((Cody Jenkins continued from The Use of Common Sense is Secured))
The woods, the tunnels, the quarry. How many times had he traveled between them? He must have made this trip at least two, no, three times already. Whether this was some sort of unconscious decision on his part or just a random act of fate would definitely have made for an interesting conversation, for sure, if he had somebody with him to talk to. Which, of course, he didn't. Fucking Bunny Barlowe had made sure of that.
Cody sighed as he trudged through the shade. His physical travels weren't the only pattern here. Everyone he had met so far on this island was either dead, or batshit insane. Thankfully, that list of people didn't seem to include Chuck, at least from what he could tell from the announcements. That guy had a good head on his shoulders, so it was no surprise that he was taking good care of himself. At this rate, it looked like the two of them might be some of the last ones standing. If that ended up being the case... It wasn't a pleasant thought, but Cody wasn't one of those people who avoided thinking about things that made him uncomfortable. Unlike the majority of the population, it seemed. After all, that was how the government got away with this whole scheme in the first place.
The idea of going along with this "game" and giving these fuckers what they wanted made his skin crawl, but despite all that, it was looking more and more like he wasn't going to have a choice in the matter. Living meant making sacrifices, and making sacrifices meant making the decisions that nobody else could. He had to put emotion aside and think rationally about the situation. It had to be him who got out. Nobody else on this island had the slightest inkling about what was going on. Nobody but Cody Jenkins would have even the slightest chance in hell of exposing what was really going on here, and putting a stop to it once and for all. Of course, how exactly he was going to accomplish that was still up for discussion, but he'd have plenty of time to think about that when he got out of here.
And so continued the story of a teenage boy walking through a forest, hoping that his best friend would get murdered by somebody before he had to do it himself.
Die Hand Die Verletzt
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Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
((Natali Greer continued from The Whole Enchilada))
She was back at the woods, now. Back at the woods where she had meet Kyran and Kris, Adonis and Tina, and managed to almost get herself killed. She was scared back then, was still scared now, but she was a bit stronger now, right? Had two guns instead of one now, wasn't limping all over the place, and she was still alive. Better than Blaine, the psycho he wa, and Adonis, who was another casualty left in the wake of Saachi's rampage. Saachi had killed five people now, hadn't she? Maybe even more? Natali didn't know whether to think that she should have expected it, as ambitious and competitive the other girl was even when they weren't fighting for their lives, and so she pushed that out of her mind as she continued to walk through the trees, trying to keep an eye and an ear out for anyone who could be lurking out there. She was still wondering about one other thing, though, another thing that had threatened to keep her up the whole night, when she was camping out in the tunnels.
She was wondering whether staring at the blood on your hands would ever get easier. It had to, at least with Saachi, because otherwise she wouldn't keep on killing and killing, right? Not with everything staring back at you like you were looking in a lake and instead of seeing yourself you saw a dead boy, a blind boy, one that you left with a gaping hole in his head. She had shook her head, tried to keep on going because moving meant you were breathing, moving meant she was moving away from the escape ideas of idealistic idiots, away from ending up cold and dead on the ground.
Her grip on the gun tightened. It still felt cold, not like how it felt before that night, before Aria, but she needed it, and so she wasn't about to just go and give it up. That would be stupid, something to never consider if she was really trying to survive, but it still made her stomach bubble and churn, as if all of her meager meals over the past few days would erupt from her body. Natali still didn't know whether she could do it again, and she'd have to, and maybe she could maybe she couldn't but it would come, but that wasn't something good to think about.
Neither was the thought that she abandoned people who really didn't mean her any harm, but at least that one made her focus. Made her keep her guard up, watching and waiting for the sound of footsteps on the ground, any sign of movement in the brush and bramble.
As soon as she heard footsteps, as soon as she caught brown hair in the forest, she called out. Wasn't a move for optimal survivability or whatever, but speaking was good.
"Hey you," She asked, gun still at her side. "What're you doing?"
Probably trying to live, she supposed, but anything to keep her mind off of everything else was good. And, if they weren't, the metal burning next to her would probably do.
She was back at the woods, now. Back at the woods where she had meet Kyran and Kris, Adonis and Tina, and managed to almost get herself killed. She was scared back then, was still scared now, but she was a bit stronger now, right? Had two guns instead of one now, wasn't limping all over the place, and she was still alive. Better than Blaine, the psycho he wa, and Adonis, who was another casualty left in the wake of Saachi's rampage. Saachi had killed five people now, hadn't she? Maybe even more? Natali didn't know whether to think that she should have expected it, as ambitious and competitive the other girl was even when they weren't fighting for their lives, and so she pushed that out of her mind as she continued to walk through the trees, trying to keep an eye and an ear out for anyone who could be lurking out there. She was still wondering about one other thing, though, another thing that had threatened to keep her up the whole night, when she was camping out in the tunnels.
She was wondering whether staring at the blood on your hands would ever get easier. It had to, at least with Saachi, because otherwise she wouldn't keep on killing and killing, right? Not with everything staring back at you like you were looking in a lake and instead of seeing yourself you saw a dead boy, a blind boy, one that you left with a gaping hole in his head. She had shook her head, tried to keep on going because moving meant you were breathing, moving meant she was moving away from the escape ideas of idealistic idiots, away from ending up cold and dead on the ground.
Her grip on the gun tightened. It still felt cold, not like how it felt before that night, before Aria, but she needed it, and so she wasn't about to just go and give it up. That would be stupid, something to never consider if she was really trying to survive, but it still made her stomach bubble and churn, as if all of her meager meals over the past few days would erupt from her body. Natali still didn't know whether she could do it again, and she'd have to, and maybe she could maybe she couldn't but it would come, but that wasn't something good to think about.
Neither was the thought that she abandoned people who really didn't mean her any harm, but at least that one made her focus. Made her keep her guard up, watching and waiting for the sound of footsteps on the ground, any sign of movement in the brush and bramble.
As soon as she heard footsteps, as soon as she caught brown hair in the forest, she called out. Wasn't a move for optimal survivability or whatever, but speaking was good.
"Hey you," She asked, gun still at her side. "What're you doing?"
Probably trying to live, she supposed, but anything to keep her mind off of everything else was good. And, if they weren't, the metal burning next to her would probably do.
Fuck, he wasn't alone.
Cody's eyes darted from side to side as he tried to figure out what direction the voice was coming from. A cursory sweep of his surroundings revealed little besides green foliage and dark shadows, a fact that did nothing to calm his quickening pulse. For now, the best course of action seemed to be to take cover behind a nearby tree, which Cody quickly did. If he couldn’t see her, than she wasn’t close enough to get a good shot on him, or at least, that was what he hoped. Well, either that or she was trying to get him to let his guard down so she could get in close and take him out before he could fight back. One or the other, possibly both.
These thoughts raced through his mind as he pressed himself against the bark of tree, gripping the shotgun tightly as he concentrated on trying to tell who was talking to him. It sounded familiar, though honestly, it would have been stranger if it didn’t. They were classmates, after all. Who goes through life without hearing your fellow student’s voice at least once, unless they were some sort of robot who never spoke. Then again, a robot would kind of stand out, just by appearance, and if a robot were actually attending their school, the media would be all over it...
Cody’s eyes opened wide as he remembered where he had heard the voice before. Cody wasn’t exactly one for extracurriculars, but he had followed Chuck to a few meetings here and there. The closest he had ever come to joining a club was during the time he followed Chuck into some discussion meeting for the school newspaper. The idea of having a column to spread the word of the really important news was attractive, of course, but the supervising teacher dismissed his ideas as “unprofessional” and “not newsworthy”. What an idiot. Of course he wasn’t going to find credible sources about the real dangers of water fluoridation if all the sources that she deemed “credible” were clearly on the government’s payroll!
Putting that aside, he had taken careful trouble to take down the names of everyone in the club before he had been unceremoniously ejected. (Or at least, that was the way he saw it.) Anyway, who knew if one of those people was going to get famous one day, and he’d have to contact them to break some sort of a scoop. He shared a few classes with the paper’s photographer, and this girl’s voice sounded a lot like hers.
Probably would be best to test the theory first, before he planned his next course of action. He called out into the woods, aiming his voice at nobody in particular.
“Natalie?”
Cody's eyes darted from side to side as he tried to figure out what direction the voice was coming from. A cursory sweep of his surroundings revealed little besides green foliage and dark shadows, a fact that did nothing to calm his quickening pulse. For now, the best course of action seemed to be to take cover behind a nearby tree, which Cody quickly did. If he couldn’t see her, than she wasn’t close enough to get a good shot on him, or at least, that was what he hoped. Well, either that or she was trying to get him to let his guard down so she could get in close and take him out before he could fight back. One or the other, possibly both.
These thoughts raced through his mind as he pressed himself against the bark of tree, gripping the shotgun tightly as he concentrated on trying to tell who was talking to him. It sounded familiar, though honestly, it would have been stranger if it didn’t. They were classmates, after all. Who goes through life without hearing your fellow student’s voice at least once, unless they were some sort of robot who never spoke. Then again, a robot would kind of stand out, just by appearance, and if a robot were actually attending their school, the media would be all over it...
Cody’s eyes opened wide as he remembered where he had heard the voice before. Cody wasn’t exactly one for extracurriculars, but he had followed Chuck to a few meetings here and there. The closest he had ever come to joining a club was during the time he followed Chuck into some discussion meeting for the school newspaper. The idea of having a column to spread the word of the really important news was attractive, of course, but the supervising teacher dismissed his ideas as “unprofessional” and “not newsworthy”. What an idiot. Of course he wasn’t going to find credible sources about the real dangers of water fluoridation if all the sources that she deemed “credible” were clearly on the government’s payroll!
Putting that aside, he had taken careful trouble to take down the names of everyone in the club before he had been unceremoniously ejected. (Or at least, that was the way he saw it.) Anyway, who knew if one of those people was going to get famous one day, and he’d have to contact them to break some sort of a scoop. He shared a few classes with the paper’s photographer, and this girl’s voice sounded a lot like hers.
Probably would be best to test the theory first, before he planned his next course of action. He called out into the woods, aiming his voice at nobody in particular.
“Natalie?”
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Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
The silence was always the worst part of conversations.
Even before this, even before she was forced to fight for her life and continue fighting for one more gasp of air, for one more hurried heartbeat, the silence had always managed to be so deafening, the intake of breath before another word or even a rushed goodbye. Back then, though, a bit of awkwardness wasn't that big of a deal - it was just a light giggle, and then a return to the rhythm of the conversation, just like that.
Now, though? That silence felt like it could kill, choking the life out of each uttered word, leaving her alone in the woods with a brain full of paranoid thoughts and a gun. That wasn't a great sign, no, especially when waiting to see if the response to her question would be words or bullets.
In that case, the voice that came from somewhere else in the woods was better than many of the other possibilities that awaited her, even if that just meant it was squarely in the middle of the pack when it came to what she wanted. Not that Natali really knew what else she would have wanted out of this, other than preferably not a bullet or a bat to the face, but encountering Cody Jenkins in the woods wasn't really amazing, either.
So, okay, it wasn't that he was rude or anything, but she still remembered that unfortunate newspaper meeting, and Nat was fairly sure that she did not want to be having a redo of that memory any time soon. It was pretty odd to be remembering something like that, something that had seemed so weird at the time but something she probably should have longed for now, a semblance of normalcy or just a place in which the only way out wasn't murder, but it still felt out of place to her, in a sense. Like not everything really fit together, a puzzle piece just out of alignment in a way.
Maybe it was a desire to clear up the situation, or simple impatience, but she narrowed her eyes and called out once more in response to probably-Cody, voice echoing in the trees.
"Mmmhmm. Got anything you want to say to me?"
Wasn't as if she could hide, anyways. Neon blue wasn't exactly renowned for it's camouflaging properties.
Even before this, even before she was forced to fight for her life and continue fighting for one more gasp of air, for one more hurried heartbeat, the silence had always managed to be so deafening, the intake of breath before another word or even a rushed goodbye. Back then, though, a bit of awkwardness wasn't that big of a deal - it was just a light giggle, and then a return to the rhythm of the conversation, just like that.
Now, though? That silence felt like it could kill, choking the life out of each uttered word, leaving her alone in the woods with a brain full of paranoid thoughts and a gun. That wasn't a great sign, no, especially when waiting to see if the response to her question would be words or bullets.
In that case, the voice that came from somewhere else in the woods was better than many of the other possibilities that awaited her, even if that just meant it was squarely in the middle of the pack when it came to what she wanted. Not that Natali really knew what else she would have wanted out of this, other than preferably not a bullet or a bat to the face, but encountering Cody Jenkins in the woods wasn't really amazing, either.
So, okay, it wasn't that he was rude or anything, but she still remembered that unfortunate newspaper meeting, and Nat was fairly sure that she did not want to be having a redo of that memory any time soon. It was pretty odd to be remembering something like that, something that had seemed so weird at the time but something she probably should have longed for now, a semblance of normalcy or just a place in which the only way out wasn't murder, but it still felt out of place to her, in a sense. Like not everything really fit together, a puzzle piece just out of alignment in a way.
Maybe it was a desire to clear up the situation, or simple impatience, but she narrowed her eyes and called out once more in response to probably-Cody, voice echoing in the trees.
"Mmmhmm. Got anything you want to say to me?"
Wasn't as if she could hide, anyways. Neon blue wasn't exactly renowned for it's camouflaging properties.
So, it was her. That definitely cleared things up a bit. Now onto the next part of the plan.
Unlike many of his classmates, most likely, Cody had actually been paying attention to the announcements. The girl in the woods with him had a kill to her name, though only one, thankfully. Killing a guy in his sleep didn’t really speak for one’s combat ability, though that was no reason to relax just yet.
A flash of bright blue caught Cody’s eye as he scanned the area where the voice was coming from. The knowledge of where she was eased the knot in his stomach somewhat. Now that they both knew where the other was, things were a lot more even. Keeping still with his gun trained in her direction, he called out the most important question to ask of her at the moment.
“Yeah, one thing. Why’d you kill Aria?”
Best to clear that up before anything else. Accidental kills happened, he knew from last time, though it seemed pretty unlikely to accidentally kill a sleeping person. In any case, it would be important to know if she was dangerous, if he had to take her out.
Fuck, take her out?. That phrase was going to take a lot of getting used to.
Unlike many of his classmates, most likely, Cody had actually been paying attention to the announcements. The girl in the woods with him had a kill to her name, though only one, thankfully. Killing a guy in his sleep didn’t really speak for one’s combat ability, though that was no reason to relax just yet.
A flash of bright blue caught Cody’s eye as he scanned the area where the voice was coming from. The knowledge of where she was eased the knot in his stomach somewhat. Now that they both knew where the other was, things were a lot more even. Keeping still with his gun trained in her direction, he called out the most important question to ask of her at the moment.
“Yeah, one thing. Why’d you kill Aria?”
Best to clear that up before anything else. Accidental kills happened, he knew from last time, though it seemed pretty unlikely to accidentally kill a sleeping person. In any case, it would be important to know if she was dangerous, if he had to take her out.
Fuck, take her out?. That phrase was going to take a lot of getting used to.
[[Kyran Dean Continued From: Hero? But I'm a Kid Like Everyone Else.]]
Running past through the underbrush, with a scent of smoke was Kyran Dean.
His shoulder brushed into the shoulder of the boy who was standing there.
Kyran quickly spun around, turning his attention first to the two standing here, then back to the path he'd made behind him, ready to fire a burst of shot, but shook his head, strafed to the side, deciding against it.
He looked at the two, the surprise at seeing Natali who ditched them, cut short from the immediate threat looming. She was next to the boy whom Kyran recognized, but in his hurry couldn't think of a name off the bat. He gave Natali a quick look or nod, mouthing the danger beyond.
"Saachi and Miranda," Kyran replied through breaths.
Kyran looked back again, lifting the day pack he had finally retrieved after leaving it to help carry Natali on that first day, pulling out the bullet torn water bottle and tossed it to the grass.
Hopefully they got the picture.
He stared back over and beyond the two at the sound of approach.
"Don't shoot Tina," Kyran said as he motioned a hand to an unknown figure.
His eyes widened, he strafed to the side again and fired a short spray of spit fire.
"Lake," was all Kyran could voice as he quickly sprinted from the scene.
[[Kyran Dean Continued: Shoulder of Orion.]]
Running past through the underbrush, with a scent of smoke was Kyran Dean.
His shoulder brushed into the shoulder of the boy who was standing there.
Kyran quickly spun around, turning his attention first to the two standing here, then back to the path he'd made behind him, ready to fire a burst of shot, but shook his head, strafed to the side, deciding against it.
He looked at the two, the surprise at seeing Natali who ditched them, cut short from the immediate threat looming. She was next to the boy whom Kyran recognized, but in his hurry couldn't think of a name off the bat. He gave Natali a quick look or nod, mouthing the danger beyond.
"Saachi and Miranda," Kyran replied through breaths.
Kyran looked back again, lifting the day pack he had finally retrieved after leaving it to help carry Natali on that first day, pulling out the bullet torn water bottle and tossed it to the grass.
Hopefully they got the picture.
He stared back over and beyond the two at the sound of approach.
"Don't shoot Tina," Kyran said as he motioned a hand to an unknown figure.
His eyes widened, he strafed to the side again and fired a short spray of spit fire.
"Lake," was all Kyran could voice as he quickly sprinted from the scene.
[[Kyran Dean Continued: Shoulder of Orion.]]
((Miranda Millers continued from Hero? But I’m Just A Kid Like Everyone Else))
((GMing approved))
Miranda typically wasn’t one for revenge, or what have you.
Don’t get her wrong, could she be spiteful? A little. She got humiliated easily, and yeah, she’d retaliated a few times at home. But it was something she didn’t usually seek out. Rather… she found opportunities and took them, if that made any sense.
But here’s the thing. She also got humiliated easily, as just mentioned. And that’s how she was feeling now, as they chased after Dean. Humiliated. They were all here, and, well, they attacked first. But something still struck raw. Maybe the game had gotten to her after all. Maybe she was still the same person. Who knew?
But he hadn’t gone that far. Even with her hurt leg, her stinging eyes, Miranda could still see him. And he’d stopped, for… some reason. To talk to…
Oh great. More people. People like Natalie, whose bright blue stabbed right in the eyeballs even here, or Jenkins, that paranoid loon. If there were more people… that wasn’t good.
Miranda reached into her bag again. She only had the tire iron and the other flashbang now, but-
Kyran tossed something to the ground, and started running again. Miranda ducked behind another tree as he rose his gun again, seething as more gunshots filled the air. She stepped out from her hiding spot, to find that, oh great.
He was running again.
She heard Saachi bark another order.
Deal with Dean, I’ll deal with these two.
Miranda hesitated. Was that a good idea? Saachi could get hurt, or-
But she nodded again. And she set off.
Along the way, she pulled out the other flashbang. Just, you know, in case. She didn’t have a gun anymore, after all.
((Miranda Millers continued in Shoulder of Orion))
((GMing approved))
Miranda typically wasn’t one for revenge, or what have you.
Don’t get her wrong, could she be spiteful? A little. She got humiliated easily, and yeah, she’d retaliated a few times at home. But it was something she didn’t usually seek out. Rather… she found opportunities and took them, if that made any sense.
But here’s the thing. She also got humiliated easily, as just mentioned. And that’s how she was feeling now, as they chased after Dean. Humiliated. They were all here, and, well, they attacked first. But something still struck raw. Maybe the game had gotten to her after all. Maybe she was still the same person. Who knew?
But he hadn’t gone that far. Even with her hurt leg, her stinging eyes, Miranda could still see him. And he’d stopped, for… some reason. To talk to…
Oh great. More people. People like Natalie, whose bright blue stabbed right in the eyeballs even here, or Jenkins, that paranoid loon. If there were more people… that wasn’t good.
Miranda reached into her bag again. She only had the tire iron and the other flashbang now, but-
Kyran tossed something to the ground, and started running again. Miranda ducked behind another tree as he rose his gun again, seething as more gunshots filled the air. She stepped out from her hiding spot, to find that, oh great.
He was running again.
She heard Saachi bark another order.
Deal with Dean, I’ll deal with these two.
Miranda hesitated. Was that a good idea? Saachi could get hurt, or-
But she nodded again. And she set off.
Along the way, she pulled out the other flashbang. Just, you know, in case. She didn’t have a gun anymore, after all.
((Miranda Millers continued in Shoulder of Orion))
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Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
"I...I was scared."
Scared of everything, or maybe herself in the end of it all, but Natali just continued to keep on staring at Cody, as if eventually she would be able to see right through him as if he didn't exist at all, thumbing the trigger of her gun nervously. It was loaded, not just with hot lead and bullets, but also with the pounding of her heart, louder and louder with each step she took, with each second that passed, each time that her eyes glanced at the gun directly held in her hands.
Cody wasn't a killer, though, was he? Hadn't heard his name on the announcements no, which meant that he hadn't ever pulled the trigger, hadn't ever stopped and saw someone fall bleeding in a crumpled heap, while you were left with nothing but shame and a smoking gun, the dread running through your veins like cold, hard ice.
He couldn't do it. He shouldn't be able to. Wasn't like that, but as soon as she began to raise her gun, either to fire off a warning shot or scream for him to leave, a figure whizzed through he bushes before coming to a sudden stop, staring at them as if he had seen a ghost. Kyran Dean, stupid guy with a hero complex who had nearly gotten himself killed, and who she had abandoned that fateful morning at the parish, running off to here in search of a plan she could actually follow to in fact live. But yet, here he was, right in the flesh, staring her down before shouting out a couple of ominous warnings and continuing to run.
Saachi, Tina, Miranda. All killers, all apparently here, and all apparently heading towards the lake. There was so much to do with this information, so much that she could have said, but then the bullets whizzed past, and whatever Natali was concentrating on was replaced by the intense focus required in order to not scream in pain.
Maybe the bullet had only grazed her, but she could feel the blood running down her arm as she staggered behind a tree and readied her good arm, gun in hand, scanning the area. Was there a figure? Somewhere, off in the distance, she thought she saw someone, or maybe she didn't. But, concentrating on that possibility was better than concentrating on her arm, so she fired off two shots, and waited for whatever as next to come.
Hold out here, hold out forever.
Scared of everything, or maybe herself in the end of it all, but Natali just continued to keep on staring at Cody, as if eventually she would be able to see right through him as if he didn't exist at all, thumbing the trigger of her gun nervously. It was loaded, not just with hot lead and bullets, but also with the pounding of her heart, louder and louder with each step she took, with each second that passed, each time that her eyes glanced at the gun directly held in her hands.
Cody wasn't a killer, though, was he? Hadn't heard his name on the announcements no, which meant that he hadn't ever pulled the trigger, hadn't ever stopped and saw someone fall bleeding in a crumpled heap, while you were left with nothing but shame and a smoking gun, the dread running through your veins like cold, hard ice.
He couldn't do it. He shouldn't be able to. Wasn't like that, but as soon as she began to raise her gun, either to fire off a warning shot or scream for him to leave, a figure whizzed through he bushes before coming to a sudden stop, staring at them as if he had seen a ghost. Kyran Dean, stupid guy with a hero complex who had nearly gotten himself killed, and who she had abandoned that fateful morning at the parish, running off to here in search of a plan she could actually follow to in fact live. But yet, here he was, right in the flesh, staring her down before shouting out a couple of ominous warnings and continuing to run.
Saachi, Tina, Miranda. All killers, all apparently here, and all apparently heading towards the lake. There was so much to do with this information, so much that she could have said, but then the bullets whizzed past, and whatever Natali was concentrating on was replaced by the intense focus required in order to not scream in pain.
Maybe the bullet had only grazed her, but she could feel the blood running down her arm as she staggered behind a tree and readied her good arm, gun in hand, scanning the area. Was there a figure? Somewhere, off in the distance, she thought she saw someone, or maybe she didn't. But, concentrating on that possibility was better than concentrating on her arm, so she fired off two shots, and waited for whatever as next to come.
Hold out here, hold out forever.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
((Saachi Nidal continued from Hero? But I'm a Kid Like Everyone Else))
Miranda's leg wasn't making things easy nor was the bag that was slung over her shoulder. However, Saachi did her best to keep up in pace with Kyran, knowing that now was probably one of the best, if not only chances, she was going to get at him.
In retrospect, blindly charging after Kyran may not have been the best idea, especially since they lost sight of Tina. Saachi believed she heard the sound of footsteps behind her, but she couldn't stop to look behind. She had to keep going, keep pushing and stay in lock step with Kyran. She needed payback for her humiliation on the first day.
Maybe it was a flimsy extra justification to kill her classmate. Some would say that she was a thoughtless killer, but she felt she was always justified in her actions. In the end, she did everything with the goal of advancing herself, making sure that she made it to the end. That she survived. Everything could be traced back to her base need to survive. Michael, Jay, Jason, Adonis and Ramona. All of them were stepping stones in her path to surviving and Kyran was going to be her next.
She had to win.
She had to take control back.
Saachi stopped at the sight of Natali and Cody, watching intently as Kyran breathlessly briefed them. Just how many fucking allies did Kyran have? She jumped to a tree to her right to avoid another spray of bullets, tasting the dirt as she landed gracelessly face first. As she peeked around the tree to check on the situation, she witnessed Kyran making his leave. Saachi's mind began racing. They could both try to chase, but that could lead to them being surrounded by enemies. Tina was probably behind them and having two more people on their tail seemed to be a recipe for disaster.
"Miranda, you deal with Dean. I'll deal with these two."
Saachi was the one with the gun. Miranda could only do so much with her flashbangs and leaving her alone to deal with potentially three enemies sounded disastrous. She gave a firm look as Miranda hesitated, gripping her gun tightly. They couldn't lose Kyran, but they couldn't just leave these people be. They had to use their numbers effectively and in the moment, this seemed like the best plan.
Once Miranda nodded and made her move, Saachi quickly jumped out of her hiding spot and fired a shot towards Natali. While it probably wasn't going to be lethal due to the distance, she could at least function as a distraction. Make sure Miranda didn't lose the juicy morsel of Kyran Dean. They were so close to finishing him off, so close to getting rid of one of her main opponents. Saachi had to take this opportunity while she could.
Moving behind another tree to her right as Natali fired back, Saachi tilted her head back against the tree to think. Not that she had much time with Tina on her rear, but she couldn't just run in guns blazing. She had to get close. Looking around at all the trees, Saachi began to formulate a plan in her mind.
Turning backwards in the general direction she guessed Tina was coming from, she lifted a gun and fired a shot. Then she turned towards Natali and Cody and fired a shot towards them. After that, she started to move back to slink into the woods, hoping to circle behind the pair and get the jump on them. She made sure to be deliberate with her movements, avoiding stepping on any twigs or fallen leaves that could've given up her position. She could feel her heart racing, but knew she had to stay calm. Take deep breaths and don't expose herself. If she got caught, she could easily end up on the wrong end of a barrel. That couldn't happen.
She needed to survive.
Miranda's leg wasn't making things easy nor was the bag that was slung over her shoulder. However, Saachi did her best to keep up in pace with Kyran, knowing that now was probably one of the best, if not only chances, she was going to get at him.
In retrospect, blindly charging after Kyran may not have been the best idea, especially since they lost sight of Tina. Saachi believed she heard the sound of footsteps behind her, but she couldn't stop to look behind. She had to keep going, keep pushing and stay in lock step with Kyran. She needed payback for her humiliation on the first day.
Maybe it was a flimsy extra justification to kill her classmate. Some would say that she was a thoughtless killer, but she felt she was always justified in her actions. In the end, she did everything with the goal of advancing herself, making sure that she made it to the end. That she survived. Everything could be traced back to her base need to survive. Michael, Jay, Jason, Adonis and Ramona. All of them were stepping stones in her path to surviving and Kyran was going to be her next.
She had to win.
She had to take control back.
Saachi stopped at the sight of Natali and Cody, watching intently as Kyran breathlessly briefed them. Just how many fucking allies did Kyran have? She jumped to a tree to her right to avoid another spray of bullets, tasting the dirt as she landed gracelessly face first. As she peeked around the tree to check on the situation, she witnessed Kyran making his leave. Saachi's mind began racing. They could both try to chase, but that could lead to them being surrounded by enemies. Tina was probably behind them and having two more people on their tail seemed to be a recipe for disaster.
"Miranda, you deal with Dean. I'll deal with these two."
Saachi was the one with the gun. Miranda could only do so much with her flashbangs and leaving her alone to deal with potentially three enemies sounded disastrous. She gave a firm look as Miranda hesitated, gripping her gun tightly. They couldn't lose Kyran, but they couldn't just leave these people be. They had to use their numbers effectively and in the moment, this seemed like the best plan.
Once Miranda nodded and made her move, Saachi quickly jumped out of her hiding spot and fired a shot towards Natali. While it probably wasn't going to be lethal due to the distance, she could at least function as a distraction. Make sure Miranda didn't lose the juicy morsel of Kyran Dean. They were so close to finishing him off, so close to getting rid of one of her main opponents. Saachi had to take this opportunity while she could.
Moving behind another tree to her right as Natali fired back, Saachi tilted her head back against the tree to think. Not that she had much time with Tina on her rear, but she couldn't just run in guns blazing. She had to get close. Looking around at all the trees, Saachi began to formulate a plan in her mind.
Turning backwards in the general direction she guessed Tina was coming from, she lifted a gun and fired a shot. Then she turned towards Natali and Cody and fired a shot towards them. After that, she started to move back to slink into the woods, hoping to circle behind the pair and get the jump on them. She made sure to be deliberate with her movements, avoiding stepping on any twigs or fallen leaves that could've given up her position. She could feel her heart racing, but knew she had to stay calm. Take deep breaths and don't expose herself. If she got caught, she could easily end up on the wrong end of a barrel. That couldn't happen.
She needed to survive.
(Minus accessories)
(Minus accessories)
Tina followed Saachi. She crept behind her, stepping as sthe same time as she did, avoiding branches the best that she could. The smoke and the fire was dancing around her but she could only vaguely feel the heat on her skin. She followed her prey, she gun out ready to blow a hole in Saachi's face.
Kyran was gone and so was Miranda. She assumed Kyran was somewhere around here, she didn't remember where he was heading. Technically, he was running toward the lake so he was probably heading there and was bringing Miranda along. Tina had to handle Saachi and she was right in front of her.
Well, not really. She was somewhere in front of her. She didn't know exactly but she did hear the gunshots, helping her to follow her prey. Wait, gunshots mean she shot someone. Did she shoot Kyran and now Tina found herself outgunned. She could run away. None of this mattered to her.
Yet, she continued going that way, her gun out. She heard movement and stopped moving. She tried to listen where was the noise coming from but it was too hard to decipher with the branches and trees burning. She crouched, waiting for the next gunshot to ring.
Kyran was gone and so was Miranda. She assumed Kyran was somewhere around here, she didn't remember where he was heading. Technically, he was running toward the lake so he was probably heading there and was bringing Miranda along. Tina had to handle Saachi and she was right in front of her.
Well, not really. She was somewhere in front of her. She didn't know exactly but she did hear the gunshots, helping her to follow her prey. Wait, gunshots mean she shot someone. Did she shoot Kyran and now Tina found herself outgunned. She could run away. None of this mattered to her.
Yet, she continued going that way, her gun out. She heard movement and stopped moving. She tried to listen where was the noise coming from but it was too hard to decipher with the branches and trees burning. She crouched, waiting for the next gunshot to ring.
For the first time since he arrived on this island, Cody could honestly say that he had no idea what was going on. A crowd of people had popped out of the aether into the clearing, shouting a myriad of phrases that, without context, he had no way of understanding. More important, however, was the dangerously close sound of gunshots echoing through the trees. Taking a deep breath, he poked his head out from behind cover to get a better view of the situation. Thankfully, he didn’t seem to be in any immediate danger.
The sound of a bullet whistling past his ear put that assumption to rest as quickly as it arose. Cody quickly pulled his head back behind the tree as fired a shotgun blast in the direction of his assailant. The shot was probably too far away to do anything, but with any luck it would make them think twice about getting any closer.
Now, onto the next order of business. Risking getting shot at again was not exactly high on the priority list, but there was no way to plan any his next move without knowing what he was up against. Steeling himself for the possible retaliation, he looked out again, scanning the area before pulling back yet again.
Shit. You know that trick that they sometimes pull in monster movies, when a big, scary creature appears on screen for just a moment, only to be snapped up by something even bigger and scarier? That was basically what was happening right now. Being trapped here with Natali was bad, but even worse was being trapped here with Saachi Nidal, the biggest monster on the island. How many kills was she at now? More importantly, did it even matter anymore? With a bodycount like that, there was no room left for charity. If Cody wanted to live, he’d have to take his focus off the girl that he had been set on attacking just a few moments earlier to protect himself from the killer who had just disappeared back into the forest.
At the thought of Natali, Cody turned to face her again, his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of movement in the forest behind her. He stifled the urge to call out as he trained his shotgun in her direction. Maybe there was somebody there, maybe there wasn’t. If there was, however, he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself by making noise. In the worst case scenario, he’d be able to use any distraction coming from around her as a chance to retreat, or at least find a better position.
The sound of a bullet whistling past his ear put that assumption to rest as quickly as it arose. Cody quickly pulled his head back behind the tree as fired a shotgun blast in the direction of his assailant. The shot was probably too far away to do anything, but with any luck it would make them think twice about getting any closer.
Now, onto the next order of business. Risking getting shot at again was not exactly high on the priority list, but there was no way to plan any his next move without knowing what he was up against. Steeling himself for the possible retaliation, he looked out again, scanning the area before pulling back yet again.
Shit. You know that trick that they sometimes pull in monster movies, when a big, scary creature appears on screen for just a moment, only to be snapped up by something even bigger and scarier? That was basically what was happening right now. Being trapped here with Natali was bad, but even worse was being trapped here with Saachi Nidal, the biggest monster on the island. How many kills was she at now? More importantly, did it even matter anymore? With a bodycount like that, there was no room left for charity. If Cody wanted to live, he’d have to take his focus off the girl that he had been set on attacking just a few moments earlier to protect himself from the killer who had just disappeared back into the forest.
At the thought of Natali, Cody turned to face her again, his eyes widening as he caught a glimpse of movement in the forest behind her. He stifled the urge to call out as he trained his shotgun in her direction. Maybe there was somebody there, maybe there wasn’t. If there was, however, he didn’t want to draw any attention to himself by making noise. In the worst case scenario, he’d be able to use any distraction coming from around her as a chance to retreat, or at least find a better position.
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Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
Bullets came, and Natali waited. Breathing in, breathing out.
Was this it? Maybe. Maybe not, and so she held on, unable to move but unable to poke her head out into the trees out to see Saachi or whoever it was that was awaiting her.
The gun glinted in her hands, and so she kept on sitting, kept on waiting.
Was this it? Maybe. Maybe not, and so she held on, unable to move but unable to poke her head out into the trees out to see Saachi or whoever it was that was awaiting her.
The gun glinted in her hands, and so she kept on sitting, kept on waiting.
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jimmydalad
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm
Trying to move stealthily in the forest while maintaining some essence of speed was a difficult endeavour. The more time that passed, the harder it became for Saachi to keep her composure. She had to remind herself to be careful and watch where she was stepping. All the little twigs, dead leaves and other random things littering the floor were landmines that would blow up her position. She had to alternate between looking at the floor to check where she was stepping and seeing what was happening with Tina, Natali and Cody. Each move that she made was frustratingly slow, but she kept on telling herself that it needed to be done.
She couldn't dawdle, however, as she didn't want to leave Miranda on her own for too long. She just had a bad feeling about leaving herself on her own. The sooner she could be with her friend, the easier she'd feel about this entire situation. While logically it was for the best that she be the one to deal with Natali and Cody due to the weapon situation, she was starting to get nervous about having Miranda potentially confront Kyran considering he had an AK while at best she had flashbangs. If anything, that thought was what enough to push her to try and move faster, or at least, not as excruciatingly slow as before.
She could see Natali, unaware of the danger she was truly in. While she had hoped that a gunfight would've started between her and Tina due to her actions, at least they did the deed of distracting her so that Saachi could strike. As a predator stalking her prey, Saachi made sure to continue to stay quiet, not wanting Natali to have any time to react before she met the business end of her shotgun. She steeled her nerves as she moved closer and closer.
The separation was making the thought of killing her easily. She didn't have to worry about physically feeling her cleaver dig into someone's skull like all of her other kills. Then again, at this point, any mental hangups about killing someone should've been gone by this point. She was the person with the highest kill count. What was another mark on the tally? Just another target. Another obstacle in her way.
She was close enough now, right behind Natali. Her sneaking had managed to significantly close the distance between the two. Raising her gun, she took a deep breath and cocked it.
Saachi fired the gun straight at Natali's gut.
She didn't have time to stay for long, however. She needed to catch up to Miranda. Not even taking a second to make sure she hit, she turned around and sprinted off in the direction that she saw Miranda chase Kyran.
There was no way she could've missed. Yet, she could only hope she wasn't too late.
((Saachi Nidal continued in Shoulder of Orion))
She couldn't dawdle, however, as she didn't want to leave Miranda on her own for too long. She just had a bad feeling about leaving herself on her own. The sooner she could be with her friend, the easier she'd feel about this entire situation. While logically it was for the best that she be the one to deal with Natali and Cody due to the weapon situation, she was starting to get nervous about having Miranda potentially confront Kyran considering he had an AK while at best she had flashbangs. If anything, that thought was what enough to push her to try and move faster, or at least, not as excruciatingly slow as before.
She could see Natali, unaware of the danger she was truly in. While she had hoped that a gunfight would've started between her and Tina due to her actions, at least they did the deed of distracting her so that Saachi could strike. As a predator stalking her prey, Saachi made sure to continue to stay quiet, not wanting Natali to have any time to react before she met the business end of her shotgun. She steeled her nerves as she moved closer and closer.
The separation was making the thought of killing her easily. She didn't have to worry about physically feeling her cleaver dig into someone's skull like all of her other kills. Then again, at this point, any mental hangups about killing someone should've been gone by this point. She was the person with the highest kill count. What was another mark on the tally? Just another target. Another obstacle in her way.
She was close enough now, right behind Natali. Her sneaking had managed to significantly close the distance between the two. Raising her gun, she took a deep breath and cocked it.
Saachi fired the gun straight at Natali's gut.
She didn't have time to stay for long, however. She needed to catch up to Miranda. Not even taking a second to make sure she hit, she turned around and sprinted off in the direction that she saw Miranda chase Kyran.
There was no way she could've missed. Yet, she could only hope she wasn't too late.
((Saachi Nidal continued in Shoulder of Orion))
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Somersault
- Posts: 236
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 9:21 am
It was hard not to scream when one had a shotgun's worth of bullets emptied into their stomach, but somehow, Natali managed. The almost-instantaneous feeling of wooziness that had taken over her due to the blood loss probably also had something to do with it, but that was fine. That could be dealt with, maybe.
The same probably couldn't be said for the red that was now pouring over her tank top into the blood, but she didn't have the strength to move her head away. Didn't really have the strength to do much, really, not even let out a cry or a brave retort, try to dig a little bit deeper to find that something within herself to move her leaden arms and live, even if it was just for only a few more fleeting moments. Move. She could try, sure, and so she did, a single abortive motion, but nothing changed. She was still bleeding next to the tree, still dying, and everything she did went absolutely to shit.
There was so much more she could have done, decided not to give in and shoot Aria on the cliffs, or stay in that church even if doing so was going to tear her from the inside out, but really: there was so much. So much more she could be doing, so many decisions not made, ran away from, and now she was here, and there was nothing she could do about it except gurgle up blood as her life continued to ebb away.
Maybe her heart was slowing, but there was no peace.
She didn't fight for those last moments, just let the waves bring her back to the sea, but that wasn't because she wanted to go.
There was just nothing left anymore, no strength, just death, and so she went like the song of the sea.
One moment there, and then in the next, like it never existed at all.
G012, NATALI GREER - DECEASED
The same probably couldn't be said for the red that was now pouring over her tank top into the blood, but she didn't have the strength to move her head away. Didn't really have the strength to do much, really, not even let out a cry or a brave retort, try to dig a little bit deeper to find that something within herself to move her leaden arms and live, even if it was just for only a few more fleeting moments. Move. She could try, sure, and so she did, a single abortive motion, but nothing changed. She was still bleeding next to the tree, still dying, and everything she did went absolutely to shit.
There was so much more she could have done, decided not to give in and shoot Aria on the cliffs, or stay in that church even if doing so was going to tear her from the inside out, but really: there was so much. So much more she could be doing, so many decisions not made, ran away from, and now she was here, and there was nothing she could do about it except gurgle up blood as her life continued to ebb away.
Maybe her heart was slowing, but there was no peace.
She didn't fight for those last moments, just let the waves bring her back to the sea, but that wasn't because she wanted to go.
There was just nothing left anymore, no strength, just death, and so she went like the song of the sea.
One moment there, and then in the next, like it never existed at all.
G012, NATALI GREER - DECEASED
She heard it. The gunshot came from her left, she sprinted in that direction, her gun out. She came in running and then she saw the Natali. It... looked weird for a second. As if she wasn't wounded, just laying on the ground but then the blood started to seep through her clothes and she saw the release in her body.
She didn't understand what happened to her. She was shot in the gut, that she did understand. What she wasn't able to wrap her mind around, was that she died. She was in front of a dead girl who used to be alive, an actual person. She didn't know how to react, she had just seen someone she wanted dead die and she wasn't happy.
But, she was happy or angry when people died on the announcement, not... sad. She didn't understand it, the sadness that was inside of her. Why was she sad? Did she really want to kill Nat that badly? No, it wasn't like Blaine, it was like Nate. She liked Nate because she didn't try to fight her but she died and Tina didn't really have a reaction.
Someone she disliked just bled out in front of her because of a shot to the gut, and the only thing she could feel was sorrow. As if this whole thing was finite, this experience just became something that would end. It wasn't a purgatory or hell, it was something that was going to end soon and Tina was in it.
She didn't know why she felt that way. She hated it though, she didn't care about Nat that much. Or maybe she did and she lied to herself, but that was fake. She didn't care about Nat, she only care about herself and even then she wasn't sure about that. Did she love herself more than she loved others? She didn't know, she didn't want to know and she didn't want to live in a future where she'd get close to knowing that.
She stepped toward the dying girl. Maybe she was already dead, but she prefered to think she wasn't dead. Tina still felt better thinking she was alive. She crouched next to it and softly pushed her fingers in her bleeding and oozing wounds. She curled her fingers, Nat was still warm and it felt squishy. She pulled them out.
She didn't know why she did that, but she felt better. She looked at her fingers, they were coated with bright red blood. She felt calmer, more relaxed. She was more focused on the situation and, quickly, started looting the body of the girl. Her things were hers now. She'd head toward Saachi's direction later.
She didn't understand what happened to her. She was shot in the gut, that she did understand. What she wasn't able to wrap her mind around, was that she died. She was in front of a dead girl who used to be alive, an actual person. She didn't know how to react, she had just seen someone she wanted dead die and she wasn't happy.
But, she was happy or angry when people died on the announcement, not... sad. She didn't understand it, the sadness that was inside of her. Why was she sad? Did she really want to kill Nat that badly? No, it wasn't like Blaine, it was like Nate. She liked Nate because she didn't try to fight her but she died and Tina didn't really have a reaction.
Someone she disliked just bled out in front of her because of a shot to the gut, and the only thing she could feel was sorrow. As if this whole thing was finite, this experience just became something that would end. It wasn't a purgatory or hell, it was something that was going to end soon and Tina was in it.
She didn't know why she felt that way. She hated it though, she didn't care about Nat that much. Or maybe she did and she lied to herself, but that was fake. She didn't care about Nat, she only care about herself and even then she wasn't sure about that. Did she love herself more than she loved others? She didn't know, she didn't want to know and she didn't want to live in a future where she'd get close to knowing that.
She stepped toward the dying girl. Maybe she was already dead, but she prefered to think she wasn't dead. Tina still felt better thinking she was alive. She crouched next to it and softly pushed her fingers in her bleeding and oozing wounds. She curled her fingers, Nat was still warm and it felt squishy. She pulled them out.
She didn't know why she did that, but she felt better. She looked at her fingers, they were coated with bright red blood. She felt calmer, more relaxed. She was more focused on the situation and, quickly, started looting the body of the girl. Her things were hers now. She'd head toward Saachi's direction later.