Kai had half-awakened as Kitty and Ren moved about their camp. Their voices reached him from far away, but he didnt absorb their words. His mind was somewhat conscious, but his body lay heavy and unmoving. It was quiet, save for the sounds of the wind in the trees and small things stirring in the snow. He felt safe for a while, in spite of everything.
He woke fully to screaming and gunfire.
Kai jerked up, zeroing in on Kitty right away. His mind whirled too much with confusion to fully process who or what she was screaming at. But she was, and he was close enough to see her shaking even without his glasses.
"What-"
More shots rang out, tearing through the umbrella's canopy. Close enough for Kai to feel the rush of heated air in their wake.
"GET DOWN!"
He threw off the layers he'd bundled in to sleep even with the protests of his cold and aching muscles, and lunged for Kitty. He caught her around the waist and let the momentum carry them both back to the ground, and then folded his body over hers, mind racing to put together what was actually happening around them.
"Who-" he gasped near Kitty's ear before the more important question hit him. "Ren!?"
Aiskhylos, Agamemnon, line 805
trans. Anne Carson (New York: Faber & Faber, 2009). | https://imgur.com/6KhGLkG | private
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Ren didn't hear Kai's call. They were on the ground, on their knees, reeling. They hadn't screamed, had bit their lip to keep from screaming when Matthew twisted their finger backwards; the bite had drawn blood.
How much time had they managed to buy, just then? Five seconds? Ten? Ten seconds for a broken finger, a blown eardrum, bile in their throat and spasms in their stomach. Their fault for putting themself in a situation where their worth would be determined by physical strength.
And Kitty hadn't even fucking listened to them. They couldn't hear her now, but it had been her voice they heard before Matthew fired and replaced all the sounds in Ren's head with ringing. They couldn't even be angry with her, she was doing what they would've done and they were glad if nothing else that it was still her, despite all the blood she was still Kitty and she still cared about them and Ren was grateful to know that she was still the girl they knew, they really were, but they were still angry. They wanted to be useful. They had tried to be useful, and they would have, if Kitty had been willing to use them.
The boy hadn't even bothered to kill them.
They risked a glance back, didn't see Kitty, and dared to hope; perhaps they were wrong, and she had ran after all. That simple movement was enough to send them to the ground. Gravity wasn't where it was supposed to be, or perhaps their body wasn't; of course, their sense of balance had gone with their hearing. They forced themself back to their hands and knees. The world spun. They retched. They didn't have time to retch. They crawled. They put too much weight on their broken finger, and the pain was enough to send them to the ground again; this time they did scream.
Their destination was the gun, just a few feet away. The boy was distracted. They were so close.
They knew it was still too far.
How much time had they managed to buy, just then? Five seconds? Ten? Ten seconds for a broken finger, a blown eardrum, bile in their throat and spasms in their stomach. Their fault for putting themself in a situation where their worth would be determined by physical strength.
And Kitty hadn't even fucking listened to them. They couldn't hear her now, but it had been her voice they heard before Matthew fired and replaced all the sounds in Ren's head with ringing. They couldn't even be angry with her, she was doing what they would've done and they were glad if nothing else that it was still her, despite all the blood she was still Kitty and she still cared about them and Ren was grateful to know that she was still the girl they knew, they really were, but they were still angry. They wanted to be useful. They had tried to be useful, and they would have, if Kitty had been willing to use them.
The boy hadn't even bothered to kill them.
They risked a glance back, didn't see Kitty, and dared to hope; perhaps they were wrong, and she had ran after all. That simple movement was enough to send them to the ground. Gravity wasn't where it was supposed to be, or perhaps their body wasn't; of course, their sense of balance had gone with their hearing. They forced themself back to their hands and knees. The world spun. They retched. They didn't have time to retch. They crawled. They put too much weight on their broken finger, and the pain was enough to send them to the ground again; this time they did scream.
Their destination was the gun, just a few feet away. The boy was distracted. They were so close.
They knew it was still too far.
-
Applesintime
- Posts: 460
- Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:46 pm
- Location: In a magical place
Like he was in the defensive line and Katelyn had the ball just a couple of yards away from the end zone, Kai brought her down to the ground, but he'd missed anyway. It didn''t matter, he still had nine in the mag. All Kai had done was pin Katelyn down and wrap themselves up in just the right way for Matthew to stand over them and empty the gun into their bodies. Even with limited penetration, he figured nine into Kai would have enough of them go into Katelyn to kill both of them. Then reload, finish with their other friend who he'd just fucked up, and he'd be the big fucking hero.
The scream from behind him put a little wrench in that fucking plan, though. Turning around, the non-binary (he had to figure out their fucking name, he couldn't keep calling them shit like that in his head (eh it's not like they give a shit)) was crawling for the gun. Even after he'd put a fist into them that would have made anyone here basically lie down and piss themselves. Even after he'd broken their fucking finger.
Something about that enraged him. They were already going to die because they couldn't stop to think that helping a murderer was wrong. Wouldn't they have the common fucking sense to lie down and accept they've done enough? But here they were. Still fucking trying to save their murderous friend.
That rage overtook him. Stepping forwards, Matthew kicked the gun out of their reach and into the forest. That was enough to eliminate them as a threat, and so he turned back around, walked towards Kai and Katelyn's dogpile again.
He stopped halfway.
Fucking... shit, he didn't even know their name, and that really pissed him off. On its own, wouldn't be enough for him to turn back around, but combined with their sheer inability to just fucking lie down?
Matthew flipped back around, aimed the gun, and fired.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Click.
Hey, he was right! It was nine!
The scream from behind him put a little wrench in that fucking plan, though. Turning around, the non-binary (he had to figure out their fucking name, he couldn't keep calling them shit like that in his head (eh it's not like they give a shit)) was crawling for the gun. Even after he'd put a fist into them that would have made anyone here basically lie down and piss themselves. Even after he'd broken their fucking finger.
Something about that enraged him. They were already going to die because they couldn't stop to think that helping a murderer was wrong. Wouldn't they have the common fucking sense to lie down and accept they've done enough? But here they were. Still fucking trying to save their murderous friend.
That rage overtook him. Stepping forwards, Matthew kicked the gun out of their reach and into the forest. That was enough to eliminate them as a threat, and so he turned back around, walked towards Kai and Katelyn's dogpile again.
He stopped halfway.
Fucking... shit, he didn't even know their name, and that really pissed him off. On its own, wouldn't be enough for him to turn back around, but combined with their sheer inability to just fucking lie down?
Matthew flipped back around, aimed the gun, and fired.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Click.
Hey, he was right! It was nine!
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
They say that you don't hear the shot that kills you.
Now Katelyn was on the ground, and thanks to Kai, she had heard every single one that Matthew had aimed at her. Each bang made her ears ring, and each sent her back there, to the accident, if only for a moment. She struggled to remain present, in the here and now where she was needed, resisting the urge to retreat into herself. If she let go and failed here, then Ren and Kai...
"R-Ren is, they're," she began to stammer, only to hear nine more gunshots ring out, one after another after another.
She knew what that meant long before she saw what happened.
"No, NO," she yelped, shoving Kai off of her with strength she didn't know she had, springing to her feet and lugging the grenade launcher back up with her.
Then she saw what Matthew had done to Ren.
"YOU. FUCKING. BASTARD!" she snarled, a demonic roar, scalding hot tears streaming down her face.
The hunter leveled the launcher at Matthew, but Katelyn held it back once again. Ren was still too close, too nearby, and friends don't hurt friends.
"R-REN! I- I'M SORRY!" she cried, voice breaking. "I'M SO SORRY!"
Now Katelyn was on the ground, and thanks to Kai, she had heard every single one that Matthew had aimed at her. Each bang made her ears ring, and each sent her back there, to the accident, if only for a moment. She struggled to remain present, in the here and now where she was needed, resisting the urge to retreat into herself. If she let go and failed here, then Ren and Kai...
"R-Ren is, they're," she began to stammer, only to hear nine more gunshots ring out, one after another after another.
She knew what that meant long before she saw what happened.
"No, NO," she yelped, shoving Kai off of her with strength she didn't know she had, springing to her feet and lugging the grenade launcher back up with her.
Then she saw what Matthew had done to Ren.
"YOU. FUCKING. BASTARD!" she snarled, a demonic roar, scalding hot tears streaming down her face.
The hunter leveled the launcher at Matthew, but Katelyn held it back once again. Ren was still too close, too nearby, and friends don't hurt friends.
"R-REN! I- I'M SORRY!" she cried, voice breaking. "I'M SO SORRY!"
It had come. It was inevitable. It left Ren lying on their side on the ground in a pool of their own blood, curled up, arms and legs and chest all torn to shreds. Some of the shots had been allowed to miss; some had been allowed to graze. It hadn't mattered.
That could have been the end, if Kitty hadn't screamed. She sounded distant, somehow, further away than she must have been; her voice barely broke through the ringing in Ren's head, was barely noticeable through the pain that, incandescent and burning, overwhelmed their senses and threatened to sweep them away. It was still enough.
She hadn't left. She was still fucking there. Kai was still fucking there. Their vision had already begun to fade, and they had allowed it to; now they wrenched it back, forced their eyes to focus, to find them--there they were, still at the camp, and Kitty was holding something that must be the grenade launcher, and she wasn't running, and she wasn't shooting, and it didn't matter if Ren was there, Ren was going to die anyways they were already dead they had been dead from the beginning because hadn't that always been the plan? Hadn't they always intended to sacrifice themself? Why couldn't Kitty see that? Why wasn't she shooting?
Ren opened their mouth.
"SHOOT, DAMN YOU!"
A fresh burst of pain erupted in their chest and tore the air from their lungs; something inside them crumpled, and they nearly blacked out again.
That could have been the end, if Kitty hadn't screamed. She sounded distant, somehow, further away than she must have been; her voice barely broke through the ringing in Ren's head, was barely noticeable through the pain that, incandescent and burning, overwhelmed their senses and threatened to sweep them away. It was still enough.
She hadn't left. She was still fucking there. Kai was still fucking there. Their vision had already begun to fade, and they had allowed it to; now they wrenched it back, forced their eyes to focus, to find them--there they were, still at the camp, and Kitty was holding something that must be the grenade launcher, and she wasn't running, and she wasn't shooting, and it didn't matter if Ren was there, Ren was going to die anyways they were already dead they had been dead from the beginning because hadn't that always been the plan? Hadn't they always intended to sacrifice themself? Why couldn't Kitty see that? Why wasn't she shooting?
Ren opened their mouth.
"SHOOT, DAMN YOU!"
A fresh burst of pain erupted in their chest and tore the air from their lungs; something inside them crumpled, and they nearly blacked out again.
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
That was all the hunter needed to hear.
The grenade launcher trembled in Katelyn's grip, sights lined up with Matthew. If her aim was true then she couldn't miss, not with something this powerful. One pull of the trigger, and he'd resemble nothing more than a chunky salsa.
And then, in the morning, Ren's name would be read out as another one of her kills, alongside him.
Her actions wouldn't change the inevitable outcome. She saw what had happened. Nobody could survive that many gunshot wounds without immediate medical attention. Ren was done for, and soon, they would... just like...
Red-hot anger was all the hunter felt as it tightened her finger around the trigger, fangs bared and face contorted in rage, but still Katelyn resisted.
They asked for it. They wanted this. They knew what was coming as well as she did, but she... she couldn't...
Friends don't hurt friends, she insisted to herself.
Yet, if she didn't, then her and Kai would be soon to follow, wouldn't they? She had to take the shot, she had to, she HAD to.
Her finger squeezed, and the trigger started to move. She felt bile rising in her throat. There had to be a compromise, she couldn't have Ren's blood on her hands too. That was the one line she couldn't cross, because if she did, what was left to stop her from becoming nothing but a rabid beast?
Tears dripped down her chin as she stared down the grenade launcher's sights. Ren was on her left, and Matthew dead ahead. If there was anyone on this island that she wanted to kill, to tear soul from body and render nothing but lifeless meat, it was him. None before had inspired so much pure, unfiltered hate within her.
With her hatred as a guide, she finally let go.
There was a click as the hunter depressed the trigger, and kickback as Katelyn panicked and jerked the barrel to the right.
The grenade launcher trembled in Katelyn's grip, sights lined up with Matthew. If her aim was true then she couldn't miss, not with something this powerful. One pull of the trigger, and he'd resemble nothing more than a chunky salsa.
And then, in the morning, Ren's name would be read out as another one of her kills, alongside him.
Her actions wouldn't change the inevitable outcome. She saw what had happened. Nobody could survive that many gunshot wounds without immediate medical attention. Ren was done for, and soon, they would... just like...
Red-hot anger was all the hunter felt as it tightened her finger around the trigger, fangs bared and face contorted in rage, but still Katelyn resisted.
They asked for it. They wanted this. They knew what was coming as well as she did, but she... she couldn't...
Friends don't hurt friends, she insisted to herself.
Yet, if she didn't, then her and Kai would be soon to follow, wouldn't they? She had to take the shot, she had to, she HAD to.
Her finger squeezed, and the trigger started to move. She felt bile rising in her throat. There had to be a compromise, she couldn't have Ren's blood on her hands too. That was the one line she couldn't cross, because if she did, what was left to stop her from becoming nothing but a rabid beast?
Tears dripped down her chin as she stared down the grenade launcher's sights. Ren was on her left, and Matthew dead ahead. If there was anyone on this island that she wanted to kill, to tear soul from body and render nothing but lifeless meat, it was him. None before had inspired so much pure, unfiltered hate within her.
With her hatred as a guide, she finally let go.
There was a click as the hunter depressed the trigger, and kickback as Katelyn panicked and jerked the barrel to the right.
Understanding came in flashes just like the action. Ren, Matthew. Gunshots. Screams.
Kitty threw Kai off, and he rose to follow her on reflex.
Ren's last scream reached him.
Instead of stopping Kitty from pulling the trigger, Kai just dropped back down and clamped his hands over his ears in anticipation of the blast.
Kitty threw Kai off, and he rose to follow her on reflex.
Ren's last scream reached him.
Instead of stopping Kitty from pulling the trigger, Kai just dropped back down and clamped his hands over his ears in anticipation of the blast.
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
-
Applesintime
- Posts: 460
- Joined: Fri Jul 03, 2020 8:46 pm
- Location: In a magical place
He'd missed a frankly embarrassing amount of shots for his target being someone who was lying on the ground and not moving. But Matthew had hit enough, and that was all he needed. They were out of the picture, and he was out of bullets in this magazine. Turning back towards Katelyn and Kai, Matthew locked his vision onto them. She'd sprung up, yelling their name - Ren, Ren, Ren, that was their fucking name! Didn't matter, they were dead, but he felt a little bit relieved.
Hitting the mag release and dropping the magazine onto the snowy forest floor, Matthew began to fish in his pocket for a new one, striding forwards. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE, YOU FUCKING MURDERING BITCH!" Katelyn's accusation at him, of being a bastard, fell flat when you considered she was the one with five, six kills under her belt. And if her little friend Ren had been helping her, they deserved everything they damn got.
Katelyn was hesitating. Ren was yelling at her to fire whatever the fuck she had in her hands. The closer Matthew got, the more he began to recognise it, slamming the magazine in and racking back the slide. Was that a fucking grenade launcher, where the fuck did she get that from-
Thunk.
She fired, and Matthew's reflexes were too slow to force him down before the grenade exploded, a good distance to his left. A wave of shrapnel, force and light slammed into him, knocking him down and almost taking the gun out of his hand. But his grip had held and Katelyn had missed her shot or something? He had been right in the open, so why aim so far away? Stupid fuck.
Still, his ears were ringing like fuck, even if she was a shit shot. The explosion had been to his left, so it felt a little worse on that side, but really it was like having your fucking leg fully chopped over and then having slightly less of your other leg taken off — barely any difference. Everything fucking ached, like he'd just had the shit kicked out of him. And really, he had. His shit had been kicked by a 40mm or whatever it was instead of a person, though. Dazed, he remained on the ground for a few seconds.
Matthew didn't want to fight someone with a grenade launcher. Not head-on, anyway. Forcing himself up, despite the pressing complaints of every joint and muscle in his body, Matthew sent a few blind shots Katelyn and Kai's direction, hoping to hit one of them or at least stop her from firing another grenade, and then took off into the woods. Fucking bitch. Who the hell gave the depressed furry a grenade launcher?
((Matthew Bell continued in "Man, this SOTF thing sucks."))
Hitting the mag release and dropping the magazine onto the snowy forest floor, Matthew began to fish in his pocket for a new one, striding forwards. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE, YOU FUCKING MURDERING BITCH!" Katelyn's accusation at him, of being a bastard, fell flat when you considered she was the one with five, six kills under her belt. And if her little friend Ren had been helping her, they deserved everything they damn got.
Katelyn was hesitating. Ren was yelling at her to fire whatever the fuck she had in her hands. The closer Matthew got, the more he began to recognise it, slamming the magazine in and racking back the slide. Was that a fucking grenade launcher, where the fuck did she get that from-
Thunk.
She fired, and Matthew's reflexes were too slow to force him down before the grenade exploded, a good distance to his left. A wave of shrapnel, force and light slammed into him, knocking him down and almost taking the gun out of his hand. But his grip had held and Katelyn had missed her shot or something? He had been right in the open, so why aim so far away? Stupid fuck.
Still, his ears were ringing like fuck, even if she was a shit shot. The explosion had been to his left, so it felt a little worse on that side, but really it was like having your fucking leg fully chopped over and then having slightly less of your other leg taken off — barely any difference. Everything fucking ached, like he'd just had the shit kicked out of him. And really, he had. His shit had been kicked by a 40mm or whatever it was instead of a person, though. Dazed, he remained on the ground for a few seconds.
Matthew didn't want to fight someone with a grenade launcher. Not head-on, anyway. Forcing himself up, despite the pressing complaints of every joint and muscle in his body, Matthew sent a few blind shots Katelyn and Kai's direction, hoping to hit one of them or at least stop her from firing another grenade, and then took off into the woods. Fucking bitch. Who the hell gave the depressed furry a grenade launcher?
((Matthew Bell continued in "Man, this SOTF thing sucks."))
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Matthew wasn't dead.
It had been hard to tell through the cloud of debris left behind in the wake of the explosion, Katelyn's ears ringing from the sheer noise of it. For a moment, she had vainly hoped that her misaimed shot had still been close enough to kill, but reality soon came crashing back down upon her when more bullets cut through the cloud, and she threw herself to the ground, covering her head.
By the time the gunfire stopped, and Katelyn summoned the courage to look up, Matthew was already running far, far away. Before she could even process this fact, she was already leaping to her feet, brandishing the grenade launcher in all her fury and hate, hissing and snarling.
"GET BACK HERE! YOU- YOU-" her voice broke, "I'LL KILL YOU!"
For a moment, she charged after him, trying to get a clear shot through the thicket that would end him properly this time, only to stop in place shortly after running by Ren. She glanced over at them, even more horrified by their condition now that she could see it up close, and all thoughts of revenge and murder were dashed from her mind.
"Ren?" she whispered.
They were still breathing. A tiny, weak and wheezing death rattle, but they were still with her. Even as blood pooled around them in the snow, their body hadn't quite given out yet.
"REN!"
Her body moved on its own to her friend's side, tossing the grenade launcher to the ground and dropping to her knees next to them.
"Ren," she choked, barely able to force the words out. "Ren, I- I can-"
A deluge of tears poured from her eyes, threatening to drown the very world.
She couldn't fix this.
It had been hard to tell through the cloud of debris left behind in the wake of the explosion, Katelyn's ears ringing from the sheer noise of it. For a moment, she had vainly hoped that her misaimed shot had still been close enough to kill, but reality soon came crashing back down upon her when more bullets cut through the cloud, and she threw herself to the ground, covering her head.
By the time the gunfire stopped, and Katelyn summoned the courage to look up, Matthew was already running far, far away. Before she could even process this fact, she was already leaping to her feet, brandishing the grenade launcher in all her fury and hate, hissing and snarling.
"GET BACK HERE! YOU- YOU-" her voice broke, "I'LL KILL YOU!"
For a moment, she charged after him, trying to get a clear shot through the thicket that would end him properly this time, only to stop in place shortly after running by Ren. She glanced over at them, even more horrified by their condition now that she could see it up close, and all thoughts of revenge and murder were dashed from her mind.
"Ren?" she whispered.
They were still breathing. A tiny, weak and wheezing death rattle, but they were still with her. Even as blood pooled around them in the snow, their body hadn't quite given out yet.
"REN!"
Her body moved on its own to her friend's side, tossing the grenade launcher to the ground and dropping to her knees next to them.
"Ren," she choked, barely able to force the words out. "Ren, I- I can-"
A deluge of tears poured from her eyes, threatening to drown the very world.
She couldn't fix this.
The explosion rocked Kai and left his ears faintly ringing even with him sheltering down by the ground. Even that wasn't enough to stop the gunfire. His heart was hammering so hard that he wanted to throw up, but he still staggered to his feet when the smoke started to clear.
He turned to haphazardly rifle through their piled belongings until he came up with a first-aid kit, and then he ran to Ren. All the while, it was like he was watching himself from a distance. Seeing how his whole body shook. How he fumbled with his glasses off.
The way that he grabbed for bandages and antiseptic and anything else that looked even vaguely helpful, even though he knew with one look at Ren that it was useless.
"Hang on," he rasped to them. He couldn't say or think anything else. Not even to wonder how this had all happened so fast. "Hang on."
He turned to haphazardly rifle through their piled belongings until he came up with a first-aid kit, and then he ran to Ren. All the while, it was like he was watching himself from a distance. Seeing how his whole body shook. How he fumbled with his glasses off.
The way that he grabbed for bandages and antiseptic and anything else that looked even vaguely helpful, even though he knew with one look at Ren that it was useless.
"Hang on," he rasped to them. He couldn't say or think anything else. Not even to wonder how this had all happened so fast. "Hang on."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
The explosion splashed fresh pain across the front of Ren's legs and arms; it couldn't have been good for their already-dwindling life expectancy, but that didn't matter anymore. If anything, it helped keep them awake, brought them back to the other sensations that kept them grounded in their body: the burning cold of the snow, the wet heat of their own leaky body. So they were present enough, and their droopy eyes and ringing ears told them enough, for them to understand that Matthew had lived, that he was running away, that Kai and Kitty were now at their side. A first-aid kit was present too, one of them was digging through it, bandages and gauze and other things were sitting out in the snow. It took Ren a few seconds to remember why they didn't want that.
"Don't," they mumbled. They didn't know if their voice was audible.
They couldn't really speak any more loudly. Breathing was painful, slowing down but still shallow; there was a vacuum in their chest where one of their lungs was supposed to be, an awful burning crushing feeling. Ren had no breath to put behind their words.
They tried anyways.
"Would--would be a waste," they choked out, gasping for air, fully aware that theirs was a voice that begged to be ignored.
"Don't want--no point--"
Their vision blurred with tears; they knew it was useless. They knew Kai and Kitty wouldn't care. It was probably inevitable that anyone who was worth dying for would refuse to let you die for them.
"Don't," they mumbled. They didn't know if their voice was audible.
They couldn't really speak any more loudly. Breathing was painful, slowing down but still shallow; there was a vacuum in their chest where one of their lungs was supposed to be, an awful burning crushing feeling. Ren had no breath to put behind their words.
They tried anyways.
"Would--would be a waste," they choked out, gasping for air, fully aware that theirs was a voice that begged to be ignored.
"Don't want--no point--"
Their vision blurred with tears; they knew it was useless. They knew Kai and Kitty wouldn't care. It was probably inevitable that anyone who was worth dying for would refuse to let you die for them.
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Katelyn followed Kai's lead, fumbling for the gauze and bandages he had pulled out before trying to staunch the bleeding, all while hyperventilating.
Ren was doomed. Seeing it was like watching all that blood trickle out of Robin's skull all over again. Only this time, it wasn't someone she had long-since distanced herself from, someone for whom she was content to simply end his suffering as fast as possible. She loved Ren so dearly, so even though she knew that they were doomed, she still had to try to save them. Her attachments would make her cruel, force her to drag out the inevitable, because she couldn't live with herself if she didn't try.
Yet, even her feeble attempt to drag it out wouldn't do much at all. There were too many bullet wounds, and even if she stopped one or two, drip by drip Ren's blood would still leave their body behind. Each of their gasps for air were desperate and labored, like Ren was fighting just to get oxygen into their chest. They didn't have long, and in an instant that fact crushed Katelyn's spirits like an insect.
One of her best friends was going to die, and it was all her fault. She had brought him here, because she was his actual target, but he killed Ren anyway, even though they hadn't done anything wrong. Her crimes had caught up to her, but one of her friends had been killed in her stead, nothing more than collateral damage.
Her cries turned to blubbering, rapidly blinking her eyes to clear them of tears that wouldn't stop. Desperate whines escaped her lips as she forced herself to futilely to stop the bleeding, only for Ren's hands to come up and gently grasp her arm, ineffectually trying to push her away. She whirled to meet their gaze, frozen in place, grim realization beginning to dawn on her.
This was likely her last chance to say anything to Ren. She might have brought this about, but it wasn't about her right now. Her guilt could come later, Ren's death had to be about them. It wouldn't fix anything, but she could comfort them, and that would likely mean much more to them.
She stopped trying to keep Ren's blood at bay, instead taking their hands into her own.
"Ren," she choked. "I'm s-sorry. I love you. You were always my fr-friend."
Ren was doomed. Seeing it was like watching all that blood trickle out of Robin's skull all over again. Only this time, it wasn't someone she had long-since distanced herself from, someone for whom she was content to simply end his suffering as fast as possible. She loved Ren so dearly, so even though she knew that they were doomed, she still had to try to save them. Her attachments would make her cruel, force her to drag out the inevitable, because she couldn't live with herself if she didn't try.
Yet, even her feeble attempt to drag it out wouldn't do much at all. There were too many bullet wounds, and even if she stopped one or two, drip by drip Ren's blood would still leave their body behind. Each of their gasps for air were desperate and labored, like Ren was fighting just to get oxygen into their chest. They didn't have long, and in an instant that fact crushed Katelyn's spirits like an insect.
One of her best friends was going to die, and it was all her fault. She had brought him here, because she was his actual target, but he killed Ren anyway, even though they hadn't done anything wrong. Her crimes had caught up to her, but one of her friends had been killed in her stead, nothing more than collateral damage.
Her cries turned to blubbering, rapidly blinking her eyes to clear them of tears that wouldn't stop. Desperate whines escaped her lips as she forced herself to futilely to stop the bleeding, only for Ren's hands to come up and gently grasp her arm, ineffectually trying to push her away. She whirled to meet their gaze, frozen in place, grim realization beginning to dawn on her.
This was likely her last chance to say anything to Ren. She might have brought this about, but it wasn't about her right now. Her guilt could come later, Ren's death had to be about them. It wouldn't fix anything, but she could comfort them, and that would likely mean much more to them.
She stopped trying to keep Ren's blood at bay, instead taking their hands into her own.
"Ren," she choked. "I'm s-sorry. I love you. You were always my fr-friend."
Kai's hands kept moving even as Kitty stilled and instead started saying her goodbyes. He couldn't look Ren in the face. Didn't want to look at what he was bandaging, but he couldn't watch them struggle to breathe and talk. After everything, they were still trying to make some kind of stand. Some kind of sacrifice for his sake and Kitty's sake, like it accomplished anything for Ren to die on the ground at the hands of some psycho like Matthew Bell.
"Please," was all he said, voice in a whisper. Begging Ren even though he knew it was useless. Begging a higher power that he didn't think he believed in.
The realization sinking in was a simple one: he couldn't dig another grave. Physically, he couldn't do it. He was too exhausted. His arms felt too heavy. His head hurt too much. His eyes were stinging, and he couldn't even see what he was doing now.
"Please, Ren."
"Please," was all he said, voice in a whisper. Begging Ren even though he knew it was useless. Begging a higher power that he didn't think he believed in.
The realization sinking in was a simple one: he couldn't dig another grave. Physically, he couldn't do it. He was too exhausted. His arms felt too heavy. His head hurt too much. His eyes were stinging, and he couldn't even see what he was doing now.
"Please, Ren."
"Art enriches the community, Steve, no less than a pulsing fire hose, or a fireman beating down a blazing door. So what if we're drawing a nude man? So what if all we ever draw is a nude man, or the same nude man over and over in all sorts of provocative positions? Context, not content! Process, not subject! Don't be so gauche, Steve, it's beneath you."
Goddammit, they were supposed to be stronger than this.
Kitty had given up, thankfully, laid down the tape and the gauze and the bandages and wrapped Ren's hands in hers. She was speaking now, and Ren was trying to listen--but outside of a word here and there, they couldn't make it out. They got the idea, though--she was crying, and she was clinging to them.
They couldn't make out Kai's words either, weren't even aware that he had spoken. His voice had been too soft, and they hadn't been in a position to see his lips move; to them, he was a silent presence, one that hovered over them and scalded them with antiseptic and refused to give up on binding their wounds. Still, that was enough of a message all its own.
It stung, it did. They had loved, and nothing else should've mattered; they weren't supposed to care if they were loved in return. Their friends weren't supposed to beg them to stay, it wasn't supposed to hurt, being the first to leave was supposed to be the easy choice. They shouldn't have felt like they were abandoning everyone.
And none of that changed the fact that, as understandable as it was for Kai to waste bandages on them, he was still wasting bandages. He would continue to waste them if Ren didn't stop him. They thought about pulling a hand away from Kitty to interpose it between their body and Kai's hands--but they were weak, and final goodbyes were a hard thing to turn down, and, ultimately, they weren't quite prepared to give up on being a good friend in order to be a good sacrifice.
They would have to do all they could to make sure they were a good sacrifice anyways, then.
"...Listen."
They could barely hear their own voice, weren't entirely sure their brain wasn't conjuring the sounds they did hear. Too much ringing, too many stimuli.
"There should be a gun somewhere. I...I had one. Dropped it. Nearby, I think. Don't think he got it. Just make sure you...make sure you check."
They paused, out of breath, desperately gulping down lungfuls of air; they would never actually fill their lungs, they knew, but any amount of time they could buy was worth it.
Then they continued, "As for my body...don't bury me. Okay? Don't want you to be tired. Don't want you to be...to be...don't want you to die. Because you were tired."
Not enough time. Their heart was speeding up, somehow, their breath becoming more shallow; they were so, so light-headed.
"Also...Kitty. Kitty, I need...you have to...Kitty, I need you to..."
They still knew what they wanted to say, still intuitively understood the idea of their request, but it was rapidly becoming too complex a thought for their oxygen-starved brain to articulate. It was related to revenge, they knew. Something about not getting carried away with it. They didn't want to discourage it, though, not exactly, since Matthew needed to die anyways--hell-bent on killing Kitty as he was, he was too dangerous to let live. But they had heard Kitty's fury, and they knew how many she had already killed, and they didn't want her to be reckless, or obsessive, or...there were probably many other adjectives that fit here. Mostly they wanted to say whatever they had to say in order to keep keep her from getting herself or Kai killed.
"I want...you...should..."
They were out of words, and out of time. Automatically, with the barest minimum of conscious thought, they closed their eyes, tucked their chin in, pulled their knees up an inch or two. It wasn't a good position to die in, not quite, but it was the best they would be able to manage.
There were still too many things they needed to say, that they couldn't. Their last request. Warnings, assurances. They wanted to apologize, too, for their selfishness in dying, for choosing a part they had known would doom them. Most of all they wanted to thank Kitty and Kai for accepting their offer of friendship, years ago. They wanted to thank them for having kept it ever since.
They would have to trust that they already knew.
Kitty had given up, thankfully, laid down the tape and the gauze and the bandages and wrapped Ren's hands in hers. She was speaking now, and Ren was trying to listen--but outside of a word here and there, they couldn't make it out. They got the idea, though--she was crying, and she was clinging to them.
They couldn't make out Kai's words either, weren't even aware that he had spoken. His voice had been too soft, and they hadn't been in a position to see his lips move; to them, he was a silent presence, one that hovered over them and scalded them with antiseptic and refused to give up on binding their wounds. Still, that was enough of a message all its own.
It stung, it did. They had loved, and nothing else should've mattered; they weren't supposed to care if they were loved in return. Their friends weren't supposed to beg them to stay, it wasn't supposed to hurt, being the first to leave was supposed to be the easy choice. They shouldn't have felt like they were abandoning everyone.
And none of that changed the fact that, as understandable as it was for Kai to waste bandages on them, he was still wasting bandages. He would continue to waste them if Ren didn't stop him. They thought about pulling a hand away from Kitty to interpose it between their body and Kai's hands--but they were weak, and final goodbyes were a hard thing to turn down, and, ultimately, they weren't quite prepared to give up on being a good friend in order to be a good sacrifice.
They would have to do all they could to make sure they were a good sacrifice anyways, then.
"...Listen."
They could barely hear their own voice, weren't entirely sure their brain wasn't conjuring the sounds they did hear. Too much ringing, too many stimuli.
"There should be a gun somewhere. I...I had one. Dropped it. Nearby, I think. Don't think he got it. Just make sure you...make sure you check."
They paused, out of breath, desperately gulping down lungfuls of air; they would never actually fill their lungs, they knew, but any amount of time they could buy was worth it.
Then they continued, "As for my body...don't bury me. Okay? Don't want you to be tired. Don't want you to be...to be...don't want you to die. Because you were tired."
Not enough time. Their heart was speeding up, somehow, their breath becoming more shallow; they were so, so light-headed.
"Also...Kitty. Kitty, I need...you have to...Kitty, I need you to..."
They still knew what they wanted to say, still intuitively understood the idea of their request, but it was rapidly becoming too complex a thought for their oxygen-starved brain to articulate. It was related to revenge, they knew. Something about not getting carried away with it. They didn't want to discourage it, though, not exactly, since Matthew needed to die anyways--hell-bent on killing Kitty as he was, he was too dangerous to let live. But they had heard Kitty's fury, and they knew how many she had already killed, and they didn't want her to be reckless, or obsessive, or...there were probably many other adjectives that fit here. Mostly they wanted to say whatever they had to say in order to keep keep her from getting herself or Kai killed.
"I want...you...should..."
They were out of words, and out of time. Automatically, with the barest minimum of conscious thought, they closed their eyes, tucked their chin in, pulled their knees up an inch or two. It wasn't a good position to die in, not quite, but it was the best they would be able to manage.
There were still too many things they needed to say, that they couldn't. Their last request. Warnings, assurances. They wanted to apologize, too, for their selfishness in dying, for choosing a part they had known would doom them. Most of all they wanted to thank Kitty and Kai for accepting their offer of friendship, years ago. They wanted to thank them for having kept it ever since.
They would have to trust that they already knew.
-
VoltTurtle
- Posts: 1535
- Joined: Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:10 pm
- Location: Dreamland
Katelyn held Ren's hands until they took their last breath. She said nothing, only quietly sniffling, as tears continued to stream down her face. Even after they closed their eyes, she held on, silently easing them into their long night. Once she was sure that it was over, she gently laid their arms down, and screamed at the sky.
Any composure that she had left all at once as she began punching the ground over and over again in a wild frenzy. This wasn't fair, if any of them deserved to bleed out on the ground, it should've been her, not Ren. Yet, once more, the world refused to budge, intent on dragging out and maximizing her suffering at every turn.
If only the world had a single neck.
She slammed her hands into the ground until the pain became too much, and she was left doubled over, face bright red, seething through gritted teeth. After a moment, she curled in on herself, covering her eyes and mouth with her sore hands.
"I'll kill him!" she hissed, muffled by her fingers. "I'll f-fucking kill him!"
First she would start by cutting off his fingers, the nasty little digits that took Ren away. Then she'd break his ankles to splinters, so that way the impending doom and fear would turn him into a quivering mess. He would beg for mercy, and she would have none to give. With her preparations were complete, she would drag him to some place nice and secluded, and begin to pick him apart, piece by ugly piece, until there was nothing left but a pile of gore. Maybe then she would be satisfied, and Ren would be avenged.
Violence begets violence. That was a lesson Katelyn was very familiar with, and one that Matthew needed to learn that the hard way.
Any composure that she had left all at once as she began punching the ground over and over again in a wild frenzy. This wasn't fair, if any of them deserved to bleed out on the ground, it should've been her, not Ren. Yet, once more, the world refused to budge, intent on dragging out and maximizing her suffering at every turn.
If only the world had a single neck.
She slammed her hands into the ground until the pain became too much, and she was left doubled over, face bright red, seething through gritted teeth. After a moment, she curled in on herself, covering her eyes and mouth with her sore hands.
"I'll kill him!" she hissed, muffled by her fingers. "I'll f-fucking kill him!"
First she would start by cutting off his fingers, the nasty little digits that took Ren away. Then she'd break his ankles to splinters, so that way the impending doom and fear would turn him into a quivering mess. He would beg for mercy, and she would have none to give. With her preparations were complete, she would drag him to some place nice and secluded, and begin to pick him apart, piece by ugly piece, until there was nothing left but a pile of gore. Maybe then she would be satisfied, and Ren would be avenged.
Violence begets violence. That was a lesson Katelyn was very familiar with, and one that Matthew needed to learn that the hard way.