Who Needs Direction?

(closed until futher notice)

Anywhere which doesn't fall into any of the other locations, including directly by the towering walls of The Compound, and the alleyways between buildings.

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Who Needs Direction?

#1

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((M18 - Johan Luther continued from Nice Morning for a Shootout.)

Johan Luther was wandering. He had no clue in the world which way he was going, besides "away from the guy that killed Ben". Then again, after watching someone get killed, who needs direction? It's an obvious enough cue to get moving. He then scanned the distance, and saw the hospital only a couple of feet away. From his planning with Ben, he remembered that they were supposed to be coming here next. Still, after having every other search for supplies be basically fruitless, Johan wasn't too keen of trying to search yet another place. Of course, there was also the other problem of buildings being obvious places for other people to seek shelter, and deciding that cowardice might just be a good idea at the moment, Johan decided to simply wander in a different direction. Looking over the map and his compass, he decided that he was going to a more isolated part of the area, towards the southeast and avoid any unnecessary trouble like the kind that got him into his predicament in the first place. Or at least, that's what he hoped. Of course, there's always someone out there ready to prove that wrong...
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#2

Post by peregrineink* »

(Madeline Harris continued from Plenty Death to Go Around)


Maddie didn't know where she was going, maybe she was following instinct? There was nowhere she could really go where she wouldn't be spotted by too many students. She was covered in blood, and smart enough to know what the would mean to the others, even if they couldn't possibly understand her efforts. She didn't want a silly misunderstanding ending her career early.

She wanted to gather her thoughts alone and somewhere secluded. Digging through her pack she took out her map and looked at the best opportunity for that. An area in the southeast part of the compound looked promising. She crept, keeping out of sight as much as she possibly could, she could remember the alley where she had run into Duncan, and silently prayed that he was somewhere okay, she couldn't wait to share her art with him when she found him again. Would he love it? Would he smile at her, impressed, as though he didn't expect such brilliance from her. She blushed, how could she have gotten so full of herself? Sure she was making amazingly inspired art, but everyone was a critic, everyone had different tastes. She couldn't begin to guess what Duncan would think when she told him.

Maddie allowed herself a selfish thought, hopefully by the time they met again it would be free from the others. Duncan understood her and would definitely know where she was coming from, but the others? She wasn't so sure. She would have continued to obsessively think about all of this, if a tall, brownish blonde boy didn't come into her view. At first her heart leapt in jackrabbit panic, until she realized he was alone.

She reached quietly into her overalls and gripped the gun in her left hand, holding the baseball bat loosely in her right. She was pretty good with both hands but in a pinch, she was going to have to go with her more dominant one, the left. She stared at the boy, taking in his pale skin, the blond in his hair, he dressed in grays, a boy of grayscale. That was...until she took note of his eyes.

Such blue, the color of a summer sky, she noted. She mentally calculated what pigments to mix to create a paint that would be those eyes...cobalt, china white, ultramarine. Maddie couldn't help but find herself jealous of such colorful eyes. Her own gray lacked color, and even though her mother used to attempt to cheer her up by claiming that she saw green on occasion, Maddie knew her own eyes were as boring as glass. She did not recognize this classmate, he was not in any of her classes as far as she could remember, but that didn't mean much, unless he was in her art class she never paid attention to anyone else.

Maddie took a step towards him, her eyes wide. "Hello," she said quietly. "Has anyone ever told you that your eyes are very beautiful?"
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#3

Post by Un67* »

Johan was gradually heading towards the southeastern area of the Compound, and was making good progress. He was a good three-fourths of the way there, and he hadn't seen a single person along the way. It almost seemed to be peaceful, but then again, this was the Program. There was no such thing as peace here. Well, perhaps peace by death...

For a brief moment Johan stared at his gun. He knew that he could probably kill himself with it and avoid the trouble of actually trying to survive, but he then looked away and reminded himself that he was going to try to survive. Sure, the chances were slim, but at least there was a chance at all.

However, only moments after he did so, a wide eyed and small looking girl walked up to him. She then said, "Hello, has anyone ever told you that your eyes are very beautiful?"

Johan had several feelings surging in, one by one. He was flattered at first, for reasons obvious enough, but then a second and more overpowering one came in - suspicion. After all, this was the Program, people didn't walk in just to say a compliment. He then looked at the girl's hands, and noticed that she had a gun and a baseball bat. Johan knew fully well that anyone with two weapons had either killed or been near someone who was killed, so then fear became his dominant emotion. He desperately wanted to run, but he knew that it would only serve to agitate the girl, and above all else he feared an agitated person with a gun, after having watched Ben kill Harris and then get killed by someone else.

His decision was then to keep it cool, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he said, "Yeah, on a couple occasions before. Now... why exactly does this matter, and just who are you?"
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#4

Post by peregrineink* »

She knew that eyes of such beauty could not be ignored, so she wasn't surprised when he admitted that he had often received compliments. She was confused as to why he had asked her why it mattered.

"Art matters," she said plainly. "And your eyes, I'm trying to figure out what colors I'd use for paint." She tripped over these words, finding them to be awkward on her tongue. The more art she made the harder it was to interact with her subjects, this was something she realized and noticed. She opened her mouth awkwardly, and then closed it.

"For your eyes," she clarified. No. That didn't seem okay either. She could see how confused the boy was and this wasn't getting her anywhere. "My name is Maddie Harris. You probably haven't heard of me."

She cast her eyes downward and awkwardly cleared her throat. "I'm an artist!" She chirped, momentarily brightening, red flushed to her cheeks. Could he stop looking at her? She was getting embarrassed by this singular attention.

"I don't know your name," she finished quietly.
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#5

Post by Un67* »

After Johan asked the girl why the color of his eyes mattered, she replied, "Art matters. And your eyes, I'm trying to figure out what colors I'd use for paint." She seemed rather awkward while saying this, but Johan was also wondering what it had to do with anything.

The girl then continued, "For your eyes." Johan understood the point the girl was getting at, but he was still confused as to how it had to do with anything. This was the Program, a matter of life or death, and she was talking about the color of his eyes?

She then finally told Johan her name, and said, "My name is Maddie Harris. You probably haven't heard of me." Johan thought it over. He never really saw her in school but thought it was vaguely familiar. Then he realized with dread that he heard her name in the announcements, and since she obviously wasn't dead she had killed someone before. She didn't really look like a killer, but then again, this was the Program, which brought out the worst in everyone.

Still, Johan noticed after looking back at her that she seemed rather awkward and was getting embarrassed, with her eyes pointed downward. She then chirped highly, "I'm an artist!" Johan couldn't help but think that was somewhat obvious, but he just nodded on, trying to keep his cool. He then realized that it could be his chance to get away...

He then took a few steps backwards, until Maddie said to Johan rather quietly, "I don't know your name."

To this, Johan simply replied, "I'm Johan Luther. Now, if you could excuse me, I've got to keep moving..."

He began by taking a few steps backwards, but then after a few seconds he began breaking into full sprint. Even though he was a jogger, his desire to get out of the situation gave him a huge boost to his speed. Running might not have been the best option, but Johan could have cared less. Any chance to get into safety was well worth it. Still, no matter how fast he ran, he knew fully well that he was hardly out of the red yet...
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#6

Post by peregrineink* »

The Achilles tendon is a remarkable thing. If you cut it, the muscle is immediately rendered useless. It's not as though the muscle curls up, Maddie had read that somewhere and was curious enough to do a little more research. The muscle has far too much connective tissue to actually spring up like some sort of lagging tongue, though Maddie decided that it would make an excellent sculpture. However your foot does get paralyzed and usually the victim of a cut Achilles will never walk normally again, not without extensive therapy, of course.

Maddie was thinking of all of this as she shot Johan in the leg. Of course, there was no way a girl of her minimal ability at sharpshooting could hit the Achilles tendon, but she had enough experience at this point to at least hit the fleshy upper thigh.

She didn't understand why he was walking away from her.

She frowned as she lowered the gun.

"It's very rude to walk away. Especially when you have the materials I need," Maddie said, her normally trembly voice gaining strength.
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#7

Post by Un67* »

Johan groaned in pain as a bullet came from Maddie's gun and hit his upper thigh. It felt like... Johan didn't even honestly know how to describe what it felt like, it was nothing like he ever experienced before. In any case, he immediately pulled to a stop, knowing that it would be impossible to escape with a bullet in his thigh. Maddie then lowered his gun, and said, "It's very rude to walk away. Especially when you have the materials I need."

Lamely and short to the point, Johan said, "Knew you killed someone before. Wanted to get away." He grimaced and winced at the searing pain, and began to feel blood coming out of his thigh. And yet, he couldn't help but think to himself, Materials?

Johan then groaned again loudly, and said without even thinking about the fact that he could be firing back with his own weapon, "Alright, whatever. You got me. I can't run. If you want to kill me, do it now, put me out of my misery. And if you don't, well, that would be all the better. Just let me get away from this. Please."
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#8

Post by peregrineink* »

Kill? KILL!? Is that what he said? She wasn't killing per se, that was so gauche, so vulgar. She pointed her gun down at him, finger ready to pull the trigger... and ....

He was ruining it.

"I'm not killing you," she said stubbornly. "I'm making you better. I'm adding you to my portfolio, and you better stop talking before you RUIN IT."

She shot him in the upper arm so he could fully understand how intensely she felt about it. "I am not killing. Killing means DESTRUCTION I am CREATING and how come you don't understand? How come they run and they whisper and they hide because they don't understand."

Those blue eyes looked at her. Killer. They said. You've killed before.

"SHUT UP!" Maddie screamed, clamping her hands over her ears.
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#9

Post by Un67* »

Johan looked back at Maddie. He noticed that his words made her a bit hesitant to fire, and Johan was glad to see that his words had made some effect on her, not that it would really matter either way. She then said stubbornly, "I'm not killing you. I'm making you better. I'm adding you to my portfolio, and you better stop talking before you RUIN IT."

Even at this moment, Johan began to laugh. He couldn't help but think what she was saying was hilarious, even while there was a bullet in his thigh. Sure, it might antagonize her, but he had only a few moments left so he couldn't help but think, Why not?

And then she shot him in the upper arm. With that, Johan stopped laughing, and repressed another groan of pain. He simple stared at Maddie, a rather empty and emotionless stare. Maddie then continued, "I am not killing. Killing means DESTRUCTION I am CREATING and how come you don't understand? How come they run and they whisper and they hide because they don't understand."

Johan pointed out blithely, "Sure, you're creating something. You're creating pain and suffering, just like every other killer. That's something, right? Something that's very important for everyone to experience? It's art, in a sick, sadistic way."

Maddie then shouted, "SHUT UP!" Johan was glad to oblige. Getting the chance to get back a little at her was worth it. He then rummaged in his pocket, when he suddenly realized one very important (and perhaps obvious) thing: I have the gun.

He then rapidly pulled it out and fired a shot. There was probably very little chance it would actually hit, but this was his chance and he had little else he could do...
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#10

Post by peregrineink* »

Pain hurt. Tears sprang to her eyes as she gripped her upper right arm. The burning scraping feeling was already starting to ebb, clearly it had merely grazed her, but fresh hot blood spilled down her arm anyway. The tears started to flow faster, and she began to hiccup pathetically, the sobs starting to tear itself out of her chest. The pain.

Pain.

She cried like a little girl taken away from her parents, too confused to fully understand why. She cried like a little girl who suddenly realized that she wasn't playing for keeps, she was playing for survival. She cried like a little girl who suddenly realized that there might be something to lose.

Then the little girl was gone. The Artist was back, still sobbing but filled with purpose.

"I have to make you see," she said between sobs. "You don't understand and you will because I'll make you listen to me."

There was a terrible moment of silence as she stood there, a terrible ball of completely devastated anger. And then she dashed over, raising the baseball bat and bringing it down and down and down and down and she hit him and down it went and there was blood and she hit him and he knew what pain was like then.

He knew.
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#11

Post by Un67* »

Johan's shot hit Maddie, which to Johan was totally surprising. It hit her on her upper right arm, which was certainly fitting but not quite adequate retribution. Johan saw the blood streaking down her arm, much like his own, and then he saw the most surprising thing of all - she began to cry.

Naturally, however, this wasn't going to last. She quickly filled with purpose, and said, "I have to make you see. You don't understand and you will because I'll make you listen to me."

Johan only replied angrily, "There is in fact no such thing as art for art's sake." For a brief moment, there was a terrible and ominous silence, and Johan was about to take another shot at Maddie when she suddenly rushed forward with her baseball bat, and began delivering blow after blow, after blow, after blow...

After blow...

The last sensation Johan had on his mind was one of the many blows that struck. He quickly fell into unconsciousness due to the ever increasing pain and blood loss, and sooner or later he was nothing more then a bloody mess, with his face a mess of red splattered over his white skin and blue eyes. Perhaps it was 'art'. In any case, it was definitely 'art' fitting for a patriotic and militaristic nation like America.

M18: JOHAN LUTHER, DECEASED
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#12

Post by peregrineink* »

Maddie hiccuped and looked at the broken body of Johan, her chest still racking with sobs.


It was a body with beautiful eyes, the bluest the crowd had ever scene. It peered from a ruined mess of red that extended to mid body. Maddie stood in the middle of it all, knowing that there was something she had to say...

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out. The crowd whispered in shocked scandal. The artist? With no words for her creation?


Maddie couldn't think of anything to say. She screamed and hit him one final time with the bloody bat, though she knew at this point that there was nothing more to hit.

"YOU RUINED IT YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! EVERYTHING!" She threw the bat down in horror, gasping like some pathetic child.

Then she saw his gun. The gun he had hurt her with. She picked it up and held it loosely in her hand. Yes. Well. She shoved her Kahr 9 in her bag, deciding that maybe a change of tools would be just the thing to get her inspiration back. She shouldered her bag once more, throwing the bat onto Johan's lifeless body.

That was what she needed. More inspiration. She could do this. She could continue the Gallery. This subject didn't understand, she had let the subject talk and that was the problem. The next one would be better.

It would be so much better.

Still shaking, she gave one final cold glance down at Johan before turning and walking away...she had more art to achieve. She had so much more art to finish.

The Gallery would be complete.

(Madeline Harris...taking her crazy to Actions Speak Louder Than Words.)
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