At first she felt like a dolt standing there waving at two people she didn't interact much with back home, but when both of them responded in kind, Serena started to close the distance between them. As she got closer, she recognized that the girl was Mel, she didn't know her that well back home though she seemed nice, she looked like she'd been through less than Aiden at least.
"Thanks for being friendly... I need it after the night I've had." she said as she rubbed one of her eyes, both felt heavy after she had not slept throughout the night, a dumb mistake that she would pay for.
Once she got closer to them, she noticed the blood on Aiden looked dry, he didn't look hurt from what she could tell, but it wouldn't be bad to ask right? "Um...are you hurt...?" She gestured at his shirt. "Y'know..with all that..." The word wouldn't come out, it was still insane to her that one of her classmates was standing in front of her; shirt caked in blood, his or someone else's.
Thursday's Child
(Adopted from Dannyrulx)
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Rorick Skyve*
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:26 pm
"Huh?"
Took him a sec to see what Rena was getting at. More than a sec, really. He was all ready to ask her about it, until he noticed what her eyes were lookin' at.
Aiden lowered his own gaze, looked himself down and was promptly reminded of the state he was in. Hadn't changed his shirt since - fuck. This had to look bad, like he was some sort of slasher freak or some shit like that. Hell, if he'd have spotted a dude lookin' like that, he'd have stayed absolutely fuckin' clear of him, no doubt about it. Rena really had to have some balls or - something.
He looked back at the girl that was now not too far in front of him. "Nah, I'm fine, I'm all fine." He casually tugged at the fabric of his shirt. "This ain't mine here, it's..." Her name popped up in his head again and he immediately stopped tugging.
Fuckin' shit, what was his deal, being all casual like that? Tryin' to keep a clear head, not think about it too much, sure, but this was just makin' him feel all fucked up. 'Fine.' Yeah, like hell he was. Would have felt better if it was his own fuckin' blood, probably. Would have hurt less too. Maybe.
He awkwardly ruffled his hair, his mouth hanging open and producing quiet stammering sounds as he was looking for something to follow that up with, some sort of transition, something to break the obnoxious fuckin' silence with. He slightly turned his head, glancing at Mel like he was asking her to cover his ass. Which he was, really.
Took him a sec to see what Rena was getting at. More than a sec, really. He was all ready to ask her about it, until he noticed what her eyes were lookin' at.
Aiden lowered his own gaze, looked himself down and was promptly reminded of the state he was in. Hadn't changed his shirt since - fuck. This had to look bad, like he was some sort of slasher freak or some shit like that. Hell, if he'd have spotted a dude lookin' like that, he'd have stayed absolutely fuckin' clear of him, no doubt about it. Rena really had to have some balls or - something.
He looked back at the girl that was now not too far in front of him. "Nah, I'm fine, I'm all fine." He casually tugged at the fabric of his shirt. "This ain't mine here, it's..." Her name popped up in his head again and he immediately stopped tugging.
Fuckin' shit, what was his deal, being all casual like that? Tryin' to keep a clear head, not think about it too much, sure, but this was just makin' him feel all fucked up. 'Fine.' Yeah, like hell he was. Would have felt better if it was his own fuckin' blood, probably. Would have hurt less too. Maybe.
He awkwardly ruffled his hair, his mouth hanging open and producing quiet stammering sounds as he was looking for something to follow that up with, some sort of transition, something to break the obnoxious fuckin' silence with. He slightly turned his head, glancing at Mel like he was asking her to cover his ass. Which he was, really.
Mel rubbed her temples.
"It's not a happy story. Trust me."
She'd been more than tempted to cover with thoughtless sarcasm again, say something like "Course it's not his blood, can't you see he was in the middle of murdering me?" - but really, Aiden didn't deserve that. Once upon a time they had enjoyed an easy camaraderie, punctuated by verbal jabs and playful teasing. Now it was shadowed by the feeling of certain doom, and every word seemed that much more serious, that much more likely to be twisted and taken differently than it was meant. Tessa and Vinny again.
It felt good to deny the hold that the terrorists had on her, to deny the situation they had thrust on her, but not at the cost of hurting others. Serena had the right idea - asking if Aiden was hurt before anything else, even if she had suspected him.
"Hey," Mel said, letting the moment run away with her again, to a better place this time, "that's a good point, though. We can't just let you run around like that."
Her arm was already halfway out of her jacket sleeve.
"Maybe you can squeeze into my jacket. Just zip it up. You got a change of clothes?"
"It's not a happy story. Trust me."
She'd been more than tempted to cover with thoughtless sarcasm again, say something like "Course it's not his blood, can't you see he was in the middle of murdering me?" - but really, Aiden didn't deserve that. Once upon a time they had enjoyed an easy camaraderie, punctuated by verbal jabs and playful teasing. Now it was shadowed by the feeling of certain doom, and every word seemed that much more serious, that much more likely to be twisted and taken differently than it was meant. Tessa and Vinny again.
It felt good to deny the hold that the terrorists had on her, to deny the situation they had thrust on her, but not at the cost of hurting others. Serena had the right idea - asking if Aiden was hurt before anything else, even if she had suspected him.
"Hey," Mel said, letting the moment run away with her again, to a better place this time, "that's a good point, though. We can't just let you run around like that."
Her arm was already halfway out of her jacket sleeve.
"Maybe you can squeeze into my jacket. Just zip it up. You got a change of clothes?"
Aiden looked surprised at her. He seemed not to realize what she was talking about at first, till he looked down at himself, as if the blood wasn't there at first. His response was almost casual, but then he stopped mid sentence and started stammering. It was the sudden awkwardness, the pause and the look at Mel that told her all she needed to know. Mel's answer was just the clincher, something bad had happened and her question had stirred up memories in him.
"I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have..." She looked away, she couldn't look at him. A mixture of blood and regret made it difficult, she looked down at the ground for a bit before looking at the tower, the centerpiece of this area. Just yesterday there were people here ringing the bell, could that boy have been drawn here by it? They can't have been the first ones here, if his response to them outside was to run away.
As Serena was thinking over this, she heard Mel talking about Aiden having to change clothes. She looked over at the two to see Mel taking of her jacket to give to him, she looked away again, face a bit red and said out loud. "Th-that would be good, so uh..people wouldn't assume..." Her words trailed off at the end, she wondered herself why she walked up when he was looking like that, maybe she was too trusting? Either way, it was better than being stuck in a room with someone holding a gun outside.
"I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have..." She looked away, she couldn't look at him. A mixture of blood and regret made it difficult, she looked down at the ground for a bit before looking at the tower, the centerpiece of this area. Just yesterday there were people here ringing the bell, could that boy have been drawn here by it? They can't have been the first ones here, if his response to them outside was to run away.
As Serena was thinking over this, she heard Mel talking about Aiden having to change clothes. She looked over at the two to see Mel taking of her jacket to give to him, she looked away again, face a bit red and said out loud. "Th-that would be good, so uh..people wouldn't assume..." Her words trailed off at the end, she wondered herself why she walked up when he was looking like that, maybe she was too trusting? Either way, it was better than being stuck in a room with someone holding a gun outside.
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Rorick Skyve*
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:26 pm
Aiden impulsively raised his hand, holding it up in front of Mel's face. Damn, had kinda forgotten how close to her he was, almost hit her square in the face there. He retracted his hand a bit, shaking his head.
"No, like - thanks, really, appreciate it and stuff, but you just keep it, alright? Don't wanna have you freezin' your ass off because of me. Not that big of a deal anyway."
Yeah, no way he was gonna go and wear her jacket. Woulda just felt all wrong too, like he was defiling it, some shit like that. Thing was hers, so it was gonna stay on her, fuckin' simple. Maybe not the smart move, prolly even a pretty fuckin' dumb one, but 'least he had experience with those. Could stay consistent if nothing else.
He gave Mel a nod, tryin' to look all reassuring, then turned to Rena again. "Seriously, it's okay. You guys don't need to try and change my mind or something, won't work. You can bet a monkey's dick on that."
Aiden grabbed his forehead, rubbing both his temples. "No idea where that one came from, sorry. Not the time to be jerkin' around, I know." He sighed. Shit sucked. Fuckin' everything was fucked up enough on its own already, but this goddamn headache just made it ten times worse; fuckin' shittiest of all shit-tiers.
"Can we three just like, move on? Go check out the tower or something? That's what we're all here for anyway, right? Or were before that dude showed up and went Speedy Gonzales on us."
"No, like - thanks, really, appreciate it and stuff, but you just keep it, alright? Don't wanna have you freezin' your ass off because of me. Not that big of a deal anyway."
Yeah, no way he was gonna go and wear her jacket. Woulda just felt all wrong too, like he was defiling it, some shit like that. Thing was hers, so it was gonna stay on her, fuckin' simple. Maybe not the smart move, prolly even a pretty fuckin' dumb one, but 'least he had experience with those. Could stay consistent if nothing else.
He gave Mel a nod, tryin' to look all reassuring, then turned to Rena again. "Seriously, it's okay. You guys don't need to try and change my mind or something, won't work. You can bet a monkey's dick on that."
Aiden grabbed his forehead, rubbing both his temples. "No idea where that one came from, sorry. Not the time to be jerkin' around, I know." He sighed. Shit sucked. Fuckin' everything was fucked up enough on its own already, but this goddamn headache just made it ten times worse; fuckin' shittiest of all shit-tiers.
"Can we three just like, move on? Go check out the tower or something? That's what we're all here for anyway, right? Or were before that dude showed up and went Speedy Gonzales on us."
"Jerking a monkey's dick aside, I'm not giving up either," Mel said, a bit more grumpily than she'd intended. "I'm not gonna freeze to death. Besides, you can consider it as doing me a favor back by not having to see all that blood every time I look at you."
Or worrying about what someone with less of a good head on their shoulders would think, seeing him like that. What they would do.
She swung her jacket up and over her shoulder in a quick, neat motion. Aiden had said he wouldn't be convinced to take it no matter what she said - and he sounded like he meant it - but she wasn't going to drop the subject and put her jacket back on that easily.
"Yeah. I guess... we might as well take a look." Maybe she was hesitating. Maybe she knew what she'd likely find.
Screw it. She opened the door.
She might have been expecting the worst, but it still took her a moment to process that she was really staring right at it. The corpse. It? Him. Barry - and she thought she remembered his name on the announcement, something about Alvaro pushing him, and his neck was bent at a terrible angle, enough that it almost looked silly, almost looked like something she might have painted when she was younger, when she'd had no real sense of how human anatomy worked.
Barry inside, Harold outside, and Aiden and Serena behind her. Mel suddenly felt her stomach lurch dangerously as she pushed the impulse to vomit down - Cameron in the hunting lodge, the smell of vomit in the air, she'd just fucking abandoned her to Tessa without a second thought once Vinny came along - and her grip on the door wavered before she fought herself back to reality. Back to the sight and smell of death.
"I'm going to close the door," she said, and that was all she could manage.
Or worrying about what someone with less of a good head on their shoulders would think, seeing him like that. What they would do.
She swung her jacket up and over her shoulder in a quick, neat motion. Aiden had said he wouldn't be convinced to take it no matter what she said - and he sounded like he meant it - but she wasn't going to drop the subject and put her jacket back on that easily.
"Yeah. I guess... we might as well take a look." Maybe she was hesitating. Maybe she knew what she'd likely find.
Screw it. She opened the door.
She might have been expecting the worst, but it still took her a moment to process that she was really staring right at it. The corpse. It? Him. Barry - and she thought she remembered his name on the announcement, something about Alvaro pushing him, and his neck was bent at a terrible angle, enough that it almost looked silly, almost looked like something she might have painted when she was younger, when she'd had no real sense of how human anatomy worked.
Barry inside, Harold outside, and Aiden and Serena behind her. Mel suddenly felt her stomach lurch dangerously as she pushed the impulse to vomit down - Cameron in the hunting lodge, the smell of vomit in the air, she'd just fucking abandoned her to Tessa without a second thought once Vinny came along - and her grip on the door wavered before she fought herself back to reality. Back to the sight and smell of death.
"I'm going to close the door," she said, and that was all she could manage.
Aiden didn't want the jacket, he wanted Mel to keep it. She didn't get his reasoning, if he was caught walking around with that much blood on him, people will figure it's alright to attack on sight. Mel didn't look pleased with it either, Serena looked at the two feeling a bit awkward. Neither looked to be giving up.
Almost as if to break the subject, Aiden wanted them to check out the tower, the reason they were all there. As they walked closer, Mel walked up front and opened the door. It was then they saw Barry, or rather what was left of him.
His neck was snapped, the angle almost made it look silly, like this was all a black comedy and his death was a punchline for people to laugh at.
"How... how could h-he have done that to Barry!?" The words squeaked out after Mel closed the door, she was trying her best not to freak out at them, but the scene of one of the nicest people she knew killed, and for what? So Alvaro could go home and continue as if he hadn't done nothing wrong? Serena wasn't going to stand for that.
She looked at them for an answer, trying; and failing not to cry.
Almost as if to break the subject, Aiden wanted them to check out the tower, the reason they were all there. As they walked closer, Mel walked up front and opened the door. It was then they saw Barry, or rather what was left of him.
His neck was snapped, the angle almost made it look silly, like this was all a black comedy and his death was a punchline for people to laugh at.
"How... how could h-he have done that to Barry!?" The words squeaked out after Mel closed the door, she was trying her best not to freak out at them, but the scene of one of the nicest people she knew killed, and for what? So Alvaro could go home and continue as if he hadn't done nothing wrong? Serena wasn't going to stand for that.
She looked at them for an answer, trying; and failing not to cry.
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Rorick Skyve*
- Posts: 246
- Joined: Thu Nov 15, 2018 5:26 pm
Aiden didn't like feelin' all gross like this - not because of all that fuckin' muck on him, not just because of that. He felt gross like, grouchy and huffy and shit; itchy and sickly and all kinds of fucked. Even before Mel opened the goddamn door. But now, now that thing was wide fuckin' open and everything was a hundred motherfuckin' times worse.
Had only been one day. Felt like fuckin' years now, that time he'd last seen Barry. That thing there, that was him now, all twisted and weird and just goddamn wrong -
He turned away, covering the lower half of his face with his hand. Taste in his mouth was all too familiar now, like it was gonna come out any fuckin' moment. Fuckin' hell, they had to be fuckin' kiddin', this couldn't be for fuckin' real, fuckin' bodies fuckin' everywhere, fuck.
Even now though, even now he was lookin' straight at another dead fuckin' body, goddamn Harold still lyin' there. He was sick of it. So fuckin' sick of it all. They had to get out of there, no goddamn way he could take any more of it.
"Fuck's sake!"
Aiden's hand was clutching his other arm now, tryin' to keep it from jittering around like that. He felt like one big sack of fuckin' jello, so he did. He was starin' at the ground now, with his back turned towards the others.
"I've fuckin' had it, this place is just sick." His voice went so high it broke halfway through. He didn't care. Had to get out of there, all that fuckin' mattered.
"Please, let's just leave, yeah? Go somewhere where there's no dead people around. I can't fuckin'..." Aiden breathed in. Even speaking was makin' him feel all hurt now. Could just keep his mouth shut. At least till they found somewhere else to - do whatever, really. As long as it wasn't here. He breathed out, gently cupping his forehead.
"Jesus."
He started walking. They'd follow him, sure they would. Those two were good people. Like Barry had been, like Harold and Scarls. Only the three of them were dead, and him and Mel and Rena, they'd fuckin' make it. They'd make it, they only had to get somewhere else.
((Aiden Slattery continued elsewhere))
Had only been one day. Felt like fuckin' years now, that time he'd last seen Barry. That thing there, that was him now, all twisted and weird and just goddamn wrong -
He turned away, covering the lower half of his face with his hand. Taste in his mouth was all too familiar now, like it was gonna come out any fuckin' moment. Fuckin' hell, they had to be fuckin' kiddin', this couldn't be for fuckin' real, fuckin' bodies fuckin' everywhere, fuck.
Even now though, even now he was lookin' straight at another dead fuckin' body, goddamn Harold still lyin' there. He was sick of it. So fuckin' sick of it all. They had to get out of there, no goddamn way he could take any more of it.
"Fuck's sake!"
Aiden's hand was clutching his other arm now, tryin' to keep it from jittering around like that. He felt like one big sack of fuckin' jello, so he did. He was starin' at the ground now, with his back turned towards the others.
"I've fuckin' had it, this place is just sick." His voice went so high it broke halfway through. He didn't care. Had to get out of there, all that fuckin' mattered.
"Please, let's just leave, yeah? Go somewhere where there's no dead people around. I can't fuckin'..." Aiden breathed in. Even speaking was makin' him feel all hurt now. Could just keep his mouth shut. At least till they found somewhere else to - do whatever, really. As long as it wasn't here. He breathed out, gently cupping his forehead.
"Jesus."
He started walking. They'd follow him, sure they would. Those two were good people. Like Barry had been, like Harold and Scarls. Only the three of them were dead, and him and Mel and Rena, they'd fuckin' make it. They'd make it, they only had to get somewhere else.
((Aiden Slattery continued elsewhere))
They were going to end up the same way.
That was the certainty that sunk in deep, that came together as a hard, twisted pit in her stomach. She'd known her death already, even thought about it, but only abstractly, like a looming specter, storm clouds in the distance, the darkening of the sky after sunset. Seeing this was taking a soccer ball to the gut. When Serena spoke, Mel wasn't sure at first whether Serena was blaming Alvaro or Wade or the terrorists, but it was suddenly too hard for her to say anything in response.
No way to lighten the mood, really. And no honest answer that satisfied her, only imaginings of fear and anger.
"I don't know," she finally said, so quiet that her voice didn't feel like her own.
Alvaro had done this, and she thought she knew how that hurt - to see her classmates give in, to suspect that this sort of evil had been within them all along. But it always came back to one thing: the terrorists had created the situation. It was their fault in the end. Maybe that was some small comfort.
"But we can't stay here. We can't just give up." Mel held out her hand, though she hardly expected Serena to take it as anything more than useless solidarity. "You're with us now, so... come on."
For now, they'd go somewhere else. Even if they couldn't escape this, they could try.
((Melanie Beckett continued in Aluminum Bicycle Rods))
That was the certainty that sunk in deep, that came together as a hard, twisted pit in her stomach. She'd known her death already, even thought about it, but only abstractly, like a looming specter, storm clouds in the distance, the darkening of the sky after sunset. Seeing this was taking a soccer ball to the gut. When Serena spoke, Mel wasn't sure at first whether Serena was blaming Alvaro or Wade or the terrorists, but it was suddenly too hard for her to say anything in response.
No way to lighten the mood, really. And no honest answer that satisfied her, only imaginings of fear and anger.
"I don't know," she finally said, so quiet that her voice didn't feel like her own.
Alvaro had done this, and she thought she knew how that hurt - to see her classmates give in, to suspect that this sort of evil had been within them all along. But it always came back to one thing: the terrorists had created the situation. It was their fault in the end. Maybe that was some small comfort.
"But we can't stay here. We can't just give up." Mel held out her hand, though she hardly expected Serena to take it as anything more than useless solidarity. "You're with us now, so... come on."
For now, they'd go somewhere else. Even if they couldn't escape this, they could try.
((Melanie Beckett continued in Aluminum Bicycle Rods))
Neither had an answer for her, that was the worst thing. It's as if everything stopped making sense for Serena, Al running off without her, her classmate in front of her covered in blood that's not his. The dead body of Barry inside the tower, twisted and broken by Alvaro. At least now they knew why the boy ran away so fast, holed up in this place with that at the front door
Aiden lost his temper and yelled out loud, his back to them as he started swearing up and down about leaving. Swearing aside, He had a point. They couldn't stay there, not with Barry...inside.
As Aiden started walking away, Mel extended her hand out to Serena and told her she was with them. She looked at her for a bit, earlier she had told Al to be distrustful of everyone, even friends. You never know, back home Alvaro didn't seem like the type to just...murder someone like that, but what else could she do? Spend a day alone out of paranoia? Or go with two people who had their heads on straight?
"Thanks Mel, I...I appreciate it."
So she did.
((Serena Waters continued in Aluminum Bicycle Rods))
Aiden lost his temper and yelled out loud, his back to them as he started swearing up and down about leaving. Swearing aside, He had a point. They couldn't stay there, not with Barry...inside.
As Aiden started walking away, Mel extended her hand out to Serena and told her she was with them. She looked at her for a bit, earlier she had told Al to be distrustful of everyone, even friends. You never know, back home Alvaro didn't seem like the type to just...murder someone like that, but what else could she do? Spend a day alone out of paranoia? Or go with two people who had their heads on straight?
"Thanks Mel, I...I appreciate it."
So she did.
((Serena Waters continued in Aluminum Bicycle Rods))