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Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:54 am
by MK Kilmarnock
((Ivan Kuznetsov continued from
Peacemaker))
No place on the island would ever truly be safe, not from the sickening rules and twists of the game. Two souls on the island, trying to run from the spirit of violence that had consumed so many, had found a small bit of protection in a patch of woods that had kept them safe for an entire day. Almost as if in response to their attempts of survival, the next batch of announcements, complete with that jovial yet cruel voice, had lifted off the roof of their home and forced them to run again. The collars dictated their lives; they were marks of slavery... slaves to the will of the terrorists and of the game.
Life had become trivialized and turned into a sport, where defeat quite plainly meant death. The only connection to the outside world came in the form of cameras, where anybody with a television set could watch their plight. That concept had never left Ivan's mind. Everything that happened in that room, with the blood of their slain teachers washing the floor and that man announcing what was going to happen to all of them, none of that would ever leave, even if he had happened to survive this... which he wouldn't.
As Ivan and Tabi neared the far southern reaches of the island, the scent of the salty breeze greeted them both once more. Such a smell brought Ivan back to where he had awoken on the island, and the promises he had made to himself in order to make him content. He remembered... before anybody had bothered him, he had resigned himself to a peaceful death, watching the waves roll in and out. He thought the naiive thought that the game probably couldn't last more than a day, and then everybody would all die at the same time just as they had lived... a single class of students, all close with one another.
So when the two reached the edge of the cliffs, only to have the expected and endless expanse of ocean before them, the rising sun was nothing but an ill omen. It was nothing more than a reminder that another day filled with killing and dying awaited everybody on the island, threatening to stain the rocks red with blood much like the sunrise was painting them now.
"... So, now what do we do?" Ivan asked simply, staring ahead while setting down his bag. The umbrella that he once had as his faithful 'weapon had now been tucked away safely inside his daypack, and the shotgun took its place as the object held in Ivan's left hand. He looked to Tabi for the answer, wanting to know what she wanted to do.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:54 am
by GregTheAnti-Viking*
((Tabitha "Tabi" Gweneth continued from
Peacemaker))
When she arrived at the cliffs with Ivan; Tabi Gweneth could not help but be captivated by the immense view. Of the ocean below. The waves were coarse and rolicking against each other. Splashed of white foam reaching the surface before dispersing back into the sea. As she edged towards the chain link fence she realized how high she was. It was nothing but a sheer drop down if she had slipped or if the chain link failed. Stepping backwards she shook her head, trying to clear her head of the sudden vertigo.
In her attempts to do so, a vision appeared in her periferal vision. Her head turned to look at it and she found herself gasping. There was a boy just barely hanging on to the chain link fence. His body was stiff, yet contorted in pain. Dried crusted blood had trickled down his mouth and his eyes were still open and frozen in fear.
Tabi covered her mouth to hide the horror. But her eyes still stared at his. They didnt' blink, they didn't move, they just were there. She was relieved that the name of this mystery person had escaped her this time. Still the terror of seeing yet another dead body caused a pit to well in her stomach.
She jumped suddenly when Ivan called out to her. She turned to face her companion and gave a sigh, dropping her left hand down to her breasts, balling into a fist, trying hard to not to think of what she had just seen.
"Well...I guess..." she said, stopping as her stomach began to groan.
It had been a long time since the two of them had eaten, now that she had thought about it. Not since last night, before she had gone to sleep and Ivan took watch. Something he vehemently stated that he would do. Once again, hunger had taken a hold. It was something that she had struggled with over the time that they had spent here. They rationed their food well enough but it didn't stop her from feeling the hunger pangs.
"I guess we should..." she began, sneezing yet again, "I guess we should eat something and then...I dunno..."
The plan trailed from her mind as her fist unclenched and her left hand moved back to wrapping itself around her right arm. What would they do after that? All they had done so far is run. Run away from everything and everyone. If they didn't run, they would hide. What else could they do.
Dropping to her knees, Tabi slid the backpack off and unzipped it. Digging inside it, she still found a loaf and a half of bread still left. Digging the half loaf out, she ripped off a piece and began to nibble on it. It was already growing stale, but it was the only real sustinace that they had. It would have to do.
She eventually sat down on the grass, feeling the touch of water from the morning dew touch her bare skin. Looking up to Ivan, Tabi forced a smile and gingerly lifted the bread up to him.
"Here, take some of mine..."
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:54 am
by Stark*
((R.J. Lowe continued from
It Knows Nothing of Whim))
It was hours before R.J. and Mary-Ann came to a stop, and by that point, there was no farther to go. Nothing but ocean laid out in front of them.
Good a time as any to rest.
He dropped the two bags he'd been carrying. One was his own, one belonged to B100. Rekka Saionji. No one he knew, not that that made things any easier. Three people were dead because of his actions.
Three people. Wait, no. No time to worry about that. The dead weren't coming back. Worry about keeping the living from following. Worry about Mary-Ann.
Deep breaths.
One.
Two.
Three.
Okay. The bag. First thing was to sort through Rekka's supplies. Dispose of what wasn't needed. Consolidate what could be used. Clothes; too small, nothing he could use. Food; a bottle of water and a loaf of bread. Those would be needed. He took them. First aid kit; they had two already. If they suffered anything survivable, that would be enough. Leave it. Ammunition; two magazines. He removed a round from one to examine it. 7.65mm, by the look of it. That did him no good. The GP6 took 9mm rounds. Still, they weren't so cumbersome that he couldn't hold them, in case another, more compatible weapon presented itself. Once he had everything he needed, he hurled Rekka's bag, with all it still contained, over the edge of the cliff and into the sea below. He needed to be rid of it. The thing reeked with the smell of what he'd done, and he wanted it gone.
They weren't alone at that cliffside. Two other students, a boy and a girl, were resting there, same as them. For now, he'd leave them be. They weren't a threat to anyone right now. Keep an eye on them from a distance, but don't interfere. Just sit down, here. At the edge of this cliff.
Long way down, isn't it?
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:54 am
by D/N
(Imraan Al-Hariq continued from
Your Cross to Bear)
The trek southward had been mostly peaceful. That was good. It allowed him to get his thoughts together, keep his cool. And of course Imraan was keeping his cool. He still had those crosses on his hands, didn't he?
He glanced down. Nope, he didn't. He was lying to himself again. The crosses must've washed off when he'd cleaned off his face and hands in the river this morning. But that was OK. Heck, everyone lied to themselves. He could admit it, he wasn't a hypocrite or anything. As long as he wasn't lying to himself about the important stuff. Like what he was doing. Who, WHAT he was looking for. And what he would do when he saw them.
I'll stop them. I was the center. I could've led GODSpeed, if I'd really wanted to. I am the rock. I'm the shepherd. I am the armor. And I will stop them.
He hadn't seen any trace of Maxwell Lombardi. That was OK. Maxwell had apparently killed Vera Osborne before he'd even come across Imraan's group at the cliffs yesterday. It had been a busy day for Maxwell Lombardi. But at least he hadn't killed anyone since then.
He will kill again, though. You know that. You saw him.
Unless he stopped Maxwell first, of course. Not that that was like likely. The island was huge, and the announcements left no doubt that there were plenty of wolves among the sheep. More wolves than he could have ever imagined possible. And names he could've never imagined. Ilario, Claire Lambert, Cisco Vasquez.
Our unluckiest of the pack this time was Daniel Kensrue, who took a shot to the face from Claire Lambert.
Claire had killed Dan Kensrue. And Jessie would have heard that.
Tenth to buy the farm was Edward Belmont, who invoked the wrath of god in the form of Rachel Gettys and took a rock to the head for his trouble.
And Rachel Gettys had killed Edward. How? HOW? How could a girl like Rachel, a girl he'd known FOR YEARS, let that happen? He had put his trust in her to lead GODSpeed. He had put his faith in her, defended her when people talked about her behind her back, knowing that she wasn't perfect and could be quick to judge, but thinking with all his heart that she was a good person. A faithful one. How could she let this happen?
He'd put his own faith in finding out, sooner or later.
Imraan had kept his distance from anyone he'd seen over the last day. There had been a couple students, alone or in small groups, but he hadn't approached them. None of them had been the people he was looking for, one way or the other. And while he didn't like leaving them to fend for themselves, right now he simply couldn't burden himself with them. The sheep could not go into battle against the wolves. Of course, if he'd seen Jessie, or even someone like JJ or Kaitlin or Mike, it would've been different, but for now he'd just hope that they wouldn't run into someone like Maxwell before he did, even if he knew that was unlikely.
Then, after another cold and uncomfortable night spent in the woods, he reached the southern cliffs and saw someone in the distance. Ivan Kuznetsov. Ivan Kuznetsov, who had not only killed someone, but who had been rewarded for it.
Steady.
Imraan's reached into his memory bank and tried to remember what Danya had said about Ivan's kill, but the specifics weren't coming to him. It had been one kill, hadn't it? The very first day. And he'd been given... a prize or something.
Alright, so you've found one of them. Now what? You've got about five seconds to decide, Imraan.
Ivan was sitting with a girl, eating. He couldn't make out who the girl was just yet, but Ivan certainly didn't LOOK like he was about to kill her. Maybe they'd teamed up, or maybe she was a hostage of some sort.
Or maybe he wasn't a murderer after all. Maybe he'd defended himself.
You think they give out prizes for that, buddy?
Only one way to find out for sure. He steeled himself, and walked towards Ivan and the girl, keeping his concentration on them and not noticing the other figures arriving elsewhere in the area. He kept the shotgun in both hands, holding it at waist level. Not pointing it at them, but he would be ready to. There was no reason to try to sneak up on them, he wasn't exactly inconspicuous and there was nowhere here to hide anyway.
"Hey. It's Imraan, Imraan Al-Hariq."
The girl was Tabitha Gweneth, he now saw. She hadn't been one of the names read out, at least he thought she hadn't been.
"I'm not gonna shoot."
That line tasted bitter, like a lie. He felt sweat on his hands against the shotgun and hoped his hands weren't shaking. Then he stopped a short distance away from Ivan and Tabi, staring at the Russian.
"I wanna talk to you, Ivan."
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by MK Kilmarnock
At first, Ivan wasn't quite sure how to take Tabi's gesture. Offering him her bread was nice, but when it all boiled down to it, also fairly impractical. He had his own bread, and didn't need her pity or stupidity by offering hers. What was going to happen when the both of them chowed down on that bread and then it was all gone? She'd be asking Ivan for his, that's what would happen. It made more sense and was just as easy for them to stick to nibbling on their own bread without having to swap spit or anything else nasty like that.
All the same... it was a really nice thing to offer.
"It's alright... I have my own," he spoke softly. Not that he was particularly hungry anyway... as an athlete and the son of another, Ivan embraced the fact that you need a good breakfast each and every day for a balanced and healthy diet, but the island had done wonders to kill his appetite, particularly this morning. The worst part? He still couldn't decide if this was just because he was never starving in the mornings and the stress of being away from home further affected him, or because Keith's face remained burned into his mind.
Will I ever be able to escape that? Do I even have to worry about it for too long? ... Probably not...
Watching the sunrise alongside Tabi had done a lot to hinder the lingering effect of Ivan's nightmares, as temporary as the effects may have been. When was the last time that he had really sat down and watched the sunrise, so similar in appearance to a sunset but with so many other nuances and meanings? He searched himself to find the answer, struggling to remember back as far as his earliest year of high school, and he still couldn't find a time where he had sat down and really taken it all in, even with Louis. So much that he hadn't done, that he really had taken for granted in life, and there was no way to enjoy it all now, no way to take it all back.
... I'm sorry, bro.
Ivan's eyes traced upwards from around the sun, looking up at the sky's gradual chance to amber from red, then to the light blue of day. He could just barely make out the last signs of night's darkness fading out of view behind the trees. As he brought his attention back, he thought he saw something that just didn't fit in. His tired mind focused, taking a second or two to realize what he was looking at, what was straddling the chain-link fence, not moving or showing signs of life, resting atop sections of the fence covered in what looked to be crusted blood...
He immediately tensed up, the memories of the savage murder coming back in full-force. Ivan had only seen two dead bodies on the island thus far, and he had caused one of them. Number two was now the focus of his attention - his pained, train wreck, bile-fascination attention. The cries, the screams, the branch coming down again and again and again... there was no stopping it. The announcements said that others were killing, but those words were meaningless bullshit.
"Hey. It's Imraan, Imraan Al-Hariq."
Fuck.
FUCK.
FUCK!!!
Things weren't bad enough to have a dead body just hanging there admist what was otherwise a beautiful setting. No... somebody had just gotten the drop on the both of them. If they had chosen to shoot right away, then Tabi, Ivan, or both of them could've been dead right then and there. In a frantic moment, Ivan spun and rose to his feet, just about every hair on his body standing on end.
Things had gone from worse to very, VERY much more terrible. The new arrival wasn't just any person who could be a threat, it had to be the tallest damned kid in Bayview Secondary. There were a lot of those kicking school with a crowd like Roland Harte, Craig Hoyle and Robert Lowe, but this guy had to go and be one inch taller than ALL of them. Even at the distance he was now, Ivan felt the need to tip his head back slightly to look the boy in the eye.
Oh, and he had what looked to be a shotgun. Brilliant.
"I'm not gonna shoot."
Yeah, there was some real comfort. If the skyscraper of a boy wasn't going to shoot, then what the hell did he want? He could say something like that all he wanted, but all it took was a nice adjustment of that shotgun at Imraan's waist, pointing it right at Ivan, and blam... shot would be sent shooting through his body, probably killing him in an instant or so. Then move the barrel an inch to the side, do the same with Tabi. Or maybe Imraan planned to get Ivan out of the way so he could have his own plans with Tabi. There was no way to be sure, and no way to defend himself as, in a ridiculously stupid move, he had forgotten to pick up the shotgun that was still at his feet.
Brilliant, Ivan... you're going to die, now. What else did you miss!?
Keeping Imraan in his sights, Ivan jerked his head in both directions, looking for other students who may be hunting him. One direction seemed to hold nothing, but the ice in his blood grew a little colder when he saw, far off in the distance and simply watching them all, none other than Robert Lowe.
What is this... the day of the goddamn giants!?
If there was a list of things in Ivan's heart comprised of the hardest things he had ever done, then standing in front of Imraan right now and fighting off the trembling rocking away at his body was at least number five. Finally, the larger boy had said something more... that he wanted to talk to him. All in all, though, it was too difficult to fathom... was he about to die here, or not?
Don't watch Louis... don't watch...
"The hell do you want...?"
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by GregTheAnti-Viking*
Tabi retracted her hand when Ivan refused. She frowned, it was true that each of them had their own bread and he could easily eat from his own, but that wasn't the point. Nodding, she continued to nibble on the dry loaf.
"Okay..."
The light from the sun was starting to irritate Tabi as she munched away. It wasn't unwanted; however as Tabi could feel it's warmth beating down on her still shivering body. Her nose had been iritated by all the sneezing and was now stuffed full of mucus. The cold was starting to root its way into her body.
Another fit of sneezing took hold and once again her nose was temporarily clear. With her free hand she wiped the excess away (although she did not enjoy such a task) and rubbed it into the grass of the cliffs. With a sigh, Tabi gazed back to stare at the sea, captivated by the waves swaying back and forth.
Despite the fact that she was almost certain that she was sick. Despite the fact that she and Ivan were sharing their meal in the presance of...someone not among the living (which she still wasn't looking at). Despite everything that had happened so far. This moment was nice. It was peaceful, it was quiet and for some reason it had made her feel at ease.
The wind was gently picking up, running through her tangled mess of hair and ventilating the inside of her shot up blouse. She placed an absent minded finger in through the lower most hole and let it linger there. She wasn't sure what she and Ivan were going to do now, but she figured they would come to a decision soon, so she didn't stress the details.
Suddenly, there was a voice that broke the peace. Tabi blinked, turning her head to see a giant of a man standing just a fair distance away. The tanned skin combined with his massive frame could only mean that it was Imraan Al-Harriq. Although Tabi remembered him as a fairly nice person, she never had hung around to much with the man. This, combined with the fact that he was holding a rather large shotgun as well made Tabi begin to quiver.
She was about to timidly extend a welcome to him when she caught another man out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head to look and she saw yet another giant. A man with black hair standing there, just staring at them. Her mind was racing to try to put a name to the face. Was he harmful? Was he just passing through?
"The hell do you want...?"
Tabi's focus shifted back to Ivan, who was now standing ahead of her, looking as if he might attempt to defend himself against the two people that had now joined them.
She could feel the rush of breath surging into her lungs once more. The hand holding the bread tightened its grip, causing the dry shell to crinkle. She placed her free hand on the grass and pushed herself up off the ground, but she did not move from her spot.
Tabi kept quiet, trying to quell the shaking of her legs as she stood behind Ivan. She wanted to say something, but her body resisted her attempts to speak. Imraan hadn't done anything yet. There was a hope that it would all be okay.
She didn't want to think about the alternative.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by Stark*
"There is no peace," saith the LORD, "unto the wicked."
Gazing out over the sea, R.J. wondered how long it would take before he had to move again. All this running around was starting to take its toll on him, and he hadn't had a decent enough meal to legitimately fuel himself. He could feel the acid eating away at his stomach walls already. Still, for the time being, things were as peaceful as they'd been since he left home. The only sound from where he sat was that of the waves crashing against the rocks below. It was a terrible analogy given what had just happened, but now, he was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"Hey..."
((Mary-Ann Warren continued from
It Knows Nothing of Whim))
For a brief moment, she wondered if she was still looking at R.J. Lowe.
Once upon a time, the silent young man held a certain charm about him. Even only yesterday, when he'd confessed his love to her, he still seemed to hold on to vestiges of that charm that had won Mary-Ann over those few months ago. Now, he seemed little more than a somber husk of her one-time closest friend, ragged and broken by the ravages of this twisted game. On close examination, a handful of his black hair had started to go grey. His skin seemed to have taken on an unnatural pallor, even more pale than it usually was, which only served to highlight the bruises that coated his skin like spots on a leopard. His gaze was not unlike that of a soldier returning from war, thick bags weighing heavy beneath his brown eyes. His right foot was stained all over with the sickening red-brown hue of their attacker's dried blood. She hadn't been looking when he shined the light on the boy's corpse, but if his reaction, R.J.'s, the once-charming knight in tattered armor's, had been any indication, it was for the best.
As he sat there, feet dangling over the side of the cliff, staring out at the sea before them, she wondered if this was the same R.J. Lowe she used to know. She approached, kneeling down a bit further back from the edge, if he hadn't, perhaps, been replaced by someone else as they slept.
No, she thought.
That would just be silly.
So how well did she really know this boy sitting next to her? The boy who'd claimed he loved her?
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You know, it's not really safe, this close to the edge."
Yeah. I know.
He turned his head just a bit to the side, just enough to let her know that he was acknowledging her. That he was listening. Not enough to look at her, though. He couldn't bring himself to. She'd just seen him at his worst. Seen him take a life, right in front of her. Well, not seen, but the effect, the principle, it was all the same. But still, for whatever reason, she'd stayed by his side. There were voices in the distance. Probably the two students he'd seen further down. He wasn't really paying attention, just registering that they were there.
She should go to them. She'd be safer with them.
"Please... don't cry."
A single, tiny finger gently caressed R.J.'s cheek, wiping away the tears he hadn't noticed starting to slip down his face. He seemed genuinely puzzled when the fact dawned on him.
Wait... Mary-Ann... Was I crying?
"Yeah. You were."
She reached around to the other side of his chin, slowly pivoting his head to face her, so she could look him in the eye. Even with her on her knees and him sitting, slouched forward, no less, she still had to look up to do so. His eyes were Coke-can red from the tears, and she could see a bit of snot dripping down before he sniffed it back into his nasal cavity. For a moment, she looked down, just a bit. Before the other night, she'd never actually seen the scar on his neck, as he'd always worn a scarf to cover it up, and she hadn't actually taken notice of it until now. He'd always called it a scar, anyway; in reality, it looked more like a vaguely triangular hole. When he swallowed his sadness, she could see the organs in his throat bulge and contract. The whole thing only served to accentuate just how disheveled he was. As strong as he once seemed to her, now, he just looked so vulnerable. She looked him squarely in the eye, the same stern look he'd once given her now being returned in kind. There were voices in the distance. Probably the two students she'd noticed out of the corner of her eye earlier. She wasn't really paying attention, just registering that they were there.
She had to stay with R.J. She had to protect him, like he'd protected her.
With all she had, Mary-Ann embraced R.J, and though it pained his battered body, he accepted.
Whatever was going on in the distance, they both supposed it could wait.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by ET.Requiem*
((Kevin Harding continued from
Jesus Loves the Little Children))
Aw, fuck. Not again.
Kevin's day had just gotten worse. He started off wanting to pray at the church, but that idea just went downhill when Lily Maclaughlin get murdered in front of him. He shut his eyes, recalling only the sight of her throat opening up and her blood spraying into the air as the knife slashed her neck.
With a heavy swallow, he crouched back down. No time to dwell on that. He had to focus. Kevin set his shovel down and opened up his pack. He was out of food, had only one bottle of water left, and was tired from all the running he did.
Frankly speaking, trying to intervene in this situation without a gun would just get him killed. Not to mention that three of the island's more dangerous people were gathered here in one spot.
Ivan Kuznetsov and R.J Lowe had at least one kill each, while Imraan Al-Hariq was bigger than any of them and had a shotgun with him. He wasn't sure about Tabitha and Mary-Ann, but they seemed to be sticking with Ivan and R.J, respectively.
There was no way that he could do anything but hide and wait. He scowled in annoyance. He really didn't want to stay under cover, but dying was a prospect he did not want to face any time soon. Fear choked the life out of his passion. One of these days, Kevin would finally find himself a situation where he wouldn't have to stay skulking in the shadows. But not today. Today, he had to get food and water through any means possible.
Closing up his bag, he slung it back over his shoulders before he picked up his shovel. An opportunity would present itself eventually.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by Stark*
((Okay, it's been 11 days on my end here, so if no one minds...))
And then suddenly, the moment was ruined.
For a moment, the air was filled with the screech of audio feedback. The same audio feedback that preceded the announcements every morning. Since it was very likely no longer morning, R.J. was fairly certain this meant something had gone horribly wrong. He released Mary-Ann from his embrace, waiting for that sick bastard Danya's smug voice to pollute the air.
It would prove to be a longer wait than he expected, because that was most definitely his Algebra teacher.
"Good afternoon, students. I've been instructed to read out a prewritten statement from Mr. Danya regarding an incident that has taken place on the island,"
An incident. That was never a good word.
"And I quote. It's come to our attention that one of your number has been interfering with their collar. This is clearly unacceptable. After all, we wouldn't want anybody refusing to play ball, would we? The student in question is Liz Polanski, some of you might know her. I'm speaking to you in order to bring an offer from Danya."
Wait... interfering with her collar? Did she get it off? They wouldn't need to make an announcement if she hadn't. They'd just pull the trigger and be rid of her. R.J. rubbed his own collar. Could it be done? Holy shit, was there actually a way they could esc-
"Should anybody successfully kill Liz Polanski, they will immediately be awarded a weapon from our very own stash of best kill prizes as a bounty."
...Oh.
"Miss Polanski. If you instruct anybody, verbally or by any other method, in your techniques, we will immediately detonate their collar. If we see you persisting in trying to break our rules, we will detonate collars at random. If you remain at large, we will send in a team to hunt you and anybody found to be allied with you down. We may also... We may also see fit to eliminate your beloved teacher."
...Nevermind.
"It has also come to our attention that Miss Polanski has recklessly destroyed one of our cameras. As a punishment, we will now detonate a collar."
Wait, what?!
"What!? No! I - you can't make me-"
A thunk. They were going to have Mr. Kwong hit the button himself. That couldn't have meant anything else.
And for all he knew, R.J. was the one who had been condemned. For all he knew, Mary-Ann could die right in front of him and he'd be helpless to stop it. He trembled where he sat, eyes wide with terror.
"I... I will be commencing this punishment now."
He shut his eyes tight. Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit...
"B148, Daisuke Nagazawa, eliminated."
Oh. Shit.
"This is your teacher, Kwong Lei, signing off. Kids, I believe in-!"
Somehow, still being alive didn't make R.J. feel any better.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:55 am
by D/N
"What do I want?"
Imraan glanced over at Tabitha Gweneth. Then he looked down at the shotgun by Ivan's feet. He had no idea whether what he was going to say was a bluff or not.
"Heard your name, Ivan. On the announcements, way back."
He realized that he couldn't remember who it was that Ivan'd been accused of killing. Should he let him know that? No, not yet.
He motioned to Ivan's shotgun.
"So what, that your prize you got for it, Ivan? Huh? What do I want? I wanna know if you're a killer or not, I guess that's it. I wanna KNOW what happened that got you that shotgun. Why don't you start with that?"
Then, a sudden burst of static whined through the air, followed by Danya's voice. It was a moment of distraction for Imraan, and to be honest he almost pulled the trigger in a moment of blind panic. But still, his head turned instinctively towards the sky at the sound, and his attention left the two people in front of him for the moment.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:56 am
by MK Kilmarnock
So, Imraan wanted to know just how Ivan had gotten the shotgun? It seemed like a pathetic question to ask... the announcements outright said to the whole world the crimes the Russian had commited, though not in the detail that Ivan would remember forever... at least until somebody killed him. Yet there he was, on the receiving end of the Middle East's messed up version of the Jolly Green Giant's questionnaire.
The answer was saved for the moment by the sharp crack of the PA system working its way up once again. They had all just suffered through a round of the announcements, so Ivan was just as unprepared as everybody else was likely to be, almost jumping out of his sneakers.
Hit the deck?
Shove Tabi out of the way?
Try to repeat how he handled Clio?
Ivan's brain rattled out suggestions at the noise and, even when his racing heart managed to confirm the identify of what he had just heard, he struggled with what actions he should have taken. Imraan seemed even more distracted, apparently looking skyward to try and find the source of the noise. A second or so of this sight passed before the Russian's lungs welcomed a short gasp. This could be the chance to save both their lives, to reach down and pick up his shotgun before the tower of a man could have a chance to react.
It was a gifted thought two seconds too late. Before his daring (and incredibly stupid) maneuver could actually take place, the momentary distraction seemed out of the way. Everybody was now paying attention to everybody else and, as Ivan stared up at Imraan, he could only hope that he was going to survive long enough to hear the end of these unwelcome surprise announcements.
The voice he then heard surprised him.
Mr. Kwong is... alive!?
There shined a twin glimmer of hope and fear behind his green glasses, completely obstructed from Imraan's view. Mr. Kwong was Ivan's favorite teacher: a real hardass in every sense of the word, but if you weren't a goofball and did your homework, his unsurpassed skill as a teacher would really shine through. The terrorists had not yet killed him, which was wonderful. At least, it was, until the question arose... why would they keep Mr. Kwong alive?
Ivan got his answer in the address to one 'Liz Polanski'. Like many of the other high school kids, the name rung a few bells, but she was not a friend of Ivan's, so there was nothing coming to him besides maybe one of the many pretty faces in the hallway. And this pretty face... could very well have him killed.
Ivan resisted the urge to look to Tabi, instead listening for some telltale beeping that might tell him his time was up... or maybe hers. He got neither. After the second most uncomfortable pause he had experienced that day, the voice spoke up again, saying 'Dice-K Japanese-name' was eliminated. This wasn't any time to be letting out held breath, though. Not yet.
"... I got this shotgun..." Ivan began after another period of silence, "... as a terrible reminder of what I've done. Yes, I'm a killer. I murdered Keith." He was more resolute in saying it this time, no matter how much it pained him. If Imraan intended to execute a murderer, this would be his chance. "But Tabi had nothing to do with it, so please don't shoot her."
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:56 am
by GregTheAnti-Viking*
The bread in Tabitha Gweneth's hands had slid out of her now loosened grip. Imraan had started by challenging Ivan by asking his own question back at him. His gaze then turned to her and she felt her body turning ice cold. Imraan was a member of GODspeed and they were always such a friendly group, he was also a jock and she remembered watching basketball games in the bleachers when the Huskies were battling the Cougars.
There was something different now though, something scary to the way he looked at her, and then back to Ivan. He said that he had heard his name on the announcements. Of course he did. Everyone on the island must have known what he had did. They just had only met Nick before that and she could barely remember how he reacted when he saw him now. Had it all just dissapeared into a blurry picture?
It didn't matter right now though. Imraan had pointed the shotgun at him.
Tabi inched towards Ivan, shuffling her feet along the tufts of grass. The waves were trying to drown out the sound of Imraan's shouting, but she could hear what he was demanding. He wanted to know about the gun that was inches away from them. He wanted to talk about what happened to...to Keith...back on the mountain...
Tabi couldn't stop the shaking now. Her hands and legs were going numb with the fear that Ivan would be shot. Imraan didn't know that Ivan had cried afterwords! That he had stopped himself from doing what he did in the forrest! He had saved her life multiple times, and if he died right now...
What would happen to her?
A loud screeching noise answered back and she found her self crouching down with closed eyes. There was a moments pause and she was at first welcomed by the fact that, it was not the gun that had gone off, but instead the sound system. Her eyes began to pry open and she slowly stood up once more. The voice wasn't Danya though.
Is that...Kwong?
She remembered classes with Kwong. He was always a stern teacher and she remembered struggling through algebra in his classes. He was always a hard as nails teacher and not always a very helpful one, but a member of the teaching staff was alive! That had to have meant something right?
Tabi's hopes were dashed though as she listened on. She heard him forcibly read the script that Danya had read out to them all. He mentioned a Liz Polanski, something about tampered collars, and then something about her being a target or else...
Or else he would be killed...
Tabi felt her arms hugging her body again when he heard him talk about how some other kid was killed, just by pressing a button. Did that mean...she could be next?
Her thoughts were ripped away from her when Kwong had tried to say goodbye but were cut short. This had sent yet another shiver that ran down her spine. She felt the sweat dripping from her brow now, not because of exercion but because of fear. Fear of what was going to happen to all of them, fear that Imraan was going to shoot. A fear that she would be...
Ivan started to speak about what he had done and Tabi felt the desire to be struck deaf right then and there. This was the moment! Ivan had admitted it all, why he had gotten the shotgun. What he had done to get it. What he now was...a mur-
"But Tabi had nothing to do with it, so please don't shoot her."
Tabi could hear her heart beating, she could hear it rumbling against the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff face. That thump-thump, slowly overtaking it as the only thing she was feeling. Her face was beginning to slack and she felt heat rushing to her cheeks as she stood their, staring into the back of Ivan's head.
Her mind was blanking out. He was right of course, she had done nothing. She had done nothing at all. She sat there; hiding away and crying her eyes out while Ivan had continued.
But...why...
Her brain was starting to catch up with what was happening though and she felt both happy and terrified. Ivan was protecting her yet again. He didn't want Imraan to kill her! This act though scared her, was he sacrificing himself? Why? He hadn't done it on purpose! He was a good person! He had never wished for any of this to happen!
Tabi's hands began to slide down her body again, stopping at the lowest bullet hole in her blouse, her finger poking through the fabric once more. Her eyes were now on Ivan, watching...hoping that nothing bad would happen next...
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:56 am
by ET.Requiem*
Oh my god, Mr. Kwong is still alive.
While amazing, the next part just plunged a dagger of ice into his spine. There was a way to get the collar off, but it couldn't be used any longer. To add to that horror, people were going to die randomly if Liz Polanski wasn't killed ASAP. Everybody with a working collar was being dragged into this game of Russian Roulette.
Tch. As if we weren't screwed enough already.
"Oh, fuck. What the hell am I going to do now?" Kevin groaned quietly. He couldn't get out of this place without alerting somebody to his presence, and they had guns. A stray shot would be more than enough to take him down. He had to stay here and wait for the killers to leave first.
Fortunately, his collar wasn't the one that got detonated. Poor Daisuke was the one to meet his maker. Kevin sighed in relief, then realized what this meant. Even if he didn't go and hunt Liz down, somebody would. Too many would be gunning for her. It seemed like a good prize would be given for her death, but there were simply too many competitors to deal with.
He was dreaming of the gun he could've had when the nearby conversation snapped him out of his reverie.
"But Tabi had nothing to do with it, so please don't shoot her."
What the hell? Ivan's problem was totally different from what Kevin expected it to be. Maybe he was coldblooded underneath it all, but sticking his neck out for a girl? In any other situation, it'd be admirable. But here in a veritable free for all? This guy was just asking to be killed.
Still, he's crazy enough to go ahead with this half-assed idea. Ivan is not somebody to be underestimated, that's for sure.
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:56 am
by Stark*
It didn't make sense. None of this made any sense.
Daisuke Nagazawa never hurt anyone, had he? Mary-Ann recognized the name, and though she didn't know him well, he had seemed like a good person. And why did he have to die? Because someone, heaven forbid, try to remove the explosives wrapped around her neck? What sort of monsters were these people? Though R.J.'s arms had fallen to his sides, Mary-Ann refused to let go of him. Had her eyes not run themselves dry already, she'd have wept into his shirt right there. Was there really nothing that could be done to stop this madness? Did this really have to come down to one person? If she and R.J. were the last two standing, what then?
That train of thought was derailed for the moment, when the conversation in the distance suddenly became impossible to ignore.
"So what, that your prize you got for it, Ivan? Huh? What do I want? I wanna know if you're a killer or not, I guess that's it. I wanna KNOW what happened that got you that shotgun. Why don't you start with that?"
Tilting her head to one side as she loosened her grip, she looked past R.J. to see two boys pointing firearms at each other. The one who looked like the more likely source of the voice was, paradoxically, the only one who appeared to be holding a shotgun. The smaller one's weapon didn't look like anything that fired bullets, as opposed to, say, lasers or plasma bursts, something like that, strange as the idea seemed.
"... I got this shotgun..."
...It
was a shotgun? That was- wait. Ivan? Hadn't she heard that name somewhere?
"... as a terrible reminder of what I've done. Yes, I'm a killer. I murdered Keith."
Oh.
Oh. That was where. He had been "awarded" best kill. And now he was staring down the throat of a bigger fish, so to speak. Was this other boy out to kill the killers?
"But Tabi had nothing to do with it, so please don't shoot her."
Tabi. Mary-Ann hadn't noticed until that moment, but there was a girl with them as well. Did that mean Ivan had only been trying to protect her? Like he seemed to be doing now? Like R.J. had done for her? And what if the taller boy was unconvinced? What did that mean when he found R.J? She looked up to see that he'd turned around, and was following the conversation intently as well. Mary-Ann hoped the best for Ivan, she really did, but right now, she was concerned about saving who she could.
"I think it might be time we weren't here," she whispered.
It wasn't the words that caught R.J.'s attention so much as the guns.
The taller of the two was wielding a Remington Model 870. He could recognize one a mile away; it was essentially the Big Mac of shotguns, with over a million sold. His dad owned two, in fact. And it wasn't for no reason that it was so popular. As shotguns go, it was damn reliable, and not something you'd want to be on the wrong end of. If both guns had been Remingtons, he might not have even batted an eye.
The trouble was, however, that there was only one Remington, and one Pancor Godforsaken Jackhammer.
The Jackhammer, R.J. knew, had risen to fame as one of the few shotguns in the world capable of fully automatic fire. It was widely recognized for its futuristic appearance, and featured a unique rotating drum magazine that could be reconfigured to double as an anti-personnel mine. It wasn't the capabilities of the Jackhammer that unnerved him, however. Since its conception in the late '80s, the gun had never actually made it past the prototype stage. Fewer than twenty Jackhammers actually existed, and only two were capable of the full auto fire it was famous for. The price tag on just one was easily more than his mother made in a decade, and he imagined those two full auto models could run into seven figures.
These were beyond terrorists. If these people had the disposable income not only to put that much money down on a single firearm, but to drop it on an island for a bunch of angry teenagers to have their way with it, what chance did
anyone have against them?
He felt Mary-Ann tug at his hand. Told him they should go. He winced as the knot in his stomach intensified. He wanted to help, wanted to defuse the situation between the two armed students, but what could he do? He couldn't well talk them down, obviously. Really, his presence could only serve to complicate things. There was nothing he could do. Nothing any of them could do.
Quietly, they gathered their things and headed inland. With any luck, R.J. could at least die in peace.
((R.J. Lowe and Mary-Ann Warren continued in
They're Made Out Of Meat))
Re: Keep Yourself Alive
Posted: Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:56 am
by D/N
Danya's words played over the PA, and Imraan could only react with some kind of puzzled confusion as to what they meant. He resolved to think about them later, because the person transcribing his thoughts was obviously a clueless moron.
Then Ivan spoke, admitted to killing. And at this point, pointing a shotgun at a kid he knew from school and accusing him of murder, Imraan realized that he had no no idea what he was going to do next. Absolutely none.
Oh, brilliant plan he had. He was a leader, all right. He was the guy who knew what to do. He was the guy who'd be able to help others who came to him.
But hadn't he known that this was how it would end up? It had probably come to him at some point when he was going off on this quest, and he'd just pushed it aside. Either he'd end up getting himself killed, or he'd end up in a situation like this.
He had to say something.
"I'm not gonna shoot her Ivan. But you know what, you killed someone, you don't deserve that shotgun. I want you to pick it up, OK-- I want you to pick it up SLOWLY, and then I want you to toss it off the cliff there."
He finished, and then changed his mind in an instant before Ivan could respond.
"Actually, you know what? Forget that. Change that, I'm not gonna trust you to do that Ivan. Tabitha, you pick up the shotgun, you toss it off the cliff, OK girl? And then I think you should get out of here."