SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

"Good morning!" Chris said as Diego crested the deck, her voice painted with unforced cheer that ill-suited their situation. She wasn't gonna make herself scowl and mutter to welcome in the solemnity that was currently trying to make her heart its home. She was happy just to see him still safe. She'd be happy every time she met someone new who was still in one piece, an occasion that would surely become rarer as time wore on. Ah, there was the wretched beast, Gravitas - trying to sneak its way into her thoughts, tinging them with mortality.

Before she could respond to Oliver's idle question, a new voice greeted the four, and Jessica grew wings and leaped over the fence, as a sunbeam spotlighted her gentle descent into the arms of her love. That was true on an emotional level, if not a literal one. Chris couldn't help but smile. It was good that they could be happy. It was good that they could be in love, even here, even now.

She almost envied them.

Chris quickly turned to the others. "Well, I'd say we should stand here for a sec while those two have their nice moment. Then, I dunno. Wander around? Hope for the best?" She flashed an easy grin; her own shining armor.

"Morning!" Diego said with a half-forced smile as he gathered his bearings and dusted himself off. He had spent many one-sided conversations with Chris and her friends, the side belonging to them of course. But he felt more welcome around them than around most groups, so that meant she was the most familiar to him, that her voice had been the warm and familiar one. He appreciated her presence, but smiling in these circumstances was just difficult in general. But then, the smile was returned anyways because it felt rude not to do so.

Before he could thank Jessica for lifting him up, she saw her girlfriend and ran off to meet her, and Diego's smile stayed on more out of inertia than genuine joy. The reunion was sweet, and it was supposed to be heartwarming, so he should be happy for them—I want that too—and he was.

It was better, easier to focus on other things.

He looked on at other things through squinted eyes, still trying to get used to the pounding sunlight. The ocean let off a slight breeze that provided slight comfort, and despite the wind, it still tugged him towards itself. Not in the all-encompassing, swallowing manner it had under the dock, but in the manner that asked him to stay near, stay close. A tug, more than a yank, a request, more than a command.

Another thing to focus on was the question that Oliver had posed. What now?

He wanted to live. That was obvious enough that it was best left unsaid. And to live meant to stay with these people, because numbers meant protection, numbers meant company. He could survive on his own for a day, possibly. He knew what plants were edible, he could maybe stretch out whatever rations he had in his bag. But what if he met other, less friendly people than the ones he had with him?

He didn't want to roll the dice twice. The group he had was good enough as is.

He had desires of his own, he supposed. Stay near the ocean. Find the gardening club, maybe. But it was better, more imperative that he follow the group, wherever they went, whatever they wanted to do. Go with the flow, in short. And he answered in kind.

"I'm up for whatever, I guess."

It looked like the plan for now was… well, there was no plan. He suspected as much, but still, it didn't hurt to confirm. A sigh pushed its way out of his lips as he looked over to the couple embracing nearby, a growing sense of pessimism overwhelming any positive feeling from the heartwarming sight. There was no way a large group like this would be able to hold together for long, and as the outsider, he'd probably the first one to go. Not that they would have intended that from the start, they definitely seemed like nice people, but that was just how things were. People always prioritized their friends and loved ones over strangers.

With that in mind, sticking around here seemed more and more like a waste of time. He had buddies on this island, guys he could trust. If he could just link up with them, then they'd definitely be able to hold things together (at least for the near future). Even if he didn't find anyone, he'd be much better off looking out for only himself rather than babysitting these kids.


Lifting his bag over his shoulder, he turned to Diego and Chris, giving them a quick nod before speaking in a casual, almost bored tone.

"Well, they can take as long as they need to, but I'm gonna head out. I've got somebody I've gotta find. You can follow me if you want, or stick around here. Up to you."

And with that, he headed off into the distance. To tell the truth, he didn't really want anyone following him, but might as well leave the option open. It was much too early to be making enemies, after all.

((Oliver Lacroix continued in before the day is done, my prince is gonna come))

Already, a glaring flaw in her oath. Oliver was leaving, Jessica and her girlfriend were presumably staying for a bit longer. He didn't seem the type who could be persuaded to stick around. Thus, the dilemma: unless she awakened some horrific new potential in herself very quickly, she wouldn't be able to stay with both groups of people. She'd have to make a choice. Not much time, either - Oliver was already walking away.

In the end, she didn't think too hard about it. Jessica and Stephanie had each other - Oliver had no one. Chris could be his "someone" until he found the people he was looking for. Maybe then they'd part ways, and she'd wander like a vagrant knight, tripping across those in need. Maybe she'd find her own people along the way. This was her official reasoning.

Unofficially, probably in an ally somewhere, an ugly, hissing part of her heart was afraid that if she stuck with the happy couple, stayed a third wheel, envious resentment would grab hold of her. Darken her spirits, cloud her judgement. Disgustingly petty, especially in these dire circumstances. Still. She was afraid, so she would shadow Oliver.

Chris turned to Diego and gave an apologetic shrug. "I'm going with him. I'd love to have you along, but I don't wanna pressure ya either way." Privately, she hoped that he'd stay with her - he seemed like he'd need the help. Maybe it was wrong to try and drag him away from the girls, joining with a rough and enigmatic boy; but it was still his choice in the end.

Without waiting for an answer, she began to follow Oliver.

((She'd made a vow to never say goodbye on the island. It felt too much like a curse.))

Oh, thank. You. GOD. Jessica was there and she was okay and she looked gorgeous. As Stephanie embraced Jessica and kissed her right back on the forehead, she felt like ravishing Jessica. Like ripping those clothes off right there and, well ... that was a lie. She had no doubt that while sex with Jessica would be great, as they held each other, it was very clear that Jessica just being there and safe and happy was enough, sappy as it was. A few other people were there and walking off and such. She looked at them, and back at Jessica.

Fuck them.

"I'm just glad you're okay, too."

Jessica's sad smile shone through as she nodded her head just as sadly. They were okay, for now, of course, but what were they going to do? It was her, and Stephanie, and Diego, and Christine and Ol-wait.

Where were Christine and Oliver going?

Jessica momentarily broke from Stephanie's hold to turn around to see the figures retreating from the beach, and her eyes widened before raising them to her head in shock.

"Wha-what? Diego, what-"

Jessica looked over at the only other person there who she wasn't dating, before realizing what was going on.

"Why are they leaving?! We need to stay together, otherwise none of us are going to get through this!"

She didn't even wait for a discussion - before she knew it, she was scrambling over the fencing for a third time, this time to grab the nearby bag that she'd left there when she'd arrived. Much like the bag arrived on the deck, it left, sailing over the chain links before landing on the sand, Jessica already climbing back over for the fourth time in several minutes and eventually landing next to it. None of this was making sense to her - they'd just grouped up, gotten together to stay safe, why were they disappearing so quickly? None of them said anything wrong, did they? Jessica couldn't remember doing anything that she would think would scare them off, so it just didn't add up in any way.

"C'mon, we need to keep with them!"

If Jessica wasn't the type to try and be friends with people, she might have stopped and taken a breath, probably asked Diego what was going on. But all she knew was that there was a very real chance that the moment someone left her sight, it would be the last time Jessica would ever see them, and she couldn't deal with that. So that was why, with what she assumed was Diego and Stephanie behind her, she ran in the direction she saw Oliver and Christine moving in, and hoped she'd made the right choice.

((Jessica Rennes continued elsewhere))

'Whatever' entailed the group splitting in two, apparently. Diego hadn't really accounted for that possibility.

He had decided even before picking up the bags that he would go with Oliver and Christine, more for the latter than the former. Christine had asked nicely, after all. He felt included, wanted. And he figured Stephanie and Jessica would want to have time to themselves, and they hadn't asked. He would feel superfluous in their group, really.

In the meantime, he fiddled with his bags, struggled under the weight. He would have to lessen the load when things weren't happening as quickly, when there was more time to breathe. He looked behind him and saw that Oliver and Christine were heading away from the ocean, unfortunately. He turned back to the ocean and promised himself that he would come back here again. Diego had spent two hours with the ocean just out of reach, and it still hadn't been enough. Things were moving too quickly, he still had so much to think about, so much to contemplate.

By the time he had finished fiddling with his bags, the two were well in the distance, with Jessica chasing after them. Diego followed and sprinted, savoring the intake of the salty breeze with each gasp of air.

((Diego Larrosa continues in before the day is done, my prince is gonna come))

Oh, come on. If they wanted to leave, just let them. Stephanie just huffed as she followed her girlfriend.

((Stephanie McDonald continued in before the day is done, my prince is gonna come))