Lately Kiss My Ass Lately

[Sunnybunny]

As Thomas nervously mentioned carrying her, and both of them artfully avoided the topic of Cheridene's fate, it bit into Sakurako that her leg very much made her a liability, even to an escape attempt. Her self-esteem wasn't so warped that she felt completely useless, but she'd started to think of the cameras again. All she'd need was Aditi's gun, even for a second, and she could give them all a chance to make it out.

But that would be that, and then she'd never eat a Cheez-it again.

Laugh with her friends again.

Talk with her folks again.

Right now, the value of her life was what she could squeeze into it.

Sean offered his shoulder, and she slung her arm around it, attempting to balance herself in a way that she wasn't putting all of her weight on him. It seemed like a weird time to be doing fingerguns, but it had already been established that this place made them all even bigger weirdos than before.

[Catche Jagger]

Rather than directly answer his question, Sean decided to take up the position of helping Sakurako and made a weird gesture at him. Oh shit, had Sean noticed something weird in the way Thomas was interacting with her? Was he acting weird or skeevy without realizing? Why else would Sean be making a finger gun at him right-

Oh

Oooooooooooooooooh

Right, gun. Thomas still had the gun, Princess was missing, and there was possibly someone out there after them.

Thomas nodded to Sean as he slowly and carefully removed the pistol from his waist. “I’m gonna go look for Princess.” He said, now turning to Sakurako and hoping she picked up on this.

“Also, Sakurako, you and Sean should try to make a brace- no, splint. Splint’s the word. You should try to make a splint for your leg. Use my first aid stuff.” He made sure to add that point before turning away from them to search the nearby area, readjusting the emergency blanket which had slipped a bit during the business with the Sakurako’s leg.

Thomas didn’t have to travel too far to discover something relevant, though not by seeing it. Indeed, the smell of Sean’s damn fruit was too strong for anyone to miss. After he picked it up, it wasn’t hard to find the fruit itself, along with a bag, a pair of boots, and some sort of torn fabric.

The boy looked around, pistol at the ready. He wasn’t ready to call the others over just yet. First, Thomas checked the area thoroughly, just to make sure he hadn’t missed anything… or anyone.

When his search turned up empty, he finally called to the others. “Hey! I found something… not sure what to make of it though!”

Princess… what the hell happened here?

[Ohm]

Thomas understood his gesture and had the gun out not long after. It was both a relief for a source of protection and yet another source of fear after earlier events. This is what they had to do now if they were to be safe. It sickened him to his stomach.

Before leaving to investigate he told them to make something for Sakurako's leg.

"Splint? Got it." That's what he said to him, but y'know, easier said than done. Sean had a basic idea on what a splint was, not as much how to make one or what to use so he hoped for a manual of some sorts or that Sakurako secretly turns out to be a genius on the matter.

The questions that poured out were noted as he helped her over to a tree as she sat down and Sean pilfered through Thomas's bag for things to use. He was not sure how to answer her questions without spilling things that were not meant to be said. Not by him anyway.

A look at her leg showed nothing had punctured her skin nor any blood, but the inside was another matter entirely. It would still hurt like a bitch.

At first he thought he had found something good when he pulled out a manual, but it was one that had been written by Danya. A guide to survival. That one got chucked right on the ground before he resumed his search and found what he was looking for.

The medical bag.

Sean took some tape out along with some painkillers, but he wasn't sure what to use as a sort of padding around her leg. Or the what to put at the sides. At least as far as he knew. A quick survey around for something to use turned up a bunch of sticks and such.

That would have to work.

Using the sticks on the sides, taped for safe measure. But what would he use to hold it in place?

A look downward at his sleeve and it gave him a stupid idea. Sean peeled off his hoodie and placed that around her leg before taping around it. As he did so he could hear Thomas calling out for them. "How does that feel? Too tight?" He said as he handed her the painkillers with a water bottle.

[Sunnybunny]

Sakurako's flinch at the sight of Thomas's gun was entirely involuntary, as was her frown. That would explain some of his nervousness, he wasn't really the Rambo type.

(Of all the people she'd seen with guns here, the only person it hadn't actively changed for the worse was Adele. She'd seemed more relaxed.)

"Be safe, Tomtom."

Between her questions (5W's and some H's), she walked him through the best ways they could use what they had. It was like some sick version of Lego, or set-building, but given some direction Sakurako was honestly brilliant at this sort of thing.

In fact, it was kind of fun.

Jogged her mind in a different way, too.

"There's a lighthouse on this rock, right? If they left any of the stuff there, even trashed..."

Where the fuck was this crazy but not entirely hopeless idea days ago? Cheridene could have lived, Blake could have had his thieving hands occupied, Demetri could have not run off...

Oh, Sean was asking her a question now, after using his hoodie for her leg like the bro he'd turned out to be. She smirked and-

"That's what she said!"

Took the painkillers, drinking only as much water as she needed to get them down. After, she pulled off her hoodie and gave it to Sean, revealing her thin black shirt with a long sleeve missing, and her galaxy-print skirt with suspenders.

Damn, the rain hit differently when you were dressed so cute.

"Seriously though, good job. Trade hoodies with me, mine's insulated. It's a men's so it should fit just fine."

Not wanting to worry Thomas, she dug the blanket out of Cheridene's bag and made a makeshift poncho of it. In return, she gave it that pesky beartrap. Once they'd gotten everything sorted, she slung her arm around Sean's shoulder so she could see what he was talking about.

Her nose was attacked the moment they got close, making her cough before they got to the...

Crime scene?

"That smell, ugh...I'm assuming someone tried to sabotage and Princess went after them."

How's that for being a good cop!

[Catche Jagger]

Princess chasing down their attacker? It didn’t seem likely considering the preaching peace kick she’d been on only that morning, but what else could this indicate? Princess certainly wasn’t the trapper, but perhaps she’d been the one who was chased off by their mysterious attacker, who was likely armed with something more than just a trap.

It didn’t matter much, since there was no way of tracking her at this point beyond aimless wandering. Even if he could find her, perhaps it was best that they part this way so that she and Sean couldn’t get him killed with horribly misplaced idealism.

Real stellar way to think of someone who had the gall to try to be kind to you when you needed it and the only person who has stuck with you through all the shit on this island so far.

He did feel a bit sick at the thought. Was he turning cruel now, on top of everything else? Or was this a necessary degree of realism he needed to adopt out here?

Big questions later.

“Well, wherever she is, let’s hope she’s okay. We don’t even know which way they went.” Thomas sighed, turning to the others.

“In the absence of many other options, we should probably head to the village. Princess knew we were headed that way, so maybe she’ll try to meet us there.” Thomas thought it best to add on the nugget of hope, stick to the optimistic narrative Sakurako had started. Still, he could only muster a half-hearted smile.

“Come on. I’ll take point for now.” He spoke up after giving the others a moment further to take things in and make their peace with going.

((Thomas Buckley continued in They Couldn't Buy A Fucking Toaster. They're Broke, John.))

[Ohm]

She kept her high spirits throughout his haphazard treatment of her leg. He was sure that you were supposed to use some actual medical bullshit to cover it or something, but the hoodie would have to make do. She seemed pretty okay with it from what he could see. Jokes and questions abounded and Sean could not help, but have a smile on his face.

That is until she started taking her own hoodie off and Sean had to look away for a second. Or a few. Maybe a bit more. Before she reached over with it for him to wear. He wanted to say no, but it didn't seem like she was going to take that for an answer so he reluctantly put it on as she made something else to wear over her outift. He would say it looked nice if, y'know, they weren't on a death island.

Either way. Once they got moving back to see what was going on, as an all too familiar smell invaded his nose to a smaller degree than it did Sakurako's.

"My fruit is out?" He harked. Someone had been in his bag, probably stealing whatever they could take. He hoped the smell would follow them for the rest of the week. He scooped that thing back into one of their bags. He could not say why that he did so other than growing attached to foul smelling fruit, but seeing it out like this did give him an idea for the future.

Good thing Zach did not have this thing back home or the whole school would have smelled like shit.

A frown found it's way to his face as he surveyed the area. He did not want to think of him, not now. Instead he thought of Princess. In just a few moments she was with them and she seemed to have a plan or a course of action that she wanted to do. And now she was just gone. Would this the last time they would see her? Was she dead? Alive? There had been a scene here, but nothing to suggest she was dead. That was as much as Sean could hope for.

Thomas explained what they were going to do. Him taking point and the two of them hobbling in the back on the way to the village. Sounded good to him. Even with the village being so close to the infimary, Sakurako had friends there so they would see if that would work out.

As he took his spot along with Sakurako and prepared to move out. He could just hope that things would get better once they got indoors with people that weren't trying to hide something or any traps of any kind, but if she trusted them, then maybe they could too.

((Sean Leibowitz continued in They Couldn't Buy A Fucking Toaster. They're Broke, John.))

[Sunnybunny]

"Why are you putting that... okay, if you must."

Her nose didn't appreciate Sean's fruit very much, but it definitely qualified as a weapon. Hell, it might violate Gevena's convention. Sakurako found herself picking up a shoe she assumed belonged to Princess.

Princess, who had left them.

Princess, who she wanted so desperately to save.

And what the heck do you think you're going to do on that leg, 'Rako?

Adele, who was hopefully safe and helping plan a miraculous escape.

Gently, she dropped the heeled shoe to the ground, and smiled. All she could do was try to have fun and be herself, and watch out for who she was with. A tall order, one she was faltering on but...

She had only failed once.

((Sakurako A. Jackson continued in They Couldn’t Buy A Fucking Toaster. They’re Broke, John.))