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Off to the corner of the utilities area is the tall radio tower and the small building that houses the radio equipment. Being the most important place for communication with the outside world, the radio tower was kept in immaculate condition and constantly maintained. Even now, covered in vines and overgrowth, it only shows a small hint of time's effects. The building next to it is essentially one small room filled with all the radio equipment that could possibly be needed to call the outside world, as well as a couple of chairs and a phone to call other parts of the island. Although all the equipment appears workable at a glance, closer inspection reveals key components missing, eliminating the ability to send signals of any sort.
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Laurels
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#1

Post by Laurels »

((Alba Reyes continued from If You Don't Like What We Say, Try Living Here a Couple Days))

Alba rubbed the sleeve of her hoodie across her eyes. It was morning, and even though she had been awake for a few hours, she was exhausted. She had spent most of yesterday wandering the staff area of the island, hoping to find some sign of Brendan and Fiyori. By the time the sun set, she knew she'd have to try again later. She wanted to keep going, even if it meant stumbling around in the dark to find them. But she couldn't stand much longer, and she felt like collapsing into a puddle. With that, she locked herself in one of the dorms.

She spent some time going through Kaitlyn's bag. Aside from the uzi, there was also a mine and instructions inside. Alba wasn't sure if she could blow someone up, but then again, she didn't think she could shoot someone to death either. She left it in Kaitlyn's bag with the uzi. She munched on some bread, then curled up on the old bed, hoping to just sleep off the exhaustion from this horrible day.

That, it turned out, was much easier said than done. Alba had trouble getting comfortable, constantly turning and rolling over in bed. She tried numerous times to get comfortable and fall asleep, but she couldn't. The image of Kaitlyn getting hit with bullets played over and over in her mind, coupled with the crazy expression as she pursued her out of the cave. She had no idea how much sleep she got that night, but she had a good idea: not enough.

Alba was finally in a bit of a sleep when the announcements came on. Alba braced herself for the line about Kaitlyn. She felt sick when they announced Kaitlyn's death. All they said was that Kaitlyn played a game and lost. They didn't say Kaitlyn started the game nor that Alba shot back in defense. People would be coming for Alba based on this line, she knew it. Well, maybe they'd give her a chance to explain herself, but Alba knew they wouldn't be as tolerant as she had been.

Other than that, a bunch of known killers had died, most notably Isabel Ramirez. Alba wasn't sure she could be too happy about that, especially since a few people died to take her down and at least three were credited for the kill. The asylum was also sealed off, since she had no idea if she could get inside without triggering the exterior DZ. That left two-thirds of the island to search. There were parts of the staff area she hadn't checked yet, so she decided to go explore those.

Which is how she ended up outside the radio tower. This was the place they were supposed to go to find a way off the island, but they never did. She had left that CD in the gym for Bryony. Was Bryony still here after a few days?

Wait, this was a Danger Zone, so she'd have left if she did come here. Oh, but maybe she came back.

Alba walked towards the tower. There were bodies outside, but she turned away. They didn't look like anyone she knew, and they were both starting to smell. As she got closer, she could have sworn she heard music playing. That shouldn't be possible since there was no electricity here, and it didn't sound like a person singing a capella. However, she soon recognized the beat, and her eyes widened.

"Bryony?" she muttered.

Alba ran into the tower, keeping the rifle leveled in case there was any trouble. When she did, she found the tower was completely deserted, but the music was still playing. She walked into the room it sounded like the music was coming from, but soon found nothing. She slowly walked around, trying to figure out where the Jennifer Lopez music was coming from. As she did, she kicked something, causing the music to skip. She jumped in place a bit, but the music kept playing. She knelt down and pulled the vines off.

To her surprise, it was a CD player. It had been brought to the tower, someone put Jenny from the Block in, and blared it. Alba closed her eyes and sighed. It wasn't Bryony, nor was it Brendan nor anyone else she'd like to see right now. It didn't mean anything at all. All it meant was that someone wanted to leave the song playing.

Alba pressed the stop button on the CD player, then stepped to the side. She leaned against the control panel and sighed, shaking her head.

"It's no help," she said. "No help at all."

Alba began to hum to herself. Sadly, it was Jenny from the Block, which only made her feelings of disappointment grow.
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Espi
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#2

Post by Espi »

((Blair Moore continued from I Will Now Bow))

Damn, trip down memory lane or what? A week ago she'd been with Noah and Sandra and Rene had come in. Now only two of those people were still alive. It still gave Blair an unpleasant sensation in her gut to think about Rene and Noah, but she would have to just suck it up.

Also, she was wheezing more since this morning. Because she definitely needed to deal with her terminal illness while on murder island. More than usual, rather. That's how terminal illnesses work, duh.

She was walking along, minding her own business, holding her gun in one hand and gripping the shoulder strap with the other. She kept forgetting she was carrying a weapon, but then she'd remember and it'd make her uncomfortable. An unpleasant reminder of the dire situation she found herself in.

...Except there was music. What the actual fuck was music doing here? And to further exacerbate the weirdness, it was...some funky pop song? The hell?

Blair was pretty sure the song was coming from inside the tower. She raised her gun, flicked off the safety just in case, and held it outward as she approached. For all she knew, this was a cunning trap to ambush someone. Well Blair wasn't going to let herself get caught out like that.

The music stopped, and Blair raised an eyebrow and paused. Weighing her options, she opened the door and entered. There was a girl inside, leaning against the control panel on the right. Blair recognized her; Alba Reyes. She was a derby girl, a total ditz, and of course, she'd killed Kaitlyn Greene the day before. Also she was holding a gun.

Blair leveled the gun at Alba. She had no idea what she was supposed to say in this situation, so she just snapped "Freeze," Which was probably the most clichéd option but hey, it probably got the point across.
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Laurels
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#3

Post by Laurels »

Alba head jolted back up when she heard the sound of someone telling her to freeze. Her eyes widened and she turned to face the person. Blair. Another roller derby girl from back home. Alba wasn't surprised Blair was already looking at her with suspicious eyes. She did kill their teammate yesterday, after all. Even with how the announcer guy framed it, Alba was still guilty until proven slightly less guilty.

She turned slightly to Blair, keeping her rifle pointed to the ground, and gave a weak smile.

"Hi, Blair's Witch Project," she said, recalling Blair's derby name.

The smile disappeared as Alba sighed.

"I guess you're here because of Kaitlyn. But before that, how are you doing?"
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#4

Post by Espi »

Well. That was unexpected.

Blair was caught so off-guard by Alba's placidity that she lowered the gun in her hand and sort of stared for a moment. Alba was certainly not the kind of girl to murder Kailyn, come to think of it (if anything, it could've been the other way around), but her on-point comment made Blair more than a little uncomfortable.

"Uh, hey." Blair gave a little wave, taking her left hand off the gun and clicking the safety back on, fumbling only slightly with the unfamiliar motion. "I guess I'm alright? Not dead yet. That's good. Uh..." Blair thought for a moment. It made her choke up a little bit to remember the morning announcement's destructive revelation. She supposed it might help to share? Worth a try.

"Noah Whitley and Rene died, and I was with them for a while, so...yeah. Me and Noah got separated so I never really got to see him, and Rene I..." Blair bit her lip. "Rene was already dying and wanted me to end it. So that's what happened." Blair swallowed hard. That hadn't helped much.

Geez, this was more awkward than she'd expected walking in. Awkward and emotional, why bother spilling her story to the first person she ran into? She knew Alba, but not exactly well. "So, how are you?"
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Laurels
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#5

Post by Laurels »

Alba listened quietly as Blair explained how she had been doing. From the sounds of it, it wasn't well. Alba didn't really know Noah Whitley nor Rene Wolfe, but she knew they were supposed to be funny, likable, good people. Alba had almost forgotten that she heard Blair's name on the announcement. Blair explained that Rene was already dying and she mercy killed her. Alba nodded along. Now it was Alba's turn.

"I'm...not so well..." Alba said. "Yesterday, Kaitlyn forced me to play a game with her that could have killed both of us. I tried to plead with her to make it stop, but she wouldn't listen. Then she shot at me when she thought I was trying to leave, and I shot her back. She missed, but I didn't."

Alba fluttered her eyes as they started to water.

"And on top of that, I can't find my team."

Alba wiped her eyes and looked at Blair.

"Have you seen Brendan? Don't worry, he's not as bad as the announcements said. Sorry, I've had to explain that to a lot of people."

"Or, have you seen Fiyori, or Bryony or...anyone left who's decent?"
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#6

Post by Espi »

Jesus, what the hell? What kind of sick, twisted bullshit had Kaitlyn been up to? "A game? The fuck?" Blair muttered, letting Alba continue. Not much good followed. Blair hadn't seen any of those people.

"Sorry, I don't know where they'd be. Haven't run into them all game." Blair shrugged apologetically. God, poor Alba looked so pathetic, crying and being all upset over this. Not that Blair should be judging, given the whole thing with her own friends. Hm...

"If you want, I could help you look?" Blair said, slowly, unsure. Lone-wolfing had not been her best tactic thus far, and sticking with people you could (in theory) trust would give her an edge. Or at least a meat shield, but Blair would rather avoid that outcome.

"Two pairs of eyes are better than one, and I don't have anything worth doing. I mean, I'm just surviving, you know? I don't have anyone I really want to see again."

She paused. "Maybe Caedyn, but that wouldn't be fun for anyone, probably. We'd probably try to kill each other, basically."
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Laurels
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#7

Post by Laurels »

Blair hadn't seen anyone either. This was a larger island than Alba had realized. Then again, that should have been noted from how often she had gotten lost here. However, Blair was offering to help her find them, suggesting they could find people they needed. Granted, Blair was only looking for Caedyn Miller, which wasn't as pleasant an option considering how unpleasant Caedyn could be.

"Okay, we could do that," Alba said. "Although I agree Caedyn might not be the best person to find right now."

Alba sighed and brushed some hair back.

"Blair, do you think Caedyn would try to kill us if she found us? And, do you think you could kill her? Or, anyone who was trying to kill us?"
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#8

Post by Espi »

"We have to be able to."

Blair said, sharply, maybe a bit too bluntly but she couldn't afford delicacy here. "If people attack us, well, we're both armed, so we have a fighting chance. But we need to be smart. Picking a fight might not be a smart move." Of course, it was hypocritical to say such a thing, given she'd just been suggesting they find and murder Caedyn. But whatever.

"If we run into Caedyn, or any of these crazy killers, we need to be ready. So yeah, I think I could be physically capable," she held up her firearm, "and mentally capable. Of killing ,that is."

"If necessary, I mean." Blair added, somewhat hastily. "What're you looking for, by the way? Bryony and..." A quick subject change, hopefully not making her look too eager to shoot people. She wasn't, not really. Of course she didn't want to kill people.

Awfully specific denial, but fuck. She couldn't deal with self-doubt BS right now.
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Laurels
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#9

Post by Laurels »

Alba nodded along to Blair's comments. She tilted her head back up and sighed. It was clear now how she had to carry herself in this game. It pained her to think about it, but there was no avoiding it anymore. She couldn't just say they'd incapacitate or tie up people. They'd have to be ready.

"Yeah, I think we just need to be ready, but not starting fights is probably the best way to go," Alba said.

Blair moved along and asked about people Alba wanted to find.

"Yes, Bryony definitely. I got separated from her on the second day, and I feel bad cause I have no idea how she's been since then."

"And I especially need to find Brendan. He's my best friend here, and I know he's gotta be looking for me."

Alba rubbed her forehead.

"There's no one I want revenge on or want to kill like how you feel with Caedyn. I mean, Kimiko killed Bradley in front of me a few days ago, and I know what I might have to do if I see her. But I'd rather not go looking for her."

Alba stepped away from the console and stepped towards Blair.

"I just want to find my friends right now. That's all that matters."
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#10

Post by Namira »

((Vinny continued from Hi, Steve))

So there had been noise coming from over this way earlier on, but then it had stopped. It had actually sounded like music, even, though Enzo had been too preoccupied to concentrate on it. They'd had priorities, like doing that there sunbathing, and talking to Steve, and...

No, not really talking to a person with a name they'd made up. Enzo had been talking to back home. Sincerely, they hoped that the message hadn't gone direct to Bee, even less so to Brady. Too much was happening out here that would just be so impossibly painful to watch. Better for everyone concerned if they didn't. Even though Enzo was in this situation and they both weren't, Vinny couldn't help feeling sorry for them. Not that they wanted them both here, just that...

That feeling of watching Cams die, and not being able to do a single thing about it. Wouldn't that just be a million times worse if you were sitting there safe at home? Coleen and Vanessa were here too, and Enzo had struggled more than once with the decision to leave Vanessa, but dammit they'd been pissed and she'd been blaming them for what Alessio did, and Enzo didn't have time for shit like that.

Maybe they should've sucked it up, though. That was their boyfriend and best friend's bandmate, and Cams—her friendship didn't just belong to Enzo. Vanessa had been close to her too.

Man, keep thinking like this and they were gonna drive themselves nuts. Couldn't get caught up in the details. They'd reacted. They'd been justified. End of story.

Enough of the thoughts, though. People were up there in the tower; Enzo could see them moving around. And sure, maybe it was just reckless to act like there wasn't any danger in approaching people that they couldn't identify, cause maybe they were dangerous...

Buuut thing was, Enzo was nothing if not stubborn as a mule. and if they weren't cautious because they didn't want to be cautious, then nobody was making them. Keep believing long and hard enough and maybe it'd even come good.

Sure.

Right.

They cupped their hands to their mouth.

"Hey! Dorks! It's Enzo! Can I come up there?"
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#11

Post by Espi »

"Yeah, that'd be good."

Blair's heart wasn't in the agreement, honestly; she was distracted thinking about what Alba had said about Caedyn. Best to clear that up while she could. "I don't really want revenge on Caedyn. I mean, yeah, she murdered someone, but lots of people have. And it's not personal or anything; just 'cause I thought she was a bitch at school doesn't mean I want to murder her myself. That's kind of fucked up, y'know?"

How to put this? Blair looked down at the floor. "I just...she's sneaky. I don't want anyone who's, what's it called, playing the game, to win. They don't deserve it. It should be someone like us, like, just surviving without being a psycho. With Isabel or Nancy, other people go for them because they're big killers right? I don't want Caedyn to slip under the radar."

She furrowed her brow, crossing her arms, feeling the gun's barrel pressed against her side. It made her shudder. Alba listened carefully as Blair spoke, taking in every word the girl had about Caedyn.

"She did it on purpose, I'm sure. She's selfish. If she goes home, I just..."

Luckily, any further clumsy explanation was halted by a voice. Not one Blair knew super well, but one she was familiar enough with; Enzo was an interesting character, though they'd never really been close with Blair. They did vines which Blair had seen online, and that was about all Blair knew about them.

Blair raised an eyebrow at Alba, and looked out towards Enzo. Alba did the same. "Uh..."

Hm. Not having been on the announcements, Blair had no clue what Enzo was up to. For all she knew, they'd been torturing people. Their demeanor seemed friendly enough, though. Having friendly people along would be nice again. On the other hand, she'd been glad to have Noah and Rene around for protection, and look where that had gotten her.

If she had a third hand, though, she'd have to admit that it'd helped her outlive both of them. On a fourth hand (what was she, an octopus?) that was an awfully callous way to think about it. Too much to think about right now; she'd leave the decision up to the others.

She looked at Alba again, and briskly stepped through the door and out to where Enzo was. Looking at them, she nodded curtly before saying, "We were just about to leave, look for some of Alba's friends. Tag along if you like, we don't want any trouble."

Blair looked down at the gun in her hand. Recalled that she was on the announcements. "Oh, but uh, we're both armed and...uh. We'll defend ourselves, but we aren't trying to hurt people. I promise. That cool with you?"

"Yeah, what she said," Alba added. "We're not looking for trouble. Just friends."

Enzo leaned back, sticking their hands in their pockets. A shadow passed over their face for a second. "Armed only with my stunning good looks. And, y'know, crippling fear of death."

Alba smirked a bit. "At least it's something."

Enzo looked back and forth between both between the two. "I guess that killing didn't stop me hanging out before, so… well, we'll… see, I spose," they trailed off. "So I guess what I'm saying is that it sounds cool. Maybe like soda-from-the-fridge cool more than ice-cream-cool, but… cool."

Blair shrugged. This worked for her.

"So, um, is there anyone you're looking for?" Alba asked. "We're looking for Brendan, Bryony, and a few others."

"They're back home," Enzo replied shortly, before rubbing their forehead with the heel of their palm. "But Coleen. Vanessa maybe. My… friends' band, y'know?"

"Okay. We can add them to the list," Alba said. "So, should we head out? Blair?"

Blair nodded. "Yeah, I guess. Not gonna find anyone sitting around." She paused for a moment, and added, "Let's check the asylum. As creepy as it is, there's probably lots of people there. One of them's gotta be around that area." That was the hope, at least.

"I already came from over there," said Enzo. "But I've been hanging out over here for like all day. Could work."

"Mmm, if nothing else we can just circle around. The whole island's basically a big donut anyway." Blair added.

"...I miss donuts."

Alba nodded in response. "Okay. Let's start walking."

Alba made her way to the exit of the radio tower, keeping the rifle close to her side and adjusting the bags over her shoulder. She felt a small smile creeping onto her face. Maybe this was the little bit of good fortune she needed to turn things around after a horrible day yesterday.

They all needed it.

((Alba Reyes and Blair Moore continued in Cast in the Name of God))
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#12

Post by Namira »

What was kind of depressing was when you figured that it was pretty much okay to trust some people, on account that you'd hung out with someone who'd killed more than them.

Alba and Blair were—they were Alba and Blair. Enzo knew both of them. Enzo knew basically everyone who they'd encountered or whose name they'd heard on those god-fucking-dang announcements. Same as Enzo had known both Rene and Kaitlyn, the two girls who these two had killed.

And like, Vinny wanted to keep front and centre what they'd been telling Nate earlier, which is that whatever happened, they were all still them. And they all were. Just, y'know, killers on top of that.

But regardless, Kimiko's acts hadn't stopped Enzo before, so they weren't going to allow it to stop them here.

So. Yeah.

A big 'ol fuck you to logic and to paranoia, on top of that. If nothing else, it would be nice to spend a little time with some people. Steve's company was wonderful and all, but there was only so long that Enzo could talk to somebody who couldn't speak back.

Otherwise...

What Enzo knew that they were dodging was the actual endgame here. Decide they could trust Blair and Alba, sure, fine. Blair had a gun. So did Alba. Vinny was kind of weirdly desensitized to that, cause wasn't really gonna make much difference one way or the other if the two really were psychos.

That was besides the point.

But find Brendan, Bryony—do what they could to find Coleen, or Vanessa again, and... then what?

And then what?

Enzo trailed after them.

Keeping their spirits up, that they could do, but without an actual plan...

Fuck.

((Enzo continued Cast in the Name of God))
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