Nura straightened up from her kneeling position on the jetty. Between abduction, briefing, and a couple doses of sleepy gas, she didn't know how much time she'd lost and prayers missed, so she'd tried to make up for it as best she could and knew how, filling those prayers in one after another. She'd done her best with what she had to face the correct direction, but with no compass and little outside the sun to orient herself with, she wasn't certain she'd got it right. Nura thought—hoped—that under the circumstances, she could get a little slack on salah. This definitely counted as prayer while in danger, she just didn't remember the exact rules. She'd done this one and the qada prayers in full, but she doubted she'd have many other opportunities.
She could literally die at any second, she needed to maximise her time. Her dead body wouldn't get any praying done.
Nura swung her pack into her lap and drummed her fingers on its canvas surface. She had to figure out how to break free from this. The collars weren't an insurmountable obstacle, but they were the barrier between her and home, and that made them a problem to solve. Nura liked problems. This one was just higher stakes than normal. Enough so to almost be out of sight of anything else she'd ever experienced, but worrying about how hard this would be wasn't going make it any less difficult. All she could do was try.
One step at a time.
Being empirical was probably her best bet. Nura was only a little familiar with previous escape attempts, and of those only really the successful ones. Even then, she couldn't bring the exact details to mind, so no chance of emulating the methods used, if they were even still intact. The collars were frequently redesigned, and after they all went and broke in season 60, Nura suspected that the technology had been rebuilt from scratch. It was what she would have done. That meant eliminating possibilities one after another, the most simple and least dangerous first. Risking her life right out of the gate wasn't smart; the wilder ideas could wait until after the mundane ones.
And the most obvious solution of all, well... it was all around her.
Nura deeply doubted that the collars were anything less than 100% waterproof, considering the arena was literally on the ocean, but you kind of had to account for the troll factor. People came to the game store running gimmick armies and cheese strats all the time, and she could just imagine some technician laughing their ass off at the idea of the collars in the water version not being impervious to water. Same principle.
She unzipped the bag and started to sort through it. Food, water, clothing, first aid, ammunition—right yeah she had a gun—okay, fine, okay... her hand settled on soft, stretchy material. There.
What Nura extricated was a modesty bikini, made from swimsuit material but with long-sleeved arms and legs and a hood to cover the hair. She studied it, and then shook her head with a bemused smile. "You folks thought about covering up, but not about prayer directions? You're weird, dudes." It was fine, though, she wasn't going to complain about the consideration. She pulled out a towel—black obviously—and glanced along the jetty. There was a collection of rickety-looking wooden crates nearby, and she figured those would suit. Moving over, Nura pushed and prodded the crates to create an opening, and then draped the towel across to provide a measure of privacy while she got changed into the swimsuit.
Once finished, Nura slid back out, fastening her bandanna back around her upper arm. No avoiding getting that wet, the rules being what they were. She put the revolver within the crates with the rest of her things, and a quick once over satisfied her that it wasn't immediately obvious what was hidden there.
With that, Nura slipped off the jetty and into the water.
She swore.
Cold, cold, cold.
She scrambled back out again. Alright. Okay. Maybe not as straightforward as she'd first thought.
Alright.
Cold was cold, no matter what. It wasn't going to get less cold. She couldn't layer up because she couldn't remember which materials were effective when wet, and her options to increase core temperature were limited. If she ran around to build up heat then she would be tired and more susceptible to the effects of any fatigue, so... so she didn't really have many options here, just had to try and keep as focused as possible and pay close attention to what her body was telling her.
Wait, hold on. There.
Nura moved along the jetty and unhooked a life preserver from its spot on the rail. It looked pretty beaten up, but there weren't any holes and it wasn't noticeably deflated, so that was about as good as she was going to get. Ensuring its towline was securely tied to the jetty, she dropped it into the water. It floated, bobbing slightly. Okay.
She frowned and tapped her collar, thinking to the briefing after the introduction. Jewel Evans, the latest ten kill winner. Nura had seen a lot of criticism of Jewel's strategy and personality in the last few months, but regardless of analyst opinion, Jewel was the one person that she could access without needing to worry about allegiances or gameplay. Jewel had also been very scathing of incompetent mentoring and devoted a lot of time to how exactly she could help, and...
Decide what you want, put everything into getting it.
Yeah. Nura could work with that kind of mission statement.
Starting off some stretches to limber up, Nura started speaking.
"Hi Jewel. I'm escaping. That's the plan. Period.
"I'm about to get back in the water. Can you let me know when I've been in for an hour? Or, I guess, yell at me if I start looking like I'm going to drift off.
"Um, not sure if it's in your remit, or you can even tell, but if my temperature drops too much then the heads up would be appreciated.
"Otherwise, I'm not sure how much this whole thing is rotating around but if you can orient from... let's call it the nose of the cruise ship, can you tell me the qibla for my prayers? I need to be facing Mecca. Thanks."
Nura took a deep breath, and then climbed back into the water. She hooked her arms around the preserver, made sure that her collar was submerged, and began to tread.
Shortly afterwards, she began reciting the inventory of her game store.
Water
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
An hour after Nura enters the water, a voice echoes from her collar, the volume cranked up to be heard over the interference of liquid and the lapping of the waves.
"Time's up, pool's closed.
"The facing you want is almost exactly opposite the nose of the cruise ship, maybe another ten degrees or so clockwise.
"Escape is a difficult path. It's important to remember that, even if you're trying to leave the game, for now you're still in the thick of it. Pursuing escape doesn't make concerns like staying safe and avoiding danger go away; it just changes how you approach those challenges. Keep your guard up."
"Time's up, pool's closed.
"The facing you want is almost exactly opposite the nose of the cruise ship, maybe another ten degrees or so clockwise.
"Escape is a difficult path. It's important to remember that, even if you're trying to leave the game, for now you're still in the thick of it. Pursuing escape doesn't make concerns like staying safe and avoiding danger go away; it just changes how you approach those challenges. Keep your guard up."
Nura had cleared inventory and was midway through the army list for a mech game when the voice emerged, distorted by the submersion, but audible.
She breathed a quick alhamdulillah—thank God—and paddled back to the edge of the jetty, one hand on the life preserver. Her fingers and toes ached with the cold, a seeping numbness deep in the bones. Although she wasn't exerting herself much, all that time neck deep in cool ocean waters had taken its toll.
Nura was already shivering as she clambered out. Break off from the wind chill, insulate, rest, resume.
As she headed back to the crates, she started running her fingers across the collar, checking for any leaks or signs of compromise. Jewel was loud and clear so, probably a formality, but it would be pretty pointless to spend all that time in there and then not bother investigating.
Difficult path? Yeah, no kidding. A couple seconds after Jewel finished her warning, enough to make sure she was finished, Nura replied.
"Thanks, Jewel. Don't worry, I know the game doesn't stop.
"Two other things.
"One, it's Ramadan, so don't use up a contact to tell me I need to eat or drink. I will at sunset and before dawn.
"Second is a question. If my collar breaks, are you still able to contact me? Do your messages have to come directly through the collar? Or my collar, specifically?"
She paused. A wry smile crossed her face.
"That was three questions."
Nura was within the crates again now, she swaddled herself in her towel and started to rub the life back into her limbs.
She breathed a quick alhamdulillah—thank God—and paddled back to the edge of the jetty, one hand on the life preserver. Her fingers and toes ached with the cold, a seeping numbness deep in the bones. Although she wasn't exerting herself much, all that time neck deep in cool ocean waters had taken its toll.
Nura was already shivering as she clambered out. Break off from the wind chill, insulate, rest, resume.
As she headed back to the crates, she started running her fingers across the collar, checking for any leaks or signs of compromise. Jewel was loud and clear so, probably a formality, but it would be pretty pointless to spend all that time in there and then not bother investigating.
Difficult path? Yeah, no kidding. A couple seconds after Jewel finished her warning, enough to make sure she was finished, Nura replied.
"Thanks, Jewel. Don't worry, I know the game doesn't stop.
"Two other things.
"One, it's Ramadan, so don't use up a contact to tell me I need to eat or drink. I will at sunset and before dawn.
"Second is a question. If my collar breaks, are you still able to contact me? Do your messages have to come directly through the collar? Or my collar, specifically?"
She paused. A wry smile crossed her face.
"That was three questions."
Nura was within the crates again now, she swaddled herself in her towel and started to rub the life back into her limbs.
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MurderWeasel
- Posts: 3442
- Joined: Mon Aug 06, 2018 9:56 am
- Team Affiliation: Jewel's Leviathans
The reply is prompt.
"Alright. Worrying about starving is a bullshit waste of time anyways.
"Contact depends. It might be possible even if your collar is deactivated—I don't know anything more about how they run than you do. If it's gone, I'm not sure if they'd let me use the local speaker system. I can ask, frame it as a hypothetical, but it probably depends on what seems most dramatic at the time. I can always piggyback to you off a teammate's collar, though that'll burn their check-in.
"That's our time. Stay safe. I'll still be watching, so keep me in the loop and we can go hard after the announcements."
"Alright. Worrying about starving is a bullshit waste of time anyways.
"Contact depends. It might be possible even if your collar is deactivated—I don't know anything more about how they run than you do. If it's gone, I'm not sure if they'd let me use the local speaker system. I can ask, frame it as a hypothetical, but it probably depends on what seems most dramatic at the time. I can always piggyback to you off a teammate's collar, though that'll burn their check-in.
"That's our time. Stay safe. I'll still be watching, so keep me in the loop and we can go hard after the announcements."
((Calla Evans continued from The Arrival))
The wood groaned and shrieked as Calla ripped it from its home. The plank was now holding onto the jetty by only one rusty nail. She pulled as it slowly and painfully came free. With an energeti heave, Calla pried the board free and let it drop to the walkway.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead. The whole process had taken more effort than she thought it would. Calla pulled out her makeup bag and mirror and checked herself; she brushed the loose strands of hair from her forehead and did a few quick touch ups on her face. Viewers expected people to get disheveled and grimy over time, but it was still the first day. She had to look good while people were still forming impressions. Calla smoothed out her dress. The bandanna had remained a thorn in her side - after some consideration, she had moved it to her neck. But then it had obscured her collar, and the collar fit her image much more than the bandanna. So she eventually settled on tying the thing around her thigh, right below the hemline. It still didn't look good, but it drew the eye, and that couldn't hurt her popularity.
After returning everything to her pack, Calla picked up the board and took a few practice swings. It felt awkward, but good enough. The caltrops would be useful in this arena: full of dark corridors and sharp turns, it would be so easy to lure someone into a trap. But then she'd have to finish the job. Hopefully, the plank would work for one kill, and she'd get a better weapon from it.
That was when Calla a moving blip in her peripheral vision. The life preserver and the covered head bobbing next to it. Someone was taking a swim - really? As the figure swam back to the docks, Calla trailed her. She stalked through the maze of rickety walkways and watched from a distance as the girl disappeared behind her box fort. Calla didn't get a great look at who it was, and she didn't see any weapons.
So, fight or flee? Hmm...
With a flourish of her hand, a cluster of caltrops clattered across the wood. Calla dropped them right where the girl had entered the crates. Hopefully, she'd be dumb and not look down - at the very least, they'd stop her from giving chase if Calla needed to retreat.
"Hello?" she called "Is... is there someone in there?"
The wood groaned and shrieked as Calla ripped it from its home. The plank was now holding onto the jetty by only one rusty nail. She pulled as it slowly and painfully came free. With an energeti heave, Calla pried the board free and let it drop to the walkway.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead. The whole process had taken more effort than she thought it would. Calla pulled out her makeup bag and mirror and checked herself; she brushed the loose strands of hair from her forehead and did a few quick touch ups on her face. Viewers expected people to get disheveled and grimy over time, but it was still the first day. She had to look good while people were still forming impressions. Calla smoothed out her dress. The bandanna had remained a thorn in her side - after some consideration, she had moved it to her neck. But then it had obscured her collar, and the collar fit her image much more than the bandanna. So she eventually settled on tying the thing around her thigh, right below the hemline. It still didn't look good, but it drew the eye, and that couldn't hurt her popularity.
After returning everything to her pack, Calla picked up the board and took a few practice swings. It felt awkward, but good enough. The caltrops would be useful in this arena: full of dark corridors and sharp turns, it would be so easy to lure someone into a trap. But then she'd have to finish the job. Hopefully, the plank would work for one kill, and she'd get a better weapon from it.
That was when Calla a moving blip in her peripheral vision. The life preserver and the covered head bobbing next to it. Someone was taking a swim - really? As the figure swam back to the docks, Calla trailed her. She stalked through the maze of rickety walkways and watched from a distance as the girl disappeared behind her box fort. Calla didn't get a great look at who it was, and she didn't see any weapons.
So, fight or flee? Hmm...
With a flourish of her hand, a cluster of caltrops clattered across the wood. Calla dropped them right where the girl had entered the crates. Hopefully, she'd be dumb and not look down - at the very least, they'd stop her from giving chase if Calla needed to retreat.
"Hello?" she called "Is... is there someone in there?"
What seems most dramatic. Of course. Loved to be at the whims of storytelling when she was trying to nail down facts. Still, question was out there, better to ask than not.
"Thanks."
And that was that for another twelve hours. Jewel might have said that she was watching, but all of a sudden, Nura felt so much more alone. She was usually cool with her own company, but she usually wasn't on SOTF-TV. These things changed.
Nura's facing had been off by about forty-five degrees, maybe less, depending on how accurate Jewel's reckoning was. She poked her head up out of the crates, eyeballing the cruise ship's orientation, and then adjusted before dipping back into the narrow space. She offered a rak'at in the appropriate direction, and then resumed towelling off.
Swiftly thereafter, there was a click-clattering noise, and then a voice called out. Nura stilled.
She looked at the gun atop her pack.
Okay. Alright. She wasn't finished here, didn't need this kind of interruption. Any kind of interruption.
She looked at the gun.
With the weapon in hand, Nura poked the very top of her head out of the crates. They weren't great cover, rickety and worn. Someone stood a short distance away on the jetty: just barely peeking out Nura couldn't quite tell who it was.
"I'm in the middle of something. Go away."
"Thanks."
And that was that for another twelve hours. Jewel might have said that she was watching, but all of a sudden, Nura felt so much more alone. She was usually cool with her own company, but she usually wasn't on SOTF-TV. These things changed.
Nura's facing had been off by about forty-five degrees, maybe less, depending on how accurate Jewel's reckoning was. She poked her head up out of the crates, eyeballing the cruise ship's orientation, and then adjusted before dipping back into the narrow space. She offered a rak'at in the appropriate direction, and then resumed towelling off.
Swiftly thereafter, there was a click-clattering noise, and then a voice called out. Nura stilled.
She looked at the gun atop her pack.
Okay. Alright. She wasn't finished here, didn't need this kind of interruption. Any kind of interruption.
She looked at the gun.
With the weapon in hand, Nura poked the very top of her head out of the crates. They weren't great cover, rickety and worn. Someone stood a short distance away on the jetty: just barely peeking out Nura couldn't quite tell who it was.
"I'm in the middle of something. Go away."
The dark pair of eyes glared at her from atop the crates. Suspicion and annoyance tinged the voice. Calla tried to place it- it was familiar, certainly, but not immediately recognizable.
Something about the girl's response tickled her. It took effort to suppress a smirk. She was hiding in her box fort like a child. And that made Calla- what, the babysitter trying to coax her out?
Calla could be sweet and try to reassure her... or maybe she could play on the girl's sympathy instead? What would get her to step out?
"Please, I..." she murmured "I haven't met anyone yet, I don't know what to do. Can we just talk?"
Actually, that babysitter comparison was dumb. Now that she thought about it, she was more like... a siren. Using her voice to lure the girl to a watery grave. Shiva must have been so proud of her.
Something about the girl's response tickled her. It took effort to suppress a smirk. She was hiding in her box fort like a child. And that made Calla- what, the babysitter trying to coax her out?
Calla could be sweet and try to reassure her... or maybe she could play on the girl's sympathy instead? What would get her to step out?
"Please, I..." she murmured "I haven't met anyone yet, I don't know what to do. Can we just talk?"
Actually, that babysitter comparison was dumb. Now that she thought about it, she was more like... a siren. Using her voice to lure the girl to a watery grave. Shiva must have been so proud of her.
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Catche Jagger
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 7:40 pm
- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
((Gabriela Garcia-Campos continued from Staccato))
Her experience at the ferry had left Gabriela in a sour mood. She needed a moment to calm down, to restock. Nothing had been gained from deciding to use her assigned pistol so liberally from the start outside of a headache and additional stress.
Walking along the jetties had been an opportunity to clear her mind. Gabriela still had no intent to focus on seeking out her teammates, that’d be a waste of time. She’d stick to traveling alone for the time being, but she would have to figure out how to be just a bit more tactful in her application of force, lest she end up in yet another clusterfuck.
Unfortunately, her period of solitude was brought to an end as she came across what seemed to be another confrontation. Somebody was hiding out in a crate while another somebody was talking to them, probably trying to make friends or some nonsense. Still she wasn’t going to turn back around just to avoid a pair of light annoyances.
“Hey! Are you guys trying to kill each other? Because I’m not really, uh, feeling like being a part of that at the moment.” Gabriela called out to the both of them as she approached from behind the girl standing out in the open, pistol at her side. Her words were entirely sincere. She needed the break, at least for a little while.
Her experience at the ferry had left Gabriela in a sour mood. She needed a moment to calm down, to restock. Nothing had been gained from deciding to use her assigned pistol so liberally from the start outside of a headache and additional stress.
Walking along the jetties had been an opportunity to clear her mind. Gabriela still had no intent to focus on seeking out her teammates, that’d be a waste of time. She’d stick to traveling alone for the time being, but she would have to figure out how to be just a bit more tactful in her application of force, lest she end up in yet another clusterfuck.
Unfortunately, her period of solitude was brought to an end as she came across what seemed to be another confrontation. Somebody was hiding out in a crate while another somebody was talking to them, probably trying to make friends or some nonsense. Still she wasn’t going to turn back around just to avoid a pair of light annoyances.
“Hey! Are you guys trying to kill each other? Because I’m not really, uh, feeling like being a part of that at the moment.” Gabriela called out to the both of them as she approached from behind the girl standing out in the open, pistol at her side. Her words were entirely sincere. She needed the break, at least for a little while.
Nura kind of felt she was recognising the person, the girl, familiar style. Same grade, right? Not everyone here was a junior; Nura had seen some faces she didn't know at all.
"No we cannot."
Didn't actually matter though. Jewel was fine. Jewel was on the far side of the camera, and couldn't hurt her worse than bad advice. Anyone else...
Nura had no opportunity to expand on the rejection as she realised that another person was coming along from behind the first. She had even less of a look at person two than person one, which wasn't ideal. They looked to be holding something.
Nura's grip tightened.
"Actually she was just leaving," Nura called, a little louder than before.
Not feeling involvement? Cool. Yeah. Nura could absolutely trust that. Meant nothing, and even if it did, a moment's opportunism, a moment where self-interest overrode moral compunctions, and dead was dead all the same.
Son of a squig.
"No we cannot."
Didn't actually matter though. Jewel was fine. Jewel was on the far side of the camera, and couldn't hurt her worse than bad advice. Anyone else...
Nura had no opportunity to expand on the rejection as she realised that another person was coming along from behind the first. She had even less of a look at person two than person one, which wasn't ideal. They looked to be holding something.
Nura's grip tightened.
"Actually she was just leaving," Nura called, a little louder than before.
Not feeling involvement? Cool. Yeah. Nura could absolutely trust that. Meant nothing, and even if it did, a moment's opportunism, a moment where self-interest overrode moral compunctions, and dead was dead all the same.
Son of a squig.
Calla jumped and whirled around at the new voice. She'd been so absorbed that she let someone sneak up behind her. It was an idiot move, completely unbefitting of her. She bit her lip as her head filled with curses and self-reproach.
The girl was a senior. Her name was Gabby or something - she was insignificant as far as Calla had been concerned. Obviously, Calla had to throw away her preconceived notions about her classmates, because at this moment Gabby was very important and was holding a gun. Calla was trapped between a hostile girl in a fort and a curious girl with a weapon. Any plans she'd had before needed to be thrown away. Adaptability was crucial for a future winner.
Her eyes darted from Gabby to the eyes above the crates and back to Gabby. She only allowed a split second glance at the caltrops strewn over the boards. Gabby clearly hadn't noticed them yet. But how long could that last?
Calla gave a loud sigh. "I'm sorry. I know when I'm not wanted."
Board gripped in both hands, Calla slowly walked back in Gabby's direction. She looked the old girl in the eyes and gave a wounded smile.
"She wants to be alone. No use for me, apparently."
Another step closer. The walkway was fairly narrow - Calla could walk around the Gabby, but the two girls would be only a few feet from each other
"Gabby, right? I don't know if you're staying or not, but can I pass by?"
The girl was a senior. Her name was Gabby or something - she was insignificant as far as Calla had been concerned. Obviously, Calla had to throw away her preconceived notions about her classmates, because at this moment Gabby was very important and was holding a gun. Calla was trapped between a hostile girl in a fort and a curious girl with a weapon. Any plans she'd had before needed to be thrown away. Adaptability was crucial for a future winner.
Her eyes darted from Gabby to the eyes above the crates and back to Gabby. She only allowed a split second glance at the caltrops strewn over the boards. Gabby clearly hadn't noticed them yet. But how long could that last?
Calla gave a loud sigh. "I'm sorry. I know when I'm not wanted."
Board gripped in both hands, Calla slowly walked back in Gabby's direction. She looked the old girl in the eyes and gave a wounded smile.
"She wants to be alone. No use for me, apparently."
Another step closer. The walkway was fairly narrow - Calla could walk around the Gabby, but the two girls would be only a few feet from each other
"Gabby, right? I don't know if you're staying or not, but can I pass by?"
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Catche Jagger
- Posts: 743
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- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
Well, even though the atmosphere out here wasn’t exactly friendly, at least no one was trying to kill each other. She'd take that for now.
Gabriela took a few steps closer, to try to get a better look at the people here. Though she still couldn’t get a clear view of whoever was in the crates, Gabriela did manage to recognize Calla from school, though she really didn’t know much of the girl. As such, it seemed entirely plausible that Calla could just be the sort of idiot that would try to negotiate a friendship at gunpoint.
“Yeah. Go on past me. I’m just thinking right now. Need a sec.” She spoke flatly, not particularly sympathetic to whatever the hell Calla’s deal was, stepping to the side to let the other girl go by. It was possible that the girl would pull some bullshit, but it seemed unlikely, considering her attitude and the fact that her only weapon was a wooden fucking board where Gabriela had again.
When Gabriela did move, though, she noticed some curious spikes resting on the wood ahead. Perhaps the arena had come set up with some hazards like this? Seemed like a rather lightweight hazard at most. More likely it was set up by whoever was in the crates.
"Hey! Your trapping skills kinda suck, dude!" She called toward the stranger.
Gabriela took a few steps closer, to try to get a better look at the people here. Though she still couldn’t get a clear view of whoever was in the crates, Gabriela did manage to recognize Calla from school, though she really didn’t know much of the girl. As such, it seemed entirely plausible that Calla could just be the sort of idiot that would try to negotiate a friendship at gunpoint.
“Yeah. Go on past me. I’m just thinking right now. Need a sec.” She spoke flatly, not particularly sympathetic to whatever the hell Calla’s deal was, stepping to the side to let the other girl go by. It was possible that the girl would pull some bullshit, but it seemed unlikely, considering her attitude and the fact that her only weapon was a wooden fucking board where Gabriela had again.
When Gabriela did move, though, she noticed some curious spikes resting on the wood ahead. Perhaps the arena had come set up with some hazards like this? Seemed like a rather lightweight hazard at most. More likely it was set up by whoever was in the crates.
"Hey! Your trapping skills kinda suck, dude!" She called toward the stranger.
Nura bit off an unhelpful 'no you're not' in reply to the perfunctory apology. Didn't matter if she was insincere if she was leaving. Get out of here, shifty loser. Didn't count as mean if Nura kept it in her head.
A swift departure was ideal though. Nura needed to get herself warmed up before she returned to the water, and it would take longer to refil her focus and fortitude if she was forced to split her attention between her goal and another person. She didn't want to move, either. Everything would take time, and she was on an ever-ticking clock.
The second girl shouting across the first gave her pause for a moment. Just a moment.
"Yeah for some reason when I tell people to go away they never come fall into my traps. Weird, right?"
A swift departure was ideal though. Nura needed to get herself warmed up before she returned to the water, and it would take longer to refil her focus and fortitude if she was forced to split her attention between her goal and another person. She didn't want to move, either. Everything would take time, and she was on an ever-ticking clock.
The second girl shouting across the first gave her pause for a moment. Just a moment.
"Yeah for some reason when I tell people to go away they never come fall into my traps. Weird, right?"
Calla passed by Gabby on the wooden walkway. She turned to see Gabby walking away. The girl had turned her back - the roles were reversed from before. Calla could catch her unawares. One good crack to the back of the head, and she would go down. If she didn't keep a good grip on the gun...
A moment's hesitation, and she was gone. She went up to the crates and started talking to the girl inside. Gabby didn't quite realize the truth behind the caltrops yet, but likely would soon. Calla scowled. She'd been dealt a bad hand here. But she didn't lose anything, so that was good enough. Her original plan would still go forward.
She should leave before they started asking questions.
((Calla Evans continued elsewhere))
A moment's hesitation, and she was gone. She went up to the crates and started talking to the girl inside. Gabby didn't quite realize the truth behind the caltrops yet, but likely would soon. Calla scowled. She'd been dealt a bad hand here. But she didn't lose anything, so that was good enough. Her original plan would still go forward.
She should leave before they started asking questions.
((Calla Evans continued elsewhere))
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Catche Jagger
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 7:40 pm
- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
The comeback from the crate girl wasn’t awful. It might have even gotten a grin out of her, were it not for the implications of her statement.
It seemed that Gabriela’s estimation of Calla might be wrong, as the girl in the crates made clear that the little spikes weren’t set up by her. However, as Gabriela spun around to face her, Calla already rushed off to somewhere else among the planks.
Unfortunately, the moment was enough to put Gabriela on edge again, knowing that she might have been moments away from getting ambushed by that bitch. She should’ve just shot that fucker right in the back when she showed up. Then she wouldn’t have ended up in such a vulnerable position.
“Damn it… Fucking moron...” She hissed before glancing back towards the crates. Part of her was curious as to the identity of this hidden figure and what the fuck her deal was, but a greater portion of her mind was focused on just getting out of the area now that thing had gotten a bit weird.
“Alright. I think I’m going too. Watch out for the spikes, I guess.” Gabriela spoke up after a further moment of thought, before turning around and leaving, trying to make sure to not go in the same direction as Calla had seemed to go.
((Gabriela continued in Phone a Friend))
It seemed that Gabriela’s estimation of Calla might be wrong, as the girl in the crates made clear that the little spikes weren’t set up by her. However, as Gabriela spun around to face her, Calla already rushed off to somewhere else among the planks.
Unfortunately, the moment was enough to put Gabriela on edge again, knowing that she might have been moments away from getting ambushed by that bitch. She should’ve just shot that fucker right in the back when she showed up. Then she wouldn’t have ended up in such a vulnerable position.
“Damn it… Fucking moron...” She hissed before glancing back towards the crates. Part of her was curious as to the identity of this hidden figure and what the fuck her deal was, but a greater portion of her mind was focused on just getting out of the area now that thing had gotten a bit weird.
“Alright. I think I’m going too. Watch out for the spikes, I guess.” Gabriela spoke up after a further moment of thought, before turning around and leaving, trying to make sure to not go in the same direction as Calla had seemed to go.
((Gabriela continued in Phone a Friend))
Nura watched them both leave through narrowed eyes. Along the flatness of the jetties, it was some time before they were each out of sight.
Once she could no longer see them, she waited another minute longer.
Then she stood up, letting out a shuddering breath. In, and out, in, and out. Her hand felt clammy. She laid the gun back down on her bag. Nura hadn't even read through how to use it yet. She didn't think that revolvers had a safety to mess with, but didn't you have to do something with the hammer or—well, she wouldn't know until she checked out the instructions. Not a fun prospect. Spending time learning how to kill in place of trying to break out...
Maybe Nura could, should, reassess that. Learning how to protect herself. Couldn't escape if she was dead either. People weren't going to tip their hats politely and allow her to get on with her business just because she was looking to escape, Jewel was right about that much. The two girls had backed off, but it was early, and their convictions (or their armouries) probably hadn't had time to solidify. Tomorrow? A few hours? Different people?
Yeah. This would change quickly.
With the two of them gone, Nura tried to drag her focus back to warmth, swaddling herself in the towel again and then clumsily dragging the shirt she'd found in her bag over the small amount of her upper body sticking out of the top. T-shirt over towel. Best-dressed in town. The tee was branded after her team, so Nura was repping merchandise now too, she supposed. Whee. Advertising. Well, whatever, it was warmer than nothing and better than getting her own clothes wet. After putting her back to one of the crates and nestling into the little cubby, she grabbed the instructions.
..
...
....
Okay this was going to be more complicated than she thought.
It was around an hour by her reckoning before Nura put everything down and stood back up. She could feel all her fingers and toes and the shirt-plus-towel was starting to get a little stifling, so her temperature had to be doing okay. All set for part two of this experiment. Less time, possibly more danger. Nura wasn't one hundred percent certain. She didn't think it was likely she would lose her bearings, but she didn't have a great idea of how long she could hold her breath and underwater was underwater; things lived down there, and there were currents and... all right Nura was going to stop thinking about this before she psyched herself out.
Nura stepped out of crate HQ, and then stopped. A small number of spiked objects were littered across the boards right outside her little sanctuary. Stooping, she picked one up. Sharp spikes every which way. Nasty. Trap had been right on the money, even if the person laying it, less so. She would have to watch her step. After a moment's deliberation, Nura scooped a couple of them into her bag. While she wasn't interested in crippling anyone's feet, a tool was a tool. She could improvise. Once she was confident she wasn't going to stab her soles, Nura shed her shirt and the towel, and stepped onto the edge of the jetty. Deep breaths. Her platform bobbed slowly.
She dove into the water.
Down. Down. Down.
Her ears popped. She kept her eyes screwed shut.
Down.
Her lungs started to ache.
Down.
Straining now. How long had it been? Too much together to count off the seconds.
Nura reversed herself and kicked back up. Up. Up.
Her head broke the water's surface, she gasped, immediately sought out the jetty. Still as close as she'd left it. She latched on, climbed back out of the water. Breathed.
Sitting on the edge there, Nura recovered from the dive, scanning left and right to check if anyone was approaching. So far so good.
And back in again.
Five times, Nura dove, swam as deep as she could and dared, and then broke back for the surface.
She climbed out of the water, ran her fingers across her collar. Leaks? Damage? ...No.
Nura closed her eyes and sighed. A slim smile twitched her lips. Figured.
Half an hour later, dried off and back in her normal clothes, Nura set out. Step two.
((Nura continued in In All My Dreams I Drown))
Once she could no longer see them, she waited another minute longer.
Then she stood up, letting out a shuddering breath. In, and out, in, and out. Her hand felt clammy. She laid the gun back down on her bag. Nura hadn't even read through how to use it yet. She didn't think that revolvers had a safety to mess with, but didn't you have to do something with the hammer or—well, she wouldn't know until she checked out the instructions. Not a fun prospect. Spending time learning how to kill in place of trying to break out...
Maybe Nura could, should, reassess that. Learning how to protect herself. Couldn't escape if she was dead either. People weren't going to tip their hats politely and allow her to get on with her business just because she was looking to escape, Jewel was right about that much. The two girls had backed off, but it was early, and their convictions (or their armouries) probably hadn't had time to solidify. Tomorrow? A few hours? Different people?
Yeah. This would change quickly.
With the two of them gone, Nura tried to drag her focus back to warmth, swaddling herself in the towel again and then clumsily dragging the shirt she'd found in her bag over the small amount of her upper body sticking out of the top. T-shirt over towel. Best-dressed in town. The tee was branded after her team, so Nura was repping merchandise now too, she supposed. Whee. Advertising. Well, whatever, it was warmer than nothing and better than getting her own clothes wet. After putting her back to one of the crates and nestling into the little cubby, she grabbed the instructions.
..
...
....
Okay this was going to be more complicated than she thought.
It was around an hour by her reckoning before Nura put everything down and stood back up. She could feel all her fingers and toes and the shirt-plus-towel was starting to get a little stifling, so her temperature had to be doing okay. All set for part two of this experiment. Less time, possibly more danger. Nura wasn't one hundred percent certain. She didn't think it was likely she would lose her bearings, but she didn't have a great idea of how long she could hold her breath and underwater was underwater; things lived down there, and there were currents and... all right Nura was going to stop thinking about this before she psyched herself out.
Nura stepped out of crate HQ, and then stopped. A small number of spiked objects were littered across the boards right outside her little sanctuary. Stooping, she picked one up. Sharp spikes every which way. Nasty. Trap had been right on the money, even if the person laying it, less so. She would have to watch her step. After a moment's deliberation, Nura scooped a couple of them into her bag. While she wasn't interested in crippling anyone's feet, a tool was a tool. She could improvise. Once she was confident she wasn't going to stab her soles, Nura shed her shirt and the towel, and stepped onto the edge of the jetty. Deep breaths. Her platform bobbed slowly.
She dove into the water.
Down. Down. Down.
Her ears popped. She kept her eyes screwed shut.
Down.
Her lungs started to ache.
Down.
Straining now. How long had it been? Too much together to count off the seconds.
Nura reversed herself and kicked back up. Up. Up.
Her head broke the water's surface, she gasped, immediately sought out the jetty. Still as close as she'd left it. She latched on, climbed back out of the water. Breathed.
Sitting on the edge there, Nura recovered from the dive, scanning left and right to check if anyone was approaching. So far so good.
And back in again.
Five times, Nura dove, swam as deep as she could and dared, and then broke back for the surface.
She climbed out of the water, ran her fingers across her collar. Leaks? Damage? ...No.
Nura closed her eyes and sighed. A slim smile twitched her lips. Figured.
Half an hour later, dried off and back in her normal clothes, Nura set out. Step two.
((Nura continued in In All My Dreams I Drown))