KC
" What about a nice and warm fire, wonder woman?" i ask her and show her the stones on my hand
Alice
I smile like a cheshire cat.
āGood job KC. Keep at it. You can sort the fire whilst I make the beds.ā
Starting with KCās I toss one sheet down flat and then place another over the top. I pop his round cushion at one end. I then do the same for mine.
āOh my I am now pooped, I need a drink.ā Why can I feel KCās eyes bearing into me.
I grab the rum and plonk myself down on my luxurious bed. āWe deserve to celebrate, and you know it.ā
I knock back a big swig and place the bottle down between me and KC hoping he may consider having more.
I lay flat, and look up into the cave. My head is positioned by the entrance of the passageway. I notice hanging on the wall a torch. Once KC makes fire we will be able to set it alight and have a source of light through the tunnels.
āOur luck is really starting to change ā¦ā
Jack
I felt awful. We were currently not going anywhere because of my clumsiness.
Ebony was being rather nice, considerate and doing what she did well; taking the lead. Maybe she was right we should of stuck back at the beach after all ā¦
As Ebony stayed close looking for a suitable stick for me I did āthank herā out loud. I was unsure she heard me and she looked rather focused on finding a suitable stick to assist me. I watched her for a bit as she ducked and dived ā¦
I was rather pleased I had Trudy and Brady by my side. I adored Trudy but not so much when she was hysterical and when her sweet Brady was squeaky. With their possible volume and my injury, Ebony was definitely top dog. She had patience and strength.
My biggest fear was if there was anyone else on this island ā¦ we could be in great danger, and our only weapon is Ebony.
Laying still I grab hold of Trudyās hand and squeeze it. I then whisper, āThere are others on this island I just know it!ā
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KC
" Deal." i answer Alice and start my work. Once there is not much in here i walk back the way we came and look out for some wood on the entrance. There wasnāt much arround, but enough to make a fire and get us warm till we would find some sleep. So i grab everything i can plus some dry grass and walk back. Carefully i throw all of it throught the crack before i slip throught it too.
I place the dry gras in the middle of our little camp and place some thin wooden sticks over it, then i grab the flints and start to scratch them on each other. " Oh come onā¦ " i curse to myself, after a few trys without any result. I sigh and watch the dry gras for a moment. Seems like i need something more inflammable, but whatā¦ Suddenly it hits meā¦ years ago, in the city, in the barsā¦ the barkeepers used to burn the alcohol from some drinksā¦ thats it.
I smile and grab the bottle of rum from Alice and pour one sip next to the gras. Then i try again the flints and in the next moment a little flame is there. I carefuilly place the dry grass over it and as the gras starts Burning as well, i put some if the thinner wooden sticks over it. My smile grows as i watch my work: we have a fire.
" Youāre right, hings are going better, at least for now." i nod and take the bottle " celebrating uh? then letās start this."
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Alice
Bravo KC, you little genius. I left him to it, and he pulled it off. We had fire, it felt rather glorious. Having such heat felt amazing in our temporary home for the night.
āGood job mr!ā I change my voice to sing my next words, ācelebration time come on.ā
I jump to my feet and grab the torch from the bracket it is held in on the cave wall. I wave it around in KCās face.
āWe cannot let that fire go out. We will light this when we enter the cave tunnels.ā
I place it back in the holder.
āFancy cooking our crustaceans somehow over your masterpiece? I am starving!ā
Sitting back down close to the fire I put my hand out indicating to KC itās my turn to have another swig of the rum. I hope he bloody passes it to me.
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KC
I do a little bow in front of Alice. " Thanks mylady."
I shows me the torch and i nod. I also nod as she mentions food. I can feel my stomach starts to rumble when i just think about the seafood. I i guess i am not the best cooker for this. So how do i manage this?
I walk next to Alice " I am sure you want to cook your catch by yourself, right? " i wink at her and offer her the bottle of rum. " like a real hunter, right?"
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jTrudy
Rolling my eyes at the fact we have yet another delay, I watch Ebony go of to find Jack a walking stick.
Greatā¦ a twisted ankleā¦ just what we needed.
Jack grabs my hand and mentions heās sure weāre not alone, and I wonder how he knowsā¦ what he knowsā¦
I look away, afraid of what knowledge he might uncover if he could look into my eyes right now.
He has a point though, we need to hide, get to safetyā¦ and soon
āThink Trudyā¦ what did Hawk say about of plants for such an injuryā¦ā I tell myself quietly.
I look around for anything I could use.
Bingoā¦
I crouch down and use a sharp rock to cut a piece of the Aloe plant in front of us.
Some other large leaves will have to do for wrapping.
āRightā¦ this should help that ankle heal so we can get on our way as soon as possibleā I tell Jack as I put the things Iāve found besides him, hoping he wonāt be a baby about it.
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Jack
Astonishing! Trudy doesnāt become hysterical and decides to not even react to me saying I think there could be others here ā¦ instead she looks away. I guess that is one way of dealing with it ā¦ STRANGE.
I watch Trudy as she pokes about the foliage nearby. She returns with aloe plant and large leaves, and tells me that it will help my ankle heal. This is then all placed beside me.
āWhy thank you little miss Taisan. Check you out ā¦ I guess that time as a Eco paid off.ā I smile looking at Trudy.
I notice Ebony still hunting for a suitable stick behind in the distance. I couldnāt help but keep noticing her bending over.
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EBONY;
I find a suitable branch for Jack to use as a crutch and turn back towards him, Trudy and little Brady.
I catch Jack glancing in my direction and even from here I can see that jacks cheeks are blushed a bright red. I smile, wondering if it was something Trudy said or if he really was just checking me out.
A thought of Slade being jealous of Jack makes my smile widen even more.
oh what fun! I think to myself as I stroll back to where Jack is sitting on the ground.
Trudyās face is stoic and she seems to be emotionally shutting herself off.
I havenāt seen her like this since she was āSupreme Mother of The Chosenā.
I see sheās done something with a plant for Jacks injury. But her eyes are stone cold steelā¦I remember that lookā¦and suddenly I understand.
oh Noā¦this isnāt good at all my brain is scrambling to decide what I should say or do nowā¦
I hand the branch to Jack and say in a distracted way āHere Jack, I think we should get back as soon as we can. Itās dangerous out here and itās almost dusk. We canāt be stuck out here in the darkā.
Looking at Trudy and Brady I say to Trudy āCan I talk to you over here for a second?ā Indicting that she follow me I step away from Jack and walk a few yards away, hoping she will be honest with me about what Iām going to ask nextā¦
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Jack
Oh fudge ā¦ think Ebony just noticed me checking her out. Why am I even checking her out? This island is making me even stranger ā¦
Ebony comes back to us with a sturdy branch in tow. I notice her focus is locked on to Trudy. Whatever you do Ebony please reframe from picking a fight ā¦ these two together considering there history is just bad news.
Ebony handās me the branch and speaks. I listen and absolutely agree with her. Before she takes Trudy to one side I mutter, āThank you by the way.ā
So I best try to get up why those two talk ā¦ god help us. Holding the stick with both hands with my legs either side I am ready to pull myself up.
But then Brady decides it is a good idea to kick the branch, and it slips out of my grip.
In a soft playful tone I speak to her, āGeez Brady ā¦ now that was uncalled for young lady!ā
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GEL
āOuch!ā I squeal as the two techno grab my wristsā¦ āThat hurtsā I try to wriggle my wrists from their grip āPlease let me goā I beg, I watch the techno roll his eyes at me before he orders the guards to take me back to their main campā¦ āPleaseā¦ Pleaseā I say on the verge of tears againā¦
The guards tighten their grip on my wrists before they start to march me off to their campā¦ I know I need to warn the others that the Technos are on the island but I know I canāt give away their locationā¦
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Alice
āSure no problem, I can whip up our dinner.ā
Before we knew it we had scoffed it down and polished it off with a swig of rum.
āWow, that was so enjoyable!ā
It was fantastic to feel kind of free after so long. There was still an island full of Technoās probably out looking for us but we were warm, resting and full. Everything else didnāt matter ā¦
āKC, thank you for being such a good friend. I still have hope knowing we will be reunited with Mallrats again. We had a brief reunion with a dead one, so anything is possible.ā
I lean towards KC ā¦ and grab ā¦ the rum bottle. I bet he thought I was going to give him a hug.
KC
" Well doneā¦ well doneā¦" i sigh and lean back on the wall. I have no idea when i had a meal like this last time, enough for everyone and in freedom.
The rum seems to start working and i let out big yawn, listen to Alice " Yeah, we are a really good team. I guess no one has seen that coming. Especially after all our little twists years ago in the mall. I miss thatā¦.hopefully you are right and we will find all the others." i answer her.
Suddenly she starts moving towards meā¦ What???
For a second i close my eyes, but as Nothing happens i open them again and see that she got the bottle of rum again. Oh dear.
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EBONY:
I turn to Trudy and say in a low whisper, accusing āyou know where we are, donāt you?ā
From the corner of my eye I see Jack fall againā¦not a good sign of how the situation is progressing. At this rate weāll be making camp right here.
I turn my attention back to Trudy and wait for her to try and dodge whatās suddenly so incredibly obvious. She knows exactly whatās going on with this islandā¦sheās been here before!
SASHA:
~ IN the Techno Kitchens, at the Project: Atlantis Base ~
āWe need rations. Fresh Veg and at least 50 sacks of Potatoes. And more oats and flour. Now go tell the commander.ā I say dismissively to the little kid acting as my dishwasher this month.
The puny little guy nods nervously and shuffles off. As he leaves the kitchen, he glances back at me, obviously afraid to go and speak to the commander.
I canāt blame him for being afraid of her. Commander Danni was not an easy individual to be in the same room with, let alone make requests of.
I almost feel bad for the whelp, before remembering that I would always rather that it be the other guy, and not me.
I pick up the large sharp blade and turn back to the task at hand, chopping potatoes for the evening meal.
A basic potato soup, thatās the best we can currently manage. No shipment from the mainlandā¦weāre isolated out here and weāre not growing nearly enough food on this Island to sustain the number of slaves, let alone the Techno troops stationed here.
If I could get the hell off of this island and desert the Techno army, I would.
Iāve outworn my welcome here. Plus the island isnāt as comfortable or safe as it first seemed.
First they have me cooking for that crazy guy called āThe Guardianā.
That guy was insane and kept accusing me of poisoning him. Someone being āhelpfulā got me off that job and landed me in another post, cooking for the slaves assigned to Project: Atlantis
Iāve never been so miserableā¦watching these poor empty husks every day, going about their given tasksā¦I hate it.
Iām starting to hate all of themā¦for being weak and not rising up against The Technoās. Against us
I snap back to the present moment long enough to lift the cutting board over the immense pot and dump all the potatoes Iāve just chopped into the water. I set the board back on the countertop and lift a large basket containing the rest of the potatoes over the pot and dump those in as well.
I then keep on with it by seasoning and adding other ingredients.
All the while my mind stirs about the recent developments.
Over and over, around and aroundā¦a subconscious train of thoughts mirroring the pot Iām now stirring with a giant wooden spoon
Just today I heard that some prisoners had escapedā¦and someone spotted that kookie āGuardianā guy among those who broke out. Nobody knows if heās been located or notā¦but itās a rumor that at least a few slaves got away.
I had hoped theyād deleted that freak āThe Guardianā by now. He is a menace and a total nutter.
He was always Ranting on and on about his God Zoot and being master of The Chosen.
I knew he wasnāt just crazy, but clearly dangerous.
I cooked his meals, delivered them, retrieved the plates and kept my distance, all the while listening to him rant on and on and on.
I think about how I canāt believe I left the forest for this island prison. Even my years of isolation didnāt make me feel as crazy as being left here in the middle of the sea to starve to death amongst weak minded slaves and cowards.
I realize Iāve been stirring the pot angrily and for too long, lost in thought.
It means that the rest of my timing will be all wrong for the remainder of my meal plansā¦ IDIOT! I berate myself, biting my lip in frustration.
I hear a voice behind me, but I donāt make out what was said. Turning to look over my shoulder, I am surprised by the face I see before me. Not at all who I was expecting.
OOC:
For
@anyone who wants to step in on the other side of this scene: itās all free form and I didnāt plan it at all:
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(( sorry for disappearing. I had a lot going on.))
On the beach stillā¦
After drinking the last of the rum, I almost want to go back and grab another bottle, but the drink is strong after being hidden away for decades. I can already feel my fingers tingle and my body start to float. If all the bottles pack this much of a punch thereās no need to drink the lot in one night.
I look over to see how Zak is faring as well not sure how he holds his drink heās challenging me to find a girl which I find a strange request. I donāt share girls very well and Iām not about to go second. If Zak wants a girl heās got to find his own. Iām about to say as much when Gel comes back as if sheās read my mind, between my legs starts to go full, but she walks off leaving us again and Iām left to just awkwardly adjust in the sand.
āSheāll be back.ā I mention to Zak.
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Trudy
āIā¦ uhā¦ Iā¦ā Oh dear Zoot how am I going to get out of this one, I think to myself as Ebony starts asking me difficult questions.
Does she know? Has she known all along? And if she does knowā¦ how much does she know?
Think Trudyā¦ thinkā¦
I put my hand behind my back, pretending to support it.
āI donāt knowā¦ it looks like a place my parents used to take me on holiday toā¦ butā¦ Iām not sureā¦ā
Quickly I pinch my daughter, poor little innocent Bradyā¦ she didnāt deserve this from me, her mommy, but I needed the escape.
āAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah Mommy Mommy!ā She screeches from her wrap on my back.
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small time jump
It is now the next day, around noon.
Luke
āIncompetent fools! Morons!ā I throw a starfruit at Vedās head. āYou dare call yourselves Technoās?! You are supposed to be my elite, the best of the best!ā I shake my head in rage.
Itās been long, very long since I have been this madā¦ Mad at them for not managing what I ordered them to do, but even more, mad at my self. I had failed to protect Danni, I had let my heart take over, where I should have gone after those bloody Mallrats myself.
āCanāt even catch a pair of ratsā¦ā
I roll my eyes as I look at them, disgusted.
Iām surrounded by idiotsā¦
āGet out of my sight! Do not return with atleast one of those treacherous Mallrats as your prisoner!ā
Trudy
It had been a long night. With no hope of going further due to Jackās injury, and Brady crying out, we had had no other choice but to find our way back to the beach.
Ebonyās nagging thoughā¦ I donāt think it will take her long before she figures it out.
But she canāt break meā¦ I wonāt let herā¦
Alice
I felt so lost walking the passages under the island without KC. The time with him had been such a whirlwind, and now being alone utterly sucked.
It had felt fantastic to have a good kip not long after dinner and my beloved rum last night. KC and I both crashed around the sametime. After several hours we decided before the tide came in to descend the path under the island before it became difficult to move. The flood of water through the passageways was what separated KC and I hours ago when the tide gushed through.
Glancing ahead I see the path opening up and what looked like daylight ahead. My stride changes from walking into a run. Stopping in my tracks I find myself in a cave.
I breathe a sign of relief. Being underground was starting to become hard. As happy as I was to be on ground level my gut started to twist and turn as I then thought āshit I am now back on the Technoās surfaceā.
I toss my bag containing my grimm damp sheets, pillow and my secret delightful bottle of rum down by my feet. In addition, I shove the torch that was now unlit into the sand. Guilt was beginning to consume me that I had kept a bottle of rum from KC but at least he had the remainder of the bottle he did know about to prevent him from dying of thirst.
I lean down and pull the rum out from my rucksack. In my head I began to think what would be the best next steps I could take?? Whilst I thought, the rum was finding itās way back and forth to my lips.
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Zan
After my late night exploring of the waterfall I had found a small opening just at the side of it so had decided to make camp in there for the night which had proved a good idea because it kept the breeze off me, especially as I had to wait a while to dry off before getting dressed again, though the sleep had been uncomfortable and I felt it in my muscles when I had woken this morning.
When I first woke up wondered through the woods, exploring a little bit more, I was hoping to find KC again to make sure that he was still safe, I wasnāt too bothered about āAshesā I had found her a little too odd, she also seemed to have a slight admiration for Lex, and she wasnāt exactly impressed when I made my feelings clear.
But after an hour or so I headed back to the cave and started wondering through it, the weight of getting caught felt heavy on my shoulders and I felt tired from the constant being on alert. The cave seemed secure and kept me hidden from sight. Debian would atleast be happy with that, though the tunnels of the cave seemed never ending and I didnāt know how long I had been down here.
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