I Heard Yxu Were Lxxking Fxr Me

[Super Weegee]

Well, at least it's nice to know that their primary target hasn't suddenly changed since they grouped up.

"Yeah," Matthew said, "you don't exactly get a dozen kills and have them all be a case of self-defense. I don't know if she's just lucky or if she's just that good."

Granted, he didn't know what she even looked like, but most of her victims died due to being shot. Most people don't tend to wildly fire and pray that one of their bullets hit the mark.

Then again, they could just not know how to fire a gun, while Erika definitely does at this point.

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," he said to Arizona, "but we're halfway through this mess. Is going it alone something you really want to risk at this point?"

[Deamon]

So despite saying she was going to go it alone, there was suddenly a lot of talk about the four of them. They were also talking about a plan of attack for Erika. A girl who had twelve or thirteen kills, something like that. It was a name Arizona was aware of and one she had been thinking about. She didn't know what Erika looked like exactly, but she also thought it wouldn't be too difficult to figure it out. There was only going to be one person showing the results of a kill count that big. She'd have the supplies and weapons she had looted.

Arizona didn't like the idea of Shauna and her group going after her though. Maybe she wasn't giving Shauna enough credit or just underestimating her. But Shauna didn't deal with pressure well. It was a harsh assessment but it was also true. She'd struggled back at George Hunter and by comparison that was a breeze. Whatever was in their future would be a hundred times worse. Add in Angie and Matthew and well...Arizona didn't like their chances. On the other hand, Arizona didn't want to drag them into her shit. She had her own business, she had to find Darlene and deal with whoever had murdered Jonah.

Those two goals weren't optional. She owed Jonah both things, even if she knew deep down that he wouldn't have wanted her pursuing the second one. Dragging three unrelated people into her own issue didn't seem right. It would complicate things. They would be her responsibility. Arizona wasn't happy with taking that on. Not for a goal that ultimately boiled down to a revenge fantasy. It wasn't a position she was comfortable with.

Matthew said something else but it didn't really register outside of background noise. Arizona's focus was on Shauna.

Shauna who was begging her with her eyes.

Arizona sighed.

"No, I can't drag you into it."

Saying no to Shauna the way she was felt terrible.

"Look, after the announcement, give me a day." She placed both hands on Shauna's shoulders. "Give me a day and meet me back here."

[Melusine]

"Ari..." She sighed.

Her shoulders slumped as she looked at the manor. It was nice that nobody was trying to pick them off this time. Erika was still somewhere on the island though. As long as she was alive, Angie would never really feel safe. Well, she never really felt safe in any case, but she had never noticed this creeping sense that nothing was going according to plan until now.

It had always been there, sitting right outside of her vision. But now, if she turned around quickly, she would notice it scamper away like a thief. Angelina turned back toward Arizona.

"Sorry but," she paused looking back at Shauna then once again back at Arizona, "everyone here knows that's a bad idea."

She scratched her neck. Angie wasn't sure why she was pleading a case she didn't really want to be in. Perhaps it was the promise of a new gun in the line up. Maybe it had to do with the fact that it would make Shauna feel really good to have an actual friend with her.

"I let Ace go and he killed someone... he wasn't supposed to," she felt her eyes water, she sniffed back the tears to continue with a softer pitch, "he wasn't supposed to kill Parker, and now I lost him and it's my fault. He's gone and I don't know where is but I know he'll hurt people again. And I could have stopped that if I had been there, if I had been stronger, and I can't fix that."

Angie pointed Shauna with her finger.

"Shauna doesn't want that to happen to you, she doesn't want to lose you again," the last bit of her phrase was a mutter, barely audible, "please."

[Namira]

Shaun exhaled shakily, then clenched her teeth. Wetness was springing up at the edges of her eyes, and she broke Arizona's gaze as her teammate held her by the shoulders. She blinked once. Hard.

When she turned back, her eyes were dryer. She wanted to argue, for all the reasons she'd given, and Matt was giving, and Angie was giving. There were already too many people that Shauna was never going to see again. Finding Arizona like this had to be a one in a million, and a promise to meet up again tomorrow was--well.

Her confidence in Arizona's conviction battled against her confidence in the danger, in the cruelty. This place was tearing holes in their lives and in them, gouging away piece after piece until nothing remained but the jagged wounds. Arizona kept her promises. But that was in basketball, at school. Not here.

What could she do though, tail her? Tie herself to Arizona's wrist? If she wanted to leave Shauna behind then she... then she would.

"You really won't come with us?"

"Not right now."

Shauna closed her eyes for a second, then hugged Arizona tightly around the waist, tucking her chin against Arizona's shoulder.

"Don't you dare die."

[Super Weegee]

Ace? Wasn't he that annoying prick blasting his godawful rap music on the D.C. trip? And on the football team at that?

Great, that's yet another addition to Matthew's list of worries. Still, he tried his best to comfort Angie as she blamed herself for not preventing Parker's death.

"Last I recalled, Angie, humans aren't psychic." He said, "You couldn't have known at the time."

It's Survival of the fucking Fittest. Of course there's going to be backstabbers.

Shauna embracing Arizona was what put him back to the topic at hand.

"Let's just hope we remain in one piece until then." Then he figured that he might as well say it now before he forgets. "And...um...congrats on stopping Quinn."

[Deamon]

Another case was made but it was pointless, her mind was made up. Arizona knew it was painful for Shauna, her teammate made no effort to hide that fact. It was painful for her too. In the end, she felt it was safer for Shauna not to accompany her. There were any number of stories she could have been told. Arguments against her choice. She agreed with some of them, but her own feelings overrode that.

When Shauna embraced her again, Arizona wrapped her own arms around her friends' shoulders.

"Don't you either."

She had an idea what Jonah would have made of her decision. He would have tried to find a way to bring them all together and accommodate everyone. Arizona wasn't sure she was able to do that. Not where her head was at, not considering what she wanted to do.

Deciding to leave her arms around Shauna until the other girl felt like breaking the embrace, Arizona turned her attention to Matt.

She didn't know how to parse Matt's comment. Killing Quinn wasn't something she did for the kudos or praise it would garner her. That hadn't been on her mind. It just felt like something she had to do. The same way avenging Jonah felt like something she had to do. The social implications of the act hadn't been in her head. Not explicitly. But to a degree, it was obvious when she thought about it. Quinn had killed many of their classmates. So, of course, people would be thankful for her putting a stop to it.

"Thanks...I guess,"

[Melusine]

It was true.

Angie couldn't have known but she should have known. She wasn't stupid, or at least she wanted to say she wasn't. There were many signs that something would go wrong, so many little hints thrown here and there by Ace. Yet, she still left him after his girlfriend died.

"Still."

Angie crossed her arms, rubbing her hands over her raw wounds covered by her sweater. They were trapped underneath, stuck beneath the layer. She hated that feeling. But she had to to hide them, she couldn't disappoint Shauna again. Angie shook her head, continuing to rub her arms.

"Ari," she paused, "are you going to stay with us?"

She let her voice linger. She was overstaying with this statement. Angie was stepping on her territory, hoping to just get her to stay. Not even for long, she just wanted to make sure all the sheeps were herded and safe from the wolves.

"Just for the night?"

((Angie looked back at the mansion. She hoped she could find a clean bed.))

[Namira]

Shauna let out a quiet sigh. Tonight, then another day, then another night. Then they could stick together, maybe for good. That would keep her going for a while.

((continue elsewhere))

[Deamon]

Shauna was disappointed. It was understandable. As she pulled away Arizona couldn’t help doubt setting in. She was hurting her friend by pursuing her path. But she could justify it. She didn’t want to drag Shauna into unnecessary danger.

She’d asked for twenty-four hours from the announcement. Once that had passed she’d return. That was the promise she had made and she had no intention of breaking it.

((Arizona Butler continued elsewhere...))

[Super Weegee]

Matthew scratched the back of his neck as Angie doesn't seem to know what the word 'no' means.

She doesn't want to lose her again after being separated for so long, he understands that. Arizona's still only going to be gone for a day and she's armed on top of that. With how many people are dead, her chances of running into anybody on an island of this size are low.

It's still a risk, but she at least has a fighting chance should things go south for her.

((Matthew Hunt continued in It's Just A Day))