No Crying Allowed

[Super Llama†]

"That, uh, wouldn't have been you shooting, would it? I mean, no judgments here if it was, but, you know, if it was, could you maybe possibly not shoot at me?"

"Hmm?"

Maria looked over as George was yelling something at Lord British, spotting somebody else nearby and offering a big friendly smile.

"Who, me? Nah, some asshole ran up and just started shooting at us. I don't even have a gun!" She blinks as she remembers something. "Oh wait, I DO, don't I?" She says, reaching back and pulling out the flare gun. "But it's not even loaded, is it? Oh but it's pretty crazy when it is. You just pull the trigger and everything's like FWOOOOOOOOSH!" She spread her arms out really wide as she FWOOOSHed and smacked her hand against the wall. "Ow..."

Outside of Maria's happy little world, she wasn't exactly the nicest thing to look at at this moment. She was a disheveled mess, covered in fresh blood, and with little something in her eyes that told that the cuckoo had just left the nest, so to speak.

"Oh, crap. I should probably keep it down." Maria realized, looking back to the door. "Sorry, Duncan!" She said in his direction before looking back to George as he waved a chair around. "Weapon? Hmm...well, there's that stick." She said, peeking back out the door and spotting the sharpened stick in question. "Oh there it is!" She started back out the door before anyone could stop her, reaching down and picking it up before looking over at Cass. "Oh, there you are." She said, smiling again and walking over. "Come on, we gotta go find someone to get us out of here. We'll come back for him later."

[blastinus]

What was this girl talking about? As Maria went on and on about random nonsense, it occurred to George that something seriously wrong had happened to her brain. He was still tense from the possibility of being shot, which he still didn't know wouldn't come, and the last thing that he needed was to also be saddled with babysitting someone who had clearly gone nuts. It was, therefore, a great relief when Maria spotted one of her other friends and ran in her direction, taking along Duncan's weapon, which George wouldn't have wanted anyway. He was desperate, yes, but if he wanted a sharpened stick, he would have just fashioned one of his own.

"Well, goodbye, crazy," he said, running in a crouch out of the general area, dragging his chair behind him. This unwieldy weapon could be whittled down a bit once he was clear of the general area. Perhaps if he found some sort of a strap of some kind, he would be able to turn the bottom of the seat into a small shield or something. Technical things weren't his strong suit, and he'd probably just take a chair leg off and turn it into a club. There were all sorts of possibilities for a chair.

(George Leidman continued in Eep.)

[Moth†]

Risking a peek around Michael when she didn't hear any gunshots, Gloria felt a surge of relief. He hadn't fired. He just left. Did he even see us? Gloria couldn't help but wonder. Her hand slowly loosened its hold on Michael's shirt before falling limply to the ground as she took deep, shuddering breaths.

First her closest friend had died. And then someone had fired a machine gun nearby...and they barely avoided being riddled with bullets and meeting God himself. Death was just everywhere. Gloria just hoped they didn't die--the military would get them off the island before an angry classmate did.

Or run into a corpse.

Slowly rising to her feet, Gloria tentatively reached out again, taking Michael's shoulder. "W-We...sh-should go?" she whispered. "N-Now...th-the firer m-m-might...s-still be ne-near, so....l-let's go..." she finished lamely, looking around nervously, as if thinking the gunman had teleported into the shadows near them and would step out like a movie villain.

"C-Co...c'mon..." Gloria backed up a bit before turning around to walk properly, wanting to get herself and Michael as far away from the gunman as humanly possible.

[[Gloria Benson continued in Eep..]]

[Sister Grimm†]

Micheal watched Maria for a second before deciding then and there that he had enough on his plate without factoring in a chick who'd clearly snapped. Oh, he wished her much success and fortune on the island, as well as every possible chance to reach the next save point. That didn't mean he was feeling charitable enough to try and group up. He'd seen enough movies to know that the crazy ones always started out normal before losing whatever shit they had completely. Usually in a big and incredibly bad for everyone else way. Best to stick with safe and sane Gloria.

Speaking of Gloria, it was nice to see that at least one of them had retained common sense once the shooting started. Micheal, like some idiot red-shirt, looked around the corner and started shouting. Gloria, on the other hand, kept in cover and out of sight. Well, it wasn't like he'd tried some dash attack, but she still kept her wits better then he had. Smart move would have been to turn around and leave a safe time after the shooting stopped. Like they were doing now, he guessed.

Well, whatever. Screw-loose girl had friends in the area she could double up with. Probably. File that under:not his problem. His problems included being an out of shape gamer running about with a girl fit to a panic attack. Yeah, thanks but no thanks, he was good on problems right now. All the same, they were doing okay so far. No crippling injuries, hell, no injuries at all, and no confrontations (real confrontations anyway). Considering fate, luck, and the way these things worked, that was probably fit to change soon enough

So, he followed after Gloria, it apparently being his turn to follow. No complaints from him. It would give him a chance to try and decide where to wander next. They could try the whole aimless thing maybe, but there were some pretty obvious drawbacks to that idea. Namely, being aimless. Once they were away from the town, he'd ask Gloria, see what she thought.

He stowed the claws back in his bag, sparing a glance over his shoulder as he did. If the shooter was still in the area, they weren't following, at least. Of course, shooter meant he didn't need to be right behind them to kill them. Ah, happy thoughts. Micheal quickened his pace a bit, all the same.

((Micheal Raynor, continued in Eep))

[Solitair†]

Cassidy must have looked like a fucking demon to George. She leaned through the doorway, as out of sight as she could possibly be while still looking in, her eyes open and unblinking and focusing completely on this boy. It could be any boy, really, but as long as she focused on him, he'd stay exactly the same as he was now. He wouldn't suddenly be blond wouldn't have a gun wouldn't shoot Maria wouldn't know her name wouldn't make her give in.

He backed away slowly. Good. Good boy. Keep it up. Go away now, boy. Go away and don't ever ever be someone else. Keep going. Get the fuck out. Keep going. Be the same harmless boy.

He left.

Cassie shivered and looked at Maria now. She was safe. She'd be safe. Unless she changed. But that wouldn't happen, would it? He wanted her, not to be her. Would he or wouldn't he? Would he or wouldn't he?

Better keep an eye on her anyway.

Maria got up, cheery as a Churchill, not even bothered at all. She talked to Duncan, dead Duncan, about weapons, lots of weapons, like a sharpened stick. Her sharpened stick?!

Cassie blinked. Her heart skipped. Still Maria. With Duncan's stick. Good. Her stick was safe. She listened, heard the need to leave. Okay. Leave Duncan, dead Duncan, still alive to her Duncan.

He ain't going nowhere.

She shuddered and clasped her javelin tightly. It had to be Duncan now. Had to be the third musketeer. Can't kill a stick, can you Winston?

"Back for him later. Course. 'sgo." She walked with Maria into the distance. Far away.

((Cassidy Wakemore continued in Fatal Fury))

[Super Llama†]

And then everyone left.

Well, everyone except Cass, that is.

George said something about her being crazy before he took his leave, and that other boy seemed to just up and disappear. Maria didn't really think anything of it, though, as she and Cass walked back where they came, arriving back at the grocery store. Going back to the frozen food aisle where they spent the night, she dug into her pack, doing something she had put off doing for a while.

Reloading her flare gun.

The smell of ba

Maria blinked as a thought in her head seemed to be cut short. It was something familiar. Something she'd thought plenty of times. She shook it off after a brief moment, though as she snapped the flare gun shut again before looking to Duncan's pack. Come to think of it, shouldn't she get it back to hi-

No need.

Hmm? Wait, why not? Isn't he gonna nee-

No need.

Maria felt rather confused, but went for Duncan's pack and opened it, finding herself compelled to dig through it and pull out all the food and water, transferring it to her pack. But she still didn't get it. Wouldn't he be needing this fo-

No need.

Maria put a hand to her head. Her thoughts were getting all muddled, like her brain was getting drowned in happy thoughts and she was missing something really important but she couldn't think of what it was and you let him diHAPPY THOUGHTS.

Ugh. Her head was starting to hurt. Maybe she just didn't get as much rest as she needed. Zipping up her pack, sticking the flare gun back down her pants and grabbing the stick she struck off with Cass down the road again, on her search for an escape attempt for her and Cass and Max and Duncan too because he's still alive and if you say otherwise then you're a GODDAMN LIAR

{{continued in Fatal Fury}}

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