Stephanie (the Mason twin had identified herself, and the randomly generated name hadn't been correct) seemed hysterical. She was stuttering, Marilyn-style, and trembling in the middle of the asphalt, teary-eyed. Struggling not to cry. A good part of Juliet wanted to lower the gun and give her a comfort hug right now.
Some people have lived gentle lives. Yeah, Juliet had had a fucked-up existence, but maybe because of that, this kind of gut-stealing surprise never got to her. There had to be something deeply screwy about waking up one day from your pretty-okay life and finding out that your twin sister was a murderer, and you were as well, and the idiot announcer couldn't even get your names straight. I would hate being a twin.
But still. Something about her story didn't work.
I overheard their conversation and... They were planning to kill her. ACTUALLY kill her! I was so shocked...I-I couldn't just stand there and let them execute her like that…
No. No.
They said they would find her. They said they would bring her to me.
Because they knew I wanted her. They were the first ones I told, besides Karl. If they wanted us dead, they could have given me her, then taken us out, a two for one. Easy.
I told them I owed them a favor. Logan was making a plan. She wanted to collect.
She wanted me.
They wouldn't have killed her.
She was sure of that. Logan was not a small-vendettas person. She wouldn't get fucked up over Marilyn Williams. Luke too. They were cool kids. They don't execute people.
Something else wrong. I couldn't just stand there and let them execute her like that. But people didn't stick their neck out for Marilyn Williams. Why start now?
Fury.
Whatever this kid was pulling, she didn't want to be part of it.
And with a screech of static, the loudspeakers came on.
Listening for names.
Claire, Marilyn, Durriken.
None of them were there.
Bryant, Luke, Logan.
All three.
Bryant had killed a white boy. Must be living his dream. Except not. Bryant wasn't a fucker, not when it came down to that. Dealt with me when my parents were gone. There were precious few who could say that.
Luke had shot someone. Logan was dead. At least that part was truth.
Not the rest, though.
She brought up the gun. "You're a liar."
The Mason Twin, Stephanie, blanched suddenly. She looked terrified. Please do.
"Luke and Logan were going to bring me Marilyn. They knew what I wanted. They were trying to recruit me into some scheme of theirs. If they wanted to kill me, they could do it two for one."
"Besides, I don't think you're nice enough to stop the Japanese coward from getting killed out of the goodness of your heart."
Everything felt cold around Juliet. Like metal, like ice. Karl was probably watching her with scared eyes from above. I could get used to this.
"Now what you're going to do is, you're going to turn around and walk away. I don't want to kill you--I don't fancy my name getting on the announcements just yet. But you have a weapon that I don't want near me, and you're playing some mind game that I don't want in, and if you've really seen Marilyn, there's no way I could tell you were telling the truth now, yeah? So I want you to pick up your stuff and turn your back and slowly walk away until I can't see you anymore. And if you think to double back, I'll shoot you, announcements or no."
Her voice was low, clipped now. A military man's voice. The voice of someone in charge, someone more than a little willing to kill.
She felt it now.
This is how people survive out here.
Her senses were sharper, in this mood, in this tone of voice. Look at me, Mom, Dad. I'm growing up.
Now to see what the twin would do.
A Couple of Cooks in the Kitchen
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MurderWeasel
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Things got interesting in an awful hurry. Stephanie admitted to having seen Marilyn. She also started talking about what they'd been doing to her. Planning to kill her? Karl rolled that one over. Maybe Logan. Luke, though? No way. The guy was way too much of an idealist. Stephanie had shot Logan? In defense of Marilyn? Something about that story was awfully fishy. No, beyond that. Stephanie fired a warning shot at Logan, but missed, killed her, and got blood all over her in the process? Lies. Physical impossibility. To get blood on her meant she'd been standing right next to the girl, in which case a warning shot with a shotgun would have been the height of idiocy and Logan would surely have noticed her before she could shoot anyways. That meant Stephanie had actually used a melee weapon, but she wouldn't have been able to take on both Logan and Luke that way.
Or it meant she'd been messing with bodies, Logan's or someone else's.
And Luke had run off after Logan got shot? No way. Luke wouldn't have run off and left his friend to die, and Logan wouldn't have died instantly from a chest hit. This story was more hole than substance.
That didn't matter.
What mattered was the motivation behind it. Karl had to figure that out as quickly as possible, before Juliet got hurt. He slowly shifted along the roof, getting into a position from which he could tackle Stephanie. Okay, he wouldn't do it unless it was absolutely necessary. He could probably climb down from the roof fine. It'd be a small drop if he hung from the ledge first. Diving off to tackle someone, though, was sure to result in severe bruising in the absolute best case, and broken bones in the more likely one. Maybe it could even kill him.
So, time to figure if Juliet needed help, and then find a better way to provide it. Okay. Motivations. Stephanie had always been decent to Karl. Maybe even more than that. He liked the girl fairly well, and still wasn't quite prepared to accept her as a murderer, at least, not without further proof. The blood, though, that was proof. So maybe she was scared legitimately. Perhaps she had killed Logan to save her sister, the true murderer, and was now regretting it, trying to find a safer group.
That didn't sit right, though. Why bring Marilyn into things? It was to get Juliet to do something. Maybe just drop her guard for a moment. Maybe follow her. She didn't know Juliet had backup. She just had to disarm the girl. Then she'd be easy pickings.
Maybe she really had seen Marilyn, though, and was aiming for a real alliance solidified on that fact.
Then the announcements went off. That was a lot of death. A lot of new killers, including Luke. Huh. Seemed Stephanie was telling the truth about the boy being dangerous. She'd also told the truth about killing Logan. Bryant had killed as well. People were changing, breaking down. Soon, most of the smaller killers would knock each other off. A few top dogs would emerge. The next few hours would be very telling.
The Mason who had killed was again unidentified. It was possible Stephanie was responsible for both kills. Blood implied a melee weapon. Perhaps she had killed Henry, then taken the gun from him. But no, she likely wouldn't have beaten the boy in a real fight.
Karl forced his mind away from hypotheticals, instead turning his attention to Juliet and Stephanie again. Juliet had caught on. Good. Her reasoning was comparatively a bit shoddy. Stephanie might try to play on that. It didn't matter, though. Juliet was too cautious for that. She'd handle things.
That left Karl to continue his watch. He took a careful glance around, trying to avoid drawing Stephanie's attention. No reason to get shot.
He thought he could see movement in the distance. Was someone coming?
Or it meant she'd been messing with bodies, Logan's or someone else's.
And Luke had run off after Logan got shot? No way. Luke wouldn't have run off and left his friend to die, and Logan wouldn't have died instantly from a chest hit. This story was more hole than substance.
That didn't matter.
What mattered was the motivation behind it. Karl had to figure that out as quickly as possible, before Juliet got hurt. He slowly shifted along the roof, getting into a position from which he could tackle Stephanie. Okay, he wouldn't do it unless it was absolutely necessary. He could probably climb down from the roof fine. It'd be a small drop if he hung from the ledge first. Diving off to tackle someone, though, was sure to result in severe bruising in the absolute best case, and broken bones in the more likely one. Maybe it could even kill him.
So, time to figure if Juliet needed help, and then find a better way to provide it. Okay. Motivations. Stephanie had always been decent to Karl. Maybe even more than that. He liked the girl fairly well, and still wasn't quite prepared to accept her as a murderer, at least, not without further proof. The blood, though, that was proof. So maybe she was scared legitimately. Perhaps she had killed Logan to save her sister, the true murderer, and was now regretting it, trying to find a safer group.
That didn't sit right, though. Why bring Marilyn into things? It was to get Juliet to do something. Maybe just drop her guard for a moment. Maybe follow her. She didn't know Juliet had backup. She just had to disarm the girl. Then she'd be easy pickings.
Maybe she really had seen Marilyn, though, and was aiming for a real alliance solidified on that fact.
Then the announcements went off. That was a lot of death. A lot of new killers, including Luke. Huh. Seemed Stephanie was telling the truth about the boy being dangerous. She'd also told the truth about killing Logan. Bryant had killed as well. People were changing, breaking down. Soon, most of the smaller killers would knock each other off. A few top dogs would emerge. The next few hours would be very telling.
The Mason who had killed was again unidentified. It was possible Stephanie was responsible for both kills. Blood implied a melee weapon. Perhaps she had killed Henry, then taken the gun from him. But no, she likely wouldn't have beaten the boy in a real fight.
Karl forced his mind away from hypotheticals, instead turning his attention to Juliet and Stephanie again. Juliet had caught on. Good. Her reasoning was comparatively a bit shoddy. Stephanie might try to play on that. It didn't matter, though. Juliet was too cautious for that. She'd handle things.
That left Karl to continue his watch. He took a careful glance around, trying to avoid drawing Stephanie's attention. No reason to get shot.
He thought he could see movement in the distance. Was someone coming?
This... was NOT good.
No, that was an understatement... This was terrible. No, this was BEYOND terrible This was a COMPLETE and UTTER disaster! Her attempt at pitting Juliet against one of the few people who knew that she and Stephanie were working together had horrifically backfired, and killed the one chance she had at gaining the Japanese slut's trust.
All because Sophie had failed to consider one little possibility...
...That Juliet and Luke were already aquainted.
No... No no no NO! DAMNIT! I should have considered this! How could have I been so stupid not to think that she and Luke might of already met?
There was no way Juliet would believe a single word she said now. No way she could coerce her into doing whatever she wanted. At least, not without proving to her somehow that she really WAS telling the truth. But that would require time and patience... Patience which Sophie had all but lost by this point.
However, despite the desperate urge she felt to scream and claw out her hair for being so thoughtless, the young girl managed to keep her cool and maintain her innocent façade. She was lucky enough as it was that Juliet hadn't decided to kill her, no point in losing it now and possibly getting herself killed in the process. Not when there was still a chance that she could make it out of this compound alive.
Nevertheless, it was obvious from what Juliet was saying that this had all been a complete waste of time from start to finish. Especially seeing as the announcement proved that the idiots keeping watch on her and Stephanie had no idea which of them was which, so if she HAD by some off chance managed to kill someone it would only ruin the ambiguity that she and her sister had been so successful setting up. Not only that, but even now she was putting her sister in grave danger by leaving her like this. The more Sophie thought about it, the more pointless this little scheme seemed.
Least to say, this was the last time she was planning on improvising as she went along. Without a definite goal in mind, the only thing which Sophie managed to achieve was an angry oriental girl pointing a gun at her face.
Still, before she left, at the very least she could plant one or two more seeds of doubt in Juliet's mind...
"Th... They were going to bring Marilyn to you? But... But I was SURE that they were planning to kill her! I SAW him Juliet, I swear, I saw the look in Luke's eyes! I heard them both mention how they were going to get rid of her! He was planning to KILL her! Maybe not on the spot like I thought he was going to do, but what's to say he wasn't planning on taking her back to you just so he could take you both out at once or something, I don't know..."
She sniffled, taking a couple of steps back to show that she'd got the hint. After all, there wasn't any point in giving Juliet another reason to gun her down on the spot.
"If... If you want me to go away, thats just f-fine with me. But... Just please, be careful of Luke! You heard the announcement just now, didn't you? He's a complete psychopath, I saw it in his eyes! He might try to act like he's just trying to help, but I know for a fact that he's not to be trusted! You probably don't believe me, but... Just please be careful......"
After giving Juliet some last second 'advice', Sophie turned around and walked away slowly in the direction of the Officer's quarters until she had completely disappeared from view, taking the opportunity once she was sure Juliet couldn't see her to kick the side of the building in frustration.
OW! Damnit Sophie... NEXT time, think about what you're about to say BEFORE you say anything... This could have all be avoided if you hadn't decided to mention Luke Mendoza being involved.
Oh well, better check back on Stephanie before something unfortunate happens to her...
Sure enough, five seconds later, she heard a scream coming from the Barracks where she had left her sister unguarded.
Oh god, STEPHANIE!
((Sophie Mason continued in Deception))
No, that was an understatement... This was terrible. No, this was BEYOND terrible This was a COMPLETE and UTTER disaster! Her attempt at pitting Juliet against one of the few people who knew that she and Stephanie were working together had horrifically backfired, and killed the one chance she had at gaining the Japanese slut's trust.
All because Sophie had failed to consider one little possibility...
...That Juliet and Luke were already aquainted.
No... No no no NO! DAMNIT! I should have considered this! How could have I been so stupid not to think that she and Luke might of already met?
There was no way Juliet would believe a single word she said now. No way she could coerce her into doing whatever she wanted. At least, not without proving to her somehow that she really WAS telling the truth. But that would require time and patience... Patience which Sophie had all but lost by this point.
However, despite the desperate urge she felt to scream and claw out her hair for being so thoughtless, the young girl managed to keep her cool and maintain her innocent façade. She was lucky enough as it was that Juliet hadn't decided to kill her, no point in losing it now and possibly getting herself killed in the process. Not when there was still a chance that she could make it out of this compound alive.
Nevertheless, it was obvious from what Juliet was saying that this had all been a complete waste of time from start to finish. Especially seeing as the announcement proved that the idiots keeping watch on her and Stephanie had no idea which of them was which, so if she HAD by some off chance managed to kill someone it would only ruin the ambiguity that she and her sister had been so successful setting up. Not only that, but even now she was putting her sister in grave danger by leaving her like this. The more Sophie thought about it, the more pointless this little scheme seemed.
Least to say, this was the last time she was planning on improvising as she went along. Without a definite goal in mind, the only thing which Sophie managed to achieve was an angry oriental girl pointing a gun at her face.
Still, before she left, at the very least she could plant one or two more seeds of doubt in Juliet's mind...
"Th... They were going to bring Marilyn to you? But... But I was SURE that they were planning to kill her! I SAW him Juliet, I swear, I saw the look in Luke's eyes! I heard them both mention how they were going to get rid of her! He was planning to KILL her! Maybe not on the spot like I thought he was going to do, but what's to say he wasn't planning on taking her back to you just so he could take you both out at once or something, I don't know..."
She sniffled, taking a couple of steps back to show that she'd got the hint. After all, there wasn't any point in giving Juliet another reason to gun her down on the spot.
"If... If you want me to go away, thats just f-fine with me. But... Just please, be careful of Luke! You heard the announcement just now, didn't you? He's a complete psychopath, I saw it in his eyes! He might try to act like he's just trying to help, but I know for a fact that he's not to be trusted! You probably don't believe me, but... Just please be careful......"
After giving Juliet some last second 'advice', Sophie turned around and walked away slowly in the direction of the Officer's quarters until she had completely disappeared from view, taking the opportunity once she was sure Juliet couldn't see her to kick the side of the building in frustration.
OW! Damnit Sophie... NEXT time, think about what you're about to say BEFORE you say anything... This could have all be avoided if you hadn't decided to mention Luke Mendoza being involved.
Oh well, better check back on Stephanie before something unfortunate happens to her...
Sure enough, five seconds later, she heard a scream coming from the Barracks where she had left her sister unguarded.
Oh god, STEPHANIE!
((Sophie Mason continued in Deception))
Kicking Akamatsu in the face since 2010
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chitoryu12*
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((John Ferrara and Claire Heartland continued from Small Comforts))
"Keep moving, girl."
John wasn't entirely sure where he was going. He wasn't looking at the map and all these damn buildings looked the same from the outside. He figured that uniformity was a positive trait in the military, but damn if it wasn't annoying when trying to find your way around a base.
He kept Claire ahead of him, barrel of his giant pistol pointed at her back the entire time. He used small prods and pokes to keep her moving in whatever direction he felt like going in, but other than that tried to stay non-invasive. Even he was unsure if he could abuse the innocent girl.
The door was open, as if it had been swung open in a hurry and left messily ajar by someone who didn't particularly care about security. This left uncertainty needling at the back of John's head: how would he know if someone was inside?
Nobody was around. He heard a distant scream at one point in his travels but nobody was there to answer for it. The entire compound was eerily silent except for occasional, muffled cracks.
He stopped in front of the door. Waiting. Would a hail of bullets fly through the doorway and cut Claire down like a cardboard target on a military firing range?
He hoped not. Why lose his shield so early?
"Keep moving, girl."
John wasn't entirely sure where he was going. He wasn't looking at the map and all these damn buildings looked the same from the outside. He figured that uniformity was a positive trait in the military, but damn if it wasn't annoying when trying to find your way around a base.
He kept Claire ahead of him, barrel of his giant pistol pointed at her back the entire time. He used small prods and pokes to keep her moving in whatever direction he felt like going in, but other than that tried to stay non-invasive. Even he was unsure if he could abuse the innocent girl.
The door was open, as if it had been swung open in a hurry and left messily ajar by someone who didn't particularly care about security. This left uncertainty needling at the back of John's head: how would he know if someone was inside?
Nobody was around. He heard a distant scream at one point in his travels but nobody was there to answer for it. The entire compound was eerily silent except for occasional, muffled cracks.
He stopped in front of the door. Waiting. Would a hail of bullets fly through the doorway and cut Claire down like a cardboard target on a military firing range?
He hoped not. Why lose his shield so early?
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storyspoiler*
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Hold the gun. Don't let your hands slip.
And the twin was gone. Stephanie Mason. Remember that name.
Silence. A distant scream. The lights in the compound were violent and strange. It's disorienting out here, Mom.
And the door to the mess hall swung open, and out came Claire Heartland.
A rush of normalcy.
But no. Not just Claire Heartland. John Ferrera behind her. Matthew died, John Ferrera shot him--
Smile on her lips, cracked. John Ferrera shot him, and John Ferrera had Matthew's gun, and John Ferrera was pointing it at Claire Heartland's skull.
This was exactly the kind of thing Karl had warned her about.
Okay. Simon's voice in her head, like one of his games with her. A known murderer is holding your best friend hostage. Are you a bad enough dude to get her back home?
The sky was clear tonight; she could look straight up at the stars. I bet you're watching me from up there. Mom, Dad, Simon--look at me.
Pull your energy inside you. Stick to the shadows. Dance. The steps are there. Trust your body.
Get behind John Ferrera.
"Hey."
If you say it right, he doesn't hear the hammer click. The gun's under the coat. He doesn't need to see it now. Threats can come later, if necessary.
"I love you very much, and I've got no grudge against you. But give me back my friend."
And the twin was gone. Stephanie Mason. Remember that name.
Silence. A distant scream. The lights in the compound were violent and strange. It's disorienting out here, Mom.
And the door to the mess hall swung open, and out came Claire Heartland.
A rush of normalcy.
But no. Not just Claire Heartland. John Ferrera behind her. Matthew died, John Ferrera shot him--
Smile on her lips, cracked. John Ferrera shot him, and John Ferrera had Matthew's gun, and John Ferrera was pointing it at Claire Heartland's skull.
This was exactly the kind of thing Karl had warned her about.
Okay. Simon's voice in her head, like one of his games with her. A known murderer is holding your best friend hostage. Are you a bad enough dude to get her back home?
The sky was clear tonight; she could look straight up at the stars. I bet you're watching me from up there. Mom, Dad, Simon--look at me.
Pull your energy inside you. Stick to the shadows. Dance. The steps are there. Trust your body.
Get behind John Ferrera.
"Hey."
If you say it right, he doesn't hear the hammer click. The gun's under the coat. He doesn't need to see it now. Threats can come later, if necessary.
"I love you very much, and I've got no grudge against you. But give me back my friend."
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MurderWeasel
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- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Karl had no idea what had just happened. Stephanie backed off, which was good, but he got distracted by that, watching her make her way all the way to some other building, and the next thing he knew everything had gone wrong. Juliet was talking to someone. It sounded like someone dangerous. Karl couldn't see from his angle on the roof, but whoever he'd seen off in the distance before was gone now. Was it the same person? Did it matter?
Someone had Juliet's friend. That meant this was all about to get incredibly ugly unless the situation deescalated. With Stephanie, Karl had been pretty comfortable staying on the roof. Now, though, he was going to be even more useless, and there might be someone who really presented a threat in the area, someone he could perhaps help Juliet scare off.
Quietly, quickly, he ducked off to the side, so he wouldn't be dropping right into things. Then, he lowered himself off the roof. It was a somewhat slow and tedious process. Karl wasn't afraid of heights, but he certainly had an instinctual aversion to tough landings. In the end, though, hanging off the ledge, his arms fully extended, he reduced the drop to under five feet. The landing was a slight jolt, but nothing particularly uncomfortable, let alone damaging. His suit was even more scuffed and dusty, a slight hole starting at the left knee, but that really didn't matter now.
That done, he went to the corner of the building and took a peek around, towards the noise, trying to figure out who it was Juliet had found.
Oh.
That definitely wasn't good.
Someone had Juliet's friend. That meant this was all about to get incredibly ugly unless the situation deescalated. With Stephanie, Karl had been pretty comfortable staying on the roof. Now, though, he was going to be even more useless, and there might be someone who really presented a threat in the area, someone he could perhaps help Juliet scare off.
Quietly, quickly, he ducked off to the side, so he wouldn't be dropping right into things. Then, he lowered himself off the roof. It was a somewhat slow and tedious process. Karl wasn't afraid of heights, but he certainly had an instinctual aversion to tough landings. In the end, though, hanging off the ledge, his arms fully extended, he reduced the drop to under five feet. The landing was a slight jolt, but nothing particularly uncomfortable, let alone damaging. His suit was even more scuffed and dusty, a slight hole starting at the left knee, but that really didn't matter now.
That done, he went to the corner of the building and took a peek around, towards the noise, trying to figure out who it was Juliet had found.
Oh.
That definitely wasn't good.
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chitoryu12*
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John motioned with his other hand. "You're armed. Drop it." Hell, who WASN'T armed in this playground?
He pushed the Calico into Claire's back, dimpling the flesh with cold steel.
"I mostly grabbed this girl for fun, you know? Thought she'd be a good shield. You know, bullets hit her, don't hit me. Stuff like that, yeah? She's done good so far; neither of us are dead yet."
"It's quite odd how the two of us ended up in this situation. She just fell right into my arms, so to say. One might call it fate. I'm not sure if I believe in fate."
His eyes narrowed.
"I believe in surviving."
He pushed the Calico into Claire's back, dimpling the flesh with cold steel.
"I mostly grabbed this girl for fun, you know? Thought she'd be a good shield. You know, bullets hit her, don't hit me. Stuff like that, yeah? She's done good so far; neither of us are dead yet."
"It's quite odd how the two of us ended up in this situation. She just fell right into my arms, so to say. One might call it fate. I'm not sure if I believe in fate."
His eyes narrowed.
"I believe in surviving."
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MurderWeasel
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((Just avoiding inactivity here, and also moving things into better position))
Ferrara. John Ferrara was right there, holding some girl hostage and facing off against Juliet. The guns were out. Things were going to get ugly.
Strangely, Karl had an odd urge to back Juliet up, to step in and try to help her get her friend back. He still didn't really get her plan and desires, but it didn't matter. She was a decent person.
But Karl couldn't do anything to Ferrara, not armed with a flag and a couple packets of ketchup. He couldn't do anything except maybe distract the other boy, and he'd be just as likely to draw Juliet's attention instead. So, instead of charging in, he stayed to the sidelines, out of sight around the edge of the building, waiting. Sooner or later, an opportunity would come.
Ferrara. John Ferrara was right there, holding some girl hostage and facing off against Juliet. The guns were out. Things were going to get ugly.
Strangely, Karl had an odd urge to back Juliet up, to step in and try to help her get her friend back. He still didn't really get her plan and desires, but it didn't matter. She was a decent person.
But Karl couldn't do anything to Ferrara, not armed with a flag and a couple packets of ketchup. He couldn't do anything except maybe distract the other boy, and he'd be just as likely to draw Juliet's attention instead. So, instead of charging in, he stayed to the sidelines, out of sight around the edge of the building, waiting. Sooner or later, an opportunity would come.
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storyspoiler*
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He was speaking, and Claire wasn't.
"You're armed. Drop it."
Let her go. Please.
Juliet held on to the gun. A few more seconds. Instinctive, anger. Get off her. But he was speaking, still speaking, and she had to listen, because Claire, thank God you're here, Claire--
"I mostly grabbed this girl for fun, you know? Thought she'd be a good shield. You know, bullets hit her, don't hit me. Stuff like that, yeah? She's done good so far; neither of us are dead yet."
Pushed the gun into her back. Hard. Fuck you, America, and your dirty fixation on cocks and guns, because Juliet was thinking of the first time she had sex, sordid, in the boy's toilet, how much it had hurt six weeks after Mom and Dad go, and Simon too, and it hurts and it hurts, but if I give him this, he'll hold me now, and I don't want to be alone, Mom, I don't want to be alone!
But it wasn't like that for Claire. Claire had her Dad. Claire had a home, warm lights and TV dinners and all the things Juliet had craved, had come over again and again until Claire and her father, always painfully honest, had sent her home. Claire had something good to go back to and you, to touch her like this, as if she's a playboy, something sordid--
No, listen to him. Listen to him speak. Because if you don't listen very carefully, you might not get Claire back.
"It's quite odd how the two of us ended up in this situation. She just fell right into my arms, so to say. One might call it fate. I'm not sure if I believe in fate."
That makes two of us.
"I believe in surviving."
And Claire's eyes were tearing up strong girl, beautiful girl, best friend, and Juliet knew she'd do anything, anything, to get Claire back.
So she dropped the gun.
It fell to the ground with a clatter, sharp. John gasped a bit, Claire gasped a bit, and Juliet raised her hands look here, I'm a good girl, please give me my friend back…
But yeah. Think cold for a minute. Because now he can kill both of you. Fuck no!
And you probably couldn't be any more helpless than you already are.
So kneel.
It was melodramatic. Anime-esque. And somehow it was right show you you have the power, you always had the power. Put you at ease. I don't need you tetchy right now, and I won't shoot, I'd never shoot, not with her here.
And so she knelt. Closer to the gun…
"Ferrara." Stop yourself from spitting, he won't like contempt. "Claire is my friend. I'm kneeling now, like a jackass, because I won't shoot her, and I will not give you any reason to shoot her. This is as un-dangerous as I can get."
He looked at her, contemptuous. The Japanese whore sells herself again. They say she goes cheap.
But Claire was scared.
"I'll say this once. I don't know what your goals are--you want to win the game? I'll help you. I'll give you my weapon. I'll be your shield." I'll take your goddamn bullets. Do you think I care? I'm cheap, I'm cheap. Haven't they told you that, Ferrara? Isn't it all through the rumor mill? Juliet Watanabe, the oriental slut. Bit of a gimp leg, but you can fuck her rough and ready in your Daddy's minivan if you promise to hold her hand straight through all the dirty talk. I'm cheap as sin, Ferrara, body and soul. You really think I'd pick now, of all times, to miser my life? "Just let her go, okay?"
Yeah, and this was a dumb plan. He could shoot them both now. Jesus, Claire and I should have arranged a signal if this kind of shit ever happened to us. I go 'one, two, three', and she elbows him in the gut. Fuck you, paranoia.
But she wasn't that uneasy, because he didn't look like he was planning on shooting them both in the head. He looked conflicted, thoughtful. Less tetchy. Good.
And Juliet looked down. Good girl. Good humble girl. Show him who's boss now.
Dry mouth. A prayer. Just let her go…
"You're armed. Drop it."
Let her go. Please.
Juliet held on to the gun. A few more seconds. Instinctive, anger. Get off her. But he was speaking, still speaking, and she had to listen, because Claire, thank God you're here, Claire--
"I mostly grabbed this girl for fun, you know? Thought she'd be a good shield. You know, bullets hit her, don't hit me. Stuff like that, yeah? She's done good so far; neither of us are dead yet."
Pushed the gun into her back. Hard. Fuck you, America, and your dirty fixation on cocks and guns, because Juliet was thinking of the first time she had sex, sordid, in the boy's toilet, how much it had hurt six weeks after Mom and Dad go, and Simon too, and it hurts and it hurts, but if I give him this, he'll hold me now, and I don't want to be alone, Mom, I don't want to be alone!
But it wasn't like that for Claire. Claire had her Dad. Claire had a home, warm lights and TV dinners and all the things Juliet had craved, had come over again and again until Claire and her father, always painfully honest, had sent her home. Claire had something good to go back to and you, to touch her like this, as if she's a playboy, something sordid--
No, listen to him. Listen to him speak. Because if you don't listen very carefully, you might not get Claire back.
"It's quite odd how the two of us ended up in this situation. She just fell right into my arms, so to say. One might call it fate. I'm not sure if I believe in fate."
That makes two of us.
"I believe in surviving."
And Claire's eyes were tearing up strong girl, beautiful girl, best friend, and Juliet knew she'd do anything, anything, to get Claire back.
So she dropped the gun.
It fell to the ground with a clatter, sharp. John gasped a bit, Claire gasped a bit, and Juliet raised her hands look here, I'm a good girl, please give me my friend back…
But yeah. Think cold for a minute. Because now he can kill both of you. Fuck no!
And you probably couldn't be any more helpless than you already are.
So kneel.
It was melodramatic. Anime-esque. And somehow it was right show you you have the power, you always had the power. Put you at ease. I don't need you tetchy right now, and I won't shoot, I'd never shoot, not with her here.
And so she knelt. Closer to the gun…
"Ferrara." Stop yourself from spitting, he won't like contempt. "Claire is my friend. I'm kneeling now, like a jackass, because I won't shoot her, and I will not give you any reason to shoot her. This is as un-dangerous as I can get."
He looked at her, contemptuous. The Japanese whore sells herself again. They say she goes cheap.
But Claire was scared.
"I'll say this once. I don't know what your goals are--you want to win the game? I'll help you. I'll give you my weapon. I'll be your shield." I'll take your goddamn bullets. Do you think I care? I'm cheap, I'm cheap. Haven't they told you that, Ferrara? Isn't it all through the rumor mill? Juliet Watanabe, the oriental slut. Bit of a gimp leg, but you can fuck her rough and ready in your Daddy's minivan if you promise to hold her hand straight through all the dirty talk. I'm cheap as sin, Ferrara, body and soul. You really think I'd pick now, of all times, to miser my life? "Just let her go, okay?"
Yeah, and this was a dumb plan. He could shoot them both now. Jesus, Claire and I should have arranged a signal if this kind of shit ever happened to us. I go 'one, two, three', and she elbows him in the gut. Fuck you, paranoia.
But she wasn't that uneasy, because he didn't look like he was planning on shooting them both in the head. He looked conflicted, thoughtful. Less tetchy. Good.
And Juliet looked down. Good girl. Good humble girl. Show him who's boss now.
Dry mouth. A prayer. Just let her go…
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chitoryu12*
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John smiled. He stepped back, the barrel of the gun coming off of Claire's back and leaving a circular indent in her flesh, invisible under the cloth.
"Well, don't you look pathetic?" he muttered. "All right, I'll let this girl live. Your groveling has earned it."
John was feeling power. He had never once had this power over anybody or anything. He was always the "lower one", the one that richer kids could mock and scorn. For the first time in his short life, he had power over life and death.
"Oh, wait. Before you get up, there's something you should know." He stepped out from behind Claire, staring right into Juliet's eyes. He had never once seen such desperation in a person's soul. It was unnerving.
"I said I'd let Claire live. I never said I'd let you go as well."
John pulled the trigger and dove over the table next to him, rolling on his shoulder over the other side and landing in a crouch, his hip slightly sore from where it hit the bench. A puff of dust appeared on the wall behind Juliet.
The smile never left his face.
"Well, don't you look pathetic?" he muttered. "All right, I'll let this girl live. Your groveling has earned it."
John was feeling power. He had never once had this power over anybody or anything. He was always the "lower one", the one that richer kids could mock and scorn. For the first time in his short life, he had power over life and death.
"Oh, wait. Before you get up, there's something you should know." He stepped out from behind Claire, staring right into Juliet's eyes. He had never once seen such desperation in a person's soul. It was unnerving.
"I said I'd let Claire live. I never said I'd let you go as well."
John pulled the trigger and dove over the table next to him, rolling on his shoulder over the other side and landing in a crouch, his hip slightly sore from where it hit the bench. A puff of dust appeared on the wall behind Juliet.
The smile never left his face.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Things degenerated rapidly. Karl had been prepared for Juliet to play nicer than was necessarily smart. He'd been prepared for her to be naïve and easy to manipulate. He'd been prepared for all of that to cause some trouble.
He hadn't at all been prepared for her to drop her gun and cave at the first sign of an opportunity to save Claire. There was idealism, and then there was making a decision likely to cost everyone involved their lives. If you were in negotiations, you never, never gave up all your cards before you had a guarantee that your opponent would follow suit. There was absolutely nothing stopping Ferrara from killing Juliet and Claire, then coming out and gunning Karl down, too.
The most immediately intelligent decision, from a survival perspective, would have been to flee. There weren't that may possible outcomes here that weren't disastrous. Karl couldn't bring himself to run, though. He'd spent most of his school life taking the coward's way out of situations. It was a fine trick if there was someone you could go to for help. He was sort of short on that kind of capital at the moment, though. Sure, he could have gone screaming for Bryant to come save Juliet, but, assuming he even found the boy, he'd be just as likely to get shot over a presumed betrayal as to actually get help. More likely, he'd stumble into the Masons and get murdered instead.
Besides, the more people were in play, the more likely Ferrara was to panic or let one of them get the drop on him. All it would take was a couple of seconds to get a good position. They didn't have to kill Ferrara; they just had to remove his weapon from the equation. Then they could all walk out of this alive. Juliet could get her friend back, and not owe any psychopaths favors, and Karl could stick with a team which could actually keep him safe for a bit longer. Ferrara could go kill people elsewhere or whatever, and maybe some more dangerous player would take him out of the equation before too long.
So Karl headed back again, a bit closer. He just needed to inch towards the action, then step in when the right moment came about.
The he heard the gunshot, and decided he could wait a bit longer. If Juliet was already dead, well, no point trying to save her, right?
He hadn't at all been prepared for her to drop her gun and cave at the first sign of an opportunity to save Claire. There was idealism, and then there was making a decision likely to cost everyone involved their lives. If you were in negotiations, you never, never gave up all your cards before you had a guarantee that your opponent would follow suit. There was absolutely nothing stopping Ferrara from killing Juliet and Claire, then coming out and gunning Karl down, too.
The most immediately intelligent decision, from a survival perspective, would have been to flee. There weren't that may possible outcomes here that weren't disastrous. Karl couldn't bring himself to run, though. He'd spent most of his school life taking the coward's way out of situations. It was a fine trick if there was someone you could go to for help. He was sort of short on that kind of capital at the moment, though. Sure, he could have gone screaming for Bryant to come save Juliet, but, assuming he even found the boy, he'd be just as likely to get shot over a presumed betrayal as to actually get help. More likely, he'd stumble into the Masons and get murdered instead.
Besides, the more people were in play, the more likely Ferrara was to panic or let one of them get the drop on him. All it would take was a couple of seconds to get a good position. They didn't have to kill Ferrara; they just had to remove his weapon from the equation. Then they could all walk out of this alive. Juliet could get her friend back, and not owe any psychopaths favors, and Karl could stick with a team which could actually keep him safe for a bit longer. Ferrara could go kill people elsewhere or whatever, and maybe some more dangerous player would take him out of the equation before too long.
So Karl headed back again, a bit closer. He just needed to inch towards the action, then step in when the right moment came about.
The he heard the gunshot, and decided he could wait a bit longer. If Juliet was already dead, well, no point trying to save her, right?
She'd thought she'd given up. She'd thought she was beyond caring, beyond having a hope. All that, though, had been before they'd stumbled upon Juliet, before Claire had seen the lengths to which her friend was willing to go for her. Claire had wanted to say something, to scream out at Juliet not to go through with the bargain, but she'd held her tongue in the hopes that, just maybe, this would all turn out alright.
It wasn't looking like that, though. Things were about to get worse again, about to explode. Juliet put her gun down, and Ferrara showed his true colors.
He was going to kill Juliet.
Claire didn't know what to make of her own promised amnesty. Her captor was twisting words, though. He'd said he'd let her live. Not that he'd let her go. There would be no change. She'd remain his shield, and Juliet would be dead for her good intentions. If there was one thing Claire couldn't live with, that was it. As Ferrara fired, she gave out a small shriek. He missed, though. There was still time.
And then, he dived for cover. That meant he was in a pretty good strategic place, meant he could keep the pressure up or shoot Juliet as she retrieved her weaponry. There was one thing he probably hadn't thought of, though.
With a little smile, Claire called out, "Juliet, don't let him off for this."
With that, she charged after Ferrara. She just had to distract him for a little bit, draw his attention long enough for Juliet to retrieve her weapon. Then it would be a real fight. Then this kidnapper would get what he deserved. Claire knew she was taking a big risk. She knew she might get hurt, even killed, but right now, for Juliet, she just didn't care.
It wasn't looking like that, though. Things were about to get worse again, about to explode. Juliet put her gun down, and Ferrara showed his true colors.
He was going to kill Juliet.
Claire didn't know what to make of her own promised amnesty. Her captor was twisting words, though. He'd said he'd let her live. Not that he'd let her go. There would be no change. She'd remain his shield, and Juliet would be dead for her good intentions. If there was one thing Claire couldn't live with, that was it. As Ferrara fired, she gave out a small shriek. He missed, though. There was still time.
And then, he dived for cover. That meant he was in a pretty good strategic place, meant he could keep the pressure up or shoot Juliet as she retrieved her weaponry. There was one thing he probably hadn't thought of, though.
With a little smile, Claire called out, "Juliet, don't let him off for this."
With that, she charged after Ferrara. She just had to distract him for a little bit, draw his attention long enough for Juliet to retrieve her weapon. Then it would be a real fight. Then this kidnapper would get what he deserved. Claire knew she was taking a big risk. She knew she might get hurt, even killed, but right now, for Juliet, she just didn't care.
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storyspoiler*
- Posts: 49
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 3:09 am
The smile never left her face.
"I said I'd let Claire live. I never said I'd let you go as well."
And--boom!--a gunshot. Right by her head. It hardly startled her. Do you think i wasn't expecting that?
But it missed. Better than not missing. And John Ferrara was over a table, away from Claire, and Claire was here and Claire was safe and Claire was with her and that was what she needed.
I'll get you home to your Da yet.
Pick up the weapon. Ferrara wasn't agile. He'd banged his hip on the table. If she could start shooting before he did, she could get him out of here. Maybe kill him; she didn't really care. She just wanted him gone.
You're on the ground, now. Grab the gun.
And Claire smiled.
"Juliet, don't let him off for this."
No, don't!
And Claire stood, and charged John Ferrara.
Mother of hell.
Grab the gun. She was going to need it now. Nothing but cold fear was here with her--my friend, my friend, Claire, you were safe!--but it was cold now, cold, no panic, because I know what to do. Pick up the gun, and shoot John Ferrara. If she could get him before he got Claire--or at least scare him off--then everything was fine. Everything was fine.
Everything is fine.
She picked up the gun, and stood.
Claire was in the middle of the room, a little white bird. Your Da loves you , Claire. Don't fuck this up. Ferrara was getting up, aiming, but Juliet could swing her gun up first I can do this, I can do this and she fired.
Look, John Ferrara. Don't look at her. Look at me.
And she was watching her own bullet, the impact of the gun slamming back against her head, the trajectory, whizzing over John Ferrara's forehead missed, but he's looking at me now, he's looking at me, and she wasn't watching Claire.
And Claire fell.
Claire was clumsy. She had always been clumsy. But people who trip don't fall over backwards. Not when they're going in the other direction. Not when they're charging a goddamn multiple murderer.
Red.
Claire had been wearing a white blouse. It was turning red.
Ferrara had shot too.
Motherfucker.
Ferrara didn't matter anymore. There was only Claire.
Grab her, take her hands, like a dance partner, as her elbows collapsed, and support her, spin her. She could lead her friend behind the counter like the Prince, spinning her in the moves, memorized moves, Mom's favorite, the Finale of Swan Lake, but Claire Heartland, you are not my goddamn dying swan.
She pushed Claire behind the counter. Noises were filtering into her ears again, Ferrara was apparently shooting everything in sight, making china break and glass shatter and probably completely destroying the dish trolley. Didn't matter.
Claire.
No time for gentleness. She slapped Claire in the face. "Claire! Are you there? Are you there?"
"I said I'd let Claire live. I never said I'd let you go as well."
And--boom!--a gunshot. Right by her head. It hardly startled her. Do you think i wasn't expecting that?
But it missed. Better than not missing. And John Ferrara was over a table, away from Claire, and Claire was here and Claire was safe and Claire was with her and that was what she needed.
I'll get you home to your Da yet.
Pick up the weapon. Ferrara wasn't agile. He'd banged his hip on the table. If she could start shooting before he did, she could get him out of here. Maybe kill him; she didn't really care. She just wanted him gone.
You're on the ground, now. Grab the gun.
And Claire smiled.
"Juliet, don't let him off for this."
No, don't!
And Claire stood, and charged John Ferrara.
Mother of hell.
Grab the gun. She was going to need it now. Nothing but cold fear was here with her--my friend, my friend, Claire, you were safe!--but it was cold now, cold, no panic, because I know what to do. Pick up the gun, and shoot John Ferrara. If she could get him before he got Claire--or at least scare him off--then everything was fine. Everything was fine.
Everything is fine.
She picked up the gun, and stood.
Claire was in the middle of the room, a little white bird. Your Da loves you , Claire. Don't fuck this up. Ferrara was getting up, aiming, but Juliet could swing her gun up first I can do this, I can do this and she fired.
Look, John Ferrara. Don't look at her. Look at me.
And she was watching her own bullet, the impact of the gun slamming back against her head, the trajectory, whizzing over John Ferrara's forehead missed, but he's looking at me now, he's looking at me, and she wasn't watching Claire.
And Claire fell.
Claire was clumsy. She had always been clumsy. But people who trip don't fall over backwards. Not when they're going in the other direction. Not when they're charging a goddamn multiple murderer.
Red.
Claire had been wearing a white blouse. It was turning red.
Ferrara had shot too.
Motherfucker.
Ferrara didn't matter anymore. There was only Claire.
Grab her, take her hands, like a dance partner, as her elbows collapsed, and support her, spin her. She could lead her friend behind the counter like the Prince, spinning her in the moves, memorized moves, Mom's favorite, the Finale of Swan Lake, but Claire Heartland, you are not my goddamn dying swan.
She pushed Claire behind the counter. Noises were filtering into her ears again, Ferrara was apparently shooting everything in sight, making china break and glass shatter and probably completely destroying the dish trolley. Didn't matter.
Claire.
No time for gentleness. She slapped Claire in the face. "Claire! Are you there? Are you there?"
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chitoryu12*
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2018 3:16 am
((To clarify, all GMing in the prior post approved))
A flash of white out of the corner of his eye.
Instinctive spin, turn, squeeze.
Puff of smoke.
Red.
Turn.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Shatter.
Break.
Bang.
Death.
A flash of white out of the corner of his eye.
Instinctive spin, turn, squeeze.
Puff of smoke.
Red.
Turn.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Shatter.
Break.
Bang.
Death.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
Karl didn't have the slightest clue what to do. He felt totally useless at the moment, as he heard the shouting and gunfire from inside. Of course, he figured out a good plan in a hurry, and hit the ground. Whether the walls of the mess hall weren't quite bulletproof or he was standing too close to a window, the fact remained that there was lead headed in his general direction. Minimizing his profile was good for reducing his chances of getting killed.
He wasn't sure who was winning. Couldn't make rhyme or reason of anything over the ringing in his ears. His suit was getting scuffed, the knees and elbows becoming worn by the ground. It didn't matter. Wearing a suit was stupid anyways. It had seemed respectful, way back in the past. Now, it just meant he was already dressed for his funeral.
Things seemed to quiet down a bit, but Karl just stayed still. No point being hasty. Definitely not.
He wasn't sure who was winning. Couldn't make rhyme or reason of anything over the ringing in his ears. His suit was getting scuffed, the knees and elbows becoming worn by the ground. It didn't matter. Wearing a suit was stupid anyways. It had seemed respectful, way back in the past. Now, it just meant he was already dressed for his funeral.
Things seemed to quiet down a bit, but Karl just stayed still. No point being hasty. Definitely not.