((Continued))
The cupboard, upon being opened, revealed shelves line with various objects of worship. Their presence probably written off as some form of irony. Reaching inside she plucked a small crucifix from its resting place and returned to sitting on the edge of the stage.
A bottle of alcohol sat on her other side. It had been hidden behind the pulpit. A man-made object of worship like all the others.
There was nothing special about any of it.
Jamming the edge of the crucifix under the cork in the rum she levered it open. The newly orphaned crucifix, having served its purpose was left to fall to the floor.
She raised the newly opened glass bottle to her nose, the smell of the decades old alcohol, now freed from its prison attacked with vigor. It was strong and it would do. She replaced the cork and placed the bottle into her bag, along with two others.
The emptiness of the elderly building she had made her current home in was neither welcomed nor rejected. It was what it was and there was no need for it to be than that. Anything else would have been asking too much. It looked like it was ready to give in and rejoin the earth itself. To sink below the surface and be taken back after years of standing a silent lonely vigil over ruins long forgotten would have been its wish.
Not that she pitied it. In the end it was a wooden building, made up of four walls and a roof. The only value it possessed had been assigned to it by those that had come before. The stories told inside it making up a long tapestry of experiences that when woven together created something greater than themselves, but only if they were taken with conviction.
The belief that there was something special. Something more. If you looked hard enough you could still see the spirits lining the pews, hoping that their trust in what they had been told would lead them to happiness.
And regardless of whether it did or not, she would not join them. She did not want to join them.
Belief was the mind-killer.
Myopia
Pity only lives when it is dead
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The Honeless Beard
- Posts: 892
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- Location: Got it? Good, now get inside.
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
((From.))
"Hey," Baxter said from inside the doorway, four rows of pews separating him and Kris. His hands were in his pockets, blue dress shirt sleeves caked in dirt and rolled up to his elbow. On his forehead was a dark smear of earth, disappearing into his hairline.
Baxter bobbed his bearded chin in Kris' direction, lip curling upwards.
"It's rude to steal."
"Hey," Baxter said from inside the doorway, four rows of pews separating him and Kris. His hands were in his pockets, blue dress shirt sleeves caked in dirt and rolled up to his elbow. On his forehead was a dark smear of earth, disappearing into his hairline.
Baxter bobbed his bearded chin in Kris' direction, lip curling upwards.
"It's rude to steal."
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
((Daniel had told himself he'd sort out his feelings after he was done running for his life.))
Turns out, it was a whole lot easier to just keep walking instead of doing that thing! Nothing quite like strolling at a steady pace away from your problems, which are also kinda just meandering towards you. No pressure, it just means that you can't stop. Ever. Sadly, Daniel was a man, and even though he was a soccer man, he still had human legs and feet that felt things like fatigue, and soreness.
At first it had honestly been nice to get out of the cabin after an entire day of hiding away and being miserable; especially since his head was actually serving its intended purpose instead of making him wish he didn't have one. The growing emotional turmoil had drowned out the weakening physical agony over the course of the previous day, so he honestly wasn't sure when he had started getting better.
But now he was outside, and it was a nice day (though it could stand to be warmer), and someone could kill him at any moment, just like Yaz. Yeah, even Daniel hadn't been able to stay happy-go-lucky for long. He'd tried to head for the tunnels, see if he could find any trace of Brandon or Maxwell, but he'd decided against that as soon as he found the entrance. If he had literally any other option he wasn't about to descend into the abyss with a map, and a flashlight, but not an infinite flashlight and not an abyss-map; and he had plenty of other options. Not informed options, but 'oh God anywhere but this place right here' wasn't an unreasonable standard to hold, he felt.
Rachael could be anywhere, thus Daniel had to be everywhere. Except the abyss. Rachael was smart enough not to go into the abyss, right? Maybe he could save the abyss for last.
The church wasn't the abyss, and it actually looked like a pleasant place that pleasant people would choose to be, and also sit down. Daniel hoped it wasn't too presumptuous to implicitly count himself as a pleasant person. As he got closer, he recognized Brandon in the doorway, sans Maxwell. That probably wasn't good, but at least he was alive and not bleeding, or at least not bleeding in a way that was visible from the front?
Maybe Daniel'd finally hear why they abandoned him and Yaz, too. Alright, maybe abandoned was too strong a word, there was probably a good explanation, he was just glad to see him alive, ect ect, but still. It hadn't been great.
"Hey, Brandon. I'm alive," Daniel said, waving. He paused. "Uh, I mean in a literal sense that's pretty obvious, but maybe it needed saying here anyways, but what I like, actually meant was that I'm standing here under my own power and not crying in a corner? Hi."
Turns out, it was a whole lot easier to just keep walking instead of doing that thing! Nothing quite like strolling at a steady pace away from your problems, which are also kinda just meandering towards you. No pressure, it just means that you can't stop. Ever. Sadly, Daniel was a man, and even though he was a soccer man, he still had human legs and feet that felt things like fatigue, and soreness.
At first it had honestly been nice to get out of the cabin after an entire day of hiding away and being miserable; especially since his head was actually serving its intended purpose instead of making him wish he didn't have one. The growing emotional turmoil had drowned out the weakening physical agony over the course of the previous day, so he honestly wasn't sure when he had started getting better.
But now he was outside, and it was a nice day (though it could stand to be warmer), and someone could kill him at any moment, just like Yaz. Yeah, even Daniel hadn't been able to stay happy-go-lucky for long. He'd tried to head for the tunnels, see if he could find any trace of Brandon or Maxwell, but he'd decided against that as soon as he found the entrance. If he had literally any other option he wasn't about to descend into the abyss with a map, and a flashlight, but not an infinite flashlight and not an abyss-map; and he had plenty of other options. Not informed options, but 'oh God anywhere but this place right here' wasn't an unreasonable standard to hold, he felt.
Rachael could be anywhere, thus Daniel had to be everywhere. Except the abyss. Rachael was smart enough not to go into the abyss, right? Maybe he could save the abyss for last.
The church wasn't the abyss, and it actually looked like a pleasant place that pleasant people would choose to be, and also sit down. Daniel hoped it wasn't too presumptuous to implicitly count himself as a pleasant person. As he got closer, he recognized Brandon in the doorway, sans Maxwell. That probably wasn't good, but at least he was alive and not bleeding, or at least not bleeding in a way that was visible from the front?
Maybe Daniel'd finally hear why they abandoned him and Yaz, too. Alright, maybe abandoned was too strong a word, there was probably a good explanation, he was just glad to see him alive, ect ect, but still. It hadn't been great.
"Hey, Brandon. I'm alive," Daniel said, waving. He paused. "Uh, I mean in a literal sense that's pretty obvious, but maybe it needed saying here anyways, but what I like, actually meant was that I'm standing here under my own power and not crying in a corner? Hi."
Her attention shifted from the assembled pews in front of her to the voice that had spoken. A boy with a wild unkempt beard, wearing a football jersey. She regarded him briefly and considered how long he may have been standing there, watching her silently.
"It doesn't make a difference." She replied, keeping her focus on the boy.
There was something different about him. He reminded her of a castaway who had been washed onto an unknown shore far away from where he belonged.
Before either of them could say or do anything more a third person emerged from the haze that hung over the whole island like a malignant affliction, one that had taken root deep within the heart of the place, slowly rotted it away and was now working on making its way out.
The new arrival that had appeared was another boy, this one smooth-skinned and wrapped up in a blue sweatshirt. He knew the castaway and spoke to him. She judged from the way he ignored her that he hadn't noticed she was present. That was fine.
Her presence, despite the fact she had occupied the chapel first had switched to that of an outsider. She was left as the observer, watching the interaction between the two boys.
She did not say anything further to the castaway for she had no reason to.
Instead she watched, waiting to see what his reaction to the new arrival would be.
"It doesn't make a difference." She replied, keeping her focus on the boy.
There was something different about him. He reminded her of a castaway who had been washed onto an unknown shore far away from where he belonged.
Before either of them could say or do anything more a third person emerged from the haze that hung over the whole island like a malignant affliction, one that had taken root deep within the heart of the place, slowly rotted it away and was now working on making its way out.
The new arrival that had appeared was another boy, this one smooth-skinned and wrapped up in a blue sweatshirt. He knew the castaway and spoke to him. She judged from the way he ignored her that he hadn't noticed she was present. That was fine.
Her presence, despite the fact she had occupied the chapel first had switched to that of an outsider. She was left as the observer, watching the interaction between the two boys.
She did not say anything further to the castaway for she had no reason to.
Instead she watched, waiting to see what his reaction to the new arrival would be.
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The Honeless Beard
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:47 am
- Location: Got it? Good, now get inside.
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
With his body halfway out of the door, Baxter felt as though he was caught between worlds - one, in here with the unknown, and the other, out there in the sunshine, relieved to see Daniel alive.
He didn't display any emotion other than to let his curled lip straighten, his posture to stiffen. He raised a hand to place it on the door frame, outside the Parish, drumming his fingers against the wood once - index-middle-ring-pinky - before smiling apologetically at Kris and leaning out of the parish to look at Daniel.
Only his waist was visible to her, he thought, as he held one hand out in front of him, mimed reaching into a bag with it and pulling out a pistol.
"Hey, Daniel," he said, eyes serious as he met the smaller boy's eyes, "Kris is here."
Baxter's gaze roamed over Daniel, checking for bumps, bruises, signs of stress. He breathed a little easier.
He didn't display any emotion other than to let his curled lip straighten, his posture to stiffen. He raised a hand to place it on the door frame, outside the Parish, drumming his fingers against the wood once - index-middle-ring-pinky - before smiling apologetically at Kris and leaning out of the parish to look at Daniel.
Only his waist was visible to her, he thought, as he held one hand out in front of him, mimed reaching into a bag with it and pulling out a pistol.
"Hey, Daniel," he said, eyes serious as he met the smaller boy's eyes, "Kris is here."
Baxter's gaze roamed over Daniel, checking for bumps, bruises, signs of stress. He breathed a little easier.
Tina had three things going for her on the island: she was quiet, she was a good sprinter, and she, frankly, stop giving a fuck.
Suddenly, Tina's last redeeming quality of her loser-like personality vanished. She felt something in her chest, something foreign. It hurt a bit seeing the church, it reminded her of her family, her house, her siblings, her everything that was back home. It all waited for her back home, sitting in circle, waiting for Tina to step inside their world and lighting it with jo-
A quiet burp escaped her throat.
-y.
Oh.
Tina went back at feeling nothing, but quiet and subtle determination. She had a goal, a reason to exist. It was to live. To live, she needed to kill someone, to shoot them a couple of them and then that was it. Nothing else mattered after that, she just needed to remove the life of someone else. It was a fair trade: a life for hers.
Nothing mattered other than that, so she sneaked. She sneaked throughout the forest she was blinded, avoiding stepping on branches, stopping at the sound of noises, going the opposite direction when she heard voices of people. Thinking back, she should have followed. The voices meant they were attached to a body, and that body held a life that Tina needed to go back home. Instead, she made her way toward a building. This could be the right decision because this meant she could stay there and nap, and maybe there was a mirror she could see herself in.
She didn't know if church had that kind of things, she never really cared about religion.
Her last encounter was an annoying one. She kinda knew one of the guy, and it made her feel bad. Not in a personal way though, she knew Amelia would probably be saddened when she heard Sabin (or was his name Zubin?) died. Tina remembered that she was her sister, so she wouldn't mind it if she was the one that came home and not that guy that looked in his thirties.
Back to the present, Tina was now crouched behind the church's wall. She was on the opposite side of the entrance, she nervously looked around her. She prefered the forest in a way, she could lie down and be hidden from everyone, even the cameras that examined every movements. The forest felt safe but it had bad memories attached to it. She liked the eye she lost, and she lost it because of that forest. And Kyran, and Nat. They had to die.
She bit her lips, and scoot to the corner, and peered. She heard the voice of a man and one of a boy. She squinted her eyes and looked away. She didn't recognize either of the voices neither the names on the announcement, they were nobodies.
Yet, she didn't raise her shooting arm and took potshots. Instead, she waited.
Suddenly, Tina's last redeeming quality of her loser-like personality vanished. She felt something in her chest, something foreign. It hurt a bit seeing the church, it reminded her of her family, her house, her siblings, her everything that was back home. It all waited for her back home, sitting in circle, waiting for Tina to step inside their world and lighting it with jo-
A quiet burp escaped her throat.
-y.
Oh.
Tina went back at feeling nothing, but quiet and subtle determination. She had a goal, a reason to exist. It was to live. To live, she needed to kill someone, to shoot them a couple of them and then that was it. Nothing else mattered after that, she just needed to remove the life of someone else. It was a fair trade: a life for hers.
Nothing mattered other than that, so she sneaked. She sneaked throughout the forest she was blinded, avoiding stepping on branches, stopping at the sound of noises, going the opposite direction when she heard voices of people. Thinking back, she should have followed. The voices meant they were attached to a body, and that body held a life that Tina needed to go back home. Instead, she made her way toward a building. This could be the right decision because this meant she could stay there and nap, and maybe there was a mirror she could see herself in.
She didn't know if church had that kind of things, she never really cared about religion.
Her last encounter was an annoying one. She kinda knew one of the guy, and it made her feel bad. Not in a personal way though, she knew Amelia would probably be saddened when she heard Sabin (or was his name Zubin?) died. Tina remembered that she was her sister, so she wouldn't mind it if she was the one that came home and not that guy that looked in his thirties.
Back to the present, Tina was now crouched behind the church's wall. She was on the opposite side of the entrance, she nervously looked around her. She prefered the forest in a way, she could lie down and be hidden from everyone, even the cameras that examined every movements. The forest felt safe but it had bad memories attached to it. She liked the eye she lost, and she lost it because of that forest. And Kyran, and Nat. They had to die.
She bit her lips, and scoot to the corner, and peered. She heard the voice of a man and one of a boy. She squinted her eyes and looked away. She didn't recognize either of the voices neither the names on the announcement, they were nobodies.
Yet, she didn't raise her shooting arm and took potshots. Instead, she waited.
((Keiji continued from Oh, come on!))
Keiji wasn't crying.
He might have been crying, though, as he walked along, sniffling and rubbing reddened eyes with the back of his arm.
This morning was the worst of his life. Right so there had been gunshots, and Donny had told him that he'd been shot at as well, but even if those weren't just some kind of ruse (much like the people running past him, that could have been too, right?), then there was a difference between firing a gun and actually, well, actually... shooting people with guns.
Apparently, several people hadn't even needed guns to get the job done.
People were dead. Like, not old-people-dying-in-hospital or natural-disasters dead. Like, crime serial straight up murdered.
It just didn't seem real. Keiji played pickup with Aaron, and he was dead? Jay, fellow sportsguy, had killed someone—not just someone but Lyndi, the pretty cheerleader?
Like...
What the fuck!?
Keiji didn't know what the plan was anymore. His plan had been simple and straightforward and it had barely crossed his mind that maybe it wouldn't possibly work, cause nobody in Denton was gonna kill each other, right?
He didn't know how to deal with being wrong about that.
A building was coming up ahead; it didn't look like the showers, but Keiji had kind of given up on ever finding those anyway because this stupid compass thing didn't make sense.
Oh it was maybe a church or something? Not quite a church, a little small. Wait, was there a different word for that, or was it just a small church?
Keiji was distracted from those musings when he realised that two people were hovering around the entrance, two--oh it was Brandon, they went to the same gym! The other guy, he played... soccer, was it? Right, Daniel!
Cool, people! Who probably weren't going to commit murders, right, cause Keiji knew them!
Ignoring that like, Keiji knew every name that had been on the Danya guy's announcement earlier on.
"Hey! Dudes! It's me!"
Keiji wasn't crying.
He might have been crying, though, as he walked along, sniffling and rubbing reddened eyes with the back of his arm.
This morning was the worst of his life. Right so there had been gunshots, and Donny had told him that he'd been shot at as well, but even if those weren't just some kind of ruse (much like the people running past him, that could have been too, right?), then there was a difference between firing a gun and actually, well, actually... shooting people with guns.
Apparently, several people hadn't even needed guns to get the job done.
People were dead. Like, not old-people-dying-in-hospital or natural-disasters dead. Like, crime serial straight up murdered.
It just didn't seem real. Keiji played pickup with Aaron, and he was dead? Jay, fellow sportsguy, had killed someone—not just someone but Lyndi, the pretty cheerleader?
Like...
What the fuck!?
Keiji didn't know what the plan was anymore. His plan had been simple and straightforward and it had barely crossed his mind that maybe it wouldn't possibly work, cause nobody in Denton was gonna kill each other, right?
He didn't know how to deal with being wrong about that.
A building was coming up ahead; it didn't look like the showers, but Keiji had kind of given up on ever finding those anyway because this stupid compass thing didn't make sense.
Oh it was maybe a church or something? Not quite a church, a little small. Wait, was there a different word for that, or was it just a small church?
Keiji was distracted from those musings when he realised that two people were hovering around the entrance, two--oh it was Brandon, they went to the same gym! The other guy, he played... soccer, was it? Right, Daniel!
Cool, people! Who probably weren't going to commit murders, right, cause Keiji knew them!
Ignoring that like, Keiji knew every name that had been on the Danya guy's announcement earlier on.
"Hey! Dudes! It's me!"
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
"Oh, uh, hey there Kris?" Daniel half called out, half questioned as he looked back into Brandon's eyes; and he wasn't sure he liked what he saw in there. He definitely didn't like the impromptu pantomime show the guy had just put on, either; with a single but very scary act that involved something that was definitely a gun.
Brandon like, knew Daniel, right? He wasn't assuming that Daniel had an identical twin that was totally cool with holding a gun and pointing it at another human being, because there wouldn't really be much point to asking him to hold the gun just for the sake of posing for an album cover?
And, like, he wasn't screaming or diving for cover or anything, so that meant that Kris didn't have a gun or a particularly threatening stick or anything, so that meant that Brandon was planning on being the aggressor, and Daniel wasn't okay with any part of that but he wasn't sure how to express that without alarming Kris and very justifiably cheesing her off.
He decided to like, frown and raise an eyebrow but he accidentally raised both eyebrows because he was mildly panicking, but he eventually worked the gesture out. Brandon'd get the picture.
Keiji was there now. He still seemed like Keiji! If anyone would still be themselves after a day on the island it'd be Keiji, yep. If Keiji hadn't been Keiji, Daniel would have to deal with way more emotions than he already was, and he was already feeling like, at least three.
"Yo!" He called out, trying to smile.
Brandon like, knew Daniel, right? He wasn't assuming that Daniel had an identical twin that was totally cool with holding a gun and pointing it at another human being, because there wouldn't really be much point to asking him to hold the gun just for the sake of posing for an album cover?
And, like, he wasn't screaming or diving for cover or anything, so that meant that Kris didn't have a gun or a particularly threatening stick or anything, so that meant that Brandon was planning on being the aggressor, and Daniel wasn't okay with any part of that but he wasn't sure how to express that without alarming Kris and very justifiably cheesing her off.
He decided to like, frown and raise an eyebrow but he accidentally raised both eyebrows because he was mildly panicking, but he eventually worked the gesture out. Brandon'd get the picture.
Keiji was there now. He still seemed like Keiji! If anyone would still be themselves after a day on the island it'd be Keiji, yep. If Keiji hadn't been Keiji, Daniel would have to deal with way more emotions than he already was, and he was already feeling like, at least three.
"Yo!" He called out, trying to smile.
His reaction was to turn and conduct his conversation out of her view. It was a deliberate movement and decision that he made, loaded with potential reasons and results. She made sure to keep her focus on the pair.
The newer one addressed her, calling out a greeting and her name. She didn't respond in kind. There was too much she couldn't see and didn't know. The amount of different permutations that existed within the scenario numbered in the hundreds, like human DNA it would be unique every single time.
So she sat there waiting for the pair to figure out what they were going to do. The hesitation and paranoia was exactly what their captors wanted, it was what they had always wanted. It was their thesis statement and the hypothesis everything was based on. The grand experiment they were involved in had already been declared an unmitigated success, the results seeing out the predictions perfectly. They were the lab rats for all of and for all the world to see.
The paranoia made sense however, fear wasn't a product they had created in their minds, it was something that had crawled and clawed its way into their heads the moment they had woken up.
None of them had a chance.
If she believed enough she could have fallen for the trick of hope. It floated there, glimmering above the doorway, beckoning for her to step closer, to rejoin the others. It wasn't offering reality. It was a dream.
Reality however, was just as empty as the dream had been. It would stay that way until someone stepped forward. She wouldn't do anything until that happened.
Another new arrival called out to the pair and received a response. Meanwhile she stayed sitting where she was, watching them.
She had time after all.
The newer one addressed her, calling out a greeting and her name. She didn't respond in kind. There was too much she couldn't see and didn't know. The amount of different permutations that existed within the scenario numbered in the hundreds, like human DNA it would be unique every single time.
So she sat there waiting for the pair to figure out what they were going to do. The hesitation and paranoia was exactly what their captors wanted, it was what they had always wanted. It was their thesis statement and the hypothesis everything was based on. The grand experiment they were involved in had already been declared an unmitigated success, the results seeing out the predictions perfectly. They were the lab rats for all of and for all the world to see.
The paranoia made sense however, fear wasn't a product they had created in their minds, it was something that had crawled and clawed its way into their heads the moment they had woken up.
None of them had a chance.
If she believed enough she could have fallen for the trick of hope. It floated there, glimmering above the doorway, beckoning for her to step closer, to rejoin the others. It wasn't offering reality. It was a dream.
Reality however, was just as empty as the dream had been. It would stay that way until someone stepped forward. She wouldn't do anything until that happened.
Another new arrival called out to the pair and received a response. Meanwhile she stayed sitting where she was, watching them.
She had time after all.
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The Honeless Beard
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:47 am
- Location: Got it? Good, now get inside.
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
Huffing out a breath at Daniel's refusal to pick up the play, Baxter grit his teeth and looked back through the doorway at Kris. He drummed his fingers against the wood of the door, glanced back over towards the other boy - boys, as Keiji came trotting over like some demented baby in a top hat, all sup dudes like Yaz hadn't been lying in a puddle of shit and blood.
Baxter's body angled towards Daniel for a moment, then he let his shoulders hunch and contract, rolling his head on his neck as he stepped into the Parish towards Kris, opening the door fully as he went, keeping it at his back.
"Got a light?" he asked the girl, tone casual, as he mimed lighting a cigarette.
Baxter's body angled towards Daniel for a moment, then he let his shoulders hunch and contract, rolling his head on his neck as he stepped into the Parish towards Kris, opening the door fully as he went, keeping it at his back.
"Got a light?" he asked the girl, tone casual, as he mimed lighting a cigarette.
Tina was still there physically, but her mind had drifted away when she saw a boy run toward the chapel.
How many people exactly were inside the church at the moment? More than two and less than 10, so maybe like five people were around the same location, including herself. Tina continued to follow the wall with her right hand with her left hand still wrapped around the gun handle. Was Blaine there? Were Kyran and Nat there too? She had to know.
Tina wanted to run inside but she knew it wasn't a good idea. Yet, her legs still twitched, begging to take a step. She half-hearted agreed to her body, taking a soft and delicate step toward the noises. She didn't know anything and she didn't want to risk it. Another step then she stopped, she eyes the wall. It was indented, a window.
The dirty window coated with dust and cobwebs didn't give her any information about the people inside, other than the facts she already knew. Two boys, a man and a female. Tina crouched and stared. Trying to discern who were the people chatting inside.
How many people exactly were inside the church at the moment? More than two and less than 10, so maybe like five people were around the same location, including herself. Tina continued to follow the wall with her right hand with her left hand still wrapped around the gun handle. Was Blaine there? Were Kyran and Nat there too? She had to know.
Tina wanted to run inside but she knew it wasn't a good idea. Yet, her legs still twitched, begging to take a step. She half-hearted agreed to her body, taking a soft and delicate step toward the noises. She didn't know anything and she didn't want to risk it. Another step then she stopped, she eyes the wall. It was indented, a window.
The dirty window coated with dust and cobwebs didn't give her any information about the people inside, other than the facts she already knew. Two boys, a man and a female. Tina crouched and stared. Trying to discern who were the people chatting inside.
Daniel answered, and Keiji blanked out the relief that it brought him. Instead he concentrated on what was good, which was that it was folks he knew and that was definitely fine, more than fine.
He beamed a grin, and though his eyes were maybe a little red, there he was again, back to himself.
Maybe the bad guys had lied about the killing stuff as well? Nothing was stopping them from doing that. Maybe it was even likely; make them think that one of them had killed someone else and make them spooked so then they actually started doing it. Like a horror movie or something.
Just they'd done that like six, seven times.
Yeah.
Keiji rubbed the back of his neck.
"So uh, you and Baxter! How you guys doing? Everything..." he trailed off. "Going?"
He beamed a grin, and though his eyes were maybe a little red, there he was again, back to himself.
Maybe the bad guys had lied about the killing stuff as well? Nothing was stopping them from doing that. Maybe it was even likely; make them think that one of them had killed someone else and make them spooked so then they actually started doing it. Like a horror movie or something.
Just they'd done that like six, seven times.
Yeah.
Keiji rubbed the back of his neck.
"So uh, you and Baxter! How you guys doing? Everything..." he trailed off. "Going?"
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
"Probably?" Daniel said to Keiji, then glanced over his shoulder at Brandon; who seemed to have declared him a lost cause and had turned away, asking Kris for some lung cancer. Well, living long enough to suffer the effects of a death stick was both the best case scenario and the most unlikely one; so it was depressing but it's not like he had any real room to judge. As long as none of the smoke got on his clothes, at least. Like, yeah he only had the one pair and after a few days he was probably gonna be a real stinkboy regardless of his circumstances, but at least it'd be his own stink and not a noir stain. Rachael probably wouldn't appreciate that at all.
Hopefully Brandon wasn't going for some sorta trick, either. Like, how do you just go from 'hey friend get out your gun that you're totally not terrified of' to casually walking in and asking for a light? Daniel wasn't quite sure he bought it, but he also wasn't exactly sure who was selling it, and at least now he and Keiji were both on the same side of the door-to-door discomfort salesman.
"Maybe going. I mean, we were both gone, or I guess we were like each, separately, gone from the other guy's point of view, but now we're both here?" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, unconsciously mirroring Keiji's gesture. That might've been the vaguest summary of an entire day, ever; but Daniel wasn't about to say 'yeah a cool girl died because I'm completely useless' right off the bat, especially when Keiji looked kinda sad and bad from a closer perspective? No reason to add to that.
"How 'bout you?"
Hopefully Brandon wasn't going for some sorta trick, either. Like, how do you just go from 'hey friend get out your gun that you're totally not terrified of' to casually walking in and asking for a light? Daniel wasn't quite sure he bought it, but he also wasn't exactly sure who was selling it, and at least now he and Keiji were both on the same side of the door-to-door discomfort salesman.
"Maybe going. I mean, we were both gone, or I guess we were like each, separately, gone from the other guy's point of view, but now we're both here?" He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, unconsciously mirroring Keiji's gesture. That might've been the vaguest summary of an entire day, ever; but Daniel wasn't about to say 'yeah a cool girl died because I'm completely useless' right off the bat, especially when Keiji looked kinda sad and bad from a closer perspective? No reason to add to that.
"How 'bout you?"
All of them had forgotten about her, bar one. The first person who had arrived.
He asked for light. Something all of them wanted.
She had one that she could provide, but she knew he had one as well.
Despite the fact she needed hers there was a thought, an idea. She could figure out his purpose and why he was there.
He had yet to aggressive but he had not been friendly either. He was an unknown, deliberately so.
They were circling, waiting to see what the other would do.
The lighter slipped out of her pocket and into her hand as she presented it for him, arm outstretched.
"Yeah, here."
All he had to do was cross the divide that separated them and take it.
He asked for light. Something all of them wanted.
She had one that she could provide, but she knew he had one as well.
Despite the fact she needed hers there was a thought, an idea. She could figure out his purpose and why he was there.
He had yet to aggressive but he had not been friendly either. He was an unknown, deliberately so.
They were circling, waiting to see what the other would do.
The lighter slipped out of her pocket and into her hand as she presented it for him, arm outstretched.
"Yeah, here."
All he had to do was cross the divide that separated them and take it.
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The Honeless Beard
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2018 4:47 am
- Location: Got it? Good, now get inside.
- Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies
Baxter watched as she took it from a pocket - not her backpack - and his eyes darkened as she held it out, daring him to move towards her. The knife sheath was black against his jeans, a shadow of a sharpened blade.
Keeping his eyes level with hers, casual steps took him towards her, closing a chasm, walking a tight-rope. One of his pant legs was crusty and stiff with dried mud, his jersey rolled upwards in a thin cylinder.
When Baxter was close, he reached out, plucked the lighter from her hand, slid it into his pocket.
"Thanks," he said, "I lost mine in a gunfight."
He turned slightly, showing his bag and the hole in it, the water all down the back of his jeans.
"Got any water, too?"
Keeping his eyes level with hers, casual steps took him towards her, closing a chasm, walking a tight-rope. One of his pant legs was crusty and stiff with dried mud, his jersey rolled upwards in a thin cylinder.
When Baxter was close, he reached out, plucked the lighter from her hand, slid it into his pocket.
"Thanks," he said, "I lost mine in a gunfight."
He turned slightly, showing his bag and the hole in it, the water all down the back of his jeans.
"Got any water, too?"