Ben's jaw stayed welded shut when he saw the barrel of the gun clear the denim hem of the killer's pocket. Adrenaline hurt like needles to the chest, but it was a familiar and ambient sort of ache. Easy shit to ignore, like the bullet still embedded into his arm.
Everything looked apt now. The enemy was clearly dressed and defined in bloody rags, everyone else was also clearly notated as cowering, sobbing, about to puke, whatever. Now that was more like it. Peace hadn't been the apropos look to wear in a situation like this. The only thing that was still out of place was Ben not being on the frontlines. He stepped forward, past Raina, presenting a full profile head on. Every shitty trembling inch of himself. He nodded solemnly, forcefully, when Raina's imposed what ultimatum she could with a steely voice Ben could have been proud of.
"Maybe you're not a monster, Kao. Maybe you know that. But there's nothing here for you."
The rock in his hand hurt as he clenched his fist around it so hard he could feel the blood stagnating, trapped. It hurt, but it belonged.
Haemolacria
Late Day 5; Tagging Zarina, Cicada, and Mr. Mystery!
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes:
Of course it had gone this way. Kimiko had been naive to that it could have been different. The ironic thing to her was that they said they didn't want any trouble but she had approached peacefully and now they were threatening her. The threats were unspoken, of course they were, but the body language and the tone they were using all made sure the message was clear.
She didn't know if they would follow through with their silent threats but it didn't matter either way. She could hardly fight two people, three if Penelope felt she was trapped enough to fight back. It told Kimiko one thing for certain and that was she had no allies or safe havens. She was an outcast, her status as a killer cutting her off from everything else. She was adrift on her own island, thought to be so lost that even Clarice couldn't bear to be in her presence.
The small fraction of hope Penelope had initially given her made the situation hurt even more. She had stupidly believed that maybe she was being given a chance but it had just been a mirage. Ben was right, there wasn't anything there for her. It had disappeared as soon as she got close, replaced with their harsh glares along with Penelope's tears. Ben was trying his best to be intimidating, to take charge, Kimiko tilted her head slightly, thinking.
Eventually she acquiesced to their demands. Raising her hands up palms out towards them hoping to placate them as she took slow steps back. She didn't turn her back until she was comfortable that she was a safe distance away. She wondered how long they watched her for as she left, did they ever think she would turn around and fire at them? She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.
She needed to keep moving.
((Kimiko Kao continued in Resident Evil))
She didn't know if they would follow through with their silent threats but it didn't matter either way. She could hardly fight two people, three if Penelope felt she was trapped enough to fight back. It told Kimiko one thing for certain and that was she had no allies or safe havens. She was an outcast, her status as a killer cutting her off from everything else. She was adrift on her own island, thought to be so lost that even Clarice couldn't bear to be in her presence.
The small fraction of hope Penelope had initially given her made the situation hurt even more. She had stupidly believed that maybe she was being given a chance but it had just been a mirage. Ben was right, there wasn't anything there for her. It had disappeared as soon as she got close, replaced with their harsh glares along with Penelope's tears. Ben was trying his best to be intimidating, to take charge, Kimiko tilted her head slightly, thinking.
Eventually she acquiesced to their demands. Raising her hands up palms out towards them hoping to placate them as she took slow steps back. She didn't turn her back until she was comfortable that she was a safe distance away. She wondered how long they watched her for as she left, did they ever think she would turn around and fire at them? She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and took a deep breath.
She needed to keep moving.
((Kimiko Kao continued in Resident Evil))
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
"W-Wait!"
Penelope pushed herself up off the ground as Kimiko turned her back to them and left. "W-we can talk this out!" She shouted, her voice shaking. "You don't... you don't have to leave..."
She desperately waved her hand in the air, but Kimiko wasn't turning around, she possibly wasn't even able to hear Penelope at this point.
She sniffled, lowering her arm. Her gaze strayed to the ground below, tears falling off of her face and landing in the grass. Kimiko had seemed more than willing to talk things out, and Penelope had wanted to give her a chance and forgive her for her mistakes, even if she couldn't comprehend why she would have killed Cristo, and allow her to make amends in any way she could. But now she was gone, probably feeling like even more of an outcast than before.
"Oh god..." She muttered, as she put her hands on her face. "I fucked this all up."
She slumped back down to the ground, curling herself up into a ball. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... I just... I just wanted to make another friend..." Her voice was weak, the sound of it pitiful. "I'm so sorry..."
Penelope pushed herself up off the ground as Kimiko turned her back to them and left. "W-we can talk this out!" She shouted, her voice shaking. "You don't... you don't have to leave..."
She desperately waved her hand in the air, but Kimiko wasn't turning around, she possibly wasn't even able to hear Penelope at this point.
She sniffled, lowering her arm. Her gaze strayed to the ground below, tears falling off of her face and landing in the grass. Kimiko had seemed more than willing to talk things out, and Penelope had wanted to give her a chance and forgive her for her mistakes, even if she couldn't comprehend why she would have killed Cristo, and allow her to make amends in any way she could. But now she was gone, probably feeling like even more of an outcast than before.
"Oh god..." She muttered, as she put her hands on her face. "I fucked this all up."
She slumped back down to the ground, curling herself up into a ball. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to... I just... I just wanted to make another friend..." Her voice was weak, the sound of it pitiful. "I'm so sorry..."
"It's okay," Raina said out of habit, though of course nothing was okay. She let her hand drop from her bag as Kimiko retreated out of sight. Part of her nagged at her to run after Kimiko, demand answers, but all that would probably get her was a bullet in the face.
She stooped to grasp Penelope's arm, urging her up. "Just... don't go running up to people we don't recognize, alright? We have to be careful if we want to make this work." Her throat was still tight, her hands not quite steady. "Penny, come on. Let's go find Johnny, maybe he's met up with someone else that we know is friendly. We're not far."
Raina looked at Ben for help. Couldn't he do more than just stand there?
She stooped to grasp Penelope's arm, urging her up. "Just... don't go running up to people we don't recognize, alright? We have to be careful if we want to make this work." Her throat was still tight, her hands not quite steady. "Penny, come on. Let's go find Johnny, maybe he's met up with someone else that we know is friendly. We're not far."
Raina looked at Ben for help. Couldn't he do more than just stand there?
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
The anger was gone as quickly as it had come. After that Ben didn't have much left to feel, the numbness had also consumed his still clenched fist.
Duty beckoned, but it did so to a shambling corpse. Ben expertly spun on his heel with all the vitality of a dehydrated tumbleweed, then strode over to Penelope's side as Raina had. He would have offered his hand as well but he wasn't sure where it had gone in time and space, despite being right there.
'It's okay'. Probably not the best thing to say, but she'd said it.
"You didn't fuck up." A two-fer.
"You said it yourself... two days ago." It had taken him a second too long to remember. The time, the place, anything at all. "Once you fall off that cliff, once you let the terrorists have your name... it's not going to be so easy to claw your way back up. Maybe there's a future we can trust Kao in. She might still be by our side one day."
He hated using the murderers' name, but his hate was irrelevant as the rest of his emotions that didn't matter.
"Raina's right." Ben finally remembered that he had a free hand and offered it, tentatively clutching Penelope by her free arm. "Let's keep going. We're not out of it yet."
Duty beckoned, but it did so to a shambling corpse. Ben expertly spun on his heel with all the vitality of a dehydrated tumbleweed, then strode over to Penelope's side as Raina had. He would have offered his hand as well but he wasn't sure where it had gone in time and space, despite being right there.
'It's okay'. Probably not the best thing to say, but she'd said it.
"You didn't fuck up." A two-fer.
"You said it yourself... two days ago." It had taken him a second too long to remember. The time, the place, anything at all. "Once you fall off that cliff, once you let the terrorists have your name... it's not going to be so easy to claw your way back up. Maybe there's a future we can trust Kao in. She might still be by our side one day."
He hated using the murderers' name, but his hate was irrelevant as the rest of his emotions that didn't matter.
"Raina's right." Ben finally remembered that he had a free hand and offered it, tentatively clutching Penelope by her free arm. "Let's keep going. We're not out of it yet."
V8 Vibes:
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-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Penelope sniffled once as her tears stopped flowing and her hands came off of her face.
"O... Okay..." she mumbled, her voice weak.
She stood, her friends helping her up. They were right, of course they were. She needed to avoid going up to people she couldn't at least put a name to, and she needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
She took a deep breath, before sighing and releasing her built up tension. "I'll... I'll try to be more careful from now on."
She sniffled again, her heart still weighing her down, the gentle breeze feeling like gale force winds. She wrapped her arms around Raina in an effort to comfort herself before continuing, her voice quiet. "We should probably like... actually rest, before we move on. Let's just... sit down, eat a bit, and talk about stuff... yeah?"
---
Penelope lay in the grass, staring up at the sky, the group having run out of things to say several minutes ago.
She sat up, looked both Raina and Ben over, and spoke. "Alright, I think we've all gotten enough rest. Let's head out to find Johnny."
Standing up and getting her things in order, Penelope turned towards the direction of the warehouse.
"I'll lead the way!" She chirped, her peppiness having returned once again.
And with that, she left.
((Penelope Fitzgerald continued in Drawn To The Blood))
"O... Okay..." she mumbled, her voice weak.
She stood, her friends helping her up. They were right, of course they were. She needed to avoid going up to people she couldn't at least put a name to, and she needed to stay focused on the task at hand.
She took a deep breath, before sighing and releasing her built up tension. "I'll... I'll try to be more careful from now on."
She sniffled again, her heart still weighing her down, the gentle breeze feeling like gale force winds. She wrapped her arms around Raina in an effort to comfort herself before continuing, her voice quiet. "We should probably like... actually rest, before we move on. Let's just... sit down, eat a bit, and talk about stuff... yeah?"
---
Penelope lay in the grass, staring up at the sky, the group having run out of things to say several minutes ago.
She sat up, looked both Raina and Ben over, and spoke. "Alright, I think we've all gotten enough rest. Let's head out to find Johnny."
Standing up and getting her things in order, Penelope turned towards the direction of the warehouse.
"I'll lead the way!" She chirped, her peppiness having returned once again.
And with that, she left.
((Penelope Fitzgerald continued in Drawn To The Blood))
Raina hugged Penelope back firmly and tried not to think about how her best friend was beginning to crack under the pressure. "Yeah, sure, we can rest a little while longer. Then let's get inside, yeah? Johnny's probably hiding out somewhere.'
She flopped back on the grass, chatted for a while, dozed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when Penelope got back up, but it felt later. Raina sat up and ran her hands through her hair, grimacing at how greasy it was getting. She had taken her ponytail out a while ago, after it had started to hurt her head in earnest.
"Hey, wait up!" She called as Penelope took off. She waved to Ben to follow and set off after her.
((Raina Rose continued in Drawn To The Blood))
She flopped back on the grass, chatted for a while, dozed. She wasn't sure how much time had passed when Penelope got back up, but it felt later. Raina sat up and ran her hands through her hair, grimacing at how greasy it was getting. She had taken her ponytail out a while ago, after it had started to hurt her head in earnest.
"Hey, wait up!" She called as Penelope took off. She waved to Ben to follow and set off after her.
((Raina Rose continued in Drawn To The Blood))
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
He hadn't said much, went without saying. Radio silence, with an occasional over, or an out. Procedure didn't advocate saying both those things at once, redundancy, but Ben was of course essentially redundant himself.
The girls seemed cheerful, or at least energetic. The cameras in the area seemed to follow them. Ben shuffled his dry bones to follow before the cameras could notice much of him in turn.
((Ben Fields continued in Drawn To The Blood))
The girls seemed cheerful, or at least energetic. The cameras in the area seemed to follow them. Ben shuffled his dry bones to follow before the cameras could notice much of him in turn.
((Ben Fields continued in Drawn To The Blood))
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes: