Phantasm

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The lake itself features a deck and boathouse, mainly for small single person vessels, although there is one rotten-looking wooden rowboat sitting inside. Typically used in the warmer summer months, the lake was the preferred location for many events including barbecues, parties, birthdays, and weddings. The lake also has a small island sitting in the middle of the water, featuring a small collection of trees along with a second wooden rowboat with a large hole in the side.

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Ruggahissy
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#31

Post by Ruggahissy »

"No I --"

She took his hand and squeezed it while smiling up at him with warm eyes.

"I like you and I love you. I just felt like I had to say it or I'd explode kind of."

She was love in the form of a girl. The water of the lake whispered encouragement behind them. Jonah took her face in both hands greedily, but met her softly, trying to keep in mind the bandages on her face. He kissed her and felt the texture change from soft lips to the artificial cloth holding her split lip together. He clenched his shaking hands into a fist and then grabbed her, lifting Arizona off the floor and placing her into the boat. Jonah climbed in after her.
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Deamon
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#32

Post by Deamon »

She grinned as he explained himself. He was always so awkward in his compliments of her. It had been the same since he had asked her out for prom. Despite that he also had a talent for catching her off guard. It was something he consistently managed. He displayed it when he kissed her. And when he lifted her into the boat he did it again.

His hands were gentle, but the intention was firm. She eagerly returned his kiss as he climbed into the boat himself. Her hands found his face and ran through his hair. She pulled his shirt off and tossed it to the side while he did the same with hers.

With a grin she lightly put a hand on his chest to hold him back and she removed her bra. Then they were together again. Hands finding each other.

Electric energy ran through her and she felt a nervous excitement in her gut.

More clothes were discarded, lacking any further use.

He laid her down on the floor of the boat as she ran her hands across his skin. It felt just like when he’d asked her to prom, just like when they’d dance, when they’d found each other in the mansion.

She couldn’t imagine anyone more beautiful.

“I love you.” She said as they embraced.
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Ruggahissy
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#33

Post by Ruggahissy »

For some time he just hugged her close. He just liked the feeling of holding her. Jonah buried his head in the crook of her neck and breathed.

Their sharp senses of humor were amplified and complimented each other. Hesitations or fumbling explorations were eased by giggles and laughs. "Is this what I should do?" "No, go there." Smiles. The idea that perhaps it wasn't something to take so seriously was a welcome relief in situation where any missteps were as serious as death.

They held each others hand tight as they set off and the gaze of their eyes was fierce before it softened with affection.

The night sky took on blossoming pastel haze. The two lay back and looked at the stars above before Arizona fell asleep. Jonah faded to sleep looking on, hypnotized by the curves of her face and how her hair fell.

The peace of their enclave was disturbed by the daily morning announcement which brought two important pieces of information. Arizona had won a prize for killing Quinn and Max had died. Without saying anything, Jonah somberly pulled out the map, not risking to look up.
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MurderWeasel
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#34

Post by MurderWeasel »

((Darlene Silva continued from Merry Christmas, You Suckers!))

It took a few moments of relative silence after the echoing voice faded for Darlene to fully process that she had not, in fact, killed anybody. Yet.

The names and details held little more meaning for her than they had at any point prior. She was listening for names she knew, but mostly only really names she cared about. One would be there for sure—and it was, right where it was supposed to be, paired with another that failed to penetrate and displace the descriptive moniker "mustache"—but aside from that she was mostly just waiting for Jonah, Arizona, or herself to crop up. Kelly, Lucas, and Stephanie too, she supposed, but she'd really probably only feel a little bad about whatever happened there.

But Arizona was the only one out of all those names, even the second tier ones, to be mentioned, and it was for something Darlene already knew. Arizona had killed Quinn. That was what had helped spur the search yesterday, but she was getting something for it now, because Darlene had been listening hard and Arizona's name had definitely not come up anywhere else so it was just Quinn, but also Darlene had no idea why it was happening today instead of yesterday because she'd been listening selectively and had not retained much information besides the names.

Maybe it was a trick being played specifically on her, because if Arizona had had a destination yesterday they wouldn't have gone to the caves to begin with. They would've gone and waited at, at...

She couldn't even remember where Arizona was supposed to go. It didn't really matter that much. Everything was a million miles away.

Darlene walked shakily, staggering almost, her breath coming in big gulping pants. It was like she was the dog now, having to let her tongue loll out to cool off because dogs couldn't sweat, except that wasn't actually true as best she knew and it showed because Darlene was positively drenched in perspiration. She'd run for a while after her ambush on the chainsaw killer, and he hadn't chased her as far as she could tell but she didn't know for sure, so she'd kept walking. She'd been walking what felt like a long time. It had been just starting to get light when the whole thing went down, and now the sun was well and truly risen. She had no idea how much time that delineated. It felt like approximately forever.

She'd stayed near the lake not for any particular reason, but because the lake had been her goal and her destination way back before things went wrong, and nobody had told her to do anything else so she'd just kept on following the plan, in mockery of the fact that everything was now broken in ways that could never be mended. It was a stupid plan to begin with. Darlene had been stupid to believe it, stupid to think things would work out. She sniffled loudly and rubbed at her nose with the back of her right hand, then wiped the thin line of clear liquid against the side of her skirt as she looked around. She had to use the back of her hand because the fingers were still busy taking care of the gun. She'd let it leave her grasp only partially, only to reload.

This span of lake shore looked more or less like the others. There was a boat down by the edge, but Darlene's gaze skipped over it without really focusing. She couldn't focus on much at all right now. She was tired, though the sunlight had given her a bit of a second wind, and her glasses were so smudged with dried tears and finger grease and whatever other crud accumulated that it took actual concentration to put anything into its proper shape. The arm still pinched a dull throb through her. The bandaging around her head felt too tight and confining, hot like her sweater had been but without the emotional warmth.

Maybe it would be a good idea to clean her glasses after all.

Darlene took a step towards the lake, but then stopped. It just looked such an impossibly long ways away.
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Ruggahissy
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#35

Post by Ruggahissy »

Jonah sighed and handed Arizona the map. She could choose a good place to meet up after she picked up the supplies. He grabbed his pants and stepped out of the boat, hitching them on. He jumped a few feet forward as he balanced on one leg while pulling the pants up and fell, facing the water of the lake. Jonah looked at his own face in the water. He had some bags starting to develop under his eyes but otherwise he looked more or less the same. He scooped up some water and splashed it on his face. He hoped maybe it would help alleviate the oppressive stickiness in the air and wake him up.

As he stood up and turned back around towards the boat, he saw a figure trudging forward in the distance.

"Look," he said, putting a hand on Arizona's shoulder and pointing. In the distance was a girl with glasses and a long skirt. He couldn't believe it; it was some kind of miracle. A huge smile spread across his face and before Arizona could respond, he took off running as fast as he could. When he reached Darlene he grabbed her in a bear hug, squeezing her as tightly as he could. He kissed her on the top of the head four or five times.

"You're safe, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll never leave again, I promise. I'm just so glad you're okay," he said sighing contently.
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MurderWeasel
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#36

Post by MurderWeasel »

Darlene yelped as something came barreling into her from the side, as she found herself wrapped up in somebody's grasp and felt contact with her arms, her head, felt the stinging beneath the bandages intensify and she immediately started to thrash and squirm. She'd been zoning out, unfocused, stupid again and now she was going to die just the same way she almost died at the cave, because her right arm was pinned to her side and she couldn't even get the gun up properly.

Except, then, the words filtered through her ears and bounced around in her head and the voice registered and the meaning of something finally caught up with her and she realized she wasn't being attacked. It was a hug, and the one hugging her was Jonah.

For a moment, Darlene thought that maybe she'd died or finally gone crazy and this was her dead brain playing tricks on her or she was wrong and there was an afterlife and she hadn't been bad enough to get sent to hell. She immediately stopped struggling and let her stance loosen, leaned into Jonah and sniffled more but less from snot and more from tears.

He was apologizing, and Darlene didn't get why and that was becoming a pretty common thing but in this case it wouldn't do, couldn't stand. She couldn't see anything at all now because her glasses were all messy and her eyes were leaking tears all over besides and her face was sort of smushed up against Jonah, but it didn't matter. This was the sweater warmth, the sort of feeling she got when she sat around on the old wood chair in her room wrapped up in a blanket drinking eggnog and reading a good book in the middle of December. She kind of wanted to be dead because if this was being dead then she'd been worried about nothing at all.

"It's," she mumbled, "no, it's, you didn't—you, nothing, you didn't do anything bad, I'm glad you're okay, Max, we, I'm sorry that..."

She sniffed more and moved her right hand around in these pointless reaching motions, trying to tuck the gun into her bag or her skirt or just somewhere out of the way, but the bag was zipped and her t-shirt went over the waistline of her skirt so there wasn't anywhere she could put it so she was just kind of rubbing the gun around against the side of her leg between them.

",,,you are, you're okay, right? And Arizona?"
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Deamon
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#37

Post by Deamon »

It felt like how she had imagined but somehow different. But despite that she enjoyed it and she enjoyed him. It felt special because it was. They lay together afterward, hugging and being comfortable with one another. She didn't even realize she'd drifted off to sleep until the announcement woke her up.

Jonah was already awake and moving around. Arizona silently got dressed as the names of the dead were read. She ached slightly from the previous night. Gingerly she stretched her legs out to pull her underwear and shorts on. As she was fastening her bra on Max's name came up.

Arizona looked over at Jonah, trying to get a read of his emotion. He was hunched over a map, head down so she didn't speak up. Instead, she put her shirt on and had a drink of water. She felt guilty. She had convinced Jonah to ditch Max. In her opinion, he had been a crazy person. Then she had convinced Jonah to go after Quinn. In that time Max had been killed. Even if she hadn't liked him, he had still been Jonah's friend. But before she could apologize to him her own name came up.

She had won something for killing Quinn. That wasn't something she had thought about. Jonah handed her the map and pointed to the location they had said her prize would be. She nodded as he stepped out of the boat to put his trousers on. She had to go to the menagerie. According to the map, it was a good distance away. A quarter the width of the island it looked like. They'd have to be careful. The information had been given to everyone. So anyone who wanted to steal the prize could have easily set up an ambush.

They weren't going to allow Jonah to go with her either. That meant they'd need to come up with a place to meet. The temple or the gardens seemed like a good place. Before Arizona could vocalize that thought Jonah put his hand on her shoulder. She looked out to where he had pointed and could see a girl in the distance. It wasn't just any girl either, somehow Darlene had managed to find them. Before Arizona could do or say anything Jonah had already set off. Sprinting around the lake to where she was.

"Jonah, wait...fuck." She hissed. She still didn't have her shoes on. Swearing under her breath Arizona pulled them on as best she could and stuffed the map back into one of their bags. Then she set off after him, shoelaces bouncing limply as she ran.

As she ran any annoyance disappeared as she saw Jonah's reaction to Darlene. It meant so much to him to find her again. She stood off to one side awkwardly as they reunited. It wasn't her reunion. She had never been a real part of their group. All she had done was break it apart.

"It's good to see you again Darlene." She managed with a smile. It was genuine but uncomfortable. Arizona looked between the two then spoke again.

"I uh...need to go get my...prize. I'll let you guys have some time."

She took a step back.

"I'll meet you in the gardens by the manor alright?" She turned and went to walk away then stopped herself. Spinning around she marched over to Jonah and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Stay safe. I'll leave you your gun."
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Ruggahissy
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#38

Post by Ruggahissy »

Jonah finally released Darlene when he heard Arizona speak. She was right. She had to go get her "prize." Every little bit counted now. They agreed on a place to meet and she kissed him. He hesitated for a moment and hugged Arizona.

"I know I've been reckless. I know I put myself in too much danger," he whispered to her. He didn't want to worry Darlene. "I'm really going to try not to... for you. Good bye for now only."

Jonah meant what he said. It wouldn't be good bye forever like Abe had said. Somehow, some way, they would find a way back to each other. Maybe not in the forms they were currently in but no one's perfect, right?

He let go of Arizona and motioned to Darlene to come with him so they could get his bag.

"We'll meet you there in a couple hours. I love you."

((Jonah Heartgrave continued in Hellbound Hearts))
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Deamon
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#39

Post by Deamon »

"I love you too." She said, then she set off.

She returned to the boat, tied her shoelaces and gathered her things.

Then after taking one last look over to where Jonah and Darlene were, she sighed and departed.

((Arizona Butler continued elsewhere...))
V8
Aracelis Fuentes
California “Cali” Fox
Darryl Smith Jr.
Jessica Romero
Roberta “Robbie” Woodvine
[+] V7
G047 - Aliya Kimia Nemati - Blowgun w/ 10 Poison Darts - you're nobody till somebody kills you - "I just wanted to talk." - DEAD
G001 - Arizona Butler - Camping Stove - Dead Bxdies in the Lake Part II - ""We got there eventually." - DEAD
B046 - Bret Carter - Weighted Net - Swerve - "I'll just be on my way and we can all continue with our evenings." - DEAD
G022 - Forrest Quin - Ball-gag and handcuffs - DRUGS SAV3D MY LIF3 - "Abe-" - DEAD
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MurderWeasel
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#40

Post by MurderWeasel »

As Jonah and Arizona took care of their logistics, Darlene couldn't help but feel a little awkward. She was definitely the third wheel here, and had dragged Jonah away from what was maybe an emotional moment after the announcements, and despite that he was acting like everything was just fine and Arizona was too and that was almost too much for her. The smaller things, things like that her head still hurt quite a bit actually or that she was sniffling so much with so little effect or that she'd tried to shoot someone just a few hours or less ago, those things fell away. Not entirely away, not to the point that she couldn't remember or acknowledge them, but enough.

Maybe, just maybe, it could be kind of okay after all.

"You stay safe too," Darlene mumbled after Arizona but she was real quiet because she felt like she didn't quite belong. This could be very dangerous for Arizona, and maybe it would've been a better idea to do something else, to maybe travel with her for a while instead, and Darlene almost suggested that but then she didn't.

There was one tiny thing that wasn't that big a deal but she thought she should maybe talk over with Jonah in private, just in case. After all, the people in charge had just showed that they were willing to wait to share information for a while, in ways that specifically made things harder for Darlene. So what if there was another surprise coming? What if she had killed the chainsaw boy after all? Or, or what if she'd wounded him and he died between now and next morning?

Darlene liked Arizona. Really, she did. And she trusted her, because Jonah liked her enough to kiss her (and while that was happening Darlene paid attention more to her feet because she couldn't give the couple privacy any better way), so Arizona was fine. But it was hard to say how she'd take the news about the ambush, especially with Darlene so bad at conveying what she meant when she got flustered. Arizona was intimidating, in this likable, trustworthy-by-proxy sort of way. It would be better to talk things over with Jonah and get his feedback and maybe his help. If he was on Darlene's side, then it would be no problem, and when they all reconnected everything could go back to...

Well, with no Max and no dog and fewer people around them all the time, and with all of them hurt a little, it could go back to being kind of okay. But that would be enough.

Darlene tagged along with Jonah, though she spared Arizona's departing form a glance or two. So caught up in it all, she somehow forgot to actually put the gun away like she'd intended.

((Darlene Silva continued in Hellbound Hearts))
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