Motivation, hm?
Well, he could see no harm in offering it, since he had little in the way of doubt that everyone else present was at least putting a card or two on the table, and it would be strange to draw a line at that particular point.
"Part of it's because I already killed someone, since you're right," Julien looked at Princess, "this place does change you. But just how much sway it holds depends on you too." He sighed, and went quiet for a moment. It was always the same how some words caught in his throat when he bid them said, even when they came so easily in the comfort of his own mind. But they didn't stay stuck for long.
"I don't plan on leaving this island. I'm not exactly what passes for a good person, and if I did make it to the end I wouldn't want to have to live with being pitied when I stepped over corpses I made to survive."
Laying there in fading light, it felt almost soothing to air it out to someone, anyone, without any of the excuses he'd made for himself in the past getting in the way.
"But there are some things that need doing first; places to be, friends to see and all. And Erika in particular put herself on the list when she blew out one of my legs and used me for bait." Just thinking about it sent another stab of sympathetic pain through him. "I, ah..." He paused for a moment to think on it, and turned out not to need as long as he expected. Those ties had been frayed for too long, and what he'd done would no doubt be inexcusable to someone as set in what she believed as her when she found out. And, well... Julien knew her too familiarly for his own good, given how he was sure she would make the choice to leave him fallen behind her. Hm... It would be a gamble, but he was willing to bet on her if it came to that. She was strong in the way she'd need to be, so he was sure she could power through it one way or another.
"I had a friend who knew her before this. She seemed alright, from what I heard, second-hand though it was. With what she's done here, I feel like killing her would be as much a kindness to her as to anyone else who wants to see her dead." Julien hated what she'd done, and he certainly wasn't afraid to let it show in his voice. But hating her? That was a different matter.
Nobody had chosen to come to this place. That wasn't a magical pardon from any accountability for what they did here... but it did still bear remembering.
Quinnspiracy Theory
Day 4 evening into night, open but be mindful that plot is happening (oh shit!!!)
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MethodicalSlacker
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Lucas nodded as Princess and then Julien took their turns at giving speeches. Taking big moral stands. He could respect the hustle there on some level. If there ever was a time to make one's stance on this whole affair, big and moral or however it was, it was right now, most likely. Princess' stance sounded like it was from Princess. Julien's, from Julien. But if Lucas tried to do the same thing, it'd be more a general violation of his own ethos than anything else he had done so far. As he listened and half-listened and maybe only even quarter-listened to the shit dripping from Princess' mouth, specifically, he realized how unlike him that was. All the social gaffes, the clout gangs, the plastic sword trades, they were him. And they were trash. But to betray that now would be to become not just trash, but garbage.
And there was, he believed, a difference.
"I'm in this because Erika killed a girl I had a crush on," Lucas said matter-of-factly, "because she gave me a Dorito. She killed Desiree from the trees. She didn't even make herself known. I had to wait until the morning to know who I had to get revenge on. I'm in this because when I tried to leave to take revenge, someone tried to stop me. Someone honestly thought that the best thing to do was to sit around and cry. I may be a shitty piss baby, but I know that now is not the time to sit around and do nothing. So I stood there as he put the barrel of his gun to my forehead and I called him a pussy and, well, he didn't fucking shoot me, did he.
"I'm in this because I did manage to trace a path through the day from where I was across the island to where Erika would be next. I saw Julien in the middle of a clearing bleeding from the leg and I was there trying to pull him out when Erika shot Katie. And then Saffron. Or maybe the order was different, but she killed them both, and I took him out of there, and bandaged his leg, and he's before you today. And I know, I just know that she was responsible for those two. By your rules, I shouldn't be mad at her for killing the way she does. It's the most efficient. It keeps her out of danger. Sure. But that doesn't mean she's not a fucking coward who has made it a point to kill the kindest people. You don't need to be a good guy to know that's a little fucked. You know this because I'm telling it to you. Me.
"When I was young I ran away from home with the intent of starving to death and yeah you might not care about this but trust me maybe it's a little important because the person who called the cops on me wasn't someone like an old lady who lived nearby or something but no she was someone just about as old as we are now maybe a bit younger at the time and she came and visited me in the hospital and they for some reason let come in and talk to me and she went up to me and she said and she looked me in the eye and she told me, a complete stranger, that it would be okay.
"And that kinda fucked me up y'know I had no idea who the fuck this was and she was extending kindness to me and saving my life when I believed that nobody wanted me alive and she wasn't just doing it because I was annoying and taking up space and crying at night she did it because she cared and that got me and to this day I don't know who she is she didn't leave a name and she didn't say anything about it and the idea of her, of someone my age, being a good person, it's what I want to live up to. I don't believe in God but if there was ever evidence that an angel was sent down by god I, shit, I'm sorry, fuck, I'm rambling."
Lucas wiped the tears off his cheeks and face and eyes.
"You get it though," he said finally, "that's it. That's my literal sob story. Fuck."
And there was, he believed, a difference.
"I'm in this because Erika killed a girl I had a crush on," Lucas said matter-of-factly, "because she gave me a Dorito. She killed Desiree from the trees. She didn't even make herself known. I had to wait until the morning to know who I had to get revenge on. I'm in this because when I tried to leave to take revenge, someone tried to stop me. Someone honestly thought that the best thing to do was to sit around and cry. I may be a shitty piss baby, but I know that now is not the time to sit around and do nothing. So I stood there as he put the barrel of his gun to my forehead and I called him a pussy and, well, he didn't fucking shoot me, did he.
"I'm in this because I did manage to trace a path through the day from where I was across the island to where Erika would be next. I saw Julien in the middle of a clearing bleeding from the leg and I was there trying to pull him out when Erika shot Katie. And then Saffron. Or maybe the order was different, but she killed them both, and I took him out of there, and bandaged his leg, and he's before you today. And I know, I just know that she was responsible for those two. By your rules, I shouldn't be mad at her for killing the way she does. It's the most efficient. It keeps her out of danger. Sure. But that doesn't mean she's not a fucking coward who has made it a point to kill the kindest people. You don't need to be a good guy to know that's a little fucked. You know this because I'm telling it to you. Me.
"When I was young I ran away from home with the intent of starving to death and yeah you might not care about this but trust me maybe it's a little important because the person who called the cops on me wasn't someone like an old lady who lived nearby or something but no she was someone just about as old as we are now maybe a bit younger at the time and she came and visited me in the hospital and they for some reason let come in and talk to me and she went up to me and she said and she looked me in the eye and she told me, a complete stranger, that it would be okay.
"And that kinda fucked me up y'know I had no idea who the fuck this was and she was extending kindness to me and saving my life when I believed that nobody wanted me alive and she wasn't just doing it because I was annoying and taking up space and crying at night she did it because she cared and that got me and to this day I don't know who she is she didn't leave a name and she didn't say anything about it and the idea of her, of someone my age, being a good person, it's what I want to live up to. I don't believe in God but if there was ever evidence that an angel was sent down by god I, shit, I'm sorry, fuck, I'm rambling."
Lucas wiped the tears off his cheeks and face and eyes.
"You get it though," he said finally, "that's it. That's my literal sob story. Fuck."
Katelynne's hand enveloped Princess's as she pulled away, squeezing tighter as she finished her turn. So many questions, so much perspective, but now wasn't the time. Not that Katelynne really knew when that time would be, but she just tried her best to comfort Princess like she always did for her. That was the best she could muster for now.
2/5ths of the people here already killed. Katelynne never thought this moment would come, let alone pretty much be unaffected by it. She still glared at Julien, unsure about the validity of his seemingly altruistic reasons juxtaposed with dropping that factoid all casual or how to even take what he was saying in the first place. She closed her eyes and looked back at Princess. He made her sick for some reason.
And then Lucas's perspective. Must've been awful, someone getting gunned down right in front of you from afar. At least Quinn had the decency to kill Liberty with her own hands... no, nevermind, that was an awful thing to say. Sorry.
She really did feel so small compared to everyone else here. Way over her head, like a kid at a house party hosted by their parents and had no business there. But this was something she had to do. She had to.
...And suddenly all eyes were on here to do her part.
"I..." She glanced back at Princess and clenched her hand even tighter before looking at Marco again.
"...It's a secret. Sorry. If I see ya after Quinn is... uhm, taken care of... I'll tell ya then."
2/5ths of the people here already killed. Katelynne never thought this moment would come, let alone pretty much be unaffected by it. She still glared at Julien, unsure about the validity of his seemingly altruistic reasons juxtaposed with dropping that factoid all casual or how to even take what he was saying in the first place. She closed her eyes and looked back at Princess. He made her sick for some reason.
And then Lucas's perspective. Must've been awful, someone getting gunned down right in front of you from afar. At least Quinn had the decency to kill Liberty with her own hands... no, nevermind, that was an awful thing to say. Sorry.
She really did feel so small compared to everyone else here. Way over her head, like a kid at a house party hosted by their parents and had no business there. But this was something she had to do. She had to.
...And suddenly all eyes were on here to do her part.
"I..." She glanced back at Princess and clenched her hand even tighter before looking at Marco again.
"...It's a secret. Sorry. If I see ya after Quinn is... uhm, taken care of... I'll tell ya then."
Marco nodded, listening to everyone’s tales. It really was something, everyone was tied together in a way. Even Katelynne who didn’t feel like telling, gave enough to put two and two together. “Well that’s, something ain’t it. One way or another, we’re all here for vengeance. That shit’s got a funny way of lighting a fire under everyone’s ass don’t it?”
“Well, three outta four ain’t bad, so I might as well tell you why I’m here.” Marco brushed a hand on his chin, thinking about how to word it. “In a way, I guess you can say it started out with vengeance and all that, but now I’m here, it’s become a whole lot more.”
“See it all started when me and Arjen tried to go find Kelly to give her shit back. So basically we woke up on the yacht, lil fuckin’ Arjen wanted to have a little bitch fit, and I guess it scared Kelly and she yeeted herself off the yacht to swim away. So obviously she was probably gonna die with nothing on her, so I figured I’d help her out. I brought Arjen with me because he was responsible for it all, and I figured he should’ve been held accountable. That was probably my first mistake, expecting Arjen to own up to his faults in hindsight, but what would anyone else do?”
“Anyways we walk our happy asses across the entire fucking island, no sign of Kelly anywhere. I hear a noise in the woods, and go to investigate, seeing as I had a cool ass M16 at the time. My second mistake was expecting Arjen to have my back. Sierra was right behind me with a taser, and Arjen didn’t say shit.” Marco tapped at the taped up side of his glasses. “So she fucking tazes my eyeball until it friggen melts while her friend Willow comes up and beats me until I’m fucking unconscious. Arjen sits there and watches, then gives up all of ours and Kelly’s supplies, while they duct tape me to a fucking tree. After I wake up, Arjen hangs around to taunt me, then leaves me there to rot...” Marco’s eyelid twitched. “I was there for a hot minute. I had time to think. A lot.”
“Revenge is a damn good motivator, and by the time I come across Arjen again, it’s been a few days, and now I found a chainsaw. At the time though that wasn’t quite fitting, so I ended up tying him to a rock and tossing him off the cliff.” Marco nodded to Julian. “Fun fact, and Jules here can attest to this. It’s not like the movies. You’re not gonna feel shit for the person you kill. Not gonna get all depressed or catch PTSD. Not gonna feel any better either, so don’t think Quinn or Erika dying will solve your guys’ problems, unless like you think killing people and stringing then to walls is funny, like Quinn does. At most, you’re like ‘oh shit whaddup he dead’ and move on with it. It won’t be like when one of your friends died.” Marco took a drink of water. “But anyways... Colin sees this. He’s all like ‘omigawd Marco Ima kill you murderer’ and we start fighting. We fight for like, what? Ten minutes or some shit, just beating the fuck out each other.” Marco laughed. “I felt something then, and it wasn’t the fisting either! I guess it all clicked in my brain, when he started strangling me. I was dying. I felt my body shutting down, my nerves going numb, vision started pounding into black... I was dying and I never felt more alive! It was a rush! In an adrenaline fueled haze I took my chainsaw, and took off Colin’s ear with it. Didn’t kill him though, I had him dead to rights and I coulda shredded him, but I didn’t. I let him go so I could fight him again later! Is that fucked up or what!?”
Marco reared his head back and laughed. “It is pretty fucked up actually. After that point, I spent the rest of my time here fighting. It’s fun. The pain feels great, every victory I get is earned. It’s better than sex! Actually, if I’m being honest... It’s, well it’s a lot like sex too, even got hard from it! First time is amazing, so you keep doing it to get that original spark. Hell I even did some kinky shit here and there, even fought naked. Like... it all starts vanilla, then you start experimenting and do shit like CBT, and finally you look at yourself in the mirror, all decked out in leather, studs, and zippers wondering what in the fuck you’re wearing... Yeah I’m a fucked up S.O.B!” Marco laughed some more, as his cheeks flushed red a bit. He brushed his hands through his hair. It was so weird just out and saying it like that. It felt dirty, but it felt relieving to get off of his chest. To just be upfront and honest with himself and everyone around him. “Y’all must think I’m mighty fucked up in the head. You’re right, you’re right; but...”
He looked back up at the group. His smile wasn’t as prominent, his eye turned serious. “I’m no Erika or Quinn. I ain’t a coward, and I don’t get off on inflicting pain, it’s the opposite really. I’m not looking to kill everyone I meet. Not even attacking everyone up front for the sake of it. I’m not an opportunist out to make a record amount of kills because I wanna get back against the world or I’m too afraid of going to hell or whatever. See, someone challenges me and I accept it. Ariana wanted to rub her gun in my face, so I rubbed my chainsaw through her elbow in front of her friends. I’m not gonna punk out if someone wants to throw down, but if they start shit they’re not willing to finish, Ima kill them right there on the spot on the dot. I spent my entire life taking people’s shit and I’m done. Anyone wants to throw down, then I’m Dee Tee Eff, but they better give me something if they wanna walk away like Colin. I ain’t like Blaise, Quinn, or Erika, running around killing the helpless and the innocent. Y’all should know the people I killed, and the people I will kill asked for it. No goddamn regrets from me.” Marco cracked his knuckles. He just realized his good leg was bouncing on its knee. He felt his breathing increase, his blood boil. His face was warm. “Speaking of that terrible trio... I’m with you on them. I wanna kill em too. They don’t seem as scary as everyone says. Everyone spends all this time hyping them up, so who’d put up a better fight than the ones with multiple kills, right? Unless of course, they spent their time killing the helpless and weak, but I wouldn’t know that until I got them begging for their life would I?”
He looked at Julian. “What was that you said earlier? Something about people tasting their own medicine? I don’t think Quinn would be so scary if she was plastered to a wall all disemboweled like she did Steph, but that’s just me.” Marco shrugged.
“Well, three outta four ain’t bad, so I might as well tell you why I’m here.” Marco brushed a hand on his chin, thinking about how to word it. “In a way, I guess you can say it started out with vengeance and all that, but now I’m here, it’s become a whole lot more.”
“See it all started when me and Arjen tried to go find Kelly to give her shit back. So basically we woke up on the yacht, lil fuckin’ Arjen wanted to have a little bitch fit, and I guess it scared Kelly and she yeeted herself off the yacht to swim away. So obviously she was probably gonna die with nothing on her, so I figured I’d help her out. I brought Arjen with me because he was responsible for it all, and I figured he should’ve been held accountable. That was probably my first mistake, expecting Arjen to own up to his faults in hindsight, but what would anyone else do?”
“Anyways we walk our happy asses across the entire fucking island, no sign of Kelly anywhere. I hear a noise in the woods, and go to investigate, seeing as I had a cool ass M16 at the time. My second mistake was expecting Arjen to have my back. Sierra was right behind me with a taser, and Arjen didn’t say shit.” Marco tapped at the taped up side of his glasses. “So she fucking tazes my eyeball until it friggen melts while her friend Willow comes up and beats me until I’m fucking unconscious. Arjen sits there and watches, then gives up all of ours and Kelly’s supplies, while they duct tape me to a fucking tree. After I wake up, Arjen hangs around to taunt me, then leaves me there to rot...” Marco’s eyelid twitched. “I was there for a hot minute. I had time to think. A lot.”
“Revenge is a damn good motivator, and by the time I come across Arjen again, it’s been a few days, and now I found a chainsaw. At the time though that wasn’t quite fitting, so I ended up tying him to a rock and tossing him off the cliff.” Marco nodded to Julian. “Fun fact, and Jules here can attest to this. It’s not like the movies. You’re not gonna feel shit for the person you kill. Not gonna get all depressed or catch PTSD. Not gonna feel any better either, so don’t think Quinn or Erika dying will solve your guys’ problems, unless like you think killing people and stringing then to walls is funny, like Quinn does. At most, you’re like ‘oh shit whaddup he dead’ and move on with it. It won’t be like when one of your friends died.” Marco took a drink of water. “But anyways... Colin sees this. He’s all like ‘omigawd Marco Ima kill you murderer’ and we start fighting. We fight for like, what? Ten minutes or some shit, just beating the fuck out each other.” Marco laughed. “I felt something then, and it wasn’t the fisting either! I guess it all clicked in my brain, when he started strangling me. I was dying. I felt my body shutting down, my nerves going numb, vision started pounding into black... I was dying and I never felt more alive! It was a rush! In an adrenaline fueled haze I took my chainsaw, and took off Colin’s ear with it. Didn’t kill him though, I had him dead to rights and I coulda shredded him, but I didn’t. I let him go so I could fight him again later! Is that fucked up or what!?”
Marco reared his head back and laughed. “It is pretty fucked up actually. After that point, I spent the rest of my time here fighting. It’s fun. The pain feels great, every victory I get is earned. It’s better than sex! Actually, if I’m being honest... It’s, well it’s a lot like sex too, even got hard from it! First time is amazing, so you keep doing it to get that original spark. Hell I even did some kinky shit here and there, even fought naked. Like... it all starts vanilla, then you start experimenting and do shit like CBT, and finally you look at yourself in the mirror, all decked out in leather, studs, and zippers wondering what in the fuck you’re wearing... Yeah I’m a fucked up S.O.B!” Marco laughed some more, as his cheeks flushed red a bit. He brushed his hands through his hair. It was so weird just out and saying it like that. It felt dirty, but it felt relieving to get off of his chest. To just be upfront and honest with himself and everyone around him. “Y’all must think I’m mighty fucked up in the head. You’re right, you’re right; but...”
He looked back up at the group. His smile wasn’t as prominent, his eye turned serious. “I’m no Erika or Quinn. I ain’t a coward, and I don’t get off on inflicting pain, it’s the opposite really. I’m not looking to kill everyone I meet. Not even attacking everyone up front for the sake of it. I’m not an opportunist out to make a record amount of kills because I wanna get back against the world or I’m too afraid of going to hell or whatever. See, someone challenges me and I accept it. Ariana wanted to rub her gun in my face, so I rubbed my chainsaw through her elbow in front of her friends. I’m not gonna punk out if someone wants to throw down, but if they start shit they’re not willing to finish, Ima kill them right there on the spot on the dot. I spent my entire life taking people’s shit and I’m done. Anyone wants to throw down, then I’m Dee Tee Eff, but they better give me something if they wanna walk away like Colin. I ain’t like Blaise, Quinn, or Erika, running around killing the helpless and the innocent. Y’all should know the people I killed, and the people I will kill asked for it. No goddamn regrets from me.” Marco cracked his knuckles. He just realized his good leg was bouncing on its knee. He felt his breathing increase, his blood boil. His face was warm. “Speaking of that terrible trio... I’m with you on them. I wanna kill em too. They don’t seem as scary as everyone says. Everyone spends all this time hyping them up, so who’d put up a better fight than the ones with multiple kills, right? Unless of course, they spent their time killing the helpless and weak, but I wouldn’t know that until I got them begging for their life would I?”
He looked at Julian. “What was that you said earlier? Something about people tasting their own medicine? I don’t think Quinn would be so scary if she was plastered to a wall all disemboweled like she did Steph, but that’s just me.” Marco shrugged.
Now that assumption definitely offended him.
"Hm. No, actually, I can't say I would attest to it at all. I accept what I did, but I'm not even close to feeling nothing about it." Julien was hardly about to lie, after all; besides, it felt too much like exalting the virtues of killing someone who he could have been friends with if things had gone just a little differently.
It did also make it more clear to him that he should likely look to move on from this place. Between the pain and fatigue, the call to find somewhere quiet and sleep was getting more and more tempting, and he'd fulfilled the extent of any obligations to Marco by hearing him out. So Julien made to get up.
A very particular noise came out of his mouth, most approximable as the sound of someone trying very hard not to choke on their own spit.
It took a few slow, torturous tries. Resting, even for a few minutes, made moving that leg at all send a shot of skull-splitting pain straight through him. "Right... nnh." Julien picked up his duffel bag. "I'll be on my way now. Better I, ah, make it a point not to group with others for long, I think. And I doubt anyone here will care to follow me, so best of luck to all of you."
From the stare Katelynne had sent his way, he suspected that she, at least, wouldn't want him following her and the others either. He didn't blame her for feeling that way.
When he got beside Lucas, he clapped him on the shoulder, took a ripped piece of shirt from his own bag and dropped it in his hands, the better to wipe his eyes with. It was clean, of course. "You'll see retribution done, I'm sure," he said, "whoever it might be by. It's so very little, I know, but what else is there?"
His well and truly fading into the treeline took some time, pace being so slow as it was.
[ Julien Leblanc continued elsewhere. ]
"Hm. No, actually, I can't say I would attest to it at all. I accept what I did, but I'm not even close to feeling nothing about it." Julien was hardly about to lie, after all; besides, it felt too much like exalting the virtues of killing someone who he could have been friends with if things had gone just a little differently.
It did also make it more clear to him that he should likely look to move on from this place. Between the pain and fatigue, the call to find somewhere quiet and sleep was getting more and more tempting, and he'd fulfilled the extent of any obligations to Marco by hearing him out. So Julien made to get up.
A very particular noise came out of his mouth, most approximable as the sound of someone trying very hard not to choke on their own spit.
It took a few slow, torturous tries. Resting, even for a few minutes, made moving that leg at all send a shot of skull-splitting pain straight through him. "Right... nnh." Julien picked up his duffel bag. "I'll be on my way now. Better I, ah, make it a point not to group with others for long, I think. And I doubt anyone here will care to follow me, so best of luck to all of you."
From the stare Katelynne had sent his way, he suspected that she, at least, wouldn't want him following her and the others either. He didn't blame her for feeling that way.
When he got beside Lucas, he clapped him on the shoulder, took a ripped piece of shirt from his own bag and dropped it in his hands, the better to wipe his eyes with. It was clean, of course. "You'll see retribution done, I'm sure," he said, "whoever it might be by. It's so very little, I know, but what else is there?"
His well and truly fading into the treeline took some time, pace being so slow as it was.
[ Julien Leblanc continued elsewhere. ]
Kate was crushing her hand ever so too much on the wrong side of slightly. Princess didn't mind the spreading sleepy numbness radiating out from her knuckle.
Her friend didn't seem all too happy with Julien. Princess wondered what it was, which idea had been unpalatable. The willingness to unconditionally sacrifice the chance at life, maybe. But that didn't strike Princess as Kate's modus operandi- Princess would go so far as to say that Kate was the least selfish among their merry band of ingratiates. Kate would have been the first to lay her life down for some cause more nebulous than the conception of 'herself'. It could have been the juxtaposition, then. Some disconnect between the willingness to condemn Erika and the willingness to speak fondly on her behalf in the past tense. In that case, Princess had to wonder if Kate was more prepared than her to excise by bloody surgery the tumor of the past that allegedly prevented one student from pulling the trigger on another student in their sights. By default, Princess supposed, she had to assume she was the least ready. The most unformed character of their lot, the empty vessel thus more fragile for its hollow lack of substance.
Kate, for a brief moment, was just another warm body. But that warm body was one of the few people left that Princess could claim to love without some shroud of pretense. Princess let her bias tide over her sudden ill omen.
Lucas and Marco, meanwhile, became white noise buzzing in the ear. She reluctantly appreciated and digested their respective world-weary life stories, contemplated the modern child's increasingly urgent need for intensive psychotherapy as a collective. She smiled sympathetically at Lucas, an austere and skinny curl of the lip. Rote. Just as empty and possibly harmful a gesture as the school hall Princess would make, just as ignorant of the intimacy demanded of true sympathy.
She should have been able to relate to him, really. Her pride be damned, they were both cowards.
"Let's unleash you on the islands mass murderers, sure." Of all the people she chose to speak aloud to, she elected to actually address the one Marco she had the lowest remaining opinion of. Respect, but only through grit teeth and rum soaked gag. "How does your philosophy survive contact with collateral damage- bystanders to the mayhem? Or maybe it's beyond our right to worry about that particular detail."
She watched Julien go, and missed him for a fleeting moment in time. Something about him seemed to be transient, however, even as he physically shambled away out of arms reach he might never have been all the way there in the first place. He'd admitted to that much out loud, she guessed.
She didn't like the word, retribution. It was perfectly romantic, evocative, but she couldn't cast it in a way that matched her inner turbulence.
Her friend didn't seem all too happy with Julien. Princess wondered what it was, which idea had been unpalatable. The willingness to unconditionally sacrifice the chance at life, maybe. But that didn't strike Princess as Kate's modus operandi- Princess would go so far as to say that Kate was the least selfish among their merry band of ingratiates. Kate would have been the first to lay her life down for some cause more nebulous than the conception of 'herself'. It could have been the juxtaposition, then. Some disconnect between the willingness to condemn Erika and the willingness to speak fondly on her behalf in the past tense. In that case, Princess had to wonder if Kate was more prepared than her to excise by bloody surgery the tumor of the past that allegedly prevented one student from pulling the trigger on another student in their sights. By default, Princess supposed, she had to assume she was the least ready. The most unformed character of their lot, the empty vessel thus more fragile for its hollow lack of substance.
Kate, for a brief moment, was just another warm body. But that warm body was one of the few people left that Princess could claim to love without some shroud of pretense. Princess let her bias tide over her sudden ill omen.
Lucas and Marco, meanwhile, became white noise buzzing in the ear. She reluctantly appreciated and digested their respective world-weary life stories, contemplated the modern child's increasingly urgent need for intensive psychotherapy as a collective. She smiled sympathetically at Lucas, an austere and skinny curl of the lip. Rote. Just as empty and possibly harmful a gesture as the school hall Princess would make, just as ignorant of the intimacy demanded of true sympathy.
She should have been able to relate to him, really. Her pride be damned, they were both cowards.
"Let's unleash you on the islands mass murderers, sure." Of all the people she chose to speak aloud to, she elected to actually address the one Marco she had the lowest remaining opinion of. Respect, but only through grit teeth and rum soaked gag. "How does your philosophy survive contact with collateral damage- bystanders to the mayhem? Or maybe it's beyond our right to worry about that particular detail."
She watched Julien go, and missed him for a fleeting moment in time. Something about him seemed to be transient, however, even as he physically shambled away out of arms reach he might never have been all the way there in the first place. He'd admitted to that much out loud, she guessed.
She didn't like the word, retribution. It was perfectly romantic, evocative, but she couldn't cast it in a way that matched her inner turbulence.
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes:
Katelynne didn't... she didn't know what to say, big shocker.
She just listened as Marco recounted his own experiences and own interpretations, of fights and adrenaline and body parts flailing about. Made her feel queasy, though she couldn't tell why. Maybe because if things turned out different she would've been the one with the missing eye instead of just a hoarse throat.
She watched Julien as he gave Lucas an adieu before fading into parts unknown and parts Katelynne didn't care about. Her glare faded as she looked down in maybe disgust, maybe guilt, maybe empathy. Maybe he was as cursed to be around as she was.
The warmth radiating from Princess's hand pulled her back from those thoughts.
Katelynne raised her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Julien was already well down into the horizon. All she mustered was a forlorn huff.
Collateral damage. Any means necessary. Katelynne stewed on that phrase as Princess gave her clapback to Marco.
And then the urge to speak returned as she opened her mouth and looked at Princess's somewhat stern face.
"I think... letting 'em run around free range any longer is collateral. Tornadoes don't care about who they take out."
She looked back at Marco, still ravenously tearing apart the bread in a frenzy. Made her think of the tigers back at the zoo they went to for Buddy's belated birthday. That felt like ancient history now.
He was a wounded animal. They all were, in different ways.
She turned to Lucas, eyeing him over before directly addressing him. "I ain't sure about 'retribution', but I hope you can get closure. For your friend. Whatever that means."
She just listened as Marco recounted his own experiences and own interpretations, of fights and adrenaline and body parts flailing about. Made her feel queasy, though she couldn't tell why. Maybe because if things turned out different she would've been the one with the missing eye instead of just a hoarse throat.
She watched Julien as he gave Lucas an adieu before fading into parts unknown and parts Katelynne didn't care about. Her glare faded as she looked down in maybe disgust, maybe guilt, maybe empathy. Maybe he was as cursed to be around as she was.
The warmth radiating from Princess's hand pulled her back from those thoughts.
Katelynne raised her head and opened her mouth to speak, but Julien was already well down into the horizon. All she mustered was a forlorn huff.
Collateral damage. Any means necessary. Katelynne stewed on that phrase as Princess gave her clapback to Marco.
And then the urge to speak returned as she opened her mouth and looked at Princess's somewhat stern face.
"I think... letting 'em run around free range any longer is collateral. Tornadoes don't care about who they take out."
She looked back at Marco, still ravenously tearing apart the bread in a frenzy. Made her think of the tigers back at the zoo they went to for Buddy's belated birthday. That felt like ancient history now.
He was a wounded animal. They all were, in different ways.
She turned to Lucas, eyeing him over before directly addressing him. "I ain't sure about 'retribution', but I hope you can get closure. For your friend. Whatever that means."
“Collateral?”
Marco was pretty sure he touched on that earlier. The whole nobody was gonna die by his hand who didn’t deserve it, but he’ll gladly state it again.
“Well. If I kill ‘em, it’s because they came to me looking for a fight, or in Ariana’s case, looking for an ego boost and bit off more than they can chew. I told you, I’m not killing nobody that didn’t ask for it.”
That was as plain as he could say it. “Ain’t no bystanders in my eyes. You’re either in my way or you’re not. If you’re not then you got nothing to worry about... If you are, then I’ll split you in two top to bottom and go right through you.”
Marco felt the mood change. He told them the truth and he could sense they didn’t like it one bit. He should get going soon. He took another bite of bread. Chewed. Swallowed.
“Listen. I know what y’all are thinking about me. I get it, I’m a fucked up monster, but if it’s any consolation, I appreciate that you guys decided to hear me out. I haven’t had someone talk to me like a normal person since... shit not even when things were normal. Even the people who didn’t treat me like shit pitied me, like I was some sorta weak ass victim that couldn’t do anything by himself. I appreciate that you were able to talk to me like we were on the same level. I’ve never gotten that before, so I mean it when I say thank you.”
Marco took a drink of water. He wasn’t gonna cry. Not like when he was with Adonis. He wasn’t weak, he didn’t have tears anymore. Pain was a good thing. He thrived on it. He loved this place. It was everything he ever hoped for. It was Valhalla for he would die fighting. It was an apocalypse, for his days were numbered. Marco took a deep breath.
He laughed. It was shaky.
“Honestly like, I hope you guys find whatever you’re looking for. It really makes a difference when you find your purpose. Take what I told you seriously, please. I wanna hear your names on the announcements, and not your names on the announcements. I’m gonna go now, I’m gonna go look for trouble, or more likely than not have trouble find me. Take care.” Marco finished the water bottle then tossed it aside.
It was a slow torturous process to stand up. He would have to spend some time to get moving again to keep the bad aches out of his mind. He looked back at the group as he limped away, only to stop.
“Remember. This shit is the apocalypse. Spend your last days doing what you enjoy. Devil knows that’s what I’m doing...”
Marco moved again, and didn’t stop until he found a place to rest.
(( Marcus Volker continued elsewhere.))
Marco was pretty sure he touched on that earlier. The whole nobody was gonna die by his hand who didn’t deserve it, but he’ll gladly state it again.
“Well. If I kill ‘em, it’s because they came to me looking for a fight, or in Ariana’s case, looking for an ego boost and bit off more than they can chew. I told you, I’m not killing nobody that didn’t ask for it.”
That was as plain as he could say it. “Ain’t no bystanders in my eyes. You’re either in my way or you’re not. If you’re not then you got nothing to worry about... If you are, then I’ll split you in two top to bottom and go right through you.”
Marco felt the mood change. He told them the truth and he could sense they didn’t like it one bit. He should get going soon. He took another bite of bread. Chewed. Swallowed.
“Listen. I know what y’all are thinking about me. I get it, I’m a fucked up monster, but if it’s any consolation, I appreciate that you guys decided to hear me out. I haven’t had someone talk to me like a normal person since... shit not even when things were normal. Even the people who didn’t treat me like shit pitied me, like I was some sorta weak ass victim that couldn’t do anything by himself. I appreciate that you were able to talk to me like we were on the same level. I’ve never gotten that before, so I mean it when I say thank you.”
Marco took a drink of water. He wasn’t gonna cry. Not like when he was with Adonis. He wasn’t weak, he didn’t have tears anymore. Pain was a good thing. He thrived on it. He loved this place. It was everything he ever hoped for. It was Valhalla for he would die fighting. It was an apocalypse, for his days were numbered. Marco took a deep breath.
He laughed. It was shaky.
“Honestly like, I hope you guys find whatever you’re looking for. It really makes a difference when you find your purpose. Take what I told you seriously, please. I wanna hear your names on the announcements, and not your names on the announcements. I’m gonna go now, I’m gonna go look for trouble, or more likely than not have trouble find me. Take care.” Marco finished the water bottle then tossed it aside.
It was a slow torturous process to stand up. He would have to spend some time to get moving again to keep the bad aches out of his mind. He looked back at the group as he limped away, only to stop.
“Remember. This shit is the apocalypse. Spend your last days doing what you enjoy. Devil knows that’s what I’m doing...”
Marco moved again, and didn’t stop until he found a place to rest.
(( Marcus Volker continued elsewhere.))
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MethodicalSlacker
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Lucas took the scrap that Julien gave him in his hands and could only stare after him, wordless, as he dabbed away at his eyes. He didn't know what shocked him more; Julien's departure, or Marco's. He didn't know why, but he got the impression that one or both of them would be sticking around for a bit longer. Julien because Lucas liked to believe that he depended on him, at least a little bit, for the dressing of his wound, and because he seemed at least slightly compelled to lend credence to Lucas' accounts. He'd miss Julien. Lucas didn't know why, but he would.
Marco's story caused him to tune out again. It was just something about him, he guessed. The tendency to go on tirades. Lucas knew it all too well in other people, and was not surprised to find it again here. There was always that kind of person. The rambler. Even the parts that Lucas heard and could make sense of as intelligible words, he felt unable to process. He had shaken himself into a stupor, rising an inch or two off the ground, lifted by a feeling of being crushed. Marco left, and Lucas was still levitating, left with the two girls, Princess and Katelynne. He didn't know what to do after all that. He didn't know what to say. The courage that had brought Lucas to speak with the group was gone, replaced by a hollow blue feeling of general self-loathing. He'd brought himself back to an incredibly dark place, and he hadn't even planned on it. It was more accurate to say that he had planned for the opposite to occur, really. No matter his intentions, he had wound up profoundly stuck in melancholy again. It felt like he was back at the edge of the waterfall. In a sense, perhaps he was.
He took a deep breath, and exhaled, wishing he could rub his hands together, knowing that keeping the crowbar drawn was more important.
"Okay," he said, "so, uh, I guess that leaves us. Uh.
"Um.
"What do we do now."
It was a question, but he couldn't say it that way. He had forgotten how.
Marco's story caused him to tune out again. It was just something about him, he guessed. The tendency to go on tirades. Lucas knew it all too well in other people, and was not surprised to find it again here. There was always that kind of person. The rambler. Even the parts that Lucas heard and could make sense of as intelligible words, he felt unable to process. He had shaken himself into a stupor, rising an inch or two off the ground, lifted by a feeling of being crushed. Marco left, and Lucas was still levitating, left with the two girls, Princess and Katelynne. He didn't know what to do after all that. He didn't know what to say. The courage that had brought Lucas to speak with the group was gone, replaced by a hollow blue feeling of general self-loathing. He'd brought himself back to an incredibly dark place, and he hadn't even planned on it. It was more accurate to say that he had planned for the opposite to occur, really. No matter his intentions, he had wound up profoundly stuck in melancholy again. It felt like he was back at the edge of the waterfall. In a sense, perhaps he was.
He took a deep breath, and exhaled, wishing he could rub his hands together, knowing that keeping the crowbar drawn was more important.
"Okay," he said, "so, uh, I guess that leaves us. Uh.
"Um.
"What do we do now."
It was a question, but he couldn't say it that way. He had forgotten how.
Even the person who proclaimed he'd crawled out of hell itself could sound and look frail. Princess watched Marco go, briefly wondering if she saw the demons in his shadows.
Nothing to see, still just Marco. A kid who apparently struggled to be respected. To reiterate: his fashion sense certainly didn't help.
"Never liked those fictional tropes of apocalypses. Limiting." Princess freed a hand from Kate's, fished for the water bottle that Marco had discarded with one hand. Stood it right side up and dared an evening chill to knock it back down. "Next time he meets us we may have less reasons to be be awkwardly buddy-buddy. Tornadoes don't care. They split things in half and then some."
Princess dragged her weight off Kate. A bit reluctant. Her cheek might have been a plaster mold in the shape of her friend's thankfully still-intact skeleton. At least it was warm, or the ghost of warmth. The evening was beginning to undulate into a frigidness that would cut through wool and cashmere. Princess stood, contemplating the question.
"... We figure out how to get closure. We know we're willing to hunt the cruelest of our classmates, but that doesn't mean we'll actually do it." Princess shrugged, a gesture about as void of life as Lucas' tone. Muscles contracted. Relaxed. The world continued to turn a two-bit soap opera, by the script.
"When you confronted Thomas, Lucas, I found him after. At the time I agreed with him- that this chase would be futile." Princess picked at the waistband of her pajamas. Still soggy from the rain. "That you'd get yourself killed for nothing. I can't say I agree any less, if I really try to break it down." She'd sworn she'd rebuild herself, and everything she knew. All the same, the past dragged on her. It had Violet's voice.
Nothing to see, still just Marco. A kid who apparently struggled to be respected. To reiterate: his fashion sense certainly didn't help.
"Never liked those fictional tropes of apocalypses. Limiting." Princess freed a hand from Kate's, fished for the water bottle that Marco had discarded with one hand. Stood it right side up and dared an evening chill to knock it back down. "Next time he meets us we may have less reasons to be be awkwardly buddy-buddy. Tornadoes don't care. They split things in half and then some."
Princess dragged her weight off Kate. A bit reluctant. Her cheek might have been a plaster mold in the shape of her friend's thankfully still-intact skeleton. At least it was warm, or the ghost of warmth. The evening was beginning to undulate into a frigidness that would cut through wool and cashmere. Princess stood, contemplating the question.
"... We figure out how to get closure. We know we're willing to hunt the cruelest of our classmates, but that doesn't mean we'll actually do it." Princess shrugged, a gesture about as void of life as Lucas' tone. Muscles contracted. Relaxed. The world continued to turn a two-bit soap opera, by the script.
"When you confronted Thomas, Lucas, I found him after. At the time I agreed with him- that this chase would be futile." Princess picked at the waistband of her pajamas. Still soggy from the rain. "That you'd get yourself killed for nothing. I can't say I agree any less, if I really try to break it down." She'd sworn she'd rebuild herself, and everything she knew. All the same, the past dragged on her. It had Violet's voice.
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes:
And then it was three again as Julien and Marco continued to limp away in separate directions, both crippled in unique ways and both slowly gobbled up by the encroaching shade of the moon.
Marco leaving too should've provided some more relief, but it didn't. That suffocating tension still lingered around like an aftershock.
Katelynne just nodded her head at Princess. No words needed.
"I don't know if I honestly can go through with it, still... finishing Quinn or the others off, I mean. But," Katelynne stooped over her miserable pile of knickknacks and picked them up as she continued. "...I wanna finish strong. I think that's all we can do. Not saying finish strong for justice or vengeance or anything of that sort. But... finish strong for Violet, and Liberty, and Desiree. Everyone else we've lost or been taken from in our short time on this earth, too."
Crap cradled in front, she rejoined the ever-shrinking drum circle.
"I don't wanna sound like I'm just going with the flow with no conviction, but I wanna do whatever you wanna, Princess. I wanna stay with you."
She turned to Lucas, the iron of the crowbar glimmering off the gloomy backdrop of mud and dirt. "You can stay with us, if ya want... not saying you have to," she lied. "You can prob'ly catch up to Julien or Marco if ya hurry, if ya want. I won't stop you."
She turned to the two bodies over yonder, still adrift in the misery of their final moments.
Another stray bundle of hair flew into her face before being quickly brushed away.
"I don't reckon there's anything left for us here, regardless."
Marco leaving too should've provided some more relief, but it didn't. That suffocating tension still lingered around like an aftershock.
Katelynne just nodded her head at Princess. No words needed.
"I don't know if I honestly can go through with it, still... finishing Quinn or the others off, I mean. But," Katelynne stooped over her miserable pile of knickknacks and picked them up as she continued. "...I wanna finish strong. I think that's all we can do. Not saying finish strong for justice or vengeance or anything of that sort. But... finish strong for Violet, and Liberty, and Desiree. Everyone else we've lost or been taken from in our short time on this earth, too."
Crap cradled in front, she rejoined the ever-shrinking drum circle.
"I don't wanna sound like I'm just going with the flow with no conviction, but I wanna do whatever you wanna, Princess. I wanna stay with you."
She turned to Lucas, the iron of the crowbar glimmering off the gloomy backdrop of mud and dirt. "You can stay with us, if ya want... not saying you have to," she lied. "You can prob'ly catch up to Julien or Marco if ya hurry, if ya want. I won't stop you."
She turned to the two bodies over yonder, still adrift in the misery of their final moments.
Another stray bundle of hair flew into her face before being quickly brushed away.
"I don't reckon there's anything left for us here, regardless."
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MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
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Lucas was okay with this. Yup. Perfectly fucking okay with the fact that the two people he was sort of half-trusting to lead him on the right path had basically fuck all confidence in the things he wanted to do, or the things he expected them to lead him towards. Princess met Thomas? It took Lucas a couple of seconds to even remember who Thomas was, if he was being honest with himself. The fucker who tried to stand in his way. Princess and Katelynne weren't exactly doing that. They were sort of just standing adjacent to his way, warning him that it might not be the best idea to proceed.
Since when did Lucas have any sense of anything that might be considered good judgement?
"Well, I know what I want to do," Lucas said, "I think, regardless of whether or not this will get me killed, I at least want to die trying to avenge someone. That's what finishing strong is to me. I think, honestly, we can take someone. We'd have to get lucky, sure, but we've got numbers and probably a fair bit of ability between the three of us."
He coughed into his arm.
"I am a bit suicidal, I mean, I think I probably should tell you guys that up front. But I'm putting that on hold, sorta, until I kill Erika, or die in the process.
"But we're not going to find any of these people by standing around. Where should we go next? I mean, assuming it's alright for me to go with you guys."
Since when did Lucas have any sense of anything that might be considered good judgement?
"Well, I know what I want to do," Lucas said, "I think, regardless of whether or not this will get me killed, I at least want to die trying to avenge someone. That's what finishing strong is to me. I think, honestly, we can take someone. We'd have to get lucky, sure, but we've got numbers and probably a fair bit of ability between the three of us."
He coughed into his arm.
"I am a bit suicidal, I mean, I think I probably should tell you guys that up front. But I'm putting that on hold, sorta, until I kill Erika, or die in the process.
"But we're not going to find any of these people by standing around. Where should we go next? I mean, assuming it's alright for me to go with you guys."
/ 
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/ 
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- They had ability? News to her. Kate, maybe. Or maybe that was just the pent up teenage angst and cynicism not yet dead. Another enemy to contend with murdering in real time.
The finale was what they all had in mind. A life's story concluded and tucked away. 'Suicide' wasn't the right word, or a word she much liked, but she could appreciate the common ground. However they chose to word it, Princess was pretty sure all three of them knew they were never leaving the shores of the island. To somehow manage would be the grandest moral failing of all. 'Everyone dies', she reminded herself. She was no longer in a position- to manage her own death, let alone others'- but she remembered the counterpoint she'd tried to draw against Claude, all the way back when.
Claudeson had adapted, in some way. Was she, then, following in his footsteps? Heaven forbid she was suddenly following trends.
"I think we're of similar minds, anyways. Like I said before... what is it I said before?" She couldn't remember, verbatim. Her mind was less a trap and more cheesecloth- most things stayed on the inside, but there was some drip. "We must all agree on action, as one. So for now, lets go with Lucas on this." She nodded at Kate, softly, glancing insistently into her eyes. "We all have people we want to avenge. That's a good enough motive for now."
Thus, two became three. Princess tucked a suddenly errant strand of hair of Kate's behind her ear with a soft brush. Reminded her of the Kirkpatrick homestead. The gentle tread of finger, that most agreed with Serendipity.
"Getting to that point will need us to be prepared to live a bit longer. Lack of interest in living aside," she admitted, so dryly she wasn't too sure she'd been trying to make a jab. "We should find a way to extend our supplies. I should have put out my bottles when it was raining... alas." Was this really how she always spoke? Hearing herself in the third person must have been unintentional comedy.
"Take care of that first, maybe. Stay away from open space areas if we can. I don't think any of us could survive the attention of a gun for too long, without cover to duck into." There was a certain zest to the way of war that she'd never noticed before. Mechanical. Demanding of creativity, however restrictive the idea of bullets and bombs was to the narrative.
The finale was what they all had in mind. A life's story concluded and tucked away. 'Suicide' wasn't the right word, or a word she much liked, but she could appreciate the common ground. However they chose to word it, Princess was pretty sure all three of them knew they were never leaving the shores of the island. To somehow manage would be the grandest moral failing of all. 'Everyone dies', she reminded herself. She was no longer in a position- to manage her own death, let alone others'- but she remembered the counterpoint she'd tried to draw against Claude, all the way back when.
Claudeson had adapted, in some way. Was she, then, following in his footsteps? Heaven forbid she was suddenly following trends.
"I think we're of similar minds, anyways. Like I said before... what is it I said before?" She couldn't remember, verbatim. Her mind was less a trap and more cheesecloth- most things stayed on the inside, but there was some drip. "We must all agree on action, as one. So for now, lets go with Lucas on this." She nodded at Kate, softly, glancing insistently into her eyes. "We all have people we want to avenge. That's a good enough motive for now."
Thus, two became three. Princess tucked a suddenly errant strand of hair of Kate's behind her ear with a soft brush. Reminded her of the Kirkpatrick homestead. The gentle tread of finger, that most agreed with Serendipity.
"Getting to that point will need us to be prepared to live a bit longer. Lack of interest in living aside," she admitted, so dryly she wasn't too sure she'd been trying to make a jab. "We should find a way to extend our supplies. I should have put out my bottles when it was raining... alas." Was this really how she always spoke? Hearing herself in the third person must have been unintentional comedy.
"Take care of that first, maybe. Stay away from open space areas if we can. I don't think any of us could survive the attention of a gun for too long, without cover to duck into." There was a certain zest to the way of war that she'd never noticed before. Mechanical. Demanding of creativity, however restrictive the idea of bullets and bombs was to the narrative.
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes:
Huh... where should they go next?
Katelynne pulled out her handy dandy map, the one you need to know when you there's a place you gotta go.
...Wonder if Dora the Explorer ever had to face life or death situations like this. I mean, like... probably, right?
She shoved that intrusive thought aside as she scanned the lamination in the dark and waited for a turn to speak.
"Honestly, I was headed for the lighthouse over here, but if we need water we could double back to the waterfall and refuel there though it's a little out of the way. Long as it's fast movin' water, it's probably okay? Bugs don't like turbulence, at least that's what my daddy said when we went camping once. If y'all have fire starting stuff we could boil it just to be safe. There's a cave too we can hole up in, at least for now.
"Other people probably have the same idea though now, I reckon. We could look for something upstream then. Maybe. Again, up to y'all."
Katelynne pulled out her handy dandy map, the one you need to know when you there's a place you gotta go.
...Wonder if Dora the Explorer ever had to face life or death situations like this. I mean, like... probably, right?
She shoved that intrusive thought aside as she scanned the lamination in the dark and waited for a turn to speak.
"Honestly, I was headed for the lighthouse over here, but if we need water we could double back to the waterfall and refuel there though it's a little out of the way. Long as it's fast movin' water, it's probably okay? Bugs don't like turbulence, at least that's what my daddy said when we went camping once. If y'all have fire starting stuff we could boil it just to be safe. There's a cave too we can hole up in, at least for now.
"Other people probably have the same idea though now, I reckon. We could look for something upstream then. Maybe. Again, up to y'all."
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MethodicalSlacker
- Posts: 1231
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 2:18 am
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"Well, wherever we wind up, we gotta start moving in order to get there."
Lucas cracked through himself with a smile. Everyone was just as lost and confused as he was. It was going to be alright after all. Things were going to be good. If not good, then they'd be interesting, and to Lucas that had the potential to be even better than good. He looked over at the treeline where he had left his things on the other end of the paddies.
"I'm just going to go and grab my stuff," he said. Lucas pointed in the general direction of the bag, for effect. "I'll be right back."
And off he went down through the marshy land, walking quickly, not wanting to be left behind, smile still plastered on his face. He felt dumb. He felt good. He thought, midway through his journey, of the people that he himself had cast off. The people at the waterfall. The people he met on the beach. The weak. He thought next of the people that had been taken from him. Desiree, Katie, Saffron. The strong, cut short. This one was for them.
But of course, when he got to his bag and started putting it on over his shoulders, he had a dumb meme on his mind. He could see Princess and Katelynne from here.
"If Clout Gang was so good," Lucas said with a smile, "then why isn't there a Clout Gang 2?"
He had to stop for a couple seconds on his way back to laugh into his sleeve.
[Lucas Diaz continued elsewhere.]
[But this time, he isn't alone.]
Lucas cracked through himself with a smile. Everyone was just as lost and confused as he was. It was going to be alright after all. Things were going to be good. If not good, then they'd be interesting, and to Lucas that had the potential to be even better than good. He looked over at the treeline where he had left his things on the other end of the paddies.
"I'm just going to go and grab my stuff," he said. Lucas pointed in the general direction of the bag, for effect. "I'll be right back."
And off he went down through the marshy land, walking quickly, not wanting to be left behind, smile still plastered on his face. He felt dumb. He felt good. He thought, midway through his journey, of the people that he himself had cast off. The people at the waterfall. The people he met on the beach. The weak. He thought next of the people that had been taken from him. Desiree, Katie, Saffron. The strong, cut short. This one was for them.
But of course, when he got to his bag and started putting it on over his shoulders, he had a dumb meme on his mind. He could see Princess and Katelynne from here.
"If Clout Gang was so good," Lucas said with a smile, "then why isn't there a Clout Gang 2?"
He had to stop for a couple seconds on his way back to laugh into his sleeve.
[Lucas Diaz continued elsewhere.]
[But this time, he isn't alone.]