“Second thing. Did you already forget that shitty pitch you did?”
He rubbed his nose with his index and his thumb.
“Your voice gives me a headache.”
I'm Pissed Now
Rhonda still had a few words for Xander, but those were going to have to wait because a new, very unwanted voice interjected itself into the conversation. Oh, Rhonda knew who it was. It was a voice that she hadn't recognized before she woke up a few minutes ago, but she was now much too familiar with. She didn't think that she would be forgetting the sound of Claudia Ghoul's voice for a long time. That insufferable look-at-me-I'm-a-big-deal cadence branded itself in Rhonda's memory, as much as she couldn't stand it.
She had been glancing at Xander's collar the entire time that Claudia had been speaking, and once the speaker went silent, she had a momentary flash of a smirk. She lowered her head and looked down before speaking, hoping that her microphone would pick up on it.
... But as it turns out, she didn't even need to talk, because Xander got to it first. Rhonda's grin spread a little wider in response to the exchange, and she went forward to pile on to Claudia a little more.
"Hey Claudia. Sugarskull was trash and so are you."
She looked over to Xander, and she was suddenly feeling a lot better about him hanging around. She held out her hand, making an obvious gesture for a handshake. "Well? We good?"
She had been glancing at Xander's collar the entire time that Claudia had been speaking, and once the speaker went silent, she had a momentary flash of a smirk. She lowered her head and looked down before speaking, hoping that her microphone would pick up on it.
... But as it turns out, she didn't even need to talk, because Xander got to it first. Rhonda's grin spread a little wider in response to the exchange, and she went forward to pile on to Claudia a little more.
"Hey Claudia. Sugarskull was trash and so are you."
She looked over to Xander, and she was suddenly feeling a lot better about him hanging around. She held out her hand, making an obvious gesture for a handshake. "Well? We good?"
"We good." He says, reaching out to shake her hand. It was a firm grip, and for some reason, it reassured Xander.
Xander didn't expect it to work. He knew he needed to hit Rhonda where it hurts, or rather where it felt good, to get her on his side. It was pretty simple in actuality. Xander just needed to slander some loser who didn't know when and when not to talk. He rolled his eyes internally. If only he would have gotten another mentor, he might not have needed to drag her like this.
In any case, it worked.
"What's, uh, what's your weapon?" He asked, hoping for something good. He looked down at the chair. "I got this... marvelous chair."
He took a look at the bag, trying to discern whatever she got in it.
"Is yours as bad as mine?"
Xander didn't expect it to work. He knew he needed to hit Rhonda where it hurts, or rather where it felt good, to get her on his side. It was pretty simple in actuality. Xander just needed to slander some loser who didn't know when and when not to talk. He rolled his eyes internally. If only he would have gotten another mentor, he might not have needed to drag her like this.
In any case, it worked.
"What's, uh, what's your weapon?" He asked, hoping for something good. He looked down at the chair. "I got this... marvelous chair."
He took a look at the bag, trying to discern whatever she got in it.
"Is yours as bad as mine?"
She firmly shook Xander's hand. His grip wasn't as strong as hers, but she'd accept it. Anyone who hated Claudia Ghoul couldn't be all bad. And besides, he didn't exactly seem like the most threatening guy in the world despite looking like he could bump his forehead on a low doorframe.
"Oh, weapon?" She said, looking at the folding chair that had somehow avoided being the main topic of conversation for the last few minutes. "I dunno. Didn't really have any time to check yet. Probably didn't have much luck if this is the quality of stuff we're pulling, though." She offhandedly pointed to Xander's chair before kneeling down to check her bag for a weapon, if she even had one. She wouldn't put it past the producers to make a "twist" where she didn't have a weapon as a laugh.
She reached into her bag, much less frantically this time. She finessed her hand between the various rations and supplies that had been haphazardly stuffed into the bag until she hit something hard and metallic. Exploring it with her fingers revealed a cylindrical shape, a long, hollow-feeling one. She wrapped her hand around it and tried to pull it out, but it was longer than she expected and got its end stuck in the side of the bag when she tried to retrieve it. "Come on... fucker..." She jiggled it around until she managed to get it free, and out popped her weapon.
It was a shotgun. A very long shotgun.
"Oh..." Rhonda was at a loss for words over the heavy firepower in her hands. "Shit."
"Oh, weapon?" She said, looking at the folding chair that had somehow avoided being the main topic of conversation for the last few minutes. "I dunno. Didn't really have any time to check yet. Probably didn't have much luck if this is the quality of stuff we're pulling, though." She offhandedly pointed to Xander's chair before kneeling down to check her bag for a weapon, if she even had one. She wouldn't put it past the producers to make a "twist" where she didn't have a weapon as a laugh.
She reached into her bag, much less frantically this time. She finessed her hand between the various rations and supplies that had been haphazardly stuffed into the bag until she hit something hard and metallic. Exploring it with her fingers revealed a cylindrical shape, a long, hollow-feeling one. She wrapped her hand around it and tried to pull it out, but it was longer than she expected and got its end stuck in the side of the bag when she tried to retrieve it. "Come on... fucker..." She jiggled it around until she managed to get it free, and out popped her weapon.
It was a shotgun. A very long shotgun.
"Oh..." Rhonda was at a loss for words over the heavy firepower in her hands. "Shit."
"Yeah," his eyes widened, "holy shit."
He looked at Rhonda. He didn't know if she would be able to use that gun. Xander knew he wouldn't. He had never shot, or even been near one. The closest time was when the police officers showed up at school after someone pulled the fire alarm.
"Do you... do you know how to use it?"
He points the bag. He let the chair on the floor, its feet digging in the floor.
"Maybe there's a manual!" He moved closer. The girl was much taller than he had thought. That was a good thing. She was also visibly muscular. Another good thing. He couldn't be the only muscles of the team. "For reloading and all."
He looked at Rhonda. He didn't know if she would be able to use that gun. Xander knew he wouldn't. He had never shot, or even been near one. The closest time was when the police officers showed up at school after someone pulled the fire alarm.
"Do you... do you know how to use it?"
He points the bag. He let the chair on the floor, its feet digging in the floor.
"Maybe there's a manual!" He moved closer. The girl was much taller than he had thought. That was a good thing. She was also visibly muscular. Another good thing. He couldn't be the only muscles of the team. "For reloading and all."
Rhonda shook her head. "Nope. Never even held one before. Never really been a gun person." It felt so weird, cradling that shotgun in her hands. A big, long stick that only held one purpose, to destroy anything in front of it. That was one of the things that made her uneasy about them. It was a specifically designed instrument of death, and she never felt like she needed something like that until this point.
"I dunno, probably." She set down the shotgun and started looking through the bag again to see which piece of paper would help her understand how to use her weapon. "It can't be too hard, right? I mean, you put the bullet in and shoot. I can do that." She claimed dismissively as she retrieved the manual. It was a couple of pages, and like Xander had implied, most of it involved the reloading process. There was also some information on maintenance, but Rhonda didn't think that she would be owning this thing long enough to worry about long-term care.
She started reading through the manual, and with a little bit of feeling around, she figured out how to open the chamber to reload, clicking it open and closing it back again in front of Xander. "All right, problem solved."
"I dunno, probably." She set down the shotgun and started looking through the bag again to see which piece of paper would help her understand how to use her weapon. "It can't be too hard, right? I mean, you put the bullet in and shoot. I can do that." She claimed dismissively as she retrieved the manual. It was a couple of pages, and like Xander had implied, most of it involved the reloading process. There was also some information on maintenance, but Rhonda didn't think that she would be owning this thing long enough to worry about long-term care.
She started reading through the manual, and with a little bit of feeling around, she figured out how to open the chamber to reload, clicking it open and closing it back again in front of Xander. "All right, problem solved."
Xander flinched at the sound of the gun clicking closed in front of him. He knocked the chair, sending it to the ground in a clackering, irregular cacophony. His mind jumped to the possible mutiny. Xander knew this alliance was feeble since it was based on a literal piece of cloth.
"Don't- Don't point that toward me." He barks, his hand raising.
He stayed like that for a second. He really didn't like gun. They were just... scary. Guns were loud and brutal and just plain terrifying. There was something about the amount of power that came with guns. A single action as simple as pulling the trigger could lead to horrible consequences. He imagined himself, his body opened on the deck of the boat, the sun cooking his insides.
He shivered despite the temperature.
He really preferred not having lead in his body for as long as possible. Possibly, forever.
"You sure you'll be okay with it?"
"Don't- Don't point that toward me." He barks, his hand raising.
He stayed like that for a second. He really didn't like gun. They were just... scary. Guns were loud and brutal and just plain terrifying. There was something about the amount of power that came with guns. A single action as simple as pulling the trigger could lead to horrible consequences. He imagined himself, his body opened on the deck of the boat, the sun cooking his insides.
He shivered despite the temperature.
He really preferred not having lead in his body for as long as possible. Possibly, forever.
"You sure you'll be okay with it?"
Rhonda kept the gun held sideways, alerted even though she hadn't aimed the gun near Xander, or at least she was pretty sure she didn't. "I know that!" She fired back, sounding pretty insulted. "I'm not aiming this thing at anything unless it's gotta be dead in five seconds or less. You're not in that category." She finished, looking over the gun to make sure that her inexpert opening of it hadn't caused any outward damage.
The more she looked over the gun, the more she was of two minds about it. From a mechanical perspective, it was a pretty impressive piece, and her time with the manual and looking it over were convincing her that at the very least, it was a real hell of a gun. But then the more rational, cautious side of her brain reminds her that yes, it's still a gun. She should be scared of his thing, even if it was hers. This hunk of wood and metal alone was making her think a hell of a lot more than she thought she needed to.
"I'll be all right." She responded to Xander's concern. "I don't like it, but better I have it than someone else. I'll keep it safe." She stashed the gun back in her bag, struggling a little with getting the long, cumbersome thing to fit in there. "So what happens next?"
The more she looked over the gun, the more she was of two minds about it. From a mechanical perspective, it was a pretty impressive piece, and her time with the manual and looking it over were convincing her that at the very least, it was a real hell of a gun. But then the more rational, cautious side of her brain reminds her that yes, it's still a gun. She should be scared of his thing, even if it was hers. This hunk of wood and metal alone was making her think a hell of a lot more than she thought she needed to.
"I'll be all right." She responded to Xander's concern. "I don't like it, but better I have it than someone else. I'll keep it safe." She stashed the gun back in her bag, struggling a little with getting the long, cumbersome thing to fit in there. "So what happens next?"
"We move, I guess."
He pointed the Cruise Ship. That was the landmark of the arena. If he had to bet money on it, he would assume that a good chunk of the students of this version would head there. It was, also, their best bet to find their teammates. There was also the chance of running into a hostile, and dealing of the consequences of that.
He nervously crinkled his nose, squinting. His breath caught in his throat. Honestly, he wanted to stay here and to avoid moving until he was forced to. It was simpler, and safer, to hold up somewhere. But he needed to find Emmy. He needed to find his friends. He needed to find his teammates.
Xander knew that, like anything in his life, he wouldn't be able to make it alone.
"Unless you have a better idea," his finger still pointing the ship, "I say we investigate it.
((Xander Miles continued in the next thread.))
"Got it?"
He pointed the Cruise Ship. That was the landmark of the arena. If he had to bet money on it, he would assume that a good chunk of the students of this version would head there. It was, also, their best bet to find their teammates. There was also the chance of running into a hostile, and dealing of the consequences of that.
He nervously crinkled his nose, squinting. His breath caught in his throat. Honestly, he wanted to stay here and to avoid moving until he was forced to. It was simpler, and safer, to hold up somewhere. But he needed to find Emmy. He needed to find his friends. He needed to find his teammates.
Xander knew that, like anything in his life, he wouldn't be able to make it alone.
"Unless you have a better idea," his finger still pointing the ship, "I say we investigate it.
((Xander Miles continued in the next thread.))
"Got it?"
Rhonda's gaze followed Xander's pointing finger right to the biggest, most visible ship of the bunch. A huge cruise ship proudly sitting above the whole fleet. The first thing she wanted to do was smack him upside the head and ask him what he was thinking. That was the most obvious place to go, and it was probably going to be flooded with people sooner than not. If it was up to her, they would stay hidden for as long as possible until they saw someone else with one of their bandannas.
At the same time, though... she didn't really have an idea of where she personally wanted to go. She hadn't seen a map yet, so she only knew of what she could see from the deck of their current boat. Without a plan, they didn't have much hope of staying alive with so many murderers roaming about.
Murderers. That wasn't a word that she wanted to use when thinking about her classmates, but there was no two ways around it. A lot of people were going to die, and a lot of people were all too eager to go along with it. Hell, some people might have already gone for it. So yeah, murderers seemed like the appropriate term.
She silently knelt down and gathered her things, zipping the bag and lifting it onto her shoulder as she stood back up and faced Xander. "All right, but let's stick to the shadows. We stay out of sight, we stay alive."
They were going where Xander wanted, but they were doing it her way.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)
At the same time, though... she didn't really have an idea of where she personally wanted to go. She hadn't seen a map yet, so she only knew of what she could see from the deck of their current boat. Without a plan, they didn't have much hope of staying alive with so many murderers roaming about.
Murderers. That wasn't a word that she wanted to use when thinking about her classmates, but there was no two ways around it. A lot of people were going to die, and a lot of people were all too eager to go along with it. Hell, some people might have already gone for it. So yeah, murderers seemed like the appropriate term.
She silently knelt down and gathered her things, zipping the bag and lifting it onto her shoulder as she stood back up and faced Xander. "All right, but let's stick to the shadows. We stay out of sight, we stay alive."
They were going where Xander wanted, but they were doing it her way.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)