Schwarze Rosen

[Riki]

[Joachim Lovelace, continued from The Killing Moon]

Jaquilyn Locke.

Accomplice in the murder of Carmina Maliski.

Accomplice in the murder of Adonis Alba.

Murderer of Grace Faraday.

Unrepentant Killer.

Survivalist.

Object lesson.

Learn from her mistakes.

~Garrett Wilde

Joachim Lovelace closed his eyes and for a brief moment allowed himself to spill some tears.

The relationship between him and Jaquilyn was a strange one. A lost dog not knowing where to go and a visionary with dirty plans. So much depended on their first meeting, didn it? Maybe, without her, Joachim would still be without reason, a being who would just lie down and realize that their grey, useless, boring life would be all they have.

And because Jaquilyn pulled him out of that hole, he was grateful. Grateful not for only that, but also for their time spent together. Time that enhanced senseless acts of death with beauty and meaning. Grateful enough to accept that he'd be the one dying in the end, and she the one who went home.

He'd call her a friend.

Friends who, eventually lost each other, which may have resulted in what Jaquilyn's death, but friends nonetheless. She was the one whom he spent the most precious days of his life with, so even if the island took it's inevitable toll - a reality Joachim could not surpress nor deny - Joachim was sad. Actually, not sad, he was in grief.

"Sorry for not being there, I'd avenge you, but Garrett got himself killed."

Joachim wasn't angry at Garrett, not anymore, at least. He was a fool in his eyes, someone naive enough to believe that his ideals could hold in an enviroment so vastly different from home. But that was natural selection - survival of the fittest - he figured. Some adapt and continue to live. Other do not and die.

He turned to Paris, a teardrop lingering on his face.

"Paris... you're not going to leave me now, are you?"

[Ruggahissy]

((Paris Ardennes continued from The Killing Moon))


"No, why would I do that?" he said absently while looking up around the aviary. He was perched on a bench, one knee up against his chest looking around at the new place they'd found themselves.

He took a deep breath and pushed his hair back away from his eyes. He regretted not cutting it before the trip now. He thought he'd be able to do it when he got back. The trip wasn't supposed to last this long. Just a day or two to look at the rides and bask in the sun.

They were in some kind of large glass dome. It was a cage filled with many smaller cages. It seemed apt. He looked over his shoulder at his current companion, noting a slight cracking in his tone. He was clearly distressed and crying about something.

He was telling the truth. Why on Earth would he leave Joachim now? He was a good traveling companion. He was perfect, in fact. Once again, he was in need and once again he was provided for. He hopped up off the bench and went over to Joachim.

"Something's wrong. You can talk to me about it, if you like"

[Riki]

"This is... was someone who helped me a lot. She travelled with me for quite a while, and I guess the island was too much for her, too, but... I- I didn't think I'd be the one outliving the other."

Joachim inhaled, slowly, steadily. Then he exhaled.

Helping here meant to be a leader, in some, sick and twisted way. She was the cruel general who gave orders, Joachim was the soldier who merely followed them. But that was then, and Joachim didn't need to have the concept of guilt to be a burden to someone else. Guilt didn't exist for him anymore. However, a guiding hand, that was what he needed. He didn't care about survival, he didn't care about any visions, or agencies. The niche art of SotF. To live for it was all he needed.

And Jaquilyn helped him to do that. That was why Joachim was glad to have Paris. He was another being who would use him.

"Don't worry, I'll be good soon."

[Ruggahissy]

"Hmmm"

Paris seemed to be considering what Joachim had told him. He still looked a bit dreamy, a bit absent. While he listened he was also still looking around the aviary.


"It's understandable for you to be upset. It would be much stranger if you weren't. By now I think that there's probably not a single person who doesn't feel at least a little like you. We've all lost someone that we've known for years by now, it's impossible that someone hasn't yet."

Unlike before, although he stood next to the other boy he didn't make an effort to touch him. It was uncharacteristic of Paris, who was always touching someone, putting a hand on a shoulder or a pat on the back.

"Even then, the people who are left may be just as far gone. They might be untrustworthy or evil now, fallen into the temptation of the game. That too, is understandable. Not everyone is strong enough to withstand the test. I'm lucky to have survived my encounters with those types. And I am also lucky to have met you."

He sighed deeply and went back to the supplies, fishing around.

"This is a good place to rest."

[MrMissMrs Random†]

(Rosemary Michaels continued from For Remembrance)

Rosemary stood near the entrance bars of the large glass dome, her nose wrinkling a little. The crying and allergies had cleaned out her nostrils, leaving her open to smell the rank of dried bird crap. And not only that, but a new smell seemed to be covering the area as well. The stench of the two bodies inside the clear walls did not help how claustrophobic she was starting to feel, cracked by a gunshot left behind. Even if she could see the sky surrounding her through the glass, there was no wind to blow away the scents that engulfed such space.

She would have left then and there to find a different shelter, if not for the voices that made her pause.

Rosemary looked directly ahead, and saw Joachim Lovelace standing over one of the bodies, his shoulders shook. Was he... crying?

He spoke and the body's identity was revealed. Jaquilyn Locke. Garrett had been the one to murder her. And from the red streaks she could define from her distance... it hadn't been so quick.

She had to leave, but the strange appearance of humanity on  someone she had thought had been a ruthless player... it, it unsettled her.

And there she stood, almost dumfounded and not noticing at first if either Joachim or anyone else he was with could see her.

[Riki]

"Yeah, you're right."

Joachim didn't specify which statement of Paris got that reply. Not that it mattered much, because that he was there to give him some solace was enough for now.

He heard Paris fishing around in their supplies, and he pondered whether this was some kind of mirror. Earlier, he and Jaquilyn set up their base in the clubhouse, even when Adonis' corpse decorated the floor. Now, she herself was there, on the ground, while Joachim and Paris set up a resting place here.

Just as he was about to turn around he saw someone. A very special someone.

"...Rosemary?"

A slight smile appeared on his lips again. He didn't knew why, but just seeing a... somewhat familar face made him feel better.

[Ruggahissy]

"Of course I'm right," he said softly, perhaps more to himself than to anyone.

He pulled out a bottle of water and started drinking. After a moment he sighed and twisted the cap back on before throwing it into the bag. They were alright on supplies, especially with Cho's extras. They were well provided for.

"Rose-?"

Paris turned to look in the direction of Joachim's gaze and lo and behold there stood Rosemary. He didn't know what Joachim's history with Rosemary was, but Paris wasn't overly concerned by her arrival.

"Hey sis," he said playfully.

"How have you been? Have you been alright? Are you hurt?"

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Rosemary jumped a little at Joachim's smile. Why would he be happy to see her? The last time they met she won a weapon off of him, shouldn't he be put-out about that or something?


The "hey, sis" made her turn almost violently to where it came from. It was Paris. Okay... that made more sense now. Peter and Charlotte. The time at Bath and Body works... god, that felt like a lifetime ago. But the dropping sensation of embarrassment returned as well.

"H-hello, Joachim. Paris."

"I'm..." Rosemary trailed off. How could she respond to Paris? Everything that happened in the past seven days refused to fall off her lips.

"... I'm fine." she replied lamely. She took another look at the bodies. At Joachim's face. "...I can leave, if you need me to."

[Riki]

Fine? She's been fine?

There was no way that was anything but a lie. Joachim's smile faded and he slowly went closer towards Rosemary.

"I got no problems with you staying here."

He glanced at Paris. He called her 'sis'. There was a something playful about how he said it, so Joachim was confused about this. Were they siblings, or was this some kind of insider he couldn't completely comprehend? Either way, it made him doubt that Paris would send Rosemary away.

[Ruggahissy]

Paris looked over at the other two. He heaved a sigh and bit a finger briefly. He looked over his shoulder and smiled again.

"Of course not. You're welcome to stay. You're a friend," he said.

He turned quickly back to the bags and started moving things around again. His smile vanished in an instant as soon as his face wasn't visible anymore. He reminded himself to let it go. Rosemary was on the island so that was pretty much the end of her. It was the end of everyone besides himself, but there was now again a feeling of regret in his chest.

Just let it go. It's as good as done. Let her go. They're both as good as dead.


He imagined himself as the sole survivor on an island burning with the bodies of his classmates. It was reassuring, but sad. Another sigh and he sat down with a meal brick.

[MrMissMrs Random†]

Rosemary didn't flinch when Joachim came closer, and she considered that a small victory. Or, maybe she was just getting used to be approached.

She knew that leaving after the two of them saw her would hurt less for everyone in the long run, and yet she could do nothing else but stay at this point. Rosemary knew the odds of her surviving at this stage without a group, even with her shotgun for defense, were not ones favorable to her. It was amazing that she had not run across anyone else in her walk from the shipping yard, now that the areas they were allowed to walk in had become even fewer.

When Paris said she was a friend, that sealed the deal. Here on this godforsaken island had been the only time Rosemary believed she had had true, true friends... but now those friends were dead. She had had her parents, and the memory of her brother's death weigh heavily on her mind the past week, but that morning she had renounced them too. She felt completely alone with herself, and she was not sure if that was healthy for her in this situation.

It would be nice to have a friend again, if only for a short while.

"Okay... thank you," she replied, trying to give the best smile she had. She tried to stomp down all the sadness and guilt of Joey, of Paulo, of Meera... to give Joachim and Paris something in return for letting her stay.

She walked beside Joachim, holding her head high with her shotgun in her arms as they walked back over to Paris, and she sat down as well. Her stomach felt a bit queasy, so she decided to hold on eating for the moment.

"How have you been doing since the Best Kill, Joachim? And- Paris, you too, if you don't mind me asking?" Rosemary asked.

"I... I kind of lied when I said I was fine."

[Riki]

"Yeah, I thought so."

Joachim looked to the ground before Rosemary's feet and smiled. It wasn't malicious, or an expression of schadenfreude. Rosemary admitting her feelings to him was just inducing some oddly warm feeling in Joachim.

"My companion..." He pointed his arm in the general direction of Jaquilyn's body. "left me while I was playing with you."

Back to her eyes, Joachim's smile vanished.

"...have you, too, lost someone?"

[Ruggahissy]

He sat down by the bench on the floor with the meal brick he'd found. He was staring at the ground, past the meal bar as he absently picked at it with his finger nails. He had slightly longer than normal finger nails for a boy because of his guitar playing, but they were clean. He always kept them so.

He briefly glanced up at Rosemary. She had a shotgun. It seemed there was an ever flowing river of guns coming to him. He shrugged and returned to his work, listening distantly to her talk to Joachim. She said she'd lied when she was fine. Not surprising. No one who was still alive could be fine, it just wasn't possible.

But she asked how they were.

"Well, I've been better but all things considered I'm grateful to be in the condition I'm in. I'm not hungry, not hurt, have Joachim, haven't seen anything too terrible," he said lightly.

He smiled reassuringly and left out Sven. He had no desire to talk to her about him. With Cho he'd done it when it had been fresh. He was in real pain and real fear. He'd mentioned it again with the group to gain trust. He didn't want to use it anymore. He didn't want anyone else to know and he didn't want to talk about it ever again.

His stomach growled and he pushed his hand against it. He was so sick of these meal bars. These tasteless horrible meal bars. He never wanted to see another one, but it wasn't like there were a lot of options about it.

"I've had very good fortune to find Joachim. My other traveling companion, she....well...the stressors of this place proved too much for her to handle," he said, crushing part of the meal bar in his hand.

"You can talk about it, if you'd like. Talking often makes people feel better."

[MrMissMrs Random†]

"Talking doesn't make you feel better," Rosemary answered. "Not when the thought of it is still dominating your mind.  It just makes everything hurt more. It's better to try and forget it, and place it as far away as possible until it dims into a memory. Then, when you can... process it, when it's not just screaming in your head. That's when it gets better."

She did not know where these words had come from, but they made sense to her. Rosemary supposed she had dealt with death enough times now for this to become easily remembered. But, she could not just leave it at that. She was not trying to be cryptic in her answer.

"I was in a group with Meera Steele and Paulo Abbate," she followed her statement with an account of her time on the island after Joey's death. Joachim already knew the details of that, and Paris as well if he had been listening to the announcements. "The day after Best Kill, Paulo left when Maximilian's name was called on the announcements. He... was traveling with Becca Everett, and he wanted to kill Maximilian for what he did to her. Meera and I tried to go after him, but we got lost, and by the next morning he was already dead."

Rosemary said this in the best monotone she could muster, which was not that difficult. She felt so tired. "It was raining yesterday, and we needed to find shelter. But before we could enter a house, Alda, Paulo's sister... she came out of the house and started screaming and hitting a tree with her whip. She had heard about Paulo's death, too. We should have left then, gone to look for a place somewhere else. But we didn't."

She was approaching the moment, the time that she lost her temper that caused Meera's death, and it was harder now to keep her voice dead of emotion. I can't cry. I can't cry.

"We went into the house, and Alda had two other girls from the softball team with her. They were angry, but we wanted to stay until the rain stopped. They thought... we were part of a bigger group that was going to ambush them. Meera was getting angry at them, but I didn't stop her. We were cold, wet, and tired. And then when Alda went forward, I started yelling at her to calm down, and I talked about Paulo. She didn't know we had been traveling with him, but she reacted just the same. Meera told me to run, so I did. She's- Meera was on the track team. I thought that- that she would follow me... but after a while, I knew she wasn't behind me. According to the announcements, Alda strangled her."

"And that's what I've lost." Rosemary finished. This felt like the longest she had talked at one time in years. All it did was make her feel more and more tired. But she would not talk about Ryan. She had only trusted Meera with that information, and that's how it would stay.

[Riki]

He listened. He listened as she told them of Meera and Paolo and Joey. Of Becca and Maximiliam. Of Alda. Of all the despair and sadness she went through.

Joachim looked at Rosemary. It infected him. A small knot formed in his throat, a strange sign of him feeling something that may have been pity, or perhaps even compassion.

He looked over to Paris, unsure what to do. Maybe this was the time to find soothing words, to lessen the scars, but Joachim wan't deluded enough to think he could do that. Nothing would help. There was just misery and death and that is all what would await them on the island.

Still, he allowed himself one exception. Just this one time.

"...I'm sorry."