Survival Of The Fittest

Art grinned slyly and shrugged.

"I really had to think about it, to be honest. I'm wavering really...I've put a couple of bucks on Daisuke Andou, and on Cillian Crowe."

Lipson grumbled from across the bar.

"My money's on Dodd, though if he keeps weirding out..."

Umi embraced her startled brother, but the reunion was cut short. Upon seeing Aiden, she smiled at him.

"You," she laughed, "Are not done yet. Daisuke needs you."

With that, she jokingly turned him around and kicked him out the door.

What the hell? Dai needed him? But then was Umi really gone? Aiden pounded on the door, "Umi..."

But it was to late, darkness consumed him... then the light began to swirl.

CONTINUED IN 'Starting place for B#54': http://s10.PLACEHOLDERLINK/SurvivalOfTheF...10&#entry647206

Jimmy raised his eyebrows at the exchange.
"That" He stood up and walked over to the TV monitor and began speaking to Andrew and Andrew and Art "Was quite fucked up."

"Anyways, though, I want to put a bet on Adam Dodd as well. Not that I think he is a good competitor or anything, Its just that he's so fucking lucky. I mean, he has probobly come across more conflict than anyone else on the Island who is not injured yet. Its rediculous."

Edward hadn’t been paying attention too much around him, having found his attention stuck on the TV watching Garrett and Jacob fight… he wasn’t sure what to think his friend could die… his friend could die in this fight. Yet still Ed kept his spot, unmoving from where he stood.

Chewing thoughtfully against his lower-lip he hardly noticed the recent flock of new arrivals, or even when Aiden had came in. Bleeding, and not so dead as the rest of them where. He didn’t hear of the bets, or some of the comments made by Andrew he would have been more than willing to throw a jellybean or two at him because of.

Blaine meanwhile had slowly moved from near the door, watching having been almost pushed to the floor when the other young man had pushed into him he simply sat down in a chair at a table far from everyone else. Intertwining, and undoing his fingers as he kept his head bowed.

Standing at the door he had noticed Jimmy, the boy he had killed… killed in nothing but cold blood and he was coated in it for the rest of his time on the island till that Adam guy blew a hole into his throat. Sighing he kept his head bowed… ‘Nothing is making sense…’

Andrew shrugged.

"I dunno, guy...he is injured. His arm's all fucked up, you see that? But yeah, Dodd's been wandering and shit...just the way he is, you know?"

Ash continued to sit idly in his seat as the others talked amongst themselves without a care in the world, though he just had to admit, they really did have the right idea. Normally, he could care less about what others happened to be doing or discussing together, but now he listened with interest as he continued to watch the game idly, considering placing a few bets himself. It was strange, really... but being dead barely any different from being alive...aside from the fact that he was, well, dead. But actually, it hardly felt different at all. Perhaps that was what made it feel so wierd.

But really, what could he do? In any case, he might as well enjoy it, seeing as he would be stuck like this forever. Not that he disliked it, it was just a whole new thing to him after all.

He glanced over at Blaine, as well as a few of the other people hanging about. It seemed as though some people seemed to have trouble adjusting to the change of scenery, not that he could blame them.

Something caught his eye, and he repositioned himself to cast a better look at the newcomer, who had just came through the door.

Nanami could not believe what she was seeing. Only a second before had she been lying on the ground, staring at Madelaine as everything suddenly faded to darkness. Next thing she knew, she was standing in an unknown world, unhurt, as she had suddenly awakened from a dream. She stared nervously, looking over all the strange and unfamiliar faces in this strange and unfamiliar place. It was then that her eyes caught the image of one of the nearby television screens, where she saw a dead body that looked exactly like herself.

What is this? she thought, suddenly afraid. It was then that the realization hit her like a slap to the face.

Immediately, she turned tail and pounded against the door she had just pushed her way through, though she knew that she had entered via a one-way passage. Still, she pounded hard against it in desperation, pleading to anybody who might listen.

"Please...take me back! I've got to....I've got to tell Madelaine I'm sorry! I have to make things right again... I want to go back! Please, let me go to her! I want to see her...I want to see her again...."

But her efforts were only half-hearted, for she knew that she could never go back to the mess she made. There was nothing she could do for the one she had left behind.

Had she not been so intent on returning, it might have occurred to her that she was doing a rather odd and unusual thing, referring to Shirohara-san as simply, 'Madelaine'.

Andrew gave Nanami a breif confused look bafore he fished a few dollars from his pocket (he never did figure out why there was money in the afterlife, but he decided to ignore it mostly) and placed them in front of Art.

"She died before Garrett, you win."

Art quickly pocketed the cash and grinned.

"But of course."

As the shaken Nanami banged on the door of the bar, several patrons looked over with raised eyebrows. Most went back to their drinks, but the one who didn't was Cole Hudson. Cole had been one of the first to go down, and as such he'd pretty much accepted what had happened.

Besides, I'm a lot less ...angry...here.

Cole walked over to Nanami and leaned against the wall as the girl slumped over. He grinned a half-hearted grin, and remarked "So, made a mess of things, did you?"

Cole shook his head.

"Nah, ever since I died, I've been kind of avoiding the monitors. I don't want to think about that stupid game, so I've just been playing a lot of pool. But..." He shrugged. "I guess I'm going to have to sooner or later."

He extended his hand to the girl on the floor.

"Cole Hudson, pleased to meet you. When I was alive I was a lot more angry...hard upbringing and all. And you are...?"

[OOC: She already stood up, silly ]

Nanami met his eyes with a surprised expression on her face, looking over hesitatly at his extended hand. Timidly, she accepted it, offering a bit of a smile. Of course she could never smile the way Madelaine always did, with honesty and full-heartedness, but perhaps it was because she'd never really tried. She put an effort this time though.

"I'm Nanami Nishida," she said, shyly. "...From Rowan High." She rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "Um...I tried to kill my best friend, but she got me instead. Yeah..." Her smile was awkward now, though she still seemed trouble about the whole thing with Madelaine.

She sighed a bit. "Guess its over for us then, huh?"

Cole shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah, pretty much, but to be honest, it really isn't all that bad here. I mean, I don't know if you ever knew me or not, but when I was alive, I was a pretty angry kid. This place...well, I dunno, I just feel like I'm nice and relaxed here. No need to get pissed, I guess. But yeah, welcome to the afterlife. Everyone's pretty nice here, you can get yourself a few drinks, play some pool, even place bets on who you think is going to die next and stuff. Right now I think the odds-on favourite to survive is Jacob Starr, I think. Lots of things to do around here, really."

Cole looked back at the door, and couldn't help giving a small thought as to who'd be next to file into that door. Most of these people, he knew, some he didn't, but all of them were a part of SOTF. It was frightening, in a way.

But that was Cole, ever so nonchalant about the whole thing, speaking about death like it was a trip to the zoo.

[Hmm, I'll join in now. >>; When Toby dies for real [ya, I know it'll happen soon XD], I'll just ...make Toby disappear and reappear. XD]

The boy's neck hurt, badly at that. It felt like a paper cut from the deepest, darkest reaches of Hell itself. It hurt like a sunovabitch.

He lifted his head from the table, his right hand on his neck. ...what?
He looked down at his table. ...TABLE?! His eyes widened.
...where the hell was he? He looked around, attempting to not look TOO panicked. It wasn't working at all. His wide eyes and accelerated breathing didn't help. Already, there was a cold sweat all over his body.
And on top of it all, everyone else seemed cool...normal...and there was a damned drink at his table.
What the hell is this place? Some kinda bar?! He sat down, taking deep breath after deep breath. All he remembered was...talking to some guy...and a slitting feel...

THAT'S RIGHT!
His hand shot to his neck again, and there seemed to be a bit of a cut there. Like a paper cut. No blood, but you could feel it, all right. The second he touched it, the pain flared, and he flinched heavily. His hand came back down, shaking rapidly.
...there's no way. He looked at his drink.
His head came down, and the straw eased into his mouth. He took a deep gulp; half the glass was gone.
He swallowed, and amidst the pain from his neck, identified the drink.
Root beer...? My favorite...that's just wierd...
It tasted real...he saw it....he felt it....he felt pain...this had to be real, right? Not some demented dream or something, right? And real means alive, right?

Now seriously freaked, he looked around. His eyes found the nearest person; coincidently, it was Cole.
"Um...sir...could you tell me, what's going on...?"
His shaking hands would show his worry, no doubt. He was freaked beyond belief, and the confusion only compounded it.
"...I think I have an idea, but...it's crazy..." He shook his head. He was getting a bit of a headache all of a sudden, and he felt dizzy from the sudden movement, but remained standing.
However, there was a very audible cracking noise. Disgustingly loud, from his neck. His cheeks reddened a bit, not knowing WHY his neck had popped so badly.

He didn't, and couldn't, know...but the cracking was a result of his death...more specifically, a result of his neck breaking in multiple places. His neck was now quite sore, but all was right in said neck.
"Whoa, Sorry about that...don't know why it's so loud..." He shook his head again, now deliberately trying to pop it. But, alas, no pop was left in his neck after the monster crack.

"So...sir...what's going on here?" His voice was almost shaking with ...something. Hard to tell what, but there was a large amount of confusion in his voice.



...wait till you move your nose, Toby.


[oooh, there's a TV? o.O;;]

Toby noticed something flashing around behind Cole, quickly letting his eyes refocus on said flashing.
It looks like...a movie...aren't the actors a bit young? Shit, that's good acting... He watched, entranced, before he figured he should ask someone.

"Er....what's playing on the TV?" o.O;

"You're dead. You must've fallen asleep while drinking, since you've been here since before this game started." Alan said, leaning against one of the chairs and looking at Toby.

"Remember? You were murdered by a transfer student."

Toby's head slowly moved from Cole [and the TV], to the odd voice beside him.
He was shaking now; he had no coherent memory of said event, beyond talking ...and slitting.
Something about falling, though....odd.

He shook it off, looking at Alan. "...excuse me? I did what?" He couldn't believe him.
This is a joke. A joke. I can't be dead...the slit must be a paper cut, and I just got ditched by those bastard friends of mine. That's it...

"And, by the way, what's on the TV they're watching?" He pointed to the people around the TV...and the movie playing.