Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Nov 2, 2013 10:20:56 GMT -10
Conrad felt a bit bad for dragging Nona around screaming like that. Not bad enough to listen to that little bad feeling though. After all, she had set him up and lied to him, why should he feel sympathy for her? She had started all of this by telling everyone where he was. He should have just gone home when he had the chance. But learning everything had been so enchanting. And if he had managed to stay the night and slip away, well then he would have been all the more impressive to everyone. Well, it looked like now he would be very impressive, because it was going to be some time before he managed to make it all the way back home again. Con would certainly have a story to tell. And nothing nice to relate about Nora, the terrible lying Upperworlder.
Con was still astonished by her betrayal. He hadn’t thought Upperworlders could really lie well enough to fool a clever Undergrounder. Perhaps they could lie to one another because they were all equally thick-skulled, but he had never thought them nearly intelligent enough to move from their placid little minds to trick a Undergrounder. Especially one as brilliant as himself. But apparently they were quite adept at it. Or at least, this one was. Just his luck too.
Nona’s lie was unforgivable. It wasn’t just a lie that she did to get herself again. She lied and risked Con’s life. Even by Undergrounder standards, that was pretty low. Con lied often himself, but not to kill people. That was horrible. Con would pay her back for this. He wasn’t really sure how just yet, but he swore that he was not going to allow this to fade into his memory before exacting his revenge.
Oaf, she said. A little carried away, she said. How stupid was she? How could someone this idiotic have tricked someone as bright as Con? They were pointing guns at Con. And they were going to shoot them! And Nona thought that they could calm everyone down if they just went back. Hardly. If Con went back, they would surely have found a way to shoot him down without killing Nona by now. As if he were that stupid.
Although, Nona had mentioned something rather helpful. Another opening. And she knew where it was. Even if it was far, it was definitely a better shot than the opening by her house. He would never get through that again. Nona had that much right.
Con shook his head about Nona. He was not taking her back. Even if she swore on…whatever it was that Upperworlders actually valued. There was no way. But the city. That was a chance. Con demanded to know about the city. How far was it? Could they walk there?
Nona was being difficult. She kept insisting they would not get very far. That Con should let her go. Not a chance. Con huffed, “Can stop about tha’. Let you go when I get safely back underground. Then you can run along back to your little life. Until then, you can just deal with it. Maybe’ll teach you for lying when there are lives on it. My life. Worth at least five lives.” Con added firmly, returning to his previous train of thought, “Going to that city anyway, get used to it too.”
Then they were underway. Con had to keep a grip on Nona though. He was not about to let the only person who knew where he was going slip away easily. That was part of the reason he held on. Along with revenge and the need for a human shield. Con was fairly certain the Upperworlders would not be eager to shoot one of their own. If only because they would have to explain away the death. And that would be hard to fool people about. Even people as placid as the Upperworlders.
Still, Con was not exactly in the mood to chat with Nona. He still had more questions about the Upperworld, but he was not about to ask Nona about them. She had probably been lying about all of what she told him anyway. Because she was a liar. A lying liar. So there was no point in asking her about anything else anymore. She would just lie some more. And Con didn’t like the idea of learning a whole bunch of stuff that wasn’t even true. That was far too much effort for a little story spun by a stupid Upperworld girl.
So Con brooded. He mulled over the information and the things he had seen while he had been up here. He struggled to figure out how he hadn’t noticed her lies sooner. Perhaps because she had only lied to him the whole time, so he had never even had a truth to compare her lies too. And Con was not particularly good at spotting tells on top of that. Some of his friends were, but Con mostly did not notice tells. He might catch a detail that made a story false, but he did not often note the particular way Sam rose his eyebrow when lying. Con was more of a liar than a lie-spotter. And even then, he didn’t lie when he didn’t need to. Which had worked well for him so far.
Con remained silent, pulling Nona with him as they walked. He didn’t even really feel like talking, or yelling much. Con was not sure what had gotten into him. He just felt like brooding to himself. Then he realized, he pretty much only shut up when he was sad, so it stood to reason that that meant he was sad now. Con didn’t feel particularly sad, mostly angry. His fist was still clenched. He had yet to release it except for in a few necessary moments since they started running from the men with guns. Although, Con supposed he was…disappointed. In himself somewhat. Or maybe in Nona. He had thought her an honest person. She had helped him up with a kind word and fed him with a smile. Nona had shoved him in an insufferably white closet to stow him from her parents. All to perpetuate her lie. To gain his trust so those guys could come in and shoot him just when he thought he was safe. While he was asleep. That seemed so much beneath Nona. Well, the Nona he thought he knew from the brief time they had spent together. Perhaps he had expected too much of her. Or he had been completely blinded. Con strove to fight away those thoughts. He did not care if she lied to him. She was just an Upperworlder he had happened to run into. Not his best friend. In fact, he could never see her again after he got home. He could cast her from his mind. Forever. Well, except when he wanted to brag about his daring escape from the Upperworld. Then he would have to think of her only to tell his story, which was far more important than forgetting about this liar.
The pair had been walking for a fair length of time when Nona started talking again. Their light had moved some across the sky while they were moving. That was so peculiar. How did they fasten it up there to move and remain so bright? And, it seemed to be smaller than it had been when Con and Nona had escaped from being shot down. That was even stranger.
Conrad brushed off her defense with a derisive shake of his head. Sure, she hadn’t. Did she think he was stupid enough to fall for her tricks twice?
Con stopped a moment. Despite the fact that he was peeved with Nona for making demands, he was glad to take the moment to rest his feet. Con was not accustomed to running around with no shoes on for so long. Sure, he was wont to run barefoot when he was younger, so his feet had suffered the jabs from loose rocks before. But this was unbearable. At least Upperworlder terrain had soft plant life to cushion his feet slightly. Otherwise he imagined his feet would be bleeding or completely sore from the ground’s attacks. Even with the plants, his feet were killing him. They would certainly be tougher after this experience.
Con huffed, “Thanks. Very helpful.” He rolled his eyes. Con added, “’M not going to go back. Just get shot that way. ‘M not stupid.”
As irritated as he was, Nona might have a point. His stomach was growling and they certainly couldn’t continue walking the entire distance without some sustenance. Con sighed, “Need a market to get some food from. Look enough like an Upperworlder to slip in and get something. Where’s one at?” Con figured Nona would know where somewhere was to get food. Although, he had to hope she wouldn’t lie about that since she was hungry too. Con added, “Try and trick me again and you’ll regret it.” Con hoped that they could pass as a regular pair of kids seeking to buy some food (unless Nona had no money, in which case, they would be stealing some food) and no one would notice. Surely, the men didn’t have any way of identifying Con so quickly, so no one would be the wiser about what was really going on.
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jan 22, 2014 7:48:16 GMT -10
Nona pulled a displeased face, not sure how she was going to convince him to let her go. What could she do but go along? She couldn't outrun him, couldn't fight him off. And obviously couldn't persuade him, or trick him. Not when he was so on edge. She needed help--outside help. And she had the barest hint of an idea. He had fortunately agreed they should stop to get food, which was a good start.
At this point, they were barely reaching the outskirts of a small, quaint town. A lot of people liked living out here, in small, cutesy communities. In Nona's opinion, they were a little small, and even nosier than the big, populated suburbs and cities. "We can find somewhere here...A cafe or a breakfast place." she suggested, figuring that was their only chance to find somewhere open, and her best chance at finding anyone awake.
They wandered through the town, ducking into unpopulated areas when they saw anyone. It was quite inconvenient, but she didn't dare complain, lest he make good on his threat. "There. We can go there, get some breakfast and coffee, or something." she was relieved to see one of those "homemade" bakery and bean shops on the corner of a street, and pointed it out to him. These days, making food and beverages by hand was pointless, but some people thought that made food taste better, or healthier, or something. She didn't care one way or another, but she did know a lot of University kids came here early before lectures or classes. She could only hope those kids from this town ate here instead of somewhere closer to where they went to school.
To her immense relief, there were a few groups of people inside. A small gaggle of boys, all of them a few years younger than she, wearing matching uniforms. They had big bags and gloves and bats scattered around their booth, and she guessed they were here before a baseball game. A few women sat at the table beside them, wearing shirts that matched the boys', and sipping black coffee. Probably their mothers. There were two teenage girls, maybe a few years older than she was, and one was asleep, face down on the table, despite her steaming mug. A couple, one boy and one girl, who were clearly University, stood at the front counter, waiting for their orders. They were speaking, both rather animated, so she didn't know why they might need coffee, but they both looked smart, self-assured. Helpful? She hoped. Nona had led the way in, because even in her pajamas, she attracted less bad attention, and they selected a small table in the far back corner, where you had to crane your neck to see the other patrons. "I'll order." she said, making her voice as resigned as she could, knowing that he wouldn't leave his safe hiding spot. She couldn't let him know that she was excited to get up there, get help, but she was scared. She didn't know what would happen if this went wrong.
--
Miles had been 54 seconds earlier than Isabelle to the cafe, and it felt good. They'd agreed to meet here before their early morning lecture. He got his usual, a dark-roast coffee with two scoops of sugar and one packet of cream, and a bagel with cream cheese. "You're just being a sore loser, Isabelle. I got here earlier, you should buy my breakfast!" he was insisting, even though they'd not made any bet about this before now. She was refusing to pay for him, and so he handed over his card grudgingly, giving her a long-suffering look. "I just assumed you'd do the gentlemanly thing, sir." he teased, despite the fact that she was dressed like a the very epitome of girl. If she could tease him about his name, he could tease her about flat chest. It was all in good fun. Still, he was careful with his volume, lest someone overhear and think he was impolite. He was being rude, sure, but he was allowed to be rude to her.
"Now, are you-" he started to change the subject when a girl approached the counter, dressed in what appeared to be pajamas. She was barefoot, which was very odd, especially since she didn't look like one of those freaky all-natural activists who ran around in the nude and protested pretty much everything. She looked normal, with a cute face, somewhat mussed hair, and a small, girlish form. She wasn't from around here, he knew, unless she'd just moved for whatever reason, and he didn't quite know what to make of her. He finally met her eyes, after thoroughly judging her, and saw that her eyes were wide, frantic. He felt startled, not expecting her to look so manic, and glanced at Isabelle warily, wondering if she had a clue what was going on. She typed in her order quickly, and the following staring match as they all waited for their meals was agonizing.
"Do yo-"
"Please help me." the girl cut him off with a quiet, desperate whisper, glancing back towards the seating area nervously. "I...I...I've been kidnapped by a crazy man. He came up, from Underground, and kidnapped me from my house, and he's been dragging me across the country to find a way back home." she said urgently, eyes flicking between him and Isabelle. "Please, if you could call authorities or something..." she begged, wringing her hands.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Jan 22, 2014 17:24:35 GMT -10
When Isabelle had walked into the café and spotted Miles, she knew he was going to be difficult. Of course, if she were there first, she would be equally as difficult. After all, on timeliness, they were on equal grounds. Unlike intelligence, where Isabelle was sure she had the clear advantage. So those races were hardly fair. But making it to the café first, that was decently fair. And he had beaten her. And he had laid on her right away.
Now they were ordering food and he was continuing to insist that she should buy his breakfasts. Where he got that from was beyond her. They had never made a bet like that before. Usually they didn’t really bet much of anything. It was the triumph of winning that was important. Although, lunches were occasionally exchanged. Though by now, Isabelle realized that she had bought Miles lunch for finishing a test first about the same number of times he had bought her lunch. That worked out well. Though, he only ever finished first because Isabelle got distracted or the tests were male-biased or something ridiculous like that. Not because Miles was more clever.
Isabelle leaned a hip against the counter, her arms crossed in protest to Miles’ claim. She had spent every moment since she walked in arguing with all the /correct/ reasons as to why she would not be buying Miles’ lunch. Isabelle had even, intentionally, ordered her food first, acting like she was considering typing his in the entire time. Then she quickly finalized her order and cheerily paid for her own coffee, complete with three creams and one scoop of sugar, and a croissant. Isabelle smirked- barely refraining from laughing to his face- when Miles finally relented to paying for his own breakfast, as he should.
But the comment that came after, unacceptable! Sir. Again with this business. Miles always antagonized her about her flat chest. As if she didn’t already worry about that enough before Miles went and brought it up whenever he felt like poking at her. Isabelle huffed, “Are you sure you want to come to the lecture today? It might be a bit over your head, Junior.” Isabelle raised a single brow at Miles, begging him to retort. /Just do it/, she thought. /I’ll make you regret it. Sir indeed!/
Just when Isabelle thought Miles might try to make some snide comeback, he stopped himself midsentence. That was odd. Isabelle glanced towards Miles’ line of sight. A girl had appeared in line with them. Isabelle had never seen her before. And judging from her inappropriate attire and lack of footwear, Isabelle had to assume that the girl was not used to being out in public. She was probably a recluse or something. Although, those were not all that uncommon nowadays. Not that people were anti-social, but it was simple to remain within a house. All the conveniences were there, including human company via the house’s AI. Still, when recluses ventured out, it was not usually for coffee, not so early in the morning, and not looking so disheveled. They usually put up at least the appearance of being well-kept and equal to people who went out constantly.
Isabelle saw Miles’ look, as she had turned to him with the same question. She shrugged one shoulder slightly, glancing back at the girl, who typed her order in at the counter, robotically like she was a puppet on strings. This was all very strange.
Still, it seemed like everyone might be content to stare at each other with wide-eyes until the girl suddenly burst with information. Kidnapped by a crazy man. In this world? Was this girl sure that she wasn’t the crazy one? Everyone knew that Underground people didn’t come up to kidnap people. And they were shot on sight anyway. No Underground person had ever been seen in the Upperworld before. As far as Isabelle had ever been taught anyway. It would certainly make the pieces fit together if this girl were the crazy one. Her attire, her hair, and this bizarre tale. But that seemed a bit off. The girl truly seemed scared. Maybe she was having delusions. Isabelle looked past the girl, trying to find her guardian. If she were crazy, she had to have some sort of guardian. Instead Isabelle’s eyes fell on a table. Or rather, the inhabitant of the table. The girl had looked that direction when she started speaking. She was afraid of that area. There was a man at the table. Looking rather angry and frightening. Underground-ish indeed. He had dark hair, which was incredibly uncommon in the Upperworld, as it was viewed as uncivilized. But he had Upperworld clothes. Still, there was something about him that was truly worrisome, even from this distance. Isabelle did not usually put much stock in gut reactions, as they were just a strong chemical cocktail formed by years of needing to survive based upon sensations and incomprehensible (to people of the time) elements, but this man mad her want to run. Then he looked at her. Right at her! Like he had known she was looking. Their eyes locked for the briefest of seconds before Isabelle attempted to nonchalantly cast her gaze away from those dark, soulless eyes to Miles. She faked a smile, like she had been listening to something Miles said that was humorous. Isabelle breathed, “Oh my gosh, he looked right at me. Miles, I think we should do something before she…he’s coming this way.” She added unnecessarily, “Act natural.”
---
Something had been off about Nona’s voice when she got up. Like she was happy. Maybe she was just glad to get something to eat. Or because she thought she was so great for getting Conrad to follow her plans. As if. He was just hungry and there was no reason for both of them to pass out of exhaustion. Con had been planning to actually gather some food from somewhere, but it was quickly apparent that Upperworlders did not really have markets like they did Underground. So they were here, in this weird restaurant. Not the exact plan, but it was food. They would have to figure out a long-term plan because someone would surely notice sooner or later if they traipsed around shoeless into restaurants all the time. It seemed like something Upperworlders might care about. After all, they were getting their feet so dirty they could never avoid tracking dirt into those white houses.
Con glanced anxiously towards Nona, with a bit of effort to see that direction. She was at the counter with two Upperworlders, who appeared to be waiting for food. All Upperworlders seemed to look like Nona. All the people in this shop had light-colored hair and skin it seemed. How could they distinguish people with all those similar shades of hair. That seemed to be an unnecessary problem to create with all those control things they could do to babies. That was creepy on its own, but creating problems with it seemed rather foolish.
It was while Con was checking on Nona that he saw the startled gaze from the Upperworld woman in line. She was looking right at him. Con glared suspiciously. The woman tried to look away, but Con had seen her looking. Nona had said something. Again? Really?
Con stood up, slowly, like he was just going to mosey around. He was loathe to put himself into the public eye, but he had to stop Nona before she made everything worse. She had obviously said something to those people, who were probably now worried about the “horrible” Undergrounder sullying up their perfect world. Con slipped by the table with all the boys at it. Those boys were too busy talking over one another to notice him slipping one of their bats into his hand. Casually, or as close to casually as he could get, Conrad walked up to the line. He stepped next to Nona, taking advantage of his height over her. He figured it would be sort of physically imposing for him to stand right there. And he had a bat casually in hand. Might get her to shut up for once.
Con said, in his best imitation of an Upperworld accent, “So. What were you guys talking about, Nona?” No need to start out with anger, but he already had the sinking feeling that she had already caused what he had walked up here to prevent. Judging by the nervous expression on the other woman’s face.
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jan 23, 2014 5:47:12 GMT -10
Miles stared at the girl as she gave her odd tale, scratching his cheek uncomfortably. Was she crazy? Or was this ridiculous tale somehow true? He didn't know which idea was scarier. He definitely didn't want to associate with some crazy chick. He barely could stand most sane people. If she was telling the truth, though, that was even worse.
Pushing his glasses up the way he always did when he was nervous, he flicked a glance to where the girl had been fearfully looking. He couldn't see the occupant of the back table well, from his angle, but he could see Isabelle, and the color just drained out of her face as she stared over there. She quickly looked back at him, and he raised his brows. At her words, he couldn't help but smirk at her, despite his unease. "Most people will look if you stare at them, Isabelle. Just a tip." he informed her, trying to think of a plan.
He was coming here? The girl sucked in a scared breath, and started whipping her head around, as if she could run somewhere. "Act natural?! That's the best idea you have at a time like this?!" he hissed at his friend, rolling his eyes obnoxiously. "What are we gonna do?!" the girl asked, panic clear in her tone as the Underworlder approached.
--
Nona had been praying that these two would take her story at face value and just react, but from their expressions, they'd clearly thought she was nuts, and she knew she wasn't helping her case by acting so frantic. It was just because she knew that he would be here, catching them soon, if they didn't hurry! And now look. The girl said that he'd noticed her looking at him, and from the paranoid, suspicious behavior she'd observed lately, he'd be tipped off by it. "Oh no, oh no..." she mumbled, chewing her lip anxiously. The girl said to act natural, which was near impossible, but Nona did her best to arrange her face in a more calm expression.
Con slowly, agonizingly slowly, approached the three of them, holding something in one of his hands. A bat? Had he taken one from those boys? That wasn't very nice. And what did he plan to do with it? Was he going to hit them? Beat them up? KILL THEM?! Oh dear, okay, she had to act like she wasn't afraid of him murdering her in the middle of the cafe. Just a normal, day, la di da... "Uh..uhuhuh...nothing, nothing." she stammered, her neck craned up to see him. She took an uneasy step back, distressed by his closeness, but the counter was close behind her. "We were just...discussing..uh, what..." she fumbled for words, glancing fearfully over at the two University kids, who looked just as shell-shocked as she did. Oh, he knew. They weren't looking at him like a genetic anomaly,with dark hair, but like an animal, a beast. Oh, no.
Before she could dig a deeper grave, hot coffee was splattered over Con, dripping onto her. "Oh!" she yelped, shaking her hand to free it of the hot drops. The boy with glasses stood, arm still outstretched, his now-empty mug hanging from his fingers. "Don't worry about paying me back for that one." he remarked, sounding about as surprised as Nona and Con were. His other arm held his friend's, who also now held an empty coffee mug, though from her expression, she hadn't anticipated this either. "Goodbye, now!" he said quickly, and before she knew it, he'd grabbed her by her wrist and yanked her and his friend away, crashing through the door awkwardly.
--
After a short assessment, Miles had concluded that the best choice was to flee. Fight or Flight, all that jazz. Well, the Underworlder was several inches shorter than Miles himself, but also clearly more...athletically inclined. And he had a weapon. They were at a disadvantage, clearly, so escape was the only valid choice. He'd tossed his coffee on the guy as distraction, manhandling Isabelle's arm a bit to force her coffee to be flung as well. Distraction in place, he'd latched onto both girls and yanked them as hard as he could, all thoughts of manners out the window. He was never gonna be able to show his face in this place ever again anyway, so now only escape was on his mind.
They burst through the door, stumbling awkwardly, and Miles wasn't sure where to run. Somewhere safe. Right. Easy enough, maybe. "C'mon, we have to run." he insisted, not loosening his desperate grip on their wrists.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Jan 26, 2014 7:33:28 GMT -10
((Tried to capture them without being too ridiculous or god-modding))
As the man continued his leisurely approach, Isabelle felt her heart take up residence in her throat. It was beating as if it knew that it was about to take its last pumps and that it was trying to get out her throat to escape before she was crushed in with that bat. Isabelle swallowed, trying to regain control over herself. All she managed to do was snap at Miles, in an irritated whisper, “Do you have a better one?” Not very helpful.
The girl seemed worse off than the both of them put together. She was chewing on her lip like she could swallow herself and disappear.
Isabelle stared wide-eyed as the man sauntered up, inquiring with a fake-sweet tone of voice what they had been talking about. The girl attempted to stammer out an explanation, but seemed to be struggling to create a conceivable story. Normally, Isabelle might have cut in and finished the sentences as Nona agonizingly tried to finish them. But right now, her mind was not really spinning on those wheels. She was wondering what the maximum velocity of the bat could be. And how much force would end up being behind it, including the energy gained from the torque, but subtracting what was lost to friction. How many bones would that break? Would putting her arm up improve or worsen the damage? Would he even hit her or Miles or would he just drag that girl away. Suddenly, her arm was straight out, a now-empty mug in her fingers. Isabelle’s jaw hung open, looking at Miles out of the corner of her eye. What was he thinking?
Well, now the damage was done. They were all going to die. That was the end of it for sure. Then Miles yanked her and the other girl with him, like they were kites he was trying to get in the air. Isabelle still held the coffee mug limply in her fingers. She thought quickly, even as Miles was moving towards the door. Isabelle flung the mug at the man, spinning it just enough that it ought to…yes, hit him right in the stomach. The angry Undergrounder was further deterred by a coffee mug hitting him in the stomach.
Isabelle staggered, barely making it through the door without being slammed between the door and the wall. Miles was still telling them to run. Obviously just leaving the shop wasn’t enough. The man would just follow them. They had to get somewhere where he would not dare to follow them. Into some sort of shop perhaps? But the same would just happen again. He would not fear another shop. To the University then? Perhaps. But no one there was going to be of much help if the man was brave enough to follow them. Although, there were a lot of people there. That might be enough to keep him away. Surely such a dangerous man wanted to keep out of sight. Especially considering the fact that Undergrounders were not even supposed to be in the Upperworld. He wouldn’t go to a crowded place! That would risk him being caught. Isabelle started yanking her arm, and thus Miles’ arm, in a direction. She explained, “We’ll go towards the police station via Main Street. There will be plenty of people to deter him following us.” Isabelle started in that direction, trying to pull the others with her.
Running was difficult, she had never been particularly athletic. Sure, she maintained a decent form, but not usually by running. Running was unnecessary. It was exhausting and made her sweat. All very unpleasant. She would rather stretch or swim or any other less unpleasant activity. And now they were running, and they were going to keep it that way. At least now Isabelle could still feel the adrenaline in her system. That might save her from becoming too exhausted for now. But it might work the same for their enemy. He might be able to run faster or longer and catch up with them just as easily as they were trying to escape. And it had already been at least a minute by now!
---
They knew. Con had known it when he had seen the woman staring at him. Nona had told them. Just as untrustworthy as Con had assumed. And she could not even bother to fetch food without causing trouble. Useless. But now that he was standing there as Nona stumbled over an explanation, he felt a little disturbed by their gazes. What could she have said to them that made them look at him with such horror? She probably acted as if he simply kidnapped her for no reason, when she knew good and well that it was all her fault. If she hadn’t informed those men of hers that he was there, Con would have left peacefully, slipping back into the familiar Underground. But no, she wanted him dead.
Suddenly, Con was drenched in something burning hot. He swore, rubbing the heat from his eyes. As he squinted, two arms with coffee cups attached at the end were facing him. And then they all disappeared, apparently running. With some strange comment about not worrying about paying the man back. As if. Con would never pay someone for such an insult. The audacity. But they were still running. Con moved to chase after them, but a coffee mug, apparently from that group, knocked his stomach. Con’s breath escaped from his lips, leaving him gasping and hunched over and covered in coffee.
Not to mention, all the eyes in the coffee shop were now on him. Con had not meant to draw so much attention to himself. This was horrible. He looked around, through his drenched, strong-smelling hair. The moms and boys were staring at him. He probably looked a mess.
Con faked a laugh, still trying to breathe. He waved a hand, trying to imitate the haughty Upperworld attitude, “It’s a game. Waste of, uh, this though.” Con gestured at the liquid dripping. Everyone still stared, they didn’t really seem to be buying it. Con took that as his cue to get out of there. As he launched himself through the door, clutching his stomach, he heard a high voice shriek, “That’s my bat he’s got!” Curses, that was not going to make Con seem more legitimate.
Con shook his head as he jogged, scanning the area for the group. There they were! They seemed to be trying to get somewhere quickly. Con wasn’t sure where they thought they were going to go, but he certainly was not going to let them get there. That would get him shot. And he would return home as a body flying down from the ceiling. That was not the fate he had set out for himself. Con was too important to end up that way.
Con sped after the group. They had a head start, but Nona had no shoes, so she was surely slowing the group down with her stumbling. The woman was in a skirt, which had to impede her running abilities. And they were all running linked together. Not efficient at all.
Still, it took Con a while to catch up to them. When he did, he was still not sure what he was really going to do. All he had was a bat. But he had to do his best.
It occurred to Con that he was not just going to be able to grab Nona and leave. The other two now knew what was going on. They knew what he looked like. And Nona had probably stupidly mentioned where they were going. It seemed that Con was going to have to drag the other two with them too. How to do that was the question.
Con yanked the collar of the shirt of the man in the middle, hard enough to yank him to the ground surely. After all, his head would stop, but his legs wouldn’t. The woman in the group slid backwards as a result of Con’s movements. She staggered in an attempt to regain her balance and all Con had to do was pull her ponytail slightly and she fell to the ground. The woman raised a hand to the back of her head, glaring at him a moment before trying to stand back up, still linked to her friend.
Con raised the bat, wielding it menacingly at the group, but especially close to the face of the man who had thrown the coffee in Con’s face. Con was still hot from that and he was probably going to smell like that strange odor for weeks. Con sighed, “That’s enough. Don’t try anything funny now. Includes you, Nona!” He glared at her momentarily. Nothing but an Upperworld liar, he reminded himself. She probably didn’t even have enough feelings to feel guilt for all that she had put Con through.
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jan 26, 2014 8:43:30 GMT -10
Nona was stunned as the boy yanked her and his friend out, her mouth hanging in a perfect O shape. That was amazing and also a little crazy. It hurt a little, her bare feet slapping the ground so hard, but she didn't want them to slow down any more. They already weren't as fast as she wished they could be. She'd seen Con for the past few hours, making their way this far, and he was definitely able to be faster and stronger than any of them. She had to pray that their advantage was enough to make it to safety. The girl tugged her friend, who in turn tugged her, saying that they should go to the Police Department, and hope swelled inside her. Perfect! They could help, protect them, and get her home. "That works for me." the boy in the middle agreed.
Nona was just starting to feel like they might make it, they had to be getting close to main street, when suddenly the boy cried out, and stumbled back, falling to the ground, and she was yanked down with him, still stuck in his grip. Oh no. The girl had kept her footing, although she was struggling to stay balanced, and with a tug, she was brought down to the ground with them as well, sulking. Con held the baseball bat readily, closest to the boy, and Nona glared up at him when he addressed her. She felt...weird. She'd never felt like this before. Sad? Yes, when her Grandfather had died. Frustrated, Tired, Annoyed? Sure, usually after all-nighters or bad grades. Maybe she'd felt it all a little when she was young, and her parents had first started talking about her future. Childish stuff. But this? This gross, contaminating feeling? Anger? She'd never had a reason to feel anger before. She didn't like it much, but it did give her the confidence to scramble to her feet, and let her forget the crippling fear for a few moments.
Her cheeks flushed red, and she planted her hands on her hips assertively. "You're right, that /is/ enough." she agreed snappily, thrusting her chin out defiantly. "That's enough, of this ridiculous running around and kidnapping, you, you jerk! I'm freezing, I'm tired, I'm hungry, and my feet are killing me. And that's all your fault." she said angrily, feeling embarrassed to say such rude things. She was ashamed that the other two were here to hear her speak so venomously, but then again, they'd made that scene at the coffee shop. Hopefully they wouldn't judge her too harshly. "I want. To go. Home." she demanded, meeting his glare with one of her own. The more sensible part of her was wondering what the hell she was doing, since he was armed and stronger than her anyway, and faster. She couldn't run. She couldn't fight. She couldn't yell. Well, she could, but she couldn't yell for help.
A little bit of her hoped for the people in the coffee shop to report the incident, and maybe get the town on high-alert, but for all she knew, Con had killed them all. She hadn't thought him capable of murder before, but now, well, he wasn't exactly looking like a good guy. He seemed pretty cool with abusing her and the other two. He reminded her of the barbarians from history, who pillaged and burned and raped and killed. Beastly. Probably shouldn't tell him she thought so, she decided, but she held strong, refusing to look away. Never in her life had she been treated so poorly. She'd never been so chilled, because she'd never run around in the early morning of early spring with no jacket or pants or shoes. She'd never been so tired because she'd never been woken up at an ungodly hour of the morning to chaos and then dragged around for miles. And you know? She had been quite content, without doing any of this. Really. Her nose started to feel ticklish, and she was starting to become sure that she might start crying any second, just completely throw composure out the window.
--
Miles had felt good about the plan. The police station was a good idea, and he was a little jealous that she'd thought of it first. He'd chalk it up to even, since he'd thought to get them out of that place. Anyway, the police could protect them and get rid of that crazy man. This was his first time ever seeing an Underworlder, and the guy was everything that he'd been taught to expect. Scary. Angry. Dark. He didn't know if he could say innately evil, if only because that seemed like something one would need more research to determine.
Miles had begun to calculate the odds of them making it to safety when something caught the back of his shirt and he'd been pulled backwards. He cried out in shock, bringing the girl down with him, though Isabelle seemed to manage to stay standing, though barely. A hand tugged her down beside him anyway, and Miles glared at the culprit, rubbing his neck irritably. What a foul man. "What a thug." he remarked rudely, despite the threat of the bat that was right beside his head. Too close for comfort. He could feel panic in his gut. They were probably going to die now. Underworlders were murderers, thieves, criminals who did disgusting things. And now this one was going to try and spread the disease of corruption to their safe home.
Beside him, to his surprise, the girl--now identified as Nona, by the Underworlder--stood, eyes narrowed. To his surprise she stood up to the thug, and while she spoke without any manners, he was a little impressed by her guts. Of course, she'd probably only ensured that she'd be the first one to be killed. A shame, really. He didn't know if he resented her for dragging them into this. Sort of, but at the same time, she clearly hadn't meant for them to get into this trouble too. They were stuck on this residential street, and considering that this was one of the neighborhoods that had mostly younger people, and the weekend had just ended, it was likely that the residents wouldn't be leaving their homes until closer to noon. Just great.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Jan 27, 2014 18:23:46 GMT -10
Con huffed at the man, “Shut up.” Con did not appreciate being called a thug. He was not a thug! A thief, definitely, an opinionated brawler, probably. But a thug? Hardly. Con did not go out and try to beat people up. He hardly had the physique for it. Although, he definitely had the agility for it. He could chase people down, but actually beating them up was a pretty ridiculous thought. Con was usually the chased anyway, not the thug trying to beat people down. Despite this complete insult to Conrad’s integrity, the bat remained motionless.
This was partially because Con did not really intend to hit someone who was still on the ground, but also because of Nona’s outburst. She was yelling at him. She was emoting. Which was something of a relief. He might have even been glad for her anger replacing her ever-so-sweet attitude if it had not been directed at him. Directed at him it was irritating. He wanted to punch her. And he thought about it. His free hand twitched slightly, but he couldn’t bring himself to really even consider hitting her. Hitting such a breakable Upperworld seemed a bit like overkill. Still, he couldn’t just let her say such horrible things and act like he was to blame.
Con shouted back, matching her tone, “Really? Really? My fault, is it? Who called the police in the first place? Coulda just let me go back down if you wanted me to go! But no! YOU ruin breakfast by enlisting this two numbskulls! Think ‘m not hungry? My feet aren’t tired?” Con took a step closer to Nona, imitating her ultimatum and continuing to glare back at her, “I. Want. To. Go. Home. Too.”
How dare she say that to him? She had betrayed him. Nona was the reason for all of this. She had called the police. She had convinced him to stay with her kindness. Con might have just slipped back into the Underground. Back into safety. He would have never had to know of Nona’s Upperworld lying and scheming. But instead, he had stayed. He had put faith in a robot (albeit a robot who was yelling at him now). And he had gotten paid back for that. But that didn’t get her off the hook either. Just because she was exactly as stupid and horrible as Con knew Upperworlders to be, did not mean that she was not going to fix this. Because of what she had done, she was getting Con home. Con didn’t care if it was an inconvenience for her to be out of her oh-so-fluffy bed or away from her perfect robot parents or the strange metallic voice that drifted through her house. She could deal with it. Con was separated from his entire world. His people were beneath his feet. And that was not where he wanted them. Con longed for the closeness of the walls, the crowded streets, the jovial voices (and the grunts as well). He suddenly felt a pang of homesickness. He wanted to drop down on the floor with his friends and laugh as someone danced around the floor. Con wanted to hear Twitch tell some tall tale that everyone knew he was completely inventing, but pretended to believe anyway.
And Nona was acting like she was so far from home. She could easily get back. And she would not get shot at trying to get there. Con could die just trying to get at the place beneath his bare feet. Even with that light they called the sun, Con did not think it was worth it to experience anything more Upperworld. The light was fascinating, so bright to his eyes still. But that did not make him want to stay any longer than he had to now. He no longer wanted to explore. He wanted to get away with all of his fingers and his life. And get this strong smell of coffee away from his hair.
---
Those two are really going at it, Isabelle thought. They seemed to be having more of a quarrel than an attempted escape. The bat was not even directed at the girl, Nona. Not really. The angle the Undergrounder was pointing it at was rather stupid. He had it directed towards where Miles’ head had been on the ground. And Isabelle had sort of dragged him up with her. She had finally let go of his hand, not wanting to prolong such an impropriety. But Isabelle did not stray far from Miles’ side either. If they were going to be in danger, she did not want to stand by herself.
Although that was rather silly. If they were going to die, she suspected the man would kill them, it would make more sense to spread apart so that he would have to work for his killings. But Isabelle could not really bring herself to follow through on that plan. It was a bit too daunting.
There had to be a better idea, she told herself. Something that would work better. Start running again? Leave the others to take care of themselves? No, she couldn’t leave Miles. And that risked the scary man chasing after her again. She couldn’t leave the girl either. That seemed to cruel. Maybe point at some sort of distraction first, then run. Still not plausible. Perhaps act like they had already called the police- that would surely scare the runaway Undergrounder- then all three of them run because none of them would be afraid even if the police really were coming. That might give them more of a head start. But he could just chase them down again. Isabelle realized that they had to do something that would deter him from chasing after them. Something to convince him it was not worth his time to chase them anymore.
The man’s speech though, that was rather worrisome. He acted like he was right and Nona was the one being cruel. Hardly. He had kidnapped her. Right from her own home too. It was ridiculous for him to think that Nona ought to be eager to help him after that.
But that was beside the point. Completely irrelevant in fact. Isabelle continued pondering escape plans. There had to be one that worked. Perhaps wresting the bat from the man’s grip? Though he could presumably get enough force behind the bat to hurt anyone who attempted such a thing. And he would be willing. This was not a game. He was a really Underground person willing to beat others with that bat. Maybe hitting his wrist with enough force to knock the bat down. Or somehow stomp on his foot and get him to drop it or something. Isabelle was not really familiar with fighting-tactics. She had never really been exposed to such things before. That was not something Upperworlders needed to worry about. They were safe from fighting. No person would lay a hand on another citizen. There was no reason to. Everyone was happy. No need for fighting. But that was not helpful now. Isabelle was not happy. She was, for the first time in her life, in real danger. And that thought was horrifying.
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jan 28, 2014 10:55:06 GMT -10
Nona's eyes widened as Con lashed back at her, hands balling into ineffectual fists. How dare he speak to her like that? "Yes! Yes, it's your fault! I didn't do anything, I don't know how many times you want me to say so. I didn't tell anyone, anything, ever. If anything, YOU gave yourself away by being so obviously wrong!" she shouted back, gesturing wildly at him, as if comparing him to herself and the others. "And even if I did call the cops, which I didn't, I would've been doing the right thing, because if I had listened to the law and done that, I wouldn't be here right now." she retorted, her voice getting hysterical. She hadn't thought about that, but it was true. This was the very reason they were supposed to report strangers who were suspected Underworlders. Because they weren't zoo exhibits. They weren't tame. Weren't kind, or collected, or good. They were dangerous. And now she was far away from her parents, her friends, her life, stuck with two strangers and a dangerous criminal.
She hardly noticed when the two strangers in question stood, too wrapped up in her own frustrations. "Don't blame me when all I did was make a bad judgement call in letting you near me. I gave you food and a place to sleep, and you /kidnapped/ me. I don't know what people down there call it, or think of it, but up here, that is /not/ okay." she said bitterly, putting her hands on his chest and shoving him back, as much as she could. Less than she had hoped. Disappointing. He'd only really taken a step back. Well.
--
Miles had rolled his eyes at the Underworlder, not impressed with his retort, but was pretty glad that the bat hadn't moved. As Nona and Con yelled at each other, getting pretty startlingly loud, Miles had been pulled up by Isabelle, who had dropped his hand like it burned, but he was comforted by her presence, hovering near him. What were the odds of them getting caught if they fled now? Those two seemed pretty wrapped up in their fight. Nah, not good. They'd already seen how fast he was, and if they got caught again, it would definitely be worse. So...stay. He didn't expect Nona to be able to appeal to his decency or regret, if such a thing existed, so he ran through a few options
Not many were on the table. Running, no. He was faster than them, and they were still a little out of breath anyway. Fighting, definite no. Obviously the girls weren't going to take him down, and Miles really didn't like his odds against a barbarian who was armed. Yelling, well, Nona and the Underworlder were handling that fine on their own, which was unexpected. They might attract help without even intending to. But assuming help didn't come...they were in the position where right and wrong weren't so easy to choose. They had to survive this encounter. Which meant if the Underworlder told them to walk, they'd walk.
Miles was about to whisper to Isabelle his opinion when Nona shoved at Con, which seemed surprising to all of them, her included. In case the Underworlder responded in a violent fashion, Miles sighed and stepped forward, tugging on Nona's arm to make her back up a bit. "Okay, maybe we should...calm down. You two clearly have some...issues...to work through, but-" he stopped in the middle of his awkward attempt to be polite when the distinct purr of an engine was audible. Someone was approaching, albeit on wheels. This could be a chance for them to get help, but from the look on the Underworlder's face, he probably wasn't going to let them take a step out of line. Sure enough, they were sent scurrying across the street to hide in a darker spot between houses, at the persuasion of a bat. Pressed against the wall as the car drove lazily by, he had to whisper, "You guys are going to Belfont, aren't you? There's a connection there, and that's the closest place." he had been thinking it over since the Underworlder had mentioned that he was trying to get back home. All things considered, Miles knew they couldn't rightfully leave unless they somehow escaped with Nona. It would be wrong for them to desert a helpless girl. Especially if he did. Anyway, Nona had nodded in short agreement with this guess, and so he sighed. "You won't make it there, not like this. Walking right through towns, you stick out like a sore thumb. You could let us go, and then stick to your shadows until you find the hole you crawled out of." he suggested coldly.
--
"You told me she was in no danger. How did you even get appointed to this force?!"
"Sir, please calm down. We are administering a worldwide alert about this incident. They'll find her. Every city has their pictures, they know to be on the lookout, and we have every team that can be expended out looking. She'll be found."
"See to it that she is. And when they find them, make sure there's a bullet through his head." With that, Mr. Avery took his wife's arm and stormed out of the Department of Safety, slamming the door behind him.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Feb 1, 2014 9:49:39 GMT -10
Con scowled, there she was, trying to blame him again. Well, maybe Con was a kidnapper, that much was true. But at least he wasn’t a lying girl like Nona, who couldn’t even stop lying long enough to realize that she had put someone else’s life in jeopardy. Honestly, it was pretty horrible. And she was still acting like Con had done something wrong. The only thing he was guilty of was running, every time. He ran from the men through the hole and wound up in this blinding world. He ran from the guns, dragging Nona behind him. Conrad could hardly be blamed for self-preservation. Everyone did that. There was nothing wrong with that.
Con staggered back a step when Nona shoved his chest. Not very impressive, but enough to push him back a step. If she wanted to start pushing and shoving, Con would do that too, but she would be the one to end up on the ground, hurt. Nona hardly had a physical advantage over Con. And he was…using that to his advantage. This was different. Much different than his usual life. Con was usually the one without the physical advantage and jumping through windows or hiding in a box to keep from getting beat up. Con had a moment of sympathy for Nona. He was dragging her around against her will after all. But the sympathy was gone as soon as it appeared. She had brought this all on herself. Just as Con had. She was at fault for what happened. And she would be fine. At the end of all of this, she would get to skip home safely. And Con would duck back underground and be a hero. They would never have to deal with each other again.
The man tried to protect Nona, as if Con might attack her if the man didn’t diffuse the situation. Honestly, some people.
Suddenly, a strange noise appeared. The other three got hopeful looks on their faces. Whatever was creating the noise, they thought it would help them. Con didn’t really understand what was going on, but he knew better than to stay out in the open while the others hoped for escape.
So there they were, hiding between two buildings… houses weren’t they? And it had only taken a little persuasion from Con’s bat. The bat kept them quiet too, the man was whispering. Although, what he was saying was stupid. The man was suggesting that Con strike out on his own and leave them be. That Con would just find his own way to this Belfont place. As if. Con could hardly find the way himself, not to mention he would lose his only protection from the guns. The protection had previously just been Nona, but now the other two were part of the deal. Con could hardly let them run off to tell the authorities where he and Nona were going and what they were doing. That would be a straight trip to the wrong end of a gun. Con was no idiot.
Con sighed, “You’re right.” He paused, being a bit mean and letting the guy think that Con was really going to let them go. A bit unnecessary, but Con was still a bit offended that that guy had called him a thug. So he deserved it. Con continued, “Can’t keep walking through town. ‘Ll get shot. We’ll go through those woods you have up here. Great for travel. Came from that way earlier. This way. Come on.”
Con straightened from where he had been pressed against the building. That enemy was not going to spot them now, so Con needn’t worry about that. Con gestured for them to start walking, pointing with his bat in the direction of the woods. The woman looked at him with an expression of horror. Con raised his brow, what was that for. She said, clearly not believing this was really happening, “You mean you’re going to drag us all with you through the woods?” Con nodded, “Yeah. Your boyfriend said town wasn’t safe.” The woman glared, a rather frightening expression for an Upperworlder. She muttered, “This is stupid. You’re going to kill us. And he’s not my boyfriend.” Con shrugged, he didn’t care about her romantic life, it had just seemed like a natural solution. Con ushered the group again, this time with a little more urgency and succeeded in getting them to start walking, “Just being weak Upperworlders. It’s fine.”
Soon, they were at the edge of the woods. It appeared to have a fence. What was that for? Were the Upperworlders really afraid of those things with the green on top- the trees. Sure, they were large, but they appeared to be mostly stationary. Con looked down the fence, there had to be a door somewhere. There wasn’t a gate in sight and Con did not want to walk along the edge looking for one. He wanted to get under the cover of the trees as soon as possible and get out of sight. Con sighed, they’d have to climb it. Con pointed to the top, “Have to go over it.”
---
Isabelle could not believe this man’s audacity. Not only had he threatened them into hiding with that bat, but now he was forcing them to walk with him like his lackeys and go into the woods. Was he crazy? There was a reason those things were fenced off! They were not safe. Hence the sign that /clearly/ red in capitalized red letters, “DO NOT ENTER.” This stupid man was going to get them killed trying to get to Belfont through the woods. Why did Miles have to give him the idea? Though she supposed Miles had been trying to tell the man it would be easier to let them go than take them with him, but it had backfired. The backwards Undergrounder thought that Miles meant to take them all to the woods. Ridiculous.
So here they were, all looking at the fence that the man was trying to tell them to climb. Now he was going to make them trespass, climb a dangerous fence that was not intended to hold human weight, and walk in the woods for however long it would take them to /walk/ to Belfont.
Isabelle froze in place. She did not want to climb the fence, especially because it was the guy with a bat telling her to do so. But if they were going to go into the woods, shouldn’t they find a better way than climbing a 15-foot fence? Isabelle looked around. There weren’t any ladders out. Or trees on this side that they could climb. Maybe there was a gate somewhere? No luck on that front either. Isabelle looked at the posts supporting the fence, that was probably a weak point. That was where the parts of the fence had to connect. Thus it was the easiest part to separate from the rest. The other chain links would require much more prying to create a path through them. But a path near the post would be able to be opened somewhat like a door. Although, she was not about to tell that mean man that. Maybe they could convince him that climbing wasn’t an option and to let them all go home. Isabelle offered, “It’s too dangerous to climb over.” He couldn’t try to kill her for telling him a truth right? Right?
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Feb 3, 2014 11:23:49 GMT -10
Nona balked at Con's decision in "agreement" with what the man had said. Not the point, she hoped and assumed, at least, and he was aiming to kill them all. There were reasons for the whole don't-go-in spiel. The forests and woods were dangerous, they were left preserved and all-natural for the sake of wildlife and the natural ecosystem, but while they were carefully kept safe, they were also avoided by even the most foolish child. And now Con thought it was a good idea to go in? From the defeated and alarmed look on the man's face, he clearly wasn't expecting that.
The four of them made their slow, careful way to where Con led, and in that short time, Nona managed to gather the names of the poor two she'd accidentally gotten involved. Isabelle and Miles. Well, "Miles Sebastian Sullivan Junior", to be exact. He hadn't stopped repeating it until Nona said the full name, properly. She was almost glad to reach the fence, because it made him stop.
--
Miles was aghast at what the underworlder, evidently called "Con" according to Nona, wanted to do. Go through the woods. He guessed that the two of them might've traveled along the woods, as a wall to keep them facing the right direction, as Belfont was right on the edge of the forest. Still, going through? It was mad, and sickeningly dangerous. Still, what could they do but follow him? It was on this walk that they got the name thing sorted, which was fine for Miles, since he didn't know how much longer he could think of someone as, "the underworlder". Nona had seemed interested in his explanation about his illustrious name, but unfortunately he was stopped from telling her about it's rich history by their arrival in front of what Con thought to be their solution.
Analyzing the fence, he only heard parts of Isabelle's discussion with said underworlder, and only spoke up to say, "I would never have a romantic feeling for such an unladylike woman." when the question of their relationship was raised. Just because he was terrified and frustrated didn't mean he had lost his sense of humor. Still, they were at an impasse. Isabelle was being logical, as climbing the fence would not be easy or pretty, especially for her, wearing a skirt. But what other choice did they have? Was it worth pointing out an easier option? Sure, it would save them trouble, but he didn't want to assist Con. They were all sort of silent for a while, just exchanging glances, concern with the girls, and anger with Con. Finally, when it was clear that Con did not intend to just change his mind, and there was no way to trick him into climbing over first, Miles sighed and gave a defeated look to Isabelle. "We can't climb. It's too dangerous. You just try to knock out that part of the fence, we can crawl through." he pointed to the spot of fence he thought best to try, and then for the next few minutes he and Isabelle bickered over where would be a better place to strike until there was a big enough hole for them all to crawl through. Isabelle went first, and she insisted Nona follow right after, for modesty's sake. Miles followed after her, and the Underworlder went after them. Well. Now, running wasn't even an option. He was their only way out of here, with the bat, and they were all unarmed to defend themselves from the dangers. Not to mention they didn't know much about how to navigate. All Miles knew was the direction to go, by his inner compass implant.
With no options now but to just help him as fast as they could so they could go home, they started walking. Miles and Isabelle walked in the front, knowing best where to go, and faster than Nona, since they had real shoes on. He didn't much like being the first one to be mauled if something jumped at them from the front, but these complaints didn't affect Con much. "Well done, Isabelle. If it weren't for you, we would be on our way to one of the most exclusive lectures with one of the doctors who revised half of the human mods. I was dying to meet him, too." he muttered to his friend now, pushing up his glasses quickly before crossing his arms.
--
Nona walked in between Isabelle and Miles and Con. She couldn't keep up with their discussion really, and she didn't want to talk much. She felt bad about getting them into this trouble. And she definitely didn't want to walk with Con. Stupid jerk. It was freezing, with the sun barely visible under the thick foliage. There were weird, scary sounds in here, and weird, colorful birds in the trees. She didn't know how long they'd be trapped in here, but she was already suffocating. They actually made it for awhile before they convinced Con to take a break, and to her immense relief, Isabelle and Miles had small snacks with them, probably for after their classes or whatever.
--few hour time skip--
If Nona had to guess, it was nearing sunset. The bare light they'd had through the trees was disappearing fast, and now it was getting scarily dark. "We should stop. If we try to walk in the dark, we'll get killed faster." Miles told them frankly, adjusting his glasses. "Don't suppose you thought to bring anything useful for camping?" he asked Con sarcastically, squinting to try and find somewhere they could lay camp, as if there would be one place special for them, with beds. No such luck.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Feb 10, 2014 17:47:30 GMT -10
Isabelle glowered at Miles. He wanted to go there now. He wanted to say that she was unladylike now. Honestly, she was the only person he ought not to be picking a fight with. He could spend more of his energy helping her think of a plan to get away or at least sassing Con instead of herself. Isabelle muttered, “You’re no prize, you arrogant egotist.”
There she was being a hypocrite. Bickering with Miles when she should at least direct her anger towards the guy forcing them to go into the woods. Although, at least Miles was a safe object for her anger. He might sass her back, but he would never dare to raise a hand against her. Especially not a hand wielding a bat. Unlike this scummy Undergrounder, he seemed to believe that holding a bat to people’s heads was acceptable.
Thankfully, Miles at least managed to convince the thick-headed Undergrounder that it was better for them to bust a hole in the fence than try to climb over it. At least if Isabelle was going to be taken against her will, she would not have to suffer the indignity of climbing such a tall fence in a skirt. What a relief. Well, a small relief.
Miles argued with her a bit about where to put the hole. Eventually, they found an ideal weak point and created a hole just large enough for each member of the group to slip through. Con made them all go ahead of him, challenging Isabelle’s thought that he might be a complete simpleton. However, he seemed to know how to keep hostages from running off. A great skill for someone in his position of an abductor. Useless for anyone else though. Isabelle wondered if life in the Underground was so dangerous that it was necessary to know how to properly take hostages. Or perhaps this Con character specialized in hostages and actually made a living off of this horrible profession. Ransoms or something. Which had been eliminated since the Undergrounders had left this pure world. But Isabelle supposed such barbaric techniques still existed Underground. Those saps probably paid a ransom a day just to keep a hold of their children.
Con smashed the hole shut again with his bat. There was a small new dent in the links of the fence, but it looked otherwise untouched. Go figure the man would be smart enough to leave things how he found them instead of leaving a trail. Maybe someone in the shop saw them head this way. Doubtful, but it was the only hope they had for freedom before they reached Belfont.
Isabelle protested, “I’m not the one who thought it was bright to toss hot coffee on him. This is the last time you pick where we go for breakfast.” As if he had somehow known that the coffee shop would end up getting them in trouble. Although, the coffee was definitely his fault. Maybe they could have gotten away if Miles hadn’t used coffee as their main defense.
Regardless of whose fault it was, they were left dragging their feet for hours with only a brief break to nourish themselves with the snacks Isabelle and Miles had on their person. Which was not very much, but all sustenance was appreciated. Even if it had to be shared with Con.
---
Con was fascinated by these woods. He had never been surrounded by so much green. Even when he had once owned a green shirt. That was when he was young though, so it was naturally pretty small. Even so, this was more green than Con might have ever seen. It was fascinating. The others seemed rather frightened by the strange noises. And at first, they made Con anxious, but soon he took to looking around with joy rather than fear. It was much more interesting that way.
The trees were so big. Con kept looking up. The trees blocked out much of the light from their giant lantern. Rather inconvenient. But the light seemed to grow as time progressed. Was the light aware that it was too dim under all the green? No. It appeared to be moving. Impossible, someone must have just turned up the light. It got lighter for a while. They could see better. But then the light dimmed, slowly disappearing until it was almost too dark to see. Strange how they dimmed their light instead of just turning it off. Maybe it helped the people adjust to the sudden change instead of just transferring from light to dark. Perhaps the Underground could adopt this system. Con made note to tell everyone when he got home. If he ever got there.
Con sighed, “Yeah. Don’t want anyone to stub a toe.” He rolled his eyes, although they likely could not really see his expression. The question was where were they to sleep. It seemed rather obvious to Con. There was plenty of ground for them to curl up on. Maybe they were all afraid to sleep on the dirt. Because it was, well, dirty. And Upperworlders were afraid of dirt. Wimpy robots, Con thought. Con muttered, “Warm enough to do without blankets. We’ll sleep here.” The woman, Isabelle as she had introduced herself earlier, “Honestly? You can’t even be bothered to look for somewhere better to sleep then right where we stopped? This is hardly sheltered.” Con told her curtly, “No robbers out at this time of night. Calm down.” Isabelle made a sound between a sigh and a growl, “What about wild animals?” Con frowned, he didn’t know what those were. Something silly, he was sure. “You’re just being an Upperworlder. It’s fine.”
After some more debate about where they were sleeping, and with some waving of the bat, the group settled down among the bases of the nearby trees. Con stayed sitting up a while, waiting for the rest of the group to fall asleep before he himself dozed off. In an ideal world, he would have stayed up to ensure that no one ran off, but he was not going to be able to function without sleeping. Besides, sitting up all night by himself sounded more dull than it would be helpful. Chances were that the lazy Upperworlders were exhausted from all the walking anyway and once asleep, would not wake back up.
Con leaned his head against the tree he had sat against. He was exhausted suddenly. As if the weight of the world had pressed upon him all at once. What a strange sensation, what with the high ceilings in the Upperworld and all. Before Con closed his eyes, he noticed small, useless lights on the ceiling. They were fun to look at, interesting. They looked much like rice spilled on a dark cloth, with no pattern at all. How could the Upperworlders create something so beautiful and spontaneous? They seemed like they would keep all of their lights in perfect rows and equally bright. These lights varied in brightness and were not equidistant from one another. Strange. Maybe he would ask the Upperworlders about the nightlights tomorrow. With that on his mind, Con fell asleep, dreaming of the man who put all of those lights up on that high, high ceiling.
Con shivered, his body suddenly rigid. Something was wrong. He felt for his pocket. It still had his few coins, which he had transferred after Nona had tried to drown him. So if it wasn’t a pick-pocket that woke Con then what was it?
Con’s eyes strained in the darkness, looking for some sort of clue as to what had scared him. Everyone else was still asleep, looking as if they had not moved very far from where he had left them before. So no one was making a great escape.
Then Con saw it. The yellow eyes, narrowed angrily. What could that be? He had never seen anyone with yellow eyes. They looked unnatural. And scary. A yelp escaped Con’s mouth before he could stop it, “What is /that/?!” The eyes’ body snarled at him, making a noise more frightening than the eyes themselves.
His shouts managed to wake the Upperworlders, who seemed about as upset as he was. Well, that proved that the eyes were definitely bad. Isabelle breathed, “Owls maybe. No, those fly. Ugh, we never learned about animals much. Wolves. Those walk. And have yellow eyes. And bite.” She didn’t seem to be telling Con this information. She seemed to be saying it for her own benefit, or perhaps as a commentary to her companion, Miles.
Con looked around, in each direction, his gaze met with more pairs of those ominous yellow eyes. Not promising. If these things, these animals wolves, were dangerous, they needed to get away from them as soon as possible. Those Upperworlders would be no help with this. The good news was that Con still had the bat firmly in his grip.
Con shifted his weight, keeping an eye on the eyes surrounding them. He moved slowly and quietly. His shifting was calm enough that it did not incite attack. A trick Con had learned when trying to talk his way out of trouble before. No animals wolves had moved to bite him yet, so it was going well so far. Con positioned himself as much as he could in front of the Upperworlders. Of course, they were surrounded, but a tree defended them on one side.
Con heaved a breath. Eventually one would attack. But Con wanted to have the Upperhand. They needed a place to go. He looked again, there was a pair of yellow eyes lower than the others. A baby animals wolves. Easier to get past. Not the best plan, but the circle was otherwise inescapable to Con’s eyes. That was their best hope. Con whispered, “Listen. There’s a little one. Can run by it and get away. You three go ahead and I will follow with the bat. Go on three. Understand?” They made small noises of agreement. A good sign. At least they understood the plan. Or they were too scared to come up with a better plan, as those two new ones seemed like they would normally be liable to do.
Con whispered, “One.” He looked around again. The animals wolves seemed to be moving closer. They were trying to block the group in to bite them. Con continued, “Two.” He felt the Upperworlders tense behind him. They were ready.
Con shouted, “THREE!”
The animals wolves started at the noise, moving towards its source. Meanwhile, the three Upperworlders sprinted in the direction Con indicated. He heard a snapping noise in the direction of the others. This was followed by a shout, although Con wasn’t sure who the voice belonged to. Had the creature made contact with one of the Upperworlders? Con shouted involuntarily, ducking as an animals wolves’ teeth streaked through the air after him. Con swung his bat hopefully, making contact with an approaching animals wolves.
Con stumbled in the direction of the others, who he could still hear crashing about. They had not gotten far yet, as was to be expected. He barely kept his grip on the bat as he staggered to keep his balance and speed at the same time. Con shouted needlessly, “Hurry!”
The animals wolves were not deterred by the group’s movements. Con soon heard the sound of the animals wolves’ pants. They were chasing them.
So they ran. Con and the Upperworlders made an effort not to be easy prey, dodging between trees, even in the dark. Con was not sure how they all managed to keep from pinning themselves against a tree. Just luck and the thrill of the chase, Con supposed. Running from danger always seemed to be a luckier task than regular running. As if there were some kind of advantage to it. Like the body knew it was in danger and had to pull out all the stops to save itself.
Suddenly, a pair of eyes appeared in front of them, running in their direction instead of chasing after them. Con hurried, as the others had stopped in fear. He raised the bat again, incredibly grateful he had grabbed it on his whim earlier. It had made an excellent defense and offense so far. The animals wolves knocked into Con, pushing him to the ground. No good! Being on the ground meant getting pummeled. Con tucked his feet closer to his chest, kicking the animals wolves just as it got a grip on his shoulder. He swore, transferring his bat to his opposite hand. Con swung at the animals wolves, trying to keep its teeth away from his flesh. Con could still move his shoulder, so the wound was probably mild, but right now it hurt horribly.
After Con connected his bat to another animals wolves, the pack fled. Apparently, this meal was not worth the beating they were taking to get to the food. Con heaved a breath of relief, moving his bat back to his wounded arm so that he could get a feel for how deep the wound was. He hissed a breath through his teeth, that little sucker hurt.
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jul 19, 2014 7:41:02 GMT -10
Miles was relieved that Con had agreed they should stop for the night, though he had to agree with Isabelle, their location was not ideal. He wasn't sure if Con was really dumb or just wanted to defy every bit of logic any of them offered. It really was a 50/50 shot on that one, and after his past close encounters with the business end of that bat, Miles bit his tongue for once, simply letting Con bully them, once again. They found a clump of trees that provided...some security, even if it was more illusion than real safety. He slid down to sit slowly, his legs aching. He didn't think he'd ever walked for so long in his life, and his shoes pinched his feet. Still, he wouldn't moan about that, not when Nona, sitting beside him, gingerly curled her toes, her bare feet cut and bruised on the bottoms. Her face was white as a sheet, her cheeks having lost their rosiness, and he assumed she was both unfamiliar and quite afraid of bleeding. He searched his bag for his mini first aid kit, a staple of all University students who traveled the way he and Isabelle did, something he'd never had reason to use before. If only that was still true. There was only a bit of gauze wrap, but combined with Isabelle's, Nona was able to wrap both feet, her eyes shining with unshed grateful tears. Poor girl. She had told them she was 17, still technically a kid, in legal terms. Her fair appearance only added to her fragile countenance. He felt strained, emotionally, physically, mentally, and was sure Isabelle did as well, though they'd never tell each other, and he could only imagine how the younger girl felt.
Leaning his back against the trunk of a large tree, he crossed his arms to warm himself as much as possible. "Someone will notice us missing soon, I imagine. Hopefully they'll find reason to send out search parties before that beast kills us." Miles murmured to Isabelle, keeping his voice soft enough so that only she could hear. She was maddening, but he was secretly thankful she was here too. Not because he wanted this to happen to her, but she was a comforting familiar presence, keeping him grounded, and sane. And he knew she was nearly as brilliant as he, so together surely they could find a way out of this mess. "Hey, does anyone else know about-" Miles started to turn to Nona to ask her if there was any alert out for her and the spectacle that surely unfolded to start this kidnapping spree, but the girl was asleep, curled up tightly, probably freezing, her head tilted slightly, propped up a bit by the tree. For the first time since they'd met her, her brow wasn't furrowed, her lips not pinched in with anxiety. At least she found peace in sleep, and he would hope for the same mercy. "Never mind, then. But odds are, people are looking for her. You don't just get kidnapped by that guy without some trouble arising. We just have to outlast him." Miles advised his friend, feeling comforted barely by this assertion.
After murmuring a bit more, the two fell silent, both too tired to keep talking, and Miles let his eyes droop shut, falling asleep sitting up quite rigidly, his head drooped to the side.
--
Nona was woken to the sound of shouting for the second time in a short span of hours. It didn't feel any better than the first time. Maybe even worse, because she was sore and cold this time. "Wha?" she mumbled drowsily, ambling to her feet as the others beside her rose to their feet as well. She sucked in a breath at the ominous yellow eyes, not settled at all by Isabelle's monologue to herself about what they could be. It just made her feel more anxious.
After surveying the surroundings in silence for a bit, Con seemed to have decided on a plan, and Nona's fear overshadowed any mistrust she held for him. Right now, they were a team. Human against animal. She waited for his count and then launched off in the direction he'd gestured to. Miles and Isabelle crashed along beside her, stumbling through the treacherous woods. Suddenly she heard the others shout, a wolf leaping out from some bush beside them, and they both leaped back towards her, making her trip and skid to the ground, her knees and palms stinging as she caught herself. The other two stumbled as well, but they pulled themselves up quickly, Miles grabbing her wrist and yanking her up faster than she could think to do it herself. He shoved her forward again, and she kept running, her breath ragged in her throat. All this time she'd been afraid of Con killing her, and now they were all going to die because of some stupid animals or maybe just keel over from exhaustion, at this rate.
Miles shouted out suddenly, and Nona had to skid to a stop to keep herself from plowing into him. "What the hell do we do now?!" Miles rasped hoarsely, looking like he might throw up, and Nona balked at the wolf ahead of them. Suddenly Con raised the bat, and the wolves leapt at him, making Nona shriek and squeeze her eyes closed. It was a few beats before she could jerk them open again, and to her immense shock, Con wasn't dead. He was actually holding his own with them. He was beating the animals back with the bat desperately, and after a fierce grapple, the animals gave up.
For a few moments, they all just breathed loudly, pulses starting to slow. Con was probing at his shoulder, and Nona made a weak sound of distress, realizing he was bleeding. And it was a good deal more than her feet earlier. Oh, was he going to die? How did anyone know? How much blood could a person lose before they just fell over, dead? "We have t-to g-get out of the woods, now." she stammered faintly, struggling take deep, even breaths. She couldn't look at Con's arm, lest she just lose it, and faint.
"We must be close the edge, see how the trees are thinned out around us? Press on...that way, I'd wager. We'll find the fence." Miles added, sounding shaken. He cast a wary look at Con, as if unsure the other boy could make it, but he seemed able enough to walk.
It took them only a few minutes to find the fence, and Nona felt unbelievable relief. They all walked in a clump, as if forgetting that Con was not like them, and they were not like him. For this moment, they were all just human. They paused and Miles and Isabelle searched for a weak point in the fence, finally finding a tiny place where Con applied copious amount of force by slamming the bat at the fence until it finally yielded a hole large enough to crawl through.
"We...we...made it. We're alive." Nona gasped, feeling like she'd just woken from some surreal dream. "We're alive." she repeated, and this time, Miles gave a relieved laugh, at this. "We-hey, yeah, your arm. Oh, I forgot, oh dear, what do we do? Are you okay? I wish my brother was here. Maybe we should find some shelter, or whatever." she babbled nervously as she remembered Con's shoulder, hands fluttering uselessly.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Jul 22, 2014 17:06:57 GMT -10
Con could hear the uneven sounds of everyone’s breathing. Apparently, Upperworld robots didn’t often have this kind of running. Of course, he himself was breathing heavily, but he had just single-handedly fought off the group of animals with sharp teeth. Wolves, Isabelle had called them. So he was the one with the most right to breath heavily and gasp for new air. However, them just running and letting Con do all the fighting seemed to be just as exhausting for them. Con supposed they weren’t accustomed to these animals being around, let alone chasing them. After all, Isabelle did not seem to know what they were on sight, instead taking a while to sort out exactly what the creatures were. If they were familiar, the identification would have been easy for her. And her and her mouthy friend probably would have had a myriad of probably useless information about the animals. Thus, it seemed rather obvious that these animals were rare. Or at least didn’t wander around on the streets attacking small groups of young adults. So for the next couple minutes, he decided to cut them some slack on how much they were out of breath.
Nona suggested that they leave the forest, and everyone quickly figured out how to do that. Part of Con wanted to protest and tell them that they would not leave the woods until he reached the Underground again. And that they were not going to trick him. But the sensible part of him pointed out that he was bleeding a pretty fair amount and that he would not be able to fight off such a pack of animals again. And they were probably smart enough to wait for the group to tire and simply attack again. So he could not exactly risk staying among the trees any longer. Con followed quietly after the group, trying to keep his mouth shut so he did not complain.
His shoulder hurt quite a lot. He was pretty confident it was the worst wound he had ever had. At least in a while. Con tried not to remember his injuries in detail. It seemed like a waste of his time and energy. However, Miles seemed concerned, so he obviously thought there was some depth to this injury. So it was serious. Con waved his arm, transferring his bat back to his left hand, “Fine. Just go.”
They walked as a group back to the fence. They were no longer separate groups as they were before, with Con menacingly waving his bat every so on to keep them motivated. Or even as they slept when the three robots curled up near one another leaving Con on the fringe of the group. Now they were just one group. And it was comforting. Con hadn’t even realized how lonely he felt just moments ago. He was accustomed to being surrounded by people every minute of every day. At home he slept in a room full of people, occasionally sleeping in a gigantic pile on the floor because of a chill or a simple lack of desire to spread out. Here, everything seemed to spread out. Families had entire buildings to themselves, gigantic in comparison to his family’s one room house from his childhood. They had these woods, which from here seemed to stretch forever. And their ceiling was impossibly high above their heads. With those precious twinkling lights. But the point was, it was huge. And so far apart. Now, with the people so far away, it was a rather lonely affair. So walking so close to this group was something of a relief. It was like being back among his friends again. Even though these people were so light-colored and stuffy.
After pounding through the fence, Con took a deep breath to stabilize himself again. He could walk it off. He did not feel too light-headed. So he could just wrap his shirt around it and get over it. Meanwhile, the others celebrated being alive. He supposed it was good. Though he had fought off rougher crowds before. Though those crowds never had as sharp of teeth as the wolves. Con laughed, “Yeah. Can’t believe it.” Isabelle was nearby muttering about how by all calculations one man was very unlikely to fight off an entire group of wild animals.
Con waved a hand at Nona, “Fine. Had worse… I think.” He twisted his head to see his shoulder, it was still bleeding. Con sighed, that was not helping his case. Isabelle shook her head, “We need shelter. Of some sort. And some more materials to stop the bleeding. The blood is falling at a rate of 4 milliliters per second. At this rate all the blood could- well, that’s beside the point. We need to stop the bleeding and we used all our gauze on Nona’s feet earlier. Though that seems to be a blessing considering all the running we just did. Miles and I could try a convenience store to get some sort of bandage. We’re not too roughed up, so no one would notice. That leaves the question of where to go.”
Con queried, “That for travelers?” He pointed at a small house across the street. The tiny building looked more his speed. Maybe one family lived in that. It matched the large building next to it and had no windows. Plus it did not look occupied. Maybe that was a small house travelers stopped in- assuming no robot family would live in such a comparatively small dwelling. Isabelle raised her brows, “The shed? I suppose it could suffice. The dimensions appear large enough to house us. At least temporarily. Though it will be cramped. And perhaps dirty. Not exactly the best location to heal a wound. Maybe we should attempt to ask a family for housing. Though they would surely be suspicious. Can we rent a hotel room? Do we even have money for such a thing? They would be less suspicious, but they would notice the blood. And maybe they would ask questions. Con’s dark hair would also draw unnecessary attention to us.” She drummed her fingers against her chin, apparently caught up in the web of plans.
Con’s shoulder throbbed, he muttered, “Whatever it is, just hurry.”
|
|
Semi-Active
|
1,336 posts
|
1 like
|
"Put that thing back where it came from or so help me!"
|
Dec 5, 2020 9:20:08 GMT -10
|
Marquis (Marquise)
|
Post by smartblondie on Jul 28, 2014 12:06:20 GMT -10
Nona hadn't been entirely sure they'd make it out. Things had taken a turn from bad to worse, fast, and unfortunately, that didn't mean it started raining, the way it always did when someone said that in movies. Though, as she thought about it, now that they were out of the woods, she could see the sky a bit better, even in the dark, and it seemed a lot of stars were being blocked out by thick clouds rolling in. Maybe it would rain. Hopefully they found somewhere warm and dry first.
After they'd all accepted that they were alive and started trudging on, looking for shelter, a safe place to patch up Con's shoulder. They had accepted someone's old shed as a safe enough place to stop. Isabelle had tried to run through other options, but none of them were logical. They'd have to stop here and do what they could. Thank goodness the other two were Medical students. Not as good as real doctors, but at least they could have a clue of what to do. Nona felt a little guilty about the fact that she'd used all of their bandages, but she was grateful for the small reprieve for her bare feet.
As the approached the small building, Nona's chest ached, homesick. She missed her parents. And her room. And her friends. And the House AI. And every little detail she'd never take for granted again. She wondered if she'd ever get back there. It wouldn't do anything good to lose hope, she told herself, so she forced herself to shake the mopeyness and try and look at least optimistic, if not happy. Nona located the door, since Con was slowed by his arm and the other two were debating the best methods of fixing his injury. She turned the doorknob, and as she'd expected, it was unlocked. Why would anyone lock doors? No one ever broke in. Until now, she supposed, but they were just borrowing it. "C'mon, no one is in here. I'll find the light." she called softly, slipping inside the dark room. It smelled musty and she sneezed quietly, wrinkling her nose. "It's dusty. Must be some carpenters or something." she guessed as she located the string dangling in the middle of the room. A small tug lit up the room, and she smiled faintly, pleased with herself.
"This'll have to do. We have some medicine and antiseptics, but no bandages or cloth. Do you think there's anything we can use in here? If not, we can at least...clean the wound, but it won't do to have it open for disease." Miles said authoritatively, seeming the calmest he'd been since Nona had met him. He was in his element now, and his confident tone soothed some of Nona's nerves. "Sit down here, Con, and be really still. Isabelle, come on, you can play assistant if you want." he smirked at her teasingly, but there was a pleasure in his voice at Isabelle's presence. Nona rubbed her neck nervously, unable to look at the bloody shoulder. She wasn't much help in this situation. "Nona...why don't you look around for something clean to wrap this with." Miles said after a few moments of her wavering. "Right! Yeah, I can do that, sure!" she said agreeably, grateful for something else to do.
--
Miles was finally in his zone. He was born for this, literally. Most of his training was other, more prudent medical information, since it was rare for an Upperworlder to get injured like THIS, but safety regulations said that Med Students had to have classes in anatomy and biology, of course, and simple understandings of all basic, if primitive, injuries, like bites, broken bones, burns, cuts, and the like. So while he would've preferred a problem involving genes, he still felt more capable than he had all day.
Isabelle, though he'd never tell her, was the best person to have at his side, too. As maddening as the girl was, she was a useful person to have around and capable woman to work with. The two of them were working on Con's shoulder side by side, wearing their student-issue gloves and mumbling to each other as they worked about the best method. Nona had located them some linens, sheets and blankets likely stowed here for camping or something along those lines. They were clean, of course, kept in a sanitary bag even in this slightly dusty room. It wasn't too terrible, he supposed, for what seemed to be a workshop, with all the saws safely locked and stowed. Didn't seem like it had been used in a while, he thought. Probably better for them.
Now, nearly done, Miles sighed, exhausted. They wrapped the strips of fabric around his shoulder slowly, and Miles glanced back towards the door, where Nona had been sitting, leaned against the frame, for a while. He had thought she was asleep, maybe, but she made a soft sound, something like a laugh, but he wasn't sure at what, when the tell-tale pitter patter of rain started. Thunder rumbled across the sky, and Miles sighed. It would be wet and muggy tomorrow morning, at this rate. "At least we found a roof before the rain started." he grumbled, peeling his gloves off as Nona stood to wander back over to them.
|
|
Moderator
|
1,612 posts
|
2 likes
|
Mischief Managed!
|
Aug 31, 2022 13:10:16 GMT -10
|
Unicorn
|
Post by elise13 on Aug 20, 2014 18:49:38 GMT -10
Con was, admittedly, a little bit distracted. His shoulder ached so much it was cutting his focus. And he wanted to pay attention. He did not want to be caught unawares or end up shot for being on the surface just because he was distracted by some silly bite. Honestly, why did the Upperworld keep such dangerous things around? They seemed like a menace more than they could be useful. So why have them around? The robots got rid of the Undergrounders because they chose not to give into robotic whims, why would they keep those things?
Thus, he scarcely noticed the details of how he ended up inside the building. It was so comfortable inside. It was almost a relief to be in such a small building instead of the gargantuan towers the Upperworlders seemed to consider normal. And it was even slightly dirty! That was ever-so familiar. He was glad to see his familiar dirt and small spaces. That almost made up for his stupid injury. And if his shoulder hadn’t continued to act up, he might have forgotten about it and just fallen back asleep in the comfort of this ‘shed,’ as Isabelle termed it. Con mumbled, “Dirt smells weird.”
---
When they walked in, Isabelle was not thrilled at their surroundings. The environment was hardly sterile, not good to clean a wound in. However, it was their best option. And the dust really was not too much of a problem, as most of it was settled. And it was not like Conrad was foolish enough to roll around in the sawdust. Though, the look on his face was hardly intelligent at the moment. Even for an Undergrounder. He was dully staring around muttering about the sawdust being strange-smelling dirt. Honestly, how stupid could he be?
Still, he managed to shuffle over where Miles directly him, with only a little bit of extra direction from Isabelle. Meanwhile, Isabelle returned her focus to Miles. This was important. Not to mention valuable experience for medical students. Though she doubted she would ever encounter another primeval wound in her future. Still, perhaps she could write a paper about the experience then further comment about how their genetic advancements eliminated the need for such brutish tactics and medical procedures. That would certainly help advance her position in the class. Though Miles would probably want to put his overly long prestigious name on top of the paper as well. His help might improve the paper at least though, for he would not simply put his name in without writing part of the paper.
But that was entirely unimportant right now. The stupid injury was relevant right now. Isabelle laughed at Miles’ tease. She walked beside him, “Okay, but only because you will be my assistant when we finish our degrees.” Isabelle smirked, raising a brow at Miles momentarily before actually focusing on the task at hand. Blowing a quick breath into her gloves, she slid her fingers into them with ease, ready to face the task ahead.
For the most part, Isabelle found the experience enlightening and invigorating. They were not just reading from a textbook or working through microscopes, they were immediately affecting another person. Well, if one could consider Underground oafs people. Still, chatting about methods distracted her from their work for a moment because she pondered the issue rather than focusing. Still, she regained her attention again quickly. Con was complaining, rather loudly. He kept asking what they thought they were doing and how much longer they were going to take. And he kept mentioning that they were not making the pain go away very quickly. Isabelle kept telling him to shut up, but she was having minimal success.
Con moaned a few more times as they finished wrapping his shoulder, but then he seemed to shut up when he thought they were not going to poke at his sore shoulder anymore. Isabelle stepped away from Con, glad to return to her own space. She quickly snapped her gloves off, not sure how to properly dispose of them because of the lack of a rubbish containment unit. Isabelle was about to propose some ideas to the group when, for once, she was interrupted by someone else. What a strange occurrence.
It was Miles, complaining about the rain, which started its rhythmic pattern mere moments after they completed wrapped Con’s bite. Isabelle muttered, “Quite fortunate, otherw-“ And then she was interrupted yet again. And not by a quiet complaint this time either.
---
Con screamed. Sure, he was not at the top of his game, but he could guess that the Upperworld police had finally come for him. And he was about to be full of holes. And dead. Despite his still sore, freshly wrapped shoulder, Con threw himself down.
But the shots were quieter than Con would have expected. And there was no new pain. And he was still breathing. Plus, none of the robots were freaking out, which was what he would expect from them if something so violent were occurring right before their eyes. In fact, they seemed rather nonchalant about the strangely soothing sound. But Con had never heard this noise before. Apparently they had. And it annoyed them slightly. Except for Nona who appeared to be laughing. Maybe the uptight pair just could not appreciate its glory.
Con lifted himself off the ground slightly, “What’s that noise? Not guns?” Isabelle rolled her eyes, “Are you stupid? Well, that’s a given, isn’t it? It’s rain, ignoramus.” Though they had bonded somewhat over their escape and Con’s wound, it seemed Isabelle was not quite ready to be completely kind to him. Con asked, risking her possible further ridicule, not like he cared, “What’s rain?” Isabelle sighed, “You know, water. From the sky. It is hardly a secret or complex matter, you ought to be able to wrap your hand about it.”
Con was, as it seemed he often was in the Upperworld, immensely confused. Water was falling from the roof? Was there some sort of leak? Shouldn’t they be worried? Or at least a little bit concerned? But their faces were completely calm. Bored even. Relaxed. Con breathed, “What?”
Conrad decided it was simply best to look for himself. They would take too long to explain and he would be better off avoiding their complex, strange vocabularies.
Con hurried outside, not particularly caring for a moment if someone happened to be wandering right outside the door. No one was, so he did not feel guilty or particularly concerned. What really bothered him was that he was drenched. As if someone had thrown him in a bath. Where was the water coming from? The ceiling. It was leaking. Horribly. He was drenched. Everything was wet. The buildings, the strange plants, his clothes. Con gaped, “What is happening?”
It was horrifying. But it was also marvelous. It was so fun. And strange. Con held his arms out, watching the drops bounce off the already strangely clean surface of his skin. He kept gasping as each moment brought another surprise. The way the water gathered on green leaves. The way it gathered on the ground into small…groups of water droplets. Con ran up to the water on the ground, the water splashing as he ran through. That was exhilarating. Con looked up towards the ceiling, trying to get a good look at what was happening up there, but a drop hit him in the eye. Con ran back to the door, his eyes still half-closed from the water. He half-shouted, “See this?! What’s this?” Con waved his arms, trying to impress to them the importance of what was happening outside right now.
|
|