Arizona listened to Lizzie's fragmented and scattered answer. Putting names to faces and trying to visualize the situation. But she had two hang-ups with what Lizzie was saying. Two details she couldn't get past. The first was the name Alex. There was only one Alex that she knew of at the school. It wasn't a big deal by itself, Alex wasn't a common name in her year, it happened. But the Alex she knew of, he was blind.
The other detail was the gap. There was a gap in Lizzie's story. She described seeing Alex, Nick and the mystery girl but then she was escaping. Something had to have happened in between those two parts. But whatever it was Lizzie wasn't telling them. Whether it was deliberate or not didn't really matter. They were missing the inciting incident. Arizona kept her gaze on Lizzie but didn't move any closer. She didn't make any attempt to comfort her either.
The story didn't make sense to her, it just didn't add up to a cohesive whole. Yuki and Saffron were too nice. It was a trait that had helped her when she hadn't been fully present. But it didn't help them now. They just softballed Lizzie. They offered reassurances and calming words. But neither of them seemed to care that Lizzie had encountered a blind boy and two other people and somehow it had escalated to attempted shooting and stabbing. Never mind the fact they hadn't been told why.
"Heh yeah, welcome," Arizona said in response to Lizzie. She didn't smile and instead moved some hair away from her face to hide the fact. She kept her gaze solidly on the other girl. Her eyes watching, waiting and analyzing.
As she started to regain her sense of self, Arizona felt her old habits returning. Her brain kept going back to Lizzie's story and telling her to say something. Instead, she stayed quiet.
She stayed quiet and watched.
I’m A Fucking Unicxrn
Open - Day 2
So, from what she could gather, Lizzie encountered Nick Olgilvie, Alexander Brooke, and a girl whose name she didn’t know. The girl had a gun and Nick had a knife. He had tried to stab Lizzie before she escaped. But what about Alex? Was he still in danger? Was Nick holding Alex hostage when Lizzie found them? If that were the case, she’d have to watch out for Nick.
She never thought she would ever have to think of Nick as a threat. The Nick that Yuki recalled was a Celtic history buff, a illusion magic enthusiast, and a person she played Scrabble with. How could someone like that turn dangerous?
And what about the girl? Could they have been one of Yuki’s sisters? Yuki was overcome by the fear of her sisters becoming a potential murderer. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to process such a thought. Regardless, Yuki had to know.
“What did the girl look like?,” Yuki asked, “Did she have spiky short hair, or braided light green hair?”
She never thought she would ever have to think of Nick as a threat. The Nick that Yuki recalled was a Celtic history buff, a illusion magic enthusiast, and a person she played Scrabble with. How could someone like that turn dangerous?
And what about the girl? Could they have been one of Yuki’s sisters? Yuki was overcome by the fear of her sisters becoming a potential murderer. She wasn’t sure how she would be able to process such a thought. Regardless, Yuki had to know.
“What did the girl look like?,” Yuki asked, “Did she have spiky short hair, or braided light green hair?”
B018: Ned Jackson- 
G039: Yuki Hayashibara- 
B034: Zachary Beck- 
“Gee, I don’t know. She was about my height, kind of heavy looking, dark skin. I think her hair was long, dark brown? I was looking more at the gun, you know?”
She chewed her lip in thought as she wiped the last of the tears from her face. Composure re-established, and no immediate chance of being shot, things were definitely starting to look just a little better. Arizona didn’t seem as comforting as Saffron and Yuki, but as long as she didn’t pull a gun out, they could be the best of friends. Hurrah for new social standards.
“Can I tag along with you guys?” she asked out of the blue, bending down to pick her shears back up. She kept them safely pointed at the floor as she stood back up. “If it’s ok, I mean. I don’t want to be alone out there with people like that, and you guys seem really nice. Plus I can tell you great jokes to lighten the mood. Eh? Eh?”
She tried to shove on a big ol’ grin, but it was exactly as awkward as you’d imagine it to be. Still she kept it up, the most pleading grin she could muster.
She chewed her lip in thought as she wiped the last of the tears from her face. Composure re-established, and no immediate chance of being shot, things were definitely starting to look just a little better. Arizona didn’t seem as comforting as Saffron and Yuki, but as long as she didn’t pull a gun out, they could be the best of friends. Hurrah for new social standards.
“Can I tag along with you guys?” she asked out of the blue, bending down to pick her shears back up. She kept them safely pointed at the floor as she stood back up. “If it’s ok, I mean. I don’t want to be alone out there with people like that, and you guys seem really nice. Plus I can tell you great jokes to lighten the mood. Eh? Eh?”
She tried to shove on a big ol’ grin, but it was exactly as awkward as you’d imagine it to be. Still she kept it up, the most pleading grin she could muster.
(Timeskip done with permission)
Hmm... heavier, dark skin, long dark hair? Saffron could think of a few girls she knew who could fit that description, so unfortunately that wasn't enough for her to put a name to the descriptor. However, she could at least keep it in mind. Every little bit of information could be useful in some way. Well, probably.
"Sure, you can probably stay with us. Safety in numbers, you know?" Saffron extended an offer for Lizzie to stay around in response to her question. "We were about to check out some of the houses around here, so you can help us out with that."
----------
Searching the leadership houses turned out to not be quite as lucrative as they had hoped. They had managed to find a decent place to stay the night, but they didn't find anyone that they had been looking for, nor did they find anything that would help them get off the island any faster. Saffron was disappointed, but she tried her best to hide it for the sake of morale.
Plus, on another unfortunate note, since they hadn't found Caroline, she was pretty sure that their window for doing so had effectively closed. There was to much ground that she could have covered by that point, and... she really didn't want to bring that up to the others. Yuki had seemed pretty worried about her before, and Saffron didn't want to make that any worse.
And then there were the announcements... Saffron really wanted to forget about what she had heard on them, but she couldn't. They showed only one thing, and that was that whether they got off the island of not, the terrorists had already scored a victory. Young lives had already been snuffed out by their cruel game, and at the hands of other students who would have never found themselves doing such things were they not forced into it. The act of forcing innocents to kill innocents... Saffron wanted to throw up.
She was now convinced that pure evil lived in this world, and she genuinely wished that hadn't been confirmed.
Heading back into the gardens, she turned to the rest of the group to try to gauge their reactions, and held hope that things could still turn positive for them. "Okay guys, what's our next plan?" She said, turning around and letting the tip of her pool cue rest on the ground.
Hmm... heavier, dark skin, long dark hair? Saffron could think of a few girls she knew who could fit that description, so unfortunately that wasn't enough for her to put a name to the descriptor. However, she could at least keep it in mind. Every little bit of information could be useful in some way. Well, probably.
"Sure, you can probably stay with us. Safety in numbers, you know?" Saffron extended an offer for Lizzie to stay around in response to her question. "We were about to check out some of the houses around here, so you can help us out with that."
----------
Searching the leadership houses turned out to not be quite as lucrative as they had hoped. They had managed to find a decent place to stay the night, but they didn't find anyone that they had been looking for, nor did they find anything that would help them get off the island any faster. Saffron was disappointed, but she tried her best to hide it for the sake of morale.
Plus, on another unfortunate note, since they hadn't found Caroline, she was pretty sure that their window for doing so had effectively closed. There was to much ground that she could have covered by that point, and... she really didn't want to bring that up to the others. Yuki had seemed pretty worried about her before, and Saffron didn't want to make that any worse.
And then there were the announcements... Saffron really wanted to forget about what she had heard on them, but she couldn't. They showed only one thing, and that was that whether they got off the island of not, the terrorists had already scored a victory. Young lives had already been snuffed out by their cruel game, and at the hands of other students who would have never found themselves doing such things were they not forced into it. The act of forcing innocents to kill innocents... Saffron wanted to throw up.
She was now convinced that pure evil lived in this world, and she genuinely wished that hadn't been confirmed.
Heading back into the gardens, she turned to the rest of the group to try to gauge their reactions, and held hope that things could still turn positive for them. "Okay guys, what's our next plan?" She said, turning around and letting the tip of her pool cue rest on the ground.
So Lizzie had been accepted into their group. Arizona hadn't protested, but she hadn't invited her in either. A deliberate omission. Trust was earned not given. That rule was even more true in their situation. But all the same, Lizzie was invited along. It was what it was. They had moved on and spent the night in one of the houses. It hadn't been a comfortable night but rest was rest. They couldn't afford to be picky. The exact amount of sleep she had gotten couldn't have been much. Her subconscious summoned images of cascading water. A current that surrounded her, overwhelmed and choked. After she had woken up from that dream she hadn't gone back.
Eventually, she had gotten up and changed. Her now dry t-shirt being thrown back on and her hoodie packed away. Trying to keep her clothes fresh was going to be a losing battle. She knew as much. But the attempt meant something. It was a small amount of control she could exert upon her situation. It became clear in the morning that their search had proven fruitless. She had expected as much. Those thoughts stayed her own though. The final nail in that coffin had been the announcement bringing the island to life.
Arizona had sat and listened, chewing absently on a slice of bread. The words felt wavy, ghostly. They drifted across the gardens. An omniscient god telling them how their classmates had fallen. She took it all in, but two names hit her the hardest. Abel and Quinn. Opposite sides of the coin. One had died while the other had killed. Her teammate had taken the life of Violet Quinn. From what little she knew of Violet Quinn she had been a friendly and kind girl meanwhile her Quinn was quiet and bad at social interaction. She'd written some love letters to Paloma Salt, the girl that had killed Abel. People around the school had made fun of her for that. Although now Arizona could only consider how everything linked together. A spider-web of relationships and butterfly wings altering them. She felt responsible for Quinn somewhat. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say they were friends. They weren't. They were teammates, but teammates looked out for each other.
As for Paloma...Arizona needed to find Jonah.
Looking over at Saffron she shrugged.
"I've not got anything concrete." She said. "I guess we just keep looking for the people we care about."
Eventually, she had gotten up and changed. Her now dry t-shirt being thrown back on and her hoodie packed away. Trying to keep her clothes fresh was going to be a losing battle. She knew as much. But the attempt meant something. It was a small amount of control she could exert upon her situation. It became clear in the morning that their search had proven fruitless. She had expected as much. Those thoughts stayed her own though. The final nail in that coffin had been the announcement bringing the island to life.
Arizona had sat and listened, chewing absently on a slice of bread. The words felt wavy, ghostly. They drifted across the gardens. An omniscient god telling them how their classmates had fallen. She took it all in, but two names hit her the hardest. Abel and Quinn. Opposite sides of the coin. One had died while the other had killed. Her teammate had taken the life of Violet Quinn. From what little she knew of Violet Quinn she had been a friendly and kind girl meanwhile her Quinn was quiet and bad at social interaction. She'd written some love letters to Paloma Salt, the girl that had killed Abel. People around the school had made fun of her for that. Although now Arizona could only consider how everything linked together. A spider-web of relationships and butterfly wings altering them. She felt responsible for Quinn somewhat. She wasn't going to lie to herself and say they were friends. They weren't. They were teammates, but teammates looked out for each other.
As for Paloma...Arizona needed to find Jonah.
Looking over at Saffron she shrugged.
"I've not got anything concrete." She said. "I guess we just keep looking for the people we care about."
“Oh,” Yuki said in a disappointed tone. Thankfully, it meant neither of Yuki’s sisters were actively being antagonistic, but simultaneously it meant Yuki didn’t have any leads to their whereabouts. Then Lizzie asked if she could join their group.
“Uh, sure,” Yuki said to Lizzie, “I wouldn’t mind.”
Yuki looked to Arizona and Saffron. Saffron didn’t seem to mind either, while Arizona was quiet, but didn’t seem to mind either. Now that their trio had grown into a quartet, now was a good a time as any to settle in for the night.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dawn had come. They had searched the leadership houses, but found nothing. Fortunately, they were able to sleep without much issue. Yuki had risen, looking out at the sunrise. The sound of the announcements echoed across the island. Yuki listened carefully.
Each name made Yuki sick to her stomach. The way Danya tried to put a humorous spin on them made her feel worse. One name that truly stood out, Beryl Mahelona, shook her. Beryl was a good friend to the Hayashibara triplets. How could someone kill a nice person like her? How will her sisters feel—
”Meanwhile as that was happening we had an example of a twitchy sword arm as Katrina Lavell tested her blade on Yuko Hayashibara.
Yuki’s mind went blank.
What did he say?
Yuko?
Yuko was...
Yuki collapsed to her knees, her eyes as wide as they could be, her face stunned in shock and disbelief.
“Uh, sure,” Yuki said to Lizzie, “I wouldn’t mind.”
Yuki looked to Arizona and Saffron. Saffron didn’t seem to mind either, while Arizona was quiet, but didn’t seem to mind either. Now that their trio had grown into a quartet, now was a good a time as any to settle in for the night.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dawn had come. They had searched the leadership houses, but found nothing. Fortunately, they were able to sleep without much issue. Yuki had risen, looking out at the sunrise. The sound of the announcements echoed across the island. Yuki listened carefully.
Each name made Yuki sick to her stomach. The way Danya tried to put a humorous spin on them made her feel worse. One name that truly stood out, Beryl Mahelona, shook her. Beryl was a good friend to the Hayashibara triplets. How could someone kill a nice person like her? How will her sisters feel—
”Meanwhile as that was happening we had an example of a twitchy sword arm as Katrina Lavell tested her blade on Yuko Hayashibara.
Yuki’s mind went blank.
What did he say?
Yuko?
Yuko was...
Yuki collapsed to her knees, her eyes as wide as they could be, her face stunned in shock and disbelief.
Lizzie’s attempts at making small talk and bring out small laughs had fallen flat. It turned out that once the thrill of not being suplexed down a hill or having a gun pointed at her, she was left feeling rather dour. It was as if she was still trapped on an island where her classmates were supposed to be killing each other. Still, she was grateful for the reprieve her allies gave her, and wasted little time on suspicion. She felt safe, at least for the moment.
The next morning, she had stretched and greeted her comrades and done her business in solitude. She had never been one for camping, and the lack of plumbing did a good job of reinforcing it. If she lived to get off this rock, she was going to crawl into a bed and stay there for at least three nights. Otherwise, the sun had risen and there had been some occasional wildlife noises. The world kept on going despite their plight.
When the announcements had started, they had grabbed her attention without fail. Lizzie had stared into the sky in an anxious manner the whole time, as if Danya’s declarations echoed from the Heavens. Considering where people were ending up, they might as well have. When they ended, Tracen's crappy wit only earning her ire, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As horrible as it sounded, as horrible as it was to admit, she was glad for herself. The friends she had weren’t hurt, and Morgan was ok (as far as she knew). She felt terrible for the people who were dead, but –
One of the names. Yuko? The yen dropped.
She looked to Yuki. Her fears were confirmed.
She stood there, for just a moment. A lump swelled up in her neck. She swallowed it back down.
“Oh Yuki, I’m so sorry.” She said, dropping to her knees next to the bereaved triplet and wrapping her arms around her shoulders.
The next morning, she had stretched and greeted her comrades and done her business in solitude. She had never been one for camping, and the lack of plumbing did a good job of reinforcing it. If she lived to get off this rock, she was going to crawl into a bed and stay there for at least three nights. Otherwise, the sun had risen and there had been some occasional wildlife noises. The world kept on going despite their plight.
When the announcements had started, they had grabbed her attention without fail. Lizzie had stared into the sky in an anxious manner the whole time, as if Danya’s declarations echoed from the Heavens. Considering where people were ending up, they might as well have. When they ended, Tracen's crappy wit only earning her ire, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As horrible as it sounded, as horrible as it was to admit, she was glad for herself. The friends she had weren’t hurt, and Morgan was ok (as far as she knew). She felt terrible for the people who were dead, but –
One of the names. Yuko? The yen dropped.
She looked to Yuki. Her fears were confirmed.
She stood there, for just a moment. A lump swelled up in her neck. She swallowed it back down.
“Oh Yuki, I’m so sorry.” She said, dropping to her knees next to the bereaved triplet and wrapping her arms around her shoulders.
-
Yugikun
- Posts: 950
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 1:48 am
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There was a brief search for a place to rest, but nothing more interesting than that. She had found a bed, found solitude, and used that to let this day end. It was… slightly sad, to do so, but the fact that Roxanne still had so many days left was easy comfort. The first day had been spent finding her feet. The next could be spent spreading her wings.
Doing it felt as easy as saying it, honestly.
((Roxanne Herbert, continued from Two Hearts))
And doing it was what she was doing. She was walking through the gardens, towards the sky, ears only vaguely registering the man talking all over the island. Once again, there was nothing more interesting to her action than that. These gardens were just as interesting as the gardens of yesterday. There was no barometer to the announcement as there was no announcement yesterday, and yet that still felt like a fitting comparison. The people she heard had not mattered to her — either in this world or the world before. Perhaps those who had ended a life could provide a meeting of interest, if Roxanne’s travels ever put her in their direction, but those were only considerations — she didn’t want any sort of plan. Perhaps she could place thought on whether she would want an encounter with the people in front of her, but she wasn’t sure whether that fit the definition of “plan” or another word. It would-
She heard a name she cared about and she stopped moving. There was a second spent interpreting whether Beryl was the killer or the victim during her moment, but the end of the announcer’s sentence cleared up any misconception. Beryl, her friend from before, was dead, and-
Anna stepped forward. Opened her mouth. Found that she was breathing with that rather than her nose as her body stepped her forward again, took her in a direction she had no control over as she was pushed through the brush, into the clearing, close to the people already there. She was clutching her stomach, breathing with force, and there was some sort of liquid coming out of her face. There was a moment of recognition, a second where Anna saw the people around her, before they disappeared, before the world became only her.
Doing it felt as easy as saying it, honestly.
((Roxanne Herbert, continued from Two Hearts))
And doing it was what she was doing. She was walking through the gardens, towards the sky, ears only vaguely registering the man talking all over the island. Once again, there was nothing more interesting to her action than that. These gardens were just as interesting as the gardens of yesterday. There was no barometer to the announcement as there was no announcement yesterday, and yet that still felt like a fitting comparison. The people she heard had not mattered to her — either in this world or the world before. Perhaps those who had ended a life could provide a meeting of interest, if Roxanne’s travels ever put her in their direction, but those were only considerations — she didn’t want any sort of plan. Perhaps she could place thought on whether she would want an encounter with the people in front of her, but she wasn’t sure whether that fit the definition of “plan” or another word. It would-
She heard a name she cared about and she stopped moving. There was a second spent interpreting whether Beryl was the killer or the victim during her moment, but the end of the announcer’s sentence cleared up any misconception. Beryl, her friend from before, was dead, and-
Anna stepped forward. Opened her mouth. Found that she was breathing with that rather than her nose as her body stepped her forward again, took her in a direction she had no control over as she was pushed through the brush, into the clearing, close to the people already there. She was clutching her stomach, breathing with force, and there was some sort of liquid coming out of her face. There was a moment of recognition, a second where Anna saw the people around her, before they disappeared, before the world became only her.
The announcement ran through Saffron's mind, and everything around her felt far away for a few moments as she processed it.
Yuko Hayashibara... that was Yuki's sister. There were three of them, the Hayashibara triplets. And Yuko was on the announcements, as a victim, so now Yuki...
She looked over to see Yuki in the midst of breaking down, falling to her knees and looking, as far as Saffron could tell, empty. She wished that she could say something to try to help but... to be honest, she wasn't sure that she could relate. She didn't want to sound cold-hearted, but she had never really experienced anything like losing a sibling. She supposed that she was blessed in that respect, but that didn't do anything to heal Yuki's anguish.
Saffron approached the smaller girl and lowered herself to her knees, putting them on more even ground. "I'm really sorry, Yuki." She said softly. She felt like reaching out, but wondered if that would be too much too soon. Then Lizzie would up doing that anyway, so she decided to just leave that to her for now. She could have said something else, but she felt that Yuki might need a moment, considering the new that she just received.
Yuko Hayashibara... that was Yuki's sister. There were three of them, the Hayashibara triplets. And Yuko was on the announcements, as a victim, so now Yuki...
She looked over to see Yuki in the midst of breaking down, falling to her knees and looking, as far as Saffron could tell, empty. She wished that she could say something to try to help but... to be honest, she wasn't sure that she could relate. She didn't want to sound cold-hearted, but she had never really experienced anything like losing a sibling. She supposed that she was blessed in that respect, but that didn't do anything to heal Yuki's anguish.
Saffron approached the smaller girl and lowered herself to her knees, putting them on more even ground. "I'm really sorry, Yuki." She said softly. She felt like reaching out, but wondered if that would be too much too soon. Then Lizzie would up doing that anyway, so she decided to just leave that to her for now. She could have said something else, but she felt that Yuki might need a moment, considering the new that she just received.
Oh she was a fucking idiot.
"I guess we just keep looking for the people we care about."
Meanwhile, Yuki's sister had been murdered. Fucking great one. And fucking Lizzie was the first one to realize what she and Saffron hadn't. Arizona felt sick. She had been so focused on her own bullshit that she hadn't even spared a second thought for Yuki. So she sat there, awkwardly looking at the scene that was developing. Saffron also went over to Yuki. That left her as the odd one out. It was awkward. Arizona knew she was supposed to offer support. But she didn't know *how*. She knew you were supposed to give condolences. But how did you do that in any way that meant anything and wasn't hollow on Survival of the Fittest? There was no 'It'll be alright.' or 'We'll get through it'. Where did you go? To your death. That was the end result for all of them but one. So how did you comfort someone? It wasn't going to get better, it was never going to get better, it was only going to get worse.
Arizona was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of another girl. She didn't recognize her immediately and didn't get much of a chance to. As soon as she appeared the girl had doubled over and started vomiting into the grass. Arizona chewed at her lip and then stood up and moved towards her.
"Alright," She said, gathering up the new arrivals hair in her hands and moving it out of the way of the stream. "Let it out."
At least it was better than nothing. She could help the new girl in some way. Make herself useful. She couldn't blame the girl either. It was intense. All of it was. The idea of it was. She knew well enough herself. The overwhelming feeling of it all when she had woken up had...It didn't matter. There were more immediate concerns, like helping out whoever the mystery puker was.
"I guess we just keep looking for the people we care about."
Meanwhile, Yuki's sister had been murdered. Fucking great one. And fucking Lizzie was the first one to realize what she and Saffron hadn't. Arizona felt sick. She had been so focused on her own bullshit that she hadn't even spared a second thought for Yuki. So she sat there, awkwardly looking at the scene that was developing. Saffron also went over to Yuki. That left her as the odd one out. It was awkward. Arizona knew she was supposed to offer support. But she didn't know *how*. She knew you were supposed to give condolences. But how did you do that in any way that meant anything and wasn't hollow on Survival of the Fittest? There was no 'It'll be alright.' or 'We'll get through it'. Where did you go? To your death. That was the end result for all of them but one. So how did you comfort someone? It wasn't going to get better, it was never going to get better, it was only going to get worse.
Arizona was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of another girl. She didn't recognize her immediately and didn't get much of a chance to. As soon as she appeared the girl had doubled over and started vomiting into the grass. Arizona chewed at her lip and then stood up and moved towards her.
"Alright," She said, gathering up the new arrivals hair in her hands and moving it out of the way of the stream. "Let it out."
At least it was better than nothing. She could help the new girl in some way. Make herself useful. She couldn't blame the girl either. It was intense. All of it was. The idea of it was. She knew well enough herself. The overwhelming feeling of it all when she had woken up had...It didn't matter. There were more immediate concerns, like helping out whoever the mystery puker was.
Lizzie embraced Yuki as tears began to stream down her face. She embraced Lizzie and buried head into her chest. Yuki could feel many emotions stirring up inside her. Anger, regret, despair...
How could something happen like this to Yuko? She didn’t do anything wrong as far as Yuki was aware. Yuko was a pillar of strength to Yuki, and the same applies to Yuka. Now one of those pillars has been demolished, and Yuki was utterly heartbroken. She felt like she failed her sister.
“I...should have...been...,” Yuki said in between sobs, “Yuko...why her?”
Along with grief came worry and urgency towards Yuka. She was the only sister Yuki had left. With Yuko dead, Yuki had to find Yuka before something terrible happened.
In the corner of Yuki’s eye, she saw Arizona tending to a newcomer, who looked to be in just as bad a state as she did. Everyone on this island must be in a bad state after these announcements.
How could something happen like this to Yuko? She didn’t do anything wrong as far as Yuki was aware. Yuko was a pillar of strength to Yuki, and the same applies to Yuka. Now one of those pillars has been demolished, and Yuki was utterly heartbroken. She felt like she failed her sister.
“I...should have...been...,” Yuki said in between sobs, “Yuko...why her?”
Along with grief came worry and urgency towards Yuka. She was the only sister Yuki had left. With Yuko dead, Yuki had to find Yuka before something terrible happened.
In the corner of Yuki’s eye, she saw Arizona tending to a newcomer, who looked to be in just as bad a state as she did. Everyone on this island must be in a bad state after these announcements.
Lizzie rubbed Yuki’s shoulder as she cried into her bosom. She held her close, resting her own cheek on top of Yuki's head. She knew not to say anything, that there was nothing she could say, and that all she could do at that time was give Yuki a shoulder to cry on.
That fleeting feeling of relief had turned on her, baring its fangs of guilt. Not seconds ago she’d been practically walking on sunshine over the fact none of her friends were dead, and now moments later she was acting all comforting to someone who’s sister had been murdered. It was a horrible feeling, to have only considered her own welfare when Yuki had been there for her the day before. Horrible, and selfish.
So she kept holding her, unable and unwilling to give up her position that probably didn’t help at all. She gave Saffron an acknowledging glance, but didn’t hold it when Roxanne entered the scene. Arizona had taken care of that though, so what else was there for her to do?
She wanted to suggest they keep moving, try to find the people they care about, because Morgan was still out there, hopefully not getting his ass kicked or attacking other people. Just like Arizona had cottoned on though, with their amazing basic empathy skills, that would be pretty damn insensitive to the bereaved sibling to bring up so soon.
No, she’d just have to sit there as Yuki’s constant support until the time came that she was able to stand on her own.
That fleeting feeling of relief had turned on her, baring its fangs of guilt. Not seconds ago she’d been practically walking on sunshine over the fact none of her friends were dead, and now moments later she was acting all comforting to someone who’s sister had been murdered. It was a horrible feeling, to have only considered her own welfare when Yuki had been there for her the day before. Horrible, and selfish.
So she kept holding her, unable and unwilling to give up her position that probably didn’t help at all. She gave Saffron an acknowledging glance, but didn’t hold it when Roxanne entered the scene. Arizona had taken care of that though, so what else was there for her to do?
She wanted to suggest they keep moving, try to find the people they care about, because Morgan was still out there, hopefully not getting his ass kicked or attacking other people. Just like Arizona had cottoned on though, with their amazing basic empathy skills, that would be pretty damn insensitive to the bereaved sibling to bring up so soon.
No, she’d just have to sit there as Yuki’s constant support until the time came that she was able to stand on her own.
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Yugikun
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There was bile and there was blood. There was something touching, tugging at her hair. There was touch there was taste there were sounds all around Anna but they were secondary, unimportant. Easy to compartmentalize, keep away from her in favor of what mattered.
Because Beryl was… no longer here, was the easiest way to put it. It allowed her to state the fact without reminding herself of it. It allowed her to pretend that she was somewhere else, safe, no longer at risk to the danger this world possessed, because, because…
Because there was this girl that Anna had once known. They had met after Alex had come into the practice room and had allowed Roxanne to step out, become what she’d wanted to be. They hadn’t ever really talked before then — maybe aside some brief, insignificant look while passing one another — but it had only taken moments for that girl to consider Roxanne a friend, to understand all of her facets and do her best to help, bring her joy. They had played in a band together, and although Roxanne had occasionally been forceful — even if she’d been right to be, she still felt guilty doing it — Beryl had always been a friend to Roxanne in a way Roxanne had once imagined most friends in high school would be like. Someone she could rely on. One of the people on her list, one of the people she cared about most.
And now she was no longer here. She was off this island. In the before world. She was somewhere not here and she was-
Dead.
Beryl was dead. Reunited with someone Anna had never even heard of as he put a knife in her neck, and-
And she didn’t know how to deal with this. She didn’t know where to start. Beryl was her friend and Beryl was dead and it’d happened before they’d even gotten the chance to meet again and-
...
...
Right.
They hadn’t met. They hadn’t seen what the other had turned into.
Beryl didn’t matter.
Because wasn’t that what she had been telling herself every moment up until now? Wasn’t the whole point of being here that it was a new start, a new world? Yes. Yes. The old world — the one of high school and band practice and the king and queen who beat their daughter — was gone. All that once stood there — her friends, her passions, her self — had turned to dust. No. No. Beryl didn’t matter anymore. Beryl didn’t matter and so didn’t Alex and so didn’t Teddy and Violet and Tony and Darlene and they wouldn’t ever be of significance unless they became like Marcy, unless they and An- Roxanne met here and established themselves, showed her what role they would play now that they were here.
And it hurt, of course. The idea of just casting them away would not come easy, but Roxanne knew she had to. She was not Anna. She was not weak. She would not just be that little girl who did nothing and stayed quiet and did everything her parents had told her to.
No.
She would be her.
She would be strong.
And this would be how she did it.
“It’s fine,” Roxanne said to the black haired, dark-skinned girl holding her. “It- it doesn’t matter.”
Everything returned. The world was all around her. There was touch on her skin bile in her throat and something wet, something warm that had formed below her. She did not move, she did not lift herself, but her voice had taken strength, broadcasted its next statement to anyone in the vicinity.
“None of them matter.”
Because Beryl was… no longer here, was the easiest way to put it. It allowed her to state the fact without reminding herself of it. It allowed her to pretend that she was somewhere else, safe, no longer at risk to the danger this world possessed, because, because…
Because there was this girl that Anna had once known. They had met after Alex had come into the practice room and had allowed Roxanne to step out, become what she’d wanted to be. They hadn’t ever really talked before then — maybe aside some brief, insignificant look while passing one another — but it had only taken moments for that girl to consider Roxanne a friend, to understand all of her facets and do her best to help, bring her joy. They had played in a band together, and although Roxanne had occasionally been forceful — even if she’d been right to be, she still felt guilty doing it — Beryl had always been a friend to Roxanne in a way Roxanne had once imagined most friends in high school would be like. Someone she could rely on. One of the people on her list, one of the people she cared about most.
And now she was no longer here. She was off this island. In the before world. She was somewhere not here and she was-
Dead.
Beryl was dead. Reunited with someone Anna had never even heard of as he put a knife in her neck, and-
And she didn’t know how to deal with this. She didn’t know where to start. Beryl was her friend and Beryl was dead and it’d happened before they’d even gotten the chance to meet again and-
...
...
Right.
They hadn’t met. They hadn’t seen what the other had turned into.
Beryl didn’t matter.
Because wasn’t that what she had been telling herself every moment up until now? Wasn’t the whole point of being here that it was a new start, a new world? Yes. Yes. The old world — the one of high school and band practice and the king and queen who beat their daughter — was gone. All that once stood there — her friends, her passions, her self — had turned to dust. No. No. Beryl didn’t matter anymore. Beryl didn’t matter and so didn’t Alex and so didn’t Teddy and Violet and Tony and Darlene and they wouldn’t ever be of significance unless they became like Marcy, unless they and An- Roxanne met here and established themselves, showed her what role they would play now that they were here.
And it hurt, of course. The idea of just casting them away would not come easy, but Roxanne knew she had to. She was not Anna. She was not weak. She would not just be that little girl who did nothing and stayed quiet and did everything her parents had told her to.
No.
She would be her.
She would be strong.
And this would be how she did it.
“It’s fine,” Roxanne said to the black haired, dark-skinned girl holding her. “It- it doesn’t matter.”
Everything returned. The world was all around her. There was touch on her skin bile in her throat and something wet, something warm that had formed below her. She did not move, she did not lift herself, but her voice had taken strength, broadcasted its next statement to anyone in the vicinity.
“None of them matter.”
The new girl spoke. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Again, Arizona couldn't blame her. But what was that stage of grief? Denial wasn't it? Although Arizona was sure the five stages had been disproven. She wasn't one hundred percent sure, plus there was no way for her to check. As a result, she'd never know. If that was how the girl wanted to cope that was how she was going to cope. She wasn't going to stop her.
"Alright." She said as stepping back from the new arrival, letting her hair fall from her hands. Her eyes turned to the group. Her group. That was what they were supposed to be. She agreed with that, to a point. She hadn't known any of them before she had woken up. She didn't trust all of them either. The only one she felt an attachment to was Saffron. As harsh as it sounded she didn't know Yuki. She felt for her on a base level but she didn't share her pain. How could she? Lizzie was also just a person. A person she didn't even trust.
Doubt was creeping in. People changed over time. People would be changing quickly as they faced mortality. It wasn't nihilism, it was merely the truth. So, who really gave a fuck? She knew the people she wanted to find. None of them were in her group.
Where did that leave her?
"Alright..." She said again.
"I'm just going to go look around quickly guys." She lied to the air.
Then she vanished into the gardens, trying to ignore the guilt she felt.
((Arizona continued elsewhere...))
"Alright." She said as stepping back from the new arrival, letting her hair fall from her hands. Her eyes turned to the group. Her group. That was what they were supposed to be. She agreed with that, to a point. She hadn't known any of them before she had woken up. She didn't trust all of them either. The only one she felt an attachment to was Saffron. As harsh as it sounded she didn't know Yuki. She felt for her on a base level but she didn't share her pain. How could she? Lizzie was also just a person. A person she didn't even trust.
Doubt was creeping in. People changed over time. People would be changing quickly as they faced mortality. It wasn't nihilism, it was merely the truth. So, who really gave a fuck? She knew the people she wanted to find. None of them were in her group.
Where did that leave her?
"Alright..." She said again.
"I'm just going to go look around quickly guys." She lied to the air.
Then she vanished into the gardens, trying to ignore the guilt she felt.
((Arizona continued elsewhere...))
Yuki sat at a dinner table with her sisters. The establishment they picked for their birthday dinner was pretty classy. After they chose an item from the menu, they exchanged gifts. Yuki had gotten Yuko a pair of cat earrings, since she knew Yuko had a soft spot for cute animals. For Yuka, she had gotten a necklace with an alexandrite gemstone. Both of her sisters loved their gifts, their joy bringing a smile to Yuki’s face. Her sisters bought her gifts as well. From Yuka, she received a fancy fountain pen, which she could use for her writing. From Yuko she received...
...
......
She couldn’t remember.
Her memory was blurred from the despair of knowing she’d never see Yuko again.
_______________________________________________________________________
Back in the horrible reality of the death game, Yuki had stopped crying. She was still distraught over the announcements, but her eyes couldn’t produce anymore tears.
“Yuko...loved animals,” Yuki spoke, “She wanted to go to school, so she could work with small animals. She was strong...but she had a good heart.”
Talking about Yuko made her feel a bit better. Like, she could keep her sister’s spirit alive by telling others how great she was.
“Yuko was always looking out for us,” Yuki continued, “Yuka and I...”
She trailed off and just remembered. Yuka was still out there. She was probably as distraught as Yuki was. Yuki rose to her feet and collected her things.
“I have to find Yuka!”, Yuki declared, “Listen, all of you are welcome to follow me. I just can’t let her down.”
Yuki began walking towards the direction of the sun. She looked back at the others and noticed Arizona was missing. She probably had places to be, people to find as well.
“Goodbye and good luck, thanks for everything,” she said.
With that, Yuki turned back around and continued onward, hoping she wasn’t too late to find her remaining sister.
(Yuki Hayashibara, continued elsewhere...)
...
......
She couldn’t remember.
Her memory was blurred from the despair of knowing she’d never see Yuko again.
_______________________________________________________________________
Back in the horrible reality of the death game, Yuki had stopped crying. She was still distraught over the announcements, but her eyes couldn’t produce anymore tears.
“Yuko...loved animals,” Yuki spoke, “She wanted to go to school, so she could work with small animals. She was strong...but she had a good heart.”
Talking about Yuko made her feel a bit better. Like, she could keep her sister’s spirit alive by telling others how great she was.
“Yuko was always looking out for us,” Yuki continued, “Yuka and I...”
She trailed off and just remembered. Yuka was still out there. She was probably as distraught as Yuki was. Yuki rose to her feet and collected her things.
“I have to find Yuka!”, Yuki declared, “Listen, all of you are welcome to follow me. I just can’t let her down.”
Yuki began walking towards the direction of the sun. She looked back at the others and noticed Arizona was missing. She probably had places to be, people to find as well.
“Goodbye and good luck, thanks for everything,” she said.
With that, Yuki turned back around and continued onward, hoping she wasn’t too late to find her remaining sister.
(Yuki Hayashibara, continued elsewhere...)