((Katrina Lavell continued from Die Walküre))
Katrina adjusted her position, trying to straighten out her spine, all while keeping her hand level in front of her. She looked at the several days worth of dirt and grime caked on her hands, similar to the amount on Willow's. Willow was gently holding Katrina's right hand up, brushing the tip of a nail polish brush along Katrina's fingernails. It had been an odd request from Willow; to paint one another's nails while they were just sitting around. It was nice Willow still had nail polish, even though Katrina would only paint her nails black for a Halloween costume or something. It wasn't her style, but hey, any excuse to trim her nails and get rid of the crud underneath them and actually feel like a girl again was great.
The girls arrived in the manor around early evening the day before. They barely spoke on their trip, and had remained as silent during the night. They both needed to privately mourn Sierra, and went to sleep without much discussion.
The announcement had played a while ago. It was a lot of the same, with recognizable classmates dead and recognizable killers adding to their body count. The worst was when they got to Sierra. They said Willow dug around in her guts and left it to the listener to interpret. Katrina could only shake her head in disgust. They were trying to make Willow seem like a monster. They didn't care that Willow loved Sierra, or that it was a mercy kill. They just wanted to give people a reason to try and kill Willow. It was disgusting.
Willow had randomly suggested painting each other's nails, and Katrina agreed. It was better than anything else right now. Nothing guaranteed they'd find Tyrell, Yuka, or Jonathan, but giving them something else to do felt better.
Katrina let Willow start on her, and Katrina admired Willow's work as Willow finished the first hand and began to paint the second.
"I really like my nails," Katrina told Willow. "Thanks."
...One Taught Me Pain
Day 9, Open, late morning
Erika killed, again.
Justin killed, again.
Michael killed, again.
It was the same thing everyday. Always more kills tallied up to someone's name and they were always the same four people. Willow was supposed to keep track of that, to remember who look out for, but honestly? It stopped mattering after day five. If you still walked around trusting people, you deserved to die.
And the announcements were just another reminder of that.
((Willow continued here.))
However, this time, Willow was on the announcement. She knew she would be there, clearly. Sierra had died for her and now Willow was alive on more borrowed time. How many souls did she need to survive this? She already had three, she maybe needed two more to be fine.
"Thanks," she said softly, "can I tell you a secret?"
It wasn't a secret. She already had said it once. But her plans had changed, again. Willow's plans always changed, whether it was because she had to or because wanted to, but she was always ready to snap back from a path to follow another. There wasn't anything holding her down now, and she decided to take advantage of it.
"It's a Debbie Downer tho," she said applying a coat on Katrina's thumb, "feel free to say no."
Actually, she had two secrets to tell Katrina.
Justin killed, again.
Michael killed, again.
It was the same thing everyday. Always more kills tallied up to someone's name and they were always the same four people. Willow was supposed to keep track of that, to remember who look out for, but honestly? It stopped mattering after day five. If you still walked around trusting people, you deserved to die.
And the announcements were just another reminder of that.
((Willow continued here.))
However, this time, Willow was on the announcement. She knew she would be there, clearly. Sierra had died for her and now Willow was alive on more borrowed time. How many souls did she need to survive this? She already had three, she maybe needed two more to be fine.
"Thanks," she said softly, "can I tell you a secret?"
It wasn't a secret. She already had said it once. But her plans had changed, again. Willow's plans always changed, whether it was because she had to or because wanted to, but she was always ready to snap back from a path to follow another. There wasn't anything holding her down now, and she decided to take advantage of it.
"It's a Debbie Downer tho," she said applying a coat on Katrina's thumb, "feel free to say no."
Actually, she had two secrets to tell Katrina.
Katrina exhaled as Willow said she had a secret to tell her. Katrina nodded.
"Yes. Go ahead."
She wasn't sure what Willow had to tell her. Maybe it was a thought she had since yesterday, maybe it was something from before the island she needed to tell someone. Katrina wasn't sure.
All she could do was let Willow continue painting her nails, and give her the floor to speak. Now it felt like a real nail salon.
"Yes. Go ahead."
She wasn't sure what Willow had to tell her. Maybe it was a thought she had since yesterday, maybe it was something from before the island she needed to tell someone. Katrina wasn't sure.
All she could do was let Willow continue painting her nails, and give her the floor to speak. Now it felt like a real nail salon.
"I killed two people," she let that drop, "well, other than Sierra."
Katrina paused for a moment, letting Willow's last statement hang in the air like a dark rain cloud. She let the other girl continue to paint her nails as she tried to process what Willow just said.
"But...you haven't been on the announcements," Katrina said. "Sierra's your first kill."
Katrina bit her lower lip.
"Or...are you talking about something before we ended up here?"
She seriously hoped not.
"But...you haven't been on the announcements," Katrina said. "Sierra's your first kill."
Katrina bit her lower lip.
"Or...are you talking about something before we ended up here?"
She seriously hoped not.
"Before." She said softly, focusing on applying the nail polish on Katrina, "my grandparents."
If Willow closed her eyes and thought about it, she could still vividly see the corpses. Perhaps her imagination had made more grotesque and broken as she grew older, less and less intact. But in her head, it was perfect. The blood had pooled perfectly around her grandma's scalp into a scarlet halo. Her eyes were still fixated on her, following her like a broken Mona Lisa, whispering something about getting help.
She didn't remember how she looked like back then, but she saw herself. She was a blurry mess made of past and current pieces of her body. Her eyes and her mouth and her face were combined into this Willow that wasn't quite hers, but her avatar for her memories nonetheless. This body made her sick but it was the only thing she could see, so she learned to live with it.
Similarly when they had found out of grandpa's death, she could see her body from this twisted angle like a pervert searching for a victim. It was quite how it happened, really. It came from a secondhand account, a call from a cellphone that Willow had unfortunately made. If she had to draw the scene, she would do a two pannels cover page, one with her face and the other with the unknown of her grandpa's body. She always imagined him broken, his body rotten from the inside out and it was the truth. The gangrene had eaten him rather slowly, leading to this weird mass of flesh he carried around without never getting proper help for it.
"They died because of me," she said softly, "I killed them," she paused, "I deserve this, it's my just punishment."
Willow shook her head, applying a coat on Katrina's middle finger. The faces of her grandparents were there, looming around her. If she forgot to concentrate, her mind would drift away. She was already seeing herself from the top as if she were a character in game.
"I just don't understand why everyone else was dragged through this, you know?" She shrugged, not quite sure where she was going with it, "I'm okay with suffering for what I did, but I don't get why everyone else have to suffer because of me."
If Willow closed her eyes and thought about it, she could still vividly see the corpses. Perhaps her imagination had made more grotesque and broken as she grew older, less and less intact. But in her head, it was perfect. The blood had pooled perfectly around her grandma's scalp into a scarlet halo. Her eyes were still fixated on her, following her like a broken Mona Lisa, whispering something about getting help.
She didn't remember how she looked like back then, but she saw herself. She was a blurry mess made of past and current pieces of her body. Her eyes and her mouth and her face were combined into this Willow that wasn't quite hers, but her avatar for her memories nonetheless. This body made her sick but it was the only thing she could see, so she learned to live with it.
Similarly when they had found out of grandpa's death, she could see her body from this twisted angle like a pervert searching for a victim. It was quite how it happened, really. It came from a secondhand account, a call from a cellphone that Willow had unfortunately made. If she had to draw the scene, she would do a two pannels cover page, one with her face and the other with the unknown of her grandpa's body. She always imagined him broken, his body rotten from the inside out and it was the truth. The gangrene had eaten him rather slowly, leading to this weird mass of flesh he carried around without never getting proper help for it.
"They died because of me," she said softly, "I killed them," she paused, "I deserve this, it's my just punishment."
Willow shook her head, applying a coat on Katrina's middle finger. The faces of her grandparents were there, looming around her. If she forgot to concentrate, her mind would drift away. She was already seeing herself from the top as if she were a character in game.
"I just don't understand why everyone else was dragged through this, you know?" She shrugged, not quite sure where she was going with it, "I'm okay with suffering for what I did, but I don't get why everyone else have to suffer because of me."
Katrina lowered her head a bit as Willow talked. Willow didn't go into details, but she said she killed her grandparents. Idea went throughout Katrina's mind as she tried to process that. How did she kill them? Euthanasia? Did she cause an accident? No teenager just murders their grandparents as far as Katrina knew, so she doubted it was intentional.
Willow then said she deserved what was happening to her but that no one else did. Katrina sighed.
"I don't think that's true," Katrina said. "This is happening to too many people, and has happened too many times to blame on one person. I don't blame you for my being here, if that matters."
Katrina looked around.
"Besides, you still have a chance to make it right. You have me to help you out here, you still have time to avenge Sierra, and you've got your baby to keep you motivated. It's not all a wash for you."
Katrina paused.
"I know I'm going to die here, but I don't want you to."
Willow then said she deserved what was happening to her but that no one else did. Katrina sighed.
"I don't think that's true," Katrina said. "This is happening to too many people, and has happened too many times to blame on one person. I don't blame you for my being here, if that matters."
Katrina looked around.
"Besides, you still have a chance to make it right. You have me to help you out here, you still have time to avenge Sierra, and you've got your baby to keep you motivated. It's not all a wash for you."
Katrina paused.
"I know I'm going to die here, but I don't want you to."
Oh yikes.
The baby. That was something else. It was another thing on the pile of secrets that Willow was carrying around in her bag. She would have to spill out her guts one day, sooner or later. She had almost forgotten about it.
It was a spree of the movement, a mistake based on an impulsion. There wasn't any real misintentions involved, really. Despite her flaws, she wouldn't lie to her friends about her pregnancy. Well, maybe. But she knew she wouldn't, she knew that more than anything about herself. So when she found the empty pill bottle in her bag, beside all the junks and mementos and souvenirs she had gathered, the little gears had fell into place perfectly.
Anyways, she decided she'd be better off to use it than to clear it. She was a woman of nature, recycling was part of the job.
"You're too kind, Kat," Willow bit her lips. "I don't deserve that."
She still had that guilt lingering over her that this was a calculated fate to punish her. She knew that somewhere a line of dominos was pushed into the mess they were now into, and she couldn't help but feel like it was somehow her fault. Perhaps she was self-centered, perhaps she only thought about herself, but it didn't change the fact that her feelings were stabbing her everywhere they could.
"If," she said that, loudly. It was a very big 'if'. "I win, I won't go home. I'll find a place quiet to retire so that nobody can ever bother me again."
Willow raised her eyes, making eye contact with Katrina.
"Is that selfish?"
The baby. That was something else. It was another thing on the pile of secrets that Willow was carrying around in her bag. She would have to spill out her guts one day, sooner or later. She had almost forgotten about it.
It was a spree of the movement, a mistake based on an impulsion. There wasn't any real misintentions involved, really. Despite her flaws, she wouldn't lie to her friends about her pregnancy. Well, maybe. But she knew she wouldn't, she knew that more than anything about herself. So when she found the empty pill bottle in her bag, beside all the junks and mementos and souvenirs she had gathered, the little gears had fell into place perfectly.
Anyways, she decided she'd be better off to use it than to clear it. She was a woman of nature, recycling was part of the job.
"You're too kind, Kat," Willow bit her lips. "I don't deserve that."
She still had that guilt lingering over her that this was a calculated fate to punish her. She knew that somewhere a line of dominos was pushed into the mess they were now into, and she couldn't help but feel like it was somehow her fault. Perhaps she was self-centered, perhaps she only thought about herself, but it didn't change the fact that her feelings were stabbing her everywhere they could.
"If," she said that, loudly. It was a very big 'if'. "I win, I won't go home. I'll find a place quiet to retire so that nobody can ever bother me again."
Willow raised her eyes, making eye contact with Katrina.
"Is that selfish?"
"No. I don't think it is," Katrina said.
Katrina flexed her fingers a bit, trying to remove the stiffness from holding them out for Willow.
"I don't think good things happen to the people who survive this," Katrina said. "I know that one girl sometimes appears in the news, but most of the others are hidden from the public eye or are dead like that one guy. I think if you want to go away and start anew, no one would be surprised, and no one would blame you."
Katrina tilted her head back.
"I mean, I don't know how good I'd be living in a cabin in the woods, but maybe I could get used to it. Maybe the Pacific Northwest would be could. Still coastal, still forested. That might be nice."
Katrina flexed her fingers a bit, trying to remove the stiffness from holding them out for Willow.
"I don't think good things happen to the people who survive this," Katrina said. "I know that one girl sometimes appears in the news, but most of the others are hidden from the public eye or are dead like that one guy. I think if you want to go away and start anew, no one would be surprised, and no one would blame you."
Katrina tilted her head back.
"I mean, I don't know how good I'd be living in a cabin in the woods, but maybe I could get used to it. Maybe the Pacific Northwest would be could. Still coastal, still forested. That might be nice."
“Exactly,” she smiled, “it would be quiet and nice and nobody would bother me.”
But Willow knew she was getting ahead of herself. Her smile went away as she continued to pain Kat’s final nail.
“I’m not going to win anyways.”
It was the simple truth. There wasn’t any way she could win compared to the likes of Arizona and Erika and literally everyone else on the island. They were all either bigger or scarier, and Willow was a frail girl that could be snapped in half over someone’s knee.
She only had one thing up against the others and it was her mind. She wasn’t the smartest, probably actually on the lower average, but she was stubborn. She was able to categorize and solidly decide what should be next to see through her plans.
Problem, she lacked the firepower.
“Hopefully I die quickly,” she squinted after she applied the final layer, “like bang and I roll over.”
But Willow knew she was getting ahead of herself. Her smile went away as she continued to pain Kat’s final nail.
“I’m not going to win anyways.”
It was the simple truth. There wasn’t any way she could win compared to the likes of Arizona and Erika and literally everyone else on the island. They were all either bigger or scarier, and Willow was a frail girl that could be snapped in half over someone’s knee.
She only had one thing up against the others and it was her mind. She wasn’t the smartest, probably actually on the lower average, but she was stubborn. She was able to categorize and solidly decide what should be next to see through her plans.
Problem, she lacked the firepower.
“Hopefully I die quickly,” she squinted after she applied the final layer, “like bang and I roll over.”
((All skipping and GMing approved))
Katrina listened as Willow finished talking. Willow also didn't think she'd survive this, and hoped she'd die quickly. Katrina nodded.
"I understand. I'd hope for the same. I know we're not going to survive this, but it'd be nice if we could actually decide who does survive."
Katrina smiled.
"You know, like a vote or something. Not that we could, but at this point I wouldn't be opposed."
Willow finished Katrina's last nail. Katrina looked at her new black fingernails. Now she wouldn't have to see all the dirt under her fingernails.
"Thanks. I'll do you next."
After some time painting Willow's nails in silence, the girls packed their items and left the manor. There weren't many places left to explore, and there were a lot of people they needed to find. Katrina wasn't sure if they'd find anyone, but she could hope. That cabin in the woods fantasy was unlikely to come true, but maybe this one could.
((Katrina Lavell continued in Under A Watchful Eye))
Katrina listened as Willow finished talking. Willow also didn't think she'd survive this, and hoped she'd die quickly. Katrina nodded.
"I understand. I'd hope for the same. I know we're not going to survive this, but it'd be nice if we could actually decide who does survive."
Katrina smiled.
"You know, like a vote or something. Not that we could, but at this point I wouldn't be opposed."
Willow finished Katrina's last nail. Katrina looked at her new black fingernails. Now she wouldn't have to see all the dirt under her fingernails.
"Thanks. I'll do you next."
After some time painting Willow's nails in silence, the girls packed their items and left the manor. There weren't many places left to explore, and there were a lot of people they needed to find. Katrina wasn't sure if they'd find anyone, but she could hope. That cabin in the woods fantasy was unlikely to come true, but maybe this one could.
((Katrina Lavell continued in Under A Watchful Eye))
A vote.
Yeah.
That would be one way to do it. Get the rest of the people that are alive, round them up, and make everyone vote for who deserves it the most. It's not like Willow would win, and it's not like Kat would either, but that would be the most noble way to achieve it. It's not like it would matter on the long run, people would keep being kidnapped and die, but if they managed it, it could make for a checkmark in the history book.
"You wanna' do my nails?" She asked, knowing the answer already, "there's a lot of gunk underneath them."
She looked down at her fingers. They looked better than they used to. She didn't know why she felt like that. It was as if they had grown during the island, alongside of her her. Yeah, her nails were different and so were her knuckles. The scars and the wounds and the pink flesh felt good to see as if she were a warrior.
"You can go hard you know," she smiled, "it's not like you can hurt me."
((Willow left the thread.))
Yeah.
That would be one way to do it. Get the rest of the people that are alive, round them up, and make everyone vote for who deserves it the most. It's not like Willow would win, and it's not like Kat would either, but that would be the most noble way to achieve it. It's not like it would matter on the long run, people would keep being kidnapped and die, but if they managed it, it could make for a checkmark in the history book.
"You wanna' do my nails?" She asked, knowing the answer already, "there's a lot of gunk underneath them."
She looked down at her fingers. They looked better than they used to. She didn't know why she felt like that. It was as if they had grown during the island, alongside of her her. Yeah, her nails were different and so were her knuckles. The scars and the wounds and the pink flesh felt good to see as if she were a warrior.
"You can go hard you know," she smiled, "it's not like you can hurt me."
((Willow left the thread.))