Two is Better Than One

Open

Ice cold and deep enough to lose your depth easily, swimming here is not recommended. Just a little north of the inhabited areas, it's clear from the decayed boat shed built on its edge that the lake was once used for fishing, likely by miners in their off hours. There are even a number of small rowing boats present, though the majority of them are rotted to the point of being unusable.
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

Two is Better Than One

#1

Post by jimmydalad »

((Saachi Nidal continued from When The Dust Settles))

The pair were woken up by the announcements. While she had vaguely remembered being told by Danya on the bus, she was more concerned about the fact that Mr. Dolph had just died. Honestly, that felt like a lifetime ago. Still, she listened, made notes to herself about who had already killed and tried to ignore the names of the deceased. Things were easier that way.

The decision to go to lake was mostly just her suggesting a random location that was close and Jay going along with it. She had noted that Jay wasn’t as angry as he was when he woke up, but he certainly didn’t seem willing to make casual conversation with her. The spectre of the previous day still hung over Saachi, so she wasn’t sure how eager Jay was for long distance travelling.

She elected to stay quiet again, a mixture of trying to sort her thoughts and thinking about how to deal with Jay. She took frequent looks back at Jay to make sure that he was still there and not suddenly going to pounce on her. She held the cleaver tightly, just in case she needed to make her point to him again. He didn’t seem to be aggressive, at least not like yesterday. In fact, Saachi recognised that look from yesterday, just after they had left the warehouse.

“What’s on your mind, Jay?” Saachi asked as they arrived at the edge of the lake by the boat shed. The lake seemed rather untouched by all of the craziness that had been happening on the island.
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
User avatar
Slam
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:14 pm

#2

Post by Slam »

((Jay Harland continued from When The Dust Settles))

Jay awoke that morning feeling fresh as a daisy.

Sleeping on it had usually been a good way to cool down his anger, and today was no exception, even in the exceptional circumstances. Sure, he’d iced a bitch, and Saachi was another one, but in hindsight, he wasn’t the one who was dead. That was cool, and also meant he was playing the game right. Danya even said as much.

Yeah, he could roll with that.

Truthfully, he felt a bit embarrassed about his arguing with Saachi. Not because he was wrong, but he’d still blown his top, which he wasn’t supposed to. Thinking about it, it was most likely due to the exhaustion and being pissed off at Saachi for not doing her job, not to mention the black eye that had now turned into a lovely shade of vivid bruise. All of those were plenty of reasons that were legitimately annoying, and part of anger management was still recognising when it was okay to be annoyed, but still. It’s not like yelling at Saachi had made him feel any better.

“So hey,” he finally replied “sorry about last night. Saying that stuff and being up in your face, I mean. It wasn’t cool. Sorry if I scared you. You can have the cleaver all day, if you want.”

He capped it off with one of his signature grins, for reassurance.

“Besides, you still want to get yours, right?” he was still grinning, because at least now he’d played this game, and could keep on playing. After all, he played to win.
Second Chances 3
Lucas Brady - Ultra-Premium Grade - 1

Nu-BRAU
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

SOTF: Supers
S028: Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
[+] pregame
Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2
Lord_Shadow
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:43 am
Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies

#3

Post by Lord_Shadow »

((Michael Maxwell continued from Red or Dead))

Being woken up by the announcement was a little startling, but as time went on Michael adjusted to things. This was still a dangerous place and a dangerous game. He'd needed to sleep out in the open, and was glad nothing had happened to him while he slept. Now he needed to figure out where to go next.

The lake seemed like a good place to start. It might let him replenish his water and give him a central spot to plan out where to go next. Leaving the others behind had been the best choice, they would only have slowed him down. He kept the trident in the pack, no reason to have it out when there were no threats around.

The likelihood of being attacked was pretty slim. He wasn't a target, he had nothing of value to take and most importantly he could just blend into the background. People tended to ignore him and he hoped he could put that to good use here. He wracked his mind for ideas on what to do. All other things were a distraction so he put them out of mind while he thought.

The announcement made it sound like sticking in one place for the whole game was not a feasible idea. Maybe he could shadow a small group, sticking just out of noticeable distance and follow them around. They could serve as an early warning of danger and be great decoys for him to toss to the wolves. The only problem was that there was no one else around at the moment.

He stopped when he reached the decaying shed. He hadn't seen anyone on the approach to the lake, but then again he had been occupied with thought. The shed had obscured his vision of the other side as well, but really what danger was he in? He could easily pull out the trident if he needed to and take care of any problem.

He set his pack down next to him and sat with his back against the shed. He watched where he had approached from for a while. This was going to take some getting used to, but he was confident he could do this.

Survive for as long as possible. Maybe, just maybe, take the opportunity to secure an easy kill if need be. He had a plan, all that was needed now was to implement the steps.
[+] Mini Characters
SOTF: The Program
M07 - Michael Maxwell | Location: The Officers' Quarters - Let's Make Life A Living Hell | Status: DECEASED | Died for nothing | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
F13 - Jennifer Steinman | Location The Watchtower - The Opening Faceoff | Status: DECEASED | Died to make up for past sins | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Program V2
M01- Kyle Williams | Location: ENDGAME The Town - Semper Fi | Status: DECEASED | Died for no reason | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

SOTF-TV
W01 - Timothy Walker | Location: The Ski Resort - Siberian Breaks | Status: DECEASED | Died and lost, aces low | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6[/color]

TV V2
AE2: Anastasia Arcadia | Location: ENDGAME The Bull Craps Casino - Production Costs | Status: DECEASED? | Died, having pissed off a genuine god | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Virtua-SOTF
F03 - Tania Chell | Location: The Ghost Town/The Streets - Anyone out there? | Status: DECEASED| Died lost in thought | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
F13 - Maria Hall| Location: The Mines - Exhausted | Status: DECEASED | Died void of all | History: 1, 2

Second Chances
G13 - Jennifer Steinman | Location: The Resort Hotel - One Bath, Two Bath, Red Bath, Bloodbath | Status: DECEASED | Died unrepentant | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 5, 6
B11 - Timothy Walker | Location: The Helipad - Thin Line Between Heaven and Here | Status: DECEASED | Died and took hope with him | History: 1, 2

Second Chances V2
B13 - Michael Maxwell | Location: The Lake - Two is Better Than One | Status: DECEASED | Died for a stupid mistake | History: 1, 2
G21 - Tania Chell | Location: The Cliffs - Instructions Unclear | Status: DECEASED | Died having accomplished nothing | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
There was once a dumb psuedo-news line here. Now there's this pretentious nonsense. YOU1 DID THIS, YOU1 KNOW WHO YOU1 ARE!

1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

#4

Post by jimmydalad »

Saachi wasn't really sure how to take Jay's apology. For one thing, she was expecting to get chewed out by him in the morning, so the change to something more friendly was a welcome, if not unexpected change. The things he was saying ticked all the right boxes for her too.

"It's cool," Saachi simply responded, giving a small smile back to him. As great as things seemed to be turning for her, she still kept her guard up. She was not the type of person who let bygones be bygones. That didn't mean she had to fully reject Jay's kindness, especially since he seemed much more eager to cooperate with her. Even if this was some sort of elaborate ruse on his part, Saachi didn't care so long as he was willing to work with her instead of shouting in her face or catching her in nets.

"Correction, I still need to get my kill."

There was no want about it. If Saachi intended to win, like she obviously was planning on doing, killing was going to be an inevitability. Want implied that she took enjoyment out of the entire process. That wasn't her. She wasn't a monster, just a person put in an unfortunate situation. She was just doing what needed to be done because if she didn't do it, someone else was. The announcements served to justify her theory that people were already playing right out of the gate. If her upbringing taught her anything, she had to be proactive to succeed.

At the sound of footsteps, Saachi froze. Someone else was here. Looking at Jay, she shushed him and then started to tentatively move towards where she heard the noise. She kept herself flat on the edge of the shed, sidling across to catch a sneak peek of who had come before they had a chance to see her or Jay. Saachi breathed deeply to herself, recognising her blood pressure rising. She continued to sidle, focusing on her movements so that she could distract herself.

She peeked around the corner. It was only Michael. Saachi never bothered to get to know him. He slacked in his studies and seemed to just fade away into the background as time went on. In any case, he didn't notice her. That was important. He was also alone, so there wasn't going to be another Lyndi to get in her way. He didn't seem to have a weapon on him, probably obscured by his figure since Saachi didn't see his duffel bag either. After taking in that information, Saachi quickly ducked back behind the shed.

Who cared about Michael? She honestly wasn't really sure that Michael had any friends that she was aware of. He was just sort of there most of the time. He wasn't with anyone either, so Saachi doubted anyone would go chasing after her to get revenge for killing Michael of all people. He also was unarmed, at least for the moment. For all she knew, he could've been hiding a pistol or some sort of assault rifle behind him, but if they managed to get the jump on him, he wouldn't have time to get it out. If Saachi was alone, she may have been worried, but she was with Jay. Jay could keep him busy while Saachi did the deed.

Walking back to Jay, Saachi could feel the anticipation in her body. It was like everything had fallen into place for her. A guy that no one on the island would probably care about, who had lowered his guard and was completely alone. This was the moment she was prepping herself for this entire time. Felicia was a mistake, she could recognise that. But she learnt from mistakes. She learned not to hold back, not to think about what the other person was feeling. Jay reacted instantly and Saachi recognised that she would need to do the same.

"Jay, Michael is on the other side of this shed. I've found my kill."
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
User avatar
Slam
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:14 pm

#5

Post by Slam »

Jay furrowed his eyes at the mention of the name Michael. That son of a bitch made fun of his story!

So Saachi was ready to kill him. Cool. He nodded in agreement, then muttered his plan to her at a volume inaudible to their new target. Just a one-two teamwork bag ‘em and tag ‘em deal, only without a net to do bagging with. Whatever, they'd work with what they had.

He stepped out from behind the shed and greeted the poor sap.

“Hey Mich-“

Oh. Wrong Michael.

Awkward, but oh well. Saachi'd made her mind up, so it was too late to stop now.

“How’s it’s going? You having a good day so far?”
Second Chances 3
Lucas Brady - Ultra-Premium Grade - 1

Nu-BRAU
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

SOTF: Supers
S028: Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
[+] pregame
Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2
Lord_Shadow
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 2:43 am
Team Affiliation: Emmy's Selkies

#6

Post by Lord_Shadow »

Michael nearly jumped out of his skin. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed someone else approach. He blinked and sat in silence trying to recall this guy's name. Who the hell was this and why was he talking to him? Michael abruptly remembered that he wasn't at school, but rather in the middle of who the hell knew where and he struggled to get out some words.

"Uh what—" Michael managed to get out before he noticed movement in his peripheral vision. He saw the glint of metal and his expression turned from confusion to panic. Unfortunately for him there was nothing he could do to stop the inevitable.

He wanted to scream out something: a plea to stop, a cry for help, an angry yell. His mouth was open, but no sound came out. The cleaver came down on his head, embedded in his skull. He twitched and blinked from the impact.

A thought came into his head. I made a mistake.

The thought passed, along with all others. The blood oozed down the side of his head, the light faded from his eyes, and his breath left him entirely.

The body went limp and fell down on its side.

B13 — MICHAEL MAXWELL: ELIMINATED

And the moral of this story is: don't go off alone when you're in a free-for-all fight to the death among your classmates.
[+] Mini Characters
SOTF: The Program
M07 - Michael Maxwell | Location: The Officers' Quarters - Let's Make Life A Living Hell | Status: DECEASED | Died for nothing | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
F13 - Jennifer Steinman | Location The Watchtower - The Opening Faceoff | Status: DECEASED | Died to make up for past sins | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Program V2
M01- Kyle Williams | Location: ENDGAME The Town - Semper Fi | Status: DECEASED | Died for no reason | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

SOTF-TV
W01 - Timothy Walker | Location: The Ski Resort - Siberian Breaks | Status: DECEASED | Died and lost, aces low | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6[/color]

TV V2
AE2: Anastasia Arcadia | Location: ENDGAME The Bull Craps Casino - Production Costs | Status: DECEASED? | Died, having pissed off a genuine god | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Virtua-SOTF
F03 - Tania Chell | Location: The Ghost Town/The Streets - Anyone out there? | Status: DECEASED| Died lost in thought | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
F13 - Maria Hall| Location: The Mines - Exhausted | Status: DECEASED | Died void of all | History: 1, 2

Second Chances
G13 - Jennifer Steinman | Location: The Resort Hotel - One Bath, Two Bath, Red Bath, Bloodbath | Status: DECEASED | Died unrepentant | History: 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 5, 6
B11 - Timothy Walker | Location: The Helipad - Thin Line Between Heaven and Here | Status: DECEASED | Died and took hope with him | History: 1, 2

Second Chances V2
B13 - Michael Maxwell | Location: The Lake - Two is Better Than One | Status: DECEASED | Died for a stupid mistake | History: 1, 2
G21 - Tania Chell | Location: The Cliffs - Instructions Unclear | Status: DECEASED | Died having accomplished nothing | History: 1, 2, 3, 4
There was once a dumb psuedo-news line here. Now there's this pretentious nonsense. YOU1 DID THIS, YOU1 KNOW WHO YOU1 ARE!

1. Yeah you, you nefarious ne'er-do-well you.
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

#7

Post by jimmydalad »

It had ended almost as quickly as it had started.

Saachi's face was impassive as she watched Michael's life fade and his body crumple to the floor. The initial excitement had left her through the cleaver and she was now left with a feeling that something was missing. She had imagined her first kill to be more glorious, meaningful or symbolic. It was just quick. All Saachi had to do was move behind Michael and kill him. Now he was dead.

Her face remained set in stone as she took the cleaver out of Michael's head. She looked over to the duffel bag of her recent kill and saw the Trident. The fact that he didn't even have it on hand to protect himself seemed so foolish. He might've had a chance then.

"Jay, feel free to take the trident. It's yours."

The prospect of giving Jay a permanent weapon, especially one that outranged hers, was probably just a disaster just waiting to happen. However, Saachi wanted to build trust between the two of them. Give a reason for Jay to stay, rather than just betray her or leave. As much of an ass he was, at least he was an ass that was on her side when push came to shove. She also wanted him to stop bugging her about her cleaver. He now had a weapon. Saachi almost considered it a gift to him for his compliance. Something that will keep him distracted, at least for the short term.

She moved and sat against the wall of the shed, in between the duffel bag and the mess of limbs that used to be Michael Maxwell. She wasn't exactly sure how to process it all. Her mind seemed to be whirring from the aftereffects of the kill and her body was still shaking slightly. She knew she needed to focus her mind on something, something that would take her mind off what just happened. She didn't want to think about it. She did the deed and it was done. That was all she had to care about.

The cleaver was dirty again. Stained with the blood of its recent meal. Digging through the bag, she found the antiseptic wipes. Taking out a handful, she started to wipe and clean, attacking each of the stubborn stains that clung eagerly to her blade. She did what she needed to. That's what she had to keep telling herself as she cleaned her cleaver.
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
User avatar
Slam
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:14 pm

#8

Post by Slam »

“Well, you sure aren’t now.”

With a gashunk not unlike Lyndi’s, Michael was down. Jay watched his body hit the floor, then looked back up at the culprit. Cold as ice.

He frowned. When he’d been in her shoes just yesterday, he’d been too distracted by a fat bitch on top of him to really feel much, but Chop Susie had no such excuse. Apparently, she really wasn’t just talking shit when she approached everything so matter of fact: she was in fact just an unfeeling killer. That this was the company he was keeping now, and that such company was still hanging out with him, wasn’t flattering.

Oh sweet, a trident!

Jay went over to Michael’s stuff, grabbing the prize Saachi had won for him. It was a bit silly, using a big fork as his weapon of choice, as opposed to a more old fashioned cleaver, but it was a step up from a net however you looked at it. With this on hand, people would think twice about shoving shelves on him or giving him another black eye.

Ugh, that was still embarassing.

Jay looked back over at Saachi, who’d taken to weapon maintenance. He felt something looking at her, a sense of turbulence that he’d been wrapped up in not long ago. Even if he did consider it quick, taking a life was still something. It was the right thing to do, considering their circumstances and his drive to win, but it changed your identity. Saachi was probably at least a little bit shook up, even if she wasn’t showing it at all.

She could probably use some reassurance, he decided. Moving over to her, he took a seat between her and the corpse not far away, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and offering her a genuine, non-grin of a smile.

“You see how much better things go when you don’t screw up?”
Second Chances 3
Lucas Brady - Ultra-Premium Grade - 1

Nu-BRAU
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

SOTF: Supers
S028: Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
[+] pregame
Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

#9

Post by jimmydalad »

The blade was clean by this point, but Saachi continued cleaning. It was much easier going through the motions of maintaining the blade than linger on thoughts about the reality of the situation. Saachi was a killer now, after all. There was no going back on that. She had known she was going to kill, she wanted to survive after all. Her actions had pretty much solidified the path she was taking. There were no second chances now. She had thrown her lot in with Danya, hoping that his game would be her ticket back to normal life.

Saachi's breathing was deep as she continued to wipe the clean blade incessantly. She focused on each stroke, Michael's wipes attacking spots and blemishes that were non-existent to the rest of the world but herself. She had looked at nothing else since the aftermath of the process. Saachi pinched a particular spot that she had wiped a few seconds ago, her breathing speeding up to match the furiously twitching her fingers that continued a never-ending process. After this, she'd probably focus closer to the tip before returning to this same point and repeating the actions all over again. Just to make sure.

It was at the point where she considered moving to the tip that she felt a presence on her shoulder. She looked up slowly and saw Jay smiling at her. Smiling? She had stopped cleaning the blade, letting her arms drop beside her. All of her interactions up until that point with him had been antagonistic or uncomfortable, so seeing him smile took Saachi aback. She held back the urge to roll her eyes at Jay's comment, instead choosing to look at the more positive intentions.

"Yeah, thanks, Jay." Saachi returned with an uneasy half-smile. She didn't mess up this time, that was good. In fact, both of them did a pretty stellar job. It still didn't change the fact that she was categorically a murderer. It wasn't this kill in particular that made her uneasy, but the idea that she'd have to continue killing, that her death count will continue to rise as the game went on. The realisation of what it meant to win this game. Just how many people would she need to kill to ensure her survival? She knew this was only the first. How much work would she need to do to make up for the others who just sat around and hoped that things would magically fix itself? Would her mind even be able to take it?

"I guess this is the path we chose, isn't it?"

The question was more to herself than Jay. She remembered the previous night, staring up at the stars and reflecting on her place in the game. This was indeed what she had chosen and there was no way around it. No amount of mental gymnastics would ever change the fact that Saachi had chosen to become a killer and play into the hands of those who kidnapped them. Still, Saachi had seen no other way out. She had worked so hard, spent so many hours in tears because of her father, studied so many nights to achieve the grades needed to be successful in life and make her family proud. Yet, there was a chance that all of that was going to be taken away from her. Of course, she'd go for the chance where she could claim that back, claim back her life that was cruelly taken from her.

This was all necessary. That had been what had pushed her through the game thus far. At least one person needed to die each day to save everyone. Everyone else needed to die to get her life back. She was doing what she needed to be done to survive. She was doing the things that others wouldn't do but were required to make it to the next day. They would hesitate, but it was only a matter of time before the realisation hits and they'd start playing too. Each person, each classmate, was a time bomb waiting to go off before it explodes. Some had longer fuses, but in the end, it was inevitably going to go off. When that moment came, Saachi wanted to be ready.

She chuckled to herself, heavy with the epiphany she had just gone through. This was only the beginning. At least she wasn't alone. She had Jay, who was also going through it. While Jay could hardly be called the most reliable or amicable person in the world, it was one more person that was going through the same thing she was. Maybe their approaches to dealing with it were different, but it was comforting to recognise that she alone would not have to struggle with the burden of her actions.

"Well then, shall we take a break or find our next target?" Saachi asked, her voice lighter and matched with a wide grin. "We probably should take Michael's rations and things while we're at it."

She wasn't a monster. She was someone trying to survive. There was a vast difference between the two.
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
User avatar
Slam
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:14 pm

#10

Post by Slam »

Jay gave her an equally assuring follow-up pat in return for Saachi’s thanks. It was tough when you realised what you’d just done, but she’d get over it. He totally had, that was for sure.

Yet her question made his face twinge.

He broke contact, pulling his lips into his mouth whilst the corners were still pulled up into an attempt at a smile. The path they chose? She was going down that route now?

No way. She wasn’t allowed to change her mind like that. What she’d said yesterday was the whole reason he’d been able to sleep at all last night, rather than wonder what the hell was wrong in his life that he’d start butchering people in the face within twenty-four hours. There was no choice to it, that's why. No red cards, free pass.

“Yeah, food sounds good.” He replied, realising that he'd been lost in his thoughts rather than paying attention.

He moved over to the bag, avoiding looking at Saachi too much, as he continued to clutch his brand new trident in hand. He glanced down at Michael again as he did so, looking at the blood that was pooling around his skull. That was the same sight twice in a day, go figure.

The fact remained though that Michael being down there was a good thing. The fact that he was dead meant Jay was playing to win, and he always played to win. It was Saachi who’d done it, but it wouldn’t matter if he had. Those were the rules, this was how you played.

“Hey.” He stopped, a few feet away. You know what? Saachi still needed some reassurance.

He turned back. He was still smiling, but this was a smile that would not make many people smile back.

“We didn’t choose to do this, remember? You said so: this is what we have to do. This is what those bastards are making us do, so it’s ok, ok? We don’t have to feel bad, or guilty, or anything like that, cause we’re doing what we have to do to go home. What we’re doing here? It’s not our fault. So don't worry about it. Don't think about it.”

He nodded, then went back to fetching the rations.
Second Chances 3
Lucas Brady - Ultra-Premium Grade - 1

Nu-BRAU
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

SOTF: Supers
S028: Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
[+] pregame
Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2
User avatar
Latin For Dragula
Posts: 399
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:28 pm

#11

Post by Latin For Dragula »

((It is a strange thing to find alienation in solidarity.))

Up until now she had only dealt with those capable of violence, not necessarily murder. She hadn't seen any of her classmates kill each other. Her mind refused to focus on the details enough to extrapolate out how she knew that, but she knew it was true. In all the vague flashes of action she allowed herself to remember, she was the only known murderer.
It shouldn't be a relief to see them.
Yet here were two more, fresh off of the kill and working on the evidence by the look of things. A body, weapons, a nonchalant conversation about murder. That all seemed like sufficient evidence. She wasn't quite sure what to do with that information but approach from a distance with her weapon raised.
There's only one way this ends.
There were already calculations flying through her head. How many people had they killed together? How useful would it be to let them walk away and kill more? How risky were they together and how likely were they to stay that way? Did the amount of bodies they would leave behind outweigh the risk of leaving them to team up on her later? It was a totally new equation to consider, and one that had equal chances of being profitable and ruinous. There was a tempting tug to draw on her knowledge from school. Allow them to have names, personalities, habits that might make the analysis that much easier.
Stop.
It was a weak impulse. She should have shot them right there to prove it wrong. But if she didn't kill at least one of them, any escalation of hostilities was going to prove tricky. They wouldn't just bite her or claw at her face, they might actually be able to kill her. For now she kept back far, far away and called out to them over the barrel of her gun.
How many times do I have to repeat it?
"The assistance is appreciated."
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

#12

Post by jimmydalad »

It looked like they were resting, a development that Saachi didn't mind. It'd be nice to have some time to just relax and process recent events. She threw away the antiseptic wipe, leaving it on top of the dead body that she had been resting next to. It rested nicely on Michael's torso, staining his shirt with more of his blood.

Saachi's grin quickly disappeared when Jay turned back to her. His smile was unsettling, a mockery of positivity that chilled Saachi.

"You're right, Jay. We didn't choose this." Saachi echoed back. It was like Jay was reflecting her own thoughts back on her. It was odd how similar their views were when it came to the game. Maybe she was rubbing off on Jay. That thought elicited a quiet giggle. Would that mean Jay would start rubbing off on her? The thought alone was tragic. Best to avoid that line of thinking.

Saachi stood up as a voice called to the pair. Curious, she turned her head towards the source of the voice. Almost immediately she tried to retreat backwards, colliding with the wall behind her. KK was right there and had a gun. The same KK that was in the announcements. Up until this point, they'd never encountered a killer. All of the people they've met had been easy prey. This was an entirely different playing field. Saachi knew that KK had the power here.

"You're welcome," Saachi called back, her voice tentative due to the situation they were in. Admittedly, KK hadn't shot. So maybe she'd be able to find a way to sort this out so that they didn't get riddled with bullet holes. Even if KK was a terrible shot, she was not willing to take that chance.

"We're happy to continue assisting you if you want." Saachi parlayed, trying to make the best out of what could be a terrible situation. Saachi bit her lips tightly as she waited for her reply, prepping herself to dive for the back of the shed should things turn bad. Hopefully, she'd shoot Jay before going for her.
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
User avatar
Slam
Posts: 698
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 9:14 pm

#13

Post by Slam »

Good. Great. Saachi wasn’t stupid, she knew how to take her own advice, and they still didn’t have to feel bad. Peachy.

He would’ve preferred to keep that feeling, but alas, Katarina caught his attention just like she did his companion. Unlike his companion, he was less somewhat less composed in his response:

“AH, SHIT!”

His heart jumped back, and his feet followed suit. But unlike Saachi, he had no wall to support him, so instead he just wound up tripping and falling flat on his ass.

He looked at Katarina from his floored position, then back at Saachi, then back at Katarina. Words escaped him as his pulse raced. He’d never had someone point a gun at him before, believe it or not, and he was not enjoying it.

He looked back at Saachi again. Could he bolt and leave her to deal with it? Maybe, but Katarina had a gun. Guns shot you in the back whilst you were running, that much was obvious. He did not want to be shot in the back whilst running.

So he continued sitting there, hoping that Ms. Has-an-answer-for-everything had an answer for this.
Second Chances 3
Lucas Brady - Ultra-Premium Grade - 1

Nu-BRAU
B13: Yuichiro Takiguchi - 0 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

SOTF: Supers
S028: Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7
[+] pregame
Lincoln Guenther - Gift: Soul Sphere - 1 - 2
User avatar
Latin For Dragula
Posts: 399
Joined: Wed Aug 08, 2018 10:28 pm

#14

Post by Latin For Dragula »

The one with the weapon seemed scared, but was bargaining.
Killer.
The one on the ground seemed about to piss himself with no meaningful contributions. She knew where her focus belonged.
Killed.
This was interesting. Did she not understand what they were doing, or did she simply assume Katarina wouldn't? The girl had known enough to kill, and to seem composed about it doing it again. They both understood the nature of "assistance" openly enough to read that subtext. So was she banking on the idea that Katarina, and presumably her partner, were too slow to figure out only one person got to leave, or was she too slow to have figured it out herself? Or perhaps had she stumbled on to something Katarina hadn't considered?
I've been wrong so many times. What's one more?
Her finger was brushing back and forth just ever so slightly on the trigger. She hadn't even realized she was doing it. Was she always doing that? If she wasn't certain of her own actions, could she be certain of her larger situation?
How many breaths was that?
But she couldn't have missed something, especially not on this detail. Dealing with other killers was so easy that there was already a known and overused to the point of cliche logical problem it fit neatly into. The Prisoner's Dilemma had been mentioned so many times in so many classes, books, TV shows, and podcasts that it took her only a moment to apply its structure to their situation:
...
Back and forth.
...
Two killers meet on an island. Both intend to kill all of their competition. if they cooperate, they waste no resources on each other and up to halve their workload with the understanding that eventually they'll have to kill each other. However, if either one betrays the other and makes the first move they have a significant advantage against a dangerous but unaware victim. If they both betray each other at once, there's a greatly increased likelihood that they'll both die. The course that creates the most good for both of them would be to collaborate. But if you don't care for your second, and especially if your second does not care for you, the best choice is to always betray them: At best, you eliminate a rival. At worst, you thwart a deadly ambush. There were no other variables.
...
Back and forth.
...
Unless there were, and she'd overlooked them. Unless she was missing a major, game-changing piece of information that made their collaboration more than an act of ignorant cruelty.
...
Back and forth.
...
Was that a risk she was willing to take?
No.
Two things became crystal clear to Katarina: 1) It would be unwise to shoot them both without learning their reasoning. 2) She had been standing there staring at them and fiddling with her trigger for several moments in complete silence.
I have to know.
Mm. That couldn't look good.
Neither does the blood in the grass.
"We? So you're working together. Why? Only one of you can go home."
User avatar
jimmydalad
Posts: 266
Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:38 pm

#15

Post by jimmydalad »

At least Saachi could confirm one suspicion on the back of her mind. When it came to anything that didn't involve being a distraction or killing someone, Jay was pretty useless. She understood why he had that reaction to being threatened with a gun, but he certainly wasn't trying to do anything to get out of it like she was. Then again, she had a feeling things would end up worse if Jay did try opening his mouth, so she tried to see it as a blessing in disguise.

It looked like she'd be the one dealing with the crazy Katarina. She took a moment to regain her composure, put on a stronger face for whatever was coming. The gun was the main factor, her eyes inevitably were drawn to the dangerous weapon. She was too far away to see how close she was to the trigger, but the fact that her finger was near it in the first place was enough to have her approach with caution.

She was just standing there. Was she honestly considering her offer? Saachi elected not to break the silence, letting it hang awkwardly in the air as she exchanged a confused look with Jay. Katarina didn't say anything, but she knew that she'd probably end up on the wrong side of the bullet if she tried to run. She also hoped that by being compliant, she'd at least get Katarina to work with them, or at least not try killing the pair. Maybe smaller steps should be taken.

When KK spoke, she quickly turned her attention back to her potential assailant. That was the thing she'd been pondering this whole time? Saachi took a deep breath, exhaling the exasperation out of her body. She took a second to think of her approach.

"Yes, only one of us can go home, but there are approximately 60 kids on this island if we're going off the numbers on the bus. Everyone's going to start playing sooner or later, so trying to go off on your own for the entire way automatically puts you at a disadvantage. The others are going to group up, and there's only so many times you can pick off stragglers before you're trying to bum rush a group of 3 or 4 classmates while you're on your own."

Saachi thought back to when the pair took on Lyndi's group. If Saachi was alone, she would've been royally screwed. She may have been able to kill Michael off on her own, but having Jay there made things infinitely easier. She had to put conviction in her words and sway KK away from capping her and Jay.

"Jay and I recognised the advantage there was towards working together to take out the others. Right now, there are too many people on the island that are probably working and sticking together. Trying to go off alone to take them all on is needlessly dangerous. You're probably not the only person who has a gun KK. What happens if you try going for a kill on one person when their friend suddenly comes out of nowhere and blows your brains out? At least if you have someone else, they'll be able to run interception or you can create a strategy with them to separate the group before going for the kill. And honestly? I'm more than happy to work with you to get further in the game KK."

Saachi quietly gulped to herself as she tried to tell how KK and Jay were taking what she was saying. Trying to straddle the line between saying what KK wanted to hear and what Jay wanted to hear was difficult. She basically had to sell the benefits of not just killing on your own to the both of them. Saachi began moving her fingers, gripping tighter on the cleaver. Deep breaths. She just needed to get through this, then maybe things would turn out well for them.

"Look, I'm not saying that you need to buddy up with us and stick together as a trio. What I am thinking is that, at least until we take out the others and reduce the size of the groups traipsing around, we should avoid trying to kill each other. It works out for what we want to do. We can cover more of the island, work on taking out the other kids and make our lives on this godforsaken island easier without having to think about killing everyone on our own. We can then worry about each other once we get to the end."

Saachi bit the inside of her cheek as she waited for a response. Her gaze never left KK. She had thrown the ball into her field. Saachi could only hope that she wasn't going to end up with a bullet in her chest.
[+] The Program V2
Characters
Image (Minus accessories)
M09: Maxim Senders - "The stars are so pretty tonight. Shame you can barely see them." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Civil War Bayonet Gun
Pregame/Sandbox: o -> o -> o -> o -> o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Image (Minus accessories)
F10: Bailey Williams - "Don't you fucking move." - Status: DEAD
Weapon: Philadelphia Derringer
Pregame/Sandbox: o
Program V2: o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] TV V2
Erik Sheely - The Quiet Cheerleader
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o

Saachi Nidal - The Valedictorian who hates SOTF
Sandbox: o
TV V2: o -> o
[+] Second Chances
Character Planning Thread

Aria Samuels - Quiet, Paranoid and Independent
Weapon - Trumpet
Memories - o
Pregame - o
Game - o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o

Saachi Nidal - Confident, Aggressive and Regal
Weapon - Meat Cleaver
Game - o -> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o
-> o ->o -> o -> o -> o -> o -> o
[+] SOTF International
Jen Mara Tuiqamea - Adopted from Cicada
Game - o
[+] Artsy Stuff That People Have Done
[+] Maxim Senders by Mimi
Image
[+] Bailey Williams by Medic
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal TV2 by Yugi
Image
[+] Saachi Nidal Second Chances
Image
Post Reply

Return to “The Lake”