Will was tired.
They’d spent the first few hours of the party playing games and gorging themselves on chips and soda, but it was later at night now and none of the half-dozen kids scattered about Sammy’s living room could muster enough energy to sit up properly, let alone play another round of twister.
Will was snuggled between Bethany and Parker atop an oversized beanbag, an embroidered blanket draped tightly over the trio and a large half-empty bowl of popcorn between his knees. He struggled to fight back the increasingly heavy weight of his eyelids, none to eager to be the first kid at the party to fall asleep. It wasn’t late enough for his friends to forgive him for it, and they were known to use the skin of any early-nighters as canvases; the victim waking up to a face adorned with a plethora of crude drawings. It was all in the name of fun, and they’d never targeted anybody who’d be unable to brush it off with a smile and a laugh, but Will just wasn’t feeling in the mood for that right now. Besides, he was at Sammy’s house, and that kid had as many films as Will had clothes - who knew what hidden treasures he might be privy too tonight!
A large television set was vaulted to the opposite wall, its glossy screen blank as the boy situated beside it thumbed through the considerable DVD collection tucked beneath him. Sammy was well-known amongst his peers for being a complete aficionado of film, as well as being a perfectionist when it came to party planning. If he didn’t find the sort of film that suited every member of its audience right away, then Will knew they’d be in for a long wait. Not that he minded too much; Bethany and Parker were swell company, and they’d never been lacking in conversational topics.
“Mum’s like obsessed with older movies,” Sammy half-murmured to nobody in particular as he examined the cover of another case, eyes dancing across it as he quickly read over the synopsis. “Like, I’m sure she had a crush on some guy named James Van Der Somethingorother when she was a teen - we’ve got all of his stuff.”
He idly tossed the DVD onto the ever-increasing pile of rejects, before pausing and steeping his fingers beneath his chin, lost in thought. Will looked up at that, watching his friend with a great deal more interest than he had before. Was he about to make a decision? Will could hardly wait - anything to distract him and keep him awake just a little longer. A coy smile quirked across Sammy’s lips as he stood up, hefting up a rather large box set in his wake before shifting across towards the sleek DVD player that flanked the television set. Will quirked an eyebrow, curiosity making itself known as he tried to get a glimpse of the set’s title, eager to know what he’d be watching for the next few hours.
“What would you guys say tooooooooo a little bit of Survival of the Fittestttttttt?”
Parker whooped and Bethany cheered, but Will’s face was frozen in shock, nary a trace of emotion etched upon his usually warm features. SOTF was basically an unknown entity to him, his parents having placed a firm ban on the show and everything to do with it; even going so far as to cut articles from magazines and newspapers that did as little as mention it. He understood why they’d do something like that - the show was notoriously violent, he’d heard, and his fear of blood only exacerbated that part of the issue, and he was still young - as much as that fact annoyed him. But it was such a large part of his generation’s culture, and there wasn’t a day that went by where he hadn’t found himself feeling out of depth or completely clueless in a conversation when the subject was brought up. It was getting on his nerves, truthfully; there was nothing he loved more than talking to other people, and having his ability to do so hindered by his parents’ restrictions over a television show of all things was more than a little annoying.
Even so, he didn’t want to disappoint his parents by neglecting to grant their wishes.
At the same time, it’d just be a few hours, nothing more. His parents mightn’t even find out about it.
He could feel Bethany’s eyes on him and turned towards her, noting the concern marring her face. She was one of the few he’d confided in about his parents’ restrictions and his fear of blood; she’d always been so understanding and caring about things like this. With her by his side, he knew he could avoid any potential mocking or disappointment from his friends. But at the same time, his curiosity about the show and its allure and everything about it was beginning to win.
“Why not?” He said, affixing a warm smile to his face. “It’s just a show, after all.”
((Will Brackenrig continued from Rosebud))
Will was tired.
He hadn’t stopped moving since he’d left the transportation centre, unable to find a place he felt appropriate enough to rest and compose himself in. Memories flashed through his mind as he walked aimlessly throughout the resort; the first time he’d watched SOTF relaying itself over and over. It’d seemed such a casual thing back then, back when he’d pulled the blankets over his eyes and could distance himself from everything, almost pretend like it wasn’t real kids having their lives abruptly snuffed out by their peers. But not anymore. The show had brutally proved just how real it was when some girl he didn’t even no ended the life of one of his classmates over no discernible reason.
It’d done so again, once the announcements played.
Davis, Lisa, Taylor, Austin, Damion were all gone, with only half a second’s worth of mentioning as acknowledgement. The only name he didn’t recognise on the dead was Eden, a girl he supposed must’ve been from the other school. He tried being as sad for her as the others, but it was a difficult task. And Lucy, Lucy was gone. He’d been so ecstatic to meet up with her so early, had rejected his mentor’s pointing out the disadvantage of allying with her in his joy, and had let her run off without even a word of protest. And now she was gone, and he hadn’t even had the chance to say goodbye to her. If he’d just said something-
No. He couldn’t do that, couldn’t let himself get caught up in guilt and self-pity. He was alive when perfectly innocent people were dead, and he couldn’t afford to spend a second of the extra time that’d been afforded to him letting himself wallow in sadness. He had to figure out a plan, had to do something; it’d been important before, but now, when his friends were dropping like flies around him, it was essential. How disrespectful would it be to his friends’ memories if he didn’t spend what time he had doing something?
But before he formulated any plans or did any of that, he had something to say.
He was only able to pluck up the courage once he’d entered the museum, the exhaustion and onslaught of emotions he’d been fighting back forcing him inside despite the uselessness of the building from a strategic viewpoint. He’d quickly made his way into the depths of the area, pausing only once he arrived at the café, thinking it to be the best place to compose himself and deliver the message he knew he needed to. Will was currently seated in the depths of a hardback chair, belongings strewn about the table that stood before him. Packets of sugar and salt and an assortment of garnishes dotted its surface and the floor around it, and the intricate light fixture above him danced lightly with the shallow breeze that was passing through an open window vaulted high upon an opposing wall.
Will toyed with one of the sugar packets, finger tracing absently along its ridged edge as he pondered over what he ought to say as his introduction. He wanted to choose his words carefully. He knew there’d only really be one chance for him to make a ‘camera speech’, only one chance to explain everything before he got down to business, and he didn’t to screw up or make anything unclear whilst relaying his message.
His voice was tight as he began, feeling like sandpaper in his throat - a combination of nerves and disuse.
“Hey everybody. I’m Will, of Davison Secondary. You’ve probably had a dozen of these things already, and you’re probably going to get a dozen more after this one. But what I’m about to you all is important. I’m not going to yell or scream or outline what I’m going to do for you all. Plenty of other people have done that already, but none of them have said what really needs to be said.
“This show is evil.
“Look, I don’t expect you to listen to me, and if you turn the TV off now I wouldn’t blame you. There’s a reason why this show has been such a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. It’s all because of you - us - the viewers. I used to watch this show too, back at home. I used to think it was the best thing in the world, used to ramble on endlessly about it with my friends and spend hours watching reruns and browsing forums. All that time I tried to forget the fact that it was real people, kids just like me and my friends and my sister, tried to forget the fact that I was expressing disgust over the murderers they talked about on the news and cheering one on half an hour later. This show is poisonous, and I’ve only realised that fact now that I’ve been thrust into it. Most of you guys, thankfully, won’t be put in my position. None of you will have to face your friends dying, or your own impending d-death.
“Be glad of that. Be glad of the fact that that’s never going to happen to you. Because when I watched this show, I wasn’t. I wasn’t thankful for the fact that it wasn’t me they’d chosen. I wasn’t thankful for the fact that I’d get to keep living while hundreds of other kids were having their lives cut off, all in the name of entertainment. I didn’t think about that. I just thought about who’d score the next kill or who’d die next. I didn’t think about the important stuff. And now, I think that if I’d had someone spell this out for me, maybe I would’ve. Maybe I’d’ve considered exactly what it was I was watching.
“Look, I don’t expect you to stop watching. If I was in your position, I wouldn’t.
“Just... Please... Notice what’s happening here. Think about it, even if it’s just a little. Please.”
His voice trailed off near the end, no longer able to fight back the tears that’d threatened to spill over throughout his speech. But he’d done it. He’d said his piece. He could rest a little easier on his conscience, could maybe stop feeling the pangs of guilt from having taken such a pleasure in watching this show, could start planning what he was going to do now that the world was falling to pieces.
Will withdrew the sandwich he’d been provided with from the depths of his backpack, unwrapped the wax paper that protected it, and began to eat.
Eat Fresh
Open!
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SansaSaver
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delicateMachine
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((Erik Lowell: Continued from Judicator.))
Erik was troubled.
The announcements had played while he had been out in the cold, pushing the very immediate need for shelter straight out of his mind. A lot of kids were dead, all of them with the exception of some girl named Eden being people he was familiar with from school. No close friends or anything, thank god, but still kids he had been totally a-okay with.
As terrible as this loss was, Erik's worries were soon dominated by one person: Jewel. It would've been bad enough for her to just be the one who was first to kill, but she had also added a second person to her body count. Erik couldn't stop himself from trembling a little. If he had been less careful, had played his proverbial cards less well, would he have been among those listed? Jewel had been creepy, yeah, but not "mass killing spree" creepy! He was suddenly very, very glad that he had let Dougie take the headset. Erik didn't even want to think about what he might have heard, otherwise.
The encroaching darkness had reminded Erik that, troubled as he was, he couldn't just keep standing outside in the cold. He needed to find somewhere to spend the night. Without any particular idea of where to go, he simply entered the closest building, which turned out to be the Aqua-Museum.
"Um, hello!" He called out as he opened the doors and cautiously took a step in. "I'm not t-trying to sneak up on anyone or anything, just looking for a place to sleep." Sure, he'd lose any element of surprise, but that was more than worth not being shot by some sleepy person he'd just scared the dickens out of.
Erik was troubled.
The announcements had played while he had been out in the cold, pushing the very immediate need for shelter straight out of his mind. A lot of kids were dead, all of them with the exception of some girl named Eden being people he was familiar with from school. No close friends or anything, thank god, but still kids he had been totally a-okay with.
As terrible as this loss was, Erik's worries were soon dominated by one person: Jewel. It would've been bad enough for her to just be the one who was first to kill, but she had also added a second person to her body count. Erik couldn't stop himself from trembling a little. If he had been less careful, had played his proverbial cards less well, would he have been among those listed? Jewel had been creepy, yeah, but not "mass killing spree" creepy! He was suddenly very, very glad that he had let Dougie take the headset. Erik didn't even want to think about what he might have heard, otherwise.
The encroaching darkness had reminded Erik that, troubled as he was, he couldn't just keep standing outside in the cold. He needed to find somewhere to spend the night. Without any particular idea of where to go, he simply entered the closest building, which turned out to be the Aqua-Museum.
"Um, hello!" He called out as he opened the doors and cautiously took a step in. "I'm not t-trying to sneak up on anyone or anything, just looking for a place to sleep." Sure, he'd lose any element of surprise, but that was more than worth not being shot by some sleepy person he'd just scared the dickens out of.
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SansaSaver
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As he chewed, Will’s mind drifted to the rosters he’d been assigned, which were currently seated atop his belongings. He’d only had enough time to go over them once, in the few minutes he’d allowed himself immediately after waking up to appraise what he’d been given. Now, though, with everything having ground to an almost tangible halt, he had enough time to properly consider their usefulness.
He recognised all bar one of the names printed alongside his, the exception being a girl named Naomi Skye. She was likely from the other school, though she also might’ve been one of those elusive classmates who didn’t socialise much and was an almost non-entity amongst the student body; he couldn’t be sure. He was fairly sure there were only two Naomis at Davison; one of whom - Naomi Young - he’d also been rostered with, and the other one of his sister’s friends. Pity. Everything would’ve been easier by far if they all knew each already, or if he had any way of recognising other-Naomi aside from her bandanna. Ramon and Erik were his other teammates, and for that he couldn’t have been happier - Erik was one of his best friends back at Davison, and Ramon’s work ethic was unparalleled.
Of course, having such a good team came with the fact that Aidan, Bella, and almost every other one of his friends who’d been dragged into this situation with him had been assigned to a different team. He’d already had to deal with that revelation with Lucy and Isaiah, and was none too eager to repeat it if he found his other friends again - or when he found them, rather. There was no way Will would accept dying without finding them and talking one last time. It wasn’t something he particularly wanted to linger on, but he knew he’d have to, sooner or later.
Thankfully, before he could delve too deep into the seemingly endless sea of shit he’d have to make his way through over the next few days, the stony silence of the area was broken by a familiar voice calling a shaking greeting from the entranceway. And it was like the heavens had opened up and Christmas had come early, because Will would recognise that voice anywhere. Erik Lowell, the absolutely perfect kid for him to come across; a friend and a teammate and he’d found him this early, before anybody had a chance to hurt him. Hopefully.
Will coughed loudly, choking on a sliver of lettuce as he hastily rushed to greet his friend.
“Erik?” He exclaimed excitedly, rushing towards where the voice had originated as quickly as his legs could carry him, a bright grin fixed firmly on his face. His smile grew only wider as his friend came into view, and it was all Will could do to suppress the urge to pull him into the tightest hug he could manage before he spoke once more; “Erik, it’s really you! Holy crap dude, am I glad to see you! How’ve you been? I hope nobody’s hurt you - come, come, I’ve got so much to talk to you about.”
He recognised all bar one of the names printed alongside his, the exception being a girl named Naomi Skye. She was likely from the other school, though she also might’ve been one of those elusive classmates who didn’t socialise much and was an almost non-entity amongst the student body; he couldn’t be sure. He was fairly sure there were only two Naomis at Davison; one of whom - Naomi Young - he’d also been rostered with, and the other one of his sister’s friends. Pity. Everything would’ve been easier by far if they all knew each already, or if he had any way of recognising other-Naomi aside from her bandanna. Ramon and Erik were his other teammates, and for that he couldn’t have been happier - Erik was one of his best friends back at Davison, and Ramon’s work ethic was unparalleled.
Of course, having such a good team came with the fact that Aidan, Bella, and almost every other one of his friends who’d been dragged into this situation with him had been assigned to a different team. He’d already had to deal with that revelation with Lucy and Isaiah, and was none too eager to repeat it if he found his other friends again - or when he found them, rather. There was no way Will would accept dying without finding them and talking one last time. It wasn’t something he particularly wanted to linger on, but he knew he’d have to, sooner or later.
Thankfully, before he could delve too deep into the seemingly endless sea of shit he’d have to make his way through over the next few days, the stony silence of the area was broken by a familiar voice calling a shaking greeting from the entranceway. And it was like the heavens had opened up and Christmas had come early, because Will would recognise that voice anywhere. Erik Lowell, the absolutely perfect kid for him to come across; a friend and a teammate and he’d found him this early, before anybody had a chance to hurt him. Hopefully.
Will coughed loudly, choking on a sliver of lettuce as he hastily rushed to greet his friend.
“Erik?” He exclaimed excitedly, rushing towards where the voice had originated as quickly as his legs could carry him, a bright grin fixed firmly on his face. His smile grew only wider as his friend came into view, and it was all Will could do to suppress the urge to pull him into the tightest hug he could manage before he spoke once more; “Erik, it’s really you! Holy crap dude, am I glad to see you! How’ve you been? I hope nobody’s hurt you - come, come, I’ve got so much to talk to you about.”
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delicateMachine
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Oh, most joyous of all occasions! Erik certainly recognized the source of the voice that had called back to him, and he was grinning as Will rushed into his sight. Erik's grin only widened as he saw Will's team colors. Reuniting with a good friend, who also happened to be on the same team made the past tension of the day completely worth it!
"Will! Holy wow, I'm g-glad to see you too, man!" Will seemed to be as excited as Erik felt, judging by the breathless speed at which he was talking, almost too fast for Erik to keep up.
"D-don't worry, I'm fine!" He managed to reply. Erik made a slight gesture with his shotgun. "I've had this thing to p-protect me. More importantly, how are you doing?"
A freezing gust of wind reminded Erik that he hadn't yet closed the door to the museum. He shivered, did so, then turned back to Will. "Uh, actually, let's g-go and sit down, then talk more." He'd been running around all day, which was far more physical exertion than Erik was used to. Maybe he shouldn't have slacked off in gym class so much.
"Will! Holy wow, I'm g-glad to see you too, man!" Will seemed to be as excited as Erik felt, judging by the breathless speed at which he was talking, almost too fast for Erik to keep up.
"D-don't worry, I'm fine!" He managed to reply. Erik made a slight gesture with his shotgun. "I've had this thing to p-protect me. More importantly, how are you doing?"
A freezing gust of wind reminded Erik that he hadn't yet closed the door to the museum. He shivered, did so, then turned back to Will. "Uh, actually, let's g-go and sit down, then talk more." He'd been running around all day, which was far more physical exertion than Erik was used to. Maybe he shouldn't have slacked off in gym class so much.
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SansaSaver
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Will’s excited grin remained firm as Erik confirmed that he was okay, an energetic nod accompanying each of his statements and the euphoria of meeting up with his friend continuing to coarse warmly through him. He felt his heart skip a beat as he motioned towards his assigned shotgun, the sight of such a weapon in Erik’s hands giving him the slightest bit of trepidation - which dissipated just as quickly as it arrived. Erik was harmless, through and through - though the same couldn’t be said of many others they’d been dropped here with - and there was nothing to be worried about, at least for a little while.
He’d found one of his best friends, unharmed, and they had a legitimate weapon with them. Will paused for a moment, letting the joy of the moment fully set in, the feeling that everything could be okay, before clutching around Erik’s wrist and tugging him back towards the café area, loafers tapping gently against the linoleum floor of the building as he did so.
“I’ve been doing okay,” he said, “Haven’t seen much of anybody, really. It all seems pretty unreal.”
He neglected to mention anything about Isaiah or Lucy, not wanting to mar their reunion by bringing up what’d happened with them, as much as the inability to share his grief pained him. He had Erik to focus on for the moment, and there was no way he’d let himself repeat the same mistakes he had back at the Transport Centre. There was no way he’d let himself lose another friend, especially one like Erik - whom had always struck him as rather timid and in need of protection. And the fact that they shared a team only highlighted that fact.
He had to prioritise now, as sickening as the thought was. There wouldn’t be time to gather everybody up, not with the way things were going so far.
Teammates, then friends.
He tried to put the images of Aidan and Bella and Sebastien and countless others out of his mind.
As they reached the café, Will took note of his half-eaten sandwich that lay languished in the midst of his other belongings. He whirled back around to face Erik, the smile still firmly fixated on his face growing ever brighter as an idea made itself known.
“Hey, have you still got your subway? What d’you say to a little picnic?”
He’d found one of his best friends, unharmed, and they had a legitimate weapon with them. Will paused for a moment, letting the joy of the moment fully set in, the feeling that everything could be okay, before clutching around Erik’s wrist and tugging him back towards the café area, loafers tapping gently against the linoleum floor of the building as he did so.
“I’ve been doing okay,” he said, “Haven’t seen much of anybody, really. It all seems pretty unreal.”
He neglected to mention anything about Isaiah or Lucy, not wanting to mar their reunion by bringing up what’d happened with them, as much as the inability to share his grief pained him. He had Erik to focus on for the moment, and there was no way he’d let himself repeat the same mistakes he had back at the Transport Centre. There was no way he’d let himself lose another friend, especially one like Erik - whom had always struck him as rather timid and in need of protection. And the fact that they shared a team only highlighted that fact.
He had to prioritise now, as sickening as the thought was. There wouldn’t be time to gather everybody up, not with the way things were going so far.
Teammates, then friends.
He tried to put the images of Aidan and Bella and Sebastien and countless others out of his mind.
As they reached the café, Will took note of his half-eaten sandwich that lay languished in the midst of his other belongings. He whirled back around to face Erik, the smile still firmly fixated on his face growing ever brighter as an idea made itself known.
“Hey, have you still got your subway? What d’you say to a little picnic?”
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delicateMachine
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Erik's grin mirrored Will's as his good friend made a very delightful suggestion. "Yeah, I d-do! That sounds like a great idea, man!" Erik sat down in one of the chairs by the table, carefully laying his shotgun and bag on the floor. He rifled through his bag for a few seconds before emerging, triumphant, with the sub.
Though he was really more of a Jimmy John's guy, anything looked tasty after a full day of exertion and not eating. Erik waited for Will to seat himself, then began eating with enthusiasm. "C-can't say I ever expected to eat with you again." He said in-between bites. "I'm g-glad!"
It was nice to go back to something resembling ordinary school life, if only for a bit. The food and surroundings were a bit nicer, he supposed, but it felt almost like just another lunch in the school's cafeteria. Minus the flying food, of course. Erik wouldn't forget the scolding the student body had gotten for that one. It was surreal to think that some of the people involved in it were already dead or killers. Erik's mood dimmed slightly as he recalled Gabe, and Lucy's corpse. Still, he tried to remain as cheery as possible. There was no telling how long his peaceful break with Will would last, after all.
Though he was really more of a Jimmy John's guy, anything looked tasty after a full day of exertion and not eating. Erik waited for Will to seat himself, then began eating with enthusiasm. "C-can't say I ever expected to eat with you again." He said in-between bites. "I'm g-glad!"
It was nice to go back to something resembling ordinary school life, if only for a bit. The food and surroundings were a bit nicer, he supposed, but it felt almost like just another lunch in the school's cafeteria. Minus the flying food, of course. Erik wouldn't forget the scolding the student body had gotten for that one. It was surreal to think that some of the people involved in it were already dead or killers. Erik's mood dimmed slightly as he recalled Gabe, and Lucy's corpse. Still, he tried to remain as cheery as possible. There was no telling how long his peaceful break with Will would last, after all.
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SansaSaver
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“Me neither,” Will admitted, returning to his seat and shifting his belongings to the floor to make room for Erik’s food, the action reminding him of the many lunchtimes they’d shared together back at Davison. “But I’m so glad to see you again! You promise you’re okay, right?”
As he broke off a piece of his sandwich and began to chew upon its contents, Will’s eyes drifted from his friend towards his assigned rosters. Erik had already shown him his gun, and it would only be fair for him to return the favour and show his ‘weapon’ as well - and Erik was a teammate, so he didn’t need to be wary over revealing it to him, as he’d likely need to be with many of the other contestants. It was a good feeling, to be with someone whom he didn’t need to change around - a luxury he suspected would be a rarity in the days to come.
“Hey, Erik - you’ve got a gun, right?” He said, reaching down and retrieving the rosters before continuing. “Well, this is my weapon - a list of everybody in the resort, as well as what team they‘re on. Super-duper incredibly useful, huh?” He flicked through the papers, the energy behind each movement clearly visible, before diverting his eyes back to Erik.
He left the papers between them - they didn’t look all that suspect situated upon the table, and he wanted Erik to feel free to peruse them for himself without feeling obliged to ask. Erik was the sorta boy who seemed to Will like he felt the need to ask permission for everything, and he wanted to avoid that stuff as much as possible with him. He quickly returned to his sandwich, careful to savour each mouthful, none to eager to rush through neither what could be his last proper meal nor the brief moment of solitude Erik’s arrival and their brief conversation had afforded him.
But all good things come to an end, and it seemed like no time at all before he’d swallowed the last morsel of his sandwich and was delicately dabbing at his lips with one of the provided napkins, before slinging his belongings back over his shoulders. The museum had provided a nice area to sit and have a causal chat, but it was fairly useless beyond that - and if they wanted somewhere to plan and do anything of substance without chance of interruption, then they’d need to get moving again.
And so it was that, with a heavy heart, Will led the way from the museum, smile still etched upon his face as he slowed his pace to match Erik’s. The gravity of the situation had hit him like a train back in the Transport Centre, but the time he’d spend with Erik had caused it to retreat back to the depths of his mind, where he’d deeply buried and locked away what’d happened with Isaiah and Lucy, desperate to avoid having to acknowledge what’d happened, let alone face the same situation and the trauma that’d accompanied it first-hand.
He hoped it could stay that way for awhile longer.
((Will Brackenrig continued in Don’t You?))
As he broke off a piece of his sandwich and began to chew upon its contents, Will’s eyes drifted from his friend towards his assigned rosters. Erik had already shown him his gun, and it would only be fair for him to return the favour and show his ‘weapon’ as well - and Erik was a teammate, so he didn’t need to be wary over revealing it to him, as he’d likely need to be with many of the other contestants. It was a good feeling, to be with someone whom he didn’t need to change around - a luxury he suspected would be a rarity in the days to come.
“Hey, Erik - you’ve got a gun, right?” He said, reaching down and retrieving the rosters before continuing. “Well, this is my weapon - a list of everybody in the resort, as well as what team they‘re on. Super-duper incredibly useful, huh?” He flicked through the papers, the energy behind each movement clearly visible, before diverting his eyes back to Erik.
He left the papers between them - they didn’t look all that suspect situated upon the table, and he wanted Erik to feel free to peruse them for himself without feeling obliged to ask. Erik was the sorta boy who seemed to Will like he felt the need to ask permission for everything, and he wanted to avoid that stuff as much as possible with him. He quickly returned to his sandwich, careful to savour each mouthful, none to eager to rush through neither what could be his last proper meal nor the brief moment of solitude Erik’s arrival and their brief conversation had afforded him.
But all good things come to an end, and it seemed like no time at all before he’d swallowed the last morsel of his sandwich and was delicately dabbing at his lips with one of the provided napkins, before slinging his belongings back over his shoulders. The museum had provided a nice area to sit and have a causal chat, but it was fairly useless beyond that - and if they wanted somewhere to plan and do anything of substance without chance of interruption, then they’d need to get moving again.
And so it was that, with a heavy heart, Will led the way from the museum, smile still etched upon his face as he slowed his pace to match Erik’s. The gravity of the situation had hit him like a train back in the Transport Centre, but the time he’d spend with Erik had caused it to retreat back to the depths of his mind, where he’d deeply buried and locked away what’d happened with Isaiah and Lucy, desperate to avoid having to acknowledge what’d happened, let alone face the same situation and the trauma that’d accompanied it first-hand.
He hoped it could stay that way for awhile longer.
((Will Brackenrig continued in Don’t You?))
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delicateMachine
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"Haha, seriously, Will, I'm fine!" Erik laughed, saying it for what seemed to be the hundredth time. He wasn't complaining, though. Will's concern was touching! It was nice to know that, even on SOTF, there were people who were happy to see Erik alive.
Erik set his sandwich aside for a minute after Will showed him his 'weapon'. "Incredibly useful, yeah!" Erik concurred, before taking a bit of time to flip through the papers. Aside from Will and himself, it seemed that he was also teamed up with Ramon and both Naomis from his school. Erik wasn't exactly close to any of them, but they seemed like decent people, and it was definitely an advantage to already know all his teammates.
As incredibly delightful as it would have been to extend their meal unto infinity, mankind had sadly not yet invented a truly endless sub sandwich, and both Erik and Will finished their meals all too soon.
Unfortunate as it was to leave the museum behind so soon after entering it, they both agreed that it wasn't exactly the best place to set up permanent camp. Erik followed Will out into the cold once more, still shivering and drawing his pirate jacket closer to himself.
((Erik Lowell: Continued in Don't You?.))
Erik set his sandwich aside for a minute after Will showed him his 'weapon'. "Incredibly useful, yeah!" Erik concurred, before taking a bit of time to flip through the papers. Aside from Will and himself, it seemed that he was also teamed up with Ramon and both Naomis from his school. Erik wasn't exactly close to any of them, but they seemed like decent people, and it was definitely an advantage to already know all his teammates.
As incredibly delightful as it would have been to extend their meal unto infinity, mankind had sadly not yet invented a truly endless sub sandwich, and both Erik and Will finished their meals all too soon.
Unfortunate as it was to leave the museum behind so soon after entering it, they both agreed that it wasn't exactly the best place to set up permanent camp. Erik followed Will out into the cold once more, still shivering and drawing his pirate jacket closer to himself.
((Erik Lowell: Continued in Don't You?.))