Going Round in Circles

[Chib†]

Digging through disorganised piles of her stuff turned out to be more of a challenge than Ema had first anticipated. It became clear after a few seconds that letting go of the falcata would be a step in the right direction, and so, with the kind of reluctance a baby clinging to its favourite toy might display, the girl forced herself to press the metal to the ground, and slowly release her grip. In times like those, it becomes impossible to tell just how long it takes to do a thing, and for all Ema knew, she could've taken mere seconds, or close on a minute, to finally drop the sword.

With that done - not that she let it out of her sight for much more than a few seconds - she began to root through her bag, realising soon that just pushing things aside wouldn't help, that she'd have to be brutal with herself and just dump what she didn't need. First, she discarded her spare towel, figuring that one would be enough. Next, the books. One of them she'd already read, so that went first, the other two she had to decide between, unwilling to leave herself with nothing at all to read, in the unlikely event she'd ever get to.

Eventually, with a mess of personal belongings strewn across the ground behind her, Ema was left with little enough that it could all fit in her daypack. After transferring the "essentials" (consisting of most of her toiletries, American Gods, her entire stash of snacks, one towel and one blanket) to the larger bag, she tossed aside her own backpack, wondering briefly what anyone that stumbled across the scene might think. Even to herself, it was an odd sight to behold.

In her haste to rid herself of the dead weight, it didn't even occur to Ema that she'd forgotten the original purpose of going through her things in the first place. She lay back, her hand subconsciously moving to rest on the hilt of her falcata, hunger forgotten, and hummed tunelessly, as if to say "Well... now what?"

[Hollyquin†]

"Well, if she has already come to the same conclusion, and she decides to stay with you, then that's fine. If, however, she hasn't officially decided whether or not she'll stay with you, or hasn't thought of it, I don't want to affect her decision. It's her choice, and I don't want to sway her mind either way."

Well, that made sense. Right? Sort of. It made sense, ish. How would what Kyle said affect Ema's opinion? He'd laid out the facts and that was it, and Ema was a smart girl, she definitely would have already figured all of that out. Maybe she hadn't, though, and maybe having the facts laid out for her would be enough to send her packing. But no, that seemed unlikely, given that she'd seen Hayley kill someone in front of her own eyes. Yeah, if anything would get Ema to get the fuck out of this moon kingdom, it was that. But Ema was still here, and Hayley was positive nothing would send her away now. She was pretty sure Kyle knew that too, so no, it didn't really make sense. Why the evasiveness?

And then Kyle pulled her closer and her mind said, oh. That's a reason.

She shut her mind off and enjoyed her moment.


It was an exceptionally short moment. But it was...nice, still.

"Sorry, I've been wanting to do that all day."

And awwwwwwwh that was really really cute. Such a dorky boyfriend-type thing to say. So out of place in this situation! And yet Hayley in no way minded. In fact Hayley really really wanted to tackle her boyfriend to the ground and kiss him and pull his hair and rip his shir-

Bad Hayley. Bad. Down. Sit. Roll over.

Hayley had to remind herself that Ema was probably about fifty feet away. That if they took too long Ema would probably wander over to see what was the matter. That if Ema caught her fucking someone (again) she would actually just have to kill herself. (Good place for that.)

Not being particularly good at restraint, Hayley tackled him anyway. Not tackled, so to speak, since they both remained standing, but she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him. Passionately. Urgently. With all the weight of the goddamn world thrown into that kiss. Does that even make sense? No?

And just like that, she stopped. Get carried away and she wouldn't be able to stop. She knew herself.

"And I've been waiting all day to do that. We're square. Now, back to base camp, shall we?"

Not waiting for a response, she wandered the short distance back through the trees to 'base camp', where Ema was waiting. Waiting in the middle of a big mess of random crap. Hayley assumed it was the stuff Ema was dumping. It looked...bizarre, in this landscape, to say the least. She almost laughed.

"Good job on the whole lightening the load thing. Sure you want to leave this shit here for someone else to find? I mean, that's one deadly fucking towel. Actually, I'm keeping the towel. Gotta know where your towel is. Right? Heh..."

Hayley sat down on top of the discarded towel, so as to protect her still-pretty-much-naked self from the dirty ground, and silently gave herself a nod of approval for nerdy literary references in the face of certain death.

"For the record, we were just talking about how the smart thing for you- and everyone, actually- to do is probably ditch me. I mean, I'm a wanted man. Woman. Something. But, you know, I figured you'd probably have thought of that. If you want to leave...I mean, you have the right, obviously. I'm not going to stop you. But..."

Conviction filled her voice. From the beginning, there was only one thing she knew for sure, and it damn sure was still true now.

"...But I'd rather have you with me. Cause I'll never let anyone hurt you. Ever."

[armeggedonCounselor†]

Kyle smiled against the kiss, enjoying the moment of bliss while it lasted. It was nice- almost like being home again. Away from all this madness. The fact that Hayley was mostly naked did not escape his mind, and the way she was pressed up against him was greatly appreciated by his Id and other parts of his "simple" brain.

Alas, it was over very quickly, with a typically snarky comment from Hayley that brought another smile to Kyle's face. It felt good to smile again- especially because of the likelihood that there would be very few reasons to smile in the upcoming days. He followed Hayley back to where Ema was....

Spring cleaning?

.... Why the heck did she have a towel? Obviously, a towel has many uses, and you should probably always have one, but as real life wasn't British science fiction with a comedic bent, the towel seemed rather strange to have. Hayley, at least, appreciated it's usefulness.

Hayley explained, briefly and with much better clarity, what Kyle had explained to her. She added something that Kyle disapproved of. Making promises of no harm was... it was sweet-hearted, and it was nice. But it was a promise that rang empty. She couldn't guarantee no harm would come to Ema. If she really took it to heart, it could break her if Ema were to....

Kyle kept his face bright yet blank. He had nothing to add to the conversation, and so didn't say anything.

[Killer_Moth†]

As Rachel ran off, Bobby tried to pull himself together. He had to control himself. Whatever had gone wrong with Rachel, there was obviously no easy answers here, but right now, there was no point in dwelling about it.

So why couldn't he stop it. What had happened to her? Had she always been like this and the island just brought it out of her? Or had something so traumatic happened that it had broken her so completely? Most importantly, was there a way to bring her back? To recover whatever was left of his best friend before she truly went too far.

He was aware that Ray and Neill were talking above him, and that somebody had put their hand on his shoulder. He felt better from that, that somebody had shown him it was still possible to care out here. He placed his own hand over the others, and looked round to see it was Ray. He smiled awkwardly up at him.

"Well, that didn't go well." He slowly clambered to his feet, trying to keep the weight off of his knee. He knew what a bad position he was in. Distraught over the situation, barely able to walk for the next while, he was in danger, and putting his friends in danger as well. He knew what he had to do, but knew that the others would never allow him to do it.

"Could you guys just give me a minute or so alone here?"

[Outfoxd]

The girl was gone. She said some stuff that sounded like it came out of Scripture with a televangelist flair, and then she just took off before they could stop her. Ray felt better now that she was gone, but he couldn't shake the feeling some real shit was gonna go down now that she was running around again.

He shifted the spear, slid it onto his back so his daypack secured it. Bobby was asking for some time alone, and Ray looked at him. He nodded, figuring him and Neill could head back up the path they came from a ways. Ray still wanted to keep the boy in sight, in case there was someone else who was batshit in the area.

Ray turned to Neill and jerked his head back toward the path to indicate that's where he was going, and started walking.

"Same fucking shit..." He muttered.

[Chib†]

"Good job on the whole lightening the load thing. Sure you want to leave this shit here for someone else to find? I mean, that's one deadly fucking towel. Actually, I'm keeping the towel. Gotta know where your towel is. Right? Heh..."

Ohgodwhothehellwasth-- oh, just Hayley coming back. Remembering the girl's parting words, Ema inwardly berated herself - a worryingly common occurance - for paying so little attention as to be taken by surprise by her own companion... companions, the awkwardly silence Kyle was there too, after all. "Yeah, swell job of keeping watch you're doing, hun."

Wait, no, stop, stop getting lost in thought, people are talking. Ema focused, catching the part about towels. She hadn't read the Hitchhiker's Guide for a while, but the reference put a grin on her face nonetheless, a bit of nostalgia and humour to lighten the oppressive mood of kill or be killed. The grin didn't last long, though.

"For the record, we were just talking about how the smart thing for you- and everyone, actually- to do is probably ditch me. I mean, I'm a wanted man. Woman. Something. But, you know, I figured you'd probably have thought of that. If you want to leave...I mean, you have the right, obviously. I'm not going to stop you. But..."

But, she wanted her to stay? But, after everything that had already happened, if witnessing death hadn't put Ema off, some sensible words wouldn't either? But, something else entirely?

"...But I'd rather have you with me. Cause I'll never let anyone hurt you. Ever."

But something a bit deeper, clearly. Though, in spite of herself, in spite of the touchingness (was that even a real word?) of the moment, Ema couldn't help but see the irony, the person who'd managed to hurt her the most so far, promising not to let anyone hurt her, not just "from now on", but "ever". It wasn't enough to elict a derisive comment, though, it was touching enough, and said with enough tangible honesty, that Ema found it impossible not to believe. Hayley couldn't change what had already happened, but she clearly meant to prevent anything worse from befalling her. Or, at least, it certainly seemed that way to Ema.

All the while, Kyle remained silent, so, to break the awkward gap in speech left whilst Ema had been contemplating, she climbed to her feet, looking down to the Hut. Someone was walking away, the others seemed fairly mobile too, not leaving, but they might be preparing to. "Looks like they're moving, should we go down?"

Hopefully, not directly answering wouldn't make things any more awkward than they already were. What she'd said implied she wanted to stay, right? The annoying part of her mind seemed more interested in the last two words.

"In before innuendo."
"Oh for the love of..."

[Hollyquin†]

"Looks like they're moving, should we go down?"

That's not an answer. That is in no way an answer. That doesn't even resemble an answer. Like at all. Fucking fuck. What is Ema thinking?

How hard was it to say "Yeah no, I'm totally staying with you"? Preferably with an added "because you're the best girlfriend" shut up shut up shut up "friend and human being in the history of the world ever"? That wasn't so hard, right? Right. Well, maybe that was asking for overmuch, but avoiding the subject? Really? That was so elementary school.

Hayley really wanted to pursue the subject again, but no, hell no, she did not want to pursue the subject again at all. The more she did, the more likely it was that she'd get an answer she didn't want to hear. So she settled for biting her lip and nodding. Ema was right after all. They were moving.

haha she said go down shut up brain I'm not talking to you right now

She nodded.

"Yeah, word. It's getting late. I'm kind of worried about the others but wandering off to find them is just going to get us all lost. We said the hut, unless they're all..." She shook her head, closed her eyes, swallowed as she said it, as it was a distinct possibility. "...all dead, they'll be here eventually. And...we'll find that out in the morning."

She stood, picking up the towel she'd been sitting on and draping it around her shoulders. She hadn't been kidding about the hour- the sun was close to setting already. She shook her head, picking up her bag and checking for the comfort of Vera inside. She was there and Hayley felt that much safer.

She watched the others move down the path away from the hut, and she walked the way they'd came, back around and down the cliff. She motioned towards Kyle and Ema to follow.

Nice to have a home again.

[[Hayley Kelly continued tomorrow morning in Pleather for Breakfast]]

[armeggedonCounselor†]

((Not much to add, so crappy filler post this is.))

Kyle nodded at Ema's pointing out the moving people. He noted the near innuendo there, but was far too mature to comment on it, although it was absolutely itching for a "that's what she said."

Which was literally true as well. An interesting thought.

Kyle followed Hayley down the path to the hut's level.

((Kyle Portman continued tomorrow....))

[xylophonefairy†]

As Ray indicated back up the path, Neill nodded, bringing the lighter to the cigarette and lighting it as he walked a few paces behind Ray. He took a deep drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs, and feeling the relief it brought. He knew it was all psychological, the feeling of relaxation when he smoked, God knew his sister had thrown enough articles at him explaining the fact when she'd first found out that he smoked. Still, it was making him feel better, if there was ever a time for a cigarette this was it.

Blowing the smoke out at a camera as he passed it, he reflected on the fact that Rachel had just left, and wondered if that had more to do with the feeling of relief than smoking did. Yvonne would be proud of him thinking like that, and he briefly considered making a comment to the camera in the hope that she might see it. But then he would have to say something to Sam, who he was much closer to, and probably his parents. Then there was his cousin Michael who worked for Google in California, and his cousin Jenny, Michael's twin sister, who was just finishing up her first year in college. Both of them would want a mention too.

No, the best thing was to not say anything to anyone.

"Same fucking shit..."

Ray said something, but Neill couldn't quite make it out. He nodded, guessing that this was the best response to whatever it was that had been said. Taking another drag, he too kept an eye on Bobby, this was a dangerous world and he looked strangely vulnerable there, though the body right next to him might deter any potential assasins.

"Now what do we do?" Neill said softly, not sure himself what he meant.

[Chib†]

(Assuming this is after the other group leaves, otherwise, weird anarchonisms abound...)

Hayley didn't seem pleased with Ema's non-answer. She couldn't blame her, really, but then, she shouldn't really be able to blame Ema for not giving a straight response, either. Not in good faith at any rate. They both had equally good reasons for not having particularly straightforward conversations with one-another.

"Yeah, word. It's getting late. I'm kind of worried about the others but wandering off to find them is just going to get us all lost. We said the hut, unless they're all..."

Well, at least she wasn't vocally annoyed about it. Her face still wasn't exactly the picture of satisfaction, either way. Waithangon, unless they're all what?

"...all dead, they'll be here eventually. And...we'll find that out in the morning."

Well yeah, guess that goes without saying. And saying it wasn't exactly tasteful. Certainly put a damper on the otherwise successful journey. "Because surviving all the way here is an Olympian-grade achievement." "Snark for the sake of snark, helpful, brain. So fucking helpful." By that point, Ema had started actively trying to ignore her own pessimistic, self-depreciative thoughts, but somehow they refused to be silenced, no matter how hard she tried. Maybe it was for the best, in the long run, but getting herself depressed didn't seem like much of a positive thing so far.

Either way, Hayley and Kyle had already started making their way down to the little building, so Ema shut off her thoughts for the mean time, and followed behind, leaving her pile of stuff where it lay, to meet whatever fate it would eventually meet. Odd, that she should care even slightly about some inanimate objects, when in a few hours she'd be listening to the latest update on who had died in the last 24 hours.

[Ema Ryan --> Pleather For Breakfast]

[Killer_Moth†]

They were gone. He was alone. He knew that they hadn't gone far, that they would probably be within sight if he looked up, making sure that he was safe. They were trying to look out for him. Bobby felt so guilty. He knew that he had to get away from them, and given his current situation, there seemed to be only one way.

He pulled the canister out of his pocket. It was still there, safe and secure, cold in his hand. He wondered what would happen if he sprayed in inside his mouth. Would he feel anything? Would the cold just shut his brain down instantly, before it smashed against the ground and shattered, just as he had seen before in science class? It had been a fun demonstration video, seeing the sausage broken to pieces by being beaten with a hammer.

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If Rachel was killing people, anybody could be killing. And he didn't want his death to weigh on anybody else's soul. His ideas of rescue were just fantasies. There wasn't any hope at all, was there. Better to end it all now. This way, it would be at his own choosing. The fear of a slow, lingering death at the hands of somebody he had considered a friend did not appeal to him. This way, the only soul that would be damned by his blood would be his own.

Damned? He thought back to Dante. The Inferno. Suicides resided within the seventh circle. They would not even be restored upon resurrection, forced to spend eternity as thorns, fed upon by harpies. While he knew that Dante wasn't technically part of the catechism, the imagery had remained with him since he had read it, years before. If he were to commit suicide, he would be forever denied heaven. That much was canon.

So much of his comfort throughout his trials had been found through the church. And now he wanted to throw that away? To abandon all hope of ever seeing the promised paradise and the face of his Lord? That thought scared him much more than any mere physical death. No. Let Danya and his terrorists set brother against brother, he would not raise a hand against them. Not as long as he knew that salvation was promised.

Bobby realised that he had been holding his breath, his hands clasped. Somehow, he had unconsciously entered into prayer. The canister had returned to his pocket. He must have put it there himself. He felt a great sense of peace upon him, and even his knee was feeling strong enough to support him once more.

He offered a word of thanks unto God, got up and made his way up the path to where Ray and Neill were waiting.

[Outfoxd]

Raymond stood with Neill, watching as the other boy smoked. Part of him wanted to take part in his own vice again, bust out that bottle of vodka and take some of it straight to the head. His nerves could've used a little calming. Ray looked down at the ground, kicked a pebble that was in his way. He wondered, briefly, if his sister was watching. Probably Alicia was working with her tutor, furthering her education. She had a future, and he was happy to have helped her in some way.

Wouldn't have been that much of a loss if Ray died here. He wasn't going anywhere academically. And he couldn't really do anything with wrestling. Maybe do that UFC stuff, but he didn't really like fighting all that much, to tell the truth.

Ray looked up when Neill spoke. "Don't know. Go for a walk?" He gave a small chuckle.

Robert came up, saving both of them more speculation. He seemed like he decided something, seemed a lot more confident in what he was doing.

"You good?" Ray asked. Not waiting for an answer, he clapped Robert on the back. "Probably should get going." Ray turned and headed up the path at a slow pace, so the other two could keep up.

((Raymond Dawson continued in The Magi))

[xylophonefairy†]

Neill nodded in agreement with Ray, taking another drag on the cigarette. There were seventeen left in the pack. He wanted to finish them all before he died, somehow he doubted that he was going to get lung cancer. Then again, how was he going to know. He might die tomorrow and leave half a pack unsmoked. But if he used them all up now in a frenzy, he might live another five days and spend all of them on a nicotine deprived rage. He breathed too deeply and coughed. Ray was already wandering off and Neill hadn't even gotten around to talking to Bobby yet. Truth be told he wasn't sure what to say. What do you say to someone who's just prayed? Congrats dude, have a nice time in heaven? Think of me when I'm roasting in hell with sub par cigarettes and lots and lots of pineapples.

He chose not to say anything. Just nodded and made a manly grunt kind of noise that he hoped expressed brotherly solidarity. Finishing the cigarette off he dropped it to the ground. Some loose bracken nearby caught on fire, and he watched it for a minute. It would be so easy to see this island go up in flames. Watch everything sour that went with it descend into ash, and hopefully some of the people too. Then everyone that was left could fight it out on the big empty battlefield and they would all be calling their bets with God or whoever was on the Other Side a whole lot sooner.

But the important thing was that the game would end sooner. Leading to less revenue. Meaning that next time wouldn't be as impressive. Which, if he wasn't around to watch it, was a good thing.

Wandering after Ray, immediately following his manly grunt, Neill spat at a camera. Well, it had to be done, really.

((Neill Robertson continued in The Magi))

[Killer_Moth†]

He joined the two others in silence. What had happened to him he wasn't certain about, and didn't want to make them wonder about his own grasp on reality, especially considering their recent dealings with Rachel. Indeed, her own revelation made him somewhat dubious about his own newfound peace and strength. Then again, was it not said that if you were wondering about your sanity, that was the best sign that it was intact.

As he joined them, Ray slapped him reassuringly on the back, and inquired as to how he was doing. Bobby just smiled and nodded. Neill seemed uncomfortable, but what could anybody say, after what they'd all just been through. War makes strange bedfellows indeed. Here he was, bound to two guys who he doubted he would have been close with in other circumstances. Now, there was an inevitability about it. He was going to die with these two. He had already had his miracle on the island. That would have to be enough. Rescue would be too much to ask.

Ray walked off up the path, Neill following. Bobby walked quickly to catch up, softly humming to himself as he moved.

((Robert Barron cont'd in The Magi))

((And I think that's the thread closed now as well))