Lucas watched Max carefully, studying the other boy as he just stared aimlessly in silence. Lucas felt like an idiot for not realizing that the reason why he was suddenly so quiet was because obviously he just heard one or maybe multiple of his friends just died. While Lucas wasn't sure whose death it was that shook Max so much to leave the otherwise leave him speechless, he could at the very least understand the pain he must be feeling. It was the same pain he had felt and the same pain Jonah was feeling. It seems that whatever trace Max was in he realized he was in it and slap himself back to reality and began speaking in his normal verbose manner, albeit with a a bit of a stutter.
Lucas closed his eyes, nodding his head and his listened to Max outline what the plan was. Things like going after this person or that person. All this hardly matter to Lucas and he really didn't see the point when it was obvious the terrorists were stacking the deck by wording things in a particular manner to sound far worse than they were to get people to turn on each other. Were there some people going around killing others for any number of reason? Certainly. But what o the people who did it accidentally, or as mercies, or in self-defense? Too many variables.
Also, Lucas noted that Max really like to talk. Maybe that wasn't the most pressing concern at the moment, but good god was Max a wordy motherfucker.
Lucas sighed and picked up his firearm from the ground and looked it over. he had no idea why he was doing this action, but he felt it was something to keep his hands and his mind busy.
"I hardly see the point," Lucas stated bluntly as he rubbed the edging of the shotgun with his thumbs. "The assholes running this shit are clearly stacking the deck to encourage this sort of thinking. But whatever, I got no better ideas. Until I find my girlfriend I'll stick around, I guess."
Who Can Stay The Bottles Of Heaven?
Pre-Anouncement: PM before you consider entering.
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TheLordOfAwesome
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Ruggahissy
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Jonah was pulled out of his spiral by Darlene's gentle, reassuring hand, and tone. It was somewhat maternal, he imagined. His biological mother hadn't done anything like that that he could remember, and it he was probably too old for that sort of thing by the time he'd been adopted. She had been more of a shoulder patter.
The grief remained, but the waves had subsided back into a still surface. The emotion had taken a lot more from him than he would have though ti would and for a moment he thought he might faint, but he hope he wouldn't since that would be awkward for Darlene. He didn't want to make it a habit to faint in people's arms.
"Thanks," he said to her, feeling a little more at ease.
That thought made him sad all over because it was Abel who caught him the last time he'd fainted.
Max was going about making suggestions for what the group should do concerning the people who had been named on the announcements. For all of his strategy and rationalizing and analyzing though, he ended up in a very similar spot to Jonah. He wanted to find Paloma.
And Jonah did too. He didn't know what he would do when he found her, but he wanted to know what had happened. He wanted to hear her explain it and then he didn't know what.
But...
But there was an amber necklace in his pocket pressing against his thigh and he could feel it just a little the way he was sitting.
He went back and forth on the two possible paths with the energy remaining. Overhead, the clouds seemed a little gloomier than they'd been.
Which way?
Which one?
"Arizona first. I want to find Arizona," he said, looking at the leaves on the ground, head still slumped against the plush dog and Darlene.
The grief remained, but the waves had subsided back into a still surface. The emotion had taken a lot more from him than he would have though ti would and for a moment he thought he might faint, but he hope he wouldn't since that would be awkward for Darlene. He didn't want to make it a habit to faint in people's arms.
"Thanks," he said to her, feeling a little more at ease.
That thought made him sad all over because it was Abel who caught him the last time he'd fainted.
Max was going about making suggestions for what the group should do concerning the people who had been named on the announcements. For all of his strategy and rationalizing and analyzing though, he ended up in a very similar spot to Jonah. He wanted to find Paloma.
And Jonah did too. He didn't know what he would do when he found her, but he wanted to know what had happened. He wanted to hear her explain it and then he didn't know what.
But...
But there was an amber necklace in his pocket pressing against his thigh and he could feel it just a little the way he was sitting.
He went back and forth on the two possible paths with the energy remaining. Overhead, the clouds seemed a little gloomier than they'd been.
Which way?
Which one?
"Arizona first. I want to find Arizona," he said, looking at the leaves on the ground, head still slumped against the plush dog and Darlene.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
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Darlene was not paying that much attention to what Max was saying. It wasn't that she was ignoring him! She figured he was probably thinking really deeply about it all, on a level she wouldn't come up with if she spent hours and hours squinting off into space. The thing was, though, it was kind of hard to hear anything closely over the humming, and kind of hard to focus on anything beyond the boy who she held. The boy with the big gun was talking to Max, and he could handle it. If he was being mean or dismissive, Darlene could be cross later, but for now he was the audience and she was not, aside from those little details she picked up through osmosis. She'd just ask Max to give her the cliff notes while they were on the move.
It was all justified when Jonah thanked her. That was all she wanted, to do something and have it matter, even just a little, even for just a moment.
Darlene felt sticky and sweaty and gross, and she was still squishing the dog, and the gun in her lap was just sort of there now, not needed but also impossible to ignore, because even if she'd been very careful not to ready it again she couldn't forget what had happened and couldn't forget that she'd been asked to be more careful and had resolved to do so. But it was okay. She'd done a good thing. She could still do something good.
And when Jonah spoke more, she squeezed him tighter and did another.
"I agree," Darlene said. Then, after a second, because maybe she'd been unclear, she added, "With Jonah. We can trust Arizona, so we look for her first. If we find other people on the way, we can maybe deal with that then?"
It was strange. Darlene felt like she should actually maybe be a little more hesitant about this finding-Arizona plan, or jealous or something. It was just that Arizona was probably definitely Jonah's girlfriend, given what she'd seen at prom, and also how he wanted to look for her so much! Arizona was tall and pretty and strong and great at sports, and probably also smart. Darlene thought she was kind of clever sometimes, and she was good at singing, but that was not a lot of things in her favor compared to the basketball girl. And Darlene bet Arizona could've been good at singing too, if she wanted to. She seemed like the sort of person who could do anything she set her mind to.
But that just made finding her an even better idea. Jonah wanted to see her, and Darlene wanted to help Jonah, so that was that. She would do her level best to reunite them, and if Arizona was as cool a person as Jonah thought (and Jonah hadn't been wrong so far, even given the unfortunate interaction with The Claw), then she would be good to have around, would help keep them safe and help them accomplish their goal. And even if she didn't, even if she was mean or a coward or something, she would make Jonah happier.
Darlene had this one quick little flash of nasty thoughts, like what if Arizona didn't make Jonah happier? What if she was actually evil and tried to hurt him? And it led to this one split second fantasy, the gun in her lap, not an accident this time, but she slammed the doors on that. Those were not the things to be thinking about right now.
Of course, the real difficulty would be finding anyone specific. Unless there was something obvious that Darlene was missing, their only choice was to wander around and bump into who they bumped into, which could be Arizona or could be the people Max wanted to find or could be the other guy's girlfriend (it sort of made Darlene feel better that he had a girlfriend, but she wasn't quite sure why), or could be all sorts of people they weren't even thinking about.
She'd stopped humming in there, had just sort of trailed off. She thought about starting up again, or moving the dog's head so it was giving Jonah a kiss, but settled for just rubbing his back a little more.
It was all justified when Jonah thanked her. That was all she wanted, to do something and have it matter, even just a little, even for just a moment.
Darlene felt sticky and sweaty and gross, and she was still squishing the dog, and the gun in her lap was just sort of there now, not needed but also impossible to ignore, because even if she'd been very careful not to ready it again she couldn't forget what had happened and couldn't forget that she'd been asked to be more careful and had resolved to do so. But it was okay. She'd done a good thing. She could still do something good.
And when Jonah spoke more, she squeezed him tighter and did another.
"I agree," Darlene said. Then, after a second, because maybe she'd been unclear, she added, "With Jonah. We can trust Arizona, so we look for her first. If we find other people on the way, we can maybe deal with that then?"
It was strange. Darlene felt like she should actually maybe be a little more hesitant about this finding-Arizona plan, or jealous or something. It was just that Arizona was probably definitely Jonah's girlfriend, given what she'd seen at prom, and also how he wanted to look for her so much! Arizona was tall and pretty and strong and great at sports, and probably also smart. Darlene thought she was kind of clever sometimes, and she was good at singing, but that was not a lot of things in her favor compared to the basketball girl. And Darlene bet Arizona could've been good at singing too, if she wanted to. She seemed like the sort of person who could do anything she set her mind to.
But that just made finding her an even better idea. Jonah wanted to see her, and Darlene wanted to help Jonah, so that was that. She would do her level best to reunite them, and if Arizona was as cool a person as Jonah thought (and Jonah hadn't been wrong so far, even given the unfortunate interaction with The Claw), then she would be good to have around, would help keep them safe and help them accomplish their goal. And even if she didn't, even if she was mean or a coward or something, she would make Jonah happier.
Darlene had this one quick little flash of nasty thoughts, like what if Arizona didn't make Jonah happier? What if she was actually evil and tried to hurt him? And it led to this one split second fantasy, the gun in her lap, not an accident this time, but she slammed the doors on that. Those were not the things to be thinking about right now.
Of course, the real difficulty would be finding anyone specific. Unless there was something obvious that Darlene was missing, their only choice was to wander around and bump into who they bumped into, which could be Arizona or could be the people Max wanted to find or could be the other guy's girlfriend (it sort of made Darlene feel better that he had a girlfriend, but she wasn't quite sure why), or could be all sorts of people they weren't even thinking about.
She'd stopped humming in there, had just sort of trailed off. She thought about starting up again, or moving the dog's head so it was giving Jonah a kiss, but settled for just rubbing his back a little more.
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MethodicalSlacker
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Max was unsuccessful in his efforts, it seemed.
He had failed to properly account for the specific emotional desires and affinities of his audience, a grave mistake and fatal error with regards to the construction of his summary and argument for his desired course of action. Admittedly, it was not the most apt argument he had ever put forward. It barely satisfied the criteria to qualify as such. It was debatable whether it went so far as to approach as minuscule a number as only several of those criteria. With each opinion offered from those around him, he grew more despondent, inwardly. Ennui began to set in. Despair was knocking at his front door with increasing amounts of force—what began as formality was transforming into force. Metaphor felt meaningless, at this point in time.
"I..."
Max wiped at his eyes. His hand came back wet.
"Arizona would be a great asset to add to the team," he conceded.
But I'm no fool, Max thought. I know that the further we expand this group, the more diluted the message will become. And if we expand just for the sake of it, then eventually we'll lose our center, which I feel honestly that in several manners we already have, except then it will be actually gone. There will be nothing left because I will have stopped hoping that you will believe me, guys. You don't believe me when I say I want to do these things. I want to do all of these things, but you won't let me. You'd rather sit around and doubt my ability to do these things. I've never done anything before. You're content to wait here and sulk until you die or everyone you want to meet dies because you didn't get a chance to put an end to the killing because you were stuck, here, in complacent despair. It's easier not to try. It's easier not to try. I've never had a chance to do this. You haven't let me prove myself to you.
"It's a big island," Max said.
He had failed to properly account for the specific emotional desires and affinities of his audience, a grave mistake and fatal error with regards to the construction of his summary and argument for his desired course of action. Admittedly, it was not the most apt argument he had ever put forward. It barely satisfied the criteria to qualify as such. It was debatable whether it went so far as to approach as minuscule a number as only several of those criteria. With each opinion offered from those around him, he grew more despondent, inwardly. Ennui began to set in. Despair was knocking at his front door with increasing amounts of force—what began as formality was transforming into force. Metaphor felt meaningless, at this point in time.
"I..."
Max wiped at his eyes. His hand came back wet.
"Arizona would be a great asset to add to the team," he conceded.
But I'm no fool, Max thought. I know that the further we expand this group, the more diluted the message will become. And if we expand just for the sake of it, then eventually we'll lose our center, which I feel honestly that in several manners we already have, except then it will be actually gone. There will be nothing left because I will have stopped hoping that you will believe me, guys. You don't believe me when I say I want to do these things. I want to do all of these things, but you won't let me. You'd rather sit around and doubt my ability to do these things. I've never done anything before. You're content to wait here and sulk until you die or everyone you want to meet dies because you didn't get a chance to put an end to the killing because you were stuck, here, in complacent despair. It's easier not to try. It's easier not to try. I've never had a chance to do this. You haven't let me prove myself to you.
"It's a big island," Max said.
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TheLordOfAwesome
- Posts: 489
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:37 pm
- Location: Washington
Everyone seemed to want to go find Arizona to add to their little team. For a brief moment Lucas was confused as to who they were talking about but his brain was quick to remember that she was that one really hot chick that was on the girl's basket ball team. He recalled that on the bus ride back home — before they were all abducted — she was wearing a They Live! t-shirt. At least she had good taste in movies and maybe once they find her she'd be up for a good, relaxing conversation about movies. She got the feeling the present company was up for him reciting the history to some of his favorite franchises.
"No kidding," Lucas grumbled as he pulled out the map from his bag to look at it. "We could probably walk around this place all day and not run into a single soul. Probably why they chose it to be honest."
Lucas tapped at the part of the map that marked the waterfall. He had to remember that place was a no go if the announcement was anything to go of. Blaise would probably head over there to get that extra bag, but outside of Max it seemed no one really wanted to go out headhunting right now. Humming in thought Lucas returned the map back to the bag and stood up, resting his shotgun on his shoulder.
"Right, so should we get going?" Lucas asked. "Can't imagine we want to stay here all day."
"No kidding," Lucas grumbled as he pulled out the map from his bag to look at it. "We could probably walk around this place all day and not run into a single soul. Probably why they chose it to be honest."
Lucas tapped at the part of the map that marked the waterfall. He had to remember that place was a no go if the announcement was anything to go of. Blaise would probably head over there to get that extra bag, but outside of Max it seemed no one really wanted to go out headhunting right now. Humming in thought Lucas returned the map back to the bag and stood up, resting his shotgun on his shoulder.
"Right, so should we get going?" Lucas asked. "Can't imagine we want to stay here all day."
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
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Jonah swallowed and moved to sit up, disconnecting from Darlene. He blinked wearily and another tear that had been clinging to his dark eyelashes fell.
He looked at Max, who he could tell wasn't happy with the answer. Was Jonah being a bad friend? Max was here in front of him and one of the people on the island that he had known for years and understood. Somehow, he felt poorly for not accommodating him, even if that meant agreeing to possibly hunt people.
"It is," he agreed quietly. "Who knows who we'll find," he offered, looking at Max's hands rather than his face. One more grain of sand was added to the scale on Max's side, and although it wasn't enough to make it tip, it was a concession.
He didn't feel like moving. Frankly, he felt like going back to sleep. Jonah wasn't used to such emotional outpouring and it took more energy from him than he would have thought. He was the calm one, the one that could be depended upon.
Jonah handed the dog back to Darlene and took a big, shaky breath.
"Thank you for helping me," he said to her. Grabbing on to the bark of a nearby tree, he hoisted himself up into a standing position and offered a hand to Darlene to help her up as well.
Lucas suggested getting a move on, which what Max was also intending. Jonah simply nodded in response.
He looked at Max, who he could tell wasn't happy with the answer. Was Jonah being a bad friend? Max was here in front of him and one of the people on the island that he had known for years and understood. Somehow, he felt poorly for not accommodating him, even if that meant agreeing to possibly hunt people.
"It is," he agreed quietly. "Who knows who we'll find," he offered, looking at Max's hands rather than his face. One more grain of sand was added to the scale on Max's side, and although it wasn't enough to make it tip, it was a concession.
He didn't feel like moving. Frankly, he felt like going back to sleep. Jonah wasn't used to such emotional outpouring and it took more energy from him than he would have thought. He was the calm one, the one that could be depended upon.
Jonah handed the dog back to Darlene and took a big, shaky breath.
"Thank you for helping me," he said to her. Grabbing on to the bark of a nearby tree, he hoisted himself up into a standing position and offered a hand to Darlene to help her up as well.
Lucas suggested getting a move on, which what Max was also intending. Jonah simply nodded in response.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 2566
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:37 am
"It's," Darlene started, "you're... I... thank you too?"
She squeezed the husky tight again, now that it was just her and the dog in contact. She wished she'd had something better to offer back to Jonah. She didn't, though. She'd had a whole lot of ideas for words to say in her head, which was why she'd tripped over them trying to sort them out and shuffle a few connected ones out of her mouth, but each phrase was just as empty and meaningless as the next. This wasn't a situation for words, but rather for action, and Darlene had done what she could there. She wasn't a natural at this like the dog was.
Maybe she didn't have to be, she thought, taking Jonah's hand. Maybe what she was was enough. She didn't really think so, though, especially when she stood up and the revolver tumbled straight out of her lap and her eyes went wide as she watched it flip over in the air, her breath held as she waited for that horrible explosion, for someone else to fall bleeding to the ground, but that didn't happen, the gun just plopped to the forest floor and lay there.
"Um," Darlene said, "I, uh, uh, sorry."
She tucked the dog under her arm and leaned over and very quickly scooped the gun back up and then couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. Her dominant right hand was still in Jonah's and the dog was under her left arm and so she just sort of fumbled with the weapon for a few seconds, pawing at the waistline of her sweater before finally scooting it up just a bit (probably showing everyone else a flash of how pudgy her tummy was, but just this once they could focus on that instead of that she'd dropped the gun!) and then roughly tucking the revolver into the band. The metal was cool and lumpy and strange against her skin, and she was so sweaty and was probably making it gross, and she was a little afraid it would go off again and shoot a hole in her leg, but it would have to do for now.
The best course of action was to act like nothing out of the ordinary at all had just happened. She could feel herself all hot, her cheeks toasty, her armpits probably sweating even more, and it was way way too hot for a sweater but she was going to keep it on anyways, and not just because she was self-conscious. It hid the revolver away. Out of sight, out of mind, at least she could hope. She shifted the dog back into her hands and wiped her finger a little at the tiny spot of blood that had gotten on its face from Jonah's hand, to no effect.
"I'm ready," she announced, feeling anything but. "I'm ready to go now."
Not to lead the way, of course, but she followed along with everyone else when they departed, casting only occasional suspicious glances at the boy with the rifle and at the giant toothy stick.
((Darlene Silva continued in DXXM))
She squeezed the husky tight again, now that it was just her and the dog in contact. She wished she'd had something better to offer back to Jonah. She didn't, though. She'd had a whole lot of ideas for words to say in her head, which was why she'd tripped over them trying to sort them out and shuffle a few connected ones out of her mouth, but each phrase was just as empty and meaningless as the next. This wasn't a situation for words, but rather for action, and Darlene had done what she could there. She wasn't a natural at this like the dog was.
Maybe she didn't have to be, she thought, taking Jonah's hand. Maybe what she was was enough. She didn't really think so, though, especially when she stood up and the revolver tumbled straight out of her lap and her eyes went wide as she watched it flip over in the air, her breath held as she waited for that horrible explosion, for someone else to fall bleeding to the ground, but that didn't happen, the gun just plopped to the forest floor and lay there.
"Um," Darlene said, "I, uh, uh, sorry."
She tucked the dog under her arm and leaned over and very quickly scooped the gun back up and then couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. Her dominant right hand was still in Jonah's and the dog was under her left arm and so she just sort of fumbled with the weapon for a few seconds, pawing at the waistline of her sweater before finally scooting it up just a bit (probably showing everyone else a flash of how pudgy her tummy was, but just this once they could focus on that instead of that she'd dropped the gun!) and then roughly tucking the revolver into the band. The metal was cool and lumpy and strange against her skin, and she was so sweaty and was probably making it gross, and she was a little afraid it would go off again and shoot a hole in her leg, but it would have to do for now.
The best course of action was to act like nothing out of the ordinary at all had just happened. She could feel herself all hot, her cheeks toasty, her armpits probably sweating even more, and it was way way too hot for a sweater but she was going to keep it on anyways, and not just because she was self-conscious. It hid the revolver away. Out of sight, out of mind, at least she could hope. She shifted the dog back into her hands and wiped her finger a little at the tiny spot of blood that had gotten on its face from Jonah's hand, to no effect.
"I'm ready," she announced, feeling anything but. "I'm ready to go now."
Not to lead the way, of course, but she followed along with everyone else when they departed, casting only occasional suspicious glances at the boy with the rifle and at the giant toothy stick.
((Darlene Silva continued in DXXM))
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 1593
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Jonah picked up his bags, taking stock to make sure he had everything. Darlene was ready and he felt her hand close around his. He felt a bit worried about how much stock she was putting in him, but he completed the action and closed around hers in turn. He touched Max on the shoulder as a way of checking his readiness and also to reestablish physical contact. You're my friend. I care for you.
Feeling badly about excluding Lucas, he gave him a brief glance before continuing onward.
((Jonah Heartgrave continued in DXXM))
Feeling badly about excluding Lucas, he gave him a brief glance before continuing onward.
((Jonah Heartgrave continued in DXXM))
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TheLordOfAwesome
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"Right, then let's move out, Slaughterhouse Five." he said with a somewhat dramatic flair to his tone.
With everyone getting ready to move, was quick to fall in and stick to the back of the ground. Being the designated heavy hitter he felt that was probably the best position he could be in in case someone were to try and attack the group from behind. He adjusted his bag so it was slung over his shoulder, moving King Ghidorah so now he held it in both his hands as he walked behind the others and gave Jonah a curt nod when he saw him glancing his way.
((Lucas Abernathy continued in DXXM))
With everyone getting ready to move, was quick to fall in and stick to the back of the ground. Being the designated heavy hitter he felt that was probably the best position he could be in in case someone were to try and attack the group from behind. He adjusted his bag so it was slung over his shoulder, moving King Ghidorah so now he held it in both his hands as he walked behind the others and gave Jonah a curt nod when he saw him glancing his way.
((Lucas Abernathy continued in DXXM))
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MethodicalSlacker
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Darlene was correct. The optimal course of action was to begin their survey as soon as possible. Despite the feeling that Max required more time to process and reflect—how greedy he could be, given his early morning meditations just hours prior—Max assented to her implicit request to depart. He gathered his things and prepared to embark with the other members of his group. It was reassuring to see them taking an active role in the furthering of his ideals, even if it was, admittedly, with several caveats that he could do without.
When Jonah touched him on the shoulder, Max flinched. He wasn't ready for Jonah's show of affection, and a large assortment of his mental faculties had been on high alert once they acquired Darlene. Max worried for his life in the background of every thought. But he returned the gesture with a smile. It was nice to feel someone caring for him. It reminded him of Misty.
Max realized then that he did not wish to be reminded of Misty. He didn't have the time for it. Not today.
Mind set forward, feet pushing off from the ground, Max moved to the front of the group as they departed.
[Max Rudolph continued in DXXM.]
When Jonah touched him on the shoulder, Max flinched. He wasn't ready for Jonah's show of affection, and a large assortment of his mental faculties had been on high alert once they acquired Darlene. Max worried for his life in the background of every thought. But he returned the gesture with a smile. It was nice to feel someone caring for him. It reminded him of Misty.
Max realized then that he did not wish to be reminded of Misty. He didn't have the time for it. Not today.
Mind set forward, feet pushing off from the ground, Max moved to the front of the group as they departed.
[Max Rudolph continued in DXXM.]
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