Wayne woke to feel Dorothy shaking him.
"I'm up," he managed, somewhat blearily. "Thanks, Dot. Dorothy." He wasn't supposed to be on nickname terms with her.
As she exchanged places with him and sought the comfort of sleep, he shook the tiredness off and just stood there for a moment, getting his bearings.
It would have been so easy for her to do something else. Instead of putting those hands on his shoulders, she could have fastened them around his throat. And squeezed. He had trusted her not to do so when he had let them take the first shifts. He had trusted Asha, too. Just like they trusted him, standing here, alone in the dark, with a knife strapped to his hip and doubt still in his mind. He almost wished that they had decided to take joint shifts, to have two people watching over one instead of one watching over two.
He glanced back over at Dorothy, wondering what exactly she saw in him. Wondered what Asha thought of him, too. He had lied to her face and followed her and backed her up all for the sake of keeping appearances, of staving off the guilt that he deserved to feel. He wasn't even their friend - just some random person, who never even showed them what he felt. How did they trust him so easily? How could they be that good?
What felt like thirty minutes passed. He paced in silence, wondering if in the next moment, someone would burst in and end his indecision. The doubt grew. If he continued to follow Asha, he could do good. He could help. If he really tried, if he dedicated himself to that cause, even if he didn't believe in it, even if he wasn't able to accept his death, he could still do something that mattered.
He could also just die. Killed by someone like the girl with the axe.
He stopped pacing, and just listened for a moment. Their breathing seemed peaceful in the dark.
It didn't surprise him when he picked up Asha's bag. It wasn't an instinctual movement, but one that he had considered for hours already, when he had realized that they were willing to tolerate him, to let him stay. He had thought about it ever since he had stood by that chain link fence and looked up to see the sun curving up towards noon and back down again.
He did not deserve this bag more than them. If he won this whole thing, if he somehow survived to the end, somehow steeled himself to make that kill that he needed to live, it would be a waste. His survival meant nothing, just like his life up to now had meant nothing. He would lock himself in a room, and he would play games to drown reality out, and he would never come out again.
No, if there was anyone who he should have helped make it to the end, it was these two. They were here, in the flesh, alive, breathing, trusting him, with noble ideas and the will to make them happen.
Here he was, stealing from them.
He couldn't bring himself to pick up Dorothy's bag. He reached for it, and hesitated in that position for at least half a minute. He couldn't do it. He couldn't leave them with nothing, all because they had trusted him, because they had given him a chance, and this was how he repaid them. This was how he showed his gratitude.
Slinging Asha's bag over his shoulder along with his own, he made his way to the door, his motions quiet, shame creeping over him. He opened the bag for a moment, checked it under the light of the stars and almost-full moon. No weapon. That, at least, was a relief.
And as he looked back to where they slept, undefended, he slammed the door as loudly as he could to wake them and ran.
((Wayne Cox continued in In A World Of Shit))
白色雑音
White Noise; Open
This is an archival account used by staff to port posts belonging to the handler Iceblock. While this handler hasn't been around in quite a while, should they return and wish to take custody of this account and/or its posts, they are welcome to do so by contacting staff.
"Wha- fuck- what?" Asha mumbled as she jolted upright, almost falling off the couch. She blearily glanced around the pitch-black room, but wasn't able to make anything out. "Dot? Wayne?" What happened?" She asked. No reply, except for an incoherent murmur close by. Asha looked and saw Dorothy on the couch where Wayne had been sleeping. She shifted around a bit, then went still, snoring faintly. Asha couldn't help but smile a bit at how deep of a sleeper she was, more than a little envious. Stormy weather would be Asha's absolute favorite, if she wasn't woken up by every ominous roar from the heavens.
But no, it wasn't thunder that had woken her up today; there wasn't any rain. What happened, then? If Dorothy was asleep, then that meant it was Wayne's turn at watch, right? "Hey? Wayne?" Asha called out. Again, the only sound she heard was Dot's quiet, steady breathing. Asha was starting to feel a bit uneasy, but since neither she nor Dot were dead yet (as for as she could tell), there wouldn't be any harm in taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to avoid blindly stumbling into shit.
It was pretty obvious even before she stood up to have a look around that Wayne was no longer in the room. Any hope she'd had that he'd just gone out to take a piss or something vanished when she looked to the corner where they'd piled up their three bags and saw that only one remained. Dot's, on closer inspection.
Oh, how she hated liars.
Asha had never forced Wayne to follow her. Had never asked him to agree with her. Had never asked him to endanger himself alongside her. Had thought his vague nods to be a sign of perfectly understandable reservations. Wayne could have left at any time he wanted. They had trusted him, goddammit, literally trusted him with their lives as they slept. Sure, he'd had the decency to let the door hit him on the way out loud enough to wake Asha up, but what if she'd been as heavy a sleeper as Dot? It was a thoroughly half-assed move to try and make things better, nothing more.
Hell, since they were all still gonna die, Wayne was worse than a murderer, in Asha's mind. If you killed someone, bam, they were dead. It'd still agonize the people they loved, of course, but by definition a corpse couldn't be hurt anymore. Stealing someone's supplies wouldn't kill them, no. All it'd do was make sure that when they died, they'd be miserable; minds occupied by parched throats and empty bellies, lack of consumption consuming their entire being. It was actively robbing them of any peace they could have found before the end.
Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything but curse Wayne's name in silence. Dorothy was still sleeping soundly, and Asha was loath to confront her with this new betrayal any sooner than she had to. She was too pissed to sleep, anyway. She resolved to protect Dot's peace for as long as she could, until the harsh light of day arrived to wake her and drag the undeniable truth in front of her face.
Asha found the most uncomfortable chair she could, stationing herself right next to Dorothy's couch. She pulled out her taser, suddenly very grateful that she hadn't stored it in her bag like she'd been initially tempted. Still, all its cartridges were gone. She only had one shot. It was better this way, probably. Now she wouldn't be tempted to use it; to unnecessarily panic and cause pain. It'd be a last resort, a desperate way to protect the people she loved.
Hours passed. Asha slowly realized hadn't slept as well as she had initially hoped. She had to be strong for Dot, though.
Morning found her slumped in her chair, dozing; taser dangling from her limp hand.
But no, it wasn't thunder that had woken her up today; there wasn't any rain. What happened, then? If Dorothy was asleep, then that meant it was Wayne's turn at watch, right? "Hey? Wayne?" Asha called out. Again, the only sound she heard was Dot's quiet, steady breathing. Asha was starting to feel a bit uneasy, but since neither she nor Dot were dead yet (as for as she could tell), there wouldn't be any harm in taking a moment to let her eyes adjust to avoid blindly stumbling into shit.
It was pretty obvious even before she stood up to have a look around that Wayne was no longer in the room. Any hope she'd had that he'd just gone out to take a piss or something vanished when she looked to the corner where they'd piled up their three bags and saw that only one remained. Dot's, on closer inspection.
Oh, how she hated liars.
Asha had never forced Wayne to follow her. Had never asked him to agree with her. Had never asked him to endanger himself alongside her. Had thought his vague nods to be a sign of perfectly understandable reservations. Wayne could have left at any time he wanted. They had trusted him, goddammit, literally trusted him with their lives as they slept. Sure, he'd had the decency to let the door hit him on the way out loud enough to wake Asha up, but what if she'd been as heavy a sleeper as Dot? It was a thoroughly half-assed move to try and make things better, nothing more.
Hell, since they were all still gonna die, Wayne was worse than a murderer, in Asha's mind. If you killed someone, bam, they were dead. It'd still agonize the people they loved, of course, but by definition a corpse couldn't be hurt anymore. Stealing someone's supplies wouldn't kill them, no. All it'd do was make sure that when they died, they'd be miserable; minds occupied by parched throats and empty bellies, lack of consumption consuming their entire being. It was actively robbing them of any peace they could have found before the end.
Unfortunately, it was too late to do anything but curse Wayne's name in silence. Dorothy was still sleeping soundly, and Asha was loath to confront her with this new betrayal any sooner than she had to. She was too pissed to sleep, anyway. She resolved to protect Dot's peace for as long as she could, until the harsh light of day arrived to wake her and drag the undeniable truth in front of her face.
Asha found the most uncomfortable chair she could, stationing herself right next to Dorothy's couch. She pulled out her taser, suddenly very grateful that she hadn't stored it in her bag like she'd been initially tempted. Still, all its cartridges were gone. She only had one shot. It was better this way, probably. Now she wouldn't be tempted to use it; to unnecessarily panic and cause pain. It'd be a last resort, a desperate way to protect the people she loved.
Hours passed. Asha slowly realized hadn't slept as well as she had initially hoped. She had to be strong for Dot, though.
Morning found her slumped in her chair, dozing; taser dangling from her limp hand.
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
((Isabel Ramirez continued from By the time you hear the next pop, the funk shall be within you))
Isabel Ramirez trudged through the library, the early morning light peeking through the windows, with her sword and halberd, trophies of brutality, in tow.
Isabel stopped moving, holding out her left hand and looking at it, eyelids heavy. She was slightly sleep deprived. After killing Conrad, she wandered around the asylum for a few more hours before electing to curl up in a somewhat spacious cabinet, halberd tucked away in a closet nearby, and falling asleep. Some time passed, and she woke up before crawling out of the cabinet and keeping on the move again in the morning twilight. Isabel had always been a morning person, albeit more out of necessity than anything. She was always quick to fall asleep once her work was done, only to awaken early and enjoy an hour or two to herself before her parents got up to start their day. Those early hours were always the highlight of her days. Day after day, constantly working hard to avoid being punished by her parents. It was tiring.
Isabel balled her hand up into a fist. Her parents couldn't punish her now. She was carving her own destiny. She was in control, no one else. She was going to make it off of the island alive, even if she had to personally kill every single one of her classmates. And in spite of what society always told her, she'd probably enjoy it too. Killing made her feel powerful, made her feel important. It gave her a rush that she hadn't felt before she wound up in this situation. And dragging the kill out? Made all of the feelings even more intense. Isabel tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling as she lowered her arm. Before she got on the island, Isabel never really thought of herself as a sadist. But in hindsight? The signs were always there. She enjoyed making other people feel worse, emotionally. That was the whole point of the bullying. That and the sense of power and control she got out of it. Hurting people physically was just a logical step up. One she never even considered as a possibility before she got here. One that would stop being a possibility once she made it out alive.
Once she made it out alive...
Isabel lowered her head. She didn't actually have a plan on what to do once she made it off the island. She could probably just go back to what she was planning on doing before... but... could she really go back? After what she has already done? People would know what she did. They would treat her like a monster. She would probably never have a normal life again. All the hard work she did for the sake of her parents, for the sake of her future... would be utterly pointless. Isabel's hands shook. Had she made a mistake? Had she chosen the wrong path? Did she really need to let her feelings in the moment take control of her back in that cell with Conrad? Isabel collapsed to the floor, sitting up, looking at her hands, sword resting in her lap. Her future was gone. In a single few minutes, she made sure her future went up in smoke.
...But, maybe all that didn't matter. Maybe she acted on impulse, maybe she made a mistake. But as Isabel sat, she realized that she didn't really care all that much about her future. She cared more about her hard work and effort being for nothing than the thought of having no real future once she got out. Maybe all that really matters is how she felt right now, in this moment. She could deal with the future when she gets there. For right now...
Isabel grabbed her sword out of her lap, before standing up. In for a penny, in for a pound.
All that mattered now was surviving, and maybe getting some excitement while she did it. Isabel began moving again, trudging through the library, keeping her eyes peeled for any potential threats... or potential victims. Isabel looked up, noticing a couch peeking out from behind a bookshelf. It was still very early in the morning, if somebody was in here, they might be sleeping on that couch. Isabel slowed her footsteps, making her way closer and closer to the couch, raising her sword in case anyone was on it. Closer, ever closer still, until...
Isabel turned her head as she got past the bookshelf blocking her view. Over in the chair was Asha. Isabel stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Asha sleeping, slumped over in her chair. Isabel and Asha had ballet classes together. Isabel had arguably known her longer than anyone else. They talked a lot after the classes, waiting to be picked up by their parents. Most of the time Isabel didn't really care too deeply for conversation, but Asha always had a distinct spirit about her. Talking to her was actually enjoyable, unlike nearly everyone else she had ever met in her life. Isabel turned her head downwards, towards the person sleeping on the couch. Dorothy, a friend of Asha. Or, at least, Isabel thought Dorothy and Asha were friends. Thinking about it, she wasn't so sure.
Isabel glanced between the two sleeping girls. Weighing her options. She could just kill them both, stab Dorothy in the throat before making her way over to Asha and gutting her. But at the same time, Isabel liked having Asha around. Her presence was like that of an amusing puppy. She kept Isabel entertained. It would be such a waste to kill her so abruptly, with no fanfare. Even if she was eventually going to die anyway, Asha was more valuable to Isabel alive than dead. Plus, Isabel could probably find some use for her in the meantime.
Isabel turned her focus towards Dorothy. If she wasn't going to kill Asha, she couldn't kill Dorothy. Killing Dorothy and then acting like nothing was wrong would make Asha mad. Even if Isabel personally couldn't care less if someone she knew killed another person she knew, they were in a death game after all, the same couldn't necessarily be said of the other people around her. Isabel quietly sighed, before moving towards the other couch and sitting down.
Today was going to be a long day.
Isabel Ramirez trudged through the library, the early morning light peeking through the windows, with her sword and halberd, trophies of brutality, in tow.
Isabel stopped moving, holding out her left hand and looking at it, eyelids heavy. She was slightly sleep deprived. After killing Conrad, she wandered around the asylum for a few more hours before electing to curl up in a somewhat spacious cabinet, halberd tucked away in a closet nearby, and falling asleep. Some time passed, and she woke up before crawling out of the cabinet and keeping on the move again in the morning twilight. Isabel had always been a morning person, albeit more out of necessity than anything. She was always quick to fall asleep once her work was done, only to awaken early and enjoy an hour or two to herself before her parents got up to start their day. Those early hours were always the highlight of her days. Day after day, constantly working hard to avoid being punished by her parents. It was tiring.
Isabel balled her hand up into a fist. Her parents couldn't punish her now. She was carving her own destiny. She was in control, no one else. She was going to make it off of the island alive, even if she had to personally kill every single one of her classmates. And in spite of what society always told her, she'd probably enjoy it too. Killing made her feel powerful, made her feel important. It gave her a rush that she hadn't felt before she wound up in this situation. And dragging the kill out? Made all of the feelings even more intense. Isabel tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling as she lowered her arm. Before she got on the island, Isabel never really thought of herself as a sadist. But in hindsight? The signs were always there. She enjoyed making other people feel worse, emotionally. That was the whole point of the bullying. That and the sense of power and control she got out of it. Hurting people physically was just a logical step up. One she never even considered as a possibility before she got here. One that would stop being a possibility once she made it out alive.
Once she made it out alive...
Isabel lowered her head. She didn't actually have a plan on what to do once she made it off the island. She could probably just go back to what she was planning on doing before... but... could she really go back? After what she has already done? People would know what she did. They would treat her like a monster. She would probably never have a normal life again. All the hard work she did for the sake of her parents, for the sake of her future... would be utterly pointless. Isabel's hands shook. Had she made a mistake? Had she chosen the wrong path? Did she really need to let her feelings in the moment take control of her back in that cell with Conrad? Isabel collapsed to the floor, sitting up, looking at her hands, sword resting in her lap. Her future was gone. In a single few minutes, she made sure her future went up in smoke.
...But, maybe all that didn't matter. Maybe she acted on impulse, maybe she made a mistake. But as Isabel sat, she realized that she didn't really care all that much about her future. She cared more about her hard work and effort being for nothing than the thought of having no real future once she got out. Maybe all that really matters is how she felt right now, in this moment. She could deal with the future when she gets there. For right now...
Isabel grabbed her sword out of her lap, before standing up. In for a penny, in for a pound.
All that mattered now was surviving, and maybe getting some excitement while she did it. Isabel began moving again, trudging through the library, keeping her eyes peeled for any potential threats... or potential victims. Isabel looked up, noticing a couch peeking out from behind a bookshelf. It was still very early in the morning, if somebody was in here, they might be sleeping on that couch. Isabel slowed her footsteps, making her way closer and closer to the couch, raising her sword in case anyone was on it. Closer, ever closer still, until...
Isabel turned her head as she got past the bookshelf blocking her view. Over in the chair was Asha. Isabel stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Asha sleeping, slumped over in her chair. Isabel and Asha had ballet classes together. Isabel had arguably known her longer than anyone else. They talked a lot after the classes, waiting to be picked up by their parents. Most of the time Isabel didn't really care too deeply for conversation, but Asha always had a distinct spirit about her. Talking to her was actually enjoyable, unlike nearly everyone else she had ever met in her life. Isabel turned her head downwards, towards the person sleeping on the couch. Dorothy, a friend of Asha. Or, at least, Isabel thought Dorothy and Asha were friends. Thinking about it, she wasn't so sure.
Isabel glanced between the two sleeping girls. Weighing her options. She could just kill them both, stab Dorothy in the throat before making her way over to Asha and gutting her. But at the same time, Isabel liked having Asha around. Her presence was like that of an amusing puppy. She kept Isabel entertained. It would be such a waste to kill her so abruptly, with no fanfare. Even if she was eventually going to die anyway, Asha was more valuable to Isabel alive than dead. Plus, Isabel could probably find some use for her in the meantime.
Isabel turned her focus towards Dorothy. If she wasn't going to kill Asha, she couldn't kill Dorothy. Killing Dorothy and then acting like nothing was wrong would make Asha mad. Even if Isabel personally couldn't care less if someone she knew killed another person she knew, they were in a death game after all, the same couldn't necessarily be said of the other people around her. Isabel quietly sighed, before moving towards the other couch and sitting down.
Today was going to be a long day.
Asha was never exactly happy to see the morning's light, even under normal circumstances. Night was so much more lovely, quiet and soft and full of teeth while day was harsh and inescapable. Admittedly, she was probably just biased because of how often her alarm before school had jarred her out of a delightfully twisted dreamscape.
Now, though, the sun streaming through the library windows filled her with a sudden panic, once she had woken up enough to comprehend what it meant. She'd fucked up, betrayed Dorothy's trust in her. Not in such a direct way as Wayne had, no; but it was still a failure. By pushing herself to try and give Dot some extra peace, Asha had put her in a danger. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, dying in their sleep. No fear, no suffering, and holy shit did Asha not want to ride that train of thought.
Instead she quickly turned behind her, eyes glancing past Isabel, and confirmed that Dot was still where Asha had left her, still snoring. She sighed, relieved. She did a double-take. She shrieked and recoiled, falling out of her chair. She scrambled to her feet, instinctively pointing her taser, before fully recognizing Isabel's face. "Holy- holy jesus. Fuck," Asha stammered, lowering her taser and sinking back down onto the chair. "How - goddammit, how fucking long have you been here, Iz?"
That'd been a classic horror move right there; sitting still and just watching until someone finally got around to noticing you. Asha was impressed, despite her own racing heart. She wasn't a jumpscare kinda girl, but christ, she couldn't deny the effectiveness of that one. Her brain started to process the whole scene, now that the initial shock of discovering that someone had been watching her sleep for god-knows-how-long had worn off.
First, most obviously, Isabel and her (cute) pink sweater were stained with blood, even worse than Nancy had been. Same went for the sword and halberd she had with her, and also holy shit she was just sort of casually holding on to a bloodstained sword and halberd. The weirdest thing was that honestly, Asha wasn't surprised at all.
She'd never liked Isabel, even after all those years of suffering for their art together. Shit, Asha considered everyone else on the team among her closest friends, and she felt for Isabel in a general sense because christ her parents were dicks, (bringing back uncomfortable memories of Asha's own mother during middle school) but in the end, the girl was a type of person Asha despised the most: a petty bully. Sure, she'd never crossed the line, never done or said anything that couldn't ultimately be waved away and forgotten about, but still. Asha had known her long enough to realize that she reveled in making people miserable simply because she could.
Asha did her best to keep up appearances, of course. Her own feelings aside, she still had to be around Isabel for huge periods of time, still had to count on her and be counted on in turn when they were doing ballet. Hell, sometimes Asha even let herself slip, found herself legitimately enjoying Isabel's company, sharing a genuine moment or two. Never for too long, though; another reminder of her thoughtless cruelty would always jar Asha back to never saying more than politeness mandated, never smiling any wider than she had to. She honestly wasn't sure if Isabel even noticed.
But here? They were both in the same boat, and Isabel obviously didn't deserve to die, either. Maybe there was "a good reason" for the blood she had shed, maybe there wasn't, but either way; she'd had ample opportunity to hurt Asha and Dot, and she hadn't. That alone meant she could at least be given the benefit of the doubt.
"Cool sword, by the way."
Now, though, the sun streaming through the library windows filled her with a sudden panic, once she had woken up enough to comprehend what it meant. She'd fucked up, betrayed Dorothy's trust in her. Not in such a direct way as Wayne had, no; but it was still a failure. By pushing herself to try and give Dot some extra peace, Asha had put her in a danger. Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad, dying in their sleep. No fear, no suffering, and holy shit did Asha not want to ride that train of thought.
Instead she quickly turned behind her, eyes glancing past Isabel, and confirmed that Dot was still where Asha had left her, still snoring. She sighed, relieved. She did a double-take. She shrieked and recoiled, falling out of her chair. She scrambled to her feet, instinctively pointing her taser, before fully recognizing Isabel's face. "Holy- holy jesus. Fuck," Asha stammered, lowering her taser and sinking back down onto the chair. "How - goddammit, how fucking long have you been here, Iz?"
That'd been a classic horror move right there; sitting still and just watching until someone finally got around to noticing you. Asha was impressed, despite her own racing heart. She wasn't a jumpscare kinda girl, but christ, she couldn't deny the effectiveness of that one. Her brain started to process the whole scene, now that the initial shock of discovering that someone had been watching her sleep for god-knows-how-long had worn off.
First, most obviously, Isabel and her (cute) pink sweater were stained with blood, even worse than Nancy had been. Same went for the sword and halberd she had with her, and also holy shit she was just sort of casually holding on to a bloodstained sword and halberd. The weirdest thing was that honestly, Asha wasn't surprised at all.
She'd never liked Isabel, even after all those years of suffering for their art together. Shit, Asha considered everyone else on the team among her closest friends, and she felt for Isabel in a general sense because christ her parents were dicks, (bringing back uncomfortable memories of Asha's own mother during middle school) but in the end, the girl was a type of person Asha despised the most: a petty bully. Sure, she'd never crossed the line, never done or said anything that couldn't ultimately be waved away and forgotten about, but still. Asha had known her long enough to realize that she reveled in making people miserable simply because she could.
Asha did her best to keep up appearances, of course. Her own feelings aside, she still had to be around Isabel for huge periods of time, still had to count on her and be counted on in turn when they were doing ballet. Hell, sometimes Asha even let herself slip, found herself legitimately enjoying Isabel's company, sharing a genuine moment or two. Never for too long, though; another reminder of her thoughtless cruelty would always jar Asha back to never saying more than politeness mandated, never smiling any wider than she had to. She honestly wasn't sure if Isabel even noticed.
But here? They were both in the same boat, and Isabel obviously didn't deserve to die, either. Maybe there was "a good reason" for the blood she had shed, maybe there wasn't, but either way; she'd had ample opportunity to hurt Asha and Dot, and she hadn't. That alone meant she could at least be given the benefit of the doubt.
"Cool sword, by the way."
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Isabel blinked, trying to process what had just happened as Asha jumped up from her seat, taser at the ready, only to immediately drop it and ask how long Isabel had been sitting there.
Then, after a moment of awkward silence, Isabel began to open her mouth, only to close it as Asha suddenly commented on her sword.
"..." Isabel stared at Asha for a for more seconds, silent.
"...Pffffff, hahahaha! Man... Asha, you really know how to make me laugh, even in times like these." Isabel wiped her mouth, residual chuckles escaping her lips. "I mean I'm covered in blood and you... man... good to see you haven't lost your head," Isabel said, with a wink and a smile.
Isabel leaned back further into the couch, getting more comfortable where she sat in spite of the halberd shaft pressing into her back. "Annnnnyway... I've been here for a couple of minutes, actually. Wasn't quite sure when you guys were actually going to wake up, but I figured I wouldn't disturb you," Isabel said, shrugging, arms out, a smirk plastered on her face.
"So..." Isabel began again. "Besides the whole 'death game' and 'trying to taze me' things... how've you been? That's what people seem to say, no matter the situation, yeah?" Isabel chuckled, again. "I mean... people can be in the middle of a fucking war and ask each other how they've been. It's so... ridiculous. You know?" Isabel sighed, contently. "Seriously though, how you doing? Holding up well?"
Isabel glanced over towards Dorothy, eyes narrowing. "...And what about her?"
Then, after a moment of awkward silence, Isabel began to open her mouth, only to close it as Asha suddenly commented on her sword.
"..." Isabel stared at Asha for a for more seconds, silent.
"...Pffffff, hahahaha! Man... Asha, you really know how to make me laugh, even in times like these." Isabel wiped her mouth, residual chuckles escaping her lips. "I mean I'm covered in blood and you... man... good to see you haven't lost your head," Isabel said, with a wink and a smile.
Isabel leaned back further into the couch, getting more comfortable where she sat in spite of the halberd shaft pressing into her back. "Annnnnyway... I've been here for a couple of minutes, actually. Wasn't quite sure when you guys were actually going to wake up, but I figured I wouldn't disturb you," Isabel said, shrugging, arms out, a smirk plastered on her face.
"So..." Isabel began again. "Besides the whole 'death game' and 'trying to taze me' things... how've you been? That's what people seem to say, no matter the situation, yeah?" Isabel chuckled, again. "I mean... people can be in the middle of a fucking war and ask each other how they've been. It's so... ridiculous. You know?" Isabel sighed, contently. "Seriously though, how you doing? Holding up well?"
Isabel glanced over towards Dorothy, eyes narrowing. "...And what about her?"
Dorothy enjoyed her dream while it lasted. The details weren't really clear but she remembered a mermaid making friends with a whale and trying to get the latter to sing a song. However, the song was soon twisted into words, spoken loudly, almost screaming. The mermaid politely applauded the singer, and then the curtain fell.
Dorothy mechanically opened her eyes. She wasn't totally awake, but with the movie finished and the lights coming back on, she decided to leave the theater.
She rubbed her eyes with her hands, painfully wiping the fog out of her mind. She remembered quickly where she was, tried to leave the dreamy state she was in, but she was dragged by her ankles to the bottom of abyss.
She clenched her teeth together, and, despite already seeing Asha for at least a couple of seconds, she started to truly analyze the situation.
She was talking to someone else. Not Wayne, because it was a feminine voice that answered her. A very odd, scary, doll-like voice. It was forced, it appeared inhuman in her mind. She sounded like a distorted version of a doll, but that was surely due to the fatigued mind of Dot. Somebody couldn't sound like that normally.
She looked toward the creature Asha was talking to, and it made sense.
The boogeyman was Isabel, Dorothy understood what she saw. She looked like Nancy but bloodier, scarier. At least Nancy looked scared, Isabel looked proud, confident, and even happy.
She looked to Asha then to Isabel, then again to Asha. She looked for Wayne, but he wasn't there.
"Where's Wayne? And hi, uh, you. Isabel or something?"
Dorothy mechanically opened her eyes. She wasn't totally awake, but with the movie finished and the lights coming back on, she decided to leave the theater.
She rubbed her eyes with her hands, painfully wiping the fog out of her mind. She remembered quickly where she was, tried to leave the dreamy state she was in, but she was dragged by her ankles to the bottom of abyss.
She clenched her teeth together, and, despite already seeing Asha for at least a couple of seconds, she started to truly analyze the situation.
She was talking to someone else. Not Wayne, because it was a feminine voice that answered her. A very odd, scary, doll-like voice. It was forced, it appeared inhuman in her mind. She sounded like a distorted version of a doll, but that was surely due to the fatigued mind of Dot. Somebody couldn't sound like that normally.
She looked toward the creature Asha was talking to, and it made sense.
The boogeyman was Isabel, Dorothy understood what she saw. She looked like Nancy but bloodier, scarier. At least Nancy looked scared, Isabel looked proud, confident, and even happy.
She looked to Asha then to Isabel, then again to Asha. She looked for Wayne, but he wasn't there.
"Where's Wayne? And hi, uh, you. Isabel or something?"
Isabel seemed... happy. Genuinely. Happier than Asha could remember ever seeing her, really. Her easy laughter, her casual smirks, all of it seemed so effortless, so thoughtless.
Why did that make Asha feel so uneasy?
It's not like she wanted Isabel to be miserable, far from it. Nancy had almost certainly killed someone, after all; but Asha had tried her hardest to even coax a small smile from her, put her mind to ease a little. The whole point was to make everyone feel happier, to hack at the overwhelming aura of human misery bit by bit until it was finally manageable, right? So then why wasn't Asha just glad that Isabel was functioning, could still grin and crack jokes despite the blood that was staining her? If Isabel had been a sobbing wreck now; things still wouldn't be any better, the dead wouldn't be any less dead.
A disconcerting thought crossed Asha's mind. Maybe the disconnect was because Nancy had behaved like she was "supposed" to behave, like she at least knew what she had done was wrong. Because she was so obviously suffering, it had been easy for Asha to focus on just trying to help however she could. She didn't know what Isabel had gone through, didn't know how she had coped with her actions, how she may have tried to atone. Maybe she was still hurting on the inside, but she was a far better actor than Asha gave her credit for.
So she pushed down the instinctual fear that was making her skin crawl, ignored the implication in Isabel's voice as she narrowed her eyes at Dot. Asha just had to keep doing what she'd been doing all along.
"Things are pretty a-oak. Still got my health," Asha said with a shrug. "Congrats on not losing your head, either, I just hope that pretty scarf isn't the only thing keeping it from falling off." The joke would've worked better if the scarf had been pure red, but there wasn't quite enough blood on it for that. She'd never seen Isabel wear it before, oddly enough.
"What about Dot, huh?" Asha asked, tilting her head and mimicking Isabel's expression with a smile. "She's a good friend. We spent most of yesterday hanging out. It was pretty nice!"
Speaking of which, Dot picked a pretty inopportune moment to wake up. Asha was proud of her for reacting much better to Isabel's presence than she had; though that might just be grogginess talking. "Mornin', sleepyhead. She's Iz, yeah. We do ballet together. Wayne, uh..." Asha trailed off, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to distress Dot in the company of someone she didn't know. "He ditched in the middle of the night. Pretty shitty of him, I know," she said, leaving out the part about him stealing their stuff. That could come once Dot'd had some time to get herself woken up.
Why did that make Asha feel so uneasy?
It's not like she wanted Isabel to be miserable, far from it. Nancy had almost certainly killed someone, after all; but Asha had tried her hardest to even coax a small smile from her, put her mind to ease a little. The whole point was to make everyone feel happier, to hack at the overwhelming aura of human misery bit by bit until it was finally manageable, right? So then why wasn't Asha just glad that Isabel was functioning, could still grin and crack jokes despite the blood that was staining her? If Isabel had been a sobbing wreck now; things still wouldn't be any better, the dead wouldn't be any less dead.
A disconcerting thought crossed Asha's mind. Maybe the disconnect was because Nancy had behaved like she was "supposed" to behave, like she at least knew what she had done was wrong. Because she was so obviously suffering, it had been easy for Asha to focus on just trying to help however she could. She didn't know what Isabel had gone through, didn't know how she had coped with her actions, how she may have tried to atone. Maybe she was still hurting on the inside, but she was a far better actor than Asha gave her credit for.
So she pushed down the instinctual fear that was making her skin crawl, ignored the implication in Isabel's voice as she narrowed her eyes at Dot. Asha just had to keep doing what she'd been doing all along.
"Things are pretty a-oak. Still got my health," Asha said with a shrug. "Congrats on not losing your head, either, I just hope that pretty scarf isn't the only thing keeping it from falling off." The joke would've worked better if the scarf had been pure red, but there wasn't quite enough blood on it for that. She'd never seen Isabel wear it before, oddly enough.
"What about Dot, huh?" Asha asked, tilting her head and mimicking Isabel's expression with a smile. "She's a good friend. We spent most of yesterday hanging out. It was pretty nice!"
Speaking of which, Dot picked a pretty inopportune moment to wake up. Asha was proud of her for reacting much better to Isabel's presence than she had; though that might just be grogginess talking. "Mornin', sleepyhead. She's Iz, yeah. We do ballet together. Wayne, uh..." Asha trailed off, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to distress Dot in the company of someone she didn't know. "He ditched in the middle of the night. Pretty shitty of him, I know," she said, leaving out the part about him stealing their stuff. That could come once Dot'd had some time to get herself woken up.
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Isabel sat, inquisitively taking in her surroundings in more detail as Asha spoke.
Isabel took note that Asha trailed off when she mentioned another person being here before Isabel arrived. She was blatantly hiding something... but why? Isabel couldn't think of any reason why Asha would need to hide something from her. What could possibly be so bad that she would feel the need to hide it? Isabel silently gritted her teeth. If Asha was willing to hide something from her, how long until she went from an amusing sidekick to a potential threat?
Isabel curled the fingers of her free hand briefly into a fist, trying to quell any anger that was rising up, before uncurling them. When the time came, Isabel would just drop Asha like any bad investment.
Hopefully from a very high place.
Isabel spoke, trying to remain active in the conversation and feign ignorance of her distrust. "Well, that Wayne guy sounds like a huge asshole for just abandoning you guys like that. I mean... who can you really trust in a situation like this?" Isabel cracked one of the knuckles on her free hand. "I mean I... uh..."
The realization struck Isabel that casually mentioning how she befriended Conrad and Clarice before brutally murdering Conrad probably wouldn't earn her any brownie points. Not only would it give them a reason to not trust her, but they would also get upset at the idea that she murdered someone, even if Isabel knew now that society was wrong for telling her she would feel bad about it afterwards. She thought it would be for the best to just leave her violence ambiguous for now. If the truth came out and became a problem, she could easily toss Asha and Dorothy aside like the broken toys they were. "I... uh... I got this blood all over me for a reason... you know?"
She continued, trying her best to draw attention away from her stammering. "Like... that's why I was asking about Dorothy. I don't really know her and can't really trust her, you know? But if you trust her... I guess I can roll with that."
Isabel remembered that Dorothy was actually listening now and not just asleep.
"Oh uh... no offense, by the way," Isabel said, her gaze trained on Dorothy. "Just... precaution."
Isabel took note that Asha trailed off when she mentioned another person being here before Isabel arrived. She was blatantly hiding something... but why? Isabel couldn't think of any reason why Asha would need to hide something from her. What could possibly be so bad that she would feel the need to hide it? Isabel silently gritted her teeth. If Asha was willing to hide something from her, how long until she went from an amusing sidekick to a potential threat?
Isabel curled the fingers of her free hand briefly into a fist, trying to quell any anger that was rising up, before uncurling them. When the time came, Isabel would just drop Asha like any bad investment.
Hopefully from a very high place.
Isabel spoke, trying to remain active in the conversation and feign ignorance of her distrust. "Well, that Wayne guy sounds like a huge asshole for just abandoning you guys like that. I mean... who can you really trust in a situation like this?" Isabel cracked one of the knuckles on her free hand. "I mean I... uh..."
The realization struck Isabel that casually mentioning how she befriended Conrad and Clarice before brutally murdering Conrad probably wouldn't earn her any brownie points. Not only would it give them a reason to not trust her, but they would also get upset at the idea that she murdered someone, even if Isabel knew now that society was wrong for telling her she would feel bad about it afterwards. She thought it would be for the best to just leave her violence ambiguous for now. If the truth came out and became a problem, she could easily toss Asha and Dorothy aside like the broken toys they were. "I... uh... I got this blood all over me for a reason... you know?"
She continued, trying her best to draw attention away from her stammering. "Like... that's why I was asking about Dorothy. I don't really know her and can't really trust her, you know? But if you trust her... I guess I can roll with that."
Isabel remembered that Dorothy was actually listening now and not just asleep.
"Oh uh... no offense, by the way," Isabel said, her gaze trained on Dorothy. "Just... precaution."
Dot raked her fingers across her left cheek, rubbing the numbness away. She squinted a couple of time, she wasn't sure Iz was right there, she could still be in a nightmare. But the scratches she drew on her face proved her wrong, this was reality. The girl - could she even be called that? - was in front of her.
That was when fear started to run through her body. Her legs felt weak but heavy, her heart was beating quickly, it wanted to jump out of her throat. Dot was scared by Nancy, but that fear was nothing compared to the one she was feeling right now. She felt an actually threat from the girl in front of her, she felt in danger, she felt she could die at any moment.
Funnily, Iz was fearing Dot too. Not like Dorothy who was scared of her losing her head, however. Iz was fearing Dot because she didn't trust her. She found that weirdly comforting, despite what was boiling inside of her. The mutual feeling between Iz, someone who clearly killed, and Dot, someone who was scared by death, was their connection.
And there was also their pink sweater, but that one didn't really matter. since Dot wasn't interested in a girl-talk at the moment with the scary possible killer in front of her.
Asha and Iz seemed like friends, and that was something else she could relate with the bloodied girl. She could use that to her avantage perharps because at the moment, Dorothy felt like her place in the group wasn't stable since Iz walked in and what if Asha decided to play the game. She already talk about death openly and maybe she was considering it.
Her eyes were now totally awake, and there was no denying it: Iz was real, she had two weapons, and was soaked in blood. She softly bit her tongue, thinking about the situation.
Since Iz was not trusting Dot, and their feelings were reciprocal, they needed a peace omen even there was no war in between them. She had nothing to offer other than stiching Isabel up if she was wounded. However, if she asked whether or not she was hurt, maybe Iz could take as a threat, she could take it as a way for Dot to find out about her weak point.
If she took it as a threat, it was the end of the line for Dorothy, so she decided to not ask the question. She reviewed her choices accordingly, and none of them were fail-proof. All of them could fail due to Iz's unpredictable temper, but there was one thing she was sure: Iz didn't trust her.
Dorothy smiled curtly, she knew what she was about to propose to Iz. She kept her trembles under control, suppressing them by contracting her muscles. She cleared her voice and launched herself in the action.
''You can trust me, but if you aren't sure,'' she said while pointed her bag, ''just search through my bag. You can keep my weapons, they are two sticks, I don't need them.''
That was when fear started to run through her body. Her legs felt weak but heavy, her heart was beating quickly, it wanted to jump out of her throat. Dot was scared by Nancy, but that fear was nothing compared to the one she was feeling right now. She felt an actually threat from the girl in front of her, she felt in danger, she felt she could die at any moment.
Funnily, Iz was fearing Dot too. Not like Dorothy who was scared of her losing her head, however. Iz was fearing Dot because she didn't trust her. She found that weirdly comforting, despite what was boiling inside of her. The mutual feeling between Iz, someone who clearly killed, and Dot, someone who was scared by death, was their connection.
And there was also their pink sweater, but that one didn't really matter. since Dot wasn't interested in a girl-talk at the moment with the scary possible killer in front of her.
Asha and Iz seemed like friends, and that was something else she could relate with the bloodied girl. She could use that to her avantage perharps because at the moment, Dorothy felt like her place in the group wasn't stable since Iz walked in and what if Asha decided to play the game. She already talk about death openly and maybe she was considering it.
Her eyes were now totally awake, and there was no denying it: Iz was real, she had two weapons, and was soaked in blood. She softly bit her tongue, thinking about the situation.
Since Iz was not trusting Dot, and their feelings were reciprocal, they needed a peace omen even there was no war in between them. She had nothing to offer other than stiching Isabel up if she was wounded. However, if she asked whether or not she was hurt, maybe Iz could take as a threat, she could take it as a way for Dot to find out about her weak point.
If she took it as a threat, it was the end of the line for Dorothy, so she decided to not ask the question. She reviewed her choices accordingly, and none of them were fail-proof. All of them could fail due to Iz's unpredictable temper, but there was one thing she was sure: Iz didn't trust her.
Dorothy smiled curtly, she knew what she was about to propose to Iz. She kept her trembles under control, suppressing them by contracting her muscles. She cleared her voice and launched herself in the action.
''You can trust me, but if you aren't sure,'' she said while pointed her bag, ''just search through my bag. You can keep my weapons, they are two sticks, I don't need them.''
"Nah, there's no need for that," Asha said, resting her head on one of her hands, and idly tapping her taser with the other. "We're all friends here. Riiiiiiiight?" Being mistrustful? It was wrong, but it was still understandable. Killing someone? Horrible, of course, but even that could be understood. Everyone was a victim, here. Suspecting Dot of any evils when Isabel had casually waved away the blood she'd spilled, though? Oh, no, Asha wasn't very happy with that.
The announcement came on before she could press the issue. She listened in somber silence. Inevitability or no, it was still good to pay respect. Whole lotta good people dead, after all. Not anyone close to her, but still people she liked. One of Ty's buddies. Even Rea, who Asha barely knew beyond that one snipe in the library. She sort of regretted never making the effort to clear that up, petty as it was. At least Wayne hadn't died after he ducked out. Guy was still a complete bastard, but that didn't mean Asha wanted him dead.
The killers mattered much less, but she'd met a surprising amount of them. Nancy had killed, but Asha had never really doubted that, had she? Alex, now there was a disappointment. He'd seemed off, but still decent. Maybe it'd been self-defense, an accident, any number of justifications. Asha vaguely entertained the thought of what might of happened if she hadn't been so quick to run away with Dot and Wayne, but she quickly dismissed it. Maybe she could have stopped it from happening, maybe she would have just gotten her friends hurt instead of Rea. Trading a death for a death accomplished nothing, and Asha knew she'd done her best.
Isabel? Now, there was a problem. One kill could be a mistake. Two kills established a pattern.
"Well, that's pretty terrible! Lucky you, though, Iz; you're alive and you've got all the time in the world to make up for it," Asha said brightly, a hard edge to her smile. "After all, you've obviously realized the error of your ways, and you're not gonna be killing anyone else. Isn't that right, Iz?"
She idly tossed her taser from hand to hand. Asha didn't want to be threatening Isabel with the taser, but no, she was totally low-key threatening Isabel with the taser. If she had been a better person, she knew she would have been more willing to give Isabel a chance to explain herself before jumping straight to harsh words and meaningful glares, but no. Shit was fucked and Asha didn't want Isabel to be anywhere near Dot until she proved beyond a doubt she wasn't gonna hurt anyone.
Isabel had looked disappointed when she heard that she hadn't gotten the "best kill award", hadn't she?
"'Cause, like, I hope you realize that you are going to die. We all are. None of this is gonna make a difference in the end, and if you keep killing people anyways... well, you're a goddamn horrible person. Maybe think about that a bit."
The announcement came on before she could press the issue. She listened in somber silence. Inevitability or no, it was still good to pay respect. Whole lotta good people dead, after all. Not anyone close to her, but still people she liked. One of Ty's buddies. Even Rea, who Asha barely knew beyond that one snipe in the library. She sort of regretted never making the effort to clear that up, petty as it was. At least Wayne hadn't died after he ducked out. Guy was still a complete bastard, but that didn't mean Asha wanted him dead.
The killers mattered much less, but she'd met a surprising amount of them. Nancy had killed, but Asha had never really doubted that, had she? Alex, now there was a disappointment. He'd seemed off, but still decent. Maybe it'd been self-defense, an accident, any number of justifications. Asha vaguely entertained the thought of what might of happened if she hadn't been so quick to run away with Dot and Wayne, but she quickly dismissed it. Maybe she could have stopped it from happening, maybe she would have just gotten her friends hurt instead of Rea. Trading a death for a death accomplished nothing, and Asha knew she'd done her best.
Isabel? Now, there was a problem. One kill could be a mistake. Two kills established a pattern.
"Well, that's pretty terrible! Lucky you, though, Iz; you're alive and you've got all the time in the world to make up for it," Asha said brightly, a hard edge to her smile. "After all, you've obviously realized the error of your ways, and you're not gonna be killing anyone else. Isn't that right, Iz?"
She idly tossed her taser from hand to hand. Asha didn't want to be threatening Isabel with the taser, but no, she was totally low-key threatening Isabel with the taser. If she had been a better person, she knew she would have been more willing to give Isabel a chance to explain herself before jumping straight to harsh words and meaningful glares, but no. Shit was fucked and Asha didn't want Isabel to be anywhere near Dot until she proved beyond a doubt she wasn't gonna hurt anyone.
Isabel had looked disappointed when she heard that she hadn't gotten the "best kill award", hadn't she?
"'Cause, like, I hope you realize that you are going to die. We all are. None of this is gonna make a difference in the end, and if you keep killing people anyways... well, you're a goddamn horrible person. Maybe think about that a bit."
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 801
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Isabel looked away from Asha as she spoke, before turning her head towards the speaker playing the morning announcements.
Isabel only half listened to them as she looked at the floor beneath her feet, only smiling ever so slightly when she was complimented for killing Tina. The way Asha was talking to her was far more important than information about who died and who killed. She knew who she killed herself, the number of people left didn't matter until it was just her, and she was more than confident that she could handle any other killers. But Asha already was trying to hide something from her, and now she was trying to manipulate Isabel into trusting Dorothy. She wasn't going to have any of that, she would rather kill the both of them than trust someone that could not be trusted. Anyone she didn't know beforehand and all of her superficial "friends" from high school weren't worth the risk. The only people she could trust were her friends from ballet... but Asha was making Isabel doubt even that.
Isabel tuned back into the announcements when the announcer got to the danger zones and winner of best kill. Some place she wasn't in was the danger zone, and of course she... won...
"Wait, what? But I..!" Isabel gritted her teeth and stopped her from continuing her outburst. She hadn't won the best kill award. Some other girl named Kimiko had won the award instead. Isabel balled up her fists. She knew what the terrorists normally liked, over the top violence was their thing wasn't it? Sure, she didn't intend to get the award from torturing Conrad, but it could've been a nice bonus. When she found this Kimiko girl she was going to make sure to carve her up extra nice and take whatever prize that she should have gotten.
Just as Isabel was getting into her plan for Kimiko, she was pulled out of her thoughts and turned her attention to the sound of Asha's voice. She tried her best to suppress scowling at her, but a mild look of disapproval still made itself evident on her face. There was no error. She killed because she was going to survive. She was the only person on the island that mattered enough. Everyone else was just an animal going through the motions of life, she was the only person that was truly aware of everything going on around her.
Isabel froze up slightly as Asha got harsher with her words. How dare she speak to Isabel that way? It didn't matter if she was eventually going to die anyway, if she won the game and lived to be a ripe 90 years old when her classmates all died at 18, she won. And killing didn't make her a horrible person, she was just doing what she needed to to survive. That's all that mattered. Surviving was all that mattered.
And it was becoming obvious to her that Asha was a threat to her survival.
Isabel tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. Time to dispose of Asha and Dorothy like she disposed of Conrad. Like she should have originally, when she found the two of them asleep.
Then, Isabel's eyes strayed to Asha's taser, held tight in her hands. If Asha landed that shot, all she had to do was slit Isabel's throat with her own sword and it would all be over. It was too much of a risk to go after her like this. With her being aware and ready for any violent action that might be taken. Instead, Isabel looked away from Asha and stood up. There was no way Asha would have the guts to use the taser on her if she wasn't actively attacking them. Adjusting her bag and halberd, Isabel began walking away from the two of them, before stopping at the library shelf that would have hidden them from view.
She just needed to say one last thing. Get the last laugh.
"Let me be clear with you." Isabel turned to face Asha and Dorothy once again. "I'm going to win this. Even if I have to personally kill every single other person on this island."
Isabel turned away from the two of them for the final time. "I'll let the two of you live. For now. Buuuut..." Isabel smirked and shrugged, before locking eyes with Asha. "Let's just say if I find you guys again... there isn't going to be a single thing in this world that will save you from me. Let's all hope you die before that happens..."
Isabel began walking out of the library, calling back one last time. "Or I'll make you wish you died faster."
((Isabel Ramirez continued in Be Prepared))
Isabel only half listened to them as she looked at the floor beneath her feet, only smiling ever so slightly when she was complimented for killing Tina. The way Asha was talking to her was far more important than information about who died and who killed. She knew who she killed herself, the number of people left didn't matter until it was just her, and she was more than confident that she could handle any other killers. But Asha already was trying to hide something from her, and now she was trying to manipulate Isabel into trusting Dorothy. She wasn't going to have any of that, she would rather kill the both of them than trust someone that could not be trusted. Anyone she didn't know beforehand and all of her superficial "friends" from high school weren't worth the risk. The only people she could trust were her friends from ballet... but Asha was making Isabel doubt even that.
Isabel tuned back into the announcements when the announcer got to the danger zones and winner of best kill. Some place she wasn't in was the danger zone, and of course she... won...
"Wait, what? But I..!" Isabel gritted her teeth and stopped her from continuing her outburst. She hadn't won the best kill award. Some other girl named Kimiko had won the award instead. Isabel balled up her fists. She knew what the terrorists normally liked, over the top violence was their thing wasn't it? Sure, she didn't intend to get the award from torturing Conrad, but it could've been a nice bonus. When she found this Kimiko girl she was going to make sure to carve her up extra nice and take whatever prize that she should have gotten.
Just as Isabel was getting into her plan for Kimiko, she was pulled out of her thoughts and turned her attention to the sound of Asha's voice. She tried her best to suppress scowling at her, but a mild look of disapproval still made itself evident on her face. There was no error. She killed because she was going to survive. She was the only person on the island that mattered enough. Everyone else was just an animal going through the motions of life, she was the only person that was truly aware of everything going on around her.
Isabel froze up slightly as Asha got harsher with her words. How dare she speak to Isabel that way? It didn't matter if she was eventually going to die anyway, if she won the game and lived to be a ripe 90 years old when her classmates all died at 18, she won. And killing didn't make her a horrible person, she was just doing what she needed to to survive. That's all that mattered. Surviving was all that mattered.
And it was becoming obvious to her that Asha was a threat to her survival.
Isabel tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. Time to dispose of Asha and Dorothy like she disposed of Conrad. Like she should have originally, when she found the two of them asleep.
Then, Isabel's eyes strayed to Asha's taser, held tight in her hands. If Asha landed that shot, all she had to do was slit Isabel's throat with her own sword and it would all be over. It was too much of a risk to go after her like this. With her being aware and ready for any violent action that might be taken. Instead, Isabel looked away from Asha and stood up. There was no way Asha would have the guts to use the taser on her if she wasn't actively attacking them. Adjusting her bag and halberd, Isabel began walking away from the two of them, before stopping at the library shelf that would have hidden them from view.
She just needed to say one last thing. Get the last laugh.
"Let me be clear with you." Isabel turned to face Asha and Dorothy once again. "I'm going to win this. Even if I have to personally kill every single other person on this island."
Isabel turned away from the two of them for the final time. "I'll let the two of you live. For now. Buuuut..." Isabel smirked and shrugged, before locking eyes with Asha. "Let's just say if I find you guys again... there isn't going to be a single thing in this world that will save you from me. Let's all hope you die before that happens..."
Isabel began walking out of the library, calling back one last time. "Or I'll make you wish you died faster."
((Isabel Ramirez continued in Be Prepared))
The annoucement confirmed Dot's biggest fear: she was standing in front of a killer, she didn't kill only one person too. Two people lost their lives because of that sword and that big thing she couldn't name of hers. Gosh, she wished she whacked Iz over the head and ran away instead of offering something that could spell her death.
Someone won something cool or something like that because they killed someone and, well, Iz didn't like that. Isabel wanted to win, so she wanted to prove herself as threat, maybe? Or maybe it was to get whatever thing they gave to this Kimiko girl and kill even more people. Dorothy wasn't sure, and she didn't really listen to the announcement too. She heard the names but didn't analyze them, they just went through one ear and left through the other.
The names of the deads and the killers didn't mattered. The only thing that did was the fact that Isabel had this thing in her hands and she could end Dot's life in an instant. Then Asha's. Or maybe in the reversed order, or maybe even at the same time! Dot, despite the threat, was actually scared. She was nervous, stressed about the maybe-death she'll receive. The maybe-pain she'll have when that sword will go through her face, or chest, or leg, or whatever. The maybe-there-blood that will stain her cloth.
Yet something made her walk away, and it wasn't Asha's diss. It was the thing the nicer ballerina held in her hands. Dot decided it was a taser - or was that a tazer ? She wished she had Google. - and it obviously scared Iz off them. She was about leave their sight that she, like a villain from Gossip Girls or something, turned around and taunted them.
Dot's gears started to grind. Slowly but surely, she'd understand what that meant. A little bit of oil here and there, the gears were spinning rapidly until a connexion in Dorothy's neuron was made. This meant that Dorothy made an enemy. There was someone out there that wouldn't mind hurting her, that could maybe even enjoy it.
And how she ended that sentence wasn't reassuring at all. Iz would make them beg to killer them, at least that's what Dot understood.
Dear gosh, Dorothy had to restrain herself from taunting Isabel back with a wave and a smile, or with a ''see you next time!'' She didn't say anything because she didn't want that girl to come back even they could shock her and take her stuff, she didn't want to smell the sour aroma of dry blood and sweat. She sighed and turned toward Asha,
''Has she always been like that? Like, you know, a psycho?''
Someone won something cool or something like that because they killed someone and, well, Iz didn't like that. Isabel wanted to win, so she wanted to prove herself as threat, maybe? Or maybe it was to get whatever thing they gave to this Kimiko girl and kill even more people. Dorothy wasn't sure, and she didn't really listen to the announcement too. She heard the names but didn't analyze them, they just went through one ear and left through the other.
The names of the deads and the killers didn't mattered. The only thing that did was the fact that Isabel had this thing in her hands and she could end Dot's life in an instant. Then Asha's. Or maybe in the reversed order, or maybe even at the same time! Dot, despite the threat, was actually scared. She was nervous, stressed about the maybe-death she'll receive. The maybe-pain she'll have when that sword will go through her face, or chest, or leg, or whatever. The maybe-there-blood that will stain her cloth.
Yet something made her walk away, and it wasn't Asha's diss. It was the thing the nicer ballerina held in her hands. Dot decided it was a taser - or was that a tazer ? She wished she had Google. - and it obviously scared Iz off them. She was about leave their sight that she, like a villain from Gossip Girls or something, turned around and taunted them.
Dot's gears started to grind. Slowly but surely, she'd understand what that meant. A little bit of oil here and there, the gears were spinning rapidly until a connexion in Dorothy's neuron was made. This meant that Dorothy made an enemy. There was someone out there that wouldn't mind hurting her, that could maybe even enjoy it.
And how she ended that sentence wasn't reassuring at all. Iz would make them beg to killer them, at least that's what Dot understood.
Dear gosh, Dorothy had to restrain herself from taunting Isabel back with a wave and a smile, or with a ''see you next time!'' She didn't say anything because she didn't want that girl to come back even they could shock her and take her stuff, she didn't want to smell the sour aroma of dry blood and sweat. She sighed and turned toward Asha,
''Has she always been like that? Like, you know, a psycho?''
Yeah, that was basically the best way that could have ended.
Asha had almost burst into laughter as Isabel made her grandiose threats and left, but she thankfully managed to restrain herself to a smirk. God, what a fucking edgelord. She must have spent a long time rehearsing those lines. Iz made for a good slasher villain, aesthetically, but she had about as much subtlety as the Freddies and Jasons of the world. Still, for all her bluster; Asha had no doubt that Isabel wouldn't hesitate to carry out her threats.
That didn't scare her at all, honestly. It wasn't exactly the end Asha would prefer for herself, but any amount of pain, no matter how excruciating, paled before the infinity that she would spend afterwards doing whatever it was dead people did while they rotted. Why stress about something that'd be over in a blink of the universe's eye? Oh, the thought of Isabel being unleashed on other people was still a sobering thought, though; victims who would do their damnedest to cling to their lives, feel the full brunt of the unique agonies she would inflict.
It was unfortunate, but Dot's happiness remained Asha's direct responsibility; and she didn't see any way she could have otherwise dealt with Isabel without sacrificing that. Much as she wished otherwise, Asha wasn't some many-eyed, black-feathered angel (cliche, but come on, it was still aesthetic) who could right all the island's wrongs with a wink and a twirl. She would do what she could, and nothing more, and wouldn't beat herself up over what if's.
Dot still seemed to be doing okay, at least. Asha shrugged and turned to her. "Preeeetty much! I mean, not this bad, but she's never been a nice person. Like, I didn't expect her to end up all murdery, but I, uh, can't say I'm all that surprised either? She's gone now, at least." She finally exhaled, stopped fidgeting with her taser.
"So. Now that we're both awake and alright again, I gotta come clean about a couple things. First, the taser," Asha said, casually holding it up. "I, uh, have one. Obviously. Sorry for keeping it hidden, but I didn't want it to freak you guys out, y'know? I've only got one shot for it now, anyway after that shitbird-" She cut herself off, taking another deep breath. "Okay. About that. You know how I said Wayne ditched us? That wasn't everything. He took my bag when he left, too; so our supplies are gonna be stretched pretty thin by the end of today. Sorry."
Asha had almost burst into laughter as Isabel made her grandiose threats and left, but she thankfully managed to restrain herself to a smirk. God, what a fucking edgelord. She must have spent a long time rehearsing those lines. Iz made for a good slasher villain, aesthetically, but she had about as much subtlety as the Freddies and Jasons of the world. Still, for all her bluster; Asha had no doubt that Isabel wouldn't hesitate to carry out her threats.
That didn't scare her at all, honestly. It wasn't exactly the end Asha would prefer for herself, but any amount of pain, no matter how excruciating, paled before the infinity that she would spend afterwards doing whatever it was dead people did while they rotted. Why stress about something that'd be over in a blink of the universe's eye? Oh, the thought of Isabel being unleashed on other people was still a sobering thought, though; victims who would do their damnedest to cling to their lives, feel the full brunt of the unique agonies she would inflict.
It was unfortunate, but Dot's happiness remained Asha's direct responsibility; and she didn't see any way she could have otherwise dealt with Isabel without sacrificing that. Much as she wished otherwise, Asha wasn't some many-eyed, black-feathered angel (cliche, but come on, it was still aesthetic) who could right all the island's wrongs with a wink and a twirl. She would do what she could, and nothing more, and wouldn't beat herself up over what if's.
Dot still seemed to be doing okay, at least. Asha shrugged and turned to her. "Preeeetty much! I mean, not this bad, but she's never been a nice person. Like, I didn't expect her to end up all murdery, but I, uh, can't say I'm all that surprised either? She's gone now, at least." She finally exhaled, stopped fidgeting with her taser.
"So. Now that we're both awake and alright again, I gotta come clean about a couple things. First, the taser," Asha said, casually holding it up. "I, uh, have one. Obviously. Sorry for keeping it hidden, but I didn't want it to freak you guys out, y'know? I've only got one shot for it now, anyway after that shitbird-" She cut herself off, taking another deep breath. "Okay. About that. You know how I said Wayne ditched us? That wasn't everything. He took my bag when he left, too; so our supplies are gonna be stretched pretty thin by the end of today. Sorry."
Dot didn't mind Asha concealing her weapon until it proved to be necessary to scare Iz off.. Well, she'd prefered to have known about it before that encounter, but she was still was happy to learn that they had something to defend themself. Like, the two sticks were, well, two sticks. Dot thought about it, and decided they could be used as firewood, or splinters, or something.
She didn't need to whack someone over the head as long they had the taser. One zap, and the threat was gone. It was also good just to scare someone off.
Dot would have like to get Asha's weapon because she wouldn't have mind shooting Iz with it and run away. Yes, it was an impulsive thought, but Isabel was scary and she'd rather not lose her head because of her.
But in the end, it was Iz that left, and Asha and Dot were still alive and kicking.
Yet, the question of Wayne still remained, and Asha quickly answered it. As she did her best to keep her calm while she explained what happened, Dot became red. Out of shame, mainly. She was the one that woke him, she was the one that felt asleep right after, she was the one that stayed asleep while Iz was here, and she felt like a burden.
Oh my, the little Dot started to feel her weight pulling down Asha.
That's what she is. A weight, a burden, a chain attached to the leg of a prisonner, that's what she felt like. She wanted to ignore that feeling, to ignore the pain that came with it, but it grew inside of her. She was scared of the future. 24 hours in and Dot's mind was already showing cracks from her doubts.
Not that it really mattered, but it was just be a matter of time before she would be alone. Just a matter of time, just a matter of days, maybe hours before Dorothy's only compagny would be her mind.
She didn't want to be alone, she was scared of the emptiness, the loneliness and the weakness. She hated every seconds of it, wanting to stay connected with her phone and computer, never letting go of her parents's hands when they walked around the park as a child.
Wayne leaving with Asha's stuff, Iz coming in her life just to leave quickly (even she was the scariest monster she's met), the announcement with the deaths, all of those things reminded her of her fate. Everyone will, one day, be alone. Everybody will face it soon, and Dot didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to sit down and have for sole compagny her breathing.
''Don't leave me, okay?''
She didn't need to whack someone over the head as long they had the taser. One zap, and the threat was gone. It was also good just to scare someone off.
Dot would have like to get Asha's weapon because she wouldn't have mind shooting Iz with it and run away. Yes, it was an impulsive thought, but Isabel was scary and she'd rather not lose her head because of her.
But in the end, it was Iz that left, and Asha and Dot were still alive and kicking.
Yet, the question of Wayne still remained, and Asha quickly answered it. As she did her best to keep her calm while she explained what happened, Dot became red. Out of shame, mainly. She was the one that woke him, she was the one that felt asleep right after, she was the one that stayed asleep while Iz was here, and she felt like a burden.
Oh my, the little Dot started to feel her weight pulling down Asha.
That's what she is. A weight, a burden, a chain attached to the leg of a prisonner, that's what she felt like. She wanted to ignore that feeling, to ignore the pain that came with it, but it grew inside of her. She was scared of the future. 24 hours in and Dot's mind was already showing cracks from her doubts.
Not that it really mattered, but it was just be a matter of time before she would be alone. Just a matter of time, just a matter of days, maybe hours before Dorothy's only compagny would be her mind.
She didn't want to be alone, she was scared of the emptiness, the loneliness and the weakness. She hated every seconds of it, wanting to stay connected with her phone and computer, never letting go of her parents's hands when they walked around the park as a child.
Wayne leaving with Asha's stuff, Iz coming in her life just to leave quickly (even she was the scariest monster she's met), the announcement with the deaths, all of those things reminded her of her fate. Everyone will, one day, be alone. Everybody will face it soon, and Dot didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to sit down and have for sole compagny her breathing.
''Don't leave me, okay?''
Asha wasn't quite sure where Dot's question had come from, but that wasn't important. Maybe Isabel's threats had understandably rattled her, maybe she was afraid Asha would make like a Wayne and wane. Either way, what mattered was that she clearly needed some reassurance, stat.
After setting her taser down, Asha scooted over to sit on the couch next to Dot. Then she poured her entire beating heart into giving her worrying friend a long, firm hug. "Don't worry. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" She said, heroically resisting the urge to make a 'Til Death Do us Part' joke.
-
Once Asha deemed that Dot was sufficiently comforted, they headed out to face the day. Laughable or no, neither of them wanted to be around if Isabel decided to return, and there was a whole island of cool people (and Wayne) to find.
((Asha Sur - conducting a Devil's Choir.))
After setting her taser down, Asha scooted over to sit on the couch next to Dot. Then she poured her entire beating heart into giving her worrying friend a long, firm hug. "Don't worry. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, okay?" She said, heroically resisting the urge to make a 'Til Death Do us Part' joke.
-
Once Asha deemed that Dot was sufficiently comforted, they headed out to face the day. Laughable or no, neither of them wanted to be around if Isabel decided to return, and there was a whole island of cool people (and Wayne) to find.
((Asha Sur - conducting a Devil's Choir.))