J'adoube

The bottom floor of the shopping center is home to a large make up, perfume, and accessories department store, called Linens and Things, as well as to a grocery store. Abandoned shopping carts are all around.
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

J'adoube

#1

Post by Un-Persona* »

((Marcus Leung: B047 - V5 - Continued From Metastatis))

"Dicks."

He muttered, after falling onto the floor. Squeezing in through the kiosk heavy barricade wasn't as easy as he thought it would be, but it happened. And all he got out of it was a boo-boo on his knee.

Whatever though. He had nothing better to do, so he had decided to check out the barricade that Joe had told him about. It was moderately inconvenient if you wanted to come in, which Marcus assumed was the point. It was the best they could do.

Marcus stood up, dusted himself off, and laid his hands on his hips, and looked upon others creation proudly.

Now what?

...

No, really, now what?
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#2

Post by Laurels »

((Rachael Langdon continued from "Though We May Not Survive It..."

Rachael slowly approached the shopping center, her eyes red from crying. The announcement had played a few hours ago, and she learned that Corey had died. The first person she met on the island, the one who helped her when she fell through the hayloft, had finally passed away. She tried to think about what this meant. Did it mean that Michael and Tim failed to find him? Did it mean that those two were in just as much danger as Corey, possibly slowly dying like he apparently did? All these thoughts ran through her mind, but none of them made her feel better. All it meant was that another friend was gone, about fifty kids were left, and she was somehow one of them.

Rachael continued the trudge towards the entrance, an occasional tear falling down her face. She hadn't done much since yesterday's talk with Carlos. She had remained in the park, hiding in the shadows, hoping no one came by. She tried to listen for danger like Carlos said he did. Unfortunately, this meant that every bird flying from a branch and every rustling bush in the wind made her think someone like Hansel was about to come out and shoot her. She didn't get much sleep that night. It's why she decided to spend the next day indoors.

Everything was quiet, and she wasn't sure if she could handle that much silence any more. She wished one of her friends would appear, even if they had to be a ghost to appear before her. She just wanted the company.

The silence was disrupted by curse being uttered. She stopped and looked at the entrance before her. Someone had constructed a barricade of kiosks in front of the door. Someone was inside, and it was likely they were trying to protect themselves. Rachael had to make a decision about what to do. Someone who was on the defense like this was probably protecting themselves or a few people. Maybe there was sanctuary in the mall.

"H-hello?" she called out. "Is someone in there? P-please, I'm not dangerous."
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#3

Post by Un-Persona* »

Marcus twitched a bit when he heard someone say hello. That's right, that was what was what. Other people. Marcus had remembered to come find the barricade easily and hide there, but he had forgot to actually look for someone for following the rest of Joe's plan, which was arguably much more important. Damn, he felt like a moron.

Marcus walked over, measuring his hearing as he tried to find the other person, maybe someone that could be a part of the plan. Ah, a girl. Rachael Langdon, if he was right. Kind of a bookish sort, in every sense of a word. Had her name been on the announcements? He was nearly sure that he hadn't heard her name on the announcements...and she did say she wasn't dangerous. Maybe it didn't matter, in the short term. But he had to keep the plan in mind.

Marcus waved over with both his hands, trying to grab her attention.

"Hey! Have you killed anyone? Is there anybody else with you?"
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#4

Post by Laurels »

"No! I haven't killed anyone!" Rachael shouted at the person inside.

She moved a bit over and noticed who she was talking to. Marcus Leung. He was supposed to be a good person back home. He hadn't appeared on any announcements, so he was probably okay to talk to. At the very least, he was someone who might have a group with him that was trying to survive together.

"I'm alone," she continued. "Is it okay to come in?"

Rachael adjusted her bag. She really hoped this was a safe place for her to go. She was starting to feel sick in her stomach, and her bag was starting to cause her shoulder to ache a bit. She just wanted to get inside and rest.
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#5

Post by Un-Persona* »

Marcus put his arms down as the girl noticed him, and he listened to her as she spoke, assuring that she was alone and was just wondering if she could come in.

"Yeah, but you're gonna have to squeeze in between one of the kiosks or something. The majority of the area has been barricaded, but you can get in if you make the effort."

As he finished speaking, he wondered how lucky he was that he had met someone who hadn't killed so easily. Very, he settled on, given the circumstances. The whole thing was falling into place, and he thanked his stars and garters for that.
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#6

Post by Laurels »

"Oh. Okay, I'll try."

Rachael hoisted her bag up, trying to rest it on her shoulder. She began to make her way through the barricade, sucking in her gut to try and get past the many kiosks in the way. It proved a little difficult, but Rachael continued to push through. There were a few times where she found herself getting stuck, but she simply pushed through it.

Rachael finally made it through after a bit of pushing and grunting. She had to get her breathing back to normal after spending some time sucking her gut in. She also was sure she got a few bruises when she bumped into some of the furniture. She could deal with that later. She was finally in the mall, and she was facing Marcus.

"Um, hello," she began. "How are you?"

It was a silly question to ask, but she figured it was something to ask. Marcus might need someone to talk to as much as she needed.
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#7

Post by Un-Persona* »

Marcus winced as he watched Rachael clumsily bump against all the kiosks and the sounds that came from it. It was bit awkward, just watching her awkwardly struggle for a few minutes, playing with his thumbs. But never the less, she managed to get out just fine, and had a much more graceful landing then Marcus did. Points for her.

"I'll give it a 8.3."

As to how he was doing?

"Fine, really."

Oh, right.

"And how are you?"
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#8

Post by Laurels »

"Oh...me?"

Rachael lowered her bag and dropped it on the floor. She needed a moment to free her shoulders from the weight. She started rolling her shoulder.

"Not good. Another friend died yesterday, and I haven't seen any of my other friends in the last few days."

Rachael stopped and looked at Marcus.

"I really wish my friends were here. It's been rough, knowing you outlasted one hundred people and still aren't even safe yet."
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#9

Post by Un-Persona* »

Marcus rubbed his neck as he listened to what Rachael had to say about her feelings. She seemed so calm, so complacent with all these things as they were described to him. Maybe that's just how things were handled, the only way they could be handled. It seemed cold, but he couldn't blame her. He had done much the same.

And now, all she needed was somewhere safe to stay? Marcus could help with that.

"Oh hey, look, if you need a place to stay...well, the barricade was made for a reason. You feel free to stay as long as you want."

Marcus hands rubbed against each other as he held his breath. He had to try his best.

"But hey, I got a question I wanna run by you, if you don't mind."
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#10

Post by Laurels »

Marcus was fine with her staying. That caused her to smile a bit. The mall had plenty of places to hide, and if Marcus was willing to put up with her, then maybe this day would be better than the last few.

However, Marcus did have a question for her. Rachael perked up when he did.

"Sure. What's your question?" she asked.

Was he looking for friends? Was he on a vengeance quest? Or did he have some philosophical queries? Now that she thought about it, those were the kinds of questions she had heard since she first woke up on this island. Where could Marcus' question fall?
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#11

Post by Un-Persona* »

"Alright so, imagine as such..."

Marcus crossed over to the same side as Rachael, looking up and pointing to the florescent lights with an outstretched arm and hand.

"My buddy Joe, he's got this idea y'see, and basically what he's been doing is trying to kill all the people who've killed already, because he feels like anyone who's killed doesn't deserve to go home, right? So begs the question, well what happens when Joe's the only killer left? It's a good question, but that's where I come in. Y'see, Joe and me, right, we had this idea of there being 3 people left, right, and that's where I come in. It's me, Joe, and the third person. I kill Joe, I off myself, and the third person gets to go home. And here you say, well what about the one-kill rule? I thought of that, and well, those terrorist guys, right, they want to send a message, right? That's all this is, some kind of messed up message right? They're saying that to get people to kill others, and it worked, but not for everybody. And that's where the 3rd person comes in..."

Marcus took a second to catch his breath, and then turned to look right at Rachael's face.

"...The 3rd person gets to go home, and all they have to do is not kill anybody. You're doing good so far, seeing as you haven't killed anyone...do you want in on this? You want to go home right?"

Maybe this would be easier then he thought.
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#12

Post by Laurels »

Rachael remained in place as Marcus moved over to her side and pointed up. She followed his point as he spoke about his plan. She bit her lip as she heard him explain the gist of it. Joe Carrasco kills all the killers, then when she, Joe, and Marcus are the only three left, they die and she goes home. Rachael was a little surprised by this idea. She knew a lot of people had different ideas for how to make it through the game, but that kind of plot was hard for her to accept.

"I...I don't know," she responded when Marcus asked if she wanted in. "I mean..."

Rachael held her left elbow with her right hand, turning her gaze to the ground.

"...how will you judge these people? I mean, there's accidental killings and self defense killings. How can you decide that I deserve to go home more than those people?"

Rachael looked back up at Marcus.

"How do you know the terrorists won't force this survivor to go through the game again anyways?"

Rachael let go of her arm and brushed her hand through her hair, briefly brushing her dry bangs out of her face.

"At the same time... I don't even know if I deserve to be the one survivor..."
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#13

Post by Un-Persona* »

"Those are all good questions. You should ask Joe if he comes by, he's the one doing all that stuff."

Hmm...maybe that was a bit short out of Marcus. But that's how he felt, truly. Joe was the leading man, Marcus just wanted to help, no questions asked. Rachael on the other hand, didn't seem interested. Which was fine. She could be left to her own choices and plans. Maybe just the idea of staying still didn't appeal to her, and Marcus could understand that just fine.

It wasn't really the questions that bugged him too much, he thought they were fair and maybe something he hadn't really thought of. What was bugging him was that little sentence just drived on the end there. He didn't really understand how someone else could feel that way.

"What do you mean deserve? You've come so far now...you don't want to go home?"

He was...shocked now, arms falling to his side.

And he didn't even fully understand why.
User avatar
Laurels
Posts: 1867
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:16 pm

#14

Post by Laurels »

Marcus seemed really shocked by her last statement. She scratched the back of her neck and looked down.

"Well, yes, I'd love to go home. More than anything right now. I want to see my mom, my dad, and my sister. I want to go to college. I want to be a teacher and a novelist. I want to be able to listen to music, do yoga, eat cake, and live a normal life. It's just..."

Rachael swallowed a lump in her throat.

"I don't know how I can do any of that after being here. I mean, if I go home, none of my friends will be there. People will look at me and judge me for what I did here. I'll be an object of pity and maybe scorn from some people. I'll never be able to escape this place, even if I move to the most remote corner of the Earth. At the same time, the alternative is death and..."

Rachael felt her eyes start to water. She shook her head.

"I don't know if I can handle that."
Un-Persona*
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2018 5:53 am

#15

Post by Un-Persona* »

Marcus gripped at his bag. He didn't like what Rachael was saying, and he just felt...confused. This wasn't the time to be deciding or pondering anymore. It was hard for people, he knew that, but so many people have died, so many people have killed, and some were still wondering if they wanted to die or not.

Calm. He needed to be calm. His grip on the bag lightened a little. Help. Help. He wanted to help people. Alright, he hadn't completely lost touch yet. He could still help her, help Rachael, somehow.

"Well...I see why you feel that way. But...it's so late now. Don't you think you need to make some kind of adjustment to what you're doing?"
Post Reply

Return to “Bottom Floor”