Jenelle was at the door.
Her fist was punching it. Knocking. She tried to open the door again.
But to no avail.
Skin? Tendons? Flesh?
Jenelle didn't know, until there was a (familiar for Yvette) pop on the door.
"Ew, what the fuck?"
darkness
open, day 1
Moderator: SOTF Supers Staff
"The bugs," Melodie tried to defend herself, "Are not my fault!"
Melodie wasn't scared of bugs. In fact, she wasn't really scared of that many things that couldn't hurt her, and these bugs look like they couldn't hurt her. She took a deep breath and then abruptly closed her mouth so that a fly wouldn't...fly... in.
She ignored Jenelle, even though her presence in the room is crushing, as if the concept of the worst thing that could ever happen happening was condensed into a person.
"Is Isabelle here?"
Deep down she knew that she wouldn't answer- not in words, anyways.
Actually, deep down, she knew she wasn't important to this scene. This was an act for Jenelle and whoever cared about her.
Melodie wasn't scared of bugs. In fact, she wasn't really scared of that many things that couldn't hurt her, and these bugs look like they couldn't hurt her. She took a deep breath and then abruptly closed her mouth so that a fly wouldn't...fly... in.
She ignored Jenelle, even though her presence in the room is crushing, as if the concept of the worst thing that could ever happen happening was condensed into a person.
"Is Isabelle here?"
Deep down she knew that she wouldn't answer- not in words, anyways.
Actually, deep down, she knew she wasn't important to this scene. This was an act for Jenelle and whoever cared about her.
Astrid stood there like a statue until the singing bugs were no longer in her immediate vicinity. She stopped baring her teeth, and, inside her mouth, slid her tongue over where the fluid had dripped in.
She grimaced, then sniffled.
"Is my nose bleeding?" She asked, sniffling again and angling her head backwards once more.
Then, there was a sudden popping sound, and after that, a voice.
Astrid swung her light and pointed it towards the source.
She grimaced, then sniffled.
"Is my nose bleeding?" She asked, sniffling again and angling her head backwards once more.
Then, there was a sudden popping sound, and after that, a voice.
Astrid swung her light and pointed it towards the source.
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MurderWeasel
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- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
There was chaos for a brief time.
Multitudinous legs and wings, bugs scrambling everywhere, and Yvette didn't know what to do. She stood still, and they swarmed over and around her feet, but the insect horde wasn't directly interested in her. They were on the move to somewhere else, up above, and so all she had to do was keep calm and quiet and out of their way to whatever extent she could.
That wasn't so easy in practice, especially when that quiet little popping sound cut straight through the clamor.
Astrid and Melodie were saying things, asking questions, and Yvette heard them but was no more able to engage with what they were saying than they'd been with her ramble.
"I don't know," she rushed out, and it was equally applicable to both.
She knew what she had to do, what she should still be doing, keeping Melodie relaxed and figuring out what the next move was, but inevitably her attention moved along with the beam of her flashlight, and Astrid's also, to highlight the newcomer.
"Jenelle," she called, half relieved and half anxious. "It's okay. It's me and Melodie and Astrid, and it's not dangerous here."
Multitudinous legs and wings, bugs scrambling everywhere, and Yvette didn't know what to do. She stood still, and they swarmed over and around her feet, but the insect horde wasn't directly interested in her. They were on the move to somewhere else, up above, and so all she had to do was keep calm and quiet and out of their way to whatever extent she could.
That wasn't so easy in practice, especially when that quiet little popping sound cut straight through the clamor.
Astrid and Melodie were saying things, asking questions, and Yvette heard them but was no more able to engage with what they were saying than they'd been with her ramble.
"I don't know," she rushed out, and it was equally applicable to both.
She knew what she had to do, what she should still be doing, keeping Melodie relaxed and figuring out what the next move was, but inevitably her attention moved along with the beam of her flashlight, and Astrid's also, to highlight the newcomer.
"Jenelle," she called, half relieved and half anxious. "It's okay. It's me and Melodie and Astrid, and it's not dangerous here."
The jittering wasn't from the room.
There was Yves, and there was Melodie, and there was Astrid. None of them were the jittering.
She looked down at the floor, noticing the bugs because of the tingling at her ankles. She raised her foot and crushed some.
"Hey," her voice was soft and raspy. "What's meatmoss doing there?"
There was Yves, and there was Melodie, and there was Astrid. None of them were the jittering.
She looked down at the floor, noticing the bugs because of the tingling at her ankles. She raised her foot and crushed some.
"Hey," her voice was soft and raspy. "What's meatmoss doing there?"
''The... the meat?''
''Or, like, me?''
She waved her hand at a cluster of bugs.
''And I don't really know why you'll have a bloody nose. But, well, try to see how metallic it tastes.'' Well, if it's myoglobin from herself it'll taste like blood, if it's mucus then it won't. But she was too busy frowning at Jenelle. And a little at Yvette, too, for pretending that everything wasn't not-alright and that it wasn't dangerous.
A beetle climbed on her thigh. Melodie picked it up. Hsi name would be Jefferson, she decided.
''Or, like, me?''
She waved her hand at a cluster of bugs.
''And I don't really know why you'll have a bloody nose. But, well, try to see how metallic it tastes.'' Well, if it's myoglobin from herself it'll taste like blood, if it's mucus then it won't. But she was too busy frowning at Jenelle. And a little at Yvette, too, for pretending that everything wasn't not-alright and that it wasn't dangerous.
A beetle climbed on her thigh. Melodie picked it up. Hsi name would be Jefferson, she decided.
Astrid made no noticeable movements or sounds.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3448
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- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
"This is where we woke up—or, where I woke up," Yvette said.
It was easier to engage with the ambiguity by assuming it meant what she wanted it to mean. That was how it went with Jenelle sometimes—she'd say things that could be read as mean or else as simply a little misguided. Yvette chose to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, in no small part because nobody else really did. Even after everything, she still thought well of Jenelle, still liked her and trusted her and felt safer with her around.
The bugs were still going everywhere, but the longer that persisted without anything worse coming of it, the less cause for concern it seemed. It was counter to the situation with Astrid and Melodie, which just felt more and more tense the more time passed without some kind of resolution, and Yvette just wanted them all to calm down and trust each other and work together but it seemed like that might not be happening.
She swept the light around the room, watching as the swarm of flying and crawling insects flashed through it like confetti, and realized how strange it was that they were completely uninterested in the illumination.
"Are you okay?" she asked Jenelle.
It was easier to engage with the ambiguity by assuming it meant what she wanted it to mean. That was how it went with Jenelle sometimes—she'd say things that could be read as mean or else as simply a little misguided. Yvette chose to give the girl the benefit of the doubt, in no small part because nobody else really did. Even after everything, she still thought well of Jenelle, still liked her and trusted her and felt safer with her around.
The bugs were still going everywhere, but the longer that persisted without anything worse coming of it, the less cause for concern it seemed. It was counter to the situation with Astrid and Melodie, which just felt more and more tense the more time passed without some kind of resolution, and Yvette just wanted them all to calm down and trust each other and work together but it seemed like that might not be happening.
She swept the light around the room, watching as the swarm of flying and crawling insects flashed through it like confetti, and realized how strange it was that they were completely uninterested in the illumination.
"Are you okay?" she asked Jenelle.
"Yeah fine. I'm fine."
She had never been less fine. Maybe once. Twice. One time with Yves. Another time in another.
"I'm fine."
She didn't look at the bugs. She had to ignore them. They gross her out. They made-
Jittering and chattering and clicking and ticking.
"I'm not fine." She cracked a soft smile. "I- I'm getting- I thought it'd be calm here but I was wrong."
She had never been less fine. Maybe once. Twice. One time with Yves. Another time in another.
"I'm fine."
She didn't look at the bugs. She had to ignore them. They gross her out. They made-
Jittering and chattering and clicking and ticking.
"I'm not fine." She cracked a soft smile. "I- I'm getting- I thought it'd be calm here but I was wrong."
Melodie made no plot-important movements or sounds.
Astrid's flashlight remained pointed at Jenelle.
"Yeah." She said before being cut off by a sudden, sharp screech.
Her flashlight shut off.
"Yeah." She said before being cut off by a sudden, sharp screech.
Her flashlight shut off.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3448
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
"It's—" Yvette started.
There was just too much. It was unrelenting, a continuous press of new problems and building stress and escalating complications and the closest she'd come to peace was that beautiful fifteen-second span where she thought that she and Astrid and Melodie had come to an agreement to simply sit here in the darkness.
Yvette's light was still shining even as Astrid's cut out. It was pointing at the ground now, though, Yvette's arm limp and void of purpose. She slumped lower, almost like she was relaxing but prompted by the precise opposite emotion.
"I, I just," she said, voice very small, like she felt.
She just wanted to help everyone. If they would calm down a little, she thought she might even be able to, but it wasn't fair to ask that when she'd been the least calm to begin. It wasn't right to begrudge their being afraid of meat, or bugs, or the dark. Yvette was afraid of things too.
If she couldn't help everyone, could she at least help someone?
Astrid was in the dark, whatever was happening there unknown. Melodie's crisis was at least quiet for now. The beam of Yvette's flashlight was settled right on Jenelle's sneakers, and the cockroaches tangling in the laces.
Yvette took three quick steps towards the girl, closing the distance by more than half.
There was just too much. It was unrelenting, a continuous press of new problems and building stress and escalating complications and the closest she'd come to peace was that beautiful fifteen-second span where she thought that she and Astrid and Melodie had come to an agreement to simply sit here in the darkness.
Yvette's light was still shining even as Astrid's cut out. It was pointing at the ground now, though, Yvette's arm limp and void of purpose. She slumped lower, almost like she was relaxing but prompted by the precise opposite emotion.
"I, I just," she said, voice very small, like she felt.
She just wanted to help everyone. If they would calm down a little, she thought she might even be able to, but it wasn't fair to ask that when she'd been the least calm to begin. It wasn't right to begrudge their being afraid of meat, or bugs, or the dark. Yvette was afraid of things too.
If she couldn't help everyone, could she at least help someone?
Astrid was in the dark, whatever was happening there unknown. Melodie's crisis was at least quiet for now. The beam of Yvette's flashlight was settled right on Jenelle's sneakers, and the cockroaches tangling in the laces.
Yvette took three quick steps towards the girl, closing the distance by more than half.
"Yeah."
Same tone as Astrid. Jenelle never liked Astrid. Nothing against the girl herself. She was fine. Jenelle just didn't like Astrid.
But she spoke in the same tone.
She lowered her shoulders. A familiar hug from Yves. She didn't remember moving closer to Yves. She put her head on Yves' shoulder. She closed her eyes. Methodical. Step by step. Moving each inch per inch, one movement for each breath taken.
"I'll..." Her breathing was soft. It was sticky on Yves' neck. She almost felt bad. Almost. Her breathing stayed sticky. It stayed dank.
"Wanna' leave this place?"
Double meaning.
Same tone as Astrid. Jenelle never liked Astrid. Nothing against the girl herself. She was fine. Jenelle just didn't like Astrid.
But she spoke in the same tone.
She lowered her shoulders. A familiar hug from Yves. She didn't remember moving closer to Yves. She put her head on Yves' shoulder. She closed her eyes. Methodical. Step by step. Moving each inch per inch, one movement for each breath taken.
"I'll..." Her breathing was soft. It was sticky on Yves' neck. She almost felt bad. Almost. Her breathing stayed sticky. It stayed dank.
"Wanna' leave this place?"
Double meaning.
An electronic crackle.
"Hello everyone," spoke the voice of the owl-masked woman. "It has come to our attention that none of you have killed each other yet, despite there being a few fights here and there. I just wanted to remind you all that you have five days to be the last person standing. If more than one of you is alive by the end of the fifth day, then we will just pop all of you like balloons and call it a wrap. However, I want to provide you all a little bit more of an immediate incentive. We all know how hard it is to quantify far-off problems, right? So let's make this more immediate. If at least one of you hasn't killed someone else by the end of today, then we're going to start popping one of you at random every hour on the dot until someone finally nuts up and gets their hands dirty. Now, I hope the seriousness of this situation is understood. Try not to dawdle. And remember, have fun, this'll be the last chance that most of you will get."
A second crackle. Silence.
"Hello everyone," spoke the voice of the owl-masked woman. "It has come to our attention that none of you have killed each other yet, despite there being a few fights here and there. I just wanted to remind you all that you have five days to be the last person standing. If more than one of you is alive by the end of the fifth day, then we will just pop all of you like balloons and call it a wrap. However, I want to provide you all a little bit more of an immediate incentive. We all know how hard it is to quantify far-off problems, right? So let's make this more immediate. If at least one of you hasn't killed someone else by the end of today, then we're going to start popping one of you at random every hour on the dot until someone finally nuts up and gets their hands dirty. Now, I hope the seriousness of this situation is understood. Try not to dawdle. And remember, have fun, this'll be the last chance that most of you will get."
A second crackle. Silence.
Melodie wanted to curl up and die.
Melodie did not display this train of thought to anyone.
Melodie did not display this train of thought to anyone.