((Eris Marquis continued from Dagon))
Night came, and then morning. Uneasy rest followed by the anticipation of a slow but inevitable disaster. It did not disappoint.
Or rather, it disappointed Eris very, very much.
She couldn't quite muster the energy to be angry, but she was certainly displeased. Katarina a killer, evidently having not wised up one bit after her initial failure. Bridgette, a member of Eris's own student council cabinet, also a killer. Everett Taylor of all people, a killer.
They had made the right decision in staying where they were, making their little stronghold. That was clear enough from the fact that no more unwelcome guests had dropped in. No monsters had risen up out of the sea to wreck the lighthouse, and no new idiots with guns had tried to kick their door down.
The relative peace and safety had grown stifling by noon and unbearable by the time the light was stretching golden and lazy over the shore and the water. Conversation had run dry between herself, Alice, and Irene, and Eris had eventually had to excuse herself so that she could step outside and clear her head. She took the mop with her, despite the way that it stank now. She reasoned that it was a better deterrent than nothing at all.
A quick step outside, some deep breaths of fresh air and a minute to stretch her legs, she had thought. It would do her some good to have a different kind of peace for just a moment.
Even the simplest plans could go wrong in the blink of an eye.
Erewhon
Day 2 Afternoon, Private
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Latin For Dragula
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((I don't love you like I loved you yesterday.))
From a linear perspective the present opportunity lined up quite nicely. Two past failures in shock presented themselves to be rectified in one motion. One particularly annoying threat stood defenseless and distracted to be cut down. With the cards played right it could eliminate one or more other threats alongside her, assuming they were still around. It would be a perfect triumph to contrast her previous stumblings.
KK didn't see a linear timeline stretching behind her, though. The girl had no name. There weren't numerous memories floating around her head trying to distract her aim. The girl had never hurt her. Never made her retreat. All that was necessary for the present moment was that she was alone, and she was vulnerable, so Katarina could take her.
As the gun drifted downwards she was certain, absolutely certain, that there was no context clouding her reasoning despite the force tugging at it being something between vague sentimentality and knowledge of her potential allies inside. She hadn't been here despite a vivid impression of thuds across steps staccatoing through her mind every time she glanced from her target to the doorway. There was no name etched from her mind into the bullet as it tore through the air into the girl's knee.
Eris's knee.
There were only two girls, a gun, and a bright splash of color as they met.
From a linear perspective the present opportunity lined up quite nicely. Two past failures in shock presented themselves to be rectified in one motion. One particularly annoying threat stood defenseless and distracted to be cut down. With the cards played right it could eliminate one or more other threats alongside her, assuming they were still around. It would be a perfect triumph to contrast her previous stumblings.
KK didn't see a linear timeline stretching behind her, though. The girl had no name. There weren't numerous memories floating around her head trying to distract her aim. The girl had never hurt her. Never made her retreat. All that was necessary for the present moment was that she was alone, and she was vulnerable, so Katarina could take her.
As the gun drifted downwards she was certain, absolutely certain, that there was no context clouding her reasoning despite the force tugging at it being something between vague sentimentality and knowledge of her potential allies inside. She hadn't been here despite a vivid impression of thuds across steps staccatoing through her mind every time she glanced from her target to the doorway. There was no name etched from her mind into the bullet as it tore through the air into the girl's knee.
Eris's knee.
There were only two girls, a gun, and a bright splash of color as they met.
Had she seen it coming and been able to prepare herself, Eris would have made a point of trying not to scream.
She did scream though, because she had only caught a flash of red hair before her legs were cut out from under her, and the wild, primal cry of pain she let out almost drowned out the gunshots to her ears.
She screamed, and she was knocked to the ground, losing her grip on the mop for all the good it had done her anyway. She jarred her elbow as she hit the ground, enough for it to feel scraped through the material of her shirt and blazer.
Maybe the cruel part was that Katarina didn't finish it then and there. She stopped, for some whim or another, and the pause allowed Eris time to think.
She wanted to speak. She needed to speak, to try and reason with the beast even as it prepared to snap its jaws down on her throat, but words failed her. Every time she tried she could only struggle to breathe and try not to sob. She had already screamed, but she wouldn't give Katarina the satisfaction of seeing her cry too.
Instead she tore her gaze away from the barrel of the gun trained on her and looked to Katarina's face. She didn't know what she expected to find, but she had expected something.
There was nothing. Blankness.
Eris realized then, in a way that she never would have been able to articulate even had she been allowed to live past the next few minutes, that Katarina was dead.
She did scream though, because she had only caught a flash of red hair before her legs were cut out from under her, and the wild, primal cry of pain she let out almost drowned out the gunshots to her ears.
She screamed, and she was knocked to the ground, losing her grip on the mop for all the good it had done her anyway. She jarred her elbow as she hit the ground, enough for it to feel scraped through the material of her shirt and blazer.
Maybe the cruel part was that Katarina didn't finish it then and there. She stopped, for some whim or another, and the pause allowed Eris time to think.
She wanted to speak. She needed to speak, to try and reason with the beast even as it prepared to snap its jaws down on her throat, but words failed her. Every time she tried she could only struggle to breathe and try not to sob. She had already screamed, but she wouldn't give Katarina the satisfaction of seeing her cry too.
Instead she tore her gaze away from the barrel of the gun trained on her and looked to Katarina's face. She didn't know what she expected to find, but she had expected something.
There was nothing. Blankness.
Eris realized then, in a way that she never would have been able to articulate even had she been allowed to live past the next few minutes, that Katarina was dead.
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delicateMachine
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((Alice realized now that she had wasted the previous day.))
She had been content to spend the rest of her time after the Katarina incident enjoying what intermittent conversation came with Eris, vaguely tolerating Irene's continued presence, and spying on the island with her telescope. Sure, it hadn't been unenjoyable. Sure, maybe she had needed the rest.
Where did it leave them, though? Still battered, still barely armed, and now without a full night's sleep or the element of surprise. At least Alice and Irene still had the high ground and the harpoon gun.
Where did that leave Eris, then?
This was the one answer Alice didn't want to know, but the gunshots carried her friend's screams to her regardless; presenting all relevant evidence with impeccable clarity.
Every beat of her pounding heart threatened to carry her down the tower, harpoon gun in hand, bursting through the door just in time to save Eris, because maybe it wasn't too late, maybe she'd just been startled or grazed, maybe it was just a warning shot, and afterwards they'd sigh in relief and then Alice could repay her for patching her up and for being a good friend for years, for trusting her-
Alice stayed put, because even if she was trembling and pale and feeling as if she'd been shot in the gut herself, she wasn't an idiot.
"...If you wanna play hero, gun's all yours."
She had been content to spend the rest of her time after the Katarina incident enjoying what intermittent conversation came with Eris, vaguely tolerating Irene's continued presence, and spying on the island with her telescope. Sure, it hadn't been unenjoyable. Sure, maybe she had needed the rest.
Where did it leave them, though? Still battered, still barely armed, and now without a full night's sleep or the element of surprise. At least Alice and Irene still had the high ground and the harpoon gun.
Where did that leave Eris, then?
This was the one answer Alice didn't want to know, but the gunshots carried her friend's screams to her regardless; presenting all relevant evidence with impeccable clarity.
Every beat of her pounding heart threatened to carry her down the tower, harpoon gun in hand, bursting through the door just in time to save Eris, because maybe it wasn't too late, maybe she'd just been startled or grazed, maybe it was just a warning shot, and afterwards they'd sigh in relief and then Alice could repay her for patching her up and for being a good friend for years, for trusting her-
Alice stayed put, because even if she was trembling and pale and feeling as if she'd been shot in the gut herself, she wasn't an idiot.
"...If you wanna play hero, gun's all yours."
((Irene Djezari continued from Dagon))
The announcement shouldn't have come as a shock, but it had. Of course KK had killed. Only one person, it seemed, which if Irene was being honest with herself was something of a relief. And then there were a bunch of other deaths. Irene had been tempted to cover her ears, but it hadn't seemed right.
The silly bastards were really doing it. They needed to be fixed. Not stopped, fixed. Their worldview denied. Stopping them was really quite pointless. Not much of a difference between getting murdered on day 1 and getting murdered on day 5, or, for that matter, getting your neck blown off somewhere in the interim. Doesn't matter. Right.
And then Eris had screamed.
Irene doesn't need to explain herself, does she? Nope. She doesn't. Alice had even given her permission to do whatever she wanted, no explanation necessary. Okay, it was permission that came with a lot of judgment, but if Alice got to warp her words then Irene got to warp Alice's intentions. No vindictiveness there. Just part of how Irene was gonna have to operate.
And Alice still didn't get it. That was the thing.
Irene leaned over, scooped up the harpoon. "Cool. But you're coming with me."
Irene headed for the bottom without waiting for a response. Alice would follow. She really, truly believed that with all her heart.
Out the door, into the blinding sun. Eris on the ground. KK. Of course. It would've been an affirmation of everything Irene stood for, if it hadn't juuuust missed the mark.
Irene flashed a smile, took a second to parse her words. Shouted. "What. Are. You. Doing."
You naughty fuck-up. You fucking child.
The announcement shouldn't have come as a shock, but it had. Of course KK had killed. Only one person, it seemed, which if Irene was being honest with herself was something of a relief. And then there were a bunch of other deaths. Irene had been tempted to cover her ears, but it hadn't seemed right.
The silly bastards were really doing it. They needed to be fixed. Not stopped, fixed. Their worldview denied. Stopping them was really quite pointless. Not much of a difference between getting murdered on day 1 and getting murdered on day 5, or, for that matter, getting your neck blown off somewhere in the interim. Doesn't matter. Right.
And then Eris had screamed.
Irene doesn't need to explain herself, does she? Nope. She doesn't. Alice had even given her permission to do whatever she wanted, no explanation necessary. Okay, it was permission that came with a lot of judgment, but if Alice got to warp her words then Irene got to warp Alice's intentions. No vindictiveness there. Just part of how Irene was gonna have to operate.
And Alice still didn't get it. That was the thing.
Irene leaned over, scooped up the harpoon. "Cool. But you're coming with me."
Irene headed for the bottom without waiting for a response. Alice would follow. She really, truly believed that with all her heart.
Out the door, into the blinding sun. Eris on the ground. KK. Of course. It would've been an affirmation of everything Irene stood for, if it hadn't juuuust missed the mark.
Irene flashed a smile, took a second to parse her words. Shouted. "What. Are. You. Doing."
You naughty fuck-up. You fucking child.
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delicateMachine
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Alice didn't follow.
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Latin For Dragula
- Posts: 399
- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:28 pm
Their eyes met for a moment.
Katarina Konipaski did not have it in her to kill her friends on the morning of June 10th. But today was June 11th
KK didn't blink as she pulled the trigger, and she didn't allow her eyes to linger. The girl's body was already falling as she turned her attention and her barrel to the doorway of the lighthouse.
One survivor. Too many others. Don't think about it. Don't let them in.
She wasn't allowed to think about why it drew her focus. She both knew and did not know what was waiting behind it and in front of it. Words. Faces. Reactions. The details were unimportant. They were always unimportant. Always. The body in front of her was just as unimportant the moment it hit the ground. Red gave way to white void over the spaces in her mind it had occupied. As it grew, her foot tapped an unnoticed rhythm.
One. Stairs. Irene's fingers detached in a pool of her blood; her hand waving in the school hallway with an infectious smile.
Two. A scream. Alice's sprawled out form lying across the steps; Her face scrunched up in concentration through a classroom door.
Three. Impact against her face. Eris standing defiant in the doorway; Her body sprawled with measured carelessness under a beach towel.
Katarina Konipaski did not have it in her to kill her friends on the morning of June 10th. But today was June 11th
KK didn't blink as she pulled the trigger, and she didn't allow her eyes to linger. The girl's body was already falling as she turned her attention and her barrel to the doorway of the lighthouse.
One survivor. Too many others. Don't think about it. Don't let them in.
She wasn't allowed to think about why it drew her focus. She both knew and did not know what was waiting behind it and in front of it. Words. Faces. Reactions. The details were unimportant. They were always unimportant. Always. The body in front of her was just as unimportant the moment it hit the ground. Red gave way to white void over the spaces in her mind it had occupied. As it grew, her foot tapped an unnoticed rhythm.
One. Stairs. Irene's fingers detached in a pool of her blood; her hand waving in the school hallway with an infectious smile.
Two. A scream. Alice's sprawled out form lying across the steps; Her face scrunched up in concentration through a classroom door.
Three. Impact against her face. Eris standing defiant in the doorway; Her body sprawled with measured carelessness under a beach towel.
Irene was here because Irene was an idiot and Alice wasn't here and that was... good. That was good. Alice wasn't going to get herself killed on some kind of pointless, endless revenge quest and Eris wasn't going to have to spend her last moments knowing that one of her best friends had to watch her die. There were so many people watching already.
Her thoughts were racing, as though to make up for all the time she was about to lose. Death, and Life-In-Death, and Eris was about to be dead, but Katarina was already dead and worse than dead because even if it turned out that she was the last one standing and she got to go home, she would never be free. Eris and all of the others that Katarina herded into this mass grave would always be the albatross around her neck, weighing her down.
Eris would have liked to convey this to Katarina in some way, through a look or a word, just to let her know that Eris was getting one last thing over her even in death, but she never got the chance.
Katarina's dead eyes slid away from her and the last thing that went through Eris's mind was a spray of bullets.
G14 ERIS MARQUIS: DECEASED
Her thoughts were racing, as though to make up for all the time she was about to lose. Death, and Life-In-Death, and Eris was about to be dead, but Katarina was already dead and worse than dead because even if it turned out that she was the last one standing and she got to go home, she would never be free. Eris and all of the others that Katarina herded into this mass grave would always be the albatross around her neck, weighing her down.
Eris would have liked to convey this to Katarina in some way, through a look or a word, just to let her know that Eris was getting one last thing over her even in death, but she never got the chance.
Katarina's dead eyes slid away from her and the last thing that went through Eris's mind was a spray of bullets.
G14 ERIS MARQUIS: DECEASED
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delicateMachine
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More gunshots. Alice wondered if Irene would let this greeting stick, if she'd even be able to fire her harpoon before she was cut down, if she could find any satisfaction in the death she had been asking for.
No time to reflect on how easy it had been to invite the other girl to run straight into the line of fire. What mattered was that Irene had made a choice, and that Alice knew that there wasn't one, at least not for her. She told herself that guilt was useless, even as her pounding heart relentlessly beat at the walls of her rationality.
She knelt down by the space on the wall where they had piled on their bags, started consolidating their supplies. All of Eris and Irene's rations and medical supplies went into Alice's bag - the only living person on the island to deserve them, now. She slung it over her good shoulder, testing the weight. It was heavier than it had been when she had first climbed the lighthouse stairs, but a full day's use of their supplies ensured that it wasn't unmanageable. She'd be able to bolt, when she got a chance.
Now all she had to do was wait. Wait for her dear, unlucky friend and brave, idiotic acquaintance to finish dying, wait for their killer to either leave or ascend the lighthouse. She lurked just out of sight of the stairwell's entrance, contemplating how easy it would be push someone over the side of the rails, if she charged at them from behind.
No time to reflect on how easy it had been to invite the other girl to run straight into the line of fire. What mattered was that Irene had made a choice, and that Alice knew that there wasn't one, at least not for her. She told herself that guilt was useless, even as her pounding heart relentlessly beat at the walls of her rationality.
She knelt down by the space on the wall where they had piled on their bags, started consolidating their supplies. All of Eris and Irene's rations and medical supplies went into Alice's bag - the only living person on the island to deserve them, now. She slung it over her good shoulder, testing the weight. It was heavier than it had been when she had first climbed the lighthouse stairs, but a full day's use of their supplies ensured that it wasn't unmanageable. She'd be able to bolt, when she got a chance.
Now all she had to do was wait. Wait for her dear, unlucky friend and brave, idiotic acquaintance to finish dying, wait for their killer to either leave or ascend the lighthouse. She lurked just out of sight of the stairwell's entrance, contemplating how easy it would be push someone over the side of the rails, if she charged at them from behind.
Well. That happened.
...
...
So what you gonna do about it, Irene?
Irene took a couple steps forward, stepped over Eris's corpse, and lowered the harpoon.
"Have you ever heard of the power of friendship?" A bit lower than her earlier shout, but still raised.
...
...
So what you gonna do about it, Irene?
Irene took a couple steps forward, stepped over Eris's corpse, and lowered the harpoon.
"Have you ever heard of the power of friendship?" A bit lower than her earlier shout, but still raised.
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Latin For Dragula
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- Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:28 pm
The flaw in this plan that she had left unaccounted was that her gun was now empty. This was becoming a frustrating trend.
She didn't understand she would never understand that made it acceptable she was already dead
She pointed the gun at her anyway, her eyes more on the harpoon than the corpse's face. It was trying to say something meaningless, probably a reprimand for what she'd done or some philosophical attempt to talk her down or some threat to leave her trembling. It was all empty air to her. There was no point in focusing on the meaning.
Were they friends? Had Irene been excited to see her? She hadn't made any of the lists. What did that say about them?
Katarina had nothing to say to her. If she could, she would have shot her right there and been done with it. It was important that the girl didn't realize that though. Her gaze darted from her head to her weapon to her ruined hand in rapid succession as if measuring her up, but she didn't move, and she didn't speak, and even when she lingered on her face she never looked her in the eye.
She didn't understand she would never understand that made it acceptable she was already dead
She pointed the gun at her anyway, her eyes more on the harpoon than the corpse's face. It was trying to say something meaningless, probably a reprimand for what she'd done or some philosophical attempt to talk her down or some threat to leave her trembling. It was all empty air to her. There was no point in focusing on the meaning.
Were they friends? Had Irene been excited to see her? She hadn't made any of the lists. What did that say about them?
Katarina had nothing to say to her. If she could, she would have shot her right there and been done with it. It was important that the girl didn't realize that though. Her gaze darted from her head to her weapon to her ruined hand in rapid succession as if measuring her up, but she didn't move, and she didn't speak, and even when she lingered on her face she never looked her in the eye.
Irene tilted her head.
"Come on. You can put that thing down."
Not that she expected for KK to listen. KK wouldn't.
No. What were you thinking, Irene? KK would listen. KK would obey her fervently, zealously. Phew, almost fell off the wagon there. Almost allowed herself to stop being deluded. But she was safe for now. She was fine. Or maybe not. Does it count as being deluded if you're conscious of being deluded?
Sssh. Focus on the task at hand. It might let you be actually deluded. Erm. More deluded. Cuz Irene was already deluded. Yes.
"I won't hurt you."
"Come on. You can put that thing down."
Not that she expected for KK to listen. KK wouldn't.
No. What were you thinking, Irene? KK would listen. KK would obey her fervently, zealously. Phew, almost fell off the wagon there. Almost allowed herself to stop being deluded. But she was safe for now. She was fine. Or maybe not. Does it count as being deluded if you're conscious of being deluded?
Sssh. Focus on the task at hand. It might let you be actually deluded. Erm. More deluded. Cuz Irene was already deluded. Yes.
"I won't hurt you."
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Latin For Dragula
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Tap. Irene would never shoot her.
Tap. Irene had the advantage but wouldn't take it.
Tap. Irene was her friend.
"No." Irene had to die.
Tap. Irene had the advantage but wouldn't take it.
Tap. Irene was her friend.
"No." Irene had to die.
Irene contorted her face into a frown. A grimace? A pout.
"No. To what? Putting down your weapon? Or no, you don't believe that I'm not gonna hurt you? Or both? Probably both. I suppose you were expecting me to try to take revenge or something."
Irene raised her left hand, fluttered her remaining fingers, then pointed at the blood slowly pooling around Eris's head.
"It's okay. I understand. Scary world out there, huh? I mean, you'd have to be pretty scared to do all that."
Irene let her hand drop. She considered bringing it to her chin in an expression of thoughtfulness, but it seemed a little too mocking.
"But it's such a beautiful and brave new world out there, too! Like, full of adventure and shit! Why you gotta be so scared?"
"No. To what? Putting down your weapon? Or no, you don't believe that I'm not gonna hurt you? Or both? Probably both. I suppose you were expecting me to try to take revenge or something."
Irene raised her left hand, fluttered her remaining fingers, then pointed at the blood slowly pooling around Eris's head.
"It's okay. I understand. Scary world out there, huh? I mean, you'd have to be pretty scared to do all that."
Irene let her hand drop. She considered bringing it to her chin in an expression of thoughtfulness, but it seemed a little too mocking.
"But it's such a beautiful and brave new world out there, too! Like, full of adventure and shit! Why you gotta be so scared?"
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Latin For Dragula
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She was completely, utterly insane. Katarina wasn't sure if that was comforting or even more worrying.
How does she know?
'I'm not afraid of you.' That was the tempting response. That and gunfire. But even a single word had been giving her too much, hadn't it? Even dwelling on her words enough to form that response was a waste of time, wasn't it? Her effort would be better spent on looking for an opening. Mistakes would be made. They already had, really. She just needed a wider opening to capitalize on them and everything would be as it should.
What else does she know?
Katarina glanced at the harpoon and then let her eyes slowly drift to the ground. "Put it down." The barrel of her gun didn't waver.
How does she know?
'I'm not afraid of you.' That was the tempting response. That and gunfire. But even a single word had been giving her too much, hadn't it? Even dwelling on her words enough to form that response was a waste of time, wasn't it? Her effort would be better spent on looking for an opening. Mistakes would be made. They already had, really. She just needed a wider opening to capitalize on them and everything would be as it should.
What else does she know?
Katarina glanced at the harpoon and then let her eyes slowly drift to the ground. "Put it down." The barrel of her gun didn't waver.