(Rhonda Rollins continued from I've Passed the Point of No Return)
There hadn't been a new announcement yet, so Rhonda didn't know what happened within the cruise ship. The exact details were still mashed together in a blur inside of her head. Everything from the moment she started running was more or less a blank. She remembered Verity and Leah, but she had no idea where they went, or if they even managed to get out.
Her thoughts were getting dragged to those dark places again. She needed an escape. A physical escape from the flotilla would be ideal, but a mental one would do in a pinch.
She boarded the patrol boat once more. That floating heap of gunmetal gray steel that she woke up to this nightmare on. It was familiar, but not comforting. If she managed to get out of here, Rhonda wasn't sure if she would ever even be able to look at a boat again without being afflicted with some awful memories. She felt like she might have found the place where she woke up, but she kept on walking, all the way to the far side of the ship, right near the searchlight.
Rhonda sat next to the massive light and leaned against the side of the boat. She sighed and took a drink of water. Nearly a day had passed, and she had nothing to show for it aside from an accidental murder. She just wanted to get out, to have something resembling her old life back. She missed going to the gym after school to train, or eating pizza with her dad on Friday nights. And right now, she'd give anything for a way to have all of that again.
Un-goddamn-deniable
Private until Naft enters the thread
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The Honeless Beard
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((From here))
When Ivan saw that it was Rhonda in the patrol boat, at first he was relieved, sagging slightly on the jetty he was standing on, taking her in from the back. He hesitated, though, when she appeared to be alone.
Rhonda hadn't killed him when she had the chance, which was well and good and meant that she was good people in his eyes, but that didn't mean that philosophy or strategy or whatever would hold water as their time in the ocean stretched out. Also, the small matter of what had happened to Xander kept bubbling, percolating.
But he didn't have a fucking weapon and he was pretty sure Viriginia was dead back there, so talking was the next best thing to stave all of this off for a few more moments.
"Permission to uh, come aboard?" he called, one bare foot curling over the side of the boat, white tank top feeling far, far too little protection against the sea-spray. The F was still there, lightly oozing. He hadn't bothered trying to cover it.
When Ivan saw that it was Rhonda in the patrol boat, at first he was relieved, sagging slightly on the jetty he was standing on, taking her in from the back. He hesitated, though, when she appeared to be alone.
Rhonda hadn't killed him when she had the chance, which was well and good and meant that she was good people in his eyes, but that didn't mean that philosophy or strategy or whatever would hold water as their time in the ocean stretched out. Also, the small matter of what had happened to Xander kept bubbling, percolating.
But he didn't have a fucking weapon and he was pretty sure Viriginia was dead back there, so talking was the next best thing to stave all of this off for a few more moments.
"Permission to uh, come aboard?" he called, one bare foot curling over the side of the boat, white tank top feeling far, far too little protection against the sea-spray. The F was still there, lightly oozing. He hadn't bothered trying to cover it.
Rhonda looked up, and at least she had a little bit of good news to greet her. Ivan was still alive. He still wasn't in the best shape, but he was up and walking again, so that was a small victory in its own right. He was a fairly friendly presence, at least in the terms that he didn't try to kill her when they first met... not that he had been in any condition to do so in the first place, but she was willing to take any sort of good news right now.
"Sure, come on." She invited him in, taking another drink before stowing her water back in her bag. She's made it probably about a day at this point, so she felt like she was managing her supplies well enough. The extra rations that she got from Xander helped with that, but she wasn't going to say that. She still didn't like admitting it to herself.
"So, uh..." She couldn't help but notice the still-bloody F on Ivan's forehead, and she pointed to her own in reference. "You need a patch for that?"
"Sure, come on." She invited him in, taking another drink before stowing her water back in her bag. She's made it probably about a day at this point, so she felt like she was managing her supplies well enough. The extra rations that she got from Xander helped with that, but she wasn't going to say that. She still didn't like admitting it to herself.
"So, uh..." She couldn't help but notice the still-bloody F on Ivan's forehead, and she pointed to her own in reference. "You need a patch for that?"
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The Honeless Beard
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"Let 'em fucking see," came the reply as Ivan climbed over the boat, putting his arms against the engine guard and lowering himself to a seated position on the floor. There was a small rivulet of water where the deck dipped, sloshing in time with the waves that gently rocked them. Idly, he dragged a jean leg through it, watched the denim darken.
He appraised Rhonda, eyes first going to her bag, studying it. Looked a little fuller than his, and that plus the absence of Xander answered a question he didn't feel like asking. Probably had reason enough.
"Cards on table. You going for the body count win?"
He appraised Rhonda, eyes first going to her bag, studying it. Looked a little fuller than his, and that plus the absence of Xander answered a question he didn't feel like asking. Probably had reason enough.
"Cards on table. You going for the body count win?"
Rhonda's glare sharpened when Ivan asked if she was going for the ten kill win. He might as well as walked up and slapped her in the face, considering it was one of the first things out of his mouth once he set foot on the boat.
"Hell no." She spat bitterly. "If it wasn't for Giselle's bitch-ass, Xander would be sitting right over here somewhere." She had a special distaste in her voice when she mentioned Giselle's name. She already knew that there were some people that she wouldn't be able to forgive over the course of all of this, and Giselle was the first name on that list. "She lured us in and jumped him. She had a knife, so I didn't have a lot of time to think." She sounded weary as she recounted the events that led to Xander's shooting. It wasn't too hard to hear her disappointment. "So yeah, I tried to shoot her. I didn't know what else to do."
She sighed. "Turns out I got shit aim. That's why Giselle's still kickin' around and Xander ain't, and why they got to tell everyone on the island that I'm a team-killer." She folded her arms on her knees and sunk the lower half of her face into them, needing a place to sulk.
"Hell no." She spat bitterly. "If it wasn't for Giselle's bitch-ass, Xander would be sitting right over here somewhere." She had a special distaste in her voice when she mentioned Giselle's name. She already knew that there were some people that she wouldn't be able to forgive over the course of all of this, and Giselle was the first name on that list. "She lured us in and jumped him. She had a knife, so I didn't have a lot of time to think." She sounded weary as she recounted the events that led to Xander's shooting. It wasn't too hard to hear her disappointment. "So yeah, I tried to shoot her. I didn't know what else to do."
She sighed. "Turns out I got shit aim. That's why Giselle's still kickin' around and Xander ain't, and why they got to tell everyone on the island that I'm a team-killer." She folded her arms on her knees and sunk the lower half of her face into them, needing a place to sulk.
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The Honeless Beard
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"Ah."
If had been any name - well, any other name besides a list of five that rattled around in his brain - Ivan would have been skeptical. But Giselle?
He bought Giselle.
"Ten-kill is probably unrealistic if you started now, anyways," Ivan deadpanned. "People who start at this point are usually spinning their wheels. You basically need to average one, maybe two kills per announcement cycle traditionally. That's basically what Ruiz and Evans did. Every time you miss one, you're going to have to work overtime the next one."
Ivan scooted a little closer, then, keeping his eyes locked on the space where Rhonda's eyes disappeared beneath her sleeve.
"I'm not on that delicacy bullshit right now, Rhonda, so I got a proposition for you. I'm trying to do right by someone back home, either by holding to their ideals or making it back to 'em with some dignity, but I'm willing to make an exception for five people. Giselle's on that list."
Ivan cocked his head.
"You picking up what I'm dropping?"
If had been any name - well, any other name besides a list of five that rattled around in his brain - Ivan would have been skeptical. But Giselle?
He bought Giselle.
"Ten-kill is probably unrealistic if you started now, anyways," Ivan deadpanned. "People who start at this point are usually spinning their wheels. You basically need to average one, maybe two kills per announcement cycle traditionally. That's basically what Ruiz and Evans did. Every time you miss one, you're going to have to work overtime the next one."
Ivan scooted a little closer, then, keeping his eyes locked on the space where Rhonda's eyes disappeared beneath her sleeve.
"I'm not on that delicacy bullshit right now, Rhonda, so I got a proposition for you. I'm trying to do right by someone back home, either by holding to their ideals or making it back to 'em with some dignity, but I'm willing to make an exception for five people. Giselle's on that list."
Ivan cocked his head.
"You picking up what I'm dropping?"
Alyssa stood in shadow at the bottom of the stairs.
((Alyssa Tibbett continued from Alone))
She watched the two talking on the deck above her. Rhonda was a killer. Ivan was wounded. She expected them to fight, but they didn't. They talked. Talked about killing more.
She stood and listened. She could wait for them to leave. Or wait for them to find and kill her. Whichever came first.
((Alyssa Tibbett continued from Alone))
She watched the two talking on the deck above her. Rhonda was a killer. Ivan was wounded. She expected them to fight, but they didn't. They talked. Talked about killing more.
She stood and listened. She could wait for them to leave. Or wait for them to find and kill her. Whichever came first.
Rhonda rose her head, her interest piqued. She didn't know when Ivan had the time to run across Giselle, or what reason he would have to want to hunt her down. It wasn't like she really stuck out as a threat before all of this started. Hell, she was almost as anti-SOTF as Rhonda was. It's not like they could have expected her to flip and go full scumbag on them.
Well, there was one reason she could imagine for why Ivan would have it out for her, and if it was true, then it would honestly make things worse. If Giselle was one of the people that did that to Ivan, then there's no telling what she might have done to Rhonda or Xander. Was she luckier than she thought that GIselle had booked it after she fired? She had to shudder at the possibility.
She stared him dead in the eye. If she was going to commit to something like what she thought he was proposing, then she needed an airtight case. She couldn't have any room for doubt that she was making the right choice here, and not just succumbing to barbarism. Her voice lowered dangerously.
"If you got a list, then you better have a damn good reason."
Well, there was one reason she could imagine for why Ivan would have it out for her, and if it was true, then it would honestly make things worse. If Giselle was one of the people that did that to Ivan, then there's no telling what she might have done to Rhonda or Xander. Was she luckier than she thought that GIselle had booked it after she fired? She had to shudder at the possibility.
She stared him dead in the eye. If she was going to commit to something like what she thought he was proposing, then she needed an airtight case. She couldn't have any room for doubt that she was making the right choice here, and not just succumbing to barbarism. Her voice lowered dangerously.
"If you got a list, then you better have a damn good reason."
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The Honeless Beard
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Ivan gave a wry smile, pointing to his forehead, to the F beveled and embossed in inflammation and blood.
"She's one fifth of the reason you found me hanging. I double checked with my mentor after I grabbed my shit from the house boat."
Ivan stretched his back, his vision becoming slightly blurry. He blinked rapidly to clear it.
"I've got a damn great reason. Maybe the best reason of anyone. Its also why I buy your story about Xander 100%. That and you don't seem stupid enough to gank a teammate over bullshit."
"She's one fifth of the reason you found me hanging. I double checked with my mentor after I grabbed my shit from the house boat."
Ivan stretched his back, his vision becoming slightly blurry. He blinked rapidly to clear it.
"I've got a damn great reason. Maybe the best reason of anyone. Its also why I buy your story about Xander 100%. That and you don't seem stupid enough to gank a teammate over bullshit."
(Skipping with permission)
"Shit, man." Rhonda listened with complete interest. So that confirmed her suspicions and then some. Giselle wasn't just scum, she was a special flavor of scum. Beating Ivan within an inch of his life, attacking Xavier for no reason, and hanging out with other scumbags was a pretty damn impressive rap sheet for just one day. She had definitely bought into the producers' game hard, and she wasn't letting go. In that case, it was good that Rhonda already considered her an enemy, because she definitely would have been after getting that bit of information.
She grabbed her bag and stood up, putting her hand on the side of the boat. "Let's walk and talk. I wanna get the full story, and I don't wanna sit around and wait for someone to find us while I hear it." She gestured towards the path off the boat. "Don't really feel like sticking around here anyway."
She didn't want to stay around the patrol boat. Being there reminded her of Xavier, and thinking about him made her think about his death. Maybe she'd be able to think about him normally later, but for now, she just didn't want to think about it. And if being at the patrol boat made her think about it, then she didn't want to be there either.
Besides, if Ivan had something important to tell her, she didn't want to be distracted.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)
"Shit, man." Rhonda listened with complete interest. So that confirmed her suspicions and then some. Giselle wasn't just scum, she was a special flavor of scum. Beating Ivan within an inch of his life, attacking Xavier for no reason, and hanging out with other scumbags was a pretty damn impressive rap sheet for just one day. She had definitely bought into the producers' game hard, and she wasn't letting go. In that case, it was good that Rhonda already considered her an enemy, because she definitely would have been after getting that bit of information.
She grabbed her bag and stood up, putting her hand on the side of the boat. "Let's walk and talk. I wanna get the full story, and I don't wanna sit around and wait for someone to find us while I hear it." She gestured towards the path off the boat. "Don't really feel like sticking around here anyway."
She didn't want to stay around the patrol boat. Being there reminded her of Xavier, and thinking about him made her think about his death. Maybe she'd be able to think about him normally later, but for now, she just didn't want to think about it. And if being at the patrol boat made her think about it, then she didn't want to be there either.
Besides, if Ivan had something important to tell her, she didn't want to be distracted.
(Rhonda Rollins continued elsewhere...)
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The Honeless Beard
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"Agreed," Ivan said, rising with her, letting her take the lead on leaving the little boat.
Ally was too strong a word for what was developing here, and friend was much too far off. But if they could forge something that meant they wouldn't stab each other in the back immediately despite the colour of their bandanas, then Ivan would take it.
"This place is dead anyway."
((Continued elsewhere))
Ally was too strong a word for what was developing here, and friend was much too far off. But if they could forge something that meant they wouldn't stab each other in the back immediately despite the colour of their bandanas, then Ivan would take it.
"This place is dead anyway."
((Continued elsewhere))
Ivan was right.
She returned.
((Alyssa Tibbett continued elsewhere))
She returned.
((Alyssa Tibbett continued elsewhere))