“Okay.”
Breath. Breath. Breath. Breath. Verity’s body visibly jolted as Alyssa’s hand moved to hold hers, but then it sat still. Relaxed. Her head bowed down, stared at the way she and Alyssa interlocked, for a few moments.
“I can do that. I can… sit here. I…”
Breath. Breath. Breath. She looked up, towards the sky, as the air left her body. Almost felt regular. Almost felt like things were okay again.
“God.”
Breath. Breath.
“You’ve… you’ve been through stuff like this too, haven’t you?”
Breath. Verity lifted up her other hand. Pointed it at her brain.
“Like, up here. You… have the stuff I have, right?”
Can't run Forever
Private
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She paused. Alyssa didn't like talking about this stuff with people. No one that she didn't trust completely. Most people didn't understand, or if they did they'd just feel bad for her. No matter what, they would look at her differently. She didn't want anyone to think she was different.
Then Alyssa came to a wonderful, obvious, life-shaking, stupid revelation. It didn't matter anymore. She was on SOTF, her classmates were killing each other, the whole world had seen her breakdowns. Alyssa should have been scared to death at the thought- and she was sure she would be, once she'd had time to think it over. But right now? It was wonderful. She was free to be who she was.
"Yeah. I mean- uh, I don't know if it's the same, but- I have 'stuff' like that. I'm not good at being alone with myself. With my thoughts."
Alyssa squeezed Verity's hand tighter.
"Since I was eight. It was really bad back then- well, it's still bad now, but I can handle it better. I think."
Then Alyssa came to a wonderful, obvious, life-shaking, stupid revelation. It didn't matter anymore. She was on SOTF, her classmates were killing each other, the whole world had seen her breakdowns. Alyssa should have been scared to death at the thought- and she was sure she would be, once she'd had time to think it over. But right now? It was wonderful. She was free to be who she was.
"Yeah. I mean- uh, I don't know if it's the same, but- I have 'stuff' like that. I'm not good at being alone with myself. With my thoughts."
Alyssa squeezed Verity's hand tighter.
"Since I was eight. It was really bad back then- well, it's still bad now, but I can handle it better. I think."
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“Man.”
Verity laughed. Squeezed Alyssa’s hand back. Kinda had to spend another couple seconds having to learn to breathe again because she wasn’t quite back enough. Smiled. Moved her head upwards.
“I… I kinda said this a lot in my head while I was here, but… god, if it weren’t for, um, all this. If we’d met, like, sometime before all this...”
Looked Alyssa in the eyes.
“...We... really could’ve been something, you and me.”
Verity laughed. Squeezed Alyssa’s hand back. Kinda had to spend another couple seconds having to learn to breathe again because she wasn’t quite back enough. Smiled. Moved her head upwards.
“I… I kinda said this a lot in my head while I was here, but… god, if it weren’t for, um, all this. If we’d met, like, sometime before all this...”
Looked Alyssa in the eyes.
“...We... really could’ve been something, you and me.”
Alyssa looked away and gave a bitter laugh. The two of them had never run in the same circles back in school. Verity wasn't exactly a party animal and Alyssa had never connected with the... nerdier crowd. But maybe Verity was right. Maybe in the right circumstances- if there had been some sort of coincidence or turn of fate. If they had lived on the same block, if they had been assigned lab partners in 9th grade, if they had been in the same therapy group- yeah, maybe they could have been close. But- would that have even been a good thing? Alyssa had watched Verity shoot her own best friend just days earlier. Even if they had been friends, Verity would still be a killer and Alyssa would still be a coward.
"It doesn't matter what could have been." she said softly.
Alyssa let go of Verity's hand. She steadily rose to her feet and brushed herself off.
"But we- we could still be friends now." She held her hand down to Verity.
Alyssa didn't trust her, and she didn't approve of her actions. But she understood her, and she cared about her. And she didn't want to be alone anymore. They were both horrible by themselves, but they could help each other.
"It doesn't matter what could have been." she said softly.
Alyssa let go of Verity's hand. She steadily rose to her feet and brushed herself off.
"But we- we could still be friends now." She held her hand down to Verity.
Alyssa didn't trust her, and she didn't approve of her actions. But she understood her, and she cared about her. And she didn't want to be alone anymore. They were both horrible by themselves, but they could help each other.
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“I…”
Verity looked down. At herself. At the floor. She stayed there, for a second. Didn’t say anything. Just squeezed Alyssa’s hand and sat there breathing, for a few seconds.
Then:
“Yeah,” she said, looking up towards Alyssa’s waist again. “I think I want that. Let’s do it.”
Verity looked down. At herself. At the floor. She stayed there, for a second. Didn’t say anything. Just squeezed Alyssa’s hand and sat there breathing, for a few seconds.
Then:
“Yeah,” she said, looking up towards Alyssa’s waist again. “I think I want that. Let’s do it.”
"Okay." She was doing this. They were doing this. She smiled.
Alyssa grasped onto Verity's hand again and gently pulled her back up. She looked into the girl's eyes and made a move towards her, then she paused and reconsidered, then she went through with it anyway. She brought Verity into a hug, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tight. Verity was quite a bit taller than her, so she she ended up resting her head against the other girls shoulder.
"Alright. We can handle this. Yeah?"
Alyssa grasped onto Verity's hand again and gently pulled her back up. She looked into the girl's eyes and made a move towards her, then she paused and reconsidered, then she went through with it anyway. She brought Verity into a hug, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tight. Verity was quite a bit taller than her, so she she ended up resting her head against the other girls shoulder.
"Alright. We can handle this. Yeah?"
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Wham Yubeesling
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It took so much not to freeze up with Alyssa moved in to hug her.
Because this… was foreign. Someone hugging her. Usually she was the one initiating and usually that meant it wasn’t really a surprise when they happened. It was… telegraphed. Patternistic. Predictable. Usually when she was hanging with Keegan and the bell had just rung she’d convince him to give her one, as a bow to end things off. She’d wrap her arms and press her body into him and he’d do it back, but… it never really felt like what it should. She’d heard that hugs were supposed to be warm and fluffy and comforting but really with Keegan it just felt like two bodies pressing themselves against one another. Bone feeling bone. Too tight to really feel all that great. It wasn’t Keegan’s fault. He just wasn’t really all that touchy feely. And she didn’t have anybody more touchy feely in her life than him. Hugs in Verity’s world were kinda just… not really meant to be.
But this was different. There was a second when Alyssa first touched her where everything jolted and Verity wondered what was going to happen next and then time passed on to the next second. Alyssa kept her hold. Pressed her head into Verity’s shoulder.
And suddenly the hole in her chest closed up completely.
And suddenly the cloud around her head faded to nothing.
And Alyssa’s body felt soft. And warm. Verity let the breath she’d been holding go and it was more than air that came out. The stress, the wall in her throat stopping her from breathing, the idea that she’d made Alyssa hate her — those all went out the window. Now she was here. The two of them could’ve been the only two in this arena, for all Verity cared. The world was just them and the boat. There didn’t need to be anything more.
“Yeah.”
Because this was all Verity needed. Someone who got it. Someone who’d always be there and someone who’d always pick her and someone who’d always know what she was talking about when she talked about Verity things. Someone who’d been through the same shit as her and fully understood what that meant. Someone who she could have a breakdown in front of and wouldn’t judge and wouldn’t make Verity judge herself for breaking down in front of. A friend. Her second one in this whole school. She wouldn’t have needed anybody else. She wouldn’t have needed to be so desperate for something to change. She would’ve had Keegan and she would’ve had Alyssa and she was pretty sure that was all she needed.
An Alyssa.
A what-could-have-been.
“We can handle this.”
So she wrapped her left arm around Alyssa’s waist. Pressed her own body into hers. She let herself feel what a hug should feel like, let herself wonder what this could’ve been like had they met only a couple months earlier, and felt herself smile for a second before she took the shiv from out of her pocket and sent it straight into Alyssa’s back.
Because this… was foreign. Someone hugging her. Usually she was the one initiating and usually that meant it wasn’t really a surprise when they happened. It was… telegraphed. Patternistic. Predictable. Usually when she was hanging with Keegan and the bell had just rung she’d convince him to give her one, as a bow to end things off. She’d wrap her arms and press her body into him and he’d do it back, but… it never really felt like what it should. She’d heard that hugs were supposed to be warm and fluffy and comforting but really with Keegan it just felt like two bodies pressing themselves against one another. Bone feeling bone. Too tight to really feel all that great. It wasn’t Keegan’s fault. He just wasn’t really all that touchy feely. And she didn’t have anybody more touchy feely in her life than him. Hugs in Verity’s world were kinda just… not really meant to be.
But this was different. There was a second when Alyssa first touched her where everything jolted and Verity wondered what was going to happen next and then time passed on to the next second. Alyssa kept her hold. Pressed her head into Verity’s shoulder.
And suddenly the hole in her chest closed up completely.
And suddenly the cloud around her head faded to nothing.
And Alyssa’s body felt soft. And warm. Verity let the breath she’d been holding go and it was more than air that came out. The stress, the wall in her throat stopping her from breathing, the idea that she’d made Alyssa hate her — those all went out the window. Now she was here. The two of them could’ve been the only two in this arena, for all Verity cared. The world was just them and the boat. There didn’t need to be anything more.
“Yeah.”
Because this was all Verity needed. Someone who got it. Someone who’d always be there and someone who’d always pick her and someone who’d always know what she was talking about when she talked about Verity things. Someone who’d been through the same shit as her and fully understood what that meant. Someone who she could have a breakdown in front of and wouldn’t judge and wouldn’t make Verity judge herself for breaking down in front of. A friend. Her second one in this whole school. She wouldn’t have needed anybody else. She wouldn’t have needed to be so desperate for something to change. She would’ve had Keegan and she would’ve had Alyssa and she was pretty sure that was all she needed.
An Alyssa.
A what-could-have-been.
“We can handle this.”
So she wrapped her left arm around Alyssa’s waist. Pressed her own body into hers. She let herself feel what a hug should feel like, let herself wonder what this could’ve been like had they met only a couple months earlier, and felt herself smile for a second before she took the shiv from out of her pocket and sent it straight into Alyssa’s back.
She didn't know what was happening. There was a pain in her back- a new pain, very unlike the types of pain she knew deeply. For a wild second, she thought it would pass. She didn't know why. But it quickly became more than she could endure. Alyssa cried out. Her balance faltered and she collapsed forward, right into Verity, her head mashed up against the taller girl's shoulder. Her arms gripped tightly against Verity, holding on for dear life.
"I-" she croaked "I don't feel-"
She didn't know what was happening, so she held on to the only thing there to support her. Verity, who Alyssa had put her trust in, twice.
Oh
Her fingers dug into Verity's back. She weakly lifted her head to look into her friend's eyes.
"You-"
She was so stupid. She'd known what she had to do. Why couldn't she do it? Stupid, gullible, idiot.
"I-" she croaked "I don't feel-"
She didn't know what was happening, so she held on to the only thing there to support her. Verity, who Alyssa had put her trust in, twice.
Oh
Her fingers dug into Verity's back. She weakly lifted her head to look into her friend's eyes.
"You-"
She was so stupid. She'd known what she had to do. Why couldn't she do it? Stupid, gullible, idiot.
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Wham Yubeesling
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There was no going back.
To… before any of this. Before their abduction. Before the start of this game. Before Verity had done all the things that’d made Alyssa point the trident at her. There was no going back. No undoing any of what she’d done. To act like she could was… not something Verity could afford anymore. The idea that she and Alyssa could’ve been friends had they met under better circumstances was just something to take comfort in. Couldn’t be anything more than that. Not when she was here. Not when she’d murdered two friends. Not when she’d been sent down this path. Not when she’d committed to it. Not when she’d lost any hope of being able to go back on it.
Because what would have happened if she’d grouped up with Alyssa now? What would they have done? Just keep sitting here and try to pretend like none of this was happening? Walk around and do nothing until someone came and shot them both? What would the endgoal to have been? Hope that she could maybe die happy? Hope that somehow this would make everything better? Hope that they could ride a bus out of the wedding service and hope the camera stopped filming before they looked at each other wondering what was going to happen now?
What would the previous three days have meant?
What was the point of joining with Fisk?
What was the point of killing Keegan?
What would his — what would Timothy’s — death have meant if she just sat down here and started playing La La Land?
No. She couldn’t be friends with Alyssa. She couldn’t just run from this forever. To do that would… make it all naught. Make everything she’d built up, attempted, sacrificed over the past few days completely pointless. The only option was to leave Alyssa behind. The only way out of this was to abandon what could’ve been.
At least if she killed Alyssa now Verity could spare her however many days she’d otherwise have to suffer being here.
At least if she made it quick, then… then maybe if Alyssa was feeling the same pain Verity was, then she could take it all away in one fell swoop. Make sure Alyssa wouldn’t have to feel it anymore.
…
…
It didn’t work out like that. Alyssa just kept talking. Held tighter. Barely even came to the realization that Verity had been the one to stab her. She looked Verity in the eyes and suddenly Verity realized that this wasn’t like Timothy this wasn’t like Keegan she didn’t take the hint and disappear forever she was still there still alive and Verity couldn’t breathe so she closed her eyes looked away took the shiv out of Alyssa’s back and put it in again.
Took the shiv out of Alyssa’s back and put it in again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Ag-
To… before any of this. Before their abduction. Before the start of this game. Before Verity had done all the things that’d made Alyssa point the trident at her. There was no going back. No undoing any of what she’d done. To act like she could was… not something Verity could afford anymore. The idea that she and Alyssa could’ve been friends had they met under better circumstances was just something to take comfort in. Couldn’t be anything more than that. Not when she was here. Not when she’d murdered two friends. Not when she’d been sent down this path. Not when she’d committed to it. Not when she’d lost any hope of being able to go back on it.
Because what would have happened if she’d grouped up with Alyssa now? What would they have done? Just keep sitting here and try to pretend like none of this was happening? Walk around and do nothing until someone came and shot them both? What would the endgoal to have been? Hope that she could maybe die happy? Hope that somehow this would make everything better? Hope that they could ride a bus out of the wedding service and hope the camera stopped filming before they looked at each other wondering what was going to happen now?
What would the previous three days have meant?
What was the point of joining with Fisk?
What was the point of killing Keegan?
What would his — what would Timothy’s — death have meant if she just sat down here and started playing La La Land?
No. She couldn’t be friends with Alyssa. She couldn’t just run from this forever. To do that would… make it all naught. Make everything she’d built up, attempted, sacrificed over the past few days completely pointless. The only option was to leave Alyssa behind. The only way out of this was to abandon what could’ve been.
At least if she killed Alyssa now Verity could spare her however many days she’d otherwise have to suffer being here.
At least if she made it quick, then… then maybe if Alyssa was feeling the same pain Verity was, then she could take it all away in one fell swoop. Make sure Alyssa wouldn’t have to feel it anymore.
…
…
It didn’t work out like that. Alyssa just kept talking. Held tighter. Barely even came to the realization that Verity had been the one to stab her. She looked Verity in the eyes and suddenly Verity realized that this wasn’t like Timothy this wasn’t like Keegan she didn’t take the hint and disappear forever she was still there still alive and Verity couldn’t breathe so she closed her eyes looked away took the shiv out of Alyssa’s back and put it in again.
Took the shiv out of Alyssa’s back and put it in again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Ag-
Every jab sent an explosion of pain through her. Every stab caused a strained shout, caused her to grip tighter on Verity. Alyssa's fingers dug into her attackers back until they broke the skin.
Verity closed her eyes. Alyssa followed suit, hoping to block it all out. Block out the pain, block out Verity. It didn't work. She could still feel it. Not just the pain, but the betrayal, the shame of her own weakness. She'd fought her whole life against this- these feelings, this self-hatred. She didn't want to die, but she wanted to be done with it. At least there was that.
"Verity-" she croaked, then stopped. No, Alyssa didn't need to say anything else to her. She'd just have to keep living with herself, alone and afraid.
As her last strength left her, Alyssa fell to the ground. Beneath the grime and tears, there was a slight smile. They weren't the same, not anymore. She was free, this was Verity's hell now. Served her right.
MM09: Alyssa Tibbett - DECEASED
Verity closed her eyes. Alyssa followed suit, hoping to block it all out. Block out the pain, block out Verity. It didn't work. She could still feel it. Not just the pain, but the betrayal, the shame of her own weakness. She'd fought her whole life against this- these feelings, this self-hatred. She didn't want to die, but she wanted to be done with it. At least there was that.
"Verity-" she croaked, then stopped. No, Alyssa didn't need to say anything else to her. She'd just have to keep living with herself, alone and afraid.
As her last strength left her, Alyssa fell to the ground. Beneath the grime and tears, there was a slight smile. They weren't the same, not anymore. She was free, this was Verity's hell now. Served her right.
MM09: Alyssa Tibbett - DECEASED
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-ain.
Again.
Again.
Again until Alyssa stopped looking Verity in the eyes.
Again until Alyssa’s throat stopped trying to plead as if this ever could’ve ended any other way..
Again until Alyssa lost all strength. Until her body slumped over. Stopped being able to support itself. Stopped being easy to keep stabbing. Verity let go after that. Felt the body drop onto her knees. Didn’t open her eyes as Alyssa slid off her legs and onto the floor of the boat.
Breathed.
Breathed.
Moved the arm without the shiv up to her throat. Felt for her pulse. Breathed. Breathed. Felt her pulse slow. Felt her body calm down. This was… this was what Verity did, sometimes. Didn’t really help when the cloud or the hole were rearing themselves but when her heart was racing she could do this. Calm herself down. Get everything back to normal. Make sure nothing was going to upset that before she…
Before she opened her eyes. Made sure to get a look at the body below her. How its eyes were still closed. How even the front of its dress seemed drenched with blood. How… peaceful it looked. How happy it seemed to be dead.
Timothy Torales. Keegan Garcia. Alyssa Tibbett.
Three.
That was three now. Three more than...
(you gave her mercy, Verity)
(just like you did Keegan)
(just like you did Timothy)
(don’t think about it too hard)
(you’ll feel better that way)
…
It was weird. Looking at… Alyssa. This was the first time Verity had seen the body afterwards. The first time someone she’d killed hadn’t disappeared instantly after Verity… did her thing. Timothy had vanished from sight the moment he flew off the cruise ship. Someone had moved Keegan’s body after she’d shot him and ran upstairs. The first two times, Verity had been given a mercy of her own. They’d basically died instantly. No seconds spent in panic frantically trying to get the other person to take the hint that they’d been stabbed in the back. No immediate reminder of the thing she’d done laying right there by her knees. No evidence. No consequence.
She didn’t even realize she’d stopped looking at Alyssa until her head looked down again. Saw her eyes. Saw herdress. Saw her smile. Saw the way her body had been dumped. Discarded on the floor like a doll that wasn’t fun to play with anymore. A thing shoved into the bottom of a toybox until someone, however many months or years later took Alyssa’s body out. Formally threw it in the trash. Removed her from existence forever.
…
…
Maybe, in some other universe, where Alyssa and Verity had met each other however many years before this, they… could’ve been something. Friends. Confidants. The only two people who fully knew what the other had been through.
And maybe that was pointless to think about because this wasn’t that universe, but… there was that potentiality. There was that little bit of comfort food. There was that little bit the two of them had, in the here and now.
Verity wasn’t going to let Alyssa be forgotten any time soon.
She at least deserved that much.
The body had been dragged over from the yacht it’d died in to one of the smaller rowboats, way far from any of the jetties. She was lying on her back — none of her wounds visible. Her eyes were still closed, her face still smiling as it looked up into the clouds, as the sunlight shimmered off Alyssa’s skin. The flower dress wasn’t visible anymore. All the other clothes Verity found in Alyssa’s bag covered her from the neck down. Wasn’t, like, any sort of blanket that could cover all of Alyssa at once but Verity had to make do with what she had. What she could afford to give up. Alyssa’s bag itself had been dumped into the ocean — her trident now in Verity’s hands, everything else useful put into Verity’s bag. If… if someone came over here, saw the body, they’d see that they could only see the body. No extras. Nothing worth looting.
Because…
Because…
Because Verity had freed Alyssa from this. Because now Alyssa didn’t have to be a part of this game anymore. She’d stabbed and killed her just so she wouldn’t have to feel any more pain and now she’d gone through with the other half. Made sure that final smile would stay on her face. Make sure she could keep whatever peace she’d gotten from her death. Made sure nobody would compromise any of this. It was far away from the jetties. Nobody would have any reason to come to this boat and there was nothing they could get for doing it, Verity hoped. Alyssa would just stay here, however long it took until this game ended. So that her body could stay as it was as it got taken back home. So that the people who Alyssa was actually close to could give her a better funeral than this. Something she actually deserved.
...Maybe.
Verity didn’t actually know what happened to the bodies after all this was done. Maybe she should’ve just thrown Alyssa into the ocean. Then at least her corpse wouldn’t get put up for show. Paraded. Celebrated like…
…
…
“Alyssa.”
Verity was standing on the rowboat nearest this one, looking down, trident in her right hand just in case she needed to regain her balance. Wasn’t like it’d stop the boat from capsizing because that was more likely than her just losing her balance but it made her feel a bit more secure. Made her just a little bit more sure of herself as she stood here, looked down, tried to talk to Alyssa.
Tried to think of something to say.
Tried to capture something that… would make this feel okay. Would make this justifiable. That Alyssa could hear and maybe understand and that Verity could hear and maybe actually believe. Tried to do something other than stand there. Tried to give Alyssa something she deserved.
…
…
…
“Sorry.”
(yep)
(that’s our Verity)
“I just… hope… that you’re better now. That maybe…”
…
…
…
She sighed.
“Fuck this.”
She turned around. Put the trident in both hands. Started walking over the rowboats towards the main jetty again. She’d done enough here.
She’d leave the next part to someone who actually knew what to say.
((Verity Stewart, continued elsewhere))
Again.
Again.
Again until Alyssa stopped looking Verity in the eyes.
Again until Alyssa’s throat stopped trying to plead as if this ever could’ve ended any other way..
Again until Alyssa lost all strength. Until her body slumped over. Stopped being able to support itself. Stopped being easy to keep stabbing. Verity let go after that. Felt the body drop onto her knees. Didn’t open her eyes as Alyssa slid off her legs and onto the floor of the boat.
Breathed.
Breathed.
Moved the arm without the shiv up to her throat. Felt for her pulse. Breathed. Breathed. Felt her pulse slow. Felt her body calm down. This was… this was what Verity did, sometimes. Didn’t really help when the cloud or the hole were rearing themselves but when her heart was racing she could do this. Calm herself down. Get everything back to normal. Make sure nothing was going to upset that before she…
Before she opened her eyes. Made sure to get a look at the body below her. How its eyes were still closed. How even the front of its dress seemed drenched with blood. How… peaceful it looked. How happy it seemed to be dead.
Timothy Torales. Keegan Garcia. Alyssa Tibbett.
Three.
That was three now. Three more than...
(you gave her mercy, Verity)
(just like you did Keegan)
(just like you did Timothy)
(don’t think about it too hard)
(you’ll feel better that way)
…
It was weird. Looking at… Alyssa. This was the first time Verity had seen the body afterwards. The first time someone she’d killed hadn’t disappeared instantly after Verity… did her thing. Timothy had vanished from sight the moment he flew off the cruise ship. Someone had moved Keegan’s body after she’d shot him and ran upstairs. The first two times, Verity had been given a mercy of her own. They’d basically died instantly. No seconds spent in panic frantically trying to get the other person to take the hint that they’d been stabbed in the back. No immediate reminder of the thing she’d done laying right there by her knees. No evidence. No consequence.
She didn’t even realize she’d stopped looking at Alyssa until her head looked down again. Saw her eyes. Saw herdress. Saw her smile. Saw the way her body had been dumped. Discarded on the floor like a doll that wasn’t fun to play with anymore. A thing shoved into the bottom of a toybox until someone, however many months or years later took Alyssa’s body out. Formally threw it in the trash. Removed her from existence forever.
…
…
Maybe, in some other universe, where Alyssa and Verity had met each other however many years before this, they… could’ve been something. Friends. Confidants. The only two people who fully knew what the other had been through.
And maybe that was pointless to think about because this wasn’t that universe, but… there was that potentiality. There was that little bit of comfort food. There was that little bit the two of them had, in the here and now.
Verity wasn’t going to let Alyssa be forgotten any time soon.
She at least deserved that much.
The body had been dragged over from the yacht it’d died in to one of the smaller rowboats, way far from any of the jetties. She was lying on her back — none of her wounds visible. Her eyes were still closed, her face still smiling as it looked up into the clouds, as the sunlight shimmered off Alyssa’s skin. The flower dress wasn’t visible anymore. All the other clothes Verity found in Alyssa’s bag covered her from the neck down. Wasn’t, like, any sort of blanket that could cover all of Alyssa at once but Verity had to make do with what she had. What she could afford to give up. Alyssa’s bag itself had been dumped into the ocean — her trident now in Verity’s hands, everything else useful put into Verity’s bag. If… if someone came over here, saw the body, they’d see that they could only see the body. No extras. Nothing worth looting.
Because…
Because…
Because Verity had freed Alyssa from this. Because now Alyssa didn’t have to be a part of this game anymore. She’d stabbed and killed her just so she wouldn’t have to feel any more pain and now she’d gone through with the other half. Made sure that final smile would stay on her face. Make sure she could keep whatever peace she’d gotten from her death. Made sure nobody would compromise any of this. It was far away from the jetties. Nobody would have any reason to come to this boat and there was nothing they could get for doing it, Verity hoped. Alyssa would just stay here, however long it took until this game ended. So that her body could stay as it was as it got taken back home. So that the people who Alyssa was actually close to could give her a better funeral than this. Something she actually deserved.
...Maybe.
Verity didn’t actually know what happened to the bodies after all this was done. Maybe she should’ve just thrown Alyssa into the ocean. Then at least her corpse wouldn’t get put up for show. Paraded. Celebrated like…
…
…
“Alyssa.”
Verity was standing on the rowboat nearest this one, looking down, trident in her right hand just in case she needed to regain her balance. Wasn’t like it’d stop the boat from capsizing because that was more likely than her just losing her balance but it made her feel a bit more secure. Made her just a little bit more sure of herself as she stood here, looked down, tried to talk to Alyssa.
Tried to think of something to say.
Tried to capture something that… would make this feel okay. Would make this justifiable. That Alyssa could hear and maybe understand and that Verity could hear and maybe actually believe. Tried to do something other than stand there. Tried to give Alyssa something she deserved.
…
…
…
“Sorry.”
(yep)
(that’s our Verity)
“I just… hope… that you’re better now. That maybe…”
…
…
…
She sighed.
“Fuck this.”
She turned around. Put the trident in both hands. Started walking over the rowboats towards the main jetty again. She’d done enough here.
She’d leave the next part to someone who actually knew what to say.
((Verity Stewart, continued elsewhere))