F014 - Jasmine Stone: Start
Jasmine was lying by the edge of the lake. Her hair and face were soaked with water and tears. She'd lost track of how long she'd been awake for but it wasn't like it mattered anyway. All she'd done was cry, deny and lash out. None of it had made her feel any better. Now she was just watching the sun reflect off the surface of the water. It would have been a beautiful image had the circumstances been different. She didn't feel much apart from empty. So much had happened since the announcement had been made.
Patriot High had been chosen for the forty-third edition of the Program.
She'd always been fascinated by the Program.
It was so close to a horror movie, especially when there were big killers who ended up hunting down their classmates. It was essentially the closest thing in real life to a killer from a slasher movie. Jasmine had always comforted herself by looking at it that way. It made it seem so far removed from her life. She knew horror movies weren't real. They were just for entertainment. No one really died in a horror movie, the Program was different though. Children really died, there were no special effects. The hero didn't always win and the killer wasn't some undead monster or spirit who attacked you in your dreams; they were kids too. The fact Jasmine was now stuck in that was the worst part.
She forced herself to sit up and rubbed her eyes with the side of her hands. They were probably red from crying so much. Jasmine couldn't even remember the last time she had cried. She'd made up for lost time though. She looked at her reflection in the water to confirm it; she saw what she had expected. Her eyes were read and puffy and the small amount of eyeliner she had put on was travelling down her face. Then she saw her necklace. She had worn it to every announcement day. She'd worn it for the first time for her first announcement day, after not being selected she'd decided it was lucky and only wore it on announcement days. She pulled it over her head and held it up.
"Some good luck charm you were." Her voice was horse from all the crying. She felt like throwing the necklace as far as she could, throw it into the river and leave it there. It wasn't lucky and she'd only been deceiving herself. What made her feel worse was that she'd stupidly believed it all. Instead of throwing it away she decided to place it back over her neck. As a reminder to herself that there was no luck. As she did she felt her hand brush against something else on her neck, something cold and metallic. She leant back over the water to check what it was. Again Jasmine wished she hadn't. It looked like a dog collar but made purely of metal. Jasmine couldn't remember getting it. She wasn't aware of any other version of the Program having them either. That was what made her scared of it the most. She raised her hand to touch it again but thought better of it. Instead opting to run her fingers through the water of the lake. It was ice cold but it didn't feel bad. She threw some of it over her face to try and wash off the eyeliner. It didn't work.
She put both her hands in the lake and splashed the water over her face. That was when the memory burst into her mind. Waking up handcuffed to a desk, the gunshot. The man with the red beret. He'd explained what the collars were. They exploded if you did anything the government didn't like. Break the rules and you died. Behave and you got to live longer. Not much of a choice. She slowly turned her head and saw the bag she had been left with lying on the ground. She hadn't even bothered looking it.
Standing up on shaky legs Jasmine walked over to the bag. It had an eagle printed on it in black, apart from that it was plain olive green the rest of the way around. She tugged at the cords holding the bag closed and upended it. The items that fell out were underwhelming. There was: four water bottles, a loaf of bread, other assorted bits of food, a flashlight, a map, a compass, a jacket and a box that once she opened it turned out to be a first aid kit...but no weapon. Jasmine thought everyone got a weapon. Had that changed too? There had never been collars before, so maybe they'd taken away weapons. No, the man with the beret had said they all had a randomly assigned weapon. She shook the bag in case her weapon had gotten stuck inside and something fell out. She quickly grabbed it from the ground.
It was an action figure.
She'd be given an action figure.
Did they want her to fucking talk to it or something?
She would have liked to feel her sadness start to give way to anger or frustration, but the truth was she was too burnt out for any of it. She just felt even emptier. No one who took part in the Program had much of a chance at survival but it was balanced out by them sometimes getting good weapons...not children's toys. Jasmine sat back down and tucked her legs into her chest.
There was no such thing as luck.
Jasmine buried her head in her knees.
Luck is for Losers
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
Level Up!
Ashley triumphantly high-fived her cousin, who was sitting on the couch next to her. "Woo! Just a couple more until I finally hit the level cap!" Brandon, absently fiddling with an acoustic guitar, smiled.
"Ash, you know that you can already one-shot the final boss with your staff chick, right? It's just a little bit stupid to waste all this time trying to reach an arbitrary power level, doncha think?" Ashley playfully punched him in the shoulder, shaking her head.
"It'd be rude to the developers to not experience everything the game they worked oh-so-hard on!" She was clutching the rectangular controller to her American Entertainment System, sitting in front of a small TV. Aside from that, the room had no other discernible features, the sofa she and Brandon were sitting on floating in a black void.
"Well, I'd love to stay and watch you accomplish this monumental achievement, but I've got shit to do. See ya later." Brandon stood up, placing the guitar on the couch. He began to walk away, dropping through the "floor" and quickly falling out of sight after a few steps. Ashley took no notice, focusing on her game. This was the last of the "classic" Last Legend games that she hadn't played, after all! She needed to devote her full attention to this!
...
At long last! Level 99's, all round! Ash picked up Brandon's guitar, playing a short little victory tune. As she picked up the controller again, the screen flickered, turning off. A message appeared on the screen:
A wild Soldier comes close! Action?
The sound of static pierced her ears, and everything faded to black. When she came to, Ashley was bound, blindfolded, and gagged, apparently tied to a chair. She could hear a harsh, male voice call out, "For the crime of treason against our glorious nation of America, Ashley Sydor is to be executed by firing squad." W-what? No, no! There had to be some sort of mistake! Ashley had always tried to be a model citizen! She tried to cry for help, but her voice was muffled, with no sound escaping. The man continued, "You may fire when ready, gentlemen."
Oh god oh god this couldn't be happening "Ready!" someone stop them please help "Aim!" she was going to die she was going to-
...
F015: Ashley Sydor - Start
Ashley let out a quiet shriek, collapsing. After a couple seconds of violent trembling, she came to the realization that no, she wasn't quite dead yet. She slowly opened her eyes. Her back was sore, and she was lying on the ground. She pushed herself up, kneeling. The hell was this?
A wooden boat shack was a couple of feet away, (had she been leaning against the wall? That'd explain the soreness, at least), though none of the boats looked particularly usable. A rather large lake, as well. She could barely see the other side. Turning around, Ashley noticed a green bag lying on the ground, with a black eagle. Again, the hell was up with all this? The bag certainly wasn't one of hers...
At this point, Ash became aware of something on her neck. She didn't normally wear necklaces, so what...? She cautiously probed the thing with her right hand, gasping a bit as she touched cold metal. A collar? The fuck would she be wearing a collar? She stepped over to the side of the lake in order to get a better look at herself.
...Yup, that definitely was a collar. She studied her reflection, puzzling over why, exactly, it was around her neck. In a flash, the events leading up to her awakening exploded back into her mind. Stunned, she took a step backwards, then collapsed back to the ground. She was in the Program. She was in the Program. SHE WAS IN THE FUCKING PROGRAM.
She just sat for a while, hugging her knees, her mind blank. The Program was always something that happened to other people, wasn't it? Ashley'd always been half-convinced that all of those kids on TV weren't really dying horrible deaths, right? There was no way that the government would... would really...
But, here she was. No special effects team following her around. No director telling her what to do. Just her, and the simple instructions to kill, or be killed herself. She laughed a bit, thinking of the sheer impossibility of it all. Out of all the schools, out of all the classes, out of all the students, she'd been selected. People she was talking and joking with last week would now be...
They were all good people, weren't they? She knew them! Well, most of them. Would any of them really be capable of killing? Taking the life of another, for no reason other than to save your own? She... she couldn't even accept that as a possibility.
Marley... oh god, Marley. She needed to see him, before... before he... before he what? Died? Did something terrible? No, Marley definitely wouldn't! She knew him, she loved him, she believed in him! She'd reunite with him, and together, they'd kick the collective asses of everyone else!
Metaphorically, of course. If they could just find some safe, out-of-the-way location, they could just try and stay out of trouble, try to outlast everyone else. But, what would happen when they were the only two left? Nothing worth thinking about. It'd all work out in the end. It had to.
Ashley rose to her feet. Sitting around and moping wouldn't fix anything, after all. If she wanted to do good, she had to stay positive, keep smiling. Find her friends, find her boyfriend, work out something, anything! It didn't matter what, as long as they didn't hurt anyone else! That's all that mattered!
With a new resolve, Ash returned to the bag, rifling through it. Rations, first-aid, (she barely knew the first thing about medicine, but it didn't hurt to have it around) a rather nice jacket (she put it on. She hadn't realized before, but it was pretty chilly, even with her sweatshirt) a map and compass (they'd have to be checked over sometime soon) and... a snuggie?
Ashley held it out in front of her. This was her weapon? She hadn't planned on actually using whatever she got, but... She groaned. Well, at least she'd be warm at night. Better than most "joke" weapons, after all. Placing the various items back in the bag, she slung it over her shoulder. Well, at least she was somewhat ready, now. Had to get a move on if she wanted to find anyone.
Stopping back at the lakeside, Ash squinted, trying to make out any details about the other side. She'd glanced this way before, but she hadn't really performed a through examination, because of the whole "OH GOD I AM GOING TO DIE" thing. But now, she could just make out a shape... it wasn't moving, but... was that a person? She couldn't make out any other details, but yeah, it was definitely a fellow student!
Ash made her way around the lake, and after a couple minutes was close enough to see the student in more detail. It was a girl, she could tell that now, curled up on the ground. Ashley couldn't see her face, but she definitely seemed familiar. Ash started jogging towards the figure, calling out, "Hey there! You okay?" No, the girl was very definitely was not okay, and the cheerfulness in her voice sounded quite forced, but it was the thought that counts, right? ...Right?
Ashley triumphantly high-fived her cousin, who was sitting on the couch next to her. "Woo! Just a couple more until I finally hit the level cap!" Brandon, absently fiddling with an acoustic guitar, smiled.
"Ash, you know that you can already one-shot the final boss with your staff chick, right? It's just a little bit stupid to waste all this time trying to reach an arbitrary power level, doncha think?" Ashley playfully punched him in the shoulder, shaking her head.
"It'd be rude to the developers to not experience everything the game they worked oh-so-hard on!" She was clutching the rectangular controller to her American Entertainment System, sitting in front of a small TV. Aside from that, the room had no other discernible features, the sofa she and Brandon were sitting on floating in a black void.
"Well, I'd love to stay and watch you accomplish this monumental achievement, but I've got shit to do. See ya later." Brandon stood up, placing the guitar on the couch. He began to walk away, dropping through the "floor" and quickly falling out of sight after a few steps. Ashley took no notice, focusing on her game. This was the last of the "classic" Last Legend games that she hadn't played, after all! She needed to devote her full attention to this!
...
At long last! Level 99's, all round! Ash picked up Brandon's guitar, playing a short little victory tune. As she picked up the controller again, the screen flickered, turning off. A message appeared on the screen:
A wild Soldier comes close! Action?
The sound of static pierced her ears, and everything faded to black. When she came to, Ashley was bound, blindfolded, and gagged, apparently tied to a chair. She could hear a harsh, male voice call out, "For the crime of treason against our glorious nation of America, Ashley Sydor is to be executed by firing squad." W-what? No, no! There had to be some sort of mistake! Ashley had always tried to be a model citizen! She tried to cry for help, but her voice was muffled, with no sound escaping. The man continued, "You may fire when ready, gentlemen."
Oh god oh god this couldn't be happening "Ready!" someone stop them please help "Aim!" she was going to die she was going to-
...
F015: Ashley Sydor - Start
Ashley let out a quiet shriek, collapsing. After a couple seconds of violent trembling, she came to the realization that no, she wasn't quite dead yet. She slowly opened her eyes. Her back was sore, and she was lying on the ground. She pushed herself up, kneeling. The hell was this?
A wooden boat shack was a couple of feet away, (had she been leaning against the wall? That'd explain the soreness, at least), though none of the boats looked particularly usable. A rather large lake, as well. She could barely see the other side. Turning around, Ashley noticed a green bag lying on the ground, with a black eagle. Again, the hell was up with all this? The bag certainly wasn't one of hers...
At this point, Ash became aware of something on her neck. She didn't normally wear necklaces, so what...? She cautiously probed the thing with her right hand, gasping a bit as she touched cold metal. A collar? The fuck would she be wearing a collar? She stepped over to the side of the lake in order to get a better look at herself.
...Yup, that definitely was a collar. She studied her reflection, puzzling over why, exactly, it was around her neck. In a flash, the events leading up to her awakening exploded back into her mind. Stunned, she took a step backwards, then collapsed back to the ground. She was in the Program. She was in the Program. SHE WAS IN THE FUCKING PROGRAM.
She just sat for a while, hugging her knees, her mind blank. The Program was always something that happened to other people, wasn't it? Ashley'd always been half-convinced that all of those kids on TV weren't really dying horrible deaths, right? There was no way that the government would... would really...
But, here she was. No special effects team following her around. No director telling her what to do. Just her, and the simple instructions to kill, or be killed herself. She laughed a bit, thinking of the sheer impossibility of it all. Out of all the schools, out of all the classes, out of all the students, she'd been selected. People she was talking and joking with last week would now be...
They were all good people, weren't they? She knew them! Well, most of them. Would any of them really be capable of killing? Taking the life of another, for no reason other than to save your own? She... she couldn't even accept that as a possibility.
Marley... oh god, Marley. She needed to see him, before... before he... before he what? Died? Did something terrible? No, Marley definitely wouldn't! She knew him, she loved him, she believed in him! She'd reunite with him, and together, they'd kick the collective asses of everyone else!
Metaphorically, of course. If they could just find some safe, out-of-the-way location, they could just try and stay out of trouble, try to outlast everyone else. But, what would happen when they were the only two left? Nothing worth thinking about. It'd all work out in the end. It had to.
Ashley rose to her feet. Sitting around and moping wouldn't fix anything, after all. If she wanted to do good, she had to stay positive, keep smiling. Find her friends, find her boyfriend, work out something, anything! It didn't matter what, as long as they didn't hurt anyone else! That's all that mattered!
With a new resolve, Ash returned to the bag, rifling through it. Rations, first-aid, (she barely knew the first thing about medicine, but it didn't hurt to have it around) a rather nice jacket (she put it on. She hadn't realized before, but it was pretty chilly, even with her sweatshirt) a map and compass (they'd have to be checked over sometime soon) and... a snuggie?
Ashley held it out in front of her. This was her weapon? She hadn't planned on actually using whatever she got, but... She groaned. Well, at least she'd be warm at night. Better than most "joke" weapons, after all. Placing the various items back in the bag, she slung it over her shoulder. Well, at least she was somewhat ready, now. Had to get a move on if she wanted to find anyone.
Stopping back at the lakeside, Ash squinted, trying to make out any details about the other side. She'd glanced this way before, but she hadn't really performed a through examination, because of the whole "OH GOD I AM GOING TO DIE" thing. But now, she could just make out a shape... it wasn't moving, but... was that a person? She couldn't make out any other details, but yeah, it was definitely a fellow student!
Ash made her way around the lake, and after a couple minutes was close enough to see the student in more detail. It was a girl, she could tell that now, curled up on the ground. Ashley couldn't see her face, but she definitely seemed familiar. Ash started jogging towards the figure, calling out, "Hey there! You okay?" No, the girl was very definitely was not okay, and the cheerfulness in her voice sounded quite forced, but it was the thought that counts, right? ...Right?
[Amanda White: Start]
Pain, the sole emotion Amanda felt at that moment, welcomed her as she woke up. Slowly regaining her consciousness, the blond girl realized where the pain came from. It was her arm, aching. Whatever happened during the time she was asleep, it was definitely not pleasant. Amanda's thoughts revolved around how terrible her arm was hurting for a while. Some silent curses escaped her. However, she suddenly noticed something different. Why does she felt cold? Why is her neck feeling so odd? Where the hell was she?
Amanda opened the eyes. This was not a place familiar with her. What she saw was a lake, a cold sun mirroring in it, creating a spectacular view. But this wasn't something Amanda cared about. She was somewhere in the middle of nowhere and her right arm was causing her pain. Trying to ignore the agonizing feeling, she tried to stand up. It was clumsy, and an independent viewer would have fun to watch her executing the awkward movements. She tried to avoid stressing her broken arm at all costs, it was damaged enough already. However, after a minute, she managed to stand stable. Her entire body was shaking. Cold snow covered her entire body. Creating a painful feeling of coldness where-ever it touched her skin. Slowly, she walked towards the water. She wanted to see herself, maybe it would help her, comfort her in some way.
After stumbling to the lake, still groggy, she fell down to her knees. She supported herself with the left arm. What she saw in her reflection, however, was everything else than comforting. A ring of metal was placed around her neck. Confusion marked her face, Amanda had no clue what this thing was.
A few seconds passed. Somewhere near, a female voice said something.
Amanda screamed. She remembered what happened. The hollowness she felt once her name was called. She remembered where she was. The place where she was supposed to kill her class mates. The scream faded away once tears were falling down. Sobbing replaced the initial shock. Getting thrown into Program was Amanda's greatest fear since the moment she heard of this sick project, and now she was participating in it. Her sorrow heightened. She realized that she is going to die here. It didn't matter how hard she was going to try. Her right arm was in a plaster cast. There was no way she was going to survive. More tears fell into the lake. One could see how her eyes were turning red, as she touched her deadly accessory.
Then, she realized that other people were here. She already heard a voice. Amanda looked around, her tears stopped falling. Fear filled her. What if one of her class mates, one of her friends, have already snapped and decided to kill? After all, she was sitting in the open. A perfect target. After scanning the envoirement with her eyes for a few more seconds, she spotted two people. One looks like she just woke up, the other one seemed more active. It relieved Amanda a bit, as long as they are busy with themselves, she has time to hide.
Walking back, she noticed her duffel bag. Amanda remembered what it was good for. Once she reached it, she opened it as quickly as she could. A first-aid kit, a jacket, a flashlight, a compass, rations and... a hedge clipper? Amanda knew that everyone was assigned weapons and that some got joke weapons. While a clipper could have been potentially useful, Amanda cursed her luck to have a "weapon" needing two hands. Her chances of survival just dropped below zero.
Pain, Sorrow, Frustration. Amanda never felt so terrible in her life before. Given these circumstances, Amanda just silently dropped to the ground. Suddenly, it wasn't important anymore who these people were. She lost. It isn't like she wanted to die, but the overwhelming situation was too much. She just lay down, waiting for whatever will come.
Pain, the sole emotion Amanda felt at that moment, welcomed her as she woke up. Slowly regaining her consciousness, the blond girl realized where the pain came from. It was her arm, aching. Whatever happened during the time she was asleep, it was definitely not pleasant. Amanda's thoughts revolved around how terrible her arm was hurting for a while. Some silent curses escaped her. However, she suddenly noticed something different. Why does she felt cold? Why is her neck feeling so odd? Where the hell was she?
Amanda opened the eyes. This was not a place familiar with her. What she saw was a lake, a cold sun mirroring in it, creating a spectacular view. But this wasn't something Amanda cared about. She was somewhere in the middle of nowhere and her right arm was causing her pain. Trying to ignore the agonizing feeling, she tried to stand up. It was clumsy, and an independent viewer would have fun to watch her executing the awkward movements. She tried to avoid stressing her broken arm at all costs, it was damaged enough already. However, after a minute, she managed to stand stable. Her entire body was shaking. Cold snow covered her entire body. Creating a painful feeling of coldness where-ever it touched her skin. Slowly, she walked towards the water. She wanted to see herself, maybe it would help her, comfort her in some way.
After stumbling to the lake, still groggy, she fell down to her knees. She supported herself with the left arm. What she saw in her reflection, however, was everything else than comforting. A ring of metal was placed around her neck. Confusion marked her face, Amanda had no clue what this thing was.
A few seconds passed. Somewhere near, a female voice said something.
Amanda screamed. She remembered what happened. The hollowness she felt once her name was called. She remembered where she was. The place where she was supposed to kill her class mates. The scream faded away once tears were falling down. Sobbing replaced the initial shock. Getting thrown into Program was Amanda's greatest fear since the moment she heard of this sick project, and now she was participating in it. Her sorrow heightened. She realized that she is going to die here. It didn't matter how hard she was going to try. Her right arm was in a plaster cast. There was no way she was going to survive. More tears fell into the lake. One could see how her eyes were turning red, as she touched her deadly accessory.
Then, she realized that other people were here. She already heard a voice. Amanda looked around, her tears stopped falling. Fear filled her. What if one of her class mates, one of her friends, have already snapped and decided to kill? After all, she was sitting in the open. A perfect target. After scanning the envoirement with her eyes for a few more seconds, she spotted two people. One looks like she just woke up, the other one seemed more active. It relieved Amanda a bit, as long as they are busy with themselves, she has time to hide.
Walking back, she noticed her duffel bag. Amanda remembered what it was good for. Once she reached it, she opened it as quickly as she could. A first-aid kit, a jacket, a flashlight, a compass, rations and... a hedge clipper? Amanda knew that everyone was assigned weapons and that some got joke weapons. While a clipper could have been potentially useful, Amanda cursed her luck to have a "weapon" needing two hands. Her chances of survival just dropped below zero.
Pain, Sorrow, Frustration. Amanda never felt so terrible in her life before. Given these circumstances, Amanda just silently dropped to the ground. Suddenly, it wasn't important anymore who these people were. She lost. It isn't like she wanted to die, but the overwhelming situation was too much. She just lay down, waiting for whatever will come.
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Bikriki. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
Jasmine had been lost in her thoughts and worries, like what her parents were going through and how they'd responded. She was sure they'd be torn between pride and sadness. Her father would definitely be proud that one of his daughters was taking part in the Program. He'd always been very supportive of the American government. He would have been saddened by what it probably meant for Jasmine herself but he'd never give that away. Her mother on the other hand would probably be distraught...Jasmine forced the thoughts from her head. They weren't going to help her mental state and it was important that she at least tried to stay calm.
But even that seemed hollow to her. Of all of her classmates that were also in the Program only one of them got to win and go home. There was no way around it. You couldn't even find somewhere to hide and wait the game out thanks to the collars because they would probably kill you. As her memories continued to return though Jasmine realised they would kill her if she tried to hide. That option was out of the window. Things weren't looking good for her. Jasmine was broken out of her thoughts by someone calling out to her.
She raised her head and looked around. Someone was jogging towards her. They didn't seem to be aggressive so that was something. As they got closer jasmine was able to make out more of their features and it didn't take her long to realise that it was actually Ash who was approaching her. Jasmine couldn't help but smile. She was in a band with Ash; the chance of Ash actually coming over to attack her was so slim it was practically non-existent. That and she'd yelled out a greeting.
"Feeling better." Jasmine replied as Ash got closer, her voice was still hoarse so she didn't want to try yelling. At least she had one of her best friends with her, she could think of worse people to be stuck with; that was for sure. She slowly got to her feet. She wasn't as shaky but she'd been sitting for god knew how long and her legs were stiff from being in the same position for so long. She almost felt like hugging Ash but she drew a line. Even if Ash was her friend she didn't want her to know that the entire time Jasmine had spent awake so far had been made up of her freaking out. It was comforting though, having a friendly face around. Jasmine didn't feel as lonely as she did and she certainly didn't feel as empty as she had felt previously. Her fingers felt the skull on the end of her necklace.
In the back of her mind Jasmine wondered if anyone else was around the lake. If Ash had ended up nearby there was a chance others were nearby as well. Jasmine didn't consider it too important but it still nagged at her. The idea that they could be attacked at any time also preyed on her mind. But for the time being Jasmine was fine to just enjoy the moment.
"What took you so long getting here?"
But even that seemed hollow to her. Of all of her classmates that were also in the Program only one of them got to win and go home. There was no way around it. You couldn't even find somewhere to hide and wait the game out thanks to the collars because they would probably kill you. As her memories continued to return though Jasmine realised they would kill her if she tried to hide. That option was out of the window. Things weren't looking good for her. Jasmine was broken out of her thoughts by someone calling out to her.
She raised her head and looked around. Someone was jogging towards her. They didn't seem to be aggressive so that was something. As they got closer jasmine was able to make out more of their features and it didn't take her long to realise that it was actually Ash who was approaching her. Jasmine couldn't help but smile. She was in a band with Ash; the chance of Ash actually coming over to attack her was so slim it was practically non-existent. That and she'd yelled out a greeting.
"Feeling better." Jasmine replied as Ash got closer, her voice was still hoarse so she didn't want to try yelling. At least she had one of her best friends with her, she could think of worse people to be stuck with; that was for sure. She slowly got to her feet. She wasn't as shaky but she'd been sitting for god knew how long and her legs were stiff from being in the same position for so long. She almost felt like hugging Ash but she drew a line. Even if Ash was her friend she didn't want her to know that the entire time Jasmine had spent awake so far had been made up of her freaking out. It was comforting though, having a friendly face around. Jasmine didn't feel as lonely as she did and she certainly didn't feel as empty as she had felt previously. Her fingers felt the skull on the end of her necklace.
In the back of her mind Jasmine wondered if anyone else was around the lake. If Ash had ended up nearby there was a chance others were nearby as well. Jasmine didn't consider it too important but it still nagged at her. The idea that they could be attacked at any time also preyed on her mind. But for the time being Jasmine was fine to just enjoy the moment.
"What took you so long getting here?"
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
The girl raised her head in response to Ashley's voice. Ash's face broke into a genuine grin as she recognized Jasmine, one of her best friends and a bandmate. Hell yeah, we're getting the band back together! The Program ain't nothing compared to the power of music and friendship! Metaphorical music, considering that they had no instruments and playing songs probably wouldn't be the best of ideas anyway. But still, the music was in their hearts and she could barely think that with a straight face.
"Man, I am so glad that I've found ya, Jaz!" Ashley said as she reached her friend, giving her a quick hug. Ash didn't really feel any reservations about this. It was natural to comfort your friends during times of stress, y'know? To hell with worrying about showing weakness, and there wasn't anyone watching them, anyway. Probably. "Glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better, considering the circumstances!"
Ash shrugged as Jasmine asked her what had taken her so long. "Well, I had a bad dream, overslept, woke up, then freaked the fuck out. Ya know, the usual." Ashley made sure to keep a smile on her face through the conversation, hoping that it might help cheer Jasmine up a bit more. Smiles also do wonders for one's own attitude, of course! Staying positive was a proven survival technique! Proven by who? Eh, it didn't matter. Someone, somewhere, proved it, and that was more than enough for Ashley!
"Man, I am so glad that I've found ya, Jaz!" Ashley said as she reached her friend, giving her a quick hug. Ash didn't really feel any reservations about this. It was natural to comfort your friends during times of stress, y'know? To hell with worrying about showing weakness, and there wasn't anyone watching them, anyway. Probably. "Glad to hear that you're feeling a bit better, considering the circumstances!"
Ash shrugged as Jasmine asked her what had taken her so long. "Well, I had a bad dream, overslept, woke up, then freaked the fuck out. Ya know, the usual." Ashley made sure to keep a smile on her face through the conversation, hoping that it might help cheer Jasmine up a bit more. Smiles also do wonders for one's own attitude, of course! Staying positive was a proven survival technique! Proven by who? Eh, it didn't matter. Someone, somewhere, proved it, and that was more than enough for Ashley!
Appearantly, none of the people being on the lake meant harm. The resignation Amanda gave in faded away with every passing second. Not like she stopped being scared, nor did she lost any of her pessimism. However, to the mix of feelings and sensations Amanda felt already, curiosity stealed itself into it. The silhouettes lingering on the horizon seemingly didn't noticed Amanda. Lucky? Probably.
Amanda had the chance to sneak away, avoiding people who might or killers. Yet she didn't. She wanted to know who these people were. At least take a quick look. Maybe they were friendly people. Thus she slowly walked towards the couple, taking the duffle bag with her. Keeping her head low, Amanda tried to remain unnoticed.
Soon, she saw who the pair was. Ashley and Jasmine. Two ladies with a fondess of music, They had friendly chatter with each other. It confused Amanda, how could they be so carefree in this situation? She lurked a little nearer. What happened now, was something everyone with functioning common sense would deem as stupid, but alas, a well remembered gesture, deeply engraved in her memory, presented itself. And quite honest, they didn't seem too dangerous now, for Amanda at least.
She waved her hands, shallow words leaving her lips.
"Hello Jasmine.... hello Ashley.... how are you?"
Amanda had the chance to sneak away, avoiding people who might or killers. Yet she didn't. She wanted to know who these people were. At least take a quick look. Maybe they were friendly people. Thus she slowly walked towards the couple, taking the duffle bag with her. Keeping her head low, Amanda tried to remain unnoticed.
Soon, she saw who the pair was. Ashley and Jasmine. Two ladies with a fondess of music, They had friendly chatter with each other. It confused Amanda, how could they be so carefree in this situation? She lurked a little nearer. What happened now, was something everyone with functioning common sense would deem as stupid, but alas, a well remembered gesture, deeply engraved in her memory, presented itself. And quite honest, they didn't seem too dangerous now, for Amanda at least.
She waved her hands, shallow words leaving her lips.
"Hello Jasmine.... hello Ashley.... how are you?"
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Even Jasmine drew the line at hugging; Ash had no such qualms and hugged Jasmine as soon as she reached her. Even though Jasmine hadn't decided to hug Ash she realised that she was returning it. Sometimes emotions just took over she guessed. Jasmine was pleased to see that Ash still had her sense of humour intact despite what they were involved with, which was something at least. Jasmine couldn't help but smile a little at her friends explanation of what had taken her so long.
It was amazing how much Jasmine felt her mood improving. Sure she still felt the stress of the situation in the back of her mind, but it wasn't quite as overbearing as it had been. She had a friend with her now. Someone she could trust and could stick with. They could look after each other. It would be a lot safer than the two of them going it alone. Plus if Jasmine was going to have to take part in the Program she's rather do it with a friend by her side than do it alone.
Jasmine was about to say something to her friend when someone else called out to them. Turning sharply Jasmine saw Amanda White approaching them. Jasmine didn't know much about Amanda other than the fact she was on the track team and had broken her arm a few weeks prior to announcement day. Jasmine never paid much attention to sports and had no interest in them, something she was wondering would come back to haunt as the Program went on. So she'd never really had any meaningful interaction with Amanda. That looked like it was about to chance though.
Amanda herself didn't look to be a threat by any stretch of the imagination. She had a broken arm for a start. So Jasmine didn't feel tense. Even if she did try anything it would be two against one anyway and Jasmine was sure she'd be able to overpower someone with a broken regardless of how good their fitness levels were. Whichever way Jasmine looked at it she was safe and that helped keep her relaxed. It made greeting Amanda much easier.
"Hi Amanda." Jasmine said with a half-hearted shrug. "I'm doing as well as you'd expect." Amanda's appearance managed to both make Jasmine feel safer but at the same time it reinforced her thoughts about others being around the lake. It was an uncomfortable thought because of all the different scenarios it entailed. Jasmine knew she didn't want to find out what any of those scenarios were though. It was why she was still slightly on edge to be out in the open. She didn't voice her concerns out loud though. It didn't seem like a good time to bring the mood down.
It was amazing how much Jasmine felt her mood improving. Sure she still felt the stress of the situation in the back of her mind, but it wasn't quite as overbearing as it had been. She had a friend with her now. Someone she could trust and could stick with. They could look after each other. It would be a lot safer than the two of them going it alone. Plus if Jasmine was going to have to take part in the Program she's rather do it with a friend by her side than do it alone.
Jasmine was about to say something to her friend when someone else called out to them. Turning sharply Jasmine saw Amanda White approaching them. Jasmine didn't know much about Amanda other than the fact she was on the track team and had broken her arm a few weeks prior to announcement day. Jasmine never paid much attention to sports and had no interest in them, something she was wondering would come back to haunt as the Program went on. So she'd never really had any meaningful interaction with Amanda. That looked like it was about to chance though.
Amanda herself didn't look to be a threat by any stretch of the imagination. She had a broken arm for a start. So Jasmine didn't feel tense. Even if she did try anything it would be two against one anyway and Jasmine was sure she'd be able to overpower someone with a broken regardless of how good their fitness levels were. Whichever way Jasmine looked at it she was safe and that helped keep her relaxed. It made greeting Amanda much easier.
"Hi Amanda." Jasmine said with a half-hearted shrug. "I'm doing as well as you'd expect." Amanda's appearance managed to both make Jasmine feel safer but at the same time it reinforced her thoughts about others being around the lake. It was an uncomfortable thought because of all the different scenarios it entailed. Jasmine knew she didn't want to find out what any of those scenarios were though. It was why she was still slightly on edge to be out in the open. She didn't voice her concerns out loud though. It didn't seem like a good time to bring the mood down.
Announcement days were always a surreal day for Aaron Chalmers, almost feeling like a bad dream except for how realistic it was. A waking nightmare. To the jock The Program was always something never closer to him than the periphery of his mind; he was aware of it, sometimes he caught an hour or so on late night TV before he went to bed, but for the most part it was something so distant from his thoughts, pushed aside by concerns about school and an upcoming match that he forgot that once a year a collection of teenagers his own age were sent to an island to kill each other for their country.
The announcement days were the few days in the year when the reality of The Program was inescapable. The days when all the eligible students in the school were lined up outside in front of a massive screen while most of the faculty dressed up in their old dress uniforms and looked on with pride. Though this was only his second year of having to go through this event himself, he probably had more experience with this feeling than most of the other kids lined up in rows around him, having two brothers who had to go through this themselves.
Four announcement days a year for five years he had to wait anxiously to see whether or not his brothers would come home that day or not; the year in the middle when both brothers had been attending Patriot High at the same time was the tensest. If you included Aaron’s announcement days last year then that number went even higher. Hopefully today would mean another dodged bullet for his family.
Nevertheless Aaron stood there stoically, back straight, legs together and arms at his side. Trying to give a show of strength and solidity that he didn’t really feel inside. He knew that he had an astronomically low chance of being chosen, he knew that every time this date on the calendar rolled around, but that didn’t help his nerves. Aaron had always been someone who ran at a slightly higher level of stress than most and he couldn’t help but fear that today was the day his families luck ran out.
Aaron’s expression didn’t change as the screen in front of the assembled masses, along with every other similar screen in the country, flickered to life. Didn’t react as his countries leader began his announcement. To those watching, if they were able to pick his face out from the crowd at any rate, he might have looked like he wasn’t paying attention, almost like he was in some sort of trance. Those who looked closer might have noticed that he hadn’t let out a breath, hadn’t blinked since the announcement started as he listened and watched with rapt attention.
His eyes sharpened slightly as his schools name was read out, but otherwise didn’t react at all. Since the names were read out alphabetically he didn’t have to wait long to find out his fate. There was an almost imperceptible sagging of his face as his name was read out and a little sheen when out from his eyes as they lost focus on what they were seeing. There was no reaction besides from these small things; rather strange considering how tense he had been before.
He still didn’t blink or let out a breath until the soldiers came to collect him, exhaling and blinking a few times rapidly in succession as he saw the uniformed figures approaching. He offered no resistance as one placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away from the rest of the crowd along with the other chosen. His knees were shaking slightly as he walked but that was probably due to light-headedness.
So much for his families luck.
****
Aaron sat quietly by the lakeside, knees pulled up with his arms crossed over them and his head resting on his arms as he looked out over the silvery mirror sheen of the lakes waters. It could have been anywhere from five minutes to an hour since he had woken up where he was, he couldn't tell; he knew it was enough time for him to get his bearings, get a sense of his surroundings and make sure no one was around before he settled into his quiet contemplation.
It had taken a while for the drug induced fog in his head to clear, for him to realise why exactly he was sitting by a lake when the last he remembered he was on his way to school. As he sat and let his thoughts settle however everything became clearer and clearer until he could remember with perfect clarity the scene on the field outside the school as the announcement was, well, announced.
With a sigh he stretched his arms out behind his head to try and work some life back into his chilled body, flinching slightly as he felt the cold metal on his neck as the collar shifted. The collar was the one thing that had convinced him that what he was remembering had actually happened when he had woken up; it would have been so easy to just believe it was a bad dream, a nightmare fuelled by his anxiety about the upcoming announcement day. Even waking up in the middle of nowhere could be explained away if he tried hard enough, but the metallic presence around his throat made such thoughts impossible. This was real, no doubt about it.
The idea that he was actually in The Program still seemed unreal. The idea that there would be people out there, whether this was, who would try to kill him, that he was expected to do the same, was more surreal than frightening. As much as he had accepted that this really was happening, that he really was in The Program, the implications of that still had not sunk in in a real way.
Reaching over to his left he felt for his pack with his hand and dragged it in front of him, pulling his legs under him so he could kneel in front of the bag and better see into it. Now that he had given himself some time to think through what kind of the situation he was in it was time to see just how bad things were. He sifted through the contents quickly, making a note of everything he pushed aside to create a mental catalogue of what he had to work with.
Most of it seemed like standard Program fare; food and water supplies, a first aid kit, a map and compass and so on. The only surprising addition was that of the jacket; plain and utilitarian it nonetheless looked functional and well made. For now he own letterman jacket sufficed to keep him reasonably warm, even as his breath frosted as it left his mouth, but no doubt he would want to keep the waterproof jacket in case it started to rain later on.
With everything else already sorted through and place aside the only think left in his pack was his weapon, if you could call it that. A long coil of rope with a loop tied at one end, Aaron's first morbid thought was that they had given him a noose. On closer examination though the knot used to tie it didn't look like the characteristic knot seen on nooses; if anything it looked like a lasso, the think cowboys in old westerns used to rope cattle, instead.
Either way it looks like they've given me just enough rope to hang myself with
Letting out another sigh – and a resultant cloud of fogged breath – Aaron set about placing everything back into place in his pack. The jacket went folded up at the bottom while the first aid kit was placed on top of that with the food and water piled right at the top. He kept the map, compass and length of rope out, placing the first two in his letterman jackets pockets and looping the latter around his hand before standing.
Hefting the pack up and throwing it over his shoulder the jock set out along the edge of the lake. Taking some time to himself like that had given him time to clear his head and get a perspective on things, but it had also given everyone else a slight headstart; assuming everyone woke up around the same time as him that is. It was time to start moving.
He had no idea where he was going or what his long term plan was, but as long as he was moving he was at least making progress. He'd start by making a lap of the lake, seeing if anyone else woke up here as well, before moving outwards until... something happened.
The announcement days were the few days in the year when the reality of The Program was inescapable. The days when all the eligible students in the school were lined up outside in front of a massive screen while most of the faculty dressed up in their old dress uniforms and looked on with pride. Though this was only his second year of having to go through this event himself, he probably had more experience with this feeling than most of the other kids lined up in rows around him, having two brothers who had to go through this themselves.
Four announcement days a year for five years he had to wait anxiously to see whether or not his brothers would come home that day or not; the year in the middle when both brothers had been attending Patriot High at the same time was the tensest. If you included Aaron’s announcement days last year then that number went even higher. Hopefully today would mean another dodged bullet for his family.
Nevertheless Aaron stood there stoically, back straight, legs together and arms at his side. Trying to give a show of strength and solidity that he didn’t really feel inside. He knew that he had an astronomically low chance of being chosen, he knew that every time this date on the calendar rolled around, but that didn’t help his nerves. Aaron had always been someone who ran at a slightly higher level of stress than most and he couldn’t help but fear that today was the day his families luck ran out.
Aaron’s expression didn’t change as the screen in front of the assembled masses, along with every other similar screen in the country, flickered to life. Didn’t react as his countries leader began his announcement. To those watching, if they were able to pick his face out from the crowd at any rate, he might have looked like he wasn’t paying attention, almost like he was in some sort of trance. Those who looked closer might have noticed that he hadn’t let out a breath, hadn’t blinked since the announcement started as he listened and watched with rapt attention.
His eyes sharpened slightly as his schools name was read out, but otherwise didn’t react at all. Since the names were read out alphabetically he didn’t have to wait long to find out his fate. There was an almost imperceptible sagging of his face as his name was read out and a little sheen when out from his eyes as they lost focus on what they were seeing. There was no reaction besides from these small things; rather strange considering how tense he had been before.
He still didn’t blink or let out a breath until the soldiers came to collect him, exhaling and blinking a few times rapidly in succession as he saw the uniformed figures approaching. He offered no resistance as one placed a hand on his shoulder and led him away from the rest of the crowd along with the other chosen. His knees were shaking slightly as he walked but that was probably due to light-headedness.
So much for his families luck.
****
Aaron sat quietly by the lakeside, knees pulled up with his arms crossed over them and his head resting on his arms as he looked out over the silvery mirror sheen of the lakes waters. It could have been anywhere from five minutes to an hour since he had woken up where he was, he couldn't tell; he knew it was enough time for him to get his bearings, get a sense of his surroundings and make sure no one was around before he settled into his quiet contemplation.
It had taken a while for the drug induced fog in his head to clear, for him to realise why exactly he was sitting by a lake when the last he remembered he was on his way to school. As he sat and let his thoughts settle however everything became clearer and clearer until he could remember with perfect clarity the scene on the field outside the school as the announcement was, well, announced.
With a sigh he stretched his arms out behind his head to try and work some life back into his chilled body, flinching slightly as he felt the cold metal on his neck as the collar shifted. The collar was the one thing that had convinced him that what he was remembering had actually happened when he had woken up; it would have been so easy to just believe it was a bad dream, a nightmare fuelled by his anxiety about the upcoming announcement day. Even waking up in the middle of nowhere could be explained away if he tried hard enough, but the metallic presence around his throat made such thoughts impossible. This was real, no doubt about it.
The idea that he was actually in The Program still seemed unreal. The idea that there would be people out there, whether this was, who would try to kill him, that he was expected to do the same, was more surreal than frightening. As much as he had accepted that this really was happening, that he really was in The Program, the implications of that still had not sunk in in a real way.
Reaching over to his left he felt for his pack with his hand and dragged it in front of him, pulling his legs under him so he could kneel in front of the bag and better see into it. Now that he had given himself some time to think through what kind of the situation he was in it was time to see just how bad things were. He sifted through the contents quickly, making a note of everything he pushed aside to create a mental catalogue of what he had to work with.
Most of it seemed like standard Program fare; food and water supplies, a first aid kit, a map and compass and so on. The only surprising addition was that of the jacket; plain and utilitarian it nonetheless looked functional and well made. For now he own letterman jacket sufficed to keep him reasonably warm, even as his breath frosted as it left his mouth, but no doubt he would want to keep the waterproof jacket in case it started to rain later on.
With everything else already sorted through and place aside the only think left in his pack was his weapon, if you could call it that. A long coil of rope with a loop tied at one end, Aaron's first morbid thought was that they had given him a noose. On closer examination though the knot used to tie it didn't look like the characteristic knot seen on nooses; if anything it looked like a lasso, the think cowboys in old westerns used to rope cattle, instead.
Either way it looks like they've given me just enough rope to hang myself with
Letting out another sigh – and a resultant cloud of fogged breath – Aaron set about placing everything back into place in his pack. The jacket went folded up at the bottom while the first aid kit was placed on top of that with the food and water piled right at the top. He kept the map, compass and length of rope out, placing the first two in his letterman jackets pockets and looping the latter around his hand before standing.
Hefting the pack up and throwing it over his shoulder the jock set out along the edge of the lake. Taking some time to himself like that had given him time to clear his head and get a perspective on things, but it had also given everyone else a slight headstart; assuming everyone woke up around the same time as him that is. It was time to start moving.
He had no idea where he was going or what his long term plan was, but as long as he was moving he was at least making progress. He'd start by making a lap of the lake, seeing if anyone else woke up here as well, before moving outwards until... something happened.
-
delicateMachine
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- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
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"We should probably start moving, Jaz." Ashley said, rifling through her bag. "If I can just find... here we go." She drew out the map, holding it up. "Feels sorta exposed here, y'know?" Scanning for anything resembling a lake, she pointed at a spot that seemed to where they were at. "Here we are! Probably. Uh, so, what's right next to us...?"
Before Ash could examine the map any closer, her thought process was interrupted by a new voice, calling out a greeting. Ashley tensed a bit as she looked up, but relaxed again as she recognized the girl. Amanda was not a person Ashley knew very well, but she seemed pretty cool. Through pretty much the worst of all possible luck, the girl's arm had been broken prior to being throw into the Program. Amanda couldn't be much of a threat, at least.
Ash immediately reprimanded herself for even thinking that. Reducing people to categories of "Threat" or "Not a Threat" was never a good thing. These people were her classmates, dammit! There was absolutely no way Ashley was going to hurt anyone, after all, so she had to make sure not to even think that she would!
Through all her years of watching the Program, she'd seen more than enough completely ordinary people just... snap. To be perfectly honest, it scared her shitless. Just the thought of crossing some line, performing a perfect fucking pirouette off the slippery slope, doing something unforgivable- this line of thinking needed to stop, now, or she'd end collapsing in tears.
Doing her best to not let any of her self-doubt show on her face, Ashley cheerily waved to Amanda. "Heya! I'm doing pretty fine! Jaz and I are gonna rock this thing!" She struck a rather silly air guitar pose. "You're more than welcome to join us! A rock band with only two members is pretty shitty, doncha think?" Maybe if she made enough silly music metaphors, Ashley'd be able to keep herself relatively calm. In her opinion, at least, it was the best available option at the moment.
Before Ash could examine the map any closer, her thought process was interrupted by a new voice, calling out a greeting. Ashley tensed a bit as she looked up, but relaxed again as she recognized the girl. Amanda was not a person Ashley knew very well, but she seemed pretty cool. Through pretty much the worst of all possible luck, the girl's arm had been broken prior to being throw into the Program. Amanda couldn't be much of a threat, at least.
Ash immediately reprimanded herself for even thinking that. Reducing people to categories of "Threat" or "Not a Threat" was never a good thing. These people were her classmates, dammit! There was absolutely no way Ashley was going to hurt anyone, after all, so she had to make sure not to even think that she would!
Through all her years of watching the Program, she'd seen more than enough completely ordinary people just... snap. To be perfectly honest, it scared her shitless. Just the thought of crossing some line, performing a perfect fucking pirouette off the slippery slope, doing something unforgivable- this line of thinking needed to stop, now, or she'd end collapsing in tears.
Doing her best to not let any of her self-doubt show on her face, Ashley cheerily waved to Amanda. "Heya! I'm doing pretty fine! Jaz and I are gonna rock this thing!" She struck a rather silly air guitar pose. "You're more than welcome to join us! A rock band with only two members is pretty shitty, doncha think?" Maybe if she made enough silly music metaphors, Ashley'd be able to keep herself relatively calm. In her opinion, at least, it was the best available option at the moment.
Saying hello and asking how someone is were Amanda's favorite things when it came down to talking to other people. Being in a game of death might have been different that meeting in the streets. However, something that was done for countless times tends to impact your behaviour deeply, so her guts told her to talk to them as if they were some strangers she wanted to socialize with.
Her guts were right. Neither Ashley nor Jasmine seemed threatening. No, they even were friendly. Genuinely friendly, if Amanda's feelings were right again.
Either way, Jasmine greeted Amanda casually, apparently feeling not that great. Understandable, given the situation they all landed in. Ashley herself showed to be more enthusiastic, asking Amanda if she wanted to join their rock band. The fair-haired girl began to chuckle. Ashley's words comforted Amanda. She ran into someone that didn't decide to kill. Pointing at her broken arm, she jokingly said:
"Heh, I think the only thing I'll be able to do will be plunking on some keyboard."
And joining them? Amanda wasn't certain. She'd like to have some company around her, especially because Ashley and Jasmine seemed nice and thus relieving to have around. Maybe it would be a good idea to stay together and as Ashley said, "rock the game". A shiver ran through her as she realized how these words could be alternatively interpreted. Surviving... and killing.
Reminding herself that this is not the time to think about that, even more so because this probably wasn't Ashley's intention, Amanda replied to the girls she barely knew.
"Umm... I know we weren't friends before, so that's really nice of you... It would be cool if we travel together. For a while, at least."
Her guts were right. Neither Ashley nor Jasmine seemed threatening. No, they even were friendly. Genuinely friendly, if Amanda's feelings were right again.
Either way, Jasmine greeted Amanda casually, apparently feeling not that great. Understandable, given the situation they all landed in. Ashley herself showed to be more enthusiastic, asking Amanda if she wanted to join their rock band. The fair-haired girl began to chuckle. Ashley's words comforted Amanda. She ran into someone that didn't decide to kill. Pointing at her broken arm, she jokingly said:
"Heh, I think the only thing I'll be able to do will be plunking on some keyboard."
And joining them? Amanda wasn't certain. She'd like to have some company around her, especially because Ashley and Jasmine seemed nice and thus relieving to have around. Maybe it would be a good idea to stay together and as Ashley said, "rock the game". A shiver ran through her as she realized how these words could be alternatively interpreted. Surviving... and killing.
Reminding herself that this is not the time to think about that, even more so because this probably wasn't Ashley's intention, Amanda replied to the girls she barely knew.
"Umm... I know we weren't friends before, so that's really nice of you... It would be cool if we travel together. For a while, at least."
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Ashley's greeting to Amanda was to strike an air-guitar pose. Jasmine didn't have time to think of a pose herself so she quickly held up the devil horns with both hands and stuck her tongue out. As soon Ash broke her pose Jasmine burst out laughing. She had no idea why she found it so funny, but if she couldn't have a last bit of fun with one of her best friends what was the point. It did make her wonder how her other friends were doing; especially Stephanie, her other best friend. Jasmine wondered how difficult it would be to find her. After all she didn't know how big the area they were in was but Jasmine assumed that since the aim was for the students to...kill each other. The area they were allowed in couldn't have been too big, since they would want the students to be able to encounter each other. It didn't seem unfeasible for them to be unable to find Stephanie. It was more of a question of if the others would be up for the idea.
Ash made another joke as she offered Amanda the chance to join them. Jasmine saw no problem with Amanda coming with them because Amanda had no chance of betraying them, unless she was an idiot and thought she could take out two people with only one arm.
"Keyboards or vocals. Since the only other spare spot is drummer and I don't think you'll be able to do that." Jasmine said with a wry smile. It felt good to make a joke again, of course her jokes were all made at the expense of others but anyone who had a problem with that needed to lighten up although in the Program where the chances of people being stressed and on edge were high maybe it wasn't the best idea. Then again it made her feel better so everyone else could deal with it because there was no way she was sacrificing one of the only things that had a chance of keeping her sane just because someone couldn't take a joke.
"It's fine. We have to look out for each other anyway. You wouldn't want to meet a minority in this game, they'd probably rob you...or worse and we can avoid that by sticking together."
Jasmine then remembered that Ash had mentioned moving saying that she felt exposed out by the lake. Jasmine knew how she felt because she had the exact same feeling. There was nothing around the lake apart from a couple of old wooden shacks that Jasmine assumed were for boats, and they didn't look like they could stand up to a strong breeze let alone whatever they could encounter of the course of the Program. Ash was right they did need to move, Jasmine's mind went back to the thoughts she had just pushed from her head, what if someone had a long range gun? It would be easy to pick them off. It was much better for them to move before they were put in danger.
"Ash was just saying that we should probably move somewhere else." She explained to Amanda. "Find somewhere less exposed, we were just checking the map when you came along."
Since Amanda was now officially part of their group Jasmine felt that she needed to be kept in the loop, after all trust would be key. She'd seen many groups that had formed on prior versions of the Program be destroyed by a lack of trust and she didn't want that to happen to her.
Ash made another joke as she offered Amanda the chance to join them. Jasmine saw no problem with Amanda coming with them because Amanda had no chance of betraying them, unless she was an idiot and thought she could take out two people with only one arm.
"Keyboards or vocals. Since the only other spare spot is drummer and I don't think you'll be able to do that." Jasmine said with a wry smile. It felt good to make a joke again, of course her jokes were all made at the expense of others but anyone who had a problem with that needed to lighten up although in the Program where the chances of people being stressed and on edge were high maybe it wasn't the best idea. Then again it made her feel better so everyone else could deal with it because there was no way she was sacrificing one of the only things that had a chance of keeping her sane just because someone couldn't take a joke.
"It's fine. We have to look out for each other anyway. You wouldn't want to meet a minority in this game, they'd probably rob you...or worse and we can avoid that by sticking together."
Jasmine then remembered that Ash had mentioned moving saying that she felt exposed out by the lake. Jasmine knew how she felt because she had the exact same feeling. There was nothing around the lake apart from a couple of old wooden shacks that Jasmine assumed were for boats, and they didn't look like they could stand up to a strong breeze let alone whatever they could encounter of the course of the Program. Ash was right they did need to move, Jasmine's mind went back to the thoughts she had just pushed from her head, what if someone had a long range gun? It would be easy to pick them off. It was much better for them to move before they were put in danger.
"Ash was just saying that we should probably move somewhere else." She explained to Amanda. "Find somewhere less exposed, we were just checking the map when you came along."
Since Amanda was now officially part of their group Jasmine felt that she needed to be kept in the loop, after all trust would be key. She'd seen many groups that had formed on prior versions of the Program be destroyed by a lack of trust and she didn't want that to happen to her.
Aaron opted to circle wide of the lake itself while he walked around it, sticking to the cover of the trees and other foliage around it than to walk exposed in the open of the lake's shores. As such he spotted the three figures standing further down the shore before they saw him.
He was still far away enough that he couldn’t make out who they were exactly, and he probably wouldn’t have known anyway, but he could tell they were all girls. He stopped walking and just stood there for a while, considering what to do now that he had actually found someone else.
This was The Program. Anyone could try to kill you, even your best friend. People went crazy in this situation. Some people were crazy before and The Program just gave them an excuse to express it. What kind of person were these girls?
If it really came down to it he was pretty sure he could take them in a fight, even if it was three on one. He was in good shape, strong and athletic, and he knew how to take a hit. These three before him, probably less so on all those points. Hell, from what he could see he thought one of them was wearing a cast on her arm.
That was, of course, a last resort however. He had no intention of attacking anybody, he wasn’t even sure he could bring himself to hurt somebody in self-defense.
The girls seemed harmless enough anyway. They were all just standing around, talking; there wasn’t anything aggressive in the way they were standing or acting. That meant they were probably safe to approach.
Aaron stepped out from the tree cover onto the shore, out where he could be seen. Whether or not these girls were safe, they were probably scared; it wouldn’t do to surprise them by sneaking up on them.
He began to approach, walking at a slow pace down the shore, hands at his side and face neutral. Once he was close enough he raised his right hand, the one not holding the lasso, and waved at the group.
In a way this intimidated him more than if he was approaching a hostile group. Action he could do, he could handle that, talking was something else. Aaron had never really been a sociable person, never had time to get to know his peers or take any appreciable time for socializing. Especially not with the fairer sex.
“Hey.” The jock called out to announce his presence to those who hadn’t seen him, making sure not to raise his voice too much and to make himself known from a safe enough distance. “How’s it going.”
He was still far away enough that he couldn’t make out who they were exactly, and he probably wouldn’t have known anyway, but he could tell they were all girls. He stopped walking and just stood there for a while, considering what to do now that he had actually found someone else.
This was The Program. Anyone could try to kill you, even your best friend. People went crazy in this situation. Some people were crazy before and The Program just gave them an excuse to express it. What kind of person were these girls?
If it really came down to it he was pretty sure he could take them in a fight, even if it was three on one. He was in good shape, strong and athletic, and he knew how to take a hit. These three before him, probably less so on all those points. Hell, from what he could see he thought one of them was wearing a cast on her arm.
That was, of course, a last resort however. He had no intention of attacking anybody, he wasn’t even sure he could bring himself to hurt somebody in self-defense.
The girls seemed harmless enough anyway. They were all just standing around, talking; there wasn’t anything aggressive in the way they were standing or acting. That meant they were probably safe to approach.
Aaron stepped out from the tree cover onto the shore, out where he could be seen. Whether or not these girls were safe, they were probably scared; it wouldn’t do to surprise them by sneaking up on them.
He began to approach, walking at a slow pace down the shore, hands at his side and face neutral. Once he was close enough he raised his right hand, the one not holding the lasso, and waved at the group.
In a way this intimidated him more than if he was approaching a hostile group. Action he could do, he could handle that, talking was something else. Aaron had never really been a sociable person, never had time to get to know his peers or take any appreciable time for socializing. Especially not with the fairer sex.
“Hey.” The jock called out to announce his presence to those who hadn’t seen him, making sure not to raise his voice too much and to make himself known from a safe enough distance. “How’s it going.”
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delicateMachine
- Posts: 295
- Joined: Tue Aug 07, 2018 6:26 pm
- Location: void
Ash smiled at Amanda. "Hey, no worries! People've gotta stick together, right? Doesn't really matter if we were friends or not, as long as you're a cool person. Which you seem to be, so, no problem!" Hurrah, their duo had already evolved into a trio! Chances of survival? Er, probably not that much higher! Well, more company was still cool.
"Ha, we sort of need a keyboard player, anyway." Ashley said, determined to keep the band metaphor ball rolling. "Right now we've only got my guitar, Jaz's bass, and Marley's Violin. Kind of a weird mix, but it does work!" Their band wasn't exactly at a professional skill level, but making music was still fun, and they'd majorly improved since their founding.
Ash'd always dreamed of them one day managing to put an actual album together, spread their music across the U.S. Probably wouldn't be very likely, but hey, nothing stopping her from hoping, right?
Another thing she'd never get to do. Fucking Program.
Jasmine made a comment about minorities, causing Ash to glare at her a bit. "C'mon, Jaz. We've been over this a thousand times. Just because non-pure Americans are inferior doesn't mean they're monsters. They can be law-abiding, productive members of society! Never as good as most Americans, of course, but you need to give them some credit!" She sighed. That particular issue was pretty much the only thing she really disliked about Jasmine. Just because someone was lesser than you doesn't mean they automatically have to be criminals!
A male voice, greeting her group, caught Ashley's attention. Turning her head in the direction it came from, she spotted Aaron standing a fair distance away from him, holding a lasso. Ash didn't really know him well, except for that he was on the basketball team with Marley.
The two'd gotten in a bit of a fight after a "friendly" one-on-one match during lunchtime, which was admittedly Marley's fault. He'd ended up getting aggravated enough to foul Aaron on purpose, which of course was hardly a good way to get along with someone. Argh, Marley was a great guy, but his temper could be such a pain in the ass sometimes!
"Heya!" Ashley called out to Aaron. "Hope you can play drums or sing, 'cause this band's got no other openings!" She grinned. "Well, you could be our roadie, if nothing else, I guess!'
"Ha, we sort of need a keyboard player, anyway." Ashley said, determined to keep the band metaphor ball rolling. "Right now we've only got my guitar, Jaz's bass, and Marley's Violin. Kind of a weird mix, but it does work!" Their band wasn't exactly at a professional skill level, but making music was still fun, and they'd majorly improved since their founding.
Ash'd always dreamed of them one day managing to put an actual album together, spread their music across the U.S. Probably wouldn't be very likely, but hey, nothing stopping her from hoping, right?
Another thing she'd never get to do. Fucking Program.
Jasmine made a comment about minorities, causing Ash to glare at her a bit. "C'mon, Jaz. We've been over this a thousand times. Just because non-pure Americans are inferior doesn't mean they're monsters. They can be law-abiding, productive members of society! Never as good as most Americans, of course, but you need to give them some credit!" She sighed. That particular issue was pretty much the only thing she really disliked about Jasmine. Just because someone was lesser than you doesn't mean they automatically have to be criminals!
A male voice, greeting her group, caught Ashley's attention. Turning her head in the direction it came from, she spotted Aaron standing a fair distance away from him, holding a lasso. Ash didn't really know him well, except for that he was on the basketball team with Marley.
The two'd gotten in a bit of a fight after a "friendly" one-on-one match during lunchtime, which was admittedly Marley's fault. He'd ended up getting aggravated enough to foul Aaron on purpose, which of course was hardly a good way to get along with someone. Argh, Marley was a great guy, but his temper could be such a pain in the ass sometimes!
"Heya!" Ashley called out to Aaron. "Hope you can play drums or sing, 'cause this band's got no other openings!" She grinned. "Well, you could be our roadie, if nothing else, I guess!'
It was quite fortunate for the fair-haired girl to meet Ashley and Jasmine. Sure, she was going to die anyway, but at least she won't do it alone. A strangely comforting thought. The band girls even had a sense of humor, to boot. The metaphor, as ridiculous as it may be in this situation, was incredibly entertaining for Amanda. However, Jasmine's comment on minorities, as true as they were in Amanda's mind, were shocking. Being robbed, or worse, killed by some angry black idiot was something Amanda definetly wanted to avoid. The mere thought disrupted the light mood she felt just seconds ago. At least she was in a group, so she'll likely won't be robbed. Hopefully.
Jasmine also told them that they wanted to look for a better area since standing near this lake exposed them. This point was legit, but Amanda felt reluctant to move. Who knows how big this whole place is. Who knows how much these girls wanted to walk. Additionally, it was cold. Very cold. Sure, moving might help warming her up. And maybe they could find a warm place. Amanda realized she had a jacket, stored along with her weapon in her green, ugly duffle bag.
However, before she was able to pick it, a male voice appeared. It startled Amanda for a second, but it didn't sound malicious, so she didn't feel in a panick. She turned around to the new person, the voice seemed similiar, and yes, it was who she suspected to be.
Aaron Chalmers. Quite the looker. Amanda didn't know him well, aside from the fact that he is part of football team. They never really spoke to each other, but this seemed to be about to change here, in the Program. Funny, in a competition in which she had to kill or get killed, she got to socialize.
"Hello Aaron, nice to see you..."
She quickly greeted the boy, before turning around to the girls again. To prove her trust in them, she took her duffle bag, got the hedge clippers, and showed them to the girls.
"Well... this here's my weapon, I guess. No name yet for this useless junk." What would be a good name for a pair of hedge clippers? Clint? Clint sounded nice. Maybe. She stopped thinking about naming it, it was stupid. And a little bit frightening. But mostly stupid. Well, Amanda's tendency to name non-living objects, like their vacuum cleaner, Jerry, seemed to get the hold of her for a moment.
Laying her "weapon" on the floor, she got her assigned jacket and began to dress herself with it.
Jasmine also told them that they wanted to look for a better area since standing near this lake exposed them. This point was legit, but Amanda felt reluctant to move. Who knows how big this whole place is. Who knows how much these girls wanted to walk. Additionally, it was cold. Very cold. Sure, moving might help warming her up. And maybe they could find a warm place. Amanda realized she had a jacket, stored along with her weapon in her green, ugly duffle bag.
However, before she was able to pick it, a male voice appeared. It startled Amanda for a second, but it didn't sound malicious, so she didn't feel in a panick. She turned around to the new person, the voice seemed similiar, and yes, it was who she suspected to be.
Aaron Chalmers. Quite the looker. Amanda didn't know him well, aside from the fact that he is part of football team. They never really spoke to each other, but this seemed to be about to change here, in the Program. Funny, in a competition in which she had to kill or get killed, she got to socialize.
"Hello Aaron, nice to see you..."
She quickly greeted the boy, before turning around to the girls again. To prove her trust in them, she took her duffle bag, got the hedge clippers, and showed them to the girls.
"Well... this here's my weapon, I guess. No name yet for this useless junk." What would be a good name for a pair of hedge clippers? Clint? Clint sounded nice. Maybe. She stopped thinking about naming it, it was stupid. And a little bit frightening. But mostly stupid. Well, Amanda's tendency to name non-living objects, like their vacuum cleaner, Jerry, seemed to get the hold of her for a moment.
Laying her "weapon" on the floor, she got her assigned jacket and began to dress herself with it.
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Ash almost immediately scolded Jasmine for making the statement about minorities being criminals. It way an annoying habit she had, Ash could never seem to let any of Jasmines comments about minorities being criminals pass. She really shouldn't have minded that much since she openly considered minorities inferior but Jasmine knew better than to bring it up since it would most likely devolve into an argument between the two. Jasmine instead decided to move the conversation back to the band.
"Yeah somehow we make it work. Even though I wish we went heavier from time to time and we still haven't decided on a name." Jasmine said with a smirk on her face that made it clear she was only saying it to tease Ash. Jasmine was about to say something else when a voice called out to the group of girls. Looking in the direction of the shout Jasmine saw Aaron Chalmers; she didn't know him very well outside of the fact that he played basketball, which was something Marley was involved with, he must have also played on the football team since he had a Minutemen lettermen on and they were only given to members of Patriot High's football team. Now that Jasmine thought about it she realised that her lack of participation in sports was probably going to a detriment to her as the Program went on since she had rarely engaged in any physical activity and was most likely to be extremely unfit.
Even though Jasmine had never spoken to Aaron before she had no problems judging him based off looks alone, and what she saw was promising. He looked to be friendly judging from his body language and the way he had called out to them, he wasn't bad looking either so that was a plus. Ashley was the first of the girls to greet him and like she had done with Amanda she invited him to join their band.
"Yeah, we're a big deal in," Jasmine took an exaggerated look at her surroundings. "The coldest fucking place imaginable. Oh and if you can't play the drums, sing or don't want to be a roadie you can always be our bodyguard, since we are so VIPs."
Amanda had greeted Aaron and then turned back to Jasmine and Ash. Jasmine would have made a comment about manners but it quickly became clear that Amanda was doing something important. As if to answer what Jasmines question would have been the other girl pulled a pair of hedge clippers out of her bag. She didn't sound impressed with her weapon draw but compared to Jasmines draw Amanda had struck gold...or would a better phrase be Amanda had a nuke or maybe just a bazooka.
"It's better than what I have." Jasmine said as she took out her action figure and held it up. "If anything needs a name it's this guy. I also need somewhere to put him so he can see everything." Jasmine then realised that she hadn't answered Aaron's question. "We're doing about as well as you'd expect honestly. We were just deciding where to go next."
Jasmine decided against asking Aaron if he wanted to join them straight away because she didn't want to make it seem like she was taking over the group. Although if she needed too Jasmine wondered if she would be able to take control. In the meantime though she was fine with discussing things with Ash and Amanda, it wasn't like they were in any immediate danger as far as she could tell. Being in the Program meant that they were always in danger especially when you took into account the fact that there was a chance someone had a sniper rifle. If she was honest Jasmine liked the idea of having Aaron come with them because he looked to be in good shape and would be more help in a fight than Ash or Amanda. She would feel much more comfortable knowing there was someone like that in their group.
"Yeah somehow we make it work. Even though I wish we went heavier from time to time and we still haven't decided on a name." Jasmine said with a smirk on her face that made it clear she was only saying it to tease Ash. Jasmine was about to say something else when a voice called out to the group of girls. Looking in the direction of the shout Jasmine saw Aaron Chalmers; she didn't know him very well outside of the fact that he played basketball, which was something Marley was involved with, he must have also played on the football team since he had a Minutemen lettermen on and they were only given to members of Patriot High's football team. Now that Jasmine thought about it she realised that her lack of participation in sports was probably going to a detriment to her as the Program went on since she had rarely engaged in any physical activity and was most likely to be extremely unfit.
Even though Jasmine had never spoken to Aaron before she had no problems judging him based off looks alone, and what she saw was promising. He looked to be friendly judging from his body language and the way he had called out to them, he wasn't bad looking either so that was a plus. Ashley was the first of the girls to greet him and like she had done with Amanda she invited him to join their band.
"Yeah, we're a big deal in," Jasmine took an exaggerated look at her surroundings. "The coldest fucking place imaginable. Oh and if you can't play the drums, sing or don't want to be a roadie you can always be our bodyguard, since we are so VIPs."
Amanda had greeted Aaron and then turned back to Jasmine and Ash. Jasmine would have made a comment about manners but it quickly became clear that Amanda was doing something important. As if to answer what Jasmines question would have been the other girl pulled a pair of hedge clippers out of her bag. She didn't sound impressed with her weapon draw but compared to Jasmines draw Amanda had struck gold...or would a better phrase be Amanda had a nuke or maybe just a bazooka.
"It's better than what I have." Jasmine said as she took out her action figure and held it up. "If anything needs a name it's this guy. I also need somewhere to put him so he can see everything." Jasmine then realised that she hadn't answered Aaron's question. "We're doing about as well as you'd expect honestly. We were just deciding where to go next."
Jasmine decided against asking Aaron if he wanted to join them straight away because she didn't want to make it seem like she was taking over the group. Although if she needed too Jasmine wondered if she would be able to take control. In the meantime though she was fine with discussing things with Ash and Amanda, it wasn't like they were in any immediate danger as far as she could tell. Being in the Program meant that they were always in danger especially when you took into account the fact that there was a chance someone had a sniper rifle. If she was honest Jasmine liked the idea of having Aaron come with them because he looked to be in good shape and would be more help in a fight than Ash or Amanda. She would feel much more comfortable knowing there was someone like that in their group.