Lately Kiss My Ass Lately

[Cicada]

Had she said something funny? Silly sure, but not worthy of an actual laugh. She contemplated Sean's barely restrained mirth- whether genuine or purposefully incapable, she couldn't tell. She thought nothing of it. But it was a theoretically humanizing moment, at least.

"As I see it," she glanced sidelong at Thomas. Perhaps he had doubts? She wouldn't blame him seeing as she considered herself the largest skeptic of her own proposal. She had no doubt that they would spectacularly fail. There was no reason to take confidence in the whims of her well-armed peers. None of that to be had.

"We can survive fine. Maybe less than thrive, but survive." A tisk, dry like the snapping of twigs for how little water she had left in the tank. Funny she could feel a tongue so parched when water was all that could be seen on every horizon. "Not good enough." She bared some of her soul in the contempt of her tone, a brief moment where she was actually as cynical as she hid from the world. "We owe it to ourselves to at least try for basic human decency, to be above what our circumstances demand we lower ourselves to. So, we hold ourselves to task and try the same for others."

Grandstanding really was all she had left then. She held his gaze evenly, exhaled, felt her body no lighter than the moment prior.

[Ohm]

Sean had gotten onto his feet as Thomas opened his mouth to question Princess in regards to her idea. As they conversed he leant forward with his hands on his knees to catch his breath as he still held down that chuckle, it felt rank and disgusting. His vomit session from back at the infirmary staying with him.

The idea she was proposing wasn't perfect or that good. None of them thought that probably, but it was something. Which was better than what they had been doing up till that point.

And maybe he could talk Zach down, or Ty for that matter. Anyone would be good, but he needed to see them again. He stood up straight and reached up and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and blinked a few times at the two. "It's better than what the rest is doing. I'm game."

[Catche Jagger]

Princess’s answer couldn’t help but feel a bit lacking at this point. Sure, they could hold onto some shred of dignity they had left by not acting like animals themselves, but to try and spread this message to everyone else seemed foolish. If someone like Erika had gone over the edge, what point was there in three random people trying to talk them down in the current circumstances?

However, he still didn’t have an alternative, and the other two seemed resolved.

“Alright, okay, I guess we’re decided then.” Thomas said, giving each of them a nod. “Still I’m gonna take the rest of that break, eat something, keep looking through my bag and, um, all that stuff. Then, we can focus on where exactly we head next, alright?”

---

Thomas spent the next while beneath his little tree, snacking away on what remained of his Cheez Its. Within his duffel, he’d finally managed to locate an emergency blanket that he’d missed his first time through which he now draped over himself like some ridiculous cloak.

After a bit, he felt compelled to look up and call to the others.

“Hey, do you guys want some?” He offered, pointing at the red box in his hand.

[Cicada]

"I know the real Princess. You showed me everything."
"Not everything."
"Everything that mattered."
"What didn't matter? All I ever showed you were the niceties. The falsehoods."
"Your point being?"

---

"I suppose now is the wrong time to care about watching my health." Princess contemplated the dry sahel under her tongue, contemplated the hollow in her stomach, for all the moment she could allow herself to be distracted by hints mortality. "But I don't want to deprive you of your own calories." She supposed if her pride was any more worn down, if those eroded particles of sand could become any smaller bits of Democritus' universe, she might have shed the pretense and stopped tensing her stomach for fear of the telltale growl.

Or she might have packed actual snacks to eat, but maybe no amount of humbling could ever have replaced the vanity of the Princess from Chattanooga with the non-grandstanding of epicuranism.

She supposed now was the time to have the simulation of Violet in her head bother her more with the roundabout, but Princess had been hoping to serialize her pretentious self-loathing at some point, and she still lacked for paper and pen. About the last things on earth she would have willingly given up, had she the choice.

"I used to host at The Blue." An idle announcement, purpose existing in it's purposelessness. "I can still remember the smell- anyone of you remember that? It was iconic- wood varnish, spilled beer, and that stupid overly sweet 16-spice rib baste. Somehow remembering it still makes me feel vaguely nauseous. Even with so little to eat."

[Ohm]

Things were set and their course was clear. They were going to try for peace and quiet and all that jazz that didn't involve stabbing someone in the kidneys. Well, with Thomas's gun they wouldn't have to do that, but the point stood anyway. They weren't going to fall into the trap like Lucas did.

While Sean and Princess seemed to be on the same page on this, Thomas didn't seem to be be all too into the idea. While questioning it and all isn't wrong or anything since it could be their safety and all, Sean couldn't help but be a bit annoyed at him for it. He hadn't come forward with any ideas of his own that they could use and it was better than twiddling their fingers till someone came by and ended them.

However, Sean decided not to show any of this, trying his best to have a neutral face. He'd already shown enough with his crying session. There was a part of him that wished to continue that, but yknow, gotta stay strong and all that.

---

"Yeah, sure." He said as he reached his right hand over to Thomas. He had seated himself not too far from him and had leant forward to send his hand over. As he did so, he listened to Princess as she talked about the topic Sean had tried to avoid.

Home. It already felt so far away with just one experience and now with the plan they have? He'll most likely never see it again. His parents and his brother, just a memory now. Along with all the mundane experiences that now seemed so pleasant and wonderful.

Like hanging out with his friends after dark and messing around, or at school. Meeting people, learning about them and maybe getting a new experience.

Sean looked downward as he thought of a record he'd gotten as a present, it was a weird listen. Radiohead if he remembered right? Different from what he'd been used to and not exactly what he'd call to his taste, but one he didn't regret experiencing. He wouldn't get that anymore.

"Been there a few times. I wouldn't remember the smell though." He said as he pulled a bit on his hat with his left hand. "I was more around the record shop. Browsing and seeing the different music they had there. It was something else."

[Sunnybunny]

Did it hurt? When you fell from heaven and landed on your neck?

That wasn't really funny.

((Sakurako A. Jackson continued from))

Her world was still hazy, rain reminding her of the doomed chase that had happened the last time she was near these trees. She'd tried to sit and wait for Aditi to emerge from her hiding place, but everything just made her antsy. She'd wanted to talk about... that, but at the same time why the fuck would she ever? Everything sucked, everything blew, and before Sakurako knew it she was back on the run again.

Okay, back on the jog again.

These didn't look like... shit, were they in Tropic Thunder? That's what the trees made her think of, and she let herself get lost in that idea for the moment, the dream that they were all just play-acting. The set was bigger than the school's budget usually allowed, and the rain effects were a bit much, but she could practically see herself backstage. Her thoughts were so powerful that she could see Princess and Tomtom sitting under the trees with Sean...

The bags that marked them as numbers, the end of a daydream but something to cling to all at once. People she'd hoped to see, but hadn't had the courage to look for.

(Also Sean!)

Black hoodie practically swallowing her, knee bandaged up, she hardly looked like herself. Minecraft pick in hand, she approached the trio. Her smile was too wide, not quite right stretched across her face. A parody.

"Please tell me none of you are trying to kill yourselves with colds. That would be the lamest..."

[Catche Jagger]

As Princess and Sean partook in his snacks, the two of them started to speak about things back home. That wasn’t good.

Maybe they’ll just stop. Thinking about home is just sad you can’t afford thinking about more debilitating emotional baggage at this point.

Thomas was about to cut them off, try to change the subject, when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching them. Thomas’s hand reflexively went to his waist where his pistol was still kept. He wondered whether he should be grateful or anxious.

He was about to call out to the mystery arrival when they stepped into view and spoke up.

Oh, it was Sakurako.

Oh fuck, Sakurako.

Now that sensation, the feeling of being split between different sensations, simply deepened. In the first moment, Thomas wanted to rush over and hug her like some sort of weirdo, but at the same time, he felt like he might throw up.

It didn’t help that, in spite of her wearing an oversized hoodie, she still looked really pretty.

Not. Relevant.

It was then that he noticed the bandaging on her leg. He shot to his feet.

“S-Sakurako… you’re-” He stepped toward her, still draped in the emergency blanket, “are you… alright?” He asked, trying desperately to keep his voice steady as he indicated her leg.

[Cicada]

"I'm too vanilla mainstream to really have use for a record shop, I suppose." A casual lie, one her tongue was acquainted enough with to mold to before she could physically feel the shape of syllables in her mouth like pins and needles. Music of all sorts soothed the beast, what little beastliness she laid claim to when she was alone with her thoughts. But she'd always assumed it was best to pretend she was shallower than she was. Less questions asked that way.

Speaking of artifacts of the past, though. Another uncovered, refurbished. Unfortunately. She should have stayed buried long enough that she'd be forgotten.

Not because Sakurako was someone Princess disliked, rather. Princess had always thought somewhat kindly of the theater girls quick tongue-

Awkward phrasing aside. She'd been friendly without being vapid and deeper than first appeared. Princess had kept an eye on her, at least. So had Thomas, apparently. She hadn't remembered theirs being relationship with any element of infatuation? Could well be a teenage infatuation of the pettiest sort, less romantic hormones and more fight-or-flight ones. Princess didn't think highly of such a trope, but she supposed she had no place to judge pubescent flailing at straws when that was exactly what she herself had been reduced to in a few days of having to deal with herself sans the pretense of civilization.

"It would be," Princess remarked, not expecting to be heard. Smiling but without anticipating an audience would see it, so she allowed the gesture some modicum of staleness. "I'm more creative than that in your mind, I hope." She hugged herself a bit tighter into her coat, wrung out the worst of the sitting-still-for-maybe-hours rot.

[Ohm]

It wasn't a suprising answer that princess gave him, he didn't figure her for someone that was much into physical media. The convenience streaming gave them had made it kind of superflous to go into music store unless you're that big a fan or a collector. In a way that made him a bit sad, not the fact that it was easier to find stuff to your taste, but how less personable the whole thing had become.

Same way shows had become about people holding up phones to record the whole thing. It's good to have memories of something and all, but when you're staring at the whole thing through a tiny screen kind of missing the whole point of it.

Sean almost chuckled to himself as he thought about this. Guess that's something he wouldn't have to care about anymoe. Not here anyway.

It did give him something different to think about than the worrying and the fear that been the last hours. Sean could be thankfull for that.

Didn't take long for that to dissapate as a new person arrived and started walking toward them.

Sakurako. At first a worry as he didn't recognise her at first in her oversized hoodie, but as she got closer a smile made it's way and a joke on the weather was enough for him to crack a small smile at her. She still seemed to be the same. "Nah," He said as he sniffled a bit, "No one's getting a cold here." He gave himself a thump on the chest and of course, he had to supress as sneeze right after that, barely getting by.

Thomas moved towards her, a bandage on her leg he hadn't seen. Would this be more common as the days went past? Was it like with Desiree, but more scars along the way?

[Sunnybunny]

"Knee's fine, just slipped while I was running in the rain. Mentally I'm..."

There really weren't words for it. Not the despair at Cheri's broken body, or the growing happiness from something as simple as Thomas asking if she was alright. Her best attempt at explaining it was with her hands, a thumb's down with one and a peace sign with the other. That was it and that was all the consideration she'd give her mindset right now. It was easier and more pleasant to turn her attention toward them.

"You are, Princess."

She half expected Princess to make her death a performance in and of itself, though she hoped the time for that would come much later or not at all. She didn't want to think of the reality of the situation, plans, killers, none of that. Just for a moment, Sakurako just wanted to shoot the breeze with her friends... and Sean! While his mouth said he wasn't getting sick, his nose seemed to be protesting too much, and she found herself laughing at how silly this all was. What world were they in that blankets were fashion, creatures were calling, and attempting suicide by sickness was a joke?

The wild world of the internet, she guessed, since this was streaming.

Using Thomas for support, she took a seat under a tree. It wouldn't hurt to stay for a while.

"I think citrus would help, and then none of us would have to worry about scurvy either! It would be the best of both worlds."

[Catche Jagger]

Sakurako said she was fine, but the gesture she made following that seemed to indicate, at least to Thomas, that maybe something was up, but she was not really looking to talk about it.

Instead, he helped her to the ground and she made a crack about citrus. Even out here, Sakurako still knew how to be Sakurako. It was a reassuring thought, that not everything had turned to shit just yet, and it made him smile.

“Well, I’m pretty sure the closest thing we’ve got to oranges here are these.” He spoke, picking up his mostly empty Cheez It box and giving it a shake. “Not exactly healthy, but it is a break from energy bars and bread.” He mused, handing her the box and not mentioning the strange fruit Sean had been assigned, for fear that he’d pull the thing out again and stink up the place.

However, the lightness of the moment was interrupted as Thomas noticed an item in Sakurako’s hand, a Minecraft pickaxe, and he was reminded of someone else.

That’s right, Sakurako’s still Sakurako, and you’re still an asshole.

After a momentary rush of panic, Thomas dared to ask, “Hey, where did you get that?” gesturing to the foam weapon.

[Cicada]

"We wish our abductors had that sort of culinary brilliance. Actually fresh food- imagine the boldness, the audacity." Allegedly Sean had some unknown manner of bludgeoning instrument in the style of a fruit, whose stench was better reserved for enemies instead of friends. Struck Princess as a mite overblown, but it wasn't her bag of supplies to sift through.

Sakurako seemed physically okay, which was be-all end-all the least important sort of okay to be. Princess could sympathize.

She supposed she was supposed to be better constructed, supposed to be superior as she herself quietly insisted for her own sake. Thus that she could have, from somewhere within the depths of her allegedly finer, more artisan structure of self, have been able to draw on enough power not just for the self, but for the others around. Being, in the most cliche of ways, a figure to be inspired by.

But she was not that, as it turned out, so sympathizing was essentially all she could do.

She could at least end her train of thought there, before the self-pity flared up like a pimple, all throb and attention-diversion.

"Speaking of which, are you sure you're fine in just that?" A moment of the seemingly nine-to-five traffic jam suburban misery steady downpour that she had to cut through with head bowed, then she was by Sean's side, kneeling with a light presence and tread. "That fabric seems soaked through more than waterproof."

[Ohm]

She seemed fine as she sat down with Thomas. Even she made the sign of a thumb up and down with her hands it seemed like things hadn't been as bad for her as they had been for others so far which was good. At least enough that she could joke around. It even seemed to effect Thomas considering how different he acts around her compared to what he'd seen from the guy so far.

It was a nice break from everything up to now, more like he was used to.

Then Thomas asked about the thing in her hands which he hand't noticed til now and almost bugged his eyes out seeing it. More minecraft shit, perfect.

In which case it was fine when Princess walked over and took his attention away, asking about his hoodie.

Princess knelt down whilst asking him. It was a bit of an obvious question, but he appreciated the concern. "A bit." He said as he tried to keep the chattering of his teeth to a minimun. Whether he succeeded or not is up for debate. "I don't really have anything else."

[Sunnybunny]

Before reaching her hand in the Cheez-Its, she squealed. Processed food, why had she ever bothered resisting it back home? To be healthy? For more energy? Sakurako grabbed a few of the orange crackers and shoved them in her mouth, happily chewing while inquiries and observations were made. Too late she remembered how much of a pain it would be to clean it out of her liners, but that too fell in the realm of "who gives a hot damn now?".

"You would think it would be in the terrorists better interests to give us some produce, right? Sure there's us fussing for resources, but a well-fed person is a more vigorous person. Anyway, I ran into Mi- Lucas... but not election drama or horror movie Lucas and Dane when I first woke up, Adele and Blake too. He said I could come with if I wanted, but by the time the rest of us left the waterfall all I could find was this pick. I wanna give it back to him so he has his set."

It wasn't some deep thing, a quest like finding a way out of here. Just something that wasn't a big deal one way or the other, and an excuse to check in on the guy. He'd seemed pretty bummed out back there, which probably made him smarter than her in comparison. It seemed Thomas and Sean had ran into him, and with her luck it was riiight before she ran into them.

Heh, as her luck was any worse than anyone else here. Yuka-chan would probably want to fight her if she said something like that, and rightfully so.

"I've been staying in a house back that-", she said, pointing in the West Housing's direction, "Way. I don't have any bigger jackets, but I'm sure the rest of the group wouldn't be mad if you guys came in out of the rain."

Okay, Charelle wouldn't. Demetri either if he ever came back, but Adele and Aditi would both probably let her have it before finally relenting provided no one else tried stealing anything.

Thomas, Princess, Sean... if either of them were the stealing type, they wouldn't be sitting out here like this all obvious-like. There was a phrase about good deeds and punishments that fit, but she was just grateful they all still seemed to be people. Her kind of people.

[Catche Jagger]

It was as Thomas worried. Sakurako was looking for Lucas, who he’d just threatened to kill the day before. He shuffled a bit, uncomfortable.

“You know, we were with that Lucas just yesterday, he still had the sword but um, he probably doesn’t want to see us- doesn’t want to see me again.” And Thomas left it at that, not mentioning what exactly had happened or that Lucas had run off on a likely suicidal quest for vengeance.

Sakurako mentioned staying in a house with some other kids and seeking shelter, while not much of a long term thing, seemed more like an immediate positive than wandering around randomly and trying to convince the class of the virtues of nonviolent action.

Before addressing that, though, he noted her mention of lacking a jacket.

The notion of offering to share the emergency blanket crossed his mind, only for him to be hit with a slight panic over the social implications of such an offer. Would that make her uncomfortable? Was he just creating an excuse to be, like, close? Why would he do that?

Stop with the high school drama bullshit. This is real shit. Real life or death shit, even if Sakurako's here. Besides, she has her own bag.

“Well, you should have an emergency blanket in the rain. It’s good at keeping out the rain.” He gestured towards the one which he wore. “And if you don’t have one, um, I’m sure one of us could share with you.”

Then he turned to the others. “Shelter sounds good to me, unless you guys have something else in mind?”