"Christ!" Vanessa yelped as she got a good look at Jae's battered mug. She crouched down next to him, fairly oblivious to his sarcasm in light of his fucked up demeanour.
Min-Jae's knowledge of Vanessa basically went vice versa: an alright enough guy from their talks at parties, but not someone she knew extremely well. She did dig his taste in fashion, but goth was simply below punk on her rating scale. That was pretty irrelevant right now though, considering how much he looked like a goth who'd gotten on the wrong side of the jocks.
Shit, she did not know what she should be doing right now.
"It's Jae!" she called back into the staff room in response to Nancy. "He's had the shit kicked out of him!"
She turned back to him, still trying to figure out what to do. Getting him into the out of the hallway and onto one of the nearby couches to lie down (well, lie down on something soft), seemed like the best thing to do right now.
"Can you move? Jesus man, what happened to you?"
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CondorTalon
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And that's when Nancy decided to leave.
Nancy didn't know what she was expecting when she had asked that question, but having someone injured and bleeding and gross right outside the room didn't sit well with her.
And what if she was expected to help? Nancy wasn't a helper, not really. She wasn't capable of doing anything to help. She didn't want to deal with that kind of responsibility.
Nancy bolted to the door, stopping only to look down at the battered body of Jae. Vanessa was crouched down next to him. A trivial obstacle.
She ran down the hall.
((Nancy Kyle continued in 人生の曲.))
Nancy didn't know what she was expecting when she had asked that question, but having someone injured and bleeding and gross right outside the room didn't sit well with her.
And what if she was expected to help? Nancy wasn't a helper, not really. She wasn't capable of doing anything to help. She didn't want to deal with that kind of responsibility.
Nancy bolted to the door, stopping only to look down at the battered body of Jae. Vanessa was crouched down next to him. A trivial obstacle.
She ran down the hall.
((Nancy Kyle continued in 人生の曲.))
Jae flinched instinctively as Nancy bolted over him and down the hall, only to let out a hiss of pain as he accidentally bumped his injured hand against Vanessa's arm. "Fuck..."
He didn't know why Nancy had suddenly fled, and being honest? He didn't care. He was worn out and hurting, and pondering on the enigmas of people who weren't sticking around wasn't going to fix any of that.
"Yeah," he grunted to Vanessa once he'd gotten his bearings again. "My knee's all fucked up though, so if you could give me a hand...?" With effort, he worked himself into a sitting position and held out his right arm to Vanessa, baton still in hand. He kept the left one tucked close against his body again to avoid any further jostling.
Jae gave a humorless snort in response to Vanessa's second question. "Fucking Alvaro happened to me. I don't know what happened with him before I ran into him, but he's gone batshit. He tried to take my fucking eye out with a piece of wood."
He didn't know why Nancy had suddenly fled, and being honest? He didn't care. He was worn out and hurting, and pondering on the enigmas of people who weren't sticking around wasn't going to fix any of that.
"Yeah," he grunted to Vanessa once he'd gotten his bearings again. "My knee's all fucked up though, so if you could give me a hand...?" With effort, he worked himself into a sitting position and held out his right arm to Vanessa, baton still in hand. He kept the left one tucked close against his body again to avoid any further jostling.
Jae gave a humorless snort in response to Vanessa's second question. "Fucking Alvaro happened to me. I don't know what happened with him before I ran into him, but he's gone batshit. He tried to take my fucking eye out with a piece of wood."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Vanessa barely had time to react to Nancy running off like a rocket. She was going to call out after her, but Jae scraping against her arm made Vanessa flinch back as she always did when someone touched her.
"Where the fuck is she going?" she asked out loud, but it wasn't the biggest concern on her plate right now: Jae still needed help, after all. She reached out to grab the baton, which helpfully let her avoid having to pull him up to his feet by actually holding him.
"Alvaro? That guy who's always talking about his café?" she replied, a look of disbelief plastered on her face as she led him into the staff room where he could rest more comfortably. She had some classes with Alvaro, so she'd made some small talk with him, but on the whole he didn't really fit into her social scene and so they'd never hung out all that much. He never struck her as the type of guy to try and re-enact that scene from that Zombie movie (whatever its name was) on his classmates, though, that much was pretty fucking certain.
Despite what she wanted to believe about Alvaro, though, Min-Jae Parker was here before her as a living, barely walking testament to his apparently rabid state. Was this really the kind of shit that Survival of the Fittest did to people? Got them so fucked up in the head that they felt the need to rip the shit out of others like a raging wolverine?
"Christ, he's like five feet tall."
"Where the fuck is she going?" she asked out loud, but it wasn't the biggest concern on her plate right now: Jae still needed help, after all. She reached out to grab the baton, which helpfully let her avoid having to pull him up to his feet by actually holding him.
"Alvaro? That guy who's always talking about his café?" she replied, a look of disbelief plastered on her face as she led him into the staff room where he could rest more comfortably. She had some classes with Alvaro, so she'd made some small talk with him, but on the whole he didn't really fit into her social scene and so they'd never hung out all that much. He never struck her as the type of guy to try and re-enact that scene from that Zombie movie (whatever its name was) on his classmates, though, that much was pretty fucking certain.
Despite what she wanted to believe about Alvaro, though, Min-Jae Parker was here before her as a living, barely walking testament to his apparently rabid state. Was this really the kind of shit that Survival of the Fittest did to people? Got them so fucked up in the head that they felt the need to rip the shit out of others like a raging wolverine?
"Christ, he's like five feet tall."
Jae let out a long sigh of relief as he dropped onto the sofa in the middle of the lounge. It felt like years since he'd had the pleasure of a comfortable piece of furniture, rather than being strapped to a chair or sprawled out on the floor. Hell, the seats of the school bus would have been a welcome relief. "Thanks."
He stayed bonelessly slumped with his eyes closed for a minute or two, appreciating the simple comfort of the sofa. His hand and knee were still throbbing though and his face was still a mess, so after a while he reached for his bag with a sigh. He hesitated for a brief moment before setting the baton down on the sofa cushion so that he could unzip the bag and root around for the first-aid kit that he'd seen in there earlier.
"I know," he muttered in response to Vanessa's disbelief over Alvaro. "He looked normal up until he kicked the shit out of my knee, then... I don't know. He ran off once I started hitting back." There was a grim satisfaction there; Jae had technically won that fight, hadn't he? He'd gotten his weapon back, turned the tables on his attacker, and Alvaro had been the one to turn tail and flee. Maybe Alvaro would think twice before going crazy on someone else.
Or maybe he'd be craftier about getting the drop on them, and succeed where he'd failed with Jae.
Jae felt a chill and did his best to push that thought out of his head.
Practicality won out over vanity for once, and he decided to take care of his broken fingers before anything else. The good news, if it could be called that, was that only the little and ring finger of his left hand seemed to be actually broken. The middle knuckle, the back of his hand, and his wrist were bruised and slightly swollen, but more or less mobile. So he could still flip people off with both hands, there was that much.
Jae had actually broken that wrist before, after a disastrous skateboarding attempt in the seventh grade. Now, much like back then, there was an almost out-of-place sense of relief that he'd avoided breaking his drawing hand. He tried to remember what exactly the doctor had done for his wrist years ago, but couldn't think of much more besides them giving him a cast and sling and some painkillers. He didn't have a cast, but people usually taped up broken fingers, right?
As he set about fumbling one-handed with the roll of tape in the first-aid kit, Jae glanced back over at Vanessa. He wasn't sure he really wanted to ask her to help, and she hadn't offered, but sitting here in silence didn't suit him either. Silence rarely did.
"What about you, then? Any adventures so far?" His attempt to keep his tone light only came out strained and slightly sarcastic.
He stayed bonelessly slumped with his eyes closed for a minute or two, appreciating the simple comfort of the sofa. His hand and knee were still throbbing though and his face was still a mess, so after a while he reached for his bag with a sigh. He hesitated for a brief moment before setting the baton down on the sofa cushion so that he could unzip the bag and root around for the first-aid kit that he'd seen in there earlier.
"I know," he muttered in response to Vanessa's disbelief over Alvaro. "He looked normal up until he kicked the shit out of my knee, then... I don't know. He ran off once I started hitting back." There was a grim satisfaction there; Jae had technically won that fight, hadn't he? He'd gotten his weapon back, turned the tables on his attacker, and Alvaro had been the one to turn tail and flee. Maybe Alvaro would think twice before going crazy on someone else.
Or maybe he'd be craftier about getting the drop on them, and succeed where he'd failed with Jae.
Jae felt a chill and did his best to push that thought out of his head.
Practicality won out over vanity for once, and he decided to take care of his broken fingers before anything else. The good news, if it could be called that, was that only the little and ring finger of his left hand seemed to be actually broken. The middle knuckle, the back of his hand, and his wrist were bruised and slightly swollen, but more or less mobile. So he could still flip people off with both hands, there was that much.
Jae had actually broken that wrist before, after a disastrous skateboarding attempt in the seventh grade. Now, much like back then, there was an almost out-of-place sense of relief that he'd avoided breaking his drawing hand. He tried to remember what exactly the doctor had done for his wrist years ago, but couldn't think of much more besides them giving him a cast and sling and some painkillers. He didn't have a cast, but people usually taped up broken fingers, right?
As he set about fumbling one-handed with the roll of tape in the first-aid kit, Jae glanced back over at Vanessa. He wasn't sure he really wanted to ask her to help, and she hadn't offered, but sitting here in silence didn't suit him either. Silence rarely did.
"What about you, then? Any adventures so far?" His attempt to keep his tone light only came out strained and slightly sarcastic.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"Nah man, I woke up somewhere else in the building, walked around for a while, then found Pop Idol in here." Vanessa replied, taking a seat on the coffee table opposite Jae. "We hadn't really been talking that long before you showed up. I figured I'd finally got her to calm down, but I guess you freaked her out, so smooth move." She smirked at Jae as she said the last bit, still trying to keep the mood from becoming overwhelmingly bleak.
What he'd said about Alvaro was not sitting well with her at all, though. Nancy had already been acting pretty loopy, though Vanessa could hardly judge if that was normal for the ditzy idol, and she'd had a hatchet with her. Had Vanessa avoided being in a similar position to Jae, if not worse? Who knew where the line lay for everyone else? That point where, if pushed beyond it by something like terrorists sticking a bomb on your neck and saying it's time to go on a rampage, they'd happily oblige?
She put her head in her palm, letting out a deep groan.
She didn't think Cams was going to fall for that. Yeah, Cams did not handle stress well at all, but she wasn't ever the type to deliberately hurt people. Sure, she fucked Vanessa off at times, but that was just part of being BFFs; there was a difference between stabbing someone in the back by hiring a replacement singer, and literally stabbing someone in the back with a butcher's knife. Like it or not, however, she knew that didn't mean the rest of her classroom chums would be so civil at all.
It was better not to think about it just yet, she decided.
"This is pretty fucked up right here." She had to say, though.
It was a little bit awkward, watching Jae try to play doctor on his hand whilst she sat there without a word. She decided not to be a dick about it, and instead pitch in.
"Here, let me help you with that."
What he'd said about Alvaro was not sitting well with her at all, though. Nancy had already been acting pretty loopy, though Vanessa could hardly judge if that was normal for the ditzy idol, and she'd had a hatchet with her. Had Vanessa avoided being in a similar position to Jae, if not worse? Who knew where the line lay for everyone else? That point where, if pushed beyond it by something like terrorists sticking a bomb on your neck and saying it's time to go on a rampage, they'd happily oblige?
She put her head in her palm, letting out a deep groan.
She didn't think Cams was going to fall for that. Yeah, Cams did not handle stress well at all, but she wasn't ever the type to deliberately hurt people. Sure, she fucked Vanessa off at times, but that was just part of being BFFs; there was a difference between stabbing someone in the back by hiring a replacement singer, and literally stabbing someone in the back with a butcher's knife. Like it or not, however, she knew that didn't mean the rest of her classroom chums would be so civil at all.
It was better not to think about it just yet, she decided.
"This is pretty fucked up right here." She had to say, though.
It was a little bit awkward, watching Jae try to play doctor on his hand whilst she sat there without a word. She decided not to be a dick about it, and instead pitch in.
"Here, let me help you with that."
"I can have that effect on people sometimes," Jae quipped back in response to Vanessa's reasoning for Nancy bailing on them. Being tall and grumpy and dressing all in black did that for you.
He did appreciate that she was taking him seriously about Alvaro instead of opting for denial (or worse, accusing him of being the aggressor instead of the other way around). Collapsing right in front of her while he was beat to hell probably factored into that, but it was a relief all the same. He was even more pleasantly surprised when she actually did offer to help patch him up; he'd refrained from asking out of a combination of pride, lingering paranoia, and a desire to not make things awkward with the first person who didn't run off or try to maul him here.
Jae held out the roll of tape and his injured hand for Vanessa to take. "Thanks. You probably know how to deal with this kind of thing better than I do anyway, what with playing sports and all." He idly wondered if involvement in a sport would have done him any good here. Then again, even if he did play a sport, what would have been the point? He would still be on this island with his stupid classmates and a bomb around his neck, and all that effort would have gone to waste. Besides, he didn't care about sports and he'd been smoking like a chimney lately. The closest he'd ever come to being an athlete was the aforementioned skating incident and maybe that time he'd nearly killed both himself and Asha trying to lift her over his head because she wanted to demonstrate something from her ballet recital.
...God, he hoped he found some of his friends soon. If he'd already gotten this messed up, who knew what some crazy could do to any of them?
He did appreciate that she was taking him seriously about Alvaro instead of opting for denial (or worse, accusing him of being the aggressor instead of the other way around). Collapsing right in front of her while he was beat to hell probably factored into that, but it was a relief all the same. He was even more pleasantly surprised when she actually did offer to help patch him up; he'd refrained from asking out of a combination of pride, lingering paranoia, and a desire to not make things awkward with the first person who didn't run off or try to maul him here.
Jae held out the roll of tape and his injured hand for Vanessa to take. "Thanks. You probably know how to deal with this kind of thing better than I do anyway, what with playing sports and all." He idly wondered if involvement in a sport would have done him any good here. Then again, even if he did play a sport, what would have been the point? He would still be on this island with his stupid classmates and a bomb around his neck, and all that effort would have gone to waste. Besides, he didn't care about sports and he'd been smoking like a chimney lately. The closest he'd ever come to being an athlete was the aforementioned skating incident and maybe that time he'd nearly killed both himself and Asha trying to lift her over his head because she wanted to demonstrate something from her ballet recital.
...God, he hoped he found some of his friends soon. If he'd already gotten this messed up, who knew what some crazy could do to any of them?
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Vanessa was a clumsy doctor, what with her reluctance to actually hold Jae's hand in place. She gingerly wrapped the tape around at a distance, pulling his hand in a circle along with hers, before tearing it off at the end. She admired her handiwork, namely that the fingers were actually being held relatively in place. Any doctor would probably tell her that there was supposed to be a splint under there, but details.
"I've taken a lot of balls to the face, but I've never actually broken anything before." she shrugged at his supposition. "So congrats, you're the first patient of Dr. Stone." She'd gone from a psychiatrist to a GP in the span of five minutes; it just went to show what Mrs. Barks knew about her science skills.
Tossing him back his roll of tape, she slouched back into the coffee table and looked back at Jae.
"You think you're alright to keep walking? I mean, if you want to stay here for a while that's cool, but I still need to find Cams." She wasn't about to leave Jae here by himself in his battered state, but she did have her other friend to find before someone tried to go slasher flick on her.
Thinking about it, Vanessa correctly realised that Jae probably had his own friends he was worried about just as much as she was hers.
"What do you plan to do to get through this shitstorm, anyway?"
"I've taken a lot of balls to the face, but I've never actually broken anything before." she shrugged at his supposition. "So congrats, you're the first patient of Dr. Stone." She'd gone from a psychiatrist to a GP in the span of five minutes; it just went to show what Mrs. Barks knew about her science skills.
Tossing him back his roll of tape, she slouched back into the coffee table and looked back at Jae.
"You think you're alright to keep walking? I mean, if you want to stay here for a while that's cool, but I still need to find Cams." She wasn't about to leave Jae here by himself in his battered state, but she did have her other friend to find before someone tried to go slasher flick on her.
Thinking about it, Vanessa correctly realised that Jae probably had his own friends he was worried about just as much as she was hers.
"What do you plan to do to get through this shitstorm, anyway?"
Jae kept his teeth gritted as Vanessa pulled his hand around; as much as it hurt, she was doing a pretty good job of taping his fingers by his judgment at least, and there was no point in complaining about how someone was helping you when they could have just left you in the first place. "Thanks." Jae returned the tape to his first-aid kit when Vanessa tossed it back and set about digging for the wipes and adhesive bandages. He located some alcohol pads too and took one to clean the slash on his face.
The alcohol stung, making him hiss quietly, but it was definitely better than getting an infection down the line. Once that was taken care of, Jae tossed the used pad aside and opened the wipes to clean the rest of his face off. Vanessa talked as he did so, and he paused for a moment to consider his response. It sounded like she wasn't about to run off and leave him, which was nice. He didn't feel like being alone right now. On the other hand, there was his knee.
"I don't know exactly how bad my knee is, if it's dislocated or what. It hurts like a bitch, but I think I could walk fine if I had a brace or a crutch or something. I walked on it some to get over here before it... well, quit." There wasn't anything in the first-aid kit that would help with that, as far as he could tell, unless they tried taping his knee too. Would that work?
And right, they both had people they wanted to find. What either of them would do after that, he wasn't sure. Jae shrugged in response to Vanessa's other question and went back to cleaning the smeared blood and makeup off his face so that he could bandage up his cheek. "Plan A is mostly 'find friends, make sure they don't do anything stupid'. I haven't thought any further ahead yet. Not breaking anything else would be a good step to add in, I guess."
He dropped the used wipes on the sofa next to him and went for the butterfly bandages next. The cut Alvaro had given him was shallow, but it stretched from the bridge of his nose almost to his ear, all across his left cheek. It took more than one bandage to cover it. Not nearly as bad as his knee or his hand, but much more noticeable.
Not even an inch higher, and he'd have lost his eye, Jae remembered. He grimaced, but quickly had to smooth his expression again when the action pulled at the half-applied bandages.
Once he'd finished dressing the cut to the best of his ability, he looked back at Vanessa. He felt oddly exposed with his makeup gone and the bandages prominently drawing attention to his injury. "How do I look?"
The alcohol stung, making him hiss quietly, but it was definitely better than getting an infection down the line. Once that was taken care of, Jae tossed the used pad aside and opened the wipes to clean the rest of his face off. Vanessa talked as he did so, and he paused for a moment to consider his response. It sounded like she wasn't about to run off and leave him, which was nice. He didn't feel like being alone right now. On the other hand, there was his knee.
"I don't know exactly how bad my knee is, if it's dislocated or what. It hurts like a bitch, but I think I could walk fine if I had a brace or a crutch or something. I walked on it some to get over here before it... well, quit." There wasn't anything in the first-aid kit that would help with that, as far as he could tell, unless they tried taping his knee too. Would that work?
And right, they both had people they wanted to find. What either of them would do after that, he wasn't sure. Jae shrugged in response to Vanessa's other question and went back to cleaning the smeared blood and makeup off his face so that he could bandage up his cheek. "Plan A is mostly 'find friends, make sure they don't do anything stupid'. I haven't thought any further ahead yet. Not breaking anything else would be a good step to add in, I guess."
He dropped the used wipes on the sofa next to him and went for the butterfly bandages next. The cut Alvaro had given him was shallow, but it stretched from the bridge of his nose almost to his ear, all across his left cheek. It took more than one bandage to cover it. Not nearly as bad as his knee or his hand, but much more noticeable.
Not even an inch higher, and he'd have lost his eye, Jae remembered. He grimaced, but quickly had to smooth his expression again when the action pulled at the half-applied bandages.
Once he'd finished dressing the cut to the best of his ability, he looked back at Vanessa. He felt oddly exposed with his makeup gone and the bandages prominently drawing attention to his injury. "How do I look?"
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
"You look like shit." Vanessa replied with a blunt smile, "It's very punk rock; just roll with it."
Teasing or not, she was still drawn down to his worry-inducing knee. Getting around the island with that was going to be a real hurdle, and she was not about to lend her shoulder to him for the whole time they were stuck there.
She wondered about how to best handle the situation. Thinking back to the time that her sister Liza had screwed up her knee trying to slide in to home base a few years back, Vanessa was reminded how her sister had been wearing a brace for a few weeks. She figured that's what Jae needed right now, but she was pretty sure she wasn't going to just find one of those just lying around.
She looked around the room, scanning for a good substitute. Her eyes noticed the table leg that Nancy's axe had been buried in not too long ago, its vulnerable half-cut state proving the answer.
"Gimme a sec." She said, heading towards it. She flipped the furniture over and leaned her weight against the leg. In its old and damaged state, it easily gave way and broke off from the table.
She managed to go through the rest of Jae's medical tape and the whole roll of her own, but in a few minutes Jae had the piece of wood wrapped tightly against his knee, forming a makeshift medical brace. It would have to do for the time being, but she was getting better at first aid with every passing moment. "Look at that, I really am a doctor."
Whilst Jae accustomed himself to the device, she went back over to the three legged table. The first leg had come off so easily, she wondered if she could break off a second even if it wasn't cut in half. Lo and behold, with a fair amount of effort and some clumsy leveraging, she could.
Picking up the second leg in her hand and giving it a spin like she would a softball bat, she nodded to herself. It was small, light, and probably wouldn't go very long without breaking in half, but it would probably do a better job of defending herself than a bag of weed would, and the grisly nail sticking out from the top was probably a good deterrant.
She didn't want to use it like that, that much was no fucking question, but Jae had given her every reason to be practical about the situation. If they did run into Alvaro again, or anyone else riding the nuttybar express, she wasn't going to just hide behind the crippled guy and hope he could hold them off.
She turned back to Jae, waving her new weapon at him with a cocky smirk. Everything looked about ready for them to get out of there and go find some friends.
"You ready to go?"
Teasing or not, she was still drawn down to his worry-inducing knee. Getting around the island with that was going to be a real hurdle, and she was not about to lend her shoulder to him for the whole time they were stuck there.
She wondered about how to best handle the situation. Thinking back to the time that her sister Liza had screwed up her knee trying to slide in to home base a few years back, Vanessa was reminded how her sister had been wearing a brace for a few weeks. She figured that's what Jae needed right now, but she was pretty sure she wasn't going to just find one of those just lying around.
She looked around the room, scanning for a good substitute. Her eyes noticed the table leg that Nancy's axe had been buried in not too long ago, its vulnerable half-cut state proving the answer.
"Gimme a sec." She said, heading towards it. She flipped the furniture over and leaned her weight against the leg. In its old and damaged state, it easily gave way and broke off from the table.
She managed to go through the rest of Jae's medical tape and the whole roll of her own, but in a few minutes Jae had the piece of wood wrapped tightly against his knee, forming a makeshift medical brace. It would have to do for the time being, but she was getting better at first aid with every passing moment. "Look at that, I really am a doctor."
Whilst Jae accustomed himself to the device, she went back over to the three legged table. The first leg had come off so easily, she wondered if she could break off a second even if it wasn't cut in half. Lo and behold, with a fair amount of effort and some clumsy leveraging, she could.
Picking up the second leg in her hand and giving it a spin like she would a softball bat, she nodded to herself. It was small, light, and probably wouldn't go very long without breaking in half, but it would probably do a better job of defending herself than a bag of weed would, and the grisly nail sticking out from the top was probably a good deterrant.
She didn't want to use it like that, that much was no fucking question, but Jae had given her every reason to be practical about the situation. If they did run into Alvaro again, or anyone else riding the nuttybar express, she wasn't going to just hide behind the crippled guy and hope he could hold them off.
She turned back to Jae, waving her new weapon at him with a cocky smirk. Everything looked about ready for them to get out of there and go find some friends.
"You ready to go?"
The brace was awkward and clunky, but Jae's leg was back to performing its job of supporting his weight and not giving out without warning. He downed a couple ibuprofen and some water while Vanessa armed herself with what was left of the table she'd dismantled to make the brace, and gathered his things.
He nodded once they were both ready. "Let's go fuck some shit up, then. Or stop people from doing the same, whichever." He could certainly do worse, as far as companions went here. Vanessa was smart, helpful, and now armed, and even with him looking a beat-up piece of shit they were an imposing enough pair. They both knew to be on-guard. Anyone who tried to fuck with them now wasn't going to have an easy time of it.
"Let's go."
((Min-jae Parker and Vanessa Stone continued in Five Finger Death Punch))
He nodded once they were both ready. "Let's go fuck some shit up, then. Or stop people from doing the same, whichever." He could certainly do worse, as far as companions went here. Vanessa was smart, helpful, and now armed, and even with him looking a beat-up piece of shit they were an imposing enough pair. They both knew to be on-guard. Anyone who tried to fuck with them now wasn't going to have an easy time of it.
"Let's go."
((Min-jae Parker and Vanessa Stone continued in Five Finger Death Punch))
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."