((Elliott-Blair Østergaard continued from The One Where You Are Crying And I Don't Do Anything At All))
Human bodies are hard-wired to avoid corpses.
It has to do with their smell. The putrid odor they gave off makes people want to leave immediately, even if they cannot see the corpse. Something killed someone here, and will do the same to you.
That was the main reason why Elliott-Blair wanted to avoid entering areas heavy with the smell of death. Even after spending three days on a flotilla reeking with the scent of cadaver, he still wasn't acclimatized to it.
There was, however, another reason he wanted to avoid such places.
Gabriela needed to rest. He'd been ignorant of just how tired she was until, after emerging from the bowels onto the deck, just how dark the circles under her eyes were. Luckily for her, lifeboats lined the deck, each one providing cover for those who want a bit of shut-eye.
It had been the right call. It was rather peaceful there; Gabriela fell asleep almost instantly, and with the lull sounds of waves and seagulls being only interrupted by distant gunfire, Elliott-Blair soon found himself dozing off as well.
He woke up once for the announcements, wherein he learned of the deaths of Zack Harlow, Cory Cartwright by Gregory Miller's hands, and Vasily. Sarah's death was also mentioned, while his name wasn't (why should it be? He wasn't the one to kill her).
He woke up again upon hearing a fight some couple feet away from the two. A rather messy one too, judging by the gory sounds.
When he fully awoke, it was the morning of his fourth day here, and with that came more deaths to announce. Shoshanna Kowalczyk, Jodi Hunter, Bacchia, and Sylvain had joined the dead. Elliott-Blair's name was once again not mentioned.
After noting the Danger Zones, it was time for Gabriela and him to get moving.
Which lead to the second reason for avoiding corpse strewn areas; since people would be avoiding such places, if he wanted Gabriela to get any more kills, they'd have to go to someplace relatively free of death.
This is why he should have dismissed the banquet hall that was nearby, as in addition to that rotting smell, there was the equally disgusting scent of feces. But a familiar sight motivated him to enter.
The banquet hall was torn asunder, two corpses in all. The first was Kamille, and the other...
Elliott-Blair made his way to the other side of the room, to where the smell was overwhelming.
Calla Evans lay just outside the entrance. One of the tablecloth's covered her abdomen, though it's white had been thoroughly dyed red.
Elliott-Blair put the end of his strange taser under one of the untouched edges of the tablecloth, then flipped it over.
Calla's intestines jutted out from their fixture, sprawling out along her sides. It was tangled mess of an organ, with a sticky looking substance coated on it's surface. There was a purple-ish tint to it, and it seemed larger than usual, like it was swelling.
Ha.
He'd heard of people doing terrible things on this show. There was that meme a good couple years back, something about a girl getting her toes chopped of and being vivisected alive. Did someone want to try that out on Calla?
Hahaha.
Elliott-Blair had enough of looking over Calla, had enough of ignoring that part of his brain telling him to get away. After some tries, he returned the blood stained tablecloth to where it had been, then turned back to Gabriela. It was time to leave.
The Paradox(es) of Heroism
Morning following the sixth announcement, Private (content warning for gore and unsanitary stuff)
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RetroVenus
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The Paradox(es) of Heroism
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Catche Jagger
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((Gabriela Garcia-Campos continued from Bullet-Points))
Gabriela wasn’t wearing her NASA shirt or sweatpants anymore, decked out in the sickeningly bright orange of her assigned team gear. She looked like a fucking traffic cone, a thing designed to draw attention, to make one wary of dangerous hazards. But her choices were either that or making herself out to be some sort of fucking joke.
She’d slept more heavily after returning to the lifeboats, nearly missing the fight that had woken Elliott. Had she really become that worn down? Losing her edge was going to make everything a hell of a lot harder. It would mean leaning on Elliott more.
She rejected the thought out of hand.
The morning’s announcements revealed the deaths from the previous night. Of note was the death of Mariko, who’d hung on longer than most of the people Gabriela had encountered out in the flotilla. Seemed ironically appropriate that the girl had died getting involved in another fight she didn’t have a fucking shot in.
Otherwise, though, the news was the same. For every kill Gabriela obtained, Seo-yun would get another and maintain her lead.
Three kills in and Gabriela remained at a standstill.
She was pulled from her thoughts as she saw Elliott pulling away a tablecloth in order to examine Calla’s body. At least, it looked like it might have been Calla at some point.
Gabriela averted her gaze, having no interest in morbidly taking in the whole scene. People cracked on this show, did insane shit in hopes of developing a fan following back home. It wasn’t information she needed reiterated by the corpse of someone she knew.
Finally, Elliott seemed to get his shit back together and covered the body up again.
“You doing alright?” She asked bluntly, turning to look directly at him once again.
Gabriela wasn’t wearing her NASA shirt or sweatpants anymore, decked out in the sickeningly bright orange of her assigned team gear. She looked like a fucking traffic cone, a thing designed to draw attention, to make one wary of dangerous hazards. But her choices were either that or making herself out to be some sort of fucking joke.
She’d slept more heavily after returning to the lifeboats, nearly missing the fight that had woken Elliott. Had she really become that worn down? Losing her edge was going to make everything a hell of a lot harder. It would mean leaning on Elliott more.
She rejected the thought out of hand.
The morning’s announcements revealed the deaths from the previous night. Of note was the death of Mariko, who’d hung on longer than most of the people Gabriela had encountered out in the flotilla. Seemed ironically appropriate that the girl had died getting involved in another fight she didn’t have a fucking shot in.
Otherwise, though, the news was the same. For every kill Gabriela obtained, Seo-yun would get another and maintain her lead.
Three kills in and Gabriela remained at a standstill.
She was pulled from her thoughts as she saw Elliott pulling away a tablecloth in order to examine Calla’s body. At least, it looked like it might have been Calla at some point.
Gabriela averted her gaze, having no interest in morbidly taking in the whole scene. People cracked on this show, did insane shit in hopes of developing a fan following back home. It wasn’t information she needed reiterated by the corpse of someone she knew.
Finally, Elliott seemed to get his shit back together and covered the body up again.
“You doing alright?” She asked bluntly, turning to look directly at him once again.
The fierce vigor that had filled her with adrenaline didn't live long. It, however, carried her far enough to reach the cruise ship. Ever since the game has started, one could hear things go down on the ship. Sounds carried by the wind. It was the monolith in the middle. No matter where you went, you could catch a glimpse of it in the distance. Looming over everything.
That was why they never wanted to go there. It was the obvious spot for many. The biggest thing in the area, so big they'd probably never cut it off? Of course, people would flock to it.
And that meant Anthony could be one of them. Whatever brains that were there for him is running on adrenaline and hate. He's not gonna think clearly about where he's going, or what he's doing. He's going on a disturbed impulse. Hurting those he deems deserving.
The worst kind of hypocrite. If killers were so bad, then he'd have to end himself, wouldn't he? With so much blood on his hands...
Once close to the ship that had been looming over her for days, she climbed on board, and slowly, but surely, made her way upwards through the ship.
She wandered the halls. Tired footsteps, wearily leaving the floor. Bags jostling with each step, but her arms were static. Her only stop despite the immense pressure in her body to sit down, was when she heard voices down the corridors.
She almost dropped her bags out of surprise but kept her cool. Though her breath quickened, and it hurt in her chest. Even more, than it did earlier.
Carefully making her way towards the door where the voices came from. A peek inside showed a hall of sorts with tables and a stage. Two people were in there.
She clutched her flintlock as she wandered inside. One leg, slowly in front of the other. One, two.
One, two.
"Hey." She said, both hands around the handle, but pointed towards the floor.
That was why they never wanted to go there. It was the obvious spot for many. The biggest thing in the area, so big they'd probably never cut it off? Of course, people would flock to it.
And that meant Anthony could be one of them. Whatever brains that were there for him is running on adrenaline and hate. He's not gonna think clearly about where he's going, or what he's doing. He's going on a disturbed impulse. Hurting those he deems deserving.
The worst kind of hypocrite. If killers were so bad, then he'd have to end himself, wouldn't he? With so much blood on his hands...
Once close to the ship that had been looming over her for days, she climbed on board, and slowly, but surely, made her way upwards through the ship.
She wandered the halls. Tired footsteps, wearily leaving the floor. Bags jostling with each step, but her arms were static. Her only stop despite the immense pressure in her body to sit down, was when she heard voices down the corridors.
She almost dropped her bags out of surprise but kept her cool. Though her breath quickened, and it hurt in her chest. Even more, than it did earlier.
Carefully making her way towards the door where the voices came from. A peek inside showed a hall of sorts with tables and a stage. Two people were in there.
She clutched her flintlock as she wandered inside. One leg, slowly in front of the other. One, two.
One, two.
"Hey." She said, both hands around the handle, but pointed towards the floor.
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RetroVenus
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Gabriela was pointedly looking away from Calla's corpse, only looking back once Elliott-Blair covered up the act of barbarity once more.
Understandable. It must've been strange to watch him walk over to such a gruesome scene. Hell, even he wondered what possessed him to examine what remained of Calla. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that she was dead. He still remembers the announcement of her demise at the hands of Bacchia. Maybe he wanted to know why Bacchia killed her. Maybe he wanted to see what state Bacchia — or someone else — left her in, why Ritzy thought of it as an unhappy banquet.
Not that he could avenge Calla now, though. Bacchia was dead. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Yeah," Elliott-Blair said in response to Gabriela's question. He glanced down to the end of the taser and found it was, despite his best efforts, slick with blood. He took a step towards the closest pristine tablecloth, then began wiping off the blood with it's corners.
Feeling the need to elaborate, he continued, "Yeah, it's just...Calla was like a friend, you know? And I really didn't want to believe someone would leave her like...like that. But then we came in here, and she was covered up, and..."
He trailed off, then frowned. Gabriela's been asking him this whole time how he's feeling, yet he hasn't once asked her the same.
"...And you?" he asked, letting go of the corner, "How are you holding up—"
He abruptly turned towards one of the entrances upon seeing a figure emerge out of the corner of his eye. It was Diana, who gave a greeting.
"Hello," Elliott-Blair gave in return, right before the current state of the room came rushing at him. He was standing near a vivisected corpse, having just cleaned off most of the blood on a strange object, Kamille's corpse was lying nearby with a gunshot wound, and Gabriela was holding a gun.
And Diana was holding a gun.
"It was like this when we came in," Elliott-Blair started, trying desperately to hide his frantic tone, "I—you heard the announcements, right? That Seo-yun kid shot Kamille, and I—I don't know what happened with Calla, but—"
Understandable. It must've been strange to watch him walk over to such a gruesome scene. Hell, even he wondered what possessed him to examine what remained of Calla. Maybe he just wanted to make sure that she was dead. He still remembers the announcement of her demise at the hands of Bacchia. Maybe he wanted to know why Bacchia killed her. Maybe he wanted to see what state Bacchia — or someone else — left her in, why Ritzy thought of it as an unhappy banquet.
Not that he could avenge Calla now, though. Bacchia was dead. He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Yeah," Elliott-Blair said in response to Gabriela's question. He glanced down to the end of the taser and found it was, despite his best efforts, slick with blood. He took a step towards the closest pristine tablecloth, then began wiping off the blood with it's corners.
Feeling the need to elaborate, he continued, "Yeah, it's just...Calla was like a friend, you know? And I really didn't want to believe someone would leave her like...like that. But then we came in here, and she was covered up, and..."
He trailed off, then frowned. Gabriela's been asking him this whole time how he's feeling, yet he hasn't once asked her the same.
"...And you?" he asked, letting go of the corner, "How are you holding up—"
He abruptly turned towards one of the entrances upon seeing a figure emerge out of the corner of his eye. It was Diana, who gave a greeting.
"Hello," Elliott-Blair gave in return, right before the current state of the room came rushing at him. He was standing near a vivisected corpse, having just cleaned off most of the blood on a strange object, Kamille's corpse was lying nearby with a gunshot wound, and Gabriela was holding a gun.
And Diana was holding a gun.
"It was like this when we came in," Elliott-Blair started, trying desperately to hide his frantic tone, "I—you heard the announcements, right? That Seo-yun kid shot Kamille, and I—I don't know what happened with Calla, but—"
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Catche Jagger
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Gabriela got the impression that Elliott was lying about being alright. It didn’t seem malicious or anything, but she doubted Elliott’s ability to adapt to the carnage and death of the game. He was almost certainly downplaying his feelings, whether for his sake or for Gabriela’s
She was, however, surprised when turned the question back on her, that he’d linger on the topic beyond the point of utility. Before she could think of how to word a proper response, Elliott cut himself off, turning to a part of the hall which rested outside her gaze.
Talking to someone.
Gabriela snapped to attention, turning to also face whatever new arrival they were dealing with. Her right arm tensed up, pistol readied in her grip.
Diana was doomed, as far as the game went. Getting this deep into a season without any kills or any apparent allies marked her as such. It was obvious to Gabriela that the girl wouldn’t be returning home alive, though it seemed unlikely that Diana grasped that fact.
Still, there was a complicating factor at play. An decrepit-looking pistol seemed ready at Diana’s side. Though it seemed clearly inferior to Gabriela’s pistol, she and Elliott had done a good job of avoiding serious injury thus far, and hopping into a fucking gunfight, half-cocked, was a risky notion, even if victory was likely.
Elliott made some futile attempt to explain that the two of them weren’t the ones to kill Calla and Kamille, the boy Gabriela had walked away from at the start of this whose corpse now rested but a few feet away. Another idiot that didn’t understand the game they were in.
Gabriela felt her jaw clench.
It didn’t matter. If Diana had given a shit about the announcements, she’d know the truth of these deaths, and she’d also know about Gabriela.
“Just passing through?” Gabriela asked in a rather harsh tone, glancing towards Diana’s weapon once again, ignoring Elliott’s protestations of innocence.
She was, however, surprised when turned the question back on her, that he’d linger on the topic beyond the point of utility. Before she could think of how to word a proper response, Elliott cut himself off, turning to a part of the hall which rested outside her gaze.
Talking to someone.
Gabriela snapped to attention, turning to also face whatever new arrival they were dealing with. Her right arm tensed up, pistol readied in her grip.
Diana was doomed, as far as the game went. Getting this deep into a season without any kills or any apparent allies marked her as such. It was obvious to Gabriela that the girl wouldn’t be returning home alive, though it seemed unlikely that Diana grasped that fact.
Still, there was a complicating factor at play. An decrepit-looking pistol seemed ready at Diana’s side. Though it seemed clearly inferior to Gabriela’s pistol, she and Elliott had done a good job of avoiding serious injury thus far, and hopping into a fucking gunfight, half-cocked, was a risky notion, even if victory was likely.
Elliott made some futile attempt to explain that the two of them weren’t the ones to kill Calla and Kamille, the boy Gabriela had walked away from at the start of this whose corpse now rested but a few feet away. Another idiot that didn’t understand the game they were in.
Gabriela felt her jaw clench.
It didn’t matter. If Diana had given a shit about the announcements, she’d know the truth of these deaths, and she’d also know about Gabriela.
“Just passing through?” Gabriela asked in a rather harsh tone, glancing towards Diana’s weapon once again, ignoring Elliott’s protestations of innocence.
The room around them was a mess, broken furniture, terrible scent that lingered, and the culprits being the bodies of Kamille and Calla. A tablecloth covered one of the bodies. It had turned bloody over time. The other body, the one of Kamille, laid free in its grotesque display for the world.
It was a similar scent to the one on the Ferry, sans the metallic and disease-ridden blood rust. It was an assault on the senses, and if Brit was still alive, she might have taken the time to react more overtly, to take a breather away.
But it hurt to breathe.
And Diana was done with being hurt.
"Looking for someone." Her answer to the question given by Gabriela. Elliott panicked about trying to explain what this mess was, but it didn't matter. Diana had ears and listened to the announcement day from day. Gabriela might not have killed these people, but she was still dangerous, and Diana was not letting her guard down just yet.
"It's Anthony; have you seen him?" Her voice had a rasp to it as the words struggled through. Rumblings inside her throat as her vocal cords worked and strained themselves.
It was a similar scent to the one on the Ferry, sans the metallic and disease-ridden blood rust. It was an assault on the senses, and if Brit was still alive, she might have taken the time to react more overtly, to take a breather away.
But it hurt to breathe.
And Diana was done with being hurt.
"Looking for someone." Her answer to the question given by Gabriela. Elliott panicked about trying to explain what this mess was, but it didn't matter. Diana had ears and listened to the announcement day from day. Gabriela might not have killed these people, but she was still dangerous, and Diana was not letting her guard down just yet.
"It's Anthony; have you seen him?" Her voice had a rasp to it as the words struggled through. Rumblings inside her throat as her vocal cords worked and strained themselves.
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Applesintime
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What an absolutely brilliant start to the day, Anthony thought, readying his De Lisle.
((Anthony Golden continued from I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully))
Three players this early in the morning, all talking to each other. He knew Diana, of course, and she was clearly looking for him, looking to avenge her fellow player. It was hard to get his head around him being the second-biggest killer now, but it was for a good cause. None of his victims were innocent, except for poor Beau, and really, there was an absolute buffet of players and those who were player-adjacent for him to ensure they would never hurt anybody again. So really, it made perfect sense. The second, Gabby, he knew as well; three kills, including the attempted murder of Beau and the murder of Hannah. That stung a little. Beau had asked him to protect her, and she had been fucking murdered. She would die for that, no doubt about it. But now, of course, the two players were talking among themselves peacefully. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and of course, Anthony spoiled their little murderous game. No wonder they were working together peacefully. And talking about him.
The third person, however, was notable. Elliot-Blair. Anthony knew he hung around Gabby a lot; he had been a backdrop in their many arguments, but to see him here now was perplexing. Maybe he was working with Gabby, despite the difference in their bandanas. It wasn't up to him to ask, to think about that. All he knew was Elliot-Blair was co-operating with players, and for that, Anthony would kill him. He would kill Gabby for her murder, and he would kill Diana for her attempted murder and wipe out three players in one sweep. And if Ben was going to give him shit about killing a teammate, he could fuck right off.
At the moment, Anthony was pressed up against the wall, next to the door that let you into the hallway that you could get to the deck from. He should pop out and end this, but no. He couldn't afford to cock this up. Diana had a gun, Gabby had a gun, and who fucking knew what Elliot-Blair had. It was best to listen, to observe, and then righteously strike these fuckers down while he had the chance to. Avenge everyone that had been murdered.
((Anthony Golden continued from I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully))
Three players this early in the morning, all talking to each other. He knew Diana, of course, and she was clearly looking for him, looking to avenge her fellow player. It was hard to get his head around him being the second-biggest killer now, but it was for a good cause. None of his victims were innocent, except for poor Beau, and really, there was an absolute buffet of players and those who were player-adjacent for him to ensure they would never hurt anybody again. So really, it made perfect sense. The second, Gabby, he knew as well; three kills, including the attempted murder of Beau and the murder of Hannah. That stung a little. Beau had asked him to protect her, and she had been fucking murdered. She would die for that, no doubt about it. But now, of course, the two players were talking among themselves peacefully. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and of course, Anthony spoiled their little murderous game. No wonder they were working together peacefully. And talking about him.
The third person, however, was notable. Elliot-Blair. Anthony knew he hung around Gabby a lot; he had been a backdrop in their many arguments, but to see him here now was perplexing. Maybe he was working with Gabby, despite the difference in their bandanas. It wasn't up to him to ask, to think about that. All he knew was Elliot-Blair was co-operating with players, and for that, Anthony would kill him. He would kill Gabby for her murder, and he would kill Diana for her attempted murder and wipe out three players in one sweep. And if Ben was going to give him shit about killing a teammate, he could fuck right off.
At the moment, Anthony was pressed up against the wall, next to the door that let you into the hallway that you could get to the deck from. He should pop out and end this, but no. He couldn't afford to cock this up. Diana had a gun, Gabby had a gun, and who fucking knew what Elliot-Blair had. It was best to listen, to observe, and then righteously strike these fuckers down while he had the chance to. Avenge everyone that had been murdered.
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RetroVenus
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In the midst of Elliott-Blair's panicked babbling, Gabriela asked Diana a straight forward question, to which she gave a straight forward answer.
"Ah..." was the only sound he made as he trailed off, blushing in embarrassment yet again. Right, obviously Diana would know who killed Calla and Kamille if she was listening to the announcements, one of the most important factors on this show. Christ, he really was out of his depth.
That did bring forth a different problem. Since Diana knew who killed whom, she must know that Gabriela had three kills to her name. She also had a gun. An old-fashioned gun, one that likely required several seconds to ready it, but it was still a gun. If she had figured out how to use such a decrepit pistol, that could result in a gunfight breaking out, and he didn't want that.
Fortunately, neither did Diana, for she seemed more interested in tracking down an Anthony. Yet another senior he didn't know.
...Or did he?
Gabriela was prone to getting into arguments with her classmates about any issue under the sun. Whenever tempers flared, Elliott-Blair simply wandered off, not wanting to participate whatever the quarrel was about. As a result, he has little knowledge of her fellow seniors.
There was one boy, however, that argued with her with such frequency that Elliott-Blair could not ignore. It was always about SOTF, too, with her being in support of it and the boy being vehemently against it. On the few occasions he'd join in, Elliott-Blair lied to the boy about being a fan, which seemed to bother him. His name was Anthony, wasn't it?
Come to think of it, though he was too far away to make out any words, one of those voices in that fight last night sounded like Anthony...
"...Actually—" Elliott-Blair cut himself off, before continuing, "...Um, I think he was fighting someone last night. Somewhere on the deck. He shouldn't have gone that far since."
He gave a glance at Gabriela, hoping that she'd be able to either confirm or deny his hypothesis.
"Ah..." was the only sound he made as he trailed off, blushing in embarrassment yet again. Right, obviously Diana would know who killed Calla and Kamille if she was listening to the announcements, one of the most important factors on this show. Christ, he really was out of his depth.
That did bring forth a different problem. Since Diana knew who killed whom, she must know that Gabriela had three kills to her name. She also had a gun. An old-fashioned gun, one that likely required several seconds to ready it, but it was still a gun. If she had figured out how to use such a decrepit pistol, that could result in a gunfight breaking out, and he didn't want that.
Fortunately, neither did Diana, for she seemed more interested in tracking down an Anthony. Yet another senior he didn't know.
...Or did he?
Gabriela was prone to getting into arguments with her classmates about any issue under the sun. Whenever tempers flared, Elliott-Blair simply wandered off, not wanting to participate whatever the quarrel was about. As a result, he has little knowledge of her fellow seniors.
There was one boy, however, that argued with her with such frequency that Elliott-Blair could not ignore. It was always about SOTF, too, with her being in support of it and the boy being vehemently against it. On the few occasions he'd join in, Elliott-Blair lied to the boy about being a fan, which seemed to bother him. His name was Anthony, wasn't it?
Come to think of it, though he was too far away to make out any words, one of those voices in that fight last night sounded like Anthony...
"...Actually—" Elliott-Blair cut himself off, before continuing, "...Um, I think he was fighting someone last night. Somewhere on the deck. He shouldn't have gone that far since."
He gave a glance at Gabriela, hoping that she'd be able to either confirm or deny his hypothesis.
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Catche Jagger
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Anthony was someone that Gabriela had no interest in thinking about, but who was one other the other repeat killers through the game. At school, she’d known him as a vain, virtue-signalling idiot who thought himself a martyr because he didn’t watch the most popular show in America. So brave. Wow.
They’d gotten in fights, yeah, but it wasn’t like his shit arguments meant anything. It was just frustrating when brainlets got all jumped up and thought they were spouting some sort of 1000 IQ wisdom.
And now Anthony was a killer, just like her. There was some sense of vindication in that thought, though it felt sour.
More presently important, Gabriela noted, was the faltering in Diana’s voice, the way it strained beneath the words, the labor shown in her breaths. Gabriela had been correct in her initial assessment. Diana was doomed, just like Hannah had been.
That last thought drew a laugh out of her, short and low. All she could seem to come across in this game were stragglers, scraps the game had already spit out.
“I didn’t hear anything last night.” She added to Elliott’s remark, before pausing, something resting at the tip of her tongue.
“Planning on getting yourself killed? Go out fighting the guy that killed your boyfriend or whatever?” Gabriela spoke quietly, though some frustration was evident in her tone. She wasn’t trying to start a fight, but the question clawed its way out of her anyway.
They’d gotten in fights, yeah, but it wasn’t like his shit arguments meant anything. It was just frustrating when brainlets got all jumped up and thought they were spouting some sort of 1000 IQ wisdom.
And now Anthony was a killer, just like her. There was some sense of vindication in that thought, though it felt sour.
More presently important, Gabriela noted, was the faltering in Diana’s voice, the way it strained beneath the words, the labor shown in her breaths. Gabriela had been correct in her initial assessment. Diana was doomed, just like Hannah had been.
That last thought drew a laugh out of her, short and low. All she could seem to come across in this game were stragglers, scraps the game had already spit out.
“I didn’t hear anything last night.” She added to Elliott’s remark, before pausing, something resting at the tip of her tongue.
“Planning on getting yourself killed? Go out fighting the guy that killed your boyfriend or whatever?” Gabriela spoke quietly, though some frustration was evident in her tone. She wasn’t trying to start a fight, but the question clawed its way out of her anyway.
According to Elliott, Anthony was fighting someone on deck yesterday before he stumbled upon them on the clipper. There was a chance he went back here. Hideout like the rat he was.
And then Gabriela opened her mouth and reminded her why Diana never tried to get to know her well.
"Boyfriend?" It came out like a cough mixed with a hiss. Already acerbic at Mangrove, and murdering a few people seemed to make like she could say whatever she wanted. Diana had half-a-mind to engage in that now.
But that was never how you won with these people. They'd always use it against you later. It fed them like it was their life energy, a vampire that could walk in the sun.
"He killed B-Brit. Walked in on us covered in blood, got mad we didn't trust him with his serial killer shit." Her breathing, ragged and harsh, grew louder as she recounted the events of the night.
"Started walking at me cause I was getting my gun, so Brit... she tried to make him stop. Pulled out what she had." She turned to look at Elliott as she started this next part of the recounting.
"He doused her with it, and it burned her bad. I...I held her as she died."
It hurt to talk about this. It hurt to remember how much Brit tried towards the end. It hurt to know that someone like Anthony was still out there.
All of this dredged up for these two people, one of them a murderer the same as him. Someone she was trying to get information from who was more willing to take shots at her instead.
But Elliott... maybe...
"She wanted me to do good. Very last thing she told me."
And then Gabriela opened her mouth and reminded her why Diana never tried to get to know her well.
"Boyfriend?" It came out like a cough mixed with a hiss. Already acerbic at Mangrove, and murdering a few people seemed to make like she could say whatever she wanted. Diana had half-a-mind to engage in that now.
But that was never how you won with these people. They'd always use it against you later. It fed them like it was their life energy, a vampire that could walk in the sun.
"He killed B-Brit. Walked in on us covered in blood, got mad we didn't trust him with his serial killer shit." Her breathing, ragged and harsh, grew louder as she recounted the events of the night.
"Started walking at me cause I was getting my gun, so Brit... she tried to make him stop. Pulled out what she had." She turned to look at Elliott as she started this next part of the recounting.
"He doused her with it, and it burned her bad. I...I held her as she died."
It hurt to talk about this. It hurt to remember how much Brit tried towards the end. It hurt to know that someone like Anthony was still out there.
All of this dredged up for these two people, one of them a murderer the same as him. Someone she was trying to get information from who was more willing to take shots at her instead.
But Elliott... maybe...
"She wanted me to do good. Very last thing she told me."
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Catche Jagger
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 7:40 pm
- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
“And you’ll do a lot of good getting killed by Anthony, huh?” Gabriela cut in, harsher than she’d expected from herself. Diana was rubbing up against that same raw nerve of idiots that didn’t get where the fuck they were, what world they were in. How the hell were these people still alive?
Still, indignation stirred in her and Diana still had that gun. Gabriela couldn’t let it go. Maybe because of how Diana had so clearly fixed her oh so emotional appeals on Elliott. Trying to drive a wedge, probably.
“You know you’re in a game, right? It’s not some fucking moral exercise. You play the game or it swallows you up. You’re a player or you’re somebody’s victim. Why’s that so hard for you people to get?” She scoffed, voice straining at the end, her fingers running over the smooth metal in her hand. Gabriela felt herself hesitating. Regardless, she knew the words to be true, even for those that gambled on the long shot of escape. They too played the game, just on a different level. All of it was accounted for by the producers.
“Whatever.” A glance over at Elliott, hopefully not betraying a hint of anxiety, before eyes returned to Diana.
“Yeah, whatever. No use trying to explain this shit to people like you. You’re fucking doomed.
“So, how about this? You can get out of here and come to terms with that shit yourself, or I’ll… yeah, I’ll do it for you.” Gabriela swallowed, grip tightening on her pistol. It would be kind to do it here rather than let the girl get to Anthony. The acid attack on Britnee that the announcements named and Diana alluded to was amateur hour shit, needlessly gruesome and sloppy.
“Just make it quick… and all that. Get it over with.” The proposal was indecent, she knew, but it was honest, more honest than anything these people told themselves.
Gabriela’s gaze drifted again, towards Diana’s weapon and away from the girl’s face. A better thing to focus on, more important.
Still, indignation stirred in her and Diana still had that gun. Gabriela couldn’t let it go. Maybe because of how Diana had so clearly fixed her oh so emotional appeals on Elliott. Trying to drive a wedge, probably.
“You know you’re in a game, right? It’s not some fucking moral exercise. You play the game or it swallows you up. You’re a player or you’re somebody’s victim. Why’s that so hard for you people to get?” She scoffed, voice straining at the end, her fingers running over the smooth metal in her hand. Gabriela felt herself hesitating. Regardless, she knew the words to be true, even for those that gambled on the long shot of escape. They too played the game, just on a different level. All of it was accounted for by the producers.
“Whatever.” A glance over at Elliott, hopefully not betraying a hint of anxiety, before eyes returned to Diana.
“Yeah, whatever. No use trying to explain this shit to people like you. You’re fucking doomed.
“So, how about this? You can get out of here and come to terms with that shit yourself, or I’ll… yeah, I’ll do it for you.” Gabriela swallowed, grip tightening on her pistol. It would be kind to do it here rather than let the girl get to Anthony. The acid attack on Britnee that the announcements named and Diana alluded to was amateur hour shit, needlessly gruesome and sloppy.
“Just make it quick… and all that. Get it over with.” The proposal was indecent, she knew, but it was honest, more honest than anything these people told themselves.
Gabriela’s gaze drifted again, towards Diana’s weapon and away from the girl’s face. A better thing to focus on, more important.
Gabriela wouldn't budge, butting in and throwing threats around as if it would help. As it all turns out, putting a gun in the hands of someone who watches the show, and they'll all act like they got all figured out.
"This is why I never talked about the show with you." She mumbled to herself before continuing her talk with them; or towards them. If Gabriela wasn't going to respect her, she sure wasn't giving any back.
"You think you got it all figured out? A few splotches of blood on your hands, and suddenly you think you've figured the whole world out." Diana shook her head at that.
"Anthony is a danger to all of us. Me, you, Elliott over there. E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y! He needs to die before he takes more of us down with him. Cause he's not playing your game, he's doing something else!" She made some large movements around with her left hand, keeping her eyes on Gabriela. A twitch or any hint of movement from her and Diana's gun will be at her faster than she could say SOTF.
"I thought you'd get that since you always liked to pretend you're so damn smart. Anyway, if you're such a big-time player like you're angling at, then why are you hanging out with him? Both of you got the wrong bands."
"This is why I never talked about the show with you." She mumbled to herself before continuing her talk with them; or towards them. If Gabriela wasn't going to respect her, she sure wasn't giving any back.
"You think you got it all figured out? A few splotches of blood on your hands, and suddenly you think you've figured the whole world out." Diana shook her head at that.
"Anthony is a danger to all of us. Me, you, Elliott over there. E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y! He needs to die before he takes more of us down with him. Cause he's not playing your game, he's doing something else!" She made some large movements around with her left hand, keeping her eyes on Gabriela. A twitch or any hint of movement from her and Diana's gun will be at her faster than she could say SOTF.
"I thought you'd get that since you always liked to pretend you're so damn smart. Anyway, if you're such a big-time player like you're angling at, then why are you hanging out with him? Both of you got the wrong bands."
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RetroVenus
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Mon Nov 04, 2019 1:40 pm
- Location: isekai'd
- Team Affiliation: Malcolm's Mariners
Gabriela added on the Elliott-Blair's statement about last night's fight, stating that she didn't hear anything. It didn't matter much, really. The arena was growing smaller, and if Diana was so keen on finding Anthony, she'd have no trouble tracking him down. She wanted to get in a fight with Anthony? Fine by him.
Though if Gabriela just let Diana walk, then she'd lose out on a target for the ten. Yes, Diana had a gun, but Gabriela's gun was superior. Maybe he could get Diana to drop her guard a bit, then when she turns around...
Elliott-Blair mulled over what the right thing to say to Diana was. Then Gabriela asked if Anthony killed her boyfriend. That wasn't the right thing to say.
A explosion of words burst from each girl; Diana claiming that she wanted to stop Anthony from killing others as he did with Britnee, Gabriela claiming that she'd just get herself killed and that she should kill her instead. Both girls had frantic looks in their eyes, glancing at their own gun, glancing at the other's. Glancing at him.
"Okay, okay, okay," Elliott-Blair said in a voice much higher and quicker than normal. He held his free hand up as a signal for peace, briskly walking in between the two.
"...Let's just—let's just take a step back and breathe, okay?" He asked, voice having mostly returned to that disinterested tone he always seemed to have.
"Gabby," he turned to her first, "Diana isn't here to pick a fight. She wants to find Anthony, and I'm sure she knows the risks in that. And I know her gun looks old, but you don't know if she's a better shot than you."
"And Diana," then to her, "I'm with Gabby 'cause she's my friend. I—I know she's killed a lot of people, but I'm not just gonna abandon her here." Of course, there were other factors, but Diana didn't need that knowledge.
"So let's all just walk away," Elliott-Blair finished, a fleeting smile on his face.
Though if Gabriela just let Diana walk, then she'd lose out on a target for the ten. Yes, Diana had a gun, but Gabriela's gun was superior. Maybe he could get Diana to drop her guard a bit, then when she turns around...
Elliott-Blair mulled over what the right thing to say to Diana was. Then Gabriela asked if Anthony killed her boyfriend. That wasn't the right thing to say.
A explosion of words burst from each girl; Diana claiming that she wanted to stop Anthony from killing others as he did with Britnee, Gabriela claiming that she'd just get herself killed and that she should kill her instead. Both girls had frantic looks in their eyes, glancing at their own gun, glancing at the other's. Glancing at him.
"Okay, okay, okay," Elliott-Blair said in a voice much higher and quicker than normal. He held his free hand up as a signal for peace, briskly walking in between the two.
"...Let's just—let's just take a step back and breathe, okay?" He asked, voice having mostly returned to that disinterested tone he always seemed to have.
"Gabby," he turned to her first, "Diana isn't here to pick a fight. She wants to find Anthony, and I'm sure she knows the risks in that. And I know her gun looks old, but you don't know if she's a better shot than you."
"And Diana," then to her, "I'm with Gabby 'cause she's my friend. I—I know she's killed a lot of people, but I'm not just gonna abandon her here." Of course, there were other factors, but Diana didn't need that knowledge.
"So let's all just walk away," Elliott-Blair finished, a fleeting smile on his face.
avatar by pan, sprite by the wonderful Yugikun
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Applesintime
- Posts: 836
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 11:57 am
- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
Gabby was threatening to shoot Diana. Diana was probably thinking of shooting Gabby. The two were getting mad at each other. Elliot was trying to make them stop in vain; was he a fucking idiot? If you were working with a player, it wasn’t like you should be particularly surprised when they see someone and think ooh, I’ll go and kill her, that seems like a brilliant idea. Gabby had three kills already, surely Elliot wouldn’t be such a fucking idiot, but he was. At this point, killing him would be a mercy, just because of how fucking naïve he was.
Whatever. He wouldn’t be mad if they killed each other, but if he could score the kills, he’d be a few steps closer to home. Let’s do this. The grip on his rifle tightened.
“Hands up, Diana.” Anthony entered the room, his rifle fixed on her. Gabby could wait; even if she was a player, he knew team kills were relatively rare, judging by how Ivan killing two of his teammates was apparently a notable event. He could take down Diana first, and then turn the gun on Gabby and Elliot while they were hiding away in fear of his justice. Or maybe… Taking steps towards Diana, Anthony scoffed, glancing over at Elliot and Gabby. “Off you two fuck. You both deserve death, but that can wait.” There were only so many places they could go from here, and Anthony would find them in the end. They could intervene. Seeing a player hunter as a threat, they might kill him just so he didn’t interrupt their little game. It was best to avoid that possibility no matter how small a chance it might be.
“So, you think you’re a hero, Diana? You think killing someone who’s the real hero, who hunts you players down like the filth they are, makes you a good person?” He took a few more steps towards her, looking her in the eyes down the sights. He wanted to understand the killer psyche. Why? That’s still something that baffled him. Three were dead to him, and he still didn’t know what made them tick. Fame? Sociopathy? A desire to make themselves a Character? “Britnee would have killed me with sulfuric acid. I would have suffered the pain she suffered. And for that reason, she got what she deserved.”
Whatever. He wouldn’t be mad if they killed each other, but if he could score the kills, he’d be a few steps closer to home. Let’s do this. The grip on his rifle tightened.
“Hands up, Diana.” Anthony entered the room, his rifle fixed on her. Gabby could wait; even if she was a player, he knew team kills were relatively rare, judging by how Ivan killing two of his teammates was apparently a notable event. He could take down Diana first, and then turn the gun on Gabby and Elliot while they were hiding away in fear of his justice. Or maybe… Taking steps towards Diana, Anthony scoffed, glancing over at Elliot and Gabby. “Off you two fuck. You both deserve death, but that can wait.” There were only so many places they could go from here, and Anthony would find them in the end. They could intervene. Seeing a player hunter as a threat, they might kill him just so he didn’t interrupt their little game. It was best to avoid that possibility no matter how small a chance it might be.
“So, you think you’re a hero, Diana? You think killing someone who’s the real hero, who hunts you players down like the filth they are, makes you a good person?” He took a few more steps towards her, looking her in the eyes down the sights. He wanted to understand the killer psyche. Why? That’s still something that baffled him. Three were dead to him, and he still didn’t know what made them tick. Fame? Sociopathy? A desire to make themselves a Character? “Britnee would have killed me with sulfuric acid. I would have suffered the pain she suffered. And for that reason, she got what she deserved.”
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Catche Jagger
- Posts: 743
- Joined: Tue May 28, 2019 7:40 pm
- Team Affiliation: Ben's Crabs
Diana was treating Gabriela as presumptuous when she was the one making all of those big assumptions. Gabriela doubted that Anthony was truly trying to kill everyone, unless the boy had well and truly snapped, in which case there was little to be done but to prepare for some later run in, but Diana was in a sorry state and trying to hunt the asshole down.
More irritating was the smugness Diana must have felt making her comment about Elliott being around when she actually didn’t know jack shit.
Elliott stepped in before Gabriela could do anything rash, which she probably should’ve been more grateful for. She couldn’t tell anymore exactly what Elliott was up to, whether this was sincere or some sort of trick, though deep down she knew it to be the latter. Elliott had helped her kill his own teammates. Diana was nothing.
However, before the matter could be resolved, it turned out that talking about Anthony too much caused him to appear out of nowhere to make a big scene. He waved a gun around and immediately revealed that very little had changed. Still a sanctimonious piece of shit.
Still, there was at least one thing of note about the witless wonder.
“Hey Golden,” Gabriela grumbled, gesturing towards the bandana on her arm, though her entire outfit got the same point across, “same team. That means we don’t get shit from fighting each other, so how about you calm the fuck down with your holy bullshit.”
As she spoke, Gabriela shifted her position, trying to stay between Anthony and Elliott. He didn’t have the same sort of protection that Gabriela had, which made his safety more doubtful.
“So how about you scurry back to your fucking hole?" The words didn't come out particularly articulate and Gabriela's jaw felt like stone. Three guns in a room like this was bad news and there was no way she was going to become best pals with Diana or Anthony fucking Golden.
More irritating was the smugness Diana must have felt making her comment about Elliott being around when she actually didn’t know jack shit.
Elliott stepped in before Gabriela could do anything rash, which she probably should’ve been more grateful for. She couldn’t tell anymore exactly what Elliott was up to, whether this was sincere or some sort of trick, though deep down she knew it to be the latter. Elliott had helped her kill his own teammates. Diana was nothing.
However, before the matter could be resolved, it turned out that talking about Anthony too much caused him to appear out of nowhere to make a big scene. He waved a gun around and immediately revealed that very little had changed. Still a sanctimonious piece of shit.
Still, there was at least one thing of note about the witless wonder.
“Hey Golden,” Gabriela grumbled, gesturing towards the bandana on her arm, though her entire outfit got the same point across, “same team. That means we don’t get shit from fighting each other, so how about you calm the fuck down with your holy bullshit.”
As she spoke, Gabriela shifted her position, trying to stay between Anthony and Elliott. He didn’t have the same sort of protection that Gabriela had, which made his safety more doubtful.
“So how about you scurry back to your fucking hole?" The words didn't come out particularly articulate and Gabriela's jaw felt like stone. Three guns in a room like this was bad news and there was no way she was going to become best pals with Diana or Anthony fucking Golden.