Ashley defused the situation before Anzu's twitchy trigger finger got anyone killed, subtly coaxing her to lower the gun. Alice fled, trailing crossbow bolts behind her. Anzu honestly couldn't give less of a shit. She was gone, and none of Anzu's people had been hurt, so all's well that ended in barely-averted manslaughter.
She had been prepared to pull that trigger. If Alice had shown even the slightest resistance, if Ashley had stepped up a moment later, Anzu would probably be staring at Alice's corpse instead of her discarded ammo.
The thought should have shocked her much more than it did. Killing people had never been a part of the plan. Anzu didn't feel any remorse, though. At least, she didn't think that she did. Someone could have died. Someone could have been murdered. No one had been. Simple facts.
Anzu wasn't calm, nowhere near it. However, the blind rage had abated slightly. In its place was sorrow for her dead friend, hatred towards her killer, anxiety over the well-being of Caroline and the rest of the group.
She wanted to break things. She wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. She wanted to find Gene and make the rest of his short life hell. She wanted to cling to Caroline and just forget about the rest of the world.
Anzu did none of these things. Instead, she grabbed the barrel of the pistol and handed it back to Ashley. "I... think it'd be best for you to hang onto this."
It's Bad. We're Hit, Man, We Are Hit
Day 2, Following Second Announcement
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
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The girl ran, dropping arrows as she did. Ashley had defused the situation. Sarah didn't doubt that Anzu would have shot the girl if no one had intervened. Honestly, she wasn't sure if she would have been that bothered by it. It didn't feel the same...she didn't feel the same.
Val was gone and she'd taken something with her, something important. Sarah had never thought about actually killing someone but since she had found out that Val was murdered she'd done more than just think about it, she'd set her mind on it and made it her goal.
Gene Steward had to die. No other result was acceptable. He had to pay for what he had done; Sarah wanted to, had to make him pay for murdering Val. She didn't care how she did it, just as long as she did. Maybe then the weight that seemed to be pushing down on her would finally be lifted.
Then another thought entered her mind, a different goal.
"What if we just let a killer go?"
Val was gone and she'd taken something with her, something important. Sarah had never thought about actually killing someone but since she had found out that Val was murdered she'd done more than just think about it, she'd set her mind on it and made it her goal.
Gene Steward had to die. No other result was acceptable. He had to pay for what he had done; Sarah wanted to, had to make him pay for murdering Val. She didn't care how she did it, just as long as she did. Maybe then the weight that seemed to be pushing down on her would finally be lifted.
Then another thought entered her mind, a different goal.
"What if we just let a killer go?"
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Un-Persona*
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Ashley still held on to Anzu as the little girl left, removing her hands once Anzu stopped being so locked up and tense. Ashley gulped once Anzu handed her the gun back, saying that it was better if Ashley kept it safe. Ashley wholeheartedly agreed with her, but it was still kind of scary, actually realizing how important it could be. She didn't think much of it when she put it on the table so casually, but she should have known how much people would want a gun, for whatever reason. Even Ashley, especially now, felt safer with it, and wasn't for giving it away to just anybody who asked anymore.
Her hands hesitantly palmed the gun and took it away from Anzu. Now that she had it back, she had to take special precautions so something like this didn't happen again. She either had to have it in her grip or in her bag. Anywhere on her person that others can't just grab whenever they feel like it. That, and she had to be even more sure not to act the way Anzu did just now. Self-defense only, like they had said at the museum.
"Zen, zen, zen..."
Can't let get things out of control, can't let herself get out control, can't let anybody else get out of control. That's what she needed to do, whether using the gun or ignoring it's existence. Everyone just had to remain calm and get back in order. Ashley turned to Sarah, who was asking what if the little girl they just let go was a killer.
"She ain't gonna kill anybody without these."
Ashley bent down to pick up one of the crossbow bolts, holding it up for both Anzu and Sarah to see. A threat was gone, and they had pointy sticks to show for it.
Her hands hesitantly palmed the gun and took it away from Anzu. Now that she had it back, she had to take special precautions so something like this didn't happen again. She either had to have it in her grip or in her bag. Anywhere on her person that others can't just grab whenever they feel like it. That, and she had to be even more sure not to act the way Anzu did just now. Self-defense only, like they had said at the museum.
"Zen, zen, zen..."
Can't let get things out of control, can't let herself get out control, can't let anybody else get out of control. That's what she needed to do, whether using the gun or ignoring it's existence. Everyone just had to remain calm and get back in order. Ashley turned to Sarah, who was asking what if the little girl they just let go was a killer.
"She ain't gonna kill anybody without these."
Ashley bent down to pick up one of the crossbow bolts, holding it up for both Anzu and Sarah to see. A threat was gone, and they had pointy sticks to show for it.
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
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Sarah seemed to be concerned about how they let Alice go. All Anzu really wanted was to forget about the stupid girl already and resume focusing on the stuff that really mattered.
"So what if she's a killer? Who gives a shit?" Anzu asked, turning to face Sarah. "We're not the fuckin' police. Everyone that matters is already here in this room. Way I see it, if she is a killer, all the better for us. More people dying means that there's less people around to hurt us. Nothing more."
Let the rest of the world burn. All that mattered was getting vengeance and keeping Sarah, Ashley, and Caroline safe.
"So what if she's a killer? Who gives a shit?" Anzu asked, turning to face Sarah. "We're not the fuckin' police. Everyone that matters is already here in this room. Way I see it, if she is a killer, all the better for us. More people dying means that there's less people around to hurt us. Nothing more."
Let the rest of the world burn. All that mattered was getting vengeance and keeping Sarah, Ashley, and Caroline safe.
Anzu turned on her, she was right in a way, they weren't the police. But there was a flaw in the logic and it was a big one. If people were killing it would be more dangerous and then they'd be in more danger. It just didn't work as a survival strategy. It was too passive, too reliant on what everyone else was doing, they'd always be on the back foot and they wouldn't be able to recover from that quickly enough especially as people become more and more dangerous as they got more weapons.
Sarah calmed herself down. She had to keep a level head. Her fears were justified and she was right. The others just didn't realise it yet. It was alright she would explain it to them. She blinked and saw Valerie's face tattooed on her eyelids. She'd failed her, she wouldn't fail the others.
"You don't get it." Sarah said softly. "If no one kills people who are killing it only becomes more dangerous and if it becomes more dangerous more people get hurt, more people end up like..." She trailed off; blinking to try and keep herself calm Sarah started speaking again. "Killers need to be stopped otherwise they'll just keep hurting people."
It could start with Gene Steward.
Sarah calmed herself down. She had to keep a level head. Her fears were justified and she was right. The others just didn't realise it yet. It was alright she would explain it to them. She blinked and saw Valerie's face tattooed on her eyelids. She'd failed her, she wouldn't fail the others.
"You don't get it." Sarah said softly. "If no one kills people who are killing it only becomes more dangerous and if it becomes more dangerous more people get hurt, more people end up like..." She trailed off; blinking to try and keep herself calm Sarah started speaking again. "Killers need to be stopped otherwise they'll just keep hurting people."
It could start with Gene Steward.
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Un-Persona*
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:55 am
Goddammit.
If Anzu had just kept quiet, it could have been fine. They could have just left it as the one killer, but now every fucking killer on the resort was in the mix. Great. Well, what was there to say now? Both Sarah and Anzu had their points, fueled by emotion. What they said made sense, but they were far from being rational.
She didn't have a dog in this fight. She did not care about Gene or Valerie. That meant Ashley could still come at this from a safe perspective. But even with that said, she still had no idea what to do. Taking sides wouldn't help, but trying to mediate this was gonna be impossible. She knew where these guys were coming from, but she couldn't understand it. Everything was in halves and down the middle. Nothing needed to get blown out of proportion.
So, instead, Ashley did nothing but remain quiet and threw her hands up in the air. The international sign of surrender and a plea for peace.
If Anzu had just kept quiet, it could have been fine. They could have just left it as the one killer, but now every fucking killer on the resort was in the mix. Great. Well, what was there to say now? Both Sarah and Anzu had their points, fueled by emotion. What they said made sense, but they were far from being rational.
She didn't have a dog in this fight. She did not care about Gene or Valerie. That meant Ashley could still come at this from a safe perspective. But even with that said, she still had no idea what to do. Taking sides wouldn't help, but trying to mediate this was gonna be impossible. She knew where these guys were coming from, but she couldn't understand it. Everything was in halves and down the middle. Nothing needed to get blown out of proportion.
So, instead, Ashley did nothing but remain quiet and threw her hands up in the air. The international sign of surrender and a plea for peace.
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All this time, Caroline had been quiet.
She'd been stewing in her own failure, trying to think of what to do next, but really, it was simple. There was nothing next. She was going to follow her friends - she had decided that long ago - but she could see how this was going to end.
And this wasn't talking about the end, short-term, where they killed Gene or Alice or nobody at all.
"Killers don't matter." She spoke up now, because if there was one thing she could do besides sing, it was talk, and it no longer really mattered what she said. "Avoid them or not, kill them or not - think endgame. Even if all the killers just, I don't know," and she snapped her fingers half-heartedly, "disappeared, there's going to be an endgame. One team gets out. Nobody else."
She let the fire iron swing slowly from her other hand, pinched between her thumb and index finger, and let a small smile slip onto her face.
"Ashley, lend me your gun? Promise I'll return it in just a sec."
She'd been stewing in her own failure, trying to think of what to do next, but really, it was simple. There was nothing next. She was going to follow her friends - she had decided that long ago - but she could see how this was going to end.
And this wasn't talking about the end, short-term, where they killed Gene or Alice or nobody at all.
"Killers don't matter." She spoke up now, because if there was one thing she could do besides sing, it was talk, and it no longer really mattered what she said. "Avoid them or not, kill them or not - think endgame. Even if all the killers just, I don't know," and she snapped her fingers half-heartedly, "disappeared, there's going to be an endgame. One team gets out. Nobody else."
She let the fire iron swing slowly from her other hand, pinched between her thumb and index finger, and let a small smile slip onto her face.
"Ashley, lend me your gun? Promise I'll return it in just a sec."
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
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"I've gotta ask again, Sarah, who gives a shit?" Anzu asked, raising her voice. From what Sarah was saying, she wanted them to become fucking player killers. That simply was not an option. Gene had to pay, but every other murderer? No way in hell was Anzu willing to risk her people just to maybe save some people she certainly didn't give a fuck about.
"Players tend to do a pretty good job at killing each other! We're not responsible for anyone outside this room, hell, we don't even know most of them! Why do you care so fucking much about this?" She would have continued, if it hadn't been for Caroline speaking up for the first time in a while. Anzu held her tongue, paying close attention to her words.
Caroline's logic wasn't wrong, but it sure as hell wasn't comforting. No one was denying that only one team normally made it out alive, which is what their whole escape plan was about, wasn't it? Had that died along with Val? Those worries were nothing, though, compared to what Anzu felt when Caroline asked for the gun. She trusted Caroline completely, of course, so there had to be some sort of good reason that she wanted it.
Try as she might, though, Anzu couldn't think of a single one.
"Players tend to do a pretty good job at killing each other! We're not responsible for anyone outside this room, hell, we don't even know most of them! Why do you care so fucking much about this?" She would have continued, if it hadn't been for Caroline speaking up for the first time in a while. Anzu held her tongue, paying close attention to her words.
Caroline's logic wasn't wrong, but it sure as hell wasn't comforting. No one was denying that only one team normally made it out alive, which is what their whole escape plan was about, wasn't it? Had that died along with Val? Those worries were nothing, though, compared to what Anzu felt when Caroline asked for the gun. She trusted Caroline completely, of course, so there had to be some sort of good reason that she wanted it.
Try as she might, though, Anzu couldn't think of a single one.
When Anzu yelled at her Sarah shot to her feet.
I give a shit! I care more than you do you selfish bitch!
It was what Sarah wanted to reply with. But she stopped herself. It wouldn't help. Anzu was too stubborn. She didn't get it, none of them got it. But there was a reason none of them got it. It was because she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't want to take out killers to protect others.
She wanted to kill them because they'd taken Val away from here; she wanted to transpose her pain onto them. Let them get a glimpse of how she felt. How could she tell the others that though? There was no way she could possibly do it. They wouldn't understand, they didn't understand now. They got the surface layer.
The fact that she and Val were best friends. That part they understood and they were using that to turn a blind eye to the rest of the issue they had on their hands; they'd just painted it with that brush and move on to their own troubles, their own worries. She was an afterthought. They were all set on going after Gene but after that? After that it was over for them. They'd move on continue trying to escape.
She couldn't do that. Not without Val. She needed Val. She didn't have Val. Val was gone.
Caroline broke Sarah out of her trance; she was talking about the endgame and one team winning. Sarah turned her attention to her when she asked for the gun. She was interested. If Caroline had one skill it was that charisma that made everyone listen and pay attention to you. It was that intangible star quality that Sarah could never really trace. So she stopped thinking and started listening.
I give a shit! I care more than you do you selfish bitch!
It was what Sarah wanted to reply with. But she stopped herself. It wouldn't help. Anzu was too stubborn. She didn't get it, none of them got it. But there was a reason none of them got it. It was because she wasn't telling the truth. She didn't want to take out killers to protect others.
She wanted to kill them because they'd taken Val away from here; she wanted to transpose her pain onto them. Let them get a glimpse of how she felt. How could she tell the others that though? There was no way she could possibly do it. They wouldn't understand, they didn't understand now. They got the surface layer.
The fact that she and Val were best friends. That part they understood and they were using that to turn a blind eye to the rest of the issue they had on their hands; they'd just painted it with that brush and move on to their own troubles, their own worries. She was an afterthought. They were all set on going after Gene but after that? After that it was over for them. They'd move on continue trying to escape.
She couldn't do that. Not without Val. She needed Val. She didn't have Val. Val was gone.
Caroline broke Sarah out of her trance; she was talking about the endgame and one team winning. Sarah turned her attention to her when she asked for the gun. She was interested. If Caroline had one skill it was that charisma that made everyone listen and pay attention to you. It was that intangible star quality that Sarah could never really trace. So she stopped thinking and started listening.
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Un-Persona*
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:55 am
Was this chick serious?
Out of all the things someone could have asked for Ashley to do at this very moment, the worst thing was to ask for the stupid gun. She didn't understand how anyone couldn't see that, after what just happened. She had just got it back, and she had already made up her mind that she couldn't just give it anyway.
"No. Forget about the gun, okay? Nobody else needs to hold the fucking gun right now."
Ashley was Goddamn stunned that Caroline could ask such a dumb request of her. Everyone wanted the gun like it was candy, something that didn't matter. It mattered a lot to her, because apparently she was the only one who know how important it actually was. It was starting to cause a migraine. Ashley combed over her face with her hand, wiping some sweat drops off of it.
This was too much to be dealing with at 7 in the morning.
Out of all the things someone could have asked for Ashley to do at this very moment, the worst thing was to ask for the stupid gun. She didn't understand how anyone couldn't see that, after what just happened. She had just got it back, and she had already made up her mind that she couldn't just give it anyway.
"No. Forget about the gun, okay? Nobody else needs to hold the fucking gun right now."
Ashley was Goddamn stunned that Caroline could ask such a dumb request of her. Everyone wanted the gun like it was candy, something that didn't matter. It mattered a lot to her, because apparently she was the only one who know how important it actually was. It was starting to cause a migraine. Ashley combed over her face with her hand, wiping some sweat drops off of it.
This was too much to be dealing with at 7 in the morning.
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Caroline hadn't really expected Ashley to give her the gun. Not after what had happened before.
She kept smiling. Not widely, not like a crazy person, but it was a smile. Somehow, it didn't feel strained. She wasn't happy. She was calm, though. Calmer. Now she knew what to do next, even if there were no plans left.
"Sorry," she said. She kept her voice level, kept her expression smooth, neutral except for the curve of her lips. "I just need it for a second. Then I'll return it. I'm not going to hurt any of you, or anyone out there."
As she shifted in place, her eyes never left Ashley.
"Just, you know, could use it right about..."
She didn't finish the sentence. She'd been sizing the other girl up. Her own feet were solidly on the ground now. She had the weight advantage, and for once, Ashley was a target who was only a little bit taller than her. Ashley had the gun in her hands. All it would take was a tackle, a grab, a quick yank upwards, a way to somehow cushion the fall. Something like that.
That was the logic.
Most of all, though, Caroline knew that she just needed the gun. Right here, right now. She could have waited, could have tried to steal it later, could have done any number of other things.
Instead, she lunged.
She kept smiling. Not widely, not like a crazy person, but it was a smile. Somehow, it didn't feel strained. She wasn't happy. She was calm, though. Calmer. Now she knew what to do next, even if there were no plans left.
"Sorry," she said. She kept her voice level, kept her expression smooth, neutral except for the curve of her lips. "I just need it for a second. Then I'll return it. I'm not going to hurt any of you, or anyone out there."
As she shifted in place, her eyes never left Ashley.
"Just, you know, could use it right about..."
She didn't finish the sentence. She'd been sizing the other girl up. Her own feet were solidly on the ground now. She had the weight advantage, and for once, Ashley was a target who was only a little bit taller than her. Ashley had the gun in her hands. All it would take was a tackle, a grab, a quick yank upwards, a way to somehow cushion the fall. Something like that.
That was the logic.
Most of all, though, Caroline knew that she just needed the gun. Right here, right now. She could have waited, could have tried to steal it later, could have done any number of other things.
Instead, she lunged.
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
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It all happened too fast and too far from Anzu for her to do anything about it. One moment, Ashley was quite sensibly denying Caroline's request for the gun. Anzu had breathed a sigh of relief at that, had considered the matter over, and was just about to resume her shouting match with Sarah when Caroline inexplicably lunged for the gun.
The thought of danger from within their group had never even crossed Anzu's mind, and in an instant everything was wrong. She froze to the spot, managing only to stammer "Caroline, wait!"
The thought of danger from within their group had never even crossed Anzu's mind, and in an instant everything was wrong. She froze to the spot, managing only to stammer "Caroline, wait!"
Everything happened too fast. One moment everything was normal and Caroline was just explaining her plan. She'd asked for the gun off of Ashley and Ashley had said no. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Then out of nowhere she just lunged at Ashley. This was the nightmare scenario. Two of their own group fighting over what looked to be nothing.
She just stood frozen.
She couldn't comprehend what was happening or why it was. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.
She didn't know what to do.
She just stood frozen.
She couldn't comprehend what was happening or why it was. Her mouth opened and closed wordlessly.
She didn't know what to do.
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Un-Persona*
- Posts: 189
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2018 4:55 am
With that lunge, Ashley had seen that she wasn't going to be able to keep everything under control. There were just some things that were out of her power, and she couldn't be the one that decided how things were gonna go.
Caroline forced her down onto the ground with the tackle, making her head spin and her stomach hurt. Caroline's face was right in front of hers, blurred and unreadable, shadowed by the fluorescent lights poking out behind her head. It was so close, like a collapsing roof.
Ashley raised her gun towards Caroline's neck, with an absent breath escaping her. There was a struggle between them, Caroline still trying to go for the gun with her hands on Ashley's wrist, Ashley choking her while the gun came closer to Caroline's throat. She pulled the trigger, powerless to control herself anymore. She let Caroline's body fall on her, coughing, crying, and completely aware of what she just did.
Caroline forced her down onto the ground with the tackle, making her head spin and her stomach hurt. Caroline's face was right in front of hers, blurred and unreadable, shadowed by the fluorescent lights poking out behind her head. It was so close, like a collapsing roof.
Ashley raised her gun towards Caroline's neck, with an absent breath escaping her. There was a struggle between them, Caroline still trying to go for the gun with her hands on Ashley's wrist, Ashley choking her while the gun came closer to Caroline's throat. She pulled the trigger, powerless to control herself anymore. She let Caroline's body fall on her, coughing, crying, and completely aware of what she just did.
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The bullet ripped through her throat and she dropped but did not die. She was getting blood all over Ashley. That was one of her last thoughts and she did not know why it was so important.
As consciousness began to leave her she rolled off sideways, and tried to shoot to her feet, reflexes firing but nothing happening as she overbalanced and her knees buckled and she fell for good.
She wanted to explain so bad. Didn't want to hurt them, never wanted to hurt them, never wanted to see the last failure. She wanted to live so much. Yet she had chosen this. Escape? Not happening without Val.
Never wanted them to see her die; wanted to choose her death with the gun, chase them all off before it happened.
Couldn't even give herself an easy suicide. She'd managed to damn Ashley along with it.
She could try to fix it.
She wasn't doing this for the cameras, for the world to see. Forget them, and everyone else. Everything was dimming, and she could barely see her friends, and she was scared, and there was a gaping hole in her throat. She wasn't peaceful or happy or calm.
Caroline smiled.
Showed them she meant it.
BB2: Caroline Leveson - DECEASED
As consciousness began to leave her she rolled off sideways, and tried to shoot to her feet, reflexes firing but nothing happening as she overbalanced and her knees buckled and she fell for good.
She wanted to explain so bad. Didn't want to hurt them, never wanted to hurt them, never wanted to see the last failure. She wanted to live so much. Yet she had chosen this. Escape? Not happening without Val.
Never wanted them to see her die; wanted to choose her death with the gun, chase them all off before it happened.
Couldn't even give herself an easy suicide. She'd managed to damn Ashley along with it.
She could try to fix it.
She wasn't doing this for the cameras, for the world to see. Forget them, and everyone else. Everything was dimming, and she could barely see her friends, and she was scared, and there was a gaping hole in her throat. She wasn't peaceful or happy or calm.
Caroline smiled.
Showed them she meant it.
BB2: Caroline Leveson - DECEASED
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