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Post by Bear on Dec 15, 2015 21:08:15 GMT -5
If You're Walking Through Hell and High Water
#627 Hunger wasn’t something that Cal felt anymore, but she wasn’t sure if it was because her body had grown accustomed to eating so little, or. because like her hope, her appetite had just kind of… given up. A raised hand allowed her fingers to brush back the loose strands of hair that tossed around in the early morning breeze. She had managed to work a scavenged brush though her vivid red locks; the big, wave like curls, had formed once again. Her scalp and skin had passed the point of being greasy and had, in fact, begun to regulate oils properly. Despite everything, she was doing pretty well. Physically at least.
Mentally she was caught somewhere between a 5 year old having a tantrum and a 104 year old who had all but given up on life. Company. That’s what she needed. Raion would be about any minute now. He had become the best part of her day, and she couldn’t help but become excited when she knew it was close to their time together. She wrapped her arms around her chest, each hand gripping the opposite forearm; a smile slithered onto her face. Raion. It had been a while since their morning ritual began and Cal had shrugged off the initial feeling of guilt.
There had been a time where she had tried to refuse his help. When she was on edge and ready to walk the food she felt she was stealing back to the group, to people who she felt deserved it. But, each day he came Cal felt a little less badly about herself. He clearly thought that she was someone who deserved to eat; who deserved to be treated like a human. So why shouldn’t she see that in herself? Her mouth watered as she wondered what protein would be on the menu today.
The waves lapped up at the shore as she continued to be carried away by her thoughts. Is he running late today? No. Don’t be silly Calloway. He never fails to show up. Not once. So you just shut your paranoid self the hell up and keep cool. He’ll be here. Just keep cool. Cal pulled her knees towards her torso and slowly let out the pent up anxiety that she had momentarily allowed to consume her. What did she really have to be nervous about? Nothing. This place just seemed to bring out the flighty side of her.
A rustle in the surrounding jungle caught her attention and Cal’s head swiveled to investigate. Raion? Her voice was playful as she picked her body up, now standing on the rock that had become their meeting place. Home she thought to herself. She wasn’t sure that she would ever be able to express to the man what he meant to her, nor how thankful she was for everything that he was doing. She wasn’t even sure that he thought of her as more than a mere responsibility. But to Cal he was her friend. Her only friend. And because of that simple fact, he had become her world. Each night before bed she thought of Cody and Neenah, the little girl on the beach, her parents, and Raion. Occasionally… on particularly sleepless nights she would think of Logan or Zach… though never fondly.
Her eyes scanned the jungle for any further proof of human life, but she instead found a monkey, flinging himself around in the tangle of vines and branches. I mean… close. Cal dared to let a small chuckle fall from her lips, the corners of her eyes turning up in a smile. She continued to stare off into the crowded jungle. He would come. He always came.
Please Don't do it Alone
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Post by Clannibal on Dec 16, 2015 20:08:03 GMT -5
It didn't feel as if anything had changed. On his first food trip to Cal, he had been feeling pretty down on things. Had they gotten better? Maybe for a few days. The beach party had been a fun time for everyone - the most fun any of them had had in weeks. And now... Raion walked through thick jungle, making quite the ruckus. Not many people came around here this time of day, so he'd stopped worrying about being seen with Cal. Besides, he just didn't have the heart to care about that today. And not caring was pretty unlike him. He sighed and his mind drifted to the cave full of sick people that he was leaving behind. Things had changed. He may not be able to visit Cal every single day. Not right now. And yet, as busy as he felt, he was still scared for her. How could he not check on her every day? What if she fell ill, too? The jungle was loud, not just with his thoughts, but with the animals around them. They were active today. He hardly noticed as one passed over his head. In fact, he hardly even noticed that he was already on track with the path to Cal - she was just a few feet ahead of him, in the jungle, instead of the rock where they always ate. His head was down and he would've ran into her if he hadn't looked up last second. The sight of her right there spooked him a bit and he stopped with sudden sharpness. Him being spooked by her arrivals was becoming a trend for them. "Cal! Geeze. I'm jumpy today," he said breathlessly, rubbing his head in his usual habit. He eyed her with a sense of urgency, as if he was looking for some kind of sign of trouble on her. She seemed healthy and chirpy, as usual. Her hair was fine and ravishing; he secretly loved the shine of its bright red. He hadn't really a clue what his hair looked like by now. He needed to ask someone to cut it for him. He hadn't shaved in a few days, either. He carried with him only two bananas. Usually he'd have more. He felt bad...but she hadn't a clue what was happening, and surely she would understand when he told her. "How are you? Are you feeling okay?" he asked, his eyes once again studying her features with concern he did not bother to conceal.
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Post by mermaidangel on Dec 16, 2015 20:58:05 GMT -5
you played me wrong yeah you ruin me
Kelly didn't know what to think or what sense to make out of things. She and Raion were dating now, or whatever dating meant when the couple was stranded on an island, but they'd decided to try going steady. Kelly's heart was soaring and she felt as though she were walking on air for the next couple of days. But then people started getting sick, and Kelly believed it had something to do with the monkeys. She'd hated the idea of eating monkeys, so she'd stuck with fish. And she was glad she did, because soon people started getting extremely sick, and Kelly didn't think it was a normal flu. Especially since this was an exotic island and there had been plenty of time for a flu to spread in the group if someone else had been carrying it. Too bad no one here was a doctor, but hopefully one would turn up. She tried staying optimistic, but watching people dying from this illness was something Kelly had never had to deal with, and it was wearing down on her. She knew that she would have to be careful and keep her mental strength up and just stay positive or else she could become sick. Hopefully her immune system would continue to stay strong. The idea of having some people take "vacation days" and spending some time away from the group in order to stay healthy and strong had occurred to her a few days ago, and she decided that she was going to suggest it to someone soon.
Raion seemed to be less like himself recently, and Kelly's insecurity made her scared that it was because of her. She'd also noticed that he'd been stepping away from the group early in the morning but she hadn't said anything because she really hadn't thought anything of it. Until she'd noticed him changing. It was subtle and she doubted that anyone else could see it, but to Kelly it was a big change. So one morning she decided that she was going to follow him. It wasn't like her to do something like that, but she wanted to make sure that he was okay. Maybe he'd been feeling sick? No, he’d been sneaking off before that, hadn’t he? If she remembered correctly, that is.
So she followed him through the jungle, making sure to stay far enough away that he couldn’t see nor hear her. It was difficult to stay quiet admit branches and dry leaves, but thankfully the animals were quite active today and able to muffle the sound of footsteps in the jungle. The whole time she walked she wondered what he could possibly be up to. The thought made her smile and her heart warmed, thinking that she could have landed someone like Raion. Soon Raion stopped suddenly and was spooked, and Kelly was worried that he’d seen her. But no, it was someone else. Another girl around her age, and that girl was pretty…
And Raion was looking at her with concern and asking how she was. He’d sounded so friendly with her when he’d spoken, and Kelly was able to deduce that they’d met before and knew each other. Her eyes narrowed as she hid behind a tree, making sure she could still hear them. Raion was searching the girl rather closely, and Kelly felt a pang in her heart. Why would he feel the need to sneak off and meet the girl here? How long had they known each other? The answer was looking more bleak as Kelly watched.
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla
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Post by Bear on Dec 18, 2015 2:38:02 GMT -5
"] If You're Walking Through Hell and High Water
#693 Callow smirked the second her eyes caught sight of him. It was like a breath of fresh air, a gulp of ice cold water, the hug from someone you loved. It was one thing she had grown dependent on – even though she had promised herself that she wouldn’t. Her smirk gave way to an apologetic lip bite as she realized that in her excitement she had caused him a bit of fright. Oh, gosh! I’m sorry! I didn’t – I mean, I just couldn’t seem to sit still this morning so I thought maybe I would stretch my legs for a bit while I was waiting she tilted her head gently to the side, red tresses falling like a crimson waterfall. Her hand reached out to touch his forearm I’m sorry
She gave the jungle a quick scan. Most of the paranoia that she felt about getting caught had worn off, but it wasn’t in her nature to ever really let her guard down. Her fingers ran the length from his elbow down to his wrist before she broke off the contact and rested her hand on her hip. Physical contact was something all humans needed, right? Cal thought she could remember a study done on people who were deprived of human interaction, of friendly touches, and she was sure that they all suffered from continual emotional health issues. Besides, Raion was her friend. Right? No harm, no foul.
I’m fine, really! She reassured as she noted that he was still scanning her. She held out her arms and did a little spin for emphasis, a small giggle playing around in her throat. See? Still in one piece! Her expression remained lighthearted, but her tone changed to one of concern Are you ok? He had been acting… a little off lately she guessed. Then again, that could just be her imagining things again. She had a habit of making mountains out of mole hills, especially when she was put into anxiety inducing situation.
Her eyes narrowed into the jungle and she swore that she could see someone, but soon she chalked it up, again, to their primate friends who also inhabited the area. Those damn monkeys were everywhere. Getting into everything. And eating up all of the food resources that they had. It was then that she noticed the bananas in his hand. She gently reached out to take one from his hand. It was her rule that she would only ever eat half of what he brought, insisting that he joined her for every meal. Really, at this point their interactions were more about feeding her soul than feeding her stomach. And if getting him to eat with her meant that she got to bask in his presence for a short bit longer, well then, that was worth losing out on a bit of banana. Cal liked people; really, she did. She just sometimes struggled with feeling comfortable with them, and after the start she got with people on the island she wasn’t exactly excited about the thought of having to be part of the group, but then again, she felt a little guilty that Raion was still sneaking around for her. She never intended to turn into someone who was a burden. She definitely wasn’t used to playing that role in a relationship with someone she cared about. Maybe she would bring up the idea of staying with the group a couple of nights a week. It was a start, right? And maybe, just maybe it would help Raion start feeling… more like Raion.
But she wasn’t about to start that conversation in the middle of the jungle while her stomach tossed and turned over the idea of waiting any longer for that damn banana; so she made a small motion suggesting that the pair head out to the beach, to take their usual places perched on their usual rock. Usual. Familiar. Calming. They were all weird words to use in a place like this, but Cal was slowly becoming more and more comfortable integrating them into her vocabulary once again.
Please Don't do it Alone
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Post by Clannibal on Dec 18, 2015 20:04:02 GMT -5
Raion did not fail to notice how delighted she was when he arrived. Thinking on it, she was always happy to see him. It was heartwarming, in a gooey life-is-great kind of way. Raion wasn't used to feeling valued. Since being "settled" onto this island, he'd already made more of an impact on their society than he ever had at home, in the so-called real world. He had a girlfriend, a best friend, and partners in crime. He had everything he'd prayed for. So, why was it so hard for him to smile? As Cal smirked, he forced one back. At least his smiles were hard to pass as fake! The pressure was real on him and now that he and Cal were back at it, he felt he had some breathing space, at least. She was so down to earth. Yeah, who was he kidding? He would simply have to fit her in his mornings as usual. The thought of her dying was unbearable. It gave him an idea, though: perhaps the healthy could rotate in care-taking shifts, and he could request nights. Her fingers ran lightly along his arm. The contact seemed innocent but it was unexpected, and Raion cleared his throat, suddenly losing focus of his present thoughts. Amy, his ex, used to touch him that way. It drove him crazy when she'd do that. Unfortunately, not in a kind of way that ended well for him. "Don't be sorry! I'm... just on edge. As usual," he said lightly, retracting from his former seriousness. Keep the mood light, try not to let her freak out or feel guilty. "I'm glad you're feeling good."He debated how to answer her returned question of his health. Was he good? He hated lying. Maybe it wasn't a lie, though. He was alive, one of the healthy ones, and the people most important to him right now were all alive, too. He conjured up a response as he followed Cal's lead to their usual spot on the beach. It was such a pretty place. Taking a breather surely couldn't hurt. At first he had debated dropping off and running back to the cave. "Yeah. I'm one of the lucky people," he started with a bit of grimness, his lips pressing together in symmetrical seriousness. As he walked, he looked over to her. May as well get straight to the point with her. "People are getting really sick. They're dropping like flies. Right now, there are more sick people than healthy ones. It's scary and nobody knows what it is. Cal, I want you to keep staying away from us right now. Maybe away from me, too. I feel fine, but, I could be carrying it."The big boulder loomed ahead of them now. As he reached it, he tossed the bananas up before he climbed onto its warm, sun-bleached perch. The birds were everywhere today, enthusiastically chasing fish and crabs in the break of ocean waves. His mind seemed to be stuck now on Amy, and the correlating touch of Cal's fingers. He was starting to question what Cal really thought of him. Wait, he was supposed to be thinking about the sick people! He was all over the place. Still, he knew that, if Kelly was here, and she'd seen that interaction, she'd think he and Cal were an item. Wouldn't he think that in her shoes? Hopefully, he hadn't been giving Cal any mixed signals. And maybe, just maybe, he was so short on human contact, that he'd simply become oversensitive to it.
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Post by mermaidangel on Dec 19, 2015 22:28:43 GMT -5
you played me wrong yeah you ruin me Kelly's eyes narrowed again. So, this girl had been waiting for Raion? Interesting... Her heart jumped in her throat when the girl touched Raion's forearm. Kelly was instantly reminded that she wasn't very touchy-feely anymore, and she wondered if Raion was getting something from this girl that Kelly couldn't provide. No. What was she thinking? That was crazy! It was probably perfectly innocent– But he hadn’t pulled away, had he? It was hard to tell from where she was, and she could only hope that he remembered that (as far as he was concerned) he had a girlfriend with -understandable- trust-issues waiting back at the caves.
Kelly pressed her back to a tree when the girl's eyes searched the jungle, and she waited until she was speaking again before peeking around the tree trunk. When the other girl did a spin and giggled, Kelly's eyebrows knitted together. Well played... Another close call! This time Kelly decided to kneel behind some thick palmetto bushes and watch through the small cracks. They wouldn’t see her in there, right? Ugh, now they were walking again! Kelly rolled her eyes and walked slowly behind, thankful when they finally stopped. She’d been stooping down and walking so her legs were beginning to cramp.
Raion was telling the girl about the sick people, and Kelly’s emotions began to settle again. Okay, maybe this meeting was no big deal, really; maybe he was just informing her of the group’s state and telling her to stay away until everyone was better. Ah, the girl’s name was Cal. Almost close to Kel… Hopefully she’d never be called that. “Kelly” was just fine with her. Her eyes widened when Raion mentioned that he could be carrying it. Was he trying to scare Cal into staying away? Or was he serious? If so, it’s nice that he thought to tell Kelly now that they were really close to each other… Okay, that was unfair of her… If Kelly was going to get sick, she would have already gotten sick, right? She pushed that scary thought out of her mind and focused her attention back on Raion and Cal. …He’d said “keep staying away from us.” Why was Cal staying away from them?
#kelly | @raion | notes ulla
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Post by Bear on Dec 22, 2015 2:18:50 GMT -5
If You're Walking Through Hell and High Water
#Idon'tevenknow
Cal felt like she was on an emotional roller coaster and Raion was the conductor - he suddenly seemed to be in a bit of a better mood, so that was a positive, right? She looked to him, searching for that light-hearted guy she had run into while she walked through the jungle. A memory flashed of his face pressed into the moss, the damp ground soaking though her thin shirt - it seemed like a life time ago. The thought of his smile that day kept her own plastered to her face. Was it possible that life was easier less than two weeks ago? That their rescue had seemed so much more plausible such a short time ago? And now what? Now they were hopeless?
As they continued their way to the boulder Cal sucked in a deep breath of humid island air. She could spend forever with a view like this. The waves were shallow this morning as they kissed the beach that was beginning to warm under the orange morning sun. There seemed to be an abnormal amount of seaweed washing up on the shore these last few days, and Cal made mental note to look into it; maybe the type of plant would give her a clue on where they were. Or at least a general region. Not that it would help, there wasn’t a way to relay that to anyone in the real world.
As he looked to her she also turned her head away from the surf to meet his eyes, still meandering toward their spot. Her shoulders shuttered as he talked about people getting sick, dropping like flies? They were dying? How many? Who!? Zach maybe? Logan…? Cal shook the thoughts from her mind. Even if she didn’t enjoy their company she would never wish anybody illness, right? Right. Besides, the group probably needed Zach.
His next word were like a punch to the gut, but she managed to keep a smile on her face. She let them tumble around in her mind as they completed their walk to the rock. Her eyes followed the bananas, and then her body. She hoisted herself onto the smooth, cool surface. Yeah, I mean - I get it She broke the silence, breaking the neck of her fruit and scooting over a bit to give Raion more space.
Was he making this up? An excuse to not have to come out to see her every day? The thought made her stomach turn. The least he could do would be to man up and just tell her that. She knew that it was an inconvenience to go out of his way to sneak her food - and she would never ask him to do it, but she figured he kept it up because he enjoyed her company… apparently not. She managed to hid the heartbreak she felt as she shoved the over ripe banana in her mouth. She needed a moment to come up with words.
You know, you have to do you and what’s best for you! she shrugged gently They probably need you more than I do - you have a knack for taking care of people She leaned over and gave him a slight nudge with her shoulder. It was like she had gotten the sibling that she had always wanted, and he didn’t want her. Funny how a place like this can force relationships so quickly. But then again.. that might just be Cal. She had a habit of giving her heart away much faster than any rational human would even consider. With Cody it had only been a short few months before she was in love, and then there was Neenah. You would think that she would learn to guard herself, but here she was, putting her trust into someone who saw her as a responsibility.
Her own thoughts were driving her insane and she could feel her eyes brim with tears. Oh hell no She faked a yawn and quickly swept her finger under each eye to dispose of the evidence. She had gotten so stinking soft on this damn island. She carefully calculated the number of granola bars left in her backpack - two. There were a grand total of two left. Where did they all go? She couldn’t quite remember.
So, uh, no clue where this illness is coming from ey? her voice was inquisitive. Science had always been her escape, and she was coming from a biology background, maybe she could be of help to him for once.
Please Don't do it Alone
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Post by Clannibal on Jan 1, 2016 16:47:37 GMT -5
There was plenty of body language to read here, and Raion cared enough to pick up on it. He noticed the way his words seem to cut her. What he couldn't know was why, or how deeply, or much of anything substantial. He thought he was going to get more of a concerned reaction from her when he filled her in on the news. After all, it was a small island, and she could get this sickness, too. That had been his point, but it seemed to blow over her head. As kind as he wanted to be, Raion felt a little frustrated with her response. Didn't she get that none of this was about him?He shifted his legs uncomfortably. Why did he always feel guilty? His whole life had been lived that way. He wanted to do the right things and he never got what he needed most. No, none of that was the point. He gazed out to the ocean and made himself eat his own thoughts - this wasn't about him, but he was knee-deep in it. He still had to figure out a way to cope with scary situations and keep being the guy who didn't take it out on other people. Looking back to Cal, after some long moments to think about his words, he offered more of an explanation to her. Girls were so hard to follow sometimes, and he was far from a master at any kind of socializing. "The thing is, I'm scared, Cal. You make it sound so casual, like I can make a choice between you and my other friends. I feel....so overwhelmed. "Tears were coming that he didn't expect. He looked away again while forcing his eyes to stop pooling over. Crying was weak, embarrassing, and he'd done enough of it as a kid to hate it forever. He wanted to chuckle at her question about knowing anything about the illness. They were grasping at straws, but even that was a long shot. For all it was worth, their hard work in trying to take care of the sick could still end in mass death. "You don't understand what I meant, I guess. You like being out here on your own, but it still scares me to think about it. I always think about the possibility of you getting hurt out here, with no one to help you. I...you're my best friend, Cal. So, trust me, if I ever disappear from your life, its not because I'm taking care of me." Perhaps this was a way for him to unload some stress. She probably wouldn't expect so much passion on his part. But he especially wanted her to understand what they were all going through, and maybe even on a deeper subconscious level, receive her advice. Raion used a hand to wipe some sweat off of his upper lip. Was it hot? He tried not to be paranoid that he was getting sick. He felt fine. Just strung out. "There's so few of us left. We are trying to feed everyone and ourselves. I guess I'm a bit exhausted. "
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