Michelle mostly didn't need to say anything. Virgil had told her about Dave and about the plan. She didn't mind that. She wasn't especially keen on recounting Dave's last walk to anyone else and she wasn't sure how she'd respond to having to describe it. It felt unreal.
"I want to take away the weapons. Get rid of them. I know people can still kill each other with their hands but....I think it's so much harder. Not just from like, logistics but it's easy to pull a trigger. I think it's harder to do something like strangle someone. Emotionally and physically. I think there's something about feeling the person and looking them in the face that would make people realize what they're doing that doesn't happen with a gun. We could take the bullets out and throw them in the ocean or bury them or throw them in the jungle or something. The knives too. If we all just show them we won't go along with this, I think it's the best end we could hope for."
Somewhere nearby there was the sound of a gun shot and a girl's scream. Michelle jumped and grabbed a hold of Gwen's arm, like a girl frightened by a jump scare in a horror movie.
She looked at the two and slowly wrenched herself away from Gwen.
"Should we....we have to go see what that was," she said, voice and hand shaking.
Ave Imperator, Morituri Te Salutant
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Oh dear lord what.
Gwen was suddenly hit with a variety of emotions, most of them highly unpleasant. For one, Dave Russell, a genuinely good person as far as Gwen was concerned, had committed suicide off a cliff. It was...hard to process. She couldn't imagine killing herself, giving up like that, but still, it was probably tempting in the face of inevitable death. The first wave, sadness and loss, hit her. A good person was gone from the earth forever.
No, not inevitable. Just likely. Rescue could come, or...you could win. Winning sickened Gwen, though. The idea of murdering for your own life was such a selfish thing, so corrupt and, and...and evil. A small wave of anger struck her at the thought of it.
But no, they wouldn't have to kill. Because Michelle and Vergil were smart, and had a plan. Gather everyone up, make sure that nobody was armed, and force the choice of collar detonation on the terrorists. They would probably all die, but that kind of defiant last stand, at least in theory, made Gwen feel stronger. A wave of courage kissed her shoreline of emotion *BANG*
A gunshot rang out, Michelle grabbed Gwen's arm and Gwen froze in terror as panic drowned her. Was she hurt? A quick mental inspection confirmed her perfect health (well, perhaps "normal" would be better terminology). She looked at Vergil and Michelle; both seemed unharmed, although they were likely equally frightened.
Michelle made a suggestion for the three of them to investigate. Gwen wasn't really sure what she wanted to do, in terms of yes or no. "Uh, is it safe? I'm unarmed, got a hammer and left it behind, but if someone's got a gun are we safe investigating, because what if they shoot at us? That'd be bad."
In truth, Gwen was scared to investigate. She didn't want to know of murder, she wanted to know peace. Just one killer, one heartless murderer, and there would be no hope for the plan. They'd lose, and the monsters who started this game would win. Gwen didn't want that to happen.
There had to be a way. There just had to.
Gwen was suddenly hit with a variety of emotions, most of them highly unpleasant. For one, Dave Russell, a genuinely good person as far as Gwen was concerned, had committed suicide off a cliff. It was...hard to process. She couldn't imagine killing herself, giving up like that, but still, it was probably tempting in the face of inevitable death. The first wave, sadness and loss, hit her. A good person was gone from the earth forever.
No, not inevitable. Just likely. Rescue could come, or...you could win. Winning sickened Gwen, though. The idea of murdering for your own life was such a selfish thing, so corrupt and, and...and evil. A small wave of anger struck her at the thought of it.
But no, they wouldn't have to kill. Because Michelle and Vergil were smart, and had a plan. Gather everyone up, make sure that nobody was armed, and force the choice of collar detonation on the terrorists. They would probably all die, but that kind of defiant last stand, at least in theory, made Gwen feel stronger. A wave of courage kissed her shoreline of emotion *BANG*
A gunshot rang out, Michelle grabbed Gwen's arm and Gwen froze in terror as panic drowned her. Was she hurt? A quick mental inspection confirmed her perfect health (well, perhaps "normal" would be better terminology). She looked at Vergil and Michelle; both seemed unharmed, although they were likely equally frightened.
Michelle made a suggestion for the three of them to investigate. Gwen wasn't really sure what she wanted to do, in terms of yes or no. "Uh, is it safe? I'm unarmed, got a hammer and left it behind, but if someone's got a gun are we safe investigating, because what if they shoot at us? That'd be bad."
In truth, Gwen was scared to investigate. She didn't want to know of murder, she wanted to know peace. Just one killer, one heartless murderer, and there would be no hope for the plan. They'd lose, and the monsters who started this game would win. Gwen didn't want that to happen.
There had to be a way. There just had to.
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BROseidon*
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:08 pm
"No," Virgil said, his pitch dropping and volume elevating. "We are not going near that."
Virgil didn't want to face the reality, not yet. Someone had just died. Virgil couldn't know for sure, but seeing a corpse with a gunshot wound was too real. He had managed to avoid seeing Dave's body, maybe he could maintain the charade that they would wait out the timer and the terrorists would painlessly blow everybody's collar. Just maybe he could just hold on...
"Quick, we are repacking. Now!" Virgil yelled. They were on the pitch, the enemy fly-half just got the ball off the scrum, and Virgil was calling out orders from the back of the scrum, as he peeled off to reestablish the defensive line. They needed to move.
Virgil had already dropped to his bags and was on his knees. The duffle the terrorists had given him was bigger than his backpack, but his backpack still had useful supplies. An extra shirt and a pair of shorts, those would be useful. The protein bars he'd brought, he'd need the extra nourishment. His copy of the hell? Where had his copy of The Aeneid gone?
"FUCKING HELL! THOSE ASSHOLES!"
Virgil didn't want to face the reality, not yet. Someone had just died. Virgil couldn't know for sure, but seeing a corpse with a gunshot wound was too real. He had managed to avoid seeing Dave's body, maybe he could maintain the charade that they would wait out the timer and the terrorists would painlessly blow everybody's collar. Just maybe he could just hold on...
"Quick, we are repacking. Now!" Virgil yelled. They were on the pitch, the enemy fly-half just got the ball off the scrum, and Virgil was calling out orders from the back of the scrum, as he peeled off to reestablish the defensive line. They needed to move.
Virgil had already dropped to his bags and was on his knees. The duffle the terrorists had given him was bigger than his backpack, but his backpack still had useful supplies. An extra shirt and a pair of shorts, those would be useful. The protein bars he'd brought, he'd need the extra nourishment. His copy of the hell? Where had his copy of The Aeneid gone?
"FUCKING HELL! THOSE ASSHOLES!"
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Ruggahissy
- Posts: 2562
- Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 4:13 pm
Michelle seemed lost in thought for roughly 10 seconds, and then snapped out of it. There was possibly someone injured or something bad happening nearby and he cared only about his stupid book. What a such-and-such.
"Well yeah, I mean, I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to go near the sound because it makes sense-"
Michelle was eyeing the bag while he complained about the book.
"- that like, you wouldn't want to- AH HA!"
Michelle grabbed the bag and ran towards the sound.
"You can have it back when I find out what that was!" she shouted back.
((continued in The Art of Accepting Each Other )
"Well yeah, I mean, I guess I can understand why you wouldn't want to go near the sound because it makes sense-"
Michelle was eyeing the bag while he complained about the book.
"- that like, you wouldn't want to- AH HA!"
Michelle grabbed the bag and ran towards the sound.
"You can have it back when I find out what that was!" she shouted back.
((continued in The Art of Accepting Each Other )
Gwen stood, shocked as Michelle grabbed Vergil's bag and raced off. She...didn't know what to say. That was really really out of the blue. She shook her head, and gazed towards the general direction Michele had run to, which was towards the gunshots. Gwen looked back at Vergil.
"Uh, should we chase her, or...?"
Gwen saw how fast Michelle was running; she was definitely an athlete, whereas Gwen was clearly not. She was still a little winded from that light trot from the lighthouse to this obstacle course thing.
Realistically, Gwen couldn't catch the other girl, but emotionally, she was so confused by Michelle's actions that she wanted to. What was the point? To make them chase so Vergil could take his bag back? Honestly.
"So, what do you want to do?"
"Uh, should we chase her, or...?"
Gwen saw how fast Michelle was running; she was definitely an athlete, whereas Gwen was clearly not. She was still a little winded from that light trot from the lighthouse to this obstacle course thing.
Realistically, Gwen couldn't catch the other girl, but emotionally, she was so confused by Michelle's actions that she wanted to. What was the point? To make them chase so Vergil could take his bag back? Honestly.
"So, what do you want to do?"
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BROseidon*
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:08 pm
"The hell?"
Virgil had no idea why Michelle grabbed his bag. Did she think that going towards a gunshot was such a necessary thing that she had to take his bag to force him along? What were they going to accomplish by running towards the sound, anyway? Running straight into the gladiatorial match was imprudent beyond belief.
"No shit we're going after her." Michelle had gotten the jump on him, but he would catch up. He had thankfully transferred over most of what he wanted to from his backpack, so Michelle had everything he needed for the next several days. Virgil picked up Michelle's bags and started chasing after her.
That bag had the shotgun shells in it. Virgil looked down at the gun as he was running, and then started pushing himself a little bit harder.
((Virgil Jefferson-Davis continued elsewhere))
Virgil had no idea why Michelle grabbed his bag. Did she think that going towards a gunshot was such a necessary thing that she had to take his bag to force him along? What were they going to accomplish by running towards the sound, anyway? Running straight into the gladiatorial match was imprudent beyond belief.
"No shit we're going after her." Michelle had gotten the jump on him, but he would catch up. He had thankfully transferred over most of what he wanted to from his backpack, so Michelle had everything he needed for the next several days. Virgil picked up Michelle's bags and started chasing after her.
That bag had the shotgun shells in it. Virgil looked down at the gun as he was running, and then started pushing himself a little bit harder.
((Virgil Jefferson-Davis continued elsewhere))
Gwen nodded, but she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Of course it was important for Vergil to get his stuff back, but this didn't seem like a problem Gwen should get involved in, more of a personal matter.
Still, might as well help out while she could. Only so much time left, after all.
Gwen took off after Vergil, considerably slower but juuuuust enough to follow him adequately. A funny thought passed through her mind that this island stuff might make her get into shape.
Unlikely. But a girl could dream, right?
Gwen was already panting by the time the obstacle course thingy-whatever had been left behind.
((Gwen O'Connor's story continues in The Art of Accepting Each Other))
Still, might as well help out while she could. Only so much time left, after all.
Gwen took off after Vergil, considerably slower but juuuuust enough to follow him adequately. A funny thought passed through her mind that this island stuff might make her get into shape.
Unlikely. But a girl could dream, right?
Gwen was already panting by the time the obstacle course thingy-whatever had been left behind.
((Gwen O'Connor's story continues in The Art of Accepting Each Other))