((Nina Clarke's story continues from A Trust Exercise))
Nina was starting to feel a little better now that she'd had time to think about things.
Well, maybe. She was still angry as fuck at Maddie.
But at least she had some time to think now that she'd been alone for some time. She approached the desecrated golf course with some apprehension; she'd be easily visible on the large, flat area. Still, she was exhausted from the travel and still woozy from what she assumed was the drugs. She needed to take a break from traveling.
Nina found a small, overturned golf cart shortly after approaching the Greens. She took a breath and sat down next to it, thinking it might make for a good hiding spot. She definitely needed to rest and think a bit now that she'd left the fucking harbor.
She couldn't believe a girl like Maddie, who was brainy and logical and seemed so friendly, could betray her and screw her so royally. It was so unsettling to Nina; Nina had believed Maddie was earnest. Was she that bad a judge of character? Did the game change people that much? It was absurd, and too much for the girl now.
Nina sighed, and gazed up at the clear blue sky.
Black Hearts
Open
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umop-ap!sdn†
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((Jaquilyn Locke continued from This Ain't No Make Believe))
Sweet, savory success. Jaquilyn almost laughed when she found herself on the greens. She leaned forward, to catch her breath, placing her hands on her knees to take some weight off of her back. The beautiful black bag she carried needed to be put down for a moment. Looking around a golf course for a club seemed like a fucking stupid idea now that they'd gotten a gun.
She swung it off her shoulder and dropped it onto the tall grass. Her body fell onto it next. Her chest rose and fell as she panted. They had a gun. They had protection. They had stellar communication.
Jaquilyn raised her less tired arm into the air. Her palm facing Joachim's general direction. Her eyes continued staring up into space, but she fanned her fingers and waved them slightly. Her other hand moved behind her head to pull her hair away from the back of her neck.
She longed for her carry on bag that she'd left back in her room. Some antiperspirant would be nice.
Before all things, she needed to finish celebrating this game-changing power play. Her raise hand broke it's position as an open palm to snap it's fingers for attention, then returning to the open palm.
Sweet, savory success. Jaquilyn almost laughed when she found herself on the greens. She leaned forward, to catch her breath, placing her hands on her knees to take some weight off of her back. The beautiful black bag she carried needed to be put down for a moment. Looking around a golf course for a club seemed like a fucking stupid idea now that they'd gotten a gun.
She swung it off her shoulder and dropped it onto the tall grass. Her body fell onto it next. Her chest rose and fell as she panted. They had a gun. They had protection. They had stellar communication.
Jaquilyn raised her less tired arm into the air. Her palm facing Joachim's general direction. Her eyes continued staring up into space, but she fanned her fingers and waved them slightly. Her other hand moved behind her head to pull her hair away from the back of her neck.
She longed for her carry on bag that she'd left back in her room. Some antiperspirant would be nice.
Before all things, she needed to finish celebrating this game-changing power play. Her raise hand broke it's position as an open palm to snap it's fingers for attention, then returning to the open palm.
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[Joachim Lovelace, continued from This Ain't No Make Believe]
Sweet, savory success. Joachim definetly laughed when he arrived on the greens with Jaquilyn. It was pleasant, cheerful laughter. Something that Joachim did not do often. He let out a breath and his laughter turned into a smile. He closed is eyes as he became slower and stopped. If he would use one word to describe what he just did, he would use 'Awesome'. In fact, a part of him even thought that he would be ready to do it again.
Jaquilyn dropped the bag and herself into the grass. Joachim tilted his head so that his face could feel the warmth of the sun as he dropped his bag. A finger snap got his attention. He saw Jaq's hand and walked towards her to give her a high-five.
"I am quite tired, but..."
He dropped next to her on the ground.
"...you were just great."
He closed his eyes again to enjoy the moment of euphoria.
Sweet, savory success. Joachim definetly laughed when he arrived on the greens with Jaquilyn. It was pleasant, cheerful laughter. Something that Joachim did not do often. He let out a breath and his laughter turned into a smile. He closed is eyes as he became slower and stopped. If he would use one word to describe what he just did, he would use 'Awesome'. In fact, a part of him even thought that he would be ready to do it again.
Jaquilyn dropped the bag and herself into the grass. Joachim tilted his head so that his face could feel the warmth of the sun as he dropped his bag. A finger snap got his attention. He saw Jaq's hand and walked towards her to give her a high-five.
"I am quite tired, but..."
He dropped next to her on the ground.
"...you were just great."
He closed his eyes again to enjoy the moment of euphoria.
Gervais Frans Lambotte 
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Nina heard people.
She stood up swiftly, standing slightly to just peek on them over the tipped-over vehicle.
Jaquilyn Locke and Joachim Something-or-Other stood talking and laughing over something. Nina wasn't sure what'd happened, but she doubted it was good. For all she knew, they just murdered someone and were now gloating in their victory/evils or whatever.
Nina sunk back down. She was unarmed and helpless, and if they wanted to attack her, she had no ability to defend herself. That was a bad thing. She needed some kind of safety mechanism now. She peered into the overturned golf cart, looking for something to defend herself with. Anything would work...Anything at all.
Please tell her that there was something to use to avoid being brutally murdered in six seconds in the motherfucking bitch cart.
After a moment of searching, Nina realized that there was basically nothing to use. She was scared now; if they opened fire, she had no means of defense. She could get gunned down on the first day without even doing anything!
"Fuck it." Nina turned around, taking a deep breath, and started hightailing it in the opposite direction of the voices. It was the safest option, and if they were killers she wanted to avoid them. People had likely killed by now, so she really had no choice but to bolt.
Or she might well die.
She stood up swiftly, standing slightly to just peek on them over the tipped-over vehicle.
Jaquilyn Locke and Joachim Something-or-Other stood talking and laughing over something. Nina wasn't sure what'd happened, but she doubted it was good. For all she knew, they just murdered someone and were now gloating in their victory/evils or whatever.
Nina sunk back down. She was unarmed and helpless, and if they wanted to attack her, she had no ability to defend herself. That was a bad thing. She needed some kind of safety mechanism now. She peered into the overturned golf cart, looking for something to defend herself with. Anything would work...Anything at all.
Please tell her that there was something to use to avoid being brutally murdered in six seconds in the motherfucking bitch cart.
After a moment of searching, Nina realized that there was basically nothing to use. She was scared now; if they opened fire, she had no means of defense. She could get gunned down on the first day without even doing anything!
"Fuck it." Nina turned around, taking a deep breath, and started hightailing it in the opposite direction of the voices. It was the safest option, and if they were killers she wanted to avoid them. People had likely killed by now, so she really had no choice but to bolt.
Or she might well die.
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umop-ap!sdn†
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Jaquilyn's hand fell back down after Joachim slapped it, he hit the ground nearby shortly after. She smiled at Joachim's flattery. Even in a situation like this, it was nice to be complimented.
"Aw come on, you were good too. I thought about punching Matt in the face before we took off. Just to scare him into not chasing us." She laughed. It felt so good to laugh, but this moment had to end.
She closed her eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink. When they opened, she rolled herself over on the bag. The gun's hard shape pressed through the bag against her body. She didn't even need the poke in her ribs to remind her of everything that was important right now. Her hands moved forward through the thick grass and pressed into the ground. Her torso rose, and her legs stepped beneath it before straightening up.
All was silent except for hers and Joachim's breathing, plus the distant sound of somebody running away. Jaquilyn's eyes located and locked on the retreating body. Female, African American, bun. Jaq had seen Nina before, and figured from her stature and hair that she was some kind of gymnast.
She took a step towards the girl, wondering where she was going, and why she was leaving. Jaq's foot bumped into her new duffel bag. She looked down at it, then back up at the girl.
Was she running towards, or running away from. Was there somebody on the other side of the hill, or was she fleeing because she'd seen newcomers? Jaq's let her forward foot, the one that had kicked the bag, plant itself. Her back leg moved farther back. Her knees bent as she lowered her body slowly. Her thumb and the knuckle of her index finger squeezed the zipper between themselves and tugged it down the track.
The gun's smooth wooden handle placed itself in her hands as she pulled the long weapon from the bag. She had no idea how to work it. Yet.
"Thank you Mister Masters... How do we load this thing?"
"Aw come on, you were good too. I thought about punching Matt in the face before we took off. Just to scare him into not chasing us." She laughed. It felt so good to laugh, but this moment had to end.
She closed her eyes for a bit longer than a standard blink. When they opened, she rolled herself over on the bag. The gun's hard shape pressed through the bag against her body. She didn't even need the poke in her ribs to remind her of everything that was important right now. Her hands moved forward through the thick grass and pressed into the ground. Her torso rose, and her legs stepped beneath it before straightening up.
All was silent except for hers and Joachim's breathing, plus the distant sound of somebody running away. Jaquilyn's eyes located and locked on the retreating body. Female, African American, bun. Jaq had seen Nina before, and figured from her stature and hair that she was some kind of gymnast.
She took a step towards the girl, wondering where she was going, and why she was leaving. Jaq's foot bumped into her new duffel bag. She looked down at it, then back up at the girl.
Was she running towards, or running away from. Was there somebody on the other side of the hill, or was she fleeing because she'd seen newcomers? Jaq's let her forward foot, the one that had kicked the bag, plant itself. Her back leg moved farther back. Her knees bent as she lowered her body slowly. Her thumb and the knuckle of her index finger squeezed the zipper between themselves and tugged it down the track.
The gun's smooth wooden handle placed itself in her hands as she pulled the long weapon from the bag. She had no idea how to work it. Yet.
"Thank you Mister Masters... How do we load this thing?"
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The moment of dwelling on their victory ended somehow. Joachim heard someone sprinting nearby, and Jaq seemed to have noticed it too. Time for being serious then. Joachim stood up and looked at the young girl who was running in the fields. It seemed that she was running away from Joachim and Jaq. Maybe she thought that they both were dangerous. In which she would be right, Joachim thought.
Joachim watched as Jaq got Matt's... her gun out, which made Joachim raise an eyebrow. Not because he would object to firing a shot, partly because Joachim doubted that she would hit, partly because... something different. It was more the fact that she did not know how to operate the gun. Neither did Joachim.
"There has to be a manual somewhere. May I?"
He got to Jaq's bag before she answered, and fished for a manual. Which he managed to get. It was a little booklet, and Joachim skimmed the pages for any viable information. The first thing that jumped in his eyes were the fact that the gun was prone to firing by accident. Good to know. Eventually, he found a section about loading the MP18. He tried to understand it, but he failed trying that. So he held the open booklet next to Jaq's head.
"I suppose this is how."
Joachim watched as Jaq got Matt's... her gun out, which made Joachim raise an eyebrow. Not because he would object to firing a shot, partly because Joachim doubted that she would hit, partly because... something different. It was more the fact that she did not know how to operate the gun. Neither did Joachim.
"There has to be a manual somewhere. May I?"
He got to Jaq's bag before she answered, and fished for a manual. Which he managed to get. It was a little booklet, and Joachim skimmed the pages for any viable information. The first thing that jumped in his eyes were the fact that the gun was prone to firing by accident. Good to know. Eventually, he found a section about loading the MP18. He tried to understand it, but he failed trying that. So he held the open booklet next to Jaq's head.
"I suppose this is how."
Gervais Frans Lambotte Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Nina kept running until she was long away from the two. She didn't want anything to do with them, especially from their demeanor that suggested they were having entirely too much fun for their situation. That spelled bad news.
Nina didn't want to admit it, but she didn't know what to do. All her confidence was gone with her weapon and her ally. She was totally lost now. She couldn't save anyone, she couldn't protect anyone (even herself) and she was now trapped on this island with no way out.
It pissed her off.
She wished she was home, so she could go to the gym and smash shit. But she had a broken hand and was trapped on a terrorist reality show. It was infuriating how useless she was.
Instead, she turned around, punted a stone as far as she could. and walked off. That was really the best she could do to relieve the temper spike.
She left, still a little scared and just a touch angry.
((Nina Clarke's story continues elsewhere))
Nina didn't want to admit it, but she didn't know what to do. All her confidence was gone with her weapon and her ally. She was totally lost now. She couldn't save anyone, she couldn't protect anyone (even herself) and she was now trapped on this island with no way out.
It pissed her off.
She wished she was home, so she could go to the gym and smash shit. But she had a broken hand and was trapped on a terrorist reality show. It was infuriating how useless she was.
Instead, she turned around, punted a stone as far as she could. and walked off. That was really the best she could do to relieve the temper spike.
She left, still a little scared and just a touch angry.
((Nina Clarke's story continues elsewhere))
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umop-ap!sdn†
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Jaq turned her head to see the manual. Yowch. She turned so the gun was directly below the manual. She turned it over several times to locate and identify what numbers in the book corresponded to what landmarks on the gun. She lifted the oddly shaped magazine and examined it's parts. She moved it's cartridge to where it seemed to fit on the gun. A glance at the picture told her she had it backwards. Her fingers turned it around in her palm and it clipped into place. It looked strange, but it looked deadly. Nobody would laugh at a funny looking gun pointed at them.
She looked up to Joachim, a nervous, but relieved smile. Then she looked back down at the loaded gun. She was armed. While she was still in danger, she was a whole lot less fucked than she had been that morning. A small click rose from down below as Jaq found the safety. She turned her lips in and nodded, impressed with the weapon. This thing looked like it had a lot of firepower, she'd have to be careful with how she held it.
"Alright. I've got it, I think." She looked back up and smiled, nodding towards the bag to show he could put the manual down. The safety clicked back. She moved the handle away from her body to examine the end of the barrel. There were several holes at the end, arranged in a circle. Jaq could remember playing with Nerf guns with a similar design, it was odd to think the toys had been based off real weapons.
She set the gun back down on the ground. With the clip on, it wouldn't fit in the bag as nicely, and carrying it around would scare off the meek. If the girl had run away just from seeing Jaq and Jo, she would have peed her pants if Jaq was carrying the gun.
Jaq was set, but not wasting any ammo. It was time to see what Joachim's weapon could do.
"Do we know how that knife works, exactly? It'd be good to see how far it shoots, and how you are with aim."
She looked up to Joachim, a nervous, but relieved smile. Then she looked back down at the loaded gun. She was armed. While she was still in danger, she was a whole lot less fucked than she had been that morning. A small click rose from down below as Jaq found the safety. She turned her lips in and nodded, impressed with the weapon. This thing looked like it had a lot of firepower, she'd have to be careful with how she held it.
"Alright. I've got it, I think." She looked back up and smiled, nodding towards the bag to show he could put the manual down. The safety clicked back. She moved the handle away from her body to examine the end of the barrel. There were several holes at the end, arranged in a circle. Jaq could remember playing with Nerf guns with a similar design, it was odd to think the toys had been based off real weapons.
She set the gun back down on the ground. With the clip on, it wouldn't fit in the bag as nicely, and carrying it around would scare off the meek. If the girl had run away just from seeing Jaq and Jo, she would have peed her pants if Jaq was carrying the gun.
Jaq was set, but not wasting any ammo. It was time to see what Joachim's weapon could do.
"Do we know how that knife works, exactly? It'd be good to see how far it shoots, and how you are with aim."
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Joachim watched as the black girl fled the scene. She was irrelevant now, not worth a single thought. Then he turned his head to see Jaquilyn loading the gun. The ensuing click was satisfying. A smirk appeared on his face. They had a gun. And it was loaded. They definetely were powerful now.
She asked him if he knew how to handle the knife. Joachim nodded. He has informed himself when he awakened in that room. He understood how the knife worked. It consisted out of two parts. The blade, and the handle. At the handle, one could find a little switch. When activated, the blade would be propelled with a velocity of 60 km/h. That, converted, means 'hurts a lot'. According to the manual the range in which it'd be effective would be 5 meters, or around 15 feet.
He walked to his belonging and picked up the knife that was next to his bag. It was time to test it.
He located one of the remaining poles. He walked towards it and once he had a distance of around 10 feet, he aimed at it. He fired.
Miss. By a few inches. It was fast though.
"Well... most of our class mates are a bit bigger."
Then he walked towards the spot where the blade landed, and after some searching in the grass, he found the blade and reattached it.
She asked him if he knew how to handle the knife. Joachim nodded. He has informed himself when he awakened in that room. He understood how the knife worked. It consisted out of two parts. The blade, and the handle. At the handle, one could find a little switch. When activated, the blade would be propelled with a velocity of 60 km/h. That, converted, means 'hurts a lot'. According to the manual the range in which it'd be effective would be 5 meters, or around 15 feet.
He walked to his belonging and picked up the knife that was next to his bag. It was time to test it.
He located one of the remaining poles. He walked towards it and once he had a distance of around 10 feet, he aimed at it. He fired.
Miss. By a few inches. It was fast though.
"Well... most of our class mates are a bit bigger."
Then he walked towards the spot where the blade landed, and after some searching in the grass, he found the blade and reattached it.
Gervais Frans Lambotte Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
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umop-ap!sdn†
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Jaquilyn whistled at the shot. She'd expected it to only go a few feet before falling. The speed behind it was surprising too. And the fact that it was a launching knife, nobody would be expecting it.
She started towards the piece by the flag pole, counting her steps so she could get a better feel of the weapon's potential.
"...our classmates are a bit bigger."
Everything changed.
She couldn't keep moving. She couldn't keep counting her steps. She couldn't look towards the flag pole that was too thin to accurately represent a student from Aurora.
But she couldn't stop either. She couldn't stay in one place, especially not here. He couldn't sit around and let her fate fall in the hands off chance. She couldn't just lay down and die here.
She had a partner, She had responsibility and coverage. He had a knife that shot itself like a harpoon, they had surprise. They had excellent communication, a leg up on any other team.
And she had a fucking gun, now.
Everything had changed.
It seemed that every hour, like clockwork, Jaquilyn Locke's life did a complete turnaround. She could only adapt so dramatically so fast.
She was no longer walking at his side. She was behind now, still walking, but gradually slowing. She couldn't keep walking, but she couldn't stop. Deceleration was the only compromise.
Indecision was hell. She stated at Joachim's heels as he walked.
She started towards the piece by the flag pole, counting her steps so she could get a better feel of the weapon's potential.
"...our classmates are a bit bigger."
Everything changed.
She couldn't keep moving. She couldn't keep counting her steps. She couldn't look towards the flag pole that was too thin to accurately represent a student from Aurora.
But she couldn't stop either. She couldn't stay in one place, especially not here. He couldn't sit around and let her fate fall in the hands off chance. She couldn't just lay down and die here.
She had a partner, She had responsibility and coverage. He had a knife that shot itself like a harpoon, they had surprise. They had excellent communication, a leg up on any other team.
And she had a fucking gun, now.
Everything had changed.
It seemed that every hour, like clockwork, Jaquilyn Locke's life did a complete turnaround. She could only adapt so dramatically so fast.
She was no longer walking at his side. She was behind now, still walking, but gradually slowing. She couldn't keep walking, but she couldn't stop. Deceleration was the only compromise.
Indecision was hell. She stated at Joachim's heels as he walked.
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"Jaq? You seem a bit... erratic?"
Erratic may not have been the correct word. But something was off about her. Joachim noticed that she stared at his feet. Maybe she was thinking about something... bothersome? What could be bothersome? They made a good team, had good equipment, it was almost certain for Joachim that they would manage to get far in the compe...
"One of us will die..."
Joachim did not intend to say what he thought. But it was obvious. The premise of that sick program was that only one out of 150 students would survive. Which meant that either Joachim or Jaquilyn died. Although, even more likely would be if both died. Heck, even if they managed to get to the final two they had to kill each other.
Yes, it would be correct to say that this thought killed the euphoria Joachim felt. But it would be wrong to assume that this truth devastated him in any way. When he woke up, he already knew that he was a dead man walking. If it were not for Jaq, he would have stayed in that living site untill his collar exploded due to danger zones, or untill a player found him. But then, Jaq showed him an alternative path. The goal was still the same, but the way to that goal was much more thrilling.
He faced Jaq.
"I would say that you are the... no, nevermind."
Erratic may not have been the correct word. But something was off about her. Joachim noticed that she stared at his feet. Maybe she was thinking about something... bothersome? What could be bothersome? They made a good team, had good equipment, it was almost certain for Joachim that they would manage to get far in the compe...
"One of us will die..."
Joachim did not intend to say what he thought. But it was obvious. The premise of that sick program was that only one out of 150 students would survive. Which meant that either Joachim or Jaquilyn died. Although, even more likely would be if both died. Heck, even if they managed to get to the final two they had to kill each other.
Yes, it would be correct to say that this thought killed the euphoria Joachim felt. But it would be wrong to assume that this truth devastated him in any way. When he woke up, he already knew that he was a dead man walking. If it were not for Jaq, he would have stayed in that living site untill his collar exploded due to danger zones, or untill a player found him. But then, Jaq showed him an alternative path. The goal was still the same, but the way to that goal was much more thrilling.
He faced Jaq.
"I would say that you are the... no, nevermind."
Gervais Frans Lambotte Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
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umop-ap!sdn†
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:15 am
"One of us will die."
Oh. FUH-KING great. Another fact to contemplate.
It was a simple fact she knew even before she'd asked him to come along. It was a small detail she'd dismissed awhile ago because it wasn't important yet. A tiny little blip on the radar of things that were important in this situation. It didn't matter if she knew that only one of them could win the game.
Now he was saying it...
It changed everything. Now she couldn't just watch his back, and she couldn't trust him to watch hers. They weren't a fucking team, they were a temporary pairing until: A) they were the last two, B) one of them fucked up, or C) one of them took an easy kill on the other. She knew the options, and she knew which ones she preferred and which ones she didn't.
"I would say that you are the... no, nevermind."
No. No you fucking jackass you don't get to start saying something about me now and then get to stop.
"Say it."
You don't get to help me steal a gun away from some scared kids in the woods, and not tell me what you think about me.
"SAY IT!"
You don't get to be the only person I find on Survival of the fucking Fittest while I'm scared and alone and paralyzed in fear and convince me I can trust you and help me work up the courage to leave the room and be like my brother and-
"SAY IT NOW OR FUCKING FIGHT ME."
Her eyes had filled with tears so quickly that none had dropped, despite her eyes being soaked. She used both sleeves to wipe out the water and flicked her wrists to the sides. Her fists were clenched, and the ends of her sleeves had mascara on them. Her stance had a slight lean forward.
"If you can't trust me, you'd BETTER kill me...."
Now would be better than later. It would have been easier too. He could have killed her back before she was armed and it would have been for the best. But he didn't.
She waited. She moved one foot forward and planted it hard. If he moved, she would either have to run and tackle him, or dash back towards the gun. She shifted her weight to the ball of that foot, ready to sprint ahead or pivot and turn back wheeling. She didn't even know if she was listening, she was so focused on his body's movements.
It was just the next decision she'd have to make in response to the next randomized event.
Oh. FUH-KING great. Another fact to contemplate.
It was a simple fact she knew even before she'd asked him to come along. It was a small detail she'd dismissed awhile ago because it wasn't important yet. A tiny little blip on the radar of things that were important in this situation. It didn't matter if she knew that only one of them could win the game.
Now he was saying it...
It changed everything. Now she couldn't just watch his back, and she couldn't trust him to watch hers. They weren't a fucking team, they were a temporary pairing until: A) they were the last two, B) one of them fucked up, or C) one of them took an easy kill on the other. She knew the options, and she knew which ones she preferred and which ones she didn't.
"I would say that you are the... no, nevermind."
No. No you fucking jackass you don't get to start saying something about me now and then get to stop.
"Say it."
You don't get to help me steal a gun away from some scared kids in the woods, and not tell me what you think about me.
"SAY IT!"
You don't get to be the only person I find on Survival of the fucking Fittest while I'm scared and alone and paralyzed in fear and convince me I can trust you and help me work up the courage to leave the room and be like my brother and-
"SAY IT NOW OR FUCKING FIGHT ME."
Her eyes had filled with tears so quickly that none had dropped, despite her eyes being soaked. She used both sleeves to wipe out the water and flicked her wrists to the sides. Her fists were clenched, and the ends of her sleeves had mascara on them. Her stance had a slight lean forward.
"If you can't trust me, you'd BETTER kill me...."
Now would be better than later. It would have been easier too. He could have killed her back before she was armed and it would have been for the best. But he didn't.
She waited. She moved one foot forward and planted it hard. If he moved, she would either have to run and tackle him, or dash back towards the gun. She shifted her weight to the ball of that foot, ready to sprint ahead or pivot and turn back wheeling. She didn't even know if she was listening, she was so focused on his body's movements.
It was just the next decision she'd have to make in response to the next randomized event.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler umop-ap!sdn. 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.
Say it... Joachim opened his mouth to reply, but then she shouted at him.
He froze. A wave of sensations travelled through his body. They were similar to what he felt back in the forest, but this was different. It was debilitating, nauseous. She talked about fighting her. She talked about killing her. Joachim held his breath as she spoke. No, he could not kill her. They were partners. Even if one of them had to die. They were partners, and Joachim is not one of these people who discarded everyone that was not useful anymore.
He gulped. His body was tense. His eyes became wet too. He had to in- and exhale a bit before speaking up.
"I would say that you are the one more likely to win."
He raised his knife, but pointed it to the side and petted its blade.
"Do you really think I am without any honor? Do you really think I would kill you? Here? Right now? Why the fuck would I do this?
You were the reason I left the living site! And I helped you stealing that gun..."
He inhaled and exhaled again.
"My apologies, got a bit worked up here.
What I am saying is that, yes, we are in a terrible situation. But that does not mean that we can't be a wonderful team."
He froze. A wave of sensations travelled through his body. They were similar to what he felt back in the forest, but this was different. It was debilitating, nauseous. She talked about fighting her. She talked about killing her. Joachim held his breath as she spoke. No, he could not kill her. They were partners. Even if one of them had to die. They were partners, and Joachim is not one of these people who discarded everyone that was not useful anymore.
He gulped. His body was tense. His eyes became wet too. He had to in- and exhale a bit before speaking up.
"I would say that you are the one more likely to win."
He raised his knife, but pointed it to the side and petted its blade.
"Do you really think I am without any honor? Do you really think I would kill you? Here? Right now? Why the fuck would I do this?
You were the reason I left the living site! And I helped you stealing that gun..."
He inhaled and exhaled again.
"My apologies, got a bit worked up here.
What I am saying is that, yes, we are in a terrible situation. But that does not mean that we can't be a wonderful team."
Gervais Frans Lambotte Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
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umop-ap!sdn†
- Posts: 278
- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2018 8:15 am
"You're right... About everything..."
Her lip quivered. Chances. Odds. Probability. Somewhere there had to be betting pools.
Bets on the first to die. The first to kill. The first to commit suicide. The first to kill twice. The first to blow themselves up trying to escape. The one who killed the most. The one who cried the most. The one who made the most monologues to cameras. The one who had the funniest death. The one who had the most tragic death. The cutest homicidal couple. The girl with the most blood chilling scream. The bloodiest scene. The most colorful insides.
Ants on a farm, she couldn't worry about what superlatives she would be awarded. It didn't matter what the viewers thought. There was duty at hand. Keeping a team alive, long term.
"Escape has happened before."
She wiped her wrists on her shorts to dry them. Survivors had been all over the news, appeared on television, some were probably writing books. The fact that people had escaped the game had never seemed interesting until now.
There was one part of the story that had always stuck out to her though.
"They don't take killers."
She'd thought it a shame before, but wrestled with the morality of it. Killers were killers, but they could be prosecuted in the states. They could have been rounded up i to loony bins, leaving them behind was a death sentence.
Then again, taking homicidal students aboard a helicopter or boat or whatever would not have been safe all the way back to the states. Ensuring the safety of the innocent was more important than over securing the potential risks.
"We are a team."
Nobody but the terrorists could really be blamed for anything. The rest was just kids and people doing what they thought they had to.
"But we aren't playing."
Responsibility.
"Say it. Now. Tell me you aren't a killer and that you won't commit murder."
One of them had to take it.
"Say you're against killing our classmates."
One of them had better odds.
"Out loud... Not for me... Just say those words and maybe we can both get out of here."
Terms to be established at a later time.
Her lip quivered. Chances. Odds. Probability. Somewhere there had to be betting pools.
Bets on the first to die. The first to kill. The first to commit suicide. The first to kill twice. The first to blow themselves up trying to escape. The one who killed the most. The one who cried the most. The one who made the most monologues to cameras. The one who had the funniest death. The one who had the most tragic death. The cutest homicidal couple. The girl with the most blood chilling scream. The bloodiest scene. The most colorful insides.
Ants on a farm, she couldn't worry about what superlatives she would be awarded. It didn't matter what the viewers thought. There was duty at hand. Keeping a team alive, long term.
"Escape has happened before."
She wiped her wrists on her shorts to dry them. Survivors had been all over the news, appeared on television, some were probably writing books. The fact that people had escaped the game had never seemed interesting until now.
There was one part of the story that had always stuck out to her though.
"They don't take killers."
She'd thought it a shame before, but wrestled with the morality of it. Killers were killers, but they could be prosecuted in the states. They could have been rounded up i to loony bins, leaving them behind was a death sentence.
Then again, taking homicidal students aboard a helicopter or boat or whatever would not have been safe all the way back to the states. Ensuring the safety of the innocent was more important than over securing the potential risks.
"We are a team."
Nobody but the terrorists could really be blamed for anything. The rest was just kids and people doing what they thought they had to.
"But we aren't playing."
Responsibility.
"Say it. Now. Tell me you aren't a killer and that you won't commit murder."
One of them had to take it.
"Say you're against killing our classmates."
One of them had better odds.
"Out loud... Not for me... Just say those words and maybe we can both get out of here."
Terms to be established at a later time.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler umop-ap!sdn. 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.
Joachim shook his head as Jaq mentioned 'escape'. He did not believe that some force magically would appear and safe them. It happened once, in four seasons. And in the end, only around 30 students were saved. He remembered that some people celebrated that as a great success. But 30 of... 250? A neglible amount. Then there is the fact that the terrorists surely had to learn from their mistakes. They took writing material away, so that the students could not communicate silently. Maybe they even stopped broadcasting it life and everything the people in the world saw were the images of dead people.
Then there was this whole 'not being players' issue. Joachim understood where Jaq came from. When these big rescues happened, no players were allowed to enter the escape boats. Ethical issues aside, that would mean that the moment Jaq and Joachim decided to kill someone, they would be doomed to slaughter their way to the top. Then there is the fact that these people around here were his class mates. Could he harm them? Actually, yes. Joachim decided that these most of his peers were doomed anyway, it did not matter whether due to his hand or someone elses. Also, if somebody attacked Joachim, he would defend himself. Even if Joachim had no real will to survive, his body would speak differently in dangerous situations.
"I will not hunt, but if somebody attacks us, I am likely going to defend myself, even if it kills them."
He could not say that he would never hurt someone. That would be a lie. So he said something that was essentially a compromise. He wondered if it would not be inevitable to break this oath. Thinking that such a situation such as someone attacking them won't happen was foolish in his eyes.
Then there was this whole 'not being players' issue. Joachim understood where Jaq came from. When these big rescues happened, no players were allowed to enter the escape boats. Ethical issues aside, that would mean that the moment Jaq and Joachim decided to kill someone, they would be doomed to slaughter their way to the top. Then there is the fact that these people around here were his class mates. Could he harm them? Actually, yes. Joachim decided that these most of his peers were doomed anyway, it did not matter whether due to his hand or someone elses. Also, if somebody attacked Joachim, he would defend himself. Even if Joachim had no real will to survive, his body would speak differently in dangerous situations.
"I will not hunt, but if somebody attacks us, I am likely going to defend myself, even if it kills them."
He could not say that he would never hurt someone. That would be a lie. So he said something that was essentially a compromise. He wondered if it would not be inevitable to break this oath. Thinking that such a situation such as someone attacking them won't happen was foolish in his eyes.
Gervais Frans Lambotte Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern
||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|
Blue Jeans and Bloody Tears Martini-Henry Rifle MkIV Pattern||Selection|Clicks|Lonely|