((Kaya Robinson continued from Ready to Blast))
After a short discussion, the two had decided to take a bit of a roundabout path to reach the RocketBoat, avoiding the cruise ship and stopping off at the patrol boat for a bit to rest. It was early afternoon and quite hot out already, so Kaya had suggested they stop to rehydrate and eat.
Because Kaya had the gun, she was leading the way, confidently moving across the walkways and paths between the shop boat and the patrol boat. She stopped periodically to allow Bethan to catch up, never moving very far ahead and frequently asking if the other girl was doing alright or if she needed a break.
Finally, the two reached the patrol boat. Kaya had already stowed her gun in her coat again, as they gazed upward at the large, relatively plain-looking ship. There was a ramp leading up to the top, which Kaya approached first, turning back to Bethan. "I'll go check it out real quick and let you know if I find anything." She smiled. "I'll be right back, don't fret." Kaya slowly pulled out the Lee Navy and, more or less cradling it in her arms, she ascended the ramp.
Frowning now, Kaya reached the top deck and began looking around. After a moment, her eyes settled on a large, cheese wedge-shaped hat and a steel folding chair laying next to each other on the floor. "Huh." She muttered, raising an eyebrow. Kaya stepped back towards the ramp she'd come up. "There was someone up here before, I found some stuff. I dunno if they're still here, though. You can come up if you want, I'm gonna keep looking!"
With that, Kaya continued up the stairs and towards the raised cabin. "Anyone there? We're friendly!" She called.
Turtle Town
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Pippi
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((Bethan Gayle continued from Ready to Blast))
Y’know, maybe she should have changed into the boots as well!
To be totally honest, Bethan hadn’t really considered the situation underfoot before she’d left the shop with Kaya and trotted down the set of metal steps to the jetty. She’d had, and she thought this was fair enough entirely, a few other things on her mind, after all! The wooden slats that made up the jetties were secure enough - there was some movement as they walked, but in weather this gentle it was nothing more than a soft rocking - and they were high enough up above the surface that the water didn’t constantly slosh up through the gaps in the boards.
But there were patches and puddles of water, dotted here and there and everywhere, and more pertinently, a very very very very very big expanse of water on every single side of them. All it would take would be one small slip, one mistimed footstep, one loss of balance, and… sploosh!
… And then Bethan would probably hoist herself up out of the water, cause she could swim just fine, but she’d be really upset, because she could be dried off, and her clothes could be changed, but there was no way she’d be able to fix the electronics in her shoes, which would be totally busted!
And so she kept thinking about this, because the thought of that made her sad at the prospect, and thinking of that made her consider the times she’d had to replace old and worn pieces of gear back home, and that gave her the excited buzzing feeling she always got when she went into the cybergoth shop at the mall, or something she’d ordered from Cyberdog had arrived.
Which was good. It was good. It was a cycle of comfort. A cycle she needed.
She could see other people across the water, as she waited for Kaya to finish her scouting mission, spear haft tapping against the jetty, bandana fluttering merrily in the seabreeze. She considered shouting at them, or waving, or… who knows, throwing something into the water to get their attention! Something like that. But she thought better of it each time. They might have been.... She didn’t wanna disrupt them. Or anything. They were probably on their own adventure as well!
The RocketBoat was… Not the boat in front of her. She could see it, off in the distance! A bright orange shard, piercing through the water. But they’d decided to take a break first, at the decidedly less flash patrol boat. It was gunmetal grey, severe looking even without any personifying features. She’d seen boats like this once or twice before! Well, she’d seen the floodlight beam, really, looking back at beach parties that she’d had the common sense to leave early. Occupational hazard of the rave scene, and all that!
She heard footsteps, and saw Kaya appear at the top of the ramp, letting her know the situation. For a moment, Bethan was hesitant. Her knuckles whitened around the spear. Maybe there were people still on the boat. Maybe they were hiding. And if they were hiding, then maybe they were….
Then she blinked. And she took a breath. It wasn’t a huge boat! If Kaya had searched thoroughly then there probably wasn’t anyone on there after all! And if there was somebody hiding in, say, a broom closet or whatever (did you need broom closets on boats? Would you call it a mop cupboard instead?) then… maybe they were just seasick! Or afraid of water! Maybe they’d appreciate a friendly face.
“Aye aye, cap’n!” Bethan said, fixing a grin on her face, and giving Kaya a small salute. She strode up the ramp, walking around to the front of the top deck, as her friend circled around to head towards the raised cabin. She placed one hand on the railing, other hand still holding the spear, gazing out across the ocean, and the large, expensive looking yacht a good few hundred metres away. She breathed in the sea air, and her heart realised something was missing, and then her brain realised that there wasn’t any sea spray, and then she giggled, because of course there wasn’t any sea spray, they were totally stationary! She kinda missed the sensation, but, again, big splash of water plus electronic boots was not a good mix!
“Hey, Kaya!” Bethan yelled, turning around and craning her neck to look up at the cabin. “Do you think that big light still works? Like, do you think if we came back here at night or something we could turn it on and, ooh, shine it across the rest of the flotilla? That would be pretty fun, right?”
She paused, and tilted her head, thinking.
“Or maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea…”
Y’know, maybe she should have changed into the boots as well!
To be totally honest, Bethan hadn’t really considered the situation underfoot before she’d left the shop with Kaya and trotted down the set of metal steps to the jetty. She’d had, and she thought this was fair enough entirely, a few other things on her mind, after all! The wooden slats that made up the jetties were secure enough - there was some movement as they walked, but in weather this gentle it was nothing more than a soft rocking - and they were high enough up above the surface that the water didn’t constantly slosh up through the gaps in the boards.
But there were patches and puddles of water, dotted here and there and everywhere, and more pertinently, a very very very very very big expanse of water on every single side of them. All it would take would be one small slip, one mistimed footstep, one loss of balance, and… sploosh!
… And then Bethan would probably hoist herself up out of the water, cause she could swim just fine, but she’d be really upset, because she could be dried off, and her clothes could be changed, but there was no way she’d be able to fix the electronics in her shoes, which would be totally busted!
And so she kept thinking about this, because the thought of that made her sad at the prospect, and thinking of that made her consider the times she’d had to replace old and worn pieces of gear back home, and that gave her the excited buzzing feeling she always got when she went into the cybergoth shop at the mall, or something she’d ordered from Cyberdog had arrived.
Which was good. It was good. It was a cycle of comfort. A cycle she needed.
She could see other people across the water, as she waited for Kaya to finish her scouting mission, spear haft tapping against the jetty, bandana fluttering merrily in the seabreeze. She considered shouting at them, or waving, or… who knows, throwing something into the water to get their attention! Something like that. But she thought better of it each time. They might have been.... She didn’t wanna disrupt them. Or anything. They were probably on their own adventure as well!
The RocketBoat was… Not the boat in front of her. She could see it, off in the distance! A bright orange shard, piercing through the water. But they’d decided to take a break first, at the decidedly less flash patrol boat. It was gunmetal grey, severe looking even without any personifying features. She’d seen boats like this once or twice before! Well, she’d seen the floodlight beam, really, looking back at beach parties that she’d had the common sense to leave early. Occupational hazard of the rave scene, and all that!
She heard footsteps, and saw Kaya appear at the top of the ramp, letting her know the situation. For a moment, Bethan was hesitant. Her knuckles whitened around the spear. Maybe there were people still on the boat. Maybe they were hiding. And if they were hiding, then maybe they were….
Then she blinked. And she took a breath. It wasn’t a huge boat! If Kaya had searched thoroughly then there probably wasn’t anyone on there after all! And if there was somebody hiding in, say, a broom closet or whatever (did you need broom closets on boats? Would you call it a mop cupboard instead?) then… maybe they were just seasick! Or afraid of water! Maybe they’d appreciate a friendly face.
“Aye aye, cap’n!” Bethan said, fixing a grin on her face, and giving Kaya a small salute. She strode up the ramp, walking around to the front of the top deck, as her friend circled around to head towards the raised cabin. She placed one hand on the railing, other hand still holding the spear, gazing out across the ocean, and the large, expensive looking yacht a good few hundred metres away. She breathed in the sea air, and her heart realised something was missing, and then her brain realised that there wasn’t any sea spray, and then she giggled, because of course there wasn’t any sea spray, they were totally stationary! She kinda missed the sensation, but, again, big splash of water plus electronic boots was not a good mix!
“Hey, Kaya!” Bethan yelled, turning around and craning her neck to look up at the cabin. “Do you think that big light still works? Like, do you think if we came back here at night or something we could turn it on and, ooh, shine it across the rest of the flotilla? That would be pretty fun, right?”
She paused, and tilted her head, thinking.
“Or maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea…”
((continued from Shavasana))
He had been running.
Skidded to a stop on the landing.
Looked at her coat.
Looked at her ankle.
Needed to be sure.
He extended the bangstick, and pointed it at the two of them.
"What teams are you on?"
Still needed to ask his question.
He had been running.
Skidded to a stop on the landing.
Looked at her coat.
Looked at her ankle.
Needed to be sure.
He extended the bangstick, and pointed it at the two of them.
"What teams are you on?"
Still needed to ask his question.
Kaya laughed from the deck of the boat. "I guess we could try, if you wanted. If we had some way of making it a signal, it'd be helpful." Lowering the gun, Kaya began to walk back towards the cabin to check it out when Emmett approached.
Immediately, she ran back over to the deck and raised the gun, pointing it towards Emmett, brows furrowed. "Hi, Emmett." She said in a low voice. From the irritation on her face, it would appear she recognized him.
"Buccaneers. You?" She replied coldly.
Immediately, she ran back over to the deck and raised the gun, pointing it towards Emmett, brows furrowed. "Hi, Emmett." She said in a low voice. From the irritation on her face, it would appear she recognized him.
"Buccaneers. You?" She replied coldly.
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Pippi
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She heard the sound of footsteps as she looked up at the sky, heavy boots stomping against wood, but even with that knowledge, Bethan still jumped and yelped as Emmett ran up the gangplank, coming to a halt so suddenly she thought she saw smoke trailing from his heels. She was… aware of Emmett, and from the face of thunder Kaya was wearing, she did too. Bethan had avoided his nastiness first-hand thanks to, y’know, incompatibility, but she’d witnessed the fallout enough times to know that he wasn’t exactly a super pleasant guy!
There was also something in his hand, something he was pointing right at her chest. A fishing rod? Except without a line or tackle, and a solid shiny chrome all over. And her spear wasn’t exactly easy to hide; you wouldn’t exactly bring a fishing rod to a lance fight unless you were super super confident in your fighting prowess, right?
Not that there was going to be a fight, of course! Emmett was just… on his own adventure! Looking for teammates! And… and he was probably just jumpy because he’d been rudely awakened or he didn’t like the sea or… or something!
Her knuckles began to mirror the tension of Emmett’s own as she clutched tightly to her spear, forcing a grin back onto her face, hoping that her eyes didn’t give the game away.
“Y-Yeah! We’re both… both Buccaneers!”
She quickly pointed at the bright beacon wrapped around the pike’s haft with her free hand, before it too clutched the wooden shaft, just above her other clenched fist.
“Oh, that’s, um, pink team! If you didn’t know! We’re with Stephanie!”
There was also something in his hand, something he was pointing right at her chest. A fishing rod? Except without a line or tackle, and a solid shiny chrome all over. And her spear wasn’t exactly easy to hide; you wouldn’t exactly bring a fishing rod to a lance fight unless you were super super confident in your fighting prowess, right?
Not that there was going to be a fight, of course! Emmett was just… on his own adventure! Looking for teammates! And… and he was probably just jumpy because he’d been rudely awakened or he didn’t like the sea or… or something!
Her knuckles began to mirror the tension of Emmett’s own as she clutched tightly to her spear, forcing a grin back onto her face, hoping that her eyes didn’t give the game away.
“Y-Yeah! We’re both… both Buccaneers!”
She quickly pointed at the bright beacon wrapped around the pike’s haft with her free hand, before it too clutched the wooden shaft, just above her other clenched fist.
“Oh, that’s, um, pink team! If you didn’t know! We’re with Stephanie!”
He instinctively looked at the bandana around his wrist.
Tapped his collar in no particular place.
"Hey. Stephanie. They telling the truth?"
Tapped his collar in no particular place.
"Hey. Stephanie. They telling the truth?"
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Wham Yubeesling
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A voice comes out of Emmett's collar:
"They are! Congrats, you three. You all got together, um, quick as a jiffy!"
"They are! Congrats, you three. You all got together, um, quick as a jiffy!"
There's an audible giggle, before the voice becomes a lot louder.
"Though, um, if none of you mind, would it be okay for you to step somewhere where you're by yourself, Kaya? It's, um, not really something you need to be scared of. Just, um, need to talk to you alone, for a bit. About your thing. If that's okay?"
"They are! Congrats, you three. You all got together, um, quick as a jiffy!"
And Emmett Purcell finally breathed out.
"Thank fucking god."
((SB09: EMMETT PURCELL - START))
Emmett hadn't even had the dignity of being around friends when the men in suits came for him - he was skipping class to have the breakfast he skipped. The ironic thing was, that completely smashed and crumpled bacon sandwich that looked like a clogged lung was looking pretty good right about the point he realized he had no food in his bag except what he supposed they served at Disneyworld.
He'd never even processed the possibility of him ever ending up on SOTF. To him, it was a thing that happened to other schools, other classes. Entire goddamn generations of kids wiped out because people liked their action stories, Emmett included in that. He was guilty more than anything of perpetuating the whole fucking thing just by watching those edited livestreams and thinking about how cool Karen Ruiz was.
His parents were right all along - it really did rot his brain.
He'd not had much time to make a decision throughout the whole thing, but from the moment he woke up he knew he had to find a better weapon, and find his teammates. He didn't care who they were, which grade they were in, or if they hated his guts or he couldn't stand them (okay, Xander Miles Of All People might have been a hard sell) - he needed to find them, he needed to team up with them, and he needed to make sure something happened.
Which is why he hadn't stopped moving. He'd found the boat, found the people, tried to mug them for better weapons only to find the bee kid and his goddamn balls on a string, and that nerd with the knife he wasn't touching with his literal four-foot pole.
And he still hadn't stopped moving when he left. He heard screams, he heard gunshots at one point as he passed underneath the front of the cruiseship, but he couldn't see anyone until this coastguard boat, where he'd made a beeline straight for them. Whoever they were, they had a team, and they had weapons, and either way they would be of use to him.
Which they were, because Kaya had a gun and they were both on his team.
Emmett relaxed his stance, letting the bangstick fall to the ground with a clatter and gripping his knees with his hands as he began taking in the breaths he never got throughout all of this. Finally. His goddamn team.
Still not getting enough breath, Emmett slipped his pack off to the side and near crumpled but near spread to the ground, facing the sky, but finally getting in the air as he took deep breaths. He wasn't even paying attention to anything Stephanie was saying after the confirmation, because whatever it was, it couldn't be as good as the news he'd received right now.
"Thank fucking god."
And Emmett Purcell finally breathed out.
"Thank fucking god."
((SB09: EMMETT PURCELL - START))
Emmett hadn't even had the dignity of being around friends when the men in suits came for him - he was skipping class to have the breakfast he skipped. The ironic thing was, that completely smashed and crumpled bacon sandwich that looked like a clogged lung was looking pretty good right about the point he realized he had no food in his bag except what he supposed they served at Disneyworld.
He'd never even processed the possibility of him ever ending up on SOTF. To him, it was a thing that happened to other schools, other classes. Entire goddamn generations of kids wiped out because people liked their action stories, Emmett included in that. He was guilty more than anything of perpetuating the whole fucking thing just by watching those edited livestreams and thinking about how cool Karen Ruiz was.
His parents were right all along - it really did rot his brain.
He'd not had much time to make a decision throughout the whole thing, but from the moment he woke up he knew he had to find a better weapon, and find his teammates. He didn't care who they were, which grade they were in, or if they hated his guts or he couldn't stand them (okay, Xander Miles Of All People might have been a hard sell) - he needed to find them, he needed to team up with them, and he needed to make sure something happened.
Which is why he hadn't stopped moving. He'd found the boat, found the people, tried to mug them for better weapons only to find the bee kid and his goddamn balls on a string, and that nerd with the knife he wasn't touching with his literal four-foot pole.
And he still hadn't stopped moving when he left. He heard screams, he heard gunshots at one point as he passed underneath the front of the cruiseship, but he couldn't see anyone until this coastguard boat, where he'd made a beeline straight for them. Whoever they were, they had a team, and they had weapons, and either way they would be of use to him.
Which they were, because Kaya had a gun and they were both on his team.
Emmett relaxed his stance, letting the bangstick fall to the ground with a clatter and gripping his knees with his hands as he began taking in the breaths he never got throughout all of this. Finally. His goddamn team.
Still not getting enough breath, Emmett slipped his pack off to the side and near crumpled but near spread to the ground, facing the sky, but finally getting in the air as he took deep breaths. He wasn't even paying attention to anything Stephanie was saying after the confirmation, because whatever it was, it couldn't be as good as the news he'd received right now.
"Thank fucking god."
Kaya's shoulders lowered a little as he spoke, and at Stephanie's voice and Emmett dropping his weapon, she lowered her gun in turn, pointing it at the deck. "Alright, cool." She replied, her gaze remaining on Emmett for a bit. Her eyebrows rose slightly as he dropped to the ground. "You good?" She called. After a moment more of watching him, she shrugged.
Kaya turned her head to look at the still seemingly empty cabin, then twisted further, craning her neck to look towards Bethan. "You okay waiting out here for a second? I'm gonna go in the cabin real quick and see what our pirate captain wants me for." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "If anything happens, just yell, okay?"
With a reassuring smile, Kaya walked up the stairs to the cabin, pulled open the door, and stepped inside, slamming it behind her. She walked across the room towards the controls. She stopped, turned, and leaned her back against one of the control panels, making sure not to press up against anything. Leaning her gun against the panel, barrel pointing down, Kaya folded her arms and looked up at a nearby camera, situated in the upper corner of the room.
"So, Cap, what's up?" She asked lightly.
Kaya turned her head to look at the still seemingly empty cabin, then twisted further, craning her neck to look towards Bethan. "You okay waiting out here for a second? I'm gonna go in the cabin real quick and see what our pirate captain wants me for." Her voice dropped to a low whisper. "If anything happens, just yell, okay?"
With a reassuring smile, Kaya walked up the stairs to the cabin, pulled open the door, and stepped inside, slamming it behind her. She walked across the room towards the controls. She stopped, turned, and leaned her back against one of the control panels, making sure not to press up against anything. Leaning her gun against the panel, barrel pointing down, Kaya folded her arms and looked up at a nearby camera, situated in the upper corner of the room.
"So, Cap, what's up?" She asked lightly.
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Pippi
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Oh.
Oh!
Oh he was a fellow Buccaneer, wasn’t he? Yeah, Bethan could totally see the pink bandana wrapped around his wrist now! Y’know, in all the commotion, she’d totally managed to miss it! Her eyes had been all focused on what was presumably the business end of the, err, metal stick thingy, and on Emmett’s rather wild-eyed expression.
She felt relief wash over her, as her grip on the pike loosened, and her left hand fell back down by her side, and the spear shifted from its defensive diagonal position, back to standing up straight and tall, a banner for the rest of the Buccaneer’s to look for and to follow, and she felt herself take a deep deep breath.
Which was silly, really, because she hadn’t been in any danger at all, right? She was just, y’know! Still getting used to the fact that everybody was carting weapons around and stuff! Which was totally fair, really, right? Seeing people wandering around with guns so openly and brazenly wasn’t normal in… well. It wasn’t normal in Mandeville and Swansea, at least!
“Oh, yeah, sure thing, Kaya!” Bethan replied, nodding at the other girl as she made her way to the cabin. “We’ll be fine out here, don’t worry!”
She waited for the door to snap shut - kinda loud, honestly, but it looked like it was made solidly 100% of heavy metal like everything else on this boat, so not a huge surprise there - before she took a couple of steps closer to Emmett, spear tapping against the ground alongside her.
“Um!”
Okay, look! Yes, they were all on a team together, and that was super great and all, buuuuut… Emmett wasn’t really a nice guy! At all! So the prospect of talking to him one on one, nobody else in the vicinity, that was kinda scary!
Bethan took a deep breath, then clenched her fists, trying to pump herself up, hoping Emmett was too focused on the clouds he was staring at to notice her actions. She could do this. She could do this! There was plenty more stuff she could say now and that they could talk about, now that they were out of the classroom and on an adventure on the high seas! And if she could get through this conversation unscathed then, well, she could probably get through anything, really!
“Are you doing all right? Do you need some water? Wait, no, that’s dumb, you have your own water don’t you? Um… How have things been? So far? For you? How’s your, um, adventure been?”
She smiled down at the boy, Perspex cloud caught between finger and thumb, gently swivelling as she spoke.
“I’ve never been on a boat like this before! It’s kinda… exciting, isn’t it?”
Oh!
Oh he was a fellow Buccaneer, wasn’t he? Yeah, Bethan could totally see the pink bandana wrapped around his wrist now! Y’know, in all the commotion, she’d totally managed to miss it! Her eyes had been all focused on what was presumably the business end of the, err, metal stick thingy, and on Emmett’s rather wild-eyed expression.
She felt relief wash over her, as her grip on the pike loosened, and her left hand fell back down by her side, and the spear shifted from its defensive diagonal position, back to standing up straight and tall, a banner for the rest of the Buccaneer’s to look for and to follow, and she felt herself take a deep deep breath.
Which was silly, really, because she hadn’t been in any danger at all, right? She was just, y’know! Still getting used to the fact that everybody was carting weapons around and stuff! Which was totally fair, really, right? Seeing people wandering around with guns so openly and brazenly wasn’t normal in… well. It wasn’t normal in Mandeville and Swansea, at least!
“Oh, yeah, sure thing, Kaya!” Bethan replied, nodding at the other girl as she made her way to the cabin. “We’ll be fine out here, don’t worry!”
She waited for the door to snap shut - kinda loud, honestly, but it looked like it was made solidly 100% of heavy metal like everything else on this boat, so not a huge surprise there - before she took a couple of steps closer to Emmett, spear tapping against the ground alongside her.
“Um!”
Okay, look! Yes, they were all on a team together, and that was super great and all, buuuuut… Emmett wasn’t really a nice guy! At all! So the prospect of talking to him one on one, nobody else in the vicinity, that was kinda scary!
Bethan took a deep breath, then clenched her fists, trying to pump herself up, hoping Emmett was too focused on the clouds he was staring at to notice her actions. She could do this. She could do this! There was plenty more stuff she could say now and that they could talk about, now that they were out of the classroom and on an adventure on the high seas! And if she could get through this conversation unscathed then, well, she could probably get through anything, really!
“Are you doing all right? Do you need some water? Wait, no, that’s dumb, you have your own water don’t you? Um… How have things been? So far? For you? How’s your, um, adventure been?”
She smiled down at the boy, Perspex cloud caught between finger and thumb, gently swivelling as she spoke.
“I’ve never been on a boat like this before! It’s kinda… exciting, isn’t it?”
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Wham Yubeesling
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A voice comes out of Emmett's collar, as he and Bethan climb up the boat:
"Um... I'm... not really sure if there's anything left I really have to say, but I can still speak here so I'll do my best to give you some general advice: stick together. Try your best to lay low. Don't do any fights if you don't have to — if you're sure you can maybe plunder something without any cost for yourself, but don't do anything that'll make people think of you as, um, scary and threatening and stuff. And don't worry. I'll do my best to get you through this. You two are my favourites. I won't let anyone fall overboard."
"Um... I'm... not really sure if there's anything left I really have to say, but I can still speak here so I'll do my best to give you some general advice: stick together. Try your best to lay low. Don't do any fights if you don't have to — if you're sure you can maybe plunder something without any cost for yourself, but don't do anything that'll make people think of you as, um, scary and threatening and stuff. And don't worry. I'll do my best to get you through this. You two are my favourites. I won't let anyone fall overboard."
A voice comes out of Kaya's collar, almost akin to a whisper, as if she's trying to make sure nobody else hears.
"Okay. Hi. Sorry for pulling you aside, I just needed to, um, make some things clear. Those two are your teammates. Your teammates will be a fantastic... I think the word Jewel would use is... asset, to get you through this. They are not the be-all-end-all to winning this game, though. Especially those two. If it's a choice between saving the other two and saving yourself, save yourself. Don't get yourself killed just because they're your teammates. Um, okay?"
"Okay. Hi. Sorry for pulling you aside, I just needed to, um, make some things clear. Those two are your teammates. Your teammates will be a fantastic... I think the word Jewel would use is... asset, to get you through this. They are not the be-all-end-all to winning this game, though. Especially those two. If it's a choice between saving the other two and saving yourself, save yourself. Don't get yourself killed just because they're your teammates. Um, okay?"
There's the sound of a sigh.
"Sorry if this sounds rude. I just... think you need to know the truth. I, um, don't think those two are really capable of making it far in this game. I think you are. It'd be great to maybe get everyone out of this, but... maybe getting double isn't worth maybe getting nothing. I'll do my best to lead all of you, but... you're my favourite. One of my favourites. If there's someone here I can truly help out, it's you."
Do you know what Emmett thought of Bethan Gayle when they were back at school together?
Emmett thought Bethan Gayle was a freak. He thought she dressed like she had mental problems, she dyed her hair like she was trying to pretend she didn't have mental problems, and she was just as overly obsessed with SOTF as their worst classmates, which just confirmed to Emmett that she did have mental problems. To him, all of this, on top of being a lesbian and not even remotely worth trying to interact with since he wasn't going to be able to fuck her even if he wanted to, meant she was worth nothing to him and he would probably never think of her again once he left high school, except when thinking about how many weird, abnormal, un-American people he shared a class with.
And do you know what Emmett thought of Kaya Robinson when they were back at school together?
Even less. Her muscles were ugly, she was one of those overly obsessed classmates who were all about SOTF, and he found her desire to win despite her numerous setbacks in his eyes grossly unappealing - he really hated girls who were cocky for no reason, especially when they didn't deserve it. He'd not even remember her when thinking back on his class of abnormal un-American weirdos as the years went on.
But do you know what Emmett Purcell thought of Bethan Gayle and Kaya Robinson now that they were sharing a team on SOTF?
Well, things were different now.
Emmett had a moral obligation to make sure they lived.
What he'd thought of them back in high school didn't mean shit, because the only thing running through Emmett's mind as he looked up at the babbling Bethan standing above him was that he had been taken from his family, as had everyone else here, and the only way this was going to be worth anything was if as many people lived as possible.
And that meant a team victory, preferably of Stephanie's Buccaneers.
There were probably other factors at play here - Karen Ruiz and Jewel whatsername were people that existed - but the important thing now was that Emmett find his teammates, get them together, and make sure they all had the best chance at living as possible. From what he could tell, there were big teams out there - that meant lots of people living if everything went right, but it had to go right.
When Bethan stopped talking, he blinked.
"Haven't been on a boat either, Beth. Can't even swim."
The relative relaxation Emmett felt as he lay there on the deck was unnerving and undeserving, but he didn't move.
"And it's been shit, Bethan. I'm on SOTF."
He didn't feel like he'd said anything wrong there, but he knew Bethan would probably take offense to that.
"...sorry. It's not been a good time."
Emmett thought Bethan Gayle was a freak. He thought she dressed like she had mental problems, she dyed her hair like she was trying to pretend she didn't have mental problems, and she was just as overly obsessed with SOTF as their worst classmates, which just confirmed to Emmett that she did have mental problems. To him, all of this, on top of being a lesbian and not even remotely worth trying to interact with since he wasn't going to be able to fuck her even if he wanted to, meant she was worth nothing to him and he would probably never think of her again once he left high school, except when thinking about how many weird, abnormal, un-American people he shared a class with.
And do you know what Emmett thought of Kaya Robinson when they were back at school together?
Even less. Her muscles were ugly, she was one of those overly obsessed classmates who were all about SOTF, and he found her desire to win despite her numerous setbacks in his eyes grossly unappealing - he really hated girls who were cocky for no reason, especially when they didn't deserve it. He'd not even remember her when thinking back on his class of abnormal un-American weirdos as the years went on.
But do you know what Emmett Purcell thought of Bethan Gayle and Kaya Robinson now that they were sharing a team on SOTF?
Well, things were different now.
Emmett had a moral obligation to make sure they lived.
What he'd thought of them back in high school didn't mean shit, because the only thing running through Emmett's mind as he looked up at the babbling Bethan standing above him was that he had been taken from his family, as had everyone else here, and the only way this was going to be worth anything was if as many people lived as possible.
And that meant a team victory, preferably of Stephanie's Buccaneers.
There were probably other factors at play here - Karen Ruiz and Jewel whatsername were people that existed - but the important thing now was that Emmett find his teammates, get them together, and make sure they all had the best chance at living as possible. From what he could tell, there were big teams out there - that meant lots of people living if everything went right, but it had to go right.
When Bethan stopped talking, he blinked.
"Haven't been on a boat either, Beth. Can't even swim."
The relative relaxation Emmett felt as he lay there on the deck was unnerving and undeserving, but he didn't move.
"And it's been shit, Bethan. I'm on SOTF."
He didn't feel like he'd said anything wrong there, but he knew Bethan would probably take offense to that.
"...sorry. It's not been a good time."
As Kaya listened, her expression was gradually cast down into a frown as she stared at the floor, brow furrowed. She tapped her foot a few times, arms still folded, biting her lip. Then, she lifted her head.
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Before you go, can you let our other teammates know we're on our way to the RocketBoat? Thanks."
Kaya picked up the gun and quickly walked out of the room, closing the door heavily behind her. "Alright, I'm good." She declared upon approaching the other two Buccaneers. Kaya grinned. "She just wanted to say kudos for being cautious with Emmett. I think she just didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it's whatever." She shrugged before rubbing her eyes.
"Anyway, we were just on our way to the RocketBoat." Kaya quirked a grin. "Figured we don't have anywhere special we need to go, so we might as well see what the deal with that was." Kaya turned her gaze down to the bangstick laying on the ground. "Uh, whatcha got there? Assume it's your weapon?"
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Before you go, can you let our other teammates know we're on our way to the RocketBoat? Thanks."
Kaya picked up the gun and quickly walked out of the room, closing the door heavily behind her. "Alright, I'm good." She declared upon approaching the other two Buccaneers. Kaya grinned. "She just wanted to say kudos for being cautious with Emmett. I think she just didn't want to hurt his feelings, but it's whatever." She shrugged before rubbing her eyes.
"Anyway, we were just on our way to the RocketBoat." Kaya quirked a grin. "Figured we don't have anywhere special we need to go, so we might as well see what the deal with that was." Kaya turned her gaze down to the bangstick laying on the ground. "Uh, whatcha got there? Assume it's your weapon?"
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Pippi
- Posts: 1118
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:32 pm
- Location: I'm Pip!
- Team Affiliation: Stephanie's Buccaneers
It wasn’t often that Bethan Gayle was left lost for words, buuuuut this was definitely one of those times!
Not really at anything Emmett had said or done, though! He looked like he’d been put through the wringer - had he been running nonstop since he’d woken up? - so him just collapsing into a heap on the deck made sense. And although his words were a lot tamer than much of his usual fare, there was still an undeniable prickle and edge running through them. Which was… well, that was good, in some ways, right? That he was still speaking like he was walking through the corridors of Mangrove High?
No, it was more the fact that a voice had decided to chime in, out of sight and out of the blue, one that had been vaguely familiar to Bethan for years thanks to adverts and late-night talk shows before it had spoken directly to her a few hours prior and become very very familiar indeed. She had yelped, and she had jumped, and she had spun around, searching for the new person who had somehow snuck up on them with no footsteps or anything, before she realised it was coming from the collar fixed around Emmett’s neck.
And now she was looking down but not quite at Emmett, standing still and not bouncing on the balls of her feet like she usually did, mulling over Stephanie’s words in her head.
Of course they were gonna stick together! They were a team, everyone on this boat, that was the whole point of teams, to stay with each other! And Emmett still made her nervous and she didn’t wanna spend more time talking with him than necessary so she’d leave that part up to Kaya (unless she also didn’t want that in which case… uh, they’d figure something out!), but! He had immediately flung his weapon down, as soon as he’d seen the pink bandanas. He was mean and rude. But he wasn’t a threat. And neither was she, and neither was Kaya! They weren’t gonna go around intimidating anyone, and if anybody did feel upset or threatened by the giant spear she was carrying then she would happily lower it for them - lower it to the ground, of course, not, like, lower it to point at them - and everything would be hunky-dory again!
So why did Stephanie feel the need to say they should avoid fights?
Surely that was taken as read, right? They were on an adventure, after all, a seafaring adventure to reach the legendary RocketBoat! They weren’t gonna… they weren’t gonna plunder anybody, they weren’t looking for other peoples’ treasure; they just wanted to explore the sights of the arena itself! So they weren’t gonna attack anybody, not now, not ever, nuh-uh, no way!
Unless…
Unless, maybe, possibly, if they got… attacked first.
She didn’t have any more time to consider that line of thought before Kaya returned, feet clanking against the metal staircase leading to and from the cabin. She listened to her friend, as she spoke about what Stephanie had said - which really didn’t seem all that secretive and necessary to mention in private but whatever! - and then she asked about the metal rod lying on the deck. Bethan nodded instinctively, quizzically tilting her head as she focused her attention on the possibly-probably-weapon.
“Is it one of those, uhh, y’know, telescoping baton thingies? Or something?”
Not really at anything Emmett had said or done, though! He looked like he’d been put through the wringer - had he been running nonstop since he’d woken up? - so him just collapsing into a heap on the deck made sense. And although his words were a lot tamer than much of his usual fare, there was still an undeniable prickle and edge running through them. Which was… well, that was good, in some ways, right? That he was still speaking like he was walking through the corridors of Mangrove High?
No, it was more the fact that a voice had decided to chime in, out of sight and out of the blue, one that had been vaguely familiar to Bethan for years thanks to adverts and late-night talk shows before it had spoken directly to her a few hours prior and become very very familiar indeed. She had yelped, and she had jumped, and she had spun around, searching for the new person who had somehow snuck up on them with no footsteps or anything, before she realised it was coming from the collar fixed around Emmett’s neck.
And now she was looking down but not quite at Emmett, standing still and not bouncing on the balls of her feet like she usually did, mulling over Stephanie’s words in her head.
Of course they were gonna stick together! They were a team, everyone on this boat, that was the whole point of teams, to stay with each other! And Emmett still made her nervous and she didn’t wanna spend more time talking with him than necessary so she’d leave that part up to Kaya (unless she also didn’t want that in which case… uh, they’d figure something out!), but! He had immediately flung his weapon down, as soon as he’d seen the pink bandanas. He was mean and rude. But he wasn’t a threat. And neither was she, and neither was Kaya! They weren’t gonna go around intimidating anyone, and if anybody did feel upset or threatened by the giant spear she was carrying then she would happily lower it for them - lower it to the ground, of course, not, like, lower it to point at them - and everything would be hunky-dory again!
So why did Stephanie feel the need to say they should avoid fights?
Surely that was taken as read, right? They were on an adventure, after all, a seafaring adventure to reach the legendary RocketBoat! They weren’t gonna… they weren’t gonna plunder anybody, they weren’t looking for other peoples’ treasure; they just wanted to explore the sights of the arena itself! So they weren’t gonna attack anybody, not now, not ever, nuh-uh, no way!
Unless…
Unless, maybe, possibly, if they got… attacked first.
She didn’t have any more time to consider that line of thought before Kaya returned, feet clanking against the metal staircase leading to and from the cabin. She listened to her friend, as she spoke about what Stephanie had said - which really didn’t seem all that secretive and necessary to mention in private but whatever! - and then she asked about the metal rod lying on the deck. Bethan nodded instinctively, quizzically tilting her head as she focused her attention on the possibly-probably-weapon.
“Is it one of those, uhh, y’know, telescoping baton thingies? Or something?”
Now here's the thing.
Emmett hadn't seen Stephanie's season. He was sure that the fact she was a winner probably meant that he was supposed to take her advice, but really? Nah. Emmett wasn't going to be able to run and hide and keep out of trouble. Not because he didn't want to, but because it just wasn't gonna happen for him.
Because unlike Stephanie, Emmett was afflicted with a weakness nobody else in this school had called "bitches be crazy".
Emmett had fucked a lot of girls, like, a lot of them. Some wouldn't call it healthy, but he called it a hobby. He liked having sex with girls, just as long as they didn't try anything gross like wanting to spend time with him or anything. For some reason, this seemed to make them hate him, especially when he did the gentlemanly thing of hyping these girls up to his friends so they would have just as much luck as him when it came to sex, which was weird, right? You hype up one girl's titties to Leslie over a beer and suddenly she's "outraged" and "never wants to speak to you again", which was stupid and not even Emmett's fault. Bethan and Kaya hadn't had the joys of the Emmett Train to Pound Town, not that they ever would, since, y'know, gross, but other girls had been on that train and these girls were probably not on Emmett's team. Literal team, by the way, not like Bethan.
Which meant if they went crazy, got a weapon, and decided to kill him on sight, well, that was going to be a problem.
Emmett wasn't exactly low profile.
And he wasn't going to spend his time here like a little bitch.
So he nodded to whatever Stephanie was saying, and the moment Kaya returned he began to get to his feet.
Hurt his feelings?
What a bitch.
If Stephanie kept on assuming Emmett was just as much of a little bitch as she was, Emmett was going to have second thoughts about saving her team, and where would that leave her?
"Alright."
They were leaving at some point, heading to a RocketBoat.
"This thing-"
Emmett strolled over and picked up his weapon, which had rolled slightly as he'd laid there.
"Bangstick, sharkstick, powerhead, whatever you call it. Poke something hard enough with the end and it fires a 5.56mm rifle cartridge into whatever it's hitting."
He flipped it around in his hand, trying to pass it off as something cool when he had just realized he'd been holding the wrong end when he'd held up the kid with the Bolas.
"I'd prefer a real gun, but hey."
Emmett hadn't seen Stephanie's season. He was sure that the fact she was a winner probably meant that he was supposed to take her advice, but really? Nah. Emmett wasn't going to be able to run and hide and keep out of trouble. Not because he didn't want to, but because it just wasn't gonna happen for him.
Because unlike Stephanie, Emmett was afflicted with a weakness nobody else in this school had called "bitches be crazy".
Emmett had fucked a lot of girls, like, a lot of them. Some wouldn't call it healthy, but he called it a hobby. He liked having sex with girls, just as long as they didn't try anything gross like wanting to spend time with him or anything. For some reason, this seemed to make them hate him, especially when he did the gentlemanly thing of hyping these girls up to his friends so they would have just as much luck as him when it came to sex, which was weird, right? You hype up one girl's titties to Leslie over a beer and suddenly she's "outraged" and "never wants to speak to you again", which was stupid and not even Emmett's fault. Bethan and Kaya hadn't had the joys of the Emmett Train to Pound Town, not that they ever would, since, y'know, gross, but other girls had been on that train and these girls were probably not on Emmett's team. Literal team, by the way, not like Bethan.
Which meant if they went crazy, got a weapon, and decided to kill him on sight, well, that was going to be a problem.
Emmett wasn't exactly low profile.
And he wasn't going to spend his time here like a little bitch.
So he nodded to whatever Stephanie was saying, and the moment Kaya returned he began to get to his feet.
Hurt his feelings?
What a bitch.
If Stephanie kept on assuming Emmett was just as much of a little bitch as she was, Emmett was going to have second thoughts about saving her team, and where would that leave her?
"Alright."
They were leaving at some point, heading to a RocketBoat.
"This thing-"
Emmett strolled over and picked up his weapon, which had rolled slightly as he'd laid there.
"Bangstick, sharkstick, powerhead, whatever you call it. Poke something hard enough with the end and it fires a 5.56mm rifle cartridge into whatever it's hitting."
He flipped it around in his hand, trying to pass it off as something cool when he had just realized he'd been holding the wrong end when he'd held up the kid with the Bolas.
"I'd prefer a real gun, but hey."