Well, that went over about as well as expected. Bryony had always seemed fragile, even in normal, everyday life. Really, the fact that she hadn't had a complete breakdown already was impressive.
Bridgette rolled her tongue inside her cheek, arms still crossed as Bryony sat down. She wanted help finding her... crush? Crush was the vibe Bridgette was getting, some girl named Alba. Probably a junior and not involved in any activities Bridgette was, since the name didn't ring a bell.
"Haven't run into anyone named Alba, no. I hadn't seen anyone today until I got here, actually." And she had good reasons for that, for laying low. Danny all but announcing to a psycho killer that she was in the next room hadn't done her or her nerves any favors, even if she'd managed to slip by Isabel. Bryony's statement hinted at that too, if she'd needed to be saved from someone.
"You got attacked on the first day, though? Who was it?" Someone looking for an easy target, probably. If it wasn't one of the successful killers on the announcements, though, that was good to know. Just because someone hadn't killed didn't mean they weren't a threat. That Alba might be one too, though, if she'd managed to fight off a potential killer. Bridgette tapped her fingers on her arm, considering.
Ugh, she hated this. It was enough to make her long for the time when all she had to categorize were people's dumb suggestions for this year's prom theme. Which most of them wouldn't even get to go to now. Bridgette bit her lip to keep from breaking into an inappropriate smile. Prom, what a stupid thing to think about at a time like this. She might not have even gone, under normal circumstances.
In This Starless Night
Open
"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."
It was growing increasingly more obvious that, yes, bluntness was in fact Bridgette's MO. Bryony was on the verge of tears in front of the girl, and on the edge of spilling everything that was in her heart and her mind to a girl she barely knew, just because they were the first person who'd stopped to listen to what she'd been through since Alba had joined up with her on the beach a stone's throw away. And yet the expression on Bridgette's face barely shifted further than neutral, the tone of her voice not rising above the same.
Maybe she didn't care about Bryony's plight, and was just talking to resume some sense of normality. Maybe she really did, and just struggled to get those cares across in the way she spoke. Bryony really had no idea. This was beginning to make her realise just how few people she really knew at Kingsman, just how few people she could truly count as friends. So few people, stuck on such a huge island, with killers, multiple time killers, roaming around as well. What were the chances she would manage to find them again?
It was almost enough to make Bryony want to stop and give up again. Almost, however, was the vital word. There was something inside of her that kept her going, no matter what bullshit was aimed in her direction. She sketched one last thing in the dirt on the docks with her finger, an almost instinctive thing, really; something she added to every sketch she made just to show it off as being hers. Then, with a shaky breath, she stood up again and looked at Bridgette.
She barely knew Bridgette and she had no idea whether she'd ever see Alice or Sandra or Alba again. That just made it even more vital to get closer to anyone who was even vaguely friendly in this place.
"Um, sorry... I guess that wasn't exactly the best choice of, uh, words. I mean, um, technically I did get attacked, by the guy who stole my stuff, but I don't, um, know who... who he was..."
Bryony let out another shuddering sigh, closing her eyes and taking a couple of calming breaths. She was tripping over herself and rambling. She just needed to focus and relax. Easier said than done, but she had to try anyway.
"I... tried to escape, on the first day. As soon as I'd woken up, even... and when, uh... and when that didn't work... I was completely prepared to, um... to... die. I couldn't see any other way out of this thing, especially not for me, and I just wanted out. But... Alba was there, and she talked to me and talked me out of it and she... just made me realise that there's always some hope left. And... and if you can't find it, you've got to make it yourself..."
Bryony twined a strand of hair from her right pigtail around her finger. It was getting kinda loose. Next time she got a chance to rest she'd have to sort it out. It was a strange thing to worry about, but she'd managed to inspire herself. Maybe, by some minor miracle, her hairstyle getting messed up would be the only issue she'd have to deal with from now on.
"Would you... um, would you care to join me? To look for Alba? I could help you find, um... anyone you're looking for, if you wanted..."
Bryony glanced down at the ground, catching sight of her scrawling in the dirt.
=)
Maybe she didn't care about Bryony's plight, and was just talking to resume some sense of normality. Maybe she really did, and just struggled to get those cares across in the way she spoke. Bryony really had no idea. This was beginning to make her realise just how few people she really knew at Kingsman, just how few people she could truly count as friends. So few people, stuck on such a huge island, with killers, multiple time killers, roaming around as well. What were the chances she would manage to find them again?
It was almost enough to make Bryony want to stop and give up again. Almost, however, was the vital word. There was something inside of her that kept her going, no matter what bullshit was aimed in her direction. She sketched one last thing in the dirt on the docks with her finger, an almost instinctive thing, really; something she added to every sketch she made just to show it off as being hers. Then, with a shaky breath, she stood up again and looked at Bridgette.
She barely knew Bridgette and she had no idea whether she'd ever see Alice or Sandra or Alba again. That just made it even more vital to get closer to anyone who was even vaguely friendly in this place.
"Um, sorry... I guess that wasn't exactly the best choice of, uh, words. I mean, um, technically I did get attacked, by the guy who stole my stuff, but I don't, um, know who... who he was..."
Bryony let out another shuddering sigh, closing her eyes and taking a couple of calming breaths. She was tripping over herself and rambling. She just needed to focus and relax. Easier said than done, but she had to try anyway.
"I... tried to escape, on the first day. As soon as I'd woken up, even... and when, uh... and when that didn't work... I was completely prepared to, um... to... die. I couldn't see any other way out of this thing, especially not for me, and I just wanted out. But... Alba was there, and she talked to me and talked me out of it and she... just made me realise that there's always some hope left. And... and if you can't find it, you've got to make it yourself..."
Bryony twined a strand of hair from her right pigtail around her finger. It was getting kinda loose. Next time she got a chance to rest she'd have to sort it out. It was a strange thing to worry about, but she'd managed to inspire herself. Maybe, by some minor miracle, her hairstyle getting messed up would be the only issue she'd have to deal with from now on.
"Would you... um, would you care to join me? To look for Alba? I could help you find, um... anyone you're looking for, if you wanted..."
Bryony glanced down at the ground, catching sight of her scrawling in the dirt.
=)
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
Yep, everything Bryony said confirmed what Bridgette had thought. She supposed she felt sorry for Bryony, though more in a "you're going to be dead very soon and that's too bad" way than a "I want to love it and protect it" way.
She wondered if Bryony would have gone to prom.
Shaking her head to get her thoughts back on track, Bridgette considered the offer laid out before her. She wasn't too surprised that Bryony wanted to team up for a little while. It was... maybe not so bad of an offer. Maybe. It was clear that to rely on Bryony for anything like protection or even backup in a sticky situation would be asking too much, and Bridgette wasn't in the business of holding someone's hand when they got scared of the dark, but Bryony did have some supplies, information, and a ready-made ally in this Alba girl.
And beyond that...
Bridgette didn't think she could kill anyone right now, not unless her life depended on it. The longer she could wait to have her name announced, the fewer people that would remember it, the better. The only person she could think of even wanting to kill was Isabel, and maybe the others who had killed multiple times, but that would mostly have been out of necessity if she ran into any of them anyway. She and Bryony were both unarmed, and Bryony didn't seem very fit. Up against any kind of real weapon, they'd probably be toast.
But both of them didn't have to be.
You don't have to run the fastest, if you're running for your life. You just have to run faster than somebody else.
Bridgette followed Bryony's glance down at the crude smiley-face thing she'd scuffed into the dirt. It was enough to bring a twitch of a pitying smile to her face in response.
"Sure, why not?" She said finally. "I don't really have a plan right now and I want to find anything useful around here that I can. I can help you look for your girlfriend for a bit."
She wondered if Bryony would have gone to prom.
Shaking her head to get her thoughts back on track, Bridgette considered the offer laid out before her. She wasn't too surprised that Bryony wanted to team up for a little while. It was... maybe not so bad of an offer. Maybe. It was clear that to rely on Bryony for anything like protection or even backup in a sticky situation would be asking too much, and Bridgette wasn't in the business of holding someone's hand when they got scared of the dark, but Bryony did have some supplies, information, and a ready-made ally in this Alba girl.
And beyond that...
Bridgette didn't think she could kill anyone right now, not unless her life depended on it. The longer she could wait to have her name announced, the fewer people that would remember it, the better. The only person she could think of even wanting to kill was Isabel, and maybe the others who had killed multiple times, but that would mostly have been out of necessity if she ran into any of them anyway. She and Bryony were both unarmed, and Bryony didn't seem very fit. Up against any kind of real weapon, they'd probably be toast.
But both of them didn't have to be.
You don't have to run the fastest, if you're running for your life. You just have to run faster than somebody else.
Bridgette followed Bryony's glance down at the crude smiley-face thing she'd scuffed into the dirt. It was enough to bring a twitch of a pitying smile to her face in response.
"Sure, why not?" She said finally. "I don't really have a plan right now and I want to find anything useful around here that I can. I can help you look for your girlfriend for a bit."
"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."
"Girl... Girlfriend? Huh?"
Bryony's head snapped up almost instantaneously, as if a catch on her neck had just been released. She could feel the heat flooding her face already; no doubt her cheeks had turned a lovely rosy red colour by now. Her mind raced and her mouth hung ajar as she tried to think of something intelligent to say, rather than stammering like a fish on land.
She wasn't sure what part to refute first. The 'Alba is my girlfriend' part made the most sense; it was completely incorrect to begin with, after all, and would be easy to disprove thanks to Alba being a Junior that neither of them had ever met before this. But it was oh so very, very hard for Bryony to ignore the desire to quash Bridgette's (frustratingly accurate) accusation that she was gay. Had she somehow found out that Bryony was bi? No, there was no way. There was practically no-one who knew about that, not even most of her friends, and definitely not a passing acquaintance from art club. It could have been just an assumption, but there was a horrible, nagging worry at the back of Bryony's mind now, resurfacing again. Was she really just that obvious? Was the fact that she liked girls really just that clear for everyone to see, no matter how much she tried to hide it?
Bryony coughed a few times, trying her best to clear her throat at the same time as her mind. She needed this to be as convincing as possible; stumbling over her words would likely only increase Bridgette's suspicions.
"Uh, um... I think, um... I think you got the wrong idea... We're not, ah, dating or anything like that, she's just... she's just really important to me because of how much she helped me and stuff. I'd never, um, even met her before this week... or, um, y'know, I probably met her around school and stuff but I'd never talked to her or... or anything..."
Bryony coughed again. She looked down at the smiley face in the ground for support.
"Besides, um, I'm not really into girls like that..."
Bryony scratched the side of her neck. The wind was beginning to send chills down her spine now, snaking in through every gap in her hoody. She hoped that her t-shirt had finally dried out enough for her to wear again.
"Anyways, um, we should go... we should... um... let's go..."
After a few hesitant seconds, Bryony stumbled forwards back up the slopes towards the island mainland. It felt weird leading the way, but she supposed it made as much sense her doing it as Bridgette. Neither of them had a place in mind, after all. Just a goal. She realised, as she began to head off, that she hadn't asked Bridgette if she had anyone she wanted to find, but she would have plenty of time to ask that as they walked.
Chances were, it would take a minor miracle for them to find anyone if they were just ambling about the island aimlessly, but there was always a chance. A slim chance, obviously.
But a slim hope was still hope, and Bryony kept that alive in her heart.
((Bryony Adams continued in The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed To Go Out With))
Bryony's head snapped up almost instantaneously, as if a catch on her neck had just been released. She could feel the heat flooding her face already; no doubt her cheeks had turned a lovely rosy red colour by now. Her mind raced and her mouth hung ajar as she tried to think of something intelligent to say, rather than stammering like a fish on land.
She wasn't sure what part to refute first. The 'Alba is my girlfriend' part made the most sense; it was completely incorrect to begin with, after all, and would be easy to disprove thanks to Alba being a Junior that neither of them had ever met before this. But it was oh so very, very hard for Bryony to ignore the desire to quash Bridgette's (frustratingly accurate) accusation that she was gay. Had she somehow found out that Bryony was bi? No, there was no way. There was practically no-one who knew about that, not even most of her friends, and definitely not a passing acquaintance from art club. It could have been just an assumption, but there was a horrible, nagging worry at the back of Bryony's mind now, resurfacing again. Was she really just that obvious? Was the fact that she liked girls really just that clear for everyone to see, no matter how much she tried to hide it?
Bryony coughed a few times, trying her best to clear her throat at the same time as her mind. She needed this to be as convincing as possible; stumbling over her words would likely only increase Bridgette's suspicions.
"Uh, um... I think, um... I think you got the wrong idea... We're not, ah, dating or anything like that, she's just... she's just really important to me because of how much she helped me and stuff. I'd never, um, even met her before this week... or, um, y'know, I probably met her around school and stuff but I'd never talked to her or... or anything..."
Bryony coughed again. She looked down at the smiley face in the ground for support.
"Besides, um, I'm not really into girls like that..."
Bryony scratched the side of her neck. The wind was beginning to send chills down her spine now, snaking in through every gap in her hoody. She hoped that her t-shirt had finally dried out enough for her to wear again.
"Anyways, um, we should go... we should... um... let's go..."
After a few hesitant seconds, Bryony stumbled forwards back up the slopes towards the island mainland. It felt weird leading the way, but she supposed it made as much sense her doing it as Bridgette. Neither of them had a place in mind, after all. Just a goal. She realised, as she began to head off, that she hadn't asked Bridgette if she had anyone she wanted to find, but she would have plenty of time to ask that as they walked.
Chances were, it would take a minor miracle for them to find anyone if they were just ambling about the island aimlessly, but there was always a chance. A slim chance, obviously.
But a slim hope was still hope, and Bryony kept that alive in her heart.
((Bryony Adams continued in The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed To Go Out With))
"bryony and alba would definitely join the terrorists quote me on this put this quote in signatures put it in history books" - Cicada Days, 2017
...Well, that was definitely an interesting reaction.
It didn't matter in the least to Bridgette what Bryony and Alba's relationship was, or whether Bryony was into boys, girls, or whatever. Still, she couldn't help but be amused by Bryony's blushing and stammering, obviously trying to cover for something that Bridgette had hit on in one way or another. Had she been a teasing sort of person, Bridgette might have pressed the issue, but she chose to let it alone. It wouldn't do to go straining their tentative alliance this early.
She was fine letting Bryony lead the way away from the docks; having someone else in the lead meant that she wasn't showing anybody her back if she could help it. She didn't much care where they went or what they found, so long as it didn't bring them trouble before she was prepared for it.
As they walked, Bridgette wondered how a real weapon would feel in her hands.
((Bridgette Sommerfeld continued The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))
It didn't matter in the least to Bridgette what Bryony and Alba's relationship was, or whether Bryony was into boys, girls, or whatever. Still, she couldn't help but be amused by Bryony's blushing and stammering, obviously trying to cover for something that Bridgette had hit on in one way or another. Had she been a teasing sort of person, Bridgette might have pressed the issue, but she chose to let it alone. It wouldn't do to go straining their tentative alliance this early.
She was fine letting Bryony lead the way away from the docks; having someone else in the lead meant that she wasn't showing anybody her back if she could help it. She didn't much care where they went or what they found, so long as it didn't bring them trouble before she was prepared for it.
As they walked, Bridgette wondered how a real weapon would feel in her hands.
((Bridgette Sommerfeld continued The Latest Story That I Know is the One That I'm Supposed to Go Out With))
"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."