SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

"Uh..."

Way to put me on the spot, man. The whole team-up, pair off thing had flown over her head, but now that it'd been pointed out it was hard to ignore. That emphasis on her being the one he knew, when honestly she only had half an idea who he was, was seriously wigging her out. Cass and Trav seemed to have covered all that though. She just kinda nodded along while they spoke, since they were making sense.

"Splitting up is a bad idea."

The words just kinda spilled out of her mouth. She didn't wanna get involved with this, they had it under control. The images kept flashing through her head, though. "Everyone's dying alone," she whispered quietly. "It's safer to be together." Jane was proof of that, right there in front of them.

And then the track of their conversation began to derail, ever so slightly. But that was how it always started. Small, then the misunderstandings snowballed, built from each other, piled on top of one another and turned into a cascade of bad interpretation that utterly ruined whatever he had in mind for something. That was how it always turned out when he screwed it up, when he was awkward, when he couldn't get his message across crystal clear.

He nearly panicked as his mind received and interpreted their responses. In the real world, he could always clarify, but here, and now, he absolutely couldn't afford any of that happening. Even the slightest mistake could rapidly lead him down a fatal route. Come on, think of something to say that'll change their mind. Something that's actually in line with your intention. Something unmistakable!

Although he tried his best to adopt a noncommittal tone, he couldn't help but nod slightly. That subconscious tic probably sealed it; he was just digging it deeper-

"I mean, I'd be fine just being with a group, really. I-I just found out I'm not cut out for being a lone wolf. It's too jumpy. S-Safer in numbers, right?"

He tried to avoid considering it, but-- they'd likely just read whatever they wanted into that statement. That was terrifying. It always was.

Luckily Cass and Irene spoke sense and agreed that sticking together was fine and in another stroke of luck the boy agreed as well. It was a good thing everything worked out peacefully, there was still a shotgun in play. Trav stretched his arms out over his head, relieving the tension that had been building in his body, his muscles had been coiled tight like a spring, prepared in case he had needed to take action.

It was good it hadn't come to that. Trav was aware of the corpse lying nearby, and what it truly was; a warning to them and everyone else. A message. People were going to try and kill them and once they did there would be no remorse. Just the next victim.

Trav wasn't going to let himself or anyone be a victim, not while he could prevent it. He'd decided it during the conversation as he had been thinking about Cass' and Noodle's safety. Sure it was dangerous and dumb The better idea would be to just pretend none of it was happening but if he had the ability to protect people he thought it would be wrong not to use it.

Cliche hero thoughts. He lacked imagination that was for sure.

As things were however Trav was fine with him and Cass continuing as they had been. He didn't see much harm in having two others along.

"Yeah, no issue with you tagging along, just not whatever you were just talking about." Trav was grinning, probably nerves but still he had no idea what the boy had meant.

"What's your name anyway?"

No one wanted to be alone. No one wanted to die alone. Funnily enough, Cass would have thought that'd be much preferable to the alternative. Jane hadn't died alone, after all. She'd died in the company of someone who had not only hated her, they had hated the idea of her existence. Was all-too-human malice really preferable to an quiet, apathetic emptiness? Wouldn't it be better to be left alone with your last thoughts? It was hard to think of anything more personal than death, after all. One last soliloquy to put the finishing touches on your life; one last portrait engraved in your eyes.

Even if you did have the chance to be surrounded by friends and family as you faded, why would it be desirable to accept their tearful embraces, to grant yourself a few transient moments of comfort at the cost of forcing them to witness your death, see the person they loved change at once into a thing; nothing more than an abandoned mass of meat and bone? It wouldn't make a difference to the newly departed you, but it'd stick with them for the rest of their lives.

A contradictory thought, considering how Cass had encouraged them to stick together, an action that'd ultimately only increase that chance of watching each other die. They knew it was selfish, but they still had no real desire to wander off on their own; to abandon Trav before he could be hurt by their inevitable loss. If only they knew when they were going to die, then Cass could just make an excuse and duck away when the time came; get the whole ordeal over with without impacting anyone else.  

In the end, all that mattered was that it seemed like both Wade and Irene were sticking around. As a group, they quietly introduced themselves. Whatever talk followed next was simply a preamble for the finality of

((walking away and leaving Jane to rot.))

Safety in numbers, right? That was the idea. Bad things didn't happen in groups. All the bodies she'd seen had been alone, and they left them alone. Friends could protect you from them. Maybe.

Hopefully.

As they walked away from Jane's body, though, Irene had to wonder if friends could really do anything for you here. If Tina, or Josh, or Jane, had actually died alone and vulnerable. It was a miserable idea, dying out here with nobody around but your murderer. But was it more or less miserable than the idea that you weren't alone, that maybe you had friends all around, and they couldn't do anything for you. And when you died, they just left you.

Her hand squeezed Johnny Three as she pictured Hannah and Liv out there alone. She hadn't seen them since. She was going to find them now, and when she did...

Hadn't thought that far ahead yet. But she'd do something. She wouldn't be helpless. Not anymore.

((Irene Djezari Continued Elsewhere))

Of everything, the most surprising fact he discovered was that the girl's corpse didn't dominate his thoughts. As the conversation had dragged relentlessly on, he found it easier and easier to focus on what the others were saying in response to him. All he had to do was passively absorb that information. Plus, as his turn arrived, the deathstink's terrifying power weakened... and weakened... and weakened. Quickly, he reached a point where he could almost ignore its presence.

He couldn't help but feel somewhat afraid. Becoming inured to death had an unshakable air of dark psychopathy around it. Could this be the first stage of whatever madnesses claimed people in the game? No, best to dismiss such thoughts now. While it could still be helped.

The cool detachment with which he regarded his own mental state was disturbing in its own right. Again, dismiss that entire line of thought, shunt it elsewhere. Focus on everyone else. Everyone else was leaving. So for now, follow. Important matters could be discussed later.

((Wade Cartwright continued in No One Gets Left Behind.))

So it looked like they were moving away from the crematorium. It was for the best, standing around talking while a dead body lay nearby was probably the ultimate image for how death was waiting for them, or something to that effect.

Moving on was also good for Trav as it meant he got to continue to search for Noodle. He hadn't heard her name in any of the announcements which gave him hope that she was still safe. If she wasn't...well he'd deal with that if it happened. He didn't want to ponder it.

"Alright then." Trav muttered as they walked away, eventually leaving the gardens and the corpse behind, he knew there would be more.

((Travis Lynch continued elsewhere...))