"No problem," Marion said, as she took a swig of the water. Truth be told, she had needed it too. It was things like that that kept this death game from being a wholly unpleasant experience. Granted, it was still an unpleasant experience, but smalls pleasure like kissing Kass made it slightly less so.
"If you ever need any more, let me know," Marion said with a smile and a wink.
Catching Breath in Stale Air
Phase 1 (0-12 Hours)
Marion was making those feelings in Kassandra's chest dance again. It was like a natural talent for her. She would just say something a little flirty, or even give a little wink as she had just then, and Kass' face would start lighting up. And then there were her kisses, which Kass knw for a fact she would never, ever tire of. Hell, just everything about her drove Kass crazy.
Was it weird to feel this way about a girl she just met? She had a feeling that their first meeting had something to do with it, but even when Marion wasn't trying to be sexy, she still loved being around her. And when it was just the two of them together, she felt completely at ease, like everything was going to be okay despite all the troubles of the Program and the world beyond.
"Thanks." She retorted, still blushing a bit and chuckling lightly. "If you need anything from me, just say the word."
Was it weird to feel this way about a girl she just met? She had a feeling that their first meeting had something to do with it, but even when Marion wasn't trying to be sexy, she still loved being around her. And when it was just the two of them together, she felt completely at ease, like everything was going to be okay despite all the troubles of the Program and the world beyond.
"Thanks." She retorted, still blushing a bit and chuckling lightly. "If you need anything from me, just say the word."
"Hmm, more kisses would be nice," Marion said, a sly smile on her face.
That answer didn't surprise Kassandra, and to be honest, it was one that she had been hoping for. She curved her arm around Marion and guided her hand from her upper back to her head, situating it safely within Marion's hair. She tenderly cradled the biker girl as she came in for a kiss, planting her lips against hers and holding for a good few seconds, enjoying the moment as much as she could. Her eyes were closed, but even then, all she saw in that moment was Marion.
Even with all the fireworks going off in her mind, she couldn't hold the kiss forever. She pulled herself away, making an audible smacking sound with her lips when the two parted. She kept Marion in her embrace, as though her arms would keep her safe from whatever the world tried to do to them.
"Back at the alley, I thought I'd lost you for a second." She said, injecting the moment with a sudden seriousness. Her eyes traveled down as she tried to come up with a follow-up statement. "I was worried that..."
That I'd never be able to hold you again.
Her mind had the words, but her mouth was too scared to come out and say them. "That you might have been hurt."
Even with all the fireworks going off in her mind, she couldn't hold the kiss forever. She pulled herself away, making an audible smacking sound with her lips when the two parted. She kept Marion in her embrace, as though her arms would keep her safe from whatever the world tried to do to them.
"Back at the alley, I thought I'd lost you for a second." She said, injecting the moment with a sudden seriousness. Her eyes traveled down as she tried to come up with a follow-up statement. "I was worried that..."
That I'd never be able to hold you again.
Her mind had the words, but her mouth was too scared to come out and say them. "That you might have been hurt."
"Mmmmmm..." Marion moaned as she returned Kassandra's kiss. She was a little disappointed when it ended, but the fact that Kassandra didn't let go of her brightened her spirits. She wanted to stay in her embrace forever. "Don't you worry about me. As long as I've got you with me, I think I'll be all right. However, I am concerned about Mina. She hasn't met back up with us yet. Do you think she's all right? Hopefully she made it out all right and is on her way. I'd hate to be stuck here waiting for a dead girl."
It made Kassandra feel good to know that Marion felt safe with her. She felt the same way about her, but in a more emotional sense rather than physical. Marion couldn't fight, but as long as she was there, there was someone that could keep her sane and make her feel like she still mattered, no mater how bad things got.
But yeah, she had actually forgotten about Mina for a second. The girl was brave as hell, Kass had to give her that. She just hoped that she was resourceful enough to get out and not so reckless that she's get herself killed in the process. For the most part, Mina had handled herself well from what Kass had seen, but after the EpiPen debacle, she had to wonder if she was rattled.
"Yeah, I hope she's all right. Let's stay here for a while and see if she shows up." She looked over her shoulder for a moment, only to return her eyes to Marion when she saw that nothing was there. "Does an hour sound fair?"
But yeah, she had actually forgotten about Mina for a second. The girl was brave as hell, Kass had to give her that. She just hoped that she was resourceful enough to get out and not so reckless that she's get herself killed in the process. For the most part, Mina had handled herself well from what Kass had seen, but after the EpiPen debacle, she had to wonder if she was rattled.
"Yeah, I hope she's all right. Let's stay here for a while and see if she shows up." She looked over her shoulder for a moment, only to return her eyes to Marion when she saw that nothing was there. "Does an hour sound fair?"
"Yeah, an hour seems reasonable," Marion answered. "Do you have some way of keeping track of when an hour has passed?"
Fuck. She knew she had forgotten something.
"Actually, uh... I don't." She admitted with a sheepish look in her eyes. Kass was so used to being able to check her phone or a clock for the time that she had forgotten that she didn't have either of those on hand. So any attempt to figure out how long they had been waiting would be a crapshoot at best.
Way to go, Kass. Great planning there.
"So... yeah." She bit her lip, trying to concoct a good place to send the conversation from there. "I guess we can just wait around for a while and come to a conclusion on our own when we feel like we've been sitting here long enough"
"Actually, uh... I don't." She admitted with a sheepish look in her eyes. Kass was so used to being able to check her phone or a clock for the time that she had forgotten that she didn't have either of those on hand. So any attempt to figure out how long they had been waiting would be a crapshoot at best.
Way to go, Kass. Great planning there.
"So... yeah." She bit her lip, trying to concoct a good place to send the conversation from there. "I guess we can just wait around for a while and come to a conclusion on our own when we feel like we've been sitting here long enough"
"Sounds good to me," Marion answered. "Man, if I knew I was gonna be picked for The Program, I'd have worn a watch. Although now that I think about it, there may be working analogue clocks in some of the houses. Not that we can visit one, since we're supposed to stay here and wait for Mina and all."
"Yeah, a watch would've been nice. Maybe I should've thought of that instead of checking my phone all the time." Kassandra couldn't lie, Marion's watch idea sounded pretty solid. And since telling time wouldn't provide much of an advantage in the Program aside from making the wearer more aware of when to expect the Announcements, they probably would've been allowed to keep it. Too bad neither of them thought of that earlier.
There was no telling how long it would take for Mina to show up, so Kass figured that she might as well keep the conversation going for as long as she could. But at the same time, she couldn't keep talking about watches and clocks forever, so she needed to find a way to branch out.
"So what's your family like?"
Okay, that was less branching out and more going on a completely unrelated tangent, but it was still progress.
There was no telling how long it would take for Mina to show up, so Kass figured that she might as well keep the conversation going for as long as she could. But at the same time, she couldn't keep talking about watches and clocks forever, so she needed to find a way to branch out.
"So what's your family like?"
Okay, that was less branching out and more going on a completely unrelated tangent, but it was still progress.
"My family? Well, my parents are a couple of cowards," Marion said. "They refuse to publicly criticize or rebel against America and its current government, even though-"
It was then that Marion remembered that The Program was a televised event, and that she should probably mind what she says about her loved ones, for their sake.
"Never mind. I don't want to say too much about them, lest I inadvertently get them in trouble. While they may disappoint me, they're still my parents, and I love them, and I want them to be safe. Anyway, they're sweet and caring, but also total pushovers that let me walk all over them. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you, as it means I can do pretty much whatever I want whenever I want without fear of punishment from my parents. How about yours? Without saying anything potentially incriminating about them, of course."
It was then that Marion remembered that The Program was a televised event, and that she should probably mind what she says about her loved ones, for their sake.
"Never mind. I don't want to say too much about them, lest I inadvertently get them in trouble. While they may disappoint me, they're still my parents, and I love them, and I want them to be safe. Anyway, they're sweet and caring, but also total pushovers that let me walk all over them. Which isn't a bad thing, mind you, as it means I can do pretty much whatever I want whenever I want without fear of punishment from my parents. How about yours? Without saying anything potentially incriminating about them, of course."
"My mom's a mover, and she works pretty long hours all over town. My dad's a trucker, so he's on the road almost all the time. I only see him about once a month or so." Kassandra used her fingers to twitch at a lock of hair that dangled near her chin. "But even though we don't see each other a whole lot, we're still really close. My mom got me into music, and my dad used to watch old movies with me all the time. It was great."
All this talk about parents reminded Kass of something that immediately brought her mood down. No one knew what happened to the winners of the Program, and no one ever heard of them again as soon as their Program was finished. So that meant that even if she somehow won and didn't get executed as soon as the cameras were off, she'd probably never see them again. And if she and Marion escaped, they'd still never meet back up because they would be too busy on the run.
Her eyes started to become wet as the realization came to her. "God, I miss them so much."
All this talk about parents reminded Kass of something that immediately brought her mood down. No one knew what happened to the winners of the Program, and no one ever heard of them again as soon as their Program was finished. So that meant that even if she somehow won and didn't get executed as soon as the cameras were off, she'd probably never see them again. And if she and Marion escaped, they'd still never meet back up because they would be too busy on the run.
Her eyes started to become wet as the realization came to her. "God, I miss them so much."
"I guess it's dawned on you that you'll probably never see them again, huh?" Marion commented. "If you need a shoulder to cry on, I'm here for you."
Kassandra wanted to be strong. She wanted to be the person that Marion could depend on. But right now, she was the one who needed support. She brought Marion close and held her tightly. In fact, since she was still supporting Marion's head with her hand, it wold have looked more like Kass was the one providing comfort were it not for the fact that she was the one crying.
Actually, crying may have been an insufficient description. She was experiencing a full-on emotional breakdown right there, tears flowing down her face like a pair of raging rivers as her powerful sobbing and wheezing dominated the air of the market. All of this emotion had been locked in somewhere, waiting to escape since the minute she woke up, and now that the seal had been released, it was coming out all at once.
She still remembered the morning of Announcement Day. Neither she or her mom wanted to talk about it, so they went through their morning routines in relative silence. It wasn't until Kassandra was just about to leave that her mom hugged her harder than she ever had before and told her repeatedly that she loved her. She only let go because of the unstated yet severe punishments associated with missing Announcement Day, but it was obvious that she didn't want her to leave.
And that was the last time she saw her.
And now Kass was once again locked in a tight embrace, afraid to let go out of fear that she would lose someone else precious to her.
Actually, crying may have been an insufficient description. She was experiencing a full-on emotional breakdown right there, tears flowing down her face like a pair of raging rivers as her powerful sobbing and wheezing dominated the air of the market. All of this emotion had been locked in somewhere, waiting to escape since the minute she woke up, and now that the seal had been released, it was coming out all at once.
She still remembered the morning of Announcement Day. Neither she or her mom wanted to talk about it, so they went through their morning routines in relative silence. It wasn't until Kassandra was just about to leave that her mom hugged her harder than she ever had before and told her repeatedly that she loved her. She only let go because of the unstated yet severe punishments associated with missing Announcement Day, but it was obvious that she didn't want her to leave.
And that was the last time she saw her.
And now Kass was once again locked in a tight embrace, afraid to let go out of fear that she would lose someone else precious to her.
"There, there, baby. Cry as much as you need to okay?" Marion would have pat her on the back were it not for the godforsaken handcuffs. It pained her to see Kassandra all broken up like this, but she knew it was only natural for her to react this way, so she just did what she could to comfort Kass while she cried it out.