered to herself, but it was going to have to do...
"Ivan..." she called out, closing her eyes as she did so, "Thanks..."
Tabi said nothing more as she lay there. She was far to tired to do so. She breathed in and out, slowly drifting off to sleep...
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
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- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
The sweet, beckoning finger of sleep was finally starting to make itself known. Even the dry leaves in that comfy-looking sheltered patch of land, protected by both the oddly-shaped rock and the unassuming tree, seemed to spread and shape themselves into a bed that looked perfect to lay on. What was the last time Ivan had met with sleep? The struggle to remember conjured up the image and sounds of waves. Yeah... it had been waves that had greeted Ivan when he awoke, serving as a gentle invitation into what was probably going to be the longest day of his life. That was way back in... day one, and this was the dying moments of day two, maybe even the beginnings of day three.
Funny how his life now had the days numbered... what number was Ivan going to see last?
Something tugged at the umbrella in his arm. The knuckles in Ivan's hands clenched out of reflex until a popping sound was heard, but a moment later... he had let go. The gesture that Tabi was displaying to him didn't do a whole lot for his arm, but it meant something in that she was trying to do everything she could for him, trying to help him and make up for her arm, which was an incident he had blamed on her. After all he had put her through, she was still being positive. Thankful, even.
That hurt him a lot more than he was sure she could ever guess.
He had said nothing to her in response to her relieving him of his starting 'weapon', nor the strange sounds that were coming from her throat. What he had done was nothing to get all choked up about. Except we're both tired, and I've probably done her a favor. Last time, I thought I could get back in time, but no, that fucked up. Parking himself down on the leaves, Ivan dropped the daypack to one side of him, on the outside edge of their little nook while the shotgun laid on the inside, closer to the side where Tabi had sat around the same time. He found himself looking at her out of the corner of his eye, and getting a view of just how beat the girl was.
Even the manner in which she had laid herself down to sleep was screaming out for some sympathy. Tabi had laid herself down with only her hands as support, and the look of it just seemed uncomfortable in its very form. Before he could think much of what to do, Tabi spoke first.
"Ivan... Thanks..."
"Don't mention it... I guess." Ivan mumbled, looking out at the areas that were left uncovered. Thanks to the sheltering geography, this left very little of a remainder in terms of viewpoints, which meant that it would be hard for them to be seen. Ivan sighed a little... in part from relief, in part from the depression and anxiety that still encompassed this whole damn island, and in large part to exhaustion. The deeply-breathing, dreaming girl next to him had the right idea. scooting into a corner of the rock's shallow 'cave', Ivan removed his glasses and placed them in his lap, then leaned his head to sleep.
"Stumpy! I've been waiting for you to show up! You have to show me the moves Mom taught you!"
A familiar voice, a familiar face... Luis? Ivan stood in front of his younger, taller brother. It seemed like weeks since the last time he had seen him... finally, somebody he could completely trust! A grin spread across Ivan's face as he moved to hug his brother, then backed up to address the request asked of him with... the usual confusion a little brother could be known to invoke.
" Bean! Wait... moves?"
"Yeah... SHOW ME YA MOVES!" Luis did some strange gesture with his hand, a modified salute of some sort. Ivan was thrown off a bit more by this, seeing as Luis usually wasn't the one to enjoy the tennis scene. Still, it was never too late to learn a new skill or three, and so Ivan tried to lead Luis over to a tennis court that appeared in the field, and yet it wasn't there before.
"No... not those." Luis's words grew stern and hard as they met with Ivan's ears. The elder brother found himself wallowing in disappointment like a child, groaning to complete the charade. "But Luis... why not? If you didn't mean tennis, then..."
Ivan's words were interrupted when something brushed up against his foot. He looked down and stepped back, not sure what was getting in his personal space, but his irritation relaxed somewhat when he saw that it was nothing more deadly than a rabbit... one of the New Zealand Dwarf rabbits that the two Kuznetsovs raised together. "Aww... come here, little guy!" Ivan cooed, reaching down to pick up the innocent creature, who had currently taken to chewing a strand of grass. A pair of darker hands had gotten to him before he could manage, though, and Ivan straightened his posture to see Luis picking up the rabbit and holding it up high.
There was nothing that could prepare him for the view of Luis snapping the rabbit's neck in one deft twist.
"Bean, what the fuck!?" Ivan yelped in growing confusion, not to mention a sharp spike in anger. Anger quickly gave way to terror when he looked into his brother's eyes, though. There was something... not right. They were looking through him, in a manner Ivan had never experienced from Luis. They were somebody's eyes, but who? Why... why was the look persisting, why driving with the unnatural gaze right through body and soul? Stop looking at me... stop looking at me, look anywhere else! STOP IT!
"I meant something more like this..." Luis giggled. "After all, you're a killer, aren't you?" Ivan shook his head in denial, his throat threatening to close and crack apart. "No, Luis, it's not.... I didn't-"
"Oh, you enjoyed it! Come on, bro! Show me how to be like you... show me how to be a cold-blooded murderer!"
A flash of light took Luis far away. It was just light, but there was the most shrill and disturbing of noises to accomany it, one that only struck the mind and not the ear. "Luis... Luis, where-" There was another flash, and hell tore through Ivan's arm. Even with all of his will telling him not to look, he turned and witnessed the streak of blood pumping from his arm, gushing an amount that seemed unnatural. As he turned further, he saw her... Clio. Clio was behind him, pointing that gun with her sadistic expression and those same cold, dead eyes, and there was nothing Ivan could do but run.
Shrill laughter cut across the sky as Ivan sprinted for the horizon, leaving the area behind only to be accosted by more endless plains, more green fields, more laughter and bullets. Metal shot through his body at random intervals, torturing him even moreso in the irregularity of it all; his arms, both legs, shots to the back that either went all the way through or left a festering hot bullet in his gut. Ivan still ran as though unhindered, but the pain was all very real. All there.
At least, it was, but then some peace seemed to be granted as it all melted away, the fields yielding to woods. The sprint slowed in gait, first to a jog and then to a simple walk. Ivan looked around to try and gain his bearings... but there was no telling where he was. The trees were all the same; they were all barren, withered and with muddy, shabby bark. The land was randomly arranged and nondescript, and so he was hopelessly lost. An undefeatable shiver ran up Ivan's spine, and his legs carried him in a small circle as he tried to discern where to go.
A kick of gravel, a groan, a muffled whisper...
These things caught Ivan's attention as they had just barely reached his ears. With a frightened gasp, he turned to try and find the source of the noise, looking frantically in the direction that he thought it had come from.
"IVAN!"
The shout was from behind him. Ivan whipped around to see Tabi, beckoning to him. For some reason, he felt compelled to run to her... was she in danger from the noises he heard? Did she know the way out? Maybe Tabi had all the answers Ivan was currently seeking, and would repay his lack of kindness by being the meek one for once, the load. The load he perceived to be, and as such, maybe he could get the chance to say he was sorry in that same stammering manner.
Her ears never got to hear it, though. "IVAN!" She called again, and her arm had nearly grasped onto his when her throat opened up, unleashing a storm of blood that splattered onto Ivan's face. The iron paint all but covered Ivan's glasses, causing him to stumble back and struggle to wipe them away. By the time he could peer back through the stained and streaked lenses, Ivan's body had completely disappeared, save for a puddle of blood that now soaked the ground.
Then the shuffling, groaning wheeze persisted. All the flesh in Ivan's body could have frozen at the subconcious realization of what he was suffering, and small cracks accompanied his neck, waist and legs as he struggled to turn around. A boy was approaching him, dragging a stick behind him, out for his blood. Not Keith... anybody but Keith.
"What's wrong? It's like you weren't expecting to see me again..." Ivan shuffled back at Keith's words. What did he want? The boy kept approaching, shaking his head in disbelief, sneering at the pitiful sight. "Oh... oh, I get it. I have a weapon this time... that's it. You're not up for a fight this time."
"No... that's not it!" Ivan blurted out, his efforts to backpedal thwarted as the unmistakable surface of a tree's trunk struck his back once more. "I didn't mean to kill you... don't.... don't hate me..."
"You didn't mean to do it? Oh, okay!" Keith lowered the weapon. "Well, in that case, it's cool! I'll just forget all about it. I have plenty of time to do that... all the time in the world, really. Because I'm dead, and you. STILL. KILLED ME!" The branch was raised once more, and jabbed for Ivan's gut. Without fully understanding what was going on, the Russian managed to dive out of the way, rolling onto the ground. Dug and scraped by sticks and roots, Ivan cringed and tried to keep running, but something cracked across his shins.
Before he knew it, his mouth was full of dirt, and he hardly had time to roll over before the tremendous force of the swinging branch crashed down onto his nose. To say it felt terrible was a statement lacking in strength. To say it was hellish was approaching an appropriate level, but there didn't exist a word for the striking, unforseen pain each swing held, crashing into Ivan's face over and over again. Yet, Ivan could see through it all, the clear images of Keith's gleeful face as he swung over and over again, Tabi and Luis's cries ringing out from somewhere, a place Ivan couldn't see or reach. As his face caved in little by little, swing by swing... Keith's was doing the same.
It was that destroyed face that Ivan never wanted to see again. And it was laughing.
The screeching drone of the island's speaker system brought Ivan back to conciousness, his body covered in a cold and debilitating sweat. The sky was showing signs of light... morning was coming once again, and so were the familiar morning announcements. For once, they were welcomed in comparison to what he had just seen.
"Oh god..."
Funny how his life now had the days numbered... what number was Ivan going to see last?
Something tugged at the umbrella in his arm. The knuckles in Ivan's hands clenched out of reflex until a popping sound was heard, but a moment later... he had let go. The gesture that Tabi was displaying to him didn't do a whole lot for his arm, but it meant something in that she was trying to do everything she could for him, trying to help him and make up for her arm, which was an incident he had blamed on her. After all he had put her through, she was still being positive. Thankful, even.
That hurt him a lot more than he was sure she could ever guess.
He had said nothing to her in response to her relieving him of his starting 'weapon', nor the strange sounds that were coming from her throat. What he had done was nothing to get all choked up about. Except we're both tired, and I've probably done her a favor. Last time, I thought I could get back in time, but no, that fucked up. Parking himself down on the leaves, Ivan dropped the daypack to one side of him, on the outside edge of their little nook while the shotgun laid on the inside, closer to the side where Tabi had sat around the same time. He found himself looking at her out of the corner of his eye, and getting a view of just how beat the girl was.
Even the manner in which she had laid herself down to sleep was screaming out for some sympathy. Tabi had laid herself down with only her hands as support, and the look of it just seemed uncomfortable in its very form. Before he could think much of what to do, Tabi spoke first.
"Ivan... Thanks..."
"Don't mention it... I guess." Ivan mumbled, looking out at the areas that were left uncovered. Thanks to the sheltering geography, this left very little of a remainder in terms of viewpoints, which meant that it would be hard for them to be seen. Ivan sighed a little... in part from relief, in part from the depression and anxiety that still encompassed this whole damn island, and in large part to exhaustion. The deeply-breathing, dreaming girl next to him had the right idea. scooting into a corner of the rock's shallow 'cave', Ivan removed his glasses and placed them in his lap, then leaned his head to sleep.
"Stumpy! I've been waiting for you to show up! You have to show me the moves Mom taught you!"
A familiar voice, a familiar face... Luis? Ivan stood in front of his younger, taller brother. It seemed like weeks since the last time he had seen him... finally, somebody he could completely trust! A grin spread across Ivan's face as he moved to hug his brother, then backed up to address the request asked of him with... the usual confusion a little brother could be known to invoke.
" Bean! Wait... moves?"
"Yeah... SHOW ME YA MOVES!" Luis did some strange gesture with his hand, a modified salute of some sort. Ivan was thrown off a bit more by this, seeing as Luis usually wasn't the one to enjoy the tennis scene. Still, it was never too late to learn a new skill or three, and so Ivan tried to lead Luis over to a tennis court that appeared in the field, and yet it wasn't there before.
"No... not those." Luis's words grew stern and hard as they met with Ivan's ears. The elder brother found himself wallowing in disappointment like a child, groaning to complete the charade. "But Luis... why not? If you didn't mean tennis, then..."
Ivan's words were interrupted when something brushed up against his foot. He looked down and stepped back, not sure what was getting in his personal space, but his irritation relaxed somewhat when he saw that it was nothing more deadly than a rabbit... one of the New Zealand Dwarf rabbits that the two Kuznetsovs raised together. "Aww... come here, little guy!" Ivan cooed, reaching down to pick up the innocent creature, who had currently taken to chewing a strand of grass. A pair of darker hands had gotten to him before he could manage, though, and Ivan straightened his posture to see Luis picking up the rabbit and holding it up high.
There was nothing that could prepare him for the view of Luis snapping the rabbit's neck in one deft twist.
"Bean, what the fuck!?" Ivan yelped in growing confusion, not to mention a sharp spike in anger. Anger quickly gave way to terror when he looked into his brother's eyes, though. There was something... not right. They were looking through him, in a manner Ivan had never experienced from Luis. They were somebody's eyes, but who? Why... why was the look persisting, why driving with the unnatural gaze right through body and soul? Stop looking at me... stop looking at me, look anywhere else! STOP IT!
"I meant something more like this..." Luis giggled. "After all, you're a killer, aren't you?" Ivan shook his head in denial, his throat threatening to close and crack apart. "No, Luis, it's not.... I didn't-"
"Oh, you enjoyed it! Come on, bro! Show me how to be like you... show me how to be a cold-blooded murderer!"
A flash of light took Luis far away. It was just light, but there was the most shrill and disturbing of noises to accomany it, one that only struck the mind and not the ear. "Luis... Luis, where-" There was another flash, and hell tore through Ivan's arm. Even with all of his will telling him not to look, he turned and witnessed the streak of blood pumping from his arm, gushing an amount that seemed unnatural. As he turned further, he saw her... Clio. Clio was behind him, pointing that gun with her sadistic expression and those same cold, dead eyes, and there was nothing Ivan could do but run.
Shrill laughter cut across the sky as Ivan sprinted for the horizon, leaving the area behind only to be accosted by more endless plains, more green fields, more laughter and bullets. Metal shot through his body at random intervals, torturing him even moreso in the irregularity of it all; his arms, both legs, shots to the back that either went all the way through or left a festering hot bullet in his gut. Ivan still ran as though unhindered, but the pain was all very real. All there.
At least, it was, but then some peace seemed to be granted as it all melted away, the fields yielding to woods. The sprint slowed in gait, first to a jog and then to a simple walk. Ivan looked around to try and gain his bearings... but there was no telling where he was. The trees were all the same; they were all barren, withered and with muddy, shabby bark. The land was randomly arranged and nondescript, and so he was hopelessly lost. An undefeatable shiver ran up Ivan's spine, and his legs carried him in a small circle as he tried to discern where to go.
A kick of gravel, a groan, a muffled whisper...
These things caught Ivan's attention as they had just barely reached his ears. With a frightened gasp, he turned to try and find the source of the noise, looking frantically in the direction that he thought it had come from.
"IVAN!"
The shout was from behind him. Ivan whipped around to see Tabi, beckoning to him. For some reason, he felt compelled to run to her... was she in danger from the noises he heard? Did she know the way out? Maybe Tabi had all the answers Ivan was currently seeking, and would repay his lack of kindness by being the meek one for once, the load. The load he perceived to be, and as such, maybe he could get the chance to say he was sorry in that same stammering manner.
Her ears never got to hear it, though. "IVAN!" She called again, and her arm had nearly grasped onto his when her throat opened up, unleashing a storm of blood that splattered onto Ivan's face. The iron paint all but covered Ivan's glasses, causing him to stumble back and struggle to wipe them away. By the time he could peer back through the stained and streaked lenses, Ivan's body had completely disappeared, save for a puddle of blood that now soaked the ground.
Then the shuffling, groaning wheeze persisted. All the flesh in Ivan's body could have frozen at the subconcious realization of what he was suffering, and small cracks accompanied his neck, waist and legs as he struggled to turn around. A boy was approaching him, dragging a stick behind him, out for his blood. Not Keith... anybody but Keith.
"What's wrong? It's like you weren't expecting to see me again..." Ivan shuffled back at Keith's words. What did he want? The boy kept approaching, shaking his head in disbelief, sneering at the pitiful sight. "Oh... oh, I get it. I have a weapon this time... that's it. You're not up for a fight this time."
"No... that's not it!" Ivan blurted out, his efforts to backpedal thwarted as the unmistakable surface of a tree's trunk struck his back once more. "I didn't mean to kill you... don't.... don't hate me..."
"You didn't mean to do it? Oh, okay!" Keith lowered the weapon. "Well, in that case, it's cool! I'll just forget all about it. I have plenty of time to do that... all the time in the world, really. Because I'm dead, and you. STILL. KILLED ME!" The branch was raised once more, and jabbed for Ivan's gut. Without fully understanding what was going on, the Russian managed to dive out of the way, rolling onto the ground. Dug and scraped by sticks and roots, Ivan cringed and tried to keep running, but something cracked across his shins.
Before he knew it, his mouth was full of dirt, and he hardly had time to roll over before the tremendous force of the swinging branch crashed down onto his nose. To say it felt terrible was a statement lacking in strength. To say it was hellish was approaching an appropriate level, but there didn't exist a word for the striking, unforseen pain each swing held, crashing into Ivan's face over and over again. Yet, Ivan could see through it all, the clear images of Keith's gleeful face as he swung over and over again, Tabi and Luis's cries ringing out from somewhere, a place Ivan couldn't see or reach. As his face caved in little by little, swing by swing... Keith's was doing the same.
It was that destroyed face that Ivan never wanted to see again. And it was laughing.
The screeching drone of the island's speaker system brought Ivan back to conciousness, his body covered in a cold and debilitating sweat. The sky was showing signs of light... morning was coming once again, and so were the familiar morning announcements. For once, they were welcomed in comparison to what he had just seen.
"Oh god..."
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GregTheAnti-Viking†
- Posts: 267
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 6:10 am
Tabi's sleep was undisturbed for the rest of the night. It wasn't exactly comfortable sleeping conditions, contrary to her original feelings. Still, it was hard to complain about the bed of nettles.
Her eyes slowly opened, revealing little but a clouded haze. Blinking multiple times removed the initial blindness from the begining of the day, Tabi groaned, turning over towards where Ivan had been. There had been an inital fear that he was gone yet again. This time, gone for good.
She was relieved when she saw that Ivan was still here, waiting for her. Her anxiety starting to disapate once again.
"Morning Ivan," wiping the crusty bits of sleep out of her eyes.
She blinked lazily, sitting up as she did so. Her arms drooped into her lap and she let out a wide yawn. She waited for a response, but heard nothing, only the sound of heavy breathing. For once, it wasn't her own.
Her head slowly turned towards the Russian teen. He was a mess. He was panting heavily and his face was drenched in sweat.
"Ivan?"
He didn't answer her, he didn't even look to her. He was staring up at the sky, clearly lost in his own thoughts. She could hear the buzz of the morning announcements but her mind was focused on Ivan's hyperventilation.
Tabi just stared at him, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. What had he done when she was like this only days ago? She wanted to remember; but the ideas couldn't come to her. Instead she just sat there and waited. Waited for him to calm down. Waited for the idea to come forth.
"Ivan...Are you...okay?"
Her eyes slowly opened, revealing little but a clouded haze. Blinking multiple times removed the initial blindness from the begining of the day, Tabi groaned, turning over towards where Ivan had been. There had been an inital fear that he was gone yet again. This time, gone for good.
She was relieved when she saw that Ivan was still here, waiting for her. Her anxiety starting to disapate once again.
"Morning Ivan," wiping the crusty bits of sleep out of her eyes.
She blinked lazily, sitting up as she did so. Her arms drooped into her lap and she let out a wide yawn. She waited for a response, but heard nothing, only the sound of heavy breathing. For once, it wasn't her own.
Her head slowly turned towards the Russian teen. He was a mess. He was panting heavily and his face was drenched in sweat.
"Ivan?"
He didn't answer her, he didn't even look to her. He was staring up at the sky, clearly lost in his own thoughts. She could hear the buzz of the morning announcements but her mind was focused on Ivan's hyperventilation.
Tabi just stared at him, unsure of what she was supposed to do now. What had he done when she was like this only days ago? She wanted to remember; but the ideas couldn't come to her. Instead she just sat there and waited. Waited for him to calm down. Waited for the idea to come forth.
"Ivan...Are you...okay?"
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MK Kilmarnock
- Posts: 1931
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 5:28 am
- Location: On one of the coasts, generally
He had just woken up... but already, there were way too many things to process. The dream... no, the nightmare was still fresh in Ivan's mind, and the shrieking and droning of the announcements were going on as well. He didn't care that he wasn't hearing them... hell he outright didn't WANT to hear them. Sitting through one batch of the damn things was enough, listening to them in an uncomfortable silence before he was forced to crumble and expose parts of his psyche he never wanted to. It was breaking him... this damn island was breaking him, and he was only there for a couple of days.
After that nightmare, Ivan really wasn't keen on sleeping again for a while.
He had heard Tabi's voice before, but nothing seemed to register. Now, though, with him taking in more and more of the world, Ivan was seeking to set his attention on anything that wasn't the cruel announcements ringing through his head. They had made it through day two, it was now day three. Names were announced, but the shivering boy pushed them out as harshly as he could, turning to Tabi when she spoke to him again; this time, she had asked him a question:
"Ivan...Are you...okay?"
He stared at her a moment or two, then looked down to the ground he had sat upon to sleep. From there, his eyes drifted to his equipment... the umbrella, his daypack, the futuristic-looking shotgun... the implement of death gained through blood. Let's review the facts... I'm afraid for my life, people are trying to kill us, I've murdered somebody, and now I can hardly live with myself. No. I'm not okay at all.
"I'm... fine, Tabi. Just had a rough awakening..." Ivan finally said slowly, careful not to stumble across any of his words, as he was still shaken. He didn't want to, but there was no other choice than to continue listening to the children who had killed, and those who had fallen. There just wasn't anything else Ivan could say to Tabi without it being really forced, and if he honestly had to force saying something to anybody, then he simply wouldn't say it. The terrible bearing of news only bought Ivan so much time, though, and they soon clicked out after helpfully informing everybody of who had been the receiver of the next 'best kill award'. For a moment, he felt a bit of sympathy for them, that perhaps they were suffering just as bad as he had.
Now, there was silence. While it was something the Russian-Spaniard had embraced through his school years, the same familiar concept was no longer Ivan's friend. He searched for something to say, for once, but again, it all just seemed forced. At least, until Ivan decided to move from his position. The moment his body decided it wanted to stand up, he immediately reversed the decision, only rising so far as to look like he was just repositioning his seating. Was he afraid to leave the familiar shelter that he and Tabi had been hiding in all night? It was not a favorable answer, yet the most likely one... and really, fear was now a concept Ivan was willing to embrace (even if partially), since it kept them both alive this far.
"Tabi... let's stay here for a bit."
There was nothing else to do, but to stay in the safety of their makeshift hovel. They both rested, though Ivan refused to fall back to sleep, and back into the arms of those terrible thoughts. At least here, they could eat or drink some of their pathetically light rations, only daring to leave when either one had to use the bathroom (which Ivan had to at least once, but he basically just walked around to the other side of the rock, taking his shotgun with him). They were willing to stay there just as long as this damn game would let them.
Unfortunately, 24 hours later, they found that wasn't very long.
The two would be forced to pack up and flee from the oncoming morning of day four, and the reports of blood the announcements brought.
((Ivan Kuznetsov and Tabi Gweneth continued in Keep Yourself Alive))
After that nightmare, Ivan really wasn't keen on sleeping again for a while.
He had heard Tabi's voice before, but nothing seemed to register. Now, though, with him taking in more and more of the world, Ivan was seeking to set his attention on anything that wasn't the cruel announcements ringing through his head. They had made it through day two, it was now day three. Names were announced, but the shivering boy pushed them out as harshly as he could, turning to Tabi when she spoke to him again; this time, she had asked him a question:
"Ivan...Are you...okay?"
He stared at her a moment or two, then looked down to the ground he had sat upon to sleep. From there, his eyes drifted to his equipment... the umbrella, his daypack, the futuristic-looking shotgun... the implement of death gained through blood. Let's review the facts... I'm afraid for my life, people are trying to kill us, I've murdered somebody, and now I can hardly live with myself. No. I'm not okay at all.
"I'm... fine, Tabi. Just had a rough awakening..." Ivan finally said slowly, careful not to stumble across any of his words, as he was still shaken. He didn't want to, but there was no other choice than to continue listening to the children who had killed, and those who had fallen. There just wasn't anything else Ivan could say to Tabi without it being really forced, and if he honestly had to force saying something to anybody, then he simply wouldn't say it. The terrible bearing of news only bought Ivan so much time, though, and they soon clicked out after helpfully informing everybody of who had been the receiver of the next 'best kill award'. For a moment, he felt a bit of sympathy for them, that perhaps they were suffering just as bad as he had.
Now, there was silence. While it was something the Russian-Spaniard had embraced through his school years, the same familiar concept was no longer Ivan's friend. He searched for something to say, for once, but again, it all just seemed forced. At least, until Ivan decided to move from his position. The moment his body decided it wanted to stand up, he immediately reversed the decision, only rising so far as to look like he was just repositioning his seating. Was he afraid to leave the familiar shelter that he and Tabi had been hiding in all night? It was not a favorable answer, yet the most likely one... and really, fear was now a concept Ivan was willing to embrace (even if partially), since it kept them both alive this far.
"Tabi... let's stay here for a bit."
There was nothing else to do, but to stay in the safety of their makeshift hovel. They both rested, though Ivan refused to fall back to sleep, and back into the arms of those terrible thoughts. At least here, they could eat or drink some of their pathetically light rations, only daring to leave when either one had to use the bathroom (which Ivan had to at least once, but he basically just walked around to the other side of the rock, taking his shotgun with him). They were willing to stay there just as long as this damn game would let them.
Unfortunately, 24 hours later, they found that wasn't very long.
The two would be forced to pack up and flee from the oncoming morning of day four, and the reports of blood the announcements brought.
((Ivan Kuznetsov and Tabi Gweneth continued in Keep Yourself Alive))