((Austin Song continued from O03: Start))
Austin made his way out of the bush and out into the open as he glanced around at his surroundings. He felt himself let out a few gasps of breath and he bit down on his lip to stop himself from letting out a frustrated noise of disappointment and anger. He really should have just let those two guys kill each other or whatever pee boy had wanted to do. Austin knew that he shouldn't have tried to get involved in strangers' business.
Austin let out a hmm sound as he was walking along the rough, pebbled sand and he could hear the small, crunchy-sounding like steps moving with confidence. He then looked across the shoreline and he stopped pacing at some point, kicking at the ground with his foot.
He wondered how his family and friends were doing back at home. He needed to get back to them somehow.
But could he really kill anyone?
He didn't know anyone yet on this island and he guessed that could be more of a motivation for him. He wasn't sure yet.
He stood there, lost in thought and staring out at the waves in silence.
Nerves Of The Ocean Shores
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Primrosette
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"Don't think it's much good for a dip, buddy."
Oscar leaned forwards from a section of brush.
He threw a wide smile.
"Not dressed for it anyhow."
He took a step out onto the beach, shaking a clinging piece of undergrowth off of one sandal.
Pause.
"Uh, English?"
He switched to another language for a few words. Pause, resumed in English again.
"Probably not Samoan, nah?"
Oscar leaned forwards from a section of brush.
He threw a wide smile.
"Not dressed for it anyhow."
He took a step out onto the beach, shaking a clinging piece of undergrowth off of one sandal.
Pause.
"Uh, English?"
He switched to another language for a few words. Pause, resumed in English again.
"Probably not Samoan, nah?"
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Primrosette
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Austin turned around quickly at the sound of the other boy's voice and his hands were formed into fists at his sides, feeling that he needed to be cautious. It did seem like the boy was being friendly for the time being, he didn't know how long that was going to last or if this was a trick. Was it a trap? Austin wasn't sure what to think as he continued to stare while the other boy was talking in an another language and he cursed himself in his mind for not learning more languages when he had been given the option in school.
But now there was another problem.
Did he want to talk to this stranger? Austin wasn't good at trusting people that he didn't know well and he was still feeling the effect of getting almost robbed from before. He glanced up and down over Oscar's body to see if there was any body language that looked like it was off and he came to the conclusion that there was none off about him. He hoped that he wasn't making the wrong call about this.
His fists relaxed slightly and he knew that he should have washed the dried blood off his face. But his mind was still feeling a bit woozy from before and he could worry about that afterwards. If it scared the other guy, then it would not be a big loss really. Austin rather had been alone anyway. He didn't want to worry about other people that were there. Not really.
He decided that he should answer his questions. He should at least give him that.
"Yes. And no." He said simply.
He cleared his throat.
"Are you here to rob me?"
He might as well get it over with. He needed to see if this guy was genuine or not.
But now there was another problem.
Did he want to talk to this stranger? Austin wasn't good at trusting people that he didn't know well and he was still feeling the effect of getting almost robbed from before. He glanced up and down over Oscar's body to see if there was any body language that looked like it was off and he came to the conclusion that there was none off about him. He hoped that he wasn't making the wrong call about this.
His fists relaxed slightly and he knew that he should have washed the dried blood off his face. But his mind was still feeling a bit woozy from before and he could worry about that afterwards. If it scared the other guy, then it would not be a big loss really. Austin rather had been alone anyway. He didn't want to worry about other people that were there. Not really.
He decided that he should answer his questions. He should at least give him that.
"Yes. And no." He said simply.
He cleared his throat.
"Are you here to rob me?"
He might as well get it over with. He needed to see if this guy was genuine or not.
His eyes dipped down to those closed fists, and then back up again.
The smile changed. Hard to read. Less broad, definitely.
"Nah?"
One hand dropped to his hip, he raised an eyebrow.
"That a problem where you come from? Thieves?"
His grin was suddenly back full force.
"I look like a big bad thief, huh?
"I'm Oscar."
The smile changed. Hard to read. Less broad, definitely.
"Nah?"
One hand dropped to his hip, he raised an eyebrow.
"That a problem where you come from? Thieves?"
His grin was suddenly back full force.
"I look like a big bad thief, huh?
"I'm Oscar."
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Primrosette
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Austin felt the distrust still not going away for himself. But he decided to let his guard down a bit. A little. He unclenched his fist slowly and they were tapping at the sides of his hoodie's fabric. It felt like somewhat comforting, but he knew that it wouldn't last that long for him. He actually hoped that the other boy didn't think he was just accusing him for the sake of it and that he just wanted to be safe about it. Trusting a stranger was a hard thing for someone like Austin.
He didn't smile at all at the other guy as he would always default to a emotionless, blank expression. Smiling was a hard thing for him to do. It was rare to make him feel anything much.
"Who doesn't have thieves from wherever we're from?" He was trying to make his voice sound light-hearted, even if his face didn't changed and his shoulders were still feeling a bit tensed up.
It wasn't really a question that he was asking. Just something that was true. Thieves were everywhere in different countries and that was never going to change. He knew that.
It seemed like the other boy was trying to keep things friendly and Austin felt slightly bad for being a poor judge of character. And then he said what his name was. Oscar. Austin hadn't wanted to know his name as this meant that he had a name to this stranger and now he had to do the same. He couldn't lie about his name. Even if that would be the easier option.
"I didn't mean it like that." He said honestly with a small shake of his head, letting out a small sigh. "I saved someone from his attacker a bit earlier. But he threatened me with his weapon. Asking for some of my supplies. I refused to do so. He.... He let me go. So I wanted to see if I could trust that you wouldn't do the same. I'm not good at trusting strangers."
He hated that he was talking so much. This was the most that he had said to anyone before and he preferred to be more of the listener than the speaker.
"Austin."
He didn't smile at all at the other guy as he would always default to a emotionless, blank expression. Smiling was a hard thing for him to do. It was rare to make him feel anything much.
"Who doesn't have thieves from wherever we're from?" He was trying to make his voice sound light-hearted, even if his face didn't changed and his shoulders were still feeling a bit tensed up.
It wasn't really a question that he was asking. Just something that was true. Thieves were everywhere in different countries and that was never going to change. He knew that.
It seemed like the other boy was trying to keep things friendly and Austin felt slightly bad for being a poor judge of character. And then he said what his name was. Oscar. Austin hadn't wanted to know his name as this meant that he had a name to this stranger and now he had to do the same. He couldn't lie about his name. Even if that would be the easier option.
"I didn't mean it like that." He said honestly with a small shake of his head, letting out a small sigh. "I saved someone from his attacker a bit earlier. But he threatened me with his weapon. Asking for some of my supplies. I refused to do so. He.... He let me go. So I wanted to see if I could trust that you wouldn't do the same. I'm not good at trusting strangers."
He hated that he was talking so much. This was the most that he had said to anyone before and he preferred to be more of the listener than the speaker.
"Austin."
Oscar rolled a shoulder while his eyes tracked Austin's hands losing their fists. He continued to look that way for a moment, and then resumed eye contact.
Briefly, he tilted his head to the side, studying Austin's face. Then his lips twisted wryly.
As Austin told his story, however, that expression faded. Oscar's eyebrows shot up, and then furrowed. He let out a small 'hmph', letting his bag slide down his arm and onto the ground.
"Well that's no good." He crouched and started rummaging through. "Hey, man, maybe I can flip that around. You want to share some uh..." Oscar extracted the large bottle and squinted at it. "Maple syrup? Good to get calories."
Oscar chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, little worried myself. Got allergies."
Briefly, he tilted his head to the side, studying Austin's face. Then his lips twisted wryly.
As Austin told his story, however, that expression faded. Oscar's eyebrows shot up, and then furrowed. He let out a small 'hmph', letting his bag slide down his arm and onto the ground.
"Well that's no good." He crouched and started rummaging through. "Hey, man, maybe I can flip that around. You want to share some uh..." Oscar extracted the large bottle and squinted at it. "Maple syrup? Good to get calories."
Oscar chuckled sheepishly. "Uh, little worried myself. Got allergies."
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MurderWeasel
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((Leander Van Vliet continued from 29 and me))
The AWP really was an impressive piece of technology, Leander thought.
From where he was crouched, with his back pressed against a particularly wide trunk at the edge of the treeline that ran the length of the beach, and well down the sandy stretch from the targets of his observation at that, he could barely make out the others with his natural vision. There was no detail to speak of, just two distant shapes that could have been figures or could have been loose rubbish tossed about by the wind. But when he leaned down and set his eye to the scope, they resolved clearly into two figures.
They were both lanky. The taller one wore a garish sweater with a horror movie character on the front, wreathed in flames. One lock of his hair was dyed pink; clearly this was someone who made very good life decisions. A white boy, again. The shorter one was not white and was wearing some sort of skirt or kilt, sandals, and a loose white shirt. They looked like a guy when it came to facial features, but even with the help from the scope Leander wouldn't have put money on it, especially not with the ponytail added to the mix.
What really mattered, though, was the difference in detail. The AWP more or less functioned as a set of binoculars, with the added bonus feature of taking heads off if the time was right. It let Leander do what he was doing now—once again sequestering himself in the most dense, concealing thicket he could find, watching and waiting and considering—without having to fear much from the objects of his attention. From within the brush and leaves, he'd be hard to spot, and even if they did, they'd have to close the distance with him, which would be a minute-long ordeal assuming they made a good pace and assuming he chose to wait around. If not, he could slip away into the trees and opt out of the encounter entirely.
Tactically speaking, he had a major leg up on this trial. But that didn't seem to matter much currently, because nobody else was engaging with the nature of their predicament. The closest he'd seen was the shotgun blast fired into nowhere, the echoing report that had crossed the distance to where he'd lurked. Here, the voices of the pair stood no chance of reaching so far. All he heard was the crash of waves against the rocks, the crinkling of leaves and the rasping of branch against branch in the wind. But he didn't need to hear. The body language said it all. At least for now, there was no fight.
Leander's breath was steady as he idly shifted the rifle, trying to track the communication as it played out in pantomime.
The AWP really was an impressive piece of technology, Leander thought.
From where he was crouched, with his back pressed against a particularly wide trunk at the edge of the treeline that ran the length of the beach, and well down the sandy stretch from the targets of his observation at that, he could barely make out the others with his natural vision. There was no detail to speak of, just two distant shapes that could have been figures or could have been loose rubbish tossed about by the wind. But when he leaned down and set his eye to the scope, they resolved clearly into two figures.
They were both lanky. The taller one wore a garish sweater with a horror movie character on the front, wreathed in flames. One lock of his hair was dyed pink; clearly this was someone who made very good life decisions. A white boy, again. The shorter one was not white and was wearing some sort of skirt or kilt, sandals, and a loose white shirt. They looked like a guy when it came to facial features, but even with the help from the scope Leander wouldn't have put money on it, especially not with the ponytail added to the mix.
What really mattered, though, was the difference in detail. The AWP more or less functioned as a set of binoculars, with the added bonus feature of taking heads off if the time was right. It let Leander do what he was doing now—once again sequestering himself in the most dense, concealing thicket he could find, watching and waiting and considering—without having to fear much from the objects of his attention. From within the brush and leaves, he'd be hard to spot, and even if they did, they'd have to close the distance with him, which would be a minute-long ordeal assuming they made a good pace and assuming he chose to wait around. If not, he could slip away into the trees and opt out of the encounter entirely.
Tactically speaking, he had a major leg up on this trial. But that didn't seem to matter much currently, because nobody else was engaging with the nature of their predicament. The closest he'd seen was the shotgun blast fired into nowhere, the echoing report that had crossed the distance to where he'd lurked. Here, the voices of the pair stood no chance of reaching so far. All he heard was the crash of waves against the rocks, the crinkling of leaves and the rasping of branch against branch in the wind. But he didn't need to hear. The body language said it all. At least for now, there was no fight.
Leander's breath was steady as he idly shifted the rifle, trying to track the communication as it played out in pantomime.
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Primrosette
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Austin raised an eyebrow when Oscar got out a bottle of maple syrup and that could only mean one thing. This was the boy's so-called weapon and it seemed like their kidnappers thought that it was frigging funny to play a joke on some people. It seemed like he wasn't the only one that was unlucky in the draw of weapons and he wondered how much guns or knifes or other deadly objects there were to use.
Austin raised his hand and he waved him off, not in a dismissive manner to be rude or anything. He just wanted to let him know that he didn't need it. ....Or did he?
"You don't have to do that, bud. Thanks for the offer tho." He said honestly. "I don't really like maple syrup. My taste buds are all kinda picky."
He paused for a moment and then he started to pace back and forth on his feet a little.
"I assume that is your weapon. Which is a bad joke on our kidnappers' part. I don't know what they really want from us. But this seems like they want to experiment something with us. I dunno what but...." He trailed off and his shoulders were shrugging as if he was clueless about everything. Which he was, to be perfectly fair.
He stopped pacing on his feet and he looked at Oscar sharply.
"What are you planning to do here, Oscar?" He asked quietly.
Austin raised his hand and he waved him off, not in a dismissive manner to be rude or anything. He just wanted to let him know that he didn't need it. ....Or did he?
"You don't have to do that, bud. Thanks for the offer tho." He said honestly. "I don't really like maple syrup. My taste buds are all kinda picky."
He paused for a moment and then he started to pace back and forth on his feet a little.
"I assume that is your weapon. Which is a bad joke on our kidnappers' part. I don't know what they really want from us. But this seems like they want to experiment something with us. I dunno what but...." He trailed off and his shoulders were shrugging as if he was clueless about everything. Which he was, to be perfectly fair.
He stopped pacing on his feet and he looked at Oscar sharply.
"What are you planning to do here, Oscar?" He asked quietly.
Oscar held the syrup up for a couple more seconds, wiggling it from side to side, and then, pulling a mock sad face, slipped it back into his bag.
"Yeah, I guess it is." Oscar laughed, skipping over responding to Austin's actual question.
He chewed on his cheek, looking up at Austin. Then he straightened up out of his crouch, brushing himself off for no visible benefit.
Oscar opened his mouth, then hesitated again, picked his bag back up, shouldered it, adjusted the strap, paused to look at the strap, adjusted it. Looked back at Austin.
"No idea."
"Yeah, I guess it is." Oscar laughed, skipping over responding to Austin's actual question.
He chewed on his cheek, looking up at Austin. Then he straightened up out of his crouch, brushing himself off for no visible benefit.
Oscar opened his mouth, then hesitated again, picked his bag back up, shouldered it, adjusted the strap, paused to look at the strap, adjusted it. Looked back at Austin.
"No idea."
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MurderWeasel
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When the white boy began to pace, the movement inevitably drew Leander's attention, and with it his aim. The center of the cross hairs followed along behind him like Leander's friends tagging along at his heels back home, always a step to the rear, a second slower. It was a lazy movement, very casual. He was, after all, observing right now, as if through binoculars.
This was a somewhat more comfortable hideout than the one before, primarily because the leaves were smoother and the branches were sparser and the soil was less damp. There were twigs and scraps of bark scattered on the ground, which would've posed a sound challenge had he been moving carelessly and had anyone been within earshot, but was currently irrelevant besides as a warning sign against possible surprises from a different angle.
After the last stop, Leander had taken a moment to secret two magazines about his person, one in his left hip pocket and the other in his right inner blazer pocket. He'd tried to fit a third in the small pocket of his waistcoat, which he had temporarily unbuttoned, but had found it too shallow. The firm metal of those two spare magazines was a reassuring weight, though. He'd read some more about how to operate the more lethal features of the AWP. The theory was fairly solid in his head.
The pacing boy stopped, and like a follower too close on his heels the target zone bumped into him.
It settled on his chest and did not move even when the other figure stood.
This was a somewhat more comfortable hideout than the one before, primarily because the leaves were smoother and the branches were sparser and the soil was less damp. There were twigs and scraps of bark scattered on the ground, which would've posed a sound challenge had he been moving carelessly and had anyone been within earshot, but was currently irrelevant besides as a warning sign against possible surprises from a different angle.
After the last stop, Leander had taken a moment to secret two magazines about his person, one in his left hip pocket and the other in his right inner blazer pocket. He'd tried to fit a third in the small pocket of his waistcoat, which he had temporarily unbuttoned, but had found it too shallow. The firm metal of those two spare magazines was a reassuring weight, though. He'd read some more about how to operate the more lethal features of the AWP. The theory was fairly solid in his head.
The pacing boy stopped, and like a follower too close on his heels the target zone bumped into him.
It settled on his chest and did not move even when the other figure stood.
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Primrosette
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"Ah, I see."
That was all that he could really say to Oscar as there wasn't really anything that he could force the other boy to do and he knew that this meant that he should get moving on his own path. He didn't really want to get Oscar involved in what he was planning and he couldn't really tell him that he would take people out of his way if it could get him back home. At least he hoped that they would, if they didn't.... He didn't know what he would really do that.
Could he just lie to Oscar?
Would that make things alright for a while between them?
Austin sucked at lying about things. Even when his face was stone cold.
"Well, would you like to travel around with me for a while?" He offered politely. He could always sneak away to do what he wanted and that he wouldn't have to explain to Oscar about his future actions. "I think it would be better than being alone out there. Don't want to get jumped by an ambush or anything like that. I don't know who else is here, so I don't know what they will be thinking and doing here anyway."
Talking felt like it was hurting his throat. But it wasn't really. Socializing with this guy wasn't so bad.
That was all that he could really say to Oscar as there wasn't really anything that he could force the other boy to do and he knew that this meant that he should get moving on his own path. He didn't really want to get Oscar involved in what he was planning and he couldn't really tell him that he would take people out of his way if it could get him back home. At least he hoped that they would, if they didn't.... He didn't know what he would really do that.
Could he just lie to Oscar?
Would that make things alright for a while between them?
Austin sucked at lying about things. Even when his face was stone cold.
"Well, would you like to travel around with me for a while?" He offered politely. He could always sneak away to do what he wanted and that he wouldn't have to explain to Oscar about his future actions. "I think it would be better than being alone out there. Don't want to get jumped by an ambush or anything like that. I don't know who else is here, so I don't know what they will be thinking and doing here anyway."
Talking felt like it was hurting his throat. But it wasn't really. Socializing with this guy wasn't so bad.
Visible surprise crossed Oscar's face, although he quickly smoothed it with a another smile.
"Uh, huh. Hm. Mm." He went on that way for a few seconds.
"Sure!" he said brightly. "That sounds much less lonely than what I was thinking."
The smile stretched.
"Uh, huh. Hm. Mm." He went on that way for a few seconds.
"Sure!" he said brightly. "That sounds much less lonely than what I was thinking."
The smile stretched.
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MurderWeasel
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The two were just standing there, talking, as if it was any other time of their lives. Leander struggled to understand it. The shoreline was so vast and open, little adequate cover to be found and even if they did find shelter behind a rock, they'd be pinned down indefinitely. Someone with a suitable weapon could take advantage in a serious way.
He wasn't paying much attention to the figure in the skirt. Instead, the cross hairs trailed up and down the boy in the horror movie sweater. Elevator eyes, it could've been called if he was a cute girl and Leander was a little closer.
It was getting easier to keep the AWP steady and smooth as he adjusted it. The weight of the weapon was becoming more familiar, the way it pressed into his shoulder, the way the metal felt. The cool resistance as his finger brushed over the trigger again, up and down the curve.
What were they thinking? Didn't they understand how much danger they were in? Were they just assuming this whole exercise was a farce? Had they failed to account for long-range firepower? Did they lack basic skills applicable to the situation?
Up and down, up and down.
He wasn't paying much attention to the figure in the skirt. Instead, the cross hairs trailed up and down the boy in the horror movie sweater. Elevator eyes, it could've been called if he was a cute girl and Leander was a little closer.
It was getting easier to keep the AWP steady and smooth as he adjusted it. The weight of the weapon was becoming more familiar, the way it pressed into his shoulder, the way the metal felt. The cool resistance as his finger brushed over the trigger again, up and down the curve.
What were they thinking? Didn't they understand how much danger they were in? Were they just assuming this whole exercise was a farce? Had they failed to account for long-range firepower? Did they lack basic skills applicable to the situation?
Up and down, up and down.
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Primrosette
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Austin noticed the surprised look on Oscar's face before a smile came back again and he guessed that the other boy had thought that he could straight out abandon him. Sure, Austin was still feeling a bit weary, but he couldn't just suddenly decide that everyone was his enemy and he had to see who was safe to be around and who was not. Oscar seemed like he was an okay dude and Austin was going to trust him for now.
But trusting you would be a mistake. Wouldn't it, Austin?
Austin ignored that sudden thought and he glanced towards the waves of the ocean, pondering over where they could go next.
He then turned himself to look over at the treeline and he was trying to see if he had been followed or not, squinting a little as if that was going to help his sight of vision. If horror movies have taught him anything, it was that there was always a possibility that someone was watching and waiting to get a kill and that they were the perfect prey right out in the open. This was, however, not a goddamned movie and Austin needed to get his head into reality over some petty fiction.
"Cool. Let's get going. We've been out in the open for too long and I want to leave. Just in case, those two guys had followed me and are hiding from us right now." He said simply with a small nod.
He then headed towards a different side of the treeline from where he had come from. He wanted to be more cautious. Just in case....
But trusting you would be a mistake. Wouldn't it, Austin?
Austin ignored that sudden thought and he glanced towards the waves of the ocean, pondering over where they could go next.
He then turned himself to look over at the treeline and he was trying to see if he had been followed or not, squinting a little as if that was going to help his sight of vision. If horror movies have taught him anything, it was that there was always a possibility that someone was watching and waiting to get a kill and that they were the perfect prey right out in the open. This was, however, not a goddamned movie and Austin needed to get his head into reality over some petty fiction.
"Cool. Let's get going. We've been out in the open for too long and I want to leave. Just in case, those two guys had followed me and are hiding from us right now." He said simply with a small nod.
He then headed towards a different side of the treeline from where he had come from. He wanted to be more cautious. Just in case....
Oscar stood still and watched Austin's back for a couple of seconds. Only then did he set on off after him, sparing a look of his own over at the water.
"Moving on sounds good, but hey, you planning on cleaning up that blood, man? Unless it's war paint I guess."
Oscar mimed painting stripes under his eyes.
"Moving on sounds good, but hey, you planning on cleaning up that blood, man? Unless it's war paint I guess."
Oscar mimed painting stripes under his eyes.