Survivalist Plot: Our Tools and Our Reasons

[meat_mooks]

End of Day Two

If there were any signs of life at all, it could be said that the town is now sleeping. After a blistering day in the sun, the cool of night may be a welcome relief - at least, in terms of temperature. The knowledge that the crews foes are out there, now hidden under the cover of darkness, will be decidedly less comforting.

On the south end of the city, a series of red signal flares goes up, signaling that at least one crewmember has found safety out there. Howard waits across the street with binoculars, ready to hail anyone he sees down.

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[bequiet_hescreamed]

He couldn't be that crazy - Maxine was agreeing with him. And Cedric--

Clef looked up at the sudden noise, and stared with unrepressed horror as Karis's ax came up from its kill in slow motion, spraying blood all over the wall. And then again-- thud.

And again.

He was shaking. He didn't know why. It couldn't possibly be because he just saw a child get butchered right in front of him. Had that really just happened? His brain was having trouble taking it in, making it a real thing. All he knew was Karis's nightmarish gaze and that tongue and oh god what did she even just say.

And then he had his first really clear thought since Howard had berated him, something that drowned out the running guilt mantra of that was the backdrop to his mind. It was simple and selfish, and far more species-ist than he'd care to admit, and it sounded something like, I DON'T WANT THAT THING KNOWING WHERE I SLEEP!

Not that he had slept that night. And not that he was going to, now. But immediately after he had that thought, reason chimed in with a solution: leave. After all, he didn't think he could look Howard in the face again and if Diana spontaneously combusted right now he would consider it a religious miracle. Clearly it was better for everyone's mental health if he was just not in this group anymore.

He shot to his feet and hung there for a second, wobbling a little. And then he was across the room without any memory of actually walking there, taking the meager supplies he had brought back from that night's foraging expedition and stuffing them back into his bag. His heart was pounding, knowing that someone would try to stop him. As well they should - he had no intention of dying out there, oh no, but this wasn't all practicality that was making him act. Part of him just wanted the satisfaction and the poetic justice of it. He wanted them to suffer for what they had done - more than they already were - and this was the only thing he could take away.

[teethofneedles]

Perfect.

This was fucking perfect.

The looks on their faces, the way they reacted. The fear. The resignation. The horror. It fueled the little vindictive part of her, made her feel right, made her forget that she was a freak and a monster and dead, because they feared her. And fear made her powerful. Made her more than a broken down woman with no future. It built her up and she loved it. She soaked it up. Her eyes darted over to Clef as he began to walk away, then fixated on Maxine.

Easy target.

She lifted her ax to point with the head, "Grow a pair. Shit happens, people die, and I kill people. It's a fantastic way to solve problems."

Her gaze swept over the rest of the group.

"That goes for the rest of you. Grow a fucking spine and learn that the world isn't sunshine and rainbows and happy fucking endings, because it isn't and this world sure as hell isn't a place where the power of friendship is gonna win us any favors."

Her frame eased, relaxing back into the easy, ready stance and slouch that she adopted.

"You're all just lucky you have me around to do what you're all afraid to do."

[iselldrugstothecommunity]

Karis is right. Howard wouldn't have done it. He can advocate it, sure, but he couldn't have brought himself to do it. So yes, while he's horrified and sickened, he's also so, so grateful, way down to the pit of his stomach.

"I'll clean up." He walks into the kitchen to get a tarp or something. Karis did bloody work, and leaving it around for people to smell and focus on won't do anyone any good. Granted, he wishes she could have at least done it on tile, since they have no water, but he'll make do.

Besides, there can be many uses for a corpse. And somewhere along the line here, the part of him that's afraid of dead body's fell silent to the ruthless planner in him.

He doesn't want to think about it. He didn't think anyone would do it. That doesn't mean he didn't mean it, or that he regrets it, but he didn't think it would happen.

He stands in the doorway and ignores that Clef's leaving, with the food even, and resists the urge to yell "don't let the door hit you on the way out" or try and grab the pack from him. Let him go. One less person to feed on top of the dead girl. Once Cedric and Maxine are done with the body he'll wrap her in a blanket and tarp and scrub up the mess with a sponge and thick dishsoap without water.

[bequiet_hescreamed]

Nobody is stopping him. This is going way better than Clef was expecting. Once he's done packing he stands again and looks around the room - anything else he needs here? No, not really. He's faintly aware of Karis's words and that Howard is standing in the doorway to the kitchen, but none of those things matter.

Clef doesn't intend to just leave, though. No - there are people here who still have some semblance of decency and he needs to take them with him and protect them. Or try, anyway. He stops on his way to the door and reaches for the cloth at Maxine's shoulder to give it a little tug.

"Come on."

His tone assumes she's coming, but it's not like he can force her. He looks at Cedric, too, when he says it - he's included, if he wants.

[windwitch]

There were so many thoughts that Maxine wished she could say. So many things she wanted to do and say and she wished she could say something to magically put Karis in her place. But she knew she couldn't.

She looked away when the axe was pointed at her, trembling faintly but not moving, hands gripping at the fabric of her dress in the meantime.

Maxine wished she could do something, really.

She looked up at Clef when he got her attention, snapping out of it. Her expression was dazed, but she nodded slowly, and got to her feet, holding onto Clef for a little bit of support.

She wanted to tell him to stay, to make it clear that they had a better chance if they worked together. But she could only think of one reason to stay.

"Cedric?" she asked softly, looking down at him. She wanted him to have that choice.

But mostly she just wanted far away from Karis and from Bridge's body.

[theboywhodied]

Cedric whispers a few words of eulogy over the girl as he contemplates his options. He's torn, incredibly torn. On one hand, he feels the impulse to stay with Howard. Even in this, they're finally real friends, and Howard's risked a lot to help him. That means a lot. He looks at Howard's back in the doorway as he considers this. In addition, staying together will increase their chances of survival---splitting up is when bad things tend to happen.

On the other, stronger emotional end...it's incredibly dangerous to be here. It's been proven that if they don't succeed soon, the weakest will be picked off one by one, and that's not a practice he can endorse. Staying here would be about equivalent to an implicit endorsement of what happened. Besides, he thinks: if he leaves, Diana won't have a reason to suspect that he and Howard are attached.

Cedric won't leave them permanently. He'll sneak back to check every now and then, he convinces himself. With that in mind, he looks at Maxine and nods.

"Coming." He can't face them any longer. He turns on his heel, helping Clef gather their things.