(IC) An Unceasing Hunger [Actual Cannibal Shia LaBeouf]

[7LayerDipstick]

OOC Thread here (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?644092-An-Unceasing-Hunger-Actual-Cannibal-Shia-LaBeouf)

An Unceasing Hunger
Against the mountains of the American Northwest is a relatively small state park centered around the modestly sized Lake Luton. This park is the sole source of tourism for the nearby township, also named Luton. The inhabitants generally appreciate the various campers, hikers, swimmers, and other park-goers that provide income for the small businesses that populate the area.

It is in this park that the protagonists of this tale find themselves. However, before we look at these individuals, let us look at their surroundings.

Within this park is a great pine forest, the conical evergreens reaching their peaks into the sky to grasp for the light of the sun. The earth below the mighty pines is shaded by the canopy they provide. With little sun reaching the forest floor, the undergrowth is sparse at best, leaving a carpet of discarded pinecones and brown needles to provide ground cover.

The only places where dense, low-lying plant life thrives are in those areas where the trees are separate enough that precious sunlight may break through the canopy. The most notable sites are along the coast of the lake and along the side of the road, which marks one of the park's borders.

The park itself has a modest network of paved roads and small parking lots so visitors and park staff can easily traverse the area. The park is also home to nearly a dozen different hiking trails and a smattering of paved biking paths.

Lake Luton itself is rather magnificent. It may not be large enough to make it onto most maps, but it is by no means small. It sits several hundred feet across at its widest point in a rough egg shape. The narrow end of this egg is the inlet of the small river of mountain meltwater that feeds the lake. Most of the coastline is choked by dense plant growth, but two areas on opposite sides of the lake have been cleared away and made into smooth gravel beaches, which each have a nearby campsite that they serve.

One site is little more than a restroom and water spigot with an open dirt area where campers can set campfires or pitch tents, three of which currently dot the otherwise bare land.

The opposite site is somewhat more civilized. Six log cabins spaced well apart look out over the lake. Even from the outside, modern amenities can be seen. The porches have electric lights, a satellite dish on each of the rooves, and even a modest air conditioning unit for any warm periods.
These two sites are reached by a paved road that comes from the park entrance and splits near the wide end of Lake Luton, directly adjacent to the boat rental and launch.

A short way down this road, back toward the park entrance, is the Park Lodge. The lodge is a grand, beautiful building that could nearly be mistaken for a mansion at first glance. It is a gathering place for all sorts. From a series of seating areas where you can sit in comfort while admiring the beauty of nature, to a knowledge center where park rangers can tell you all about the various plants, animals, and other sorts of life that inhabit the area, to a general store where you can buy anything you may need for a camping trip, to a small restaurant that serves perfectly acceptable, albeit stereotypical, American fare.

Today, that lodge, and in fact, the rest of the park, is not very densely populated. It is already mid-afternoon, and the park only has about a dozen visitors, and it is in those dozen visitors we find our protagonists.

Now, let us turn our attention away from the environment we find ourselves in and instead turn it to those people that we see within it.

[WindStruck]

We find Chelsea Higgins swimming in the lake, naturally. She had originally arrived in the Luton State Park on a moped for some sightseeing, hiking, relaxation, and connection with nature. Of course, she also heard of the lake there, and came prepared in case the weather allowed for a pleasant swim.

After having a light meal in the lodge restaurant and hiking around a bit, she eventually meandered her way to Lake Luton. Looking around, there seemed to be three people who had set up campsites nearby. It wasn't a lot, and she had hardly walked by many people today, but to be safe, she decided to walk along a trail on the outskirts of the lake, then she cut into the forest, then the dense underbrush as she neared the wider "base" of the large, egg-shaped lake.

It was here that she had decided to strip off. Underneath her shorts and tank top was a bright pink bikini; it was a tiny affair, secured in the back and to the sides with bits of string. Having placed her shoes and clothes on top of her backpack, Chelsea was confident her belongings wouldn't be found. And even then, still less likely they would be stolen.

Chelsea is a young woman with an athletic body. She has long, fiery-red hair with slight, frizzy curls and sky-blue eyes. Her skin is pretty pale, maybe even pasty, with some freckles all along her body and some on her face. As an actual ginger who was made fun of in school sometimes, one thing was actually true: sunblock was important.

It is during this warmest part of the day in the afternoon that we find Chelsea swimming. She's an extremely good swimmer, and swimming from one end of the lake to the other at its longest point was no problem. She fully intended to do just that, over and over. Though, her pace was not competitive or race worthy. It was quite the opposite: leisurely and relaxed.

Chelsea practiced various forms, occasionally diving under the surface as well, though much of the time she merely did a simple backstroke, or just floated there in the middle of the lake, gazing at the sky. Something was on her mind and clearly bothering her. But in the end, this is where she felt at home. It was so quiet and peaceful here in the water, amid the beauty of nature.

She had already been here a while. And she could yet remain here for hours more.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[MaltholLoth]

Jim liked his time out in nature, enjoying fresh air and the tranquil lack of office chatter that filled his normal workdays. He was social enough but some of the people there could seemingly talk the hind legs off a donkey! This morning, he'd checked the weather, seemed good enough but tying the sleeves of a thin waterproof around his waist he set out, jumped on a bus to arrive at the lake Luton and slowly walk laps and wander its ways.

He'd already had lunch at the lodge, it had been quiet, though he remembered seeing a redhead lass who he exchanged a smile and nod with on walking in but didn't interact with further as he sat staring out of the window and had left at some point before he had. The food was wholesome enough and the hot chocolate nothing special but far from bad.

At this point in the afternoon, he'd reached the far end of the egg shaped lake, near the inlet of the mountain stream that fed it. Taking a moment to stare at the water slowly rippling along, splashing gently against the rocks and banks.


Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat.

[Metastachydium]

Unlike these other two, Carine Laplace is not exactly where she'd like to be. Clad in a white one-shoulder T-shirt, light grey high ankle skinny jeans and a pair of soft, flat thong sandals very much unfit for the purpose of trekking, she's been erratically meandering through the pine forest for hours now, somehow managing to miss even the dirt tracks traversing it. As evidenced by the look of confusion combined with traces of mild fascination in her little, round brown eyes and her near-constant fidgeting with her shoulder-length flaxen hair, this slim, short girl has mixed feelings regarding the situation she's found herself in. On the one hand, this might be the single best environment to experiment with her newfound and boundless personal freedom and reflect on her unique and unfiltered individuality, safe from the fetters of social expectations and the need to maintain the routines that these expectations prescribe. On the other hand, she's been walking for hours, she's getting the nagging feeling she's going to get hungry soon-ish and her bag with all her money, her second most favourite sweater and her bottle of majestically oversweetened coffee is probably still on that train, unlike herself who markedly isn't – all she's left with are the clothes on her back and that snazzy little spade that will totally prove very useful someday (unless, of course, she gets devoured by some crazy naked guy before that, but she's not yet aware of that risk). Accordingly, when her ears pick up the soft lapping of waves in the distance, she immediately corrects course and begins to walk towards what she expects to be more of a landmark than a bunch of pines – but at a very leisurely pace.


Blood tokens: 5/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)

[7LayerDipstick]

At this moment, Carine Laplace crests a ridge to see something resembling civilization for the first time in hours, a group of half a dozen cabins spread out in front of a modestly sized lake. They are perhaps ten minutes of light jogging away, thrice that, if she were to continue at her current pace. She also spies a figure floating gently near the middle of the lake and, albeit briefly, another individual rounding the corner of one of the cabins. However, Carine is too far to make out any actual details beyond that.

Chelsea Higgins has been mostly left alone in the waters of the lake. A few individuals had spent some time swimming near the campsite beach, but they never got far enough out to be considered "close" to Chelsea, and besides, they had gotten out of the water a little while ago. At this moment, she was floating, drifting slightly as light winds made small currents in the water.

Jim Bodily had seen the redheaded woman from the lodge swimming in the lake as he ambled the various trails but had seen a scarce few other people beyond that. There had been a man in a tracksuit who looked somewhat familiar as they passed each other. He had given Jim quite the odd look as he ran by. Jim still hadn't been able to place what emotion it was conveying. Though, now, he was admiring the patterns of the water as it flowed down from the mountains, over rocks and fallen branches, and into the lake, the ripples of water spreading and disappearing into the calmer water of the lake.

And it is at this moment, all three of these individuals, Chelsea, Carine, Jim, and indeed any park-goer, hear a cry from the collection of cabins. None of the three can tell what emotion is behind the scream before it is suddenly silenced. A moment later, another noise can be heard, a sound that most closely resembles the howl of a wolf, though there is a different timbre to the howl that none of them had heard from a wolf before.

[MaltholLoth]

Jim full of peace and serenity, on hearing the first cry merely raises his head to the general direction of the cabins. He wonders what caused them to scream, more than likely someone playing a prank or someone being really happily surprised. Disregarding it he turns back to the water only to hear the howl. Grrr, that just jilted his concentration or rather his lack of thought, too far.

Sporadic meditation abandoned, he returns to walking. Perhaps he should think to return to that lodge. A meal or snack will make the journey home more comfortable. Added bonus, the cabins are on the way so that little bit of curiosity will possibly be sated. After all, he wasn't familiar with dogs and their howls but it just seemed different enough. That's it decided! The walk via cabins to see if he can spot the dog, lodge for some food and then then head home. Not going much more than his normal hike walking, he sets off.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea hears the same abrupt scream and is initially bewildered, but nothing else seemed to come of it. She had briefly been peering around a bit with some curiosity, perhaps thinking maybe something happened to someone, but when she heard that howl, that settled it...

It was obviously some prank. So Chelsea continued floating in the middle of the lake without a care in the world.

[Metastachydium]

Carine feels a rush of smug satisfaction as once again, the universe proves that intuition is the best of guides in life. Now that civilization is back within an arm's length (if one has a very long arm, but "can be reached in half an hour or so" is more than good enough, as far as she is concerned). As she'd begin to amble down the slope towards the cabins however, that ugly scream is heard from just there, followed by the howling, prompting her to jump with a shrill gasp. She's quick to collect herself, nevertheless. She's barely done pressing her free palm against her chest and exhaling loudly when a lighthearted chuckle escapes her. She's always liked dogs, but damn, they can sure make scary sounds if something gets in their strange little canine heads. She's not going to be deterred by that, though. Not this time. She's got two sore feet and there's a perfectly good lake down there she can soak them in. The water should be warm enough; it's a godsend really. She thus continues downhill unabated, picking up, in fact, a slightly quicker pace, drawing vigor from the idiosyncratic little miracles life gifts to the individuum with a healthy desire to feel and enjoy.


Blood tokens: 5/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)

[7LayerDipstick]

While Chelsea continues to enjoy the refreshing waters, nothing more seems to come from the noises from the shore. Although, she briefly notices a somewhat familiar parkgoer walking at an unhurried pace along the path before he is obscured, passing behind the furthest cabin.

This individual, Jim, can see that same woman still in the lake as he passes the open sightline between the obscuring plant growth and the rear of the cabin. He also spots another figure off in the woods and certainly off of any marked trail. They stand out with their white top against the brown of needles and tree trunks. More so, his eyes are drawn down the path to, if his memory of the map is correct, Cabin 3 and the glittering of something strewn across the ground near the opposite rear corner of the building.

Carine, perhaps halfway from where she crested the ridge and the lake, is also able to see the man walking down the path and, at least occasionally between the trees, the shine of something near one of the buildings, though she is not able to make out what it is from here. As she continues to walk, she suddenly hears the sound of needles shifting as though some animal were moving nearby, though she cannot see the source of the noise.

[WindStruck]

While absolutely nothing strange nor alarming continues going on in the park grounds, Chelsea decides to take a deep breath and dives into the water. Just for fun, she tries to see how far down she can go. Maybe she'll even touch the bottom of the lake! After rising to the surface once more, it is time for more good old relaxation.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer


(And I don't have plans for Chelsea to get out of the water any time soon, FYI. I guess when it starts to get dark, or another opportunity/danger presents itself)

[Metastachydium]

Carine halts her progress for the moment and shifting her weight to her left foot, looks around again with an expectant smile. It would seem that marvelous possibilities will just keep presenting themselves to her today: first the lake, and now this. If she stays put and alert she may get to observe some cute, fuzzy forest critter in its cute, needly forest habitat! She can soak those feet later; the lake won't go anywhere.


Blood tokens: 5/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)

[MaltholLoth]

The magpie within Jim smiles at the sight of something shining. Having a quick look about, he spots the redhead out in the lake taking a dive, looks like she a good swimmer having fun. Turning the other way is confused by seeing someone so far off track, perhaps it's worth him trying that next time, should be a different atmosphere with just trees, nice. Looking back at the cabins and making a relatively direct path, he will walk towards the glittering streak.


Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat.

[7LayerDipstick]

Carine's eyes flick around near where she heard the noise, though she cannot see any sign of whatever animal made it. Until she looks up the nearest tree and briefly spots what she could swear is the edge of someone's head leaning out from behind and staring right at her, but the moment she makes eye contact with whatever it is, it disappears back behind the tree.

While Carine is looking for wildlife, Jim presses forward towards the glittering something on the ground. He needs to get close, maybe a dozen feet away, before realizing that the glittering he sees is indeed broken glass. Wherever it came from, it certainly seems that something was broken around the corner of the building, and the glass shards ended up spraying a decent distance. Jim can also see a small piece of bent metal sitting among the shattered glass.

Meanwhile, in the middle of the lake, Chelsea resurfaces from her dive without much consequence. Perhaps her lungs ache a little from being underwater for a while, but nothing significant occurs while she relaxes and enjoys the water. At least, that is, she can now make out the shape of Carine off in the distance, though much of the detail is lost at this range, and she can see two of the people she saw swimming on the camp side of the lake walking in the direction of the park entrance while carrying a few bags.

[WindStruck]

Welp, nothing else was going on with Chelsea for the time being. After what seemed to be a lengthy dive which either challenged or entertained her, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She flattened her body out more along the surface of the lake water and floated aimlessly, daydreaming.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[MaltholLoth]

Jim is now a little confused or concerned maybe. What happened here too cause this. Still, he walks to the metal item in the middle of the glad to pick it up and inspect what it is, before waking around to try and find the source of the smashed glass. He wonders if the scream from earlier was in relation to it, perhaps it was a scream when they did this and now they've gone to report it at the lodge. Right, what's this metal thing...



Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat.

[Metastachydium]

Carine narrows her eyes and her lips part slightly. A head? Is that an actual person up there? She begins very slowly rounding the tree trunk, peering upwards. This is a fair bit unusual, but damn, whoever went that far to kind of prank her, apparently, must sure know how to live without the leaden ballast of philistine compromises. This might, in the end, prove a useful lesson for her! Or, at least, net her an interesting conversation.Um… Anybody up there? she asks a little hesitantly, tilting her head to the side.


Blood tokens: 5/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans, flat thong sandals

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim walks up to the metal object, the glass shards crunching under his steps. He carefully retrieves the piece of metal, seeing that it seems to be some sort of handle to something. It looks pretty old, or at least as if it was designed to look old. It's a metal rod with a bend at either end and a hole on each tip where a nail or screw might hold it.

At this moment, Chelsea and Jim both hear that same wolfish howl from before now coming from near that woman idling off the trail. If they turn to look, they'll be able to see the following.

Carine hears this and then sees a barefoot man in a tracksuit suddenly swing from around the tree with extraordinary agility and begin plunging, feet first, directly on a collision course with her chest. Carine has but a brief moment before he impacts where she can act to defend herself.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea hears that stupid howl again. Stupid pranksters, she thinks.

However it's just enough to get her to bother to open her eyes and look towards the source of sound for a second.

She sees what looks like a man in a tracksuit leaping towards the woman she spotted earlier. What the f***??

[Metastachydium]

Oh. that's terribly convenient in fact, she is getting hungry, after all. Okay, dinner sounds… not so good, suddenly. When what still looks like a surprisingly athletic fellow human being bursts out of his cover, the old reflex of flight takes over and Carine shifts forward as fast as her body can manage and drops flat on the ground, hoping the hungry guy will just harmlessly fly past.


[roll0] to react in time.

Blood tokens: 5/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans, flat thong sandals

[MaltholLoth]

Jim looks over the odd bit of metal, what was it. Well maybe it's a handle but what's it doing in all this glass? He looks up just in time to see something that looks like a person fall out of a tree onto another. Hmm they didn't scream so perhaps they were trying to catch them even if both did fall to the ground. Sigh.

He looks at the handle item then walks a bit to look at the cabin list there's some obvious place it all came from our any other person stood within sight. (In the unlikely instance this is a yes, he'll approach them instead of this) Just pocketing the handle for now, he starts to walk up to where the two playing catch were just in case they're hurt.


Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat.

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim takes a few steps to round the corner of the building and can immediately see the source of the broken glass. A window on the side of the building has been shattered, and the ground is strewn with glass shards.

Carine's dodge is somewhat effective. It prevents the man from landing directly on top of her, but it cannot move her far enough away and leaves her unable to see his next move. The man quickly spins and, in one swift motion, drops to his knees, pinning one leg to the ground, and bends down to sink his teeth into the flesh of Carine's calf.

Carine feels the stabbing pain as the man's teeth tear through her skin and into her calf muscle. For the briefest of moments, she can feel the unyielding agony as the man pulls the flesh from her leg before her body dumps adrenaline into her system and dulls the pain.

A piece of his prize claimed, the man straightens up, the part of Carine's leg dripping blood from his mouth as he tilts his head to the sky and swallows the piece of muscle whole. For just a few moments, he spreads his arms and closes his eyes as if basking in the satisfaction of his deed.

Chelsea sees this all happen from the water, whereas Jim misses the first few seconds of action, only turning in time to see the piece of flesh in the man's mouth. Certainly, some detail is lost to the distance, but that is definitely a piece of raw meat he just swallowed.

[Carine has lost 1 Blood Token]

[WindStruck]

Chelsea sees everything that happens. There was not much mistaking what was going on. Clearly it seemed the man was attacking this other woman. Unless, maybe they knew each other and they were fooling around?

But when Chelsea saw him bite into the woman's leg, her stomach immediately turned, and she choked and gagged on something nonexistent in her throat, in sheer disbelief. Blood was beginning to pour from the wound in the woman's leg, and the man was ingesting the raw meat! That was part of her leg! HER LEG! Human flesh, and, and...

Finally, after nearly losing her lunch and forgetting to breathe, Chelsea gasped. And then she screamed.

A dozen thoughts were flooding her mind at once. She kind of wanted to help this other woman in a way, but honestly, what could she do?? They needed to get help, though. And she should probably get her stuff!

Either way, Chelsea was paralyzed with indecision and still watching the events as they unfolded horrified.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

Actions in this update involves one loud, shrill scream. I don't know, maybe that'll do something.

But I do figure Chelsea's mind is flopping around indecisively right now.

[Metastachydium]

Well, so much for flight. A fearful yelp bursts out of Carine as the hungry creature grabs her leg, followed shortly by a shriek, pained and panicked when he (it?) tears into her calf. She barely hears the scream of another, coming from somewhere below. None of this feels real, except the pain. The only thing that keeps her conscious is the welcome prodding from her sympathetic nervous system, now on high alert. Even her own voice sounds distant and hollow as she attempts to plead with the entity, tears rolling down her cheeks. No! PleaseÂ… Please don't kill me!

And then, just then, the predator does, in fact, let go of her. She doesn't think. Thinking takes time. Thinking hurts. Some primal awareness takes over and she rolls onto her back with a grunt and rising into a crouch of sorts, tightens her grip on the handle of the spade. If flight is not an option, then fight it has to be. Pulling her good leg under herself for use as a spring, she snaps forward in a desperate attempt to smack him in the chest.


[roll0]

Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[MaltholLoth]

As he looks around to the pair out in the woods he hears the pained cry from the woman and.. What did he just eat?! That's not a scream of disgust coming from her.

The next scream but moments later comes from the lake and he quickly takes a few steps to get back in sight of the lake and presumably that woman who'd been swimming. What was happening around here?

Caught between the two screaming women he had a quick look back into the forest in time to see the woman pounce from the ground with... A spade? What! He looks again out to the lake, she seemed to be looking at them or him maybe. He takes a few more steps towards the water and calls out "Are you alright or there? Are you OK?"


Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim can see nothing immediately wrong with the woman in the lake, though if something is amiss below the water, it is invisible to him.

Out in the water, Chelsea continues watching in terror as the two in the distance engage in combat.

Carine, however, can see very little beyond the man who just ripped a chunk out of her leg. Her sight has tunneled down, her peripheral vision reduced drastically. As she rolls and puts herself into a crouch, she sees the man, his face, neck, and chest slicked with her blood, turn to look at the water in response to a scream that sounds to her like a mere whisper. That briefest of distractions leaves the hunter unable to react in time to Carine's lunging swing of her spade. She smashes the folded spade into the man's chest with force far beyond her usual limits. Down below, Jim can hear the crack of the improvised weapon and probably the crack of at least one fractured bone, though the only thing Carine hears is her own pulse pounding in her ears.

The force of the blow is enough to send the man sprawling backward as he instinctively brings his arms to his chest. He scrambles back, away from the woman he just attempted to make into prey. Carine can see his teeth are bared in a predator's snarl as he moves to get back onto his feet.

[Shia LaBeouf has lost 1 Blood Token]

[WindStruck]

Chelsea continued to watch in horror, though the situation seemed to be looking better for that woman as she fought back with something in her hands, causing the man to sprawl backwards for a moment. And just then, a voice to her right caught her attention, snapping her out of her daze.

She looked at Jim blankly for a few seconds before blinking and began swimming to him. "That guy just bit her! He literally just took a bite out of her leg and...."

But then Chelsea begins changing the course of her swimming, toward the large end of the "egg" where she had left her stuff. "We have to help her! I'm going to get my stuff and call 911!"

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[MaltholLoth]

Jim heard what the woman in the lake says and things click into place, 'oh that's what he was...!'. As she sets off he half shouts "Ok" which probably goes unheard as she swings away.

Turning, he runs towards the dueling pair. At first his only thought is to get there, not knowing what he'd do. Getting closer, he shouts out at them "OI! What do you think you're doing?!"


Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine doesn't get to enjoy her moment of triumph for very long. She doesn't evenget to see the predator hitting the ground, since lacking proper support for her body, she is just as quick to land on her face with an undignified thump and groan. Spitting pine needles, she somehow gets back on her feet and unflding the spade, she begins to back off, limping and in pain. Everything seems slow, disturbingly slow as if she were walking through soup, but still, soon enough, her back bumps into a tree trunk. Her heart beats faster and faster. She feels cornered. It takes a mental effort almost too intense to dismiss the thought that there might be more creatures, hiding on the trees, above and around her and to keep her eyes fixed on him. He will get up. She knows that. Her whole body knows that. She can barely hear someone shouting something through the throbbing of her head. She doesn't feel like she can muster enough strength to at least cry out in response, for help. Instinctively, she raises the spade with shaky hands and waits.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[7LayerDipstick]

The man stands back up, an arm still clutched around his chest. His eyes flick between Carine and the spade in her hands. Occasionally, he casts a glance down toward Jim. After a few seconds of bared teeth, he lets out a snarl and leaps up against a nearby tree trunk, where he pushes himself off and into the obscuring canopy of needles, leaving Carine alone.

Jim, his mind much less addled with adrenaline, gets a good look at the man's face. Although it is covered in blood, it seems familiar somehow. It looks like someone he's seen before, though he isn't entirely sure. In any case, Jim experiences no issue in reaching the scene of the conflict. He can now get a better view of Carine, and he can see that, yes, a portion of her calf has been torn off.

In the meantime, Chelsea makes her way to shore in record time and scrambles out of the water. Immediately she notices something wrong. All her belongings are not where she left them. Her clothes, any identification, her phone, all of it is missing. The only thing she can see is her shoes, about 30 feet away from where she left them in the direction of the nearest parking lot. Even from where she stands, she can see that they've been tied together with twine or something of that sort.

[WindStruck]

Dang it! Really!? Chelsea thought, realizing all her stuff was missing.

Was this the prank of some stupid teen or someone that might have been following her around? Then again, the last time she thought there was a prank. That howling...

Chelsea shuddered a bit, thinking something sinister was actually going on in this camp instead. Was it just that one crazy guy, or were there more?? At least the man she briefly talked to seemed sane and trustworthy.

Maybe Chelsea was just misremembering things. She tried combing the area a bit to determine if maybe she just happened to place her stuff somewhere else nearby, but the only thing she spotted were her shoes. They were some flip flops - not the really cheap plastic kind, mind you; they were high quality (albeit thin) leather!

Still, something was off. Why were they tied together with twine? Something really didn't seem right here. What if this crazy dude surrounded them with bear traps, or they were attached to a net or something?? Maybe her imagination was running wild again.. or maybe not. But she definitely didn't imagine seeing the guy take a bite out of that other girl's leg.

Chelsea exercised extreme caution when approaching her shoes, slowly approaching them but not getting more than 15 feet near them. She wound up circling around them, her back to the parking lot now, scrutinizing her flip flops and the ground around them, and looking up.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[MaltholLoth]

Jim watches the man jump into the tree and away with not a small amount of awe. How did he just get. The agility, the strength, the what the Dickens! Still, no time for praising the wierd guy and looks seriously hurt. He knew it was a person but yet that just didn't seem right. Boring another person like that and then to be off into the trees.

"Holy cow! Are you ok? Stupid question sorry. Look, let's get out of here before it comes back!" He looks around for sight of the man. Then offers out his arm "Do you want to lean on me? I'm Jim by the way."

Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Slightly trembling, Carine has to actively keep herself from just going limp and sliding to the ground. Still, instead, she just lowers her spade and stumbles forward to give Jim, apparently, a tight, grateful hug. It feels like the right thing to do. Hey, Jim. I'm Carine and bleeding. I think. she mumbles into his chest, before pulling back to wrap her free arm around Jim, just under his shoulders. She feels like she could throw up if there were anything in her stomach. Walking away does not promise to be a pleasant experience. The **** was that thing? she asks as she tries to limp down the slope with Jim's aid. He bit me! He tried to bite my ****ing leg off! she adds with a sudden bout of terror in her voice.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[MaltholLoth]

"Don't worry Carine, we'll sort that bleeding out soon. As to what it was... I thought it was a person. They looked familiar but the way they moved away and to have done that to your leg. To be honest, I'm doubting myself." As he says this, he keeps checking back in a nervous way. Looking for any signs of the creatures return.

As light as Carine was, he was wishing he'd been to the gym more often, but it annoyed him when various people made jokes around 'Jim' and 'gym'.

"You know that was quite the hit you got on him back there. It should have slowed him down a bit that's for sure! Gives us plenty of time to get back to the lodge. Another woman's already on her way there to get help. So why don't you tell me about yourself and what you were doing here? Seems a funny place place for waking in sandals." he says, with a feeble chuckle to his voice. It was a terrible way to change the subject and make her forget and calm down but it was a start. His constant looking around probably wouldn't be helping.

[Metastachydium]

"Don't worry Carine, we'll sort that bleeding out soon. As to what it was... I thought it was a person. They looked familiar but the way they moved away and to have done that to your leg. To be honest, I'm doubting myself." As he says this, he keeps checking back in a nervous way. Looking for any signs of the creatures return.

As light as Carine was, he was wishing he'd been to the gym more often, but it annoyed him when various people made jokes around 'Jim' and 'gym'.

Luckily enough for Gy… Which is to say, Jim, if he were struggling under Carine's half-dead weight, she certainly doesn't seem to notice it. She's a bit too scared for that and a bit too happy to learn that she's being dragged to what should be safety. I'll try not to bleed all over you, in the meantime. Carine mumbles dizzily. Even she's not sure whether this is legitimate gallows humour or semi-inane rambling. Damn creep. she adds, wincing. He can speak too, weird as that is. Told me creepy stuff.


"You know that was quite the hit you got on him back there. It should have slowed him down a bit that's for sure! Gives us plenty of time to get back to the lodge. Another woman's already on her way there to get help."

When Jim compliments her troublehitting provess, Carine would probably blush if she had the blood to spare for that (that milky pale skin of hers is pretty good at that, and usually to her chagrin), but she doesn't comment on the comment. It was a triumph of bodily autonomy liberated from under the control of conscious reflexion, but it was also plain old desperate dumb luck. Instead, she goes with a That's good. Help's good.


"So why don't you tell me about yourself and what you were doing here? Seems a funny place place for waking in sandals." he says, with a feeble chuckle to his voice. It was a terrible way to change the subject and make her forget and calm down but it was a start. His constant looking around probably wouldn't be helping.

Carine's too busy staying conscious to notice the distinct lack of confidence evident from Jim's behaviour, and doesn't quite mind the change of topic.Yeah. That's kind of the point. she mutters dreamily. Suspending reasond intention. Letting stuff flow. I'm kind of trying to collapse the split between the projected Self and my Id to get back in tune with it and myself. It's a self-discovery thing. she explains. Also, I was kind of thrown off a train and I've got no ****ing idea where I am right now. the girl adds, half-closing her eyes. What about you? I don't suppose you're here to do the knight in shining raincoat routine.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea circles her footwear warily, keeping her distance and vigilance. For all her scrutiny, she can see nothing amiss aside from the bit of twine wrapped around them and, now that she's looking closer, tied in a neat bow. Above her is only open skies, any large trees having been cleared away for the parking lot where she had parked her moped, and the ground around them is clear of any refuse or obscuring needles. Nothing but the flip-flops so far as Chelsea can spot. However, as she continues to examine the situation she finds herself in, she hears a noise off in the distance coming from the direction of the lodge. The unmistakable sound of metal rending with the force of a powerful impact.

While Chelsea examines the last remaining vestiges of her attire, Jim and Carine are making their way down the slope back in the direction of the cabins. The short trek is relatively uneventful, save for a few hiccups where Carine briefly loses her footing, either from a lack of strength or minor tripping hazards that she can no longer avoid. If her body weren't still heavily filtering physical sensation, the pine needles and small rocks making their way between her feet and sandals would undoubtedly be a nuisance. In any event, both Carine and Jim make it down the slope and to the path that ambles behind the cabins, leaving them a choice of direction, the two most apparent being toward the cabins or down the trail in the direction of the lodge where they might meet up with that woman Jim had mentioned.

[WindStruck]

This was an odd situation for sure. The fact that someone had taken all of Chelsea's belongings, yet left her shoes there tied up in a bow was bizarre, to say the least. Still dripping wet, she peered at the flip flops. They clearly were safe enough to get and not part of some sick trap. She was wasting time and needed to get to the lodge since her cell phone was stolen.

Just as she was about to step forward to collect her shoes, she heard that sound of a huge impact and metal rending, coming from behind her. That must be toward the lodge! Did someone crash their car into something?? Oh no. Was the crazy guy already over there doing something? But that seemed awfully fast. Maybe there was more than one crazy person?

That's when Chelsea had an idea. It may have been a brilliant idea. It may also have been an utterly stupid idea, earning her the title of first slasher victim in this comically strange series of events that seemed more and more like a horror flick.

Whoever was doing this, whoever was hurting people and messing with Chelsea left those shoes for her. They wanted her to have them. They expected her to take them. Any sane person in Chelsea's position would take them back! But what if she didn't? Well that would have meant one thing. For whatever reason, she didn't come this way! Perhaps, one of the cabins were closer?

As the wheels in Chelsea's head were turning, she realized she was still wasting yet more time. Yes, let's do this! By not taking her flip flops, whoever is out there would eventually see them again and then think she hadn't come this way. But Chelsea did and she was going to the lodge, all along! The idea was so crazy, that it just might work! All she had to do was not be seen.
After some inner debate and turmoil, Chelsea decides to leave the flip flops exactly as they were, and she slowly makes her way into the woods, crouching behind trees and beneath underbrush when available. She was attempting to sneak towards the lodge using an unconventional route.. by keeping well off the trails and hiding behind cover. Frequently, she stops when she thinks she has a good spot to look around and listen.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[MaltholLoth]

"What you said before saying 'self discovery' that kind of lost me, but knowing yourself, what you can achieve and such. That is good. As much as my, just getting out of town and into fresh air is all that I was doing goes... I'll happily swap that to knight in shining raincoat. So don't worry about bleeding on me." he says, glad she seems upbeat. With some wierd biting fiend around though, he wishes he could swap raincoat for armour.

As they approach the different route options, and no sign of the crazed person, he decides to check on Carine. "Well, how are you feeling? Think you can keep going to the lodge or do you want to stop here at the cabins. It seems one was broken into so we can get you in there and see if we can find something. Although I'm no medic and if you're up for it, getting to the lodge will be better as I'm sure they'll be better equipped.".

Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

"What you said before saying 'self discovery' that kind of lost me, but knowing yourself, what you can achieve and such. That is good. As much as my, just getting out of town and into fresh air is all that I was doing goes... I'll happily swap that to knight in shining raincoat. So don't worry about bleeding on me." he says, glad she seems upbeat.

That last sentence earns a weak smile and a friendly headbumbp for Jim's shoulder. It's nifty indeed. The discover thyself stuff, I mean. Netted me this spade too. The second best random purchase I made in my whole ****ing life. she responds.


"Well, how are you feeling? Think you can keep going to the lodge or do you want to stop here at the cabins. It seems one was broken into so we can get you in there and see if we can find something. Although I'm no medic and if you're up for it, getting to the lodge will be better as I'm sure they'll be better equipped.".

It is at this point, around the cabins that some disturbing thoughts begin to linger on the fringes of Carine's cloudy mind. Jim's been supremely helpful so far and between that oafish conductor and the Leaping Ripper he's absolutely the single most charming human being she's met in a while. She really wants to just blindly trust him, but then: what if he's in league with the Ripper? What he'd said about bleeding and soldiering on, could it really just mean "don't you mind me, little Carine Laplace, go on, bleed some more"? What if there is no lodge? What if he's just going to drag her about until she's too weak to flail around with harmless looking implements? Carine tries to gulp, but her mouth is way too dry for that to work out.

But first things first. I feel like ****. she confides. Sad, wet ****. I kind of wanna puke and maybe faint or something. she adds with a wince. Could we at least dress the wound? Think I'd rather keep my blood inside my body for now.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[MaltholLoth]

Perhaps that leg was hurting more than he thought, maybe the lodge would have been too far but his will the help find them? Hmm, getting the sound dressed was probably a safe bet so the same. "Right you are, I'm pretty sure that it was this cabin over here..." he says walking to the smashed glass cabin. He hopes there's a way in, he also hopes that there wasn't more of those people in the cabin as that would be very bad. He'd have to go in first... Please let it be free from such people. "Seconds best random purchase, well, it sounds like there's a story of the first. Please indulge my interest and tell me it!". He wasn't sure if keeping someone in a happy space of mind only delayed shock but coming back to thoughts and questions of that man could wait.

Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

Leaving behind her flip-flops, Chelsea begins her trek through the woods barefoot. The journey is slow and uncomfortable. Her feet are assaulted by the pricking, jabbing, and other discomforts brought on by the needles and other detritus underfoot. Stopping when she has some cover to ensure that the coast is clear certainly slows her travel, but it seems the correct decision. After passing over roughly a quarter of the distance between the lake and the lodge, Chelsea has stopped herself amid a relatively small leafy shrub growing in the clearing created by a fallen pine. In this span of hypervigilance, she hears the sounds of shuffling needles in a regular rhythm, the sound of someone moving from the direction of the lodge.
Hunkering down and trying to be as invisible as possible, Chelsea needs only to wait a few seconds before seeing the source of the stride. Coming into the clearing, only a stone's throw away, is what she can only assume is the same individual who attacked that woman. Although the jacket has been torn, he seems to be wearing the same running suit. The torn portion of the jacket leaves him with just what is above his lower ribs and the sleeves. His abdomen has been left bare, and Chelsea can see that his midsection has been tightly wrapped with bandages. The second thing she notices is that the man is walking in an odd hunched squat with his arms just inches above the ground. Occasionally he bends lower, grabs a handful of loose earth and pine needles, and brings them up to his nose before he tosses it aside and continues moving, his head turning and eyes flicking about. At one moment, the man's head turns toward the bush Chelsea is hiding in, and he seems to lock eyes with her. In a flash of recognition, she realizes this man is, or at the very least looks almost exactly like, Shia LaBeouf. Whatever use that revelation may have, Chelsea is currently hidden in a bush with an aggressive, cannibalistic man eying up her hiding place with a degree of suspicion.

Carine and Jim's experience, by contrast, is far more mundane. Nearing the slew of shattered glass inspires an excess of caution regarding Carine's barely protected feet. Still, nonetheless, Jim can see that the windowsill is only about waist high off the ground, a relatively simple obstacle to surmount. However, the window frame is still littered with shards of glass, and any attempt to climb through without dealing with those would certainly risk some significant lacerations. Looking through the portal, they can see a bedroom in a state of extraordinary disarray. However, that window seems to become less of an issue when looking around the front of the cabin unveils that the front door is not only open but seems to be missing entirely. If either member of the duo were to cast their gaze along the row of cabins, they would see that this is the only one of the structures lacking its front door like this.

[Metastachydium]

It's kind of a long one, starring a one-way coach ticket. Got it way overpriced at a charitable garage auction thing. Carine answers drowsily, watching her feet and clinging even more closely to Jim as he navigates them through the treacherous sea of glass. Might tell you if we, like, live. which will hopefully serve as a god incentive for Jim not to feed her to madmen anytime soon. Hopefully.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[MaltholLoth]

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine. So no thinking otherwise." Jim replies as they come round and can see the open doorway. He is greatly relieved to not be having to climb through that window but the same can't be said for the lack of door. Still, it makes it easier for Carine and that's possibly what matters right now. "Best let me go first, unless you really want to..?" he says jokingly, and turns with a smile but moves on before she can reply.

As he approaches the entrance (and on entering if nothing outside), he'll look for anything that can be used as an improvised weapon, broken lengths of stuff, heavy but still able to wield items, sharp pointy things with a nice bit to hold.

Takes a slow calming breath to try and settle his nerves. "Hello... Anyone in here?" he calls through the opening which he gingerly approaches, trying to peer inside and we eight there's anyone just inside that's hiding to either side.

Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

This wasn't so bad, Chelsea told herself. But after the first five minutes she was already starting to regret this. Well, maybe she was at least more silent this way? Less likely to accidentally snap a twig or something. Because she'd definitely feel it first... :smallsigh:

Well, too late now. As she hid in a leafy shrub, she heard someone approaching. It definitely appeared to be the man that attacked that woman too! Wait.. was that Shia LaBeouf?!?

No way. No way! Chelsea probably would have leaped out and asked for his autograph, had she not just witnessed him attack a woman and take a bite out of her leg! He was acting like an animal too, sniffing the dirt. What the hell? Was this all some elaborate prank or.. no. No! It was far, far more likely that this celebrity was high off his mind on crack or something.

When Shia began eying her cover suspiciously, Chelsea froze. Oh no. Did he actually know somehow?? She held her breath, she tried to stay perfectly still.. she tried not to even blink! Even the smallest bit of movement could give her away. And then what would happen??

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim steps up onto the small porch of the cabin, eyes peeled for anything weapon-like or out of the ordinary. There are the remains of a wooden rocking chair on the porch itself, the rockers being the only thing remaining that could be used to identify the pile of shattered wood as once a chair at all. Inside the building, the lights are on though one of the bulbs in the ceiling fixture is flickering. Stepping inside, Jim can see what happened to the door. It's sitting about five feet from the doorway, its hinges having been ripped from the doorframe by immense force. The room itself is a general-purpose communal space, with a small kitchen on the far wall, a dining area just to the right of that, and a modest seating area with a fireplace directly to the right of the entryway. Near the fallen door, to the left, is an unlit hallway where Jim can see at least one closed door. The kitchen is in a complete state of disarray. There are metal utensils, including knives, and various vegetables strewn across the floor, the door to the fridge is slightly open, and Jim can see that the electric stove was left on from the small activity light glowing near the knobs. The eating area is little better. A series of plastic plates and the sad remains of hotdogs lie on the ground in front of the table, whose top is pointed toward the main door. In the space behind the table on the rightmost wall is another door that currently hangs slightly open.

Meanwhile, in the direction of the lodge, Chelsea is holding stock-still within the bush that is her only cover from the murderous man with his eyes trained directly at her position. Slowly, he turns his body toward her and slowly approaches the obscuring mass of plants. Shia steps ever closer with his head tilted, and Chelsea can see his nostrils flare as he sniffs at the air. After what seems like hours, Shia is close enough that Chelsea is all but sure he knows she's there, and she must decide her response to the threat. However, before she can formulate a thought, Shia's eyes widen, and his head suddenly snaps to face the lake. Without a moment's hesitation, he turns on his heels and sprints into the woods. Chelsea can see that after about three steps, Shia bends, dropping his hands to the ground and running with all limbs with speed far beyond what any person should be able to achieve.

[MaltholLoth]

As they approach the door, keeping his eyes fixed on the doorway, Jim crouches down and picks up the chair rocker before standing and holding it as a rifle with bayonet. He looks at himself for a moment and feels foolish. "Beggars can't be choosers" he musta under his breath.

Peering each way through the door, he's relieved by the lack of people or other sights. He walks in, and moves towards the kitchen area. Laying the chair rocker on the side he picks up a larger one of the knives.

"Did you want that as a crutch?" he says turning to Carine and indicating to the piece of wood. He then quickly opens the draws and cupboards in case of a first aid kit being around. "I'm going to put the door back up and lean it against the frame while we sort your leg out and check the other rooms" he says as he finishes his search.

Blood tokens: 5
Item: multitool with torch
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

Chelsea remains completely still for the whole time, even for a moment after Shia ran off. Finally she relaxes, all but collapsing to the forest floor and taking a breath.

God that was close! That's the psycho.. Shia LaBeouf. But what in the Hell was wrong with him??

For all the urgency she thought there was in getting to the lodge and calling for help, her instincts to at least try to get there undetected seemed to pay off. Had she been spotted by that crazed celebrity, there was probably no escaping him.

After a minute of trying to gather her composure, she stands up again and wipes the pine needles from her butt. She continues her off-road trek toward the lodge, although not quite as slowly and stealthily, seeing as the culprit whom she thought was behind all this just launched himself in the direction of the lake. She figured she would at least have time to get close to the lodge before she saw him again.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[Metastachydium]

Carine, resting her head against the doorframe opens her eyes when she's addressed and her gaze settles on the rocker. You're a marvelous crutch, Jim. she reassures the man in a soft mumble. I can give that a shot, though, if you want. With no danger immediately apparent, she carefully enters, limping towards the closest intact chair-adjacent object, her mind mainly filled with thoughts of how appetizing those hotdogs must have looked not long ago. Any luck with finding bandage and stuff? she inquires, as she lowers herself on the first thing that looks like it'll support her weight. I'll settle for a dishtowel or something, if it comes fast.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now torn), flat thong sandals

[7LayerDipstick]

As Jim scrounges through the remains of the kitchen, Carine sinks into the loveseat facing the empty fireplace, her eyes lingering on the remains of the hot dogs for what may be considered by some to be longer than usual. Meanwhile, Jim pulls open drawers and cupboards, finding some of them empty but most containing at least a bit of something. A drawer holds a series of informative nature pamphlets, a cabinet holds various basic plastic dishware, and another includes some basic cooking vessels. The last two drawers Jim pulls open are likely the most useful. In one are stacks of neatly folded cloth dish towels and in the other is a sterile white box emblazoned with a red cross, a first aid kit. The only issue is that someone has clearly already made use of the contents, as evidenced by the various medical goods left loose outside the box. The roll of gauze has been removed from its sterile packaging and partially used, a box of adhesive bandages has its contents spilled along the bottom of the drawer, and a small bottle of iodine antiseptic has been opened and left about half-full. What is present in the kit itself is unfortunately limited. A few alcohol wipes, a single absorbent compress, a small bottle of painkillers, a chemical cold-pack, a pair of latex gloves, a single-use thermometer, a sealed, sterile pair of tweezers, and a few gauze pads. It's not much, but it may be enough to at least stop Carine's bleeding with some time and effort.

Back toward the lodge, Chelsea has begun moving again after her near encounter with Shia. This time she sacrificed stealth for speed and was making reasonably good time, though still suffering the ill effects of walking wild earth without footwear. If Chelsea were to stop and check her feet, she would undoubtedly find innumerable minor scrapes and cuts on her soles. Still, she presses forward until she finds herself faced with an obstacle. Before her is a deep ravine cutting across her path, carved into the soil by a small stream. The resulting chasm is over fifteen feet wide, and the slope on either side is nearing the limits of a human's ability to walk on without climbing aids. As for aids, there are some woody plants that Chelsea may be able to hold for support, but their steadfastness is questionable, and they aren't spaced closely together. Crossing the ravine by any means short of a bridge would be a challenge, but now that she is considering it, Chelsea remembers crossing just such a bridge when she arrived in the park. Trekking over to the main road to cross the bridge is certainly an option, but Chelsea knows that it would leave her exposed and visible for as long as she is on paved ground. On the plus side, it would be a brief reprieve from the constant assault against the soles of her feet.

[MaltholLoth]

"I don't mind being a crutch for you. Just thought you may want something else." Jim says with a smile, "We do have 'some' things, should be fine in no time.". Jim assesses what there is and thinks on his first aid training from over the years in the different jobs. This did not seem like one of the normal things they covered but perhaps it was if he thought of it as just a cut. He puts the knife down, doubles back to grab a cup or a jug then moves to the sink and fills it with water before returning to the draws. From there he slings several of the towels over his shoulder and grabs the painkillers before walking over to Carine.

"Here, it's probably best if you have something to drink, and these may take the edge off" he hands the drink and painkillers over, and goes back to the first aid kit. From there he pockets the alcohol wipes and other gauze pads, puts the gloves on, picks up the knife again along with the roll of gauze, iodine, and the compress.

He looks over at Carine, she is not like most others he's met before, and to his eyes, seems fashionable. "Darling I'm sorry, but that bite hole is just so last season! I think I'm going to have to alter your trousers, now do you want me to tatter the bottoms of both legs so they match or... Cut them high on thay one leg so it mimics your top?" as he says this in a flamboyant way and gestures with the knife.

He goes and crouches before Carine. Looks up into her eyes "Now this will probably hurt" and with that her tears the trouser leg to get better access to the wound. He pulls out one of the alcohol wipes then pours a bit of the iodine onto the bite and goes it over with the wipe. Applying the absorbent pad first followed by one of the towels he wraps it to the leg in the gauze roll which he ties off before looking back up at Carine's face with relief that it was done.

"So, shall we check the other rooms?" standing as he says this and offers Carine a hand to stand up.

[Metastachydium]

"I don't mind being a crutch for you. Just thought you may want something else." Jim says with a smile, "We do have 'some' things, should be fine in no time.".

No, seriously. You're perfect. Carine mutters smiling back. For now, she's almost pleased with her lot. The loveseat's a good enough reprieve, and she might just get kind of fixed. Life can certainly get better than that, mostly on days when half her calf doesn't get bitten off, but if anyone, she can value the moment, the fleeting, the ephemeral as it is.


Jim assesses what there is and thinks on his first aid training from over the years in the different jobs. This did not seem like one of the normal things they covered but perhaps it was if he thought of it as just a cut. He puts the knife down, doubles back to grab a cup or a jug then moves to the sink and fills it with water before returning to the draws. From there he slings several of the towels over his shoulder and grabs the painkillers before walking over to Carine.

"Here, it's probably best if you have something to drink, and these may take the edge off" he hands the drink and painkillers over, and goes back to the first aid kit. From there he pockets the alcohol wipes and other gauze pads, puts the gloves on, picks up the knife again along with the roll of gauze, iodine, and the compress.

She's also well aware that risk breeds reward. That or a lesson, anyhow, and conveniently enough, she is hungry as all hell and in considerable pain. With a simple nod, she chugs the water, swallowing half a handful of pills with it, just in case.


He looks over at Carine, she is not like most others he's met before, and to his eyes, seems fashionable. "Darling I'm sorry, but that bite hole is just so last season! I think I'm going to have to alter your trousers, now do you want me to tatter the bottoms of both legs so they match or... Cut them high on thay one leg so it mimics your top?" as he says this in a flamboyant way and gestures with the knife.

He goes and crouches before Carine. Looks up into her eyes "Now this will probably hurt" and with that her tears the trouser leg to get better access to the wound. He pulls out one of the alcohol wipes then pours a bit of the iodine onto the bite and goes it over with the wipe. Applying the absorbent pad first followed by one of the towels he wraps it to the leg in the gauze roll which he ties off before looking back up at Carine's face with relief that it was done.

Jim's charade draws a faint but heartfelt chuckle from Carine. Man, I liked these pants. she comments idly as her jeans are shortened for her. But the funny red stuff's harder to replace. So, she meets Jim's gaze, trying to steady herself. shoo… Hsssssssssssssss. She winces and her muscles contract as the spirited wipe hits her wound. Looks like the painkillers weren't the express variety. ****ing ****. That hurt. she says through clenched teeth, shuffling and making weird, fanning motions with her hands a slight bit less feebly than she moved before. Pain does wonders, apparently! Damn. Sorry. I'm happy and thank you and all that. Just gimme a moment and I'll stop whining. she adds, leaning forward a bit, her hair brushing against Jim's face.


"So, shall we check the other rooms?" standing as he says this and offers Carine a hand to stand up.

A few more swearwords later, the sudden surge of pain finally subsides to a sufficient extent that Carine can catch her breath. Not bleeding should be a huge boon; she doesn't quite feel it yet, though. She can, however, see the bright side of it. She's unlikely to get any worse with every heartbeat that tries to keep her bad leg alive and Jim almost certainly doesn't want to just eat her, after all. Sure. Weren't we kind of running scared, though? she asks as she grabs the man's hand and lets him pull her up.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

As Carine's hair brushed his face, it tickles but it makes him forget for just a moment where they are. The flow of swear words reminds him. With Carine back on her feet he replies to her. "We were, but if we take a moment to stop and think, we can see all the more clearly. Besides which, this cabin feels... Odd. I know the whole situation is but I want to answer some questions bugging the back of my mind.".

With that, he'll act as a crutch for Carine as they move through the place. He stops to lean the door up against the frame so as to leave no real gap. Then onto check what's behind the other door.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine's not entirely convinced she wants to know what lies behind Door 2, but Jim's explanation of his thought process appeals to her: allowing intuition to counterbalance intellect even when it seems to align well with what instinct would demand is a respectable practice. Right. Lead on, shiny knight, and I'll follow wherever you, well, drag me. she relents. Hopefully, by the time they'll get out and into the open, those pills will have started to do their job, and so wasting their time will, in a way, buy them some time.

Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[WindStruck]

Ah, crap. Chelsea didn't remember this ravine! Or maybe it was simply all too easy to forget about with the modern conveniences of things like trails and bridges.

She considers her options and decides to just carefully traverse down its side. She turns around and effectively gets on all fours as she uses both her feet and hands to carefully guide herself down into the creek below.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea carefully begins her descent. Every move made is a painstaking endeavor of testing the next foothold or young sapling to ensure it will not give way with the added force. Twice she must climb horizontally to find a way down, once being a moment when a rock she believed to be a solid foothold broke loose from the soil and resulted in a cascade of stones and earth that left no place to find purchase below her. After several minutes of careful maneuvering, Chelsea finally reaches the bottom of the ravine next to the little stream responsible for this obstacle. Her feet and hands are caked in dirt. Streaks of filth and plant residue coat her arms, legs, and torso, but on the whole, she made it down unharmed. The stream she stands next to is narrow, easily crossed with a particularly large step, and only deep enough at its lowest point to cover Chelsea's feet if she were to enter. Still, the water runs clear across the bed of tiny rocks and stones that the water flow is unable to move.

The pain of disinfectant and torn flesh receding to a dull throb, Carine and her human crutch, who had just replaced the front door as best as he was able, move toward the door sitting ajar near the dining area. They can see that the door has been cracked near the handle, leaving it no longer able to latch correctly. Pulling open the door reveals a simple, homely bathroom. Clean tile floors, wooden walls, and a small window high on the wall that lets the gradually dwindling vestiges of light illuminate the room. The first signs of issues are a simple sink and the shattered mirror above it, especially with the spackling of blood adorning the porcelain countertop. Entering the room slightly allows the duo to see the bathtub, where something is far more clearly out of sorts. The curtain is drawn, obscuring the tub from vision, but the trail of blood just after the toilet and leading up to the basin's edge makes for a clear denotation.

[MaltholLoth]

Sensing Carine's concern, he holds her that bit tighter and closer. On opening the door to see behind, Jim realises his mistake and swings before Carine and holds her to him. He takes a moment to collect himself. "Wait here a moment." he says softly and steps back. He hoped he appeared reassuring but as he turned into the room, he knew he was far from that.

His heart raced and his senses tingled, he swallowed hard as he reached for the shower curtain. With a slow breathe he pulls back the curtain slowly to look behind.


Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Jim's attempt at getting more palpably protective is not unwelcome and nor is the pain decreasing in intensity. Still, while she's many things (some of them more pleasant than the others), reassured that they are safe in a good place she's not and Jim suddenly deciding she needs shielding from whatever's in the bathroom doesn't help that. She instinctively presses herself closer to the man as slight, fearful tremors begin to run through all her body. At Jim's request, she awkardly nods into his chest, bracing herself against the wall just outside the bathroom, her eyes instinctively searching for something friendly and harmless for comfort.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[WindStruck]

Thankfully, Chelsea made about half progress without incident.. though that was maybe only because she was headed down. She took a moment to run her hands and feet through the water to try to get the dirt off, but that was most likely a futile effort seeing as now, she had to get up somehow.

Welp, slow and steady....

Using her hands and feet again, she tried to climb her way up the opposite bank.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea begins her journey up the opposite slope, the brief climbing experience from a moment ago already paying off as she does a better job avoiding loose plants and unstable earth. The worst she experiences is a plant coming loose and showering her in bits of dirt and small stones. Regardless, the climb is still several minutes of effort in careful pathfinding and clawing over earth. Chelsea does make her way up to solid ground after much effort and strain and a brief, panic-inducing moment near the end of her climb where she feels the soil beginning to slide out from under her feet, threatening to send her careening back down, undoing all her effort. Luckily, her outstretched hands successfully grab hold of an exposed root, and she can pull herself free of the treacherous embankment. A sacrifice of time for safety, but hopefully a worthwhile exchange.

Back by the lake, Jim draws back the curtain in a drawn-out motion to reveal a large man in a suit slumped against the side of the bathtub, his head lolled over onto his chest. Blood trickles down from his mouth and nose into the water below him, pooling around his legs like an ink stain on paper. His eyes stare vacantly upward, unfocused and unseeing. What catches Jim's attention is not the corpse itself nor the blood dripping from its face. The other things surrounding it draw his gaze, a severed hand lying atop one knee and another clutched tightly between the man's fingers. Both wrists have been chewed through, the nails ripped off, and parts of the flesh chewed away until the bone can be seen. In the same fashion, the man's left foot has also been gnawed nearly clean, apparent bite marks visible in the remaining bits of flesh.

While this happens, Carine supports her weight with the help of the wall, her eyes trailing across the room, eventually leading back to that loveseat and, a moment later, onto the overstuffed recliner sitting right near the fireplace. Indeed, that seat could be defined as the epitome of cozy if it were winter and that fireplace was lit. Any thoughts of limping over and sinking into the cloth embrace of that chair are suddenly shattered by a muffled thud from the opposite end of the cabin. Both Carine and Jim hear the sound, but the former, with one less wall to muffle the noise, can tell that it originated from the bedroom whose window had become a field of broken glass.

[Metastachydium]

Drawn to the recliner as if by some hypnotic force (so cozy!), Carine very nearly manages to push herself away from the wall, but life continues not to be kind to her. Upon hearing the ominous thud, she freezes up immediately, feeling her heart rate increase at an alarmingly steady pace, which, in turn, makes the sad remainder of her bitten calf throb all the more noticeably. Trying to get a firm grip on the handle of her spade she whispers a drawn out, panicked Jiiiiiiiiiiiim? at the open bathroom door, aiming (needless to say, unsuccesfully) for some hypothetical subsonic frequency only the two of them can hear.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

Jim stares at the body before him. This is what he feared. He feels a wave of nausea pass over him. Why... What... There's extra hands... As much as the blood still dripping from the man's face makes him want to check if he's still alive, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He brings his hand slowly forward, but as the thud noise come from the other room, his hand flinches back.

He leans in, but as hears Carine hiss his name, he moves back to the door. Oh! Was it the door? He looks across but sees the door in place still. "What was that noise?"

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

Now that this little ravine was overcome, Chelsea was wondering if all this was worth it. Hopefully she could still make it to the Lodge and get some help, somehow... assuming the phone lines were still working, and there were even any sane people still there.

She continues through the forest, likely making slight muddied tracks at first, and tries to spare her feet any more suffering.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer

[Metastachydium]

Slowly backing off into Jim, Carine shakes her head and raising the spade very, very slowly she points towards the bedroom door. In there. she half-says, half-mouths twisting her neck and upturning her head to make sure there's an unbroken line of sight between her lips and Jim's eyes.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

Jim follows the stare and point from the spade to the other door. He wants to say 'not to worry, it's just the proper occupant getting out of bed', yet he knew this was very unlikely given what he'd just seen in the bathroom. Other possibilities try to come to mind but they keep coming back to one scary thought. He didn't want to be that.

At first he lets out a simple "'K", and moves besides her. Brandishing his knife, he chances a glance at the woman that he can put his free hand on her arm. "If there's that someone there who wants to tango, then now they'll have two to tango with"

Maybe he could get to the kitchen area again... Ahhh, he wanted to be a Knight in shining armour for this woman, but given how strongly she'd hit him before, he wouldn't be surprised if she was the one doing the heavy work, but he'd sure try his best. He gives a gentle squeeze of her arm before only leaving it there lightly. Maybe it will reassure her, but it kinda reassured him too.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

With Jim and Carine standing just outside the restroom, and before Jim can move toward the kitchen, the door to the bedroom at the end of the hall opens. It is not any sort of sudden motion nor a slow creep. The door merely opens like any person might open a door, and from the doorway, bathed in the bit of light pouring in from the bedroom, steps that same man that attacked Carine. He turns to regard the two figures standing together near the opposite end of the cabin, allowing the two to clearly see both the bandaging of his abdomen and his face. This individual is, or looks exactly like, Shia LaBeouf. As he stares at the two, his face slowly splits into a malicious grin, and even from this distance, both Jim and Carine can see the bloody residue between his teeth. Despite his clear bloodthirst, Shia remains stationary, standing in the light from the doorway and not moving a muscle.

Having extricated herself from the ravine, Chelsea continues her way through the woods, and it feels like only a few minutes pass before she can see the park lodge through the trees, though she is sure it must have been much longer. However, something is clearly amiss as Chelsea also spots an overturned vehicle, some sort of pickup truck, lying across where she is pretty sure the road is. The truck is clearly belching flame from near its engine, and plumes of black smoke are disappearing up into the canopy of pine needles above.

[MaltholLoth]

"You're that freak who bit Carine aren't you!? What's wrong with you man?" Jim rattles off and gesticulates with the knife. Then as he looks at them more, a sense of familiarity comes to him. Was that... That actor. He knew he was famous for the films but what was his name? Or wait, was he that singer hmm. Jim narrows his eyes. What was with the bandages? He had all of his hands so the bathroom man hadn't targeted him to get them.

[Metastachydium]

The human mind is a truly strange thing. Case in point, despite all her visceral fear, even as the creature that Carine suddenly recognizes as Shia freakin' LaBeouf slowly emerges from behind the bedroom door, the grotesque mental image of Jim and herself somehow tangoing this thing to death persists, just like the nagging anxiety stemming from the fact that Carine doesn't actually know how to tango.

That and the sudden, contradictory urges to limp away in panic or just fall over and go catatonic aside, however, she manages to draw enough strength from Jim's proximity to join him in admonishing the predator. Y-yes! W-why don't you just go **** off, stupid cannibal Shia LaBeouf? Leave us alone! Unfortunately, her voice doesn't quite seem to agree with that plan. It comes out mousy, powerless, frightened and, worst of all, shaky, trembling in good synch with the raised spade.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

He wants to hold Carine, as her shaky voice squeaks out. It takes a moment, then the name clicks in Jim's mind. Ah that who it is... Bloody film stars, probably whacked out on something when he bored of having so much money.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

What the hell?

More bizarre happenings. At the very least, this was vandalism. Was someone attacked in the truck? Was.. the road being blocked?

Chelsea cautiously continued to approach. She got much closer, though she was still in the edge of the woods. She peeked from behind a tree to get a better look at the lodge, the parking lot, roads, and the truck that was on fire. She wanted to make sure there were at least no more people who looked crazy around here.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea crept forward and peered out from the edge of the woods toward the lodge and the burning truck. From here, she could see that the truck was a humble beige and emblazoned with the words still legible as "Park Ranger," though the final 'r' was starting to warp and bubble from the heat of the flames. The lodge itself seemed to be intact from this angle. The doors were on their hinges, none of the windows were broken, and no other signs of unusual damage as far as she could see. The parking lot was a bit of a different story. Three vehicles were sitting in the lot, one being another ranger truck, this one seeming intact, and the other two being ordinary four-door cars which both had damaged windshields. Both were covered in several spiderwebbing cracks, seemingly from repeated strikes with some blunt object. The last thing Chelsea noticed was the entrance to the parking lot. The truck's rear slightly obscured the small section of pavement, but Chelsea was reasonably sure that she could see what looked like three skulls sitting in a straight line across the span of pavement, all three pointed directly toward the burning truck.


Carine and Jim hurl words at the cannibalistic actor as he stands still with his vicious grin. After a brief moment of silence, Shia tilts his head as if considering the duo before he begins to walk forward. His strides are calm, leisurely, without any semblance of haste. He walks as though he were on a relaxing stroll down one of the many paths in the park. Even as he walks, his arms remain locked to his sides, not swinging even slightly with his stride, and his face remains locked in his malicious smile, though the detail of his face becomes lost in the dimmer light of the hall once he crosses the threshold of light from the bedroom.

[MaltholLoth]

Jim swallows hard, one foot slides back and hits the wall. As Shia approaches, options run through his mind.
Run. No, the way he went off into the trees earlier, they'd have no chance.
Fight. Small chance of success and yet he does look injured already.
Delay. If he could hold off Shia then at least Carine could get away. At this point, any thought of having been her Knight in shining armour is fading fast as the desire to survive kicks in. He looks around the room and sees the hot dogs on the floor!
Feed. Give him what he wants, meat, run and throw those sausages at him... Apart from it not being sausage meat but human...! Human!

This was not going to be pretty or sit well with his conscience. "I've a plan,.."
He says as he doubles back into the bathroom. He knows he stands no chance of picking the man up quickly, let alone throw him.

He looks at the man slumped there and his plan falls apart as he feels sick in the pit of his stomach.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[roll0]

Removed content in favour of above.
With that he goes for the easiest cut he can do with least resistance... He hopes. With all the force he can manage he drives the knife through the man's neck trying to sever it in as few hours as he can.

Head in hand, he runs back and throws it over to Shia. "Here, eat up!" once the head is in the air, he grabs for Carine to start dragging her to the door ready to run.

[WindStruck]

Seeing no one around, Chelsea creeps out from behind her cover and makes her way into the parking lot. She's pretty sure no one's alive in that burning truck, and.. honestly she had better not get close in case it explodes.

What she does decide to check out are the other two cars with damaged windows. She walks over, rough asphalt under her feet only slightly cushioned by a fading layer of mud, and cautious of debris on the ground. As she nears the cars, she is even more weary of sharp, dangerous debris, like broken glass. Pretty much all of her attention is focused on not accidentally stabbing her feet as she approaches a car.

Once she's close enough to be able to lean her head near a car and bring her hands up next to her face to eliminate glare, she peeks into the cars to see if.. well, at this point, she had hoped there were no dead bodies or anything inside. Though you'd think if there were, the glass would be completely broken?

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[Metastachydium]

Over the earworm of a tango electronico still playing in her head and, perhaps more alarmingly, her way too loud and way too irregular heartbeat, Carine manages to hear Jim making his cryptic pronouncement about a "plan" and, what is quite certainly more alarming, she sees him slip back into the bathroom from beside her. With a confused Jim? she makes an attempt at following suit, limping backwards probably a bit faster than it would be prudent while keeping her wide, panicked eyes on the approaching Shia and doing her best to pinpoint Jim's position on the basis of the very disturbing sounds emanating from the Room She Was Previously Not Allowed to Enter for some reason she'd rather not think about.


A roll: [roll0]

Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

With revulsion spinning within him he stops Carine backing into the bathroom. "Sorry, it's not going to work, we're just gonna have to fight our way out" he says lacking conviction as his mind comes back from the dark place it had been, annoyed at his own self imposed delay.

With some will power regained as he brushed past Carine he runs forward, no shout, no flailing arms wildly, just focus on getting to Shia clearly, knife held down by his side as he goes, ready to strike up into the stomach area of his target...

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[roll0]
Ooc, I think this was more likely than the thinking he had.

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea walks past the blaze. Even keeping her distance, she can feel the radiance of the flames heating her exposed skin. She needs to adjust her path around the truck several times to avoid the shattered glass of the side windows. Nonetheless, with care, Chelsea manages to approach the nearest car without further damage to her feet. She can immediately see a slowly spreading pool of fluid centered on the space under the engine as she walks up to it. She can see a few things, peering into the interior through the driver-side window. First, there is a pile of what seem to be wallets of various shapes and sizes sitting on the passenger seat. Second, in the passenger footwell is at least two purses. Third, in the backseat, there is a single large duffel bag. Lastly, she can see that the rear passenger-side window is wide open.

Jim slips back into the bathroom and moves over to the body while Shia continues his casual stroll toward the pair. Carine watches as Shia's eyes follow Jim as he rounds the doorway. Then, once Jim is out of sight, those eyes lock onto Carine. Though he is looking at Carine straight in the eyes, she has a distinct feeling that Shia is not honestly acknowledging her as a person.
In the restroom, Jim holds the knife at the ready, staring at the deceased man for a long moment before he turns and exits the room, stopping Carine's movement in the process. Then, passing her, he approaches Shia and intercepts him as he steps out of the hallway. With one motion, Jim brings the blade up and into Shia's abdomen. It is only now that Shia's eyes turn to meet Jim's, and, without a single sound or grunt of pain in response to the cold metal embedded in his flesh, he moves with extraordinary speed to bring his own arm up and seizes Jim near the elbow and pulls, the knife pushing deeper into the cannibal as a result. Jim can feel the crushing strength of Shia's grip as he starts trying to pull Jim closer.

Shia LaBeouf has lost a blood token

[MaltholLoth]

Jim wasn't sure how this was supposed to go, but this seemed wrong. Why didn't he even flinch at the knife? He tried to pull free but the strength of the guy was enough that it was hurting. As he's pulled closer, Jim tries to readjust his feet to try and pull away. "Get off me you freak!" Jim says as he tries to struggle free. "Carine help me! Hit him or something. Quick!" he shouts as he then tries to punch and claw at where the bandages are already.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[roll0]

[Metastachydium]

Carine freezes as she watches Shia tank the knife like that, but then, he grabs Jim. And Jim calls for help. Her help. The world around her goes all red, and shaken out of her stupor, she half-slides, half-hops forward (and without her realizing that much, likely well into grabbing range) essentially clawing at the wall to hasten her progress and swings the spade in a vertical arc, intent on smacking Shia hard straight on his forehead.


Attack! [roll0]

Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[WindStruck]

Chelsea peers at the collection of wallets and other personal effects. There was just no way someone would leave their wallet or purse lying around like this. Especially dozens of them altogether. These had to have come from people but... where where they?

A chill went up her spine just thinking what may have happened. And recalled seeing what looked like skulls near the burning truck. Briefly bending over to examine the ground beneath the car, she feared it was a massive pool of blood, but it was probably just oil or something. Perhaps the car was sabotaged so it would not run?

Well this wasn't good. It wasn't good at all! Chelsea carefully backed away from the car, once again avoiding shards of broken glass on the parking lot. She needed to find a phone, or someone else fast! Though her hope was dwindling that she would actually run into someone else that wasn't crazy. Chelsea's next destination was the front door of the lodge. She tries to open it.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Peering under the car, Chelsea's fears are abated as she can see that the liquid is oil leaking from a series of four punctures in the engine's steel. Fear confronted, Chelsea backs away and turns toward the lodge.
While most of the building is an imposing construction of lumber, the main doors are modern glass fixtures with the full accompaniment of handicap-accessible features. Trying the door, Chelsea finds it to be unlocked. A simple foyer can be seen, only about fifteen feet between doors, with a bulletin board on the right wall and a rack of informative pamphlets on the other. The door presumably leading into the lodge proper is a more traditional wooden affair without windows, though there is still an automated system for opening the door like the exterior. From here, Chelsea can already see some worrisome signs. The floor leading into the lodge has a splattering of what is clearly blood, and the left door has a spattering of blood about halfway up, and an oddly shaped lump of something fuzzy stuck in the mess of blood.

Jim struggles against the crushing pull of Shia, landing several good blows against the cannibal's bandaged ribs. Though his smile doesn't falter, Shia does let out a grunt with each impact. Jim is reasonably sure those grunts weren't just pain but also had a hint of... satisfaction?
Meanwhile, Carine manages to limp her way toward the scuffle with violent intent. She brings herself much closer to their assailant than would probably be wise, but Shia seems focused on maintaining his hold on Jim. Carine raises her spade at the exact moment that Shia fails in his goal, and Jim breaks free of the grapple. Overbalanced, Jim finds himself both falling backward and, as it happens, extracting the knife from Shia's torso. In that fraction of a second between losing balance and landing on the ground, Jim can watch as Carine brings down the spade directly toward Shia's head. Again acting with inhuman speed, Shia's eyes snap to the incoming blow, and his arm raises to intercept the weapon, but his reaction is moments too slow despite his speed. The shaft of the spade catches on the tips of his index and middle fingers, bending them back with a visceral snap as they far exceed their limits. The failed block may not have stopped the blow, but it was enough to divert it just enough that it only slightly grazes Shia's face and leaves the majority of the force to be absorbed instead by his shoulder as he pulls himself away.
Before either Jim or Chelsea has a moment to recover, Shia backs away in a controlled stagger until he is again illuminated by the light from the bedroom. With a flourish, his injured fingers dangling limply from his hand and blood pouring from the open stab wound, Shia performs a deep stage bow, his head tilted up to keep his eyes on the two and, as it happens, keeping that uncanny grin visible to both. Righting himself, he begins to walk, again unhurried, into the bedroom.

Shia LaBeouf has lost a blood token

[MaltholLoth]

As Jim falls back to the floor, he doesn't take his eyes off the crazed Shia LaBeouf. As Carine brings down the spade on Shia, he can't believe the speed but the way the fingers snap and dangle repulses him, and he shudders at the sight. He scrambles to try and get back on his feet, like a silly spider trying to break dance or a drunk clown avoiding a pie thrown at them.

As Shia bows and slowly recedes into the bedroom, Jim gets to his feet. He can't help but let out a big shaky breath, and feel his hands tremble slightly as the adrenaline of the situation goes unused. Like a startled rabbit, he stands there watching the man and then the empty doorway.

His mind reels over thoughts of Shia. He didn't seem high, he'd smiled at the pain and that look... The knife did nothing and he had just pulled him closer. That strength! Fingers.. Eurgh! What would have happened if Carine hadn't been there, he didn't know, but it seemed likely that he would have not lived to tell the tale. The thought scared him greatly, standing there unmoving.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

As her anger fades into a nauseous terror watching Shia's theatrical exit with the bow and twisted smile and destroyed hand, Carine stumbles backwards half a pace, all pale, huffing, her legs shaking uncontrollably. Is it… Is it over? she asks with a jarringly, improbably high pitch to her voice, before realizing what she was so enraged about a moment ago. You alright? she adds then, too afraid to take her eyes off the doorway and see for herself.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

Jim can hear someone talking, but it doesn't register at first. Further thoughts go through his mind. The person in the bath, that smile, how he's just stabbed someone. He takes a moment to look down at his hands, the red blood dripping away chilled his soul. His stomach churned and roiled as he looked back at the doorway.

At last, the words of Carine sink in. "Muhh".

Looking down at his hands again, like in Macbeth, he feels dirty and moves to the sink. Removing the gloves and runs his hands under the water, scrubbing away what he can. A splash of water reaches to the stove top that was still on and hisses at the cold water. The sudden sound startling him from his own world, he turns to it knife in hand then back to where Carine was. After a few seconds of tension he relaxes, then focuses on the woman before him... "I... I.. I'm sorry, did, did you day something? Oh my word! Are you OK?". He strides towards her.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

Oh God, this really was turning into a horror movie! And yet.. she hadn't seen any actual bodies yet... The anxiety was mounting, however, as she just knew there would be some, somewhere, at this point.

Chelsea avoids the blood and makes her way into the lodge proper. Wasn't there an office or a reception desk somewhere around here??? Heck even the back area of the restaurant should have a little office with a phone or something.

same old same old

[Metastachydium]

Relieved to first hear and then see that Jim can walk and talk just fine, Carine decompresses somewhat and flounders forth trying (and, naturally, failing) to meet Jim halfway. Upon reaching the man (or, rather, his reaching her), she simply leans forward, resting her forehead against Jim's shoulder and going mostly limp. Don't mind me. she says in a torpid mumble. You kind of answered my riddles two. Too scared and two tired to think, she lets her stream of consciousness take over at this point and brave the way of the non sequitur. That book was right. It's easier. So much easier. Jim? she hears herself speak up again. Once my leg's all grown back, we should really try that tango thing someday.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

Jim wraps his free arm around Carine as she bumps her head into his chest. Still keeping an eye on the bedroom doorway, he brings his face down and touches his nose to the top of her head. If he'd been braver, he no doubt would have kissed it instead, but as it was... It was probably just warm breath she felt.

"Do you know how to tango?" he gently asks "because... I don't" then smiles."Oh we should try and get you to the lodge, there should be help on the way now and if that crazy guy is still about, the greater numbers of people there will help"

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Fair and fair. Carine concedes dozily, raising her head slightly and with some visible difficulty to return Jim's smile. Drag me onwards, killjoy. she adds, slipping into marching position and giving Jim's ribs a warm little squeeze.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

He readjusts to hold Carine better. "Hey! I just don't want to be stepping on your toes all the time. We could always take the lessons together?" he says before stopping to say "Or did you have some other plan that would would like to do? Just say if there is, I won't mind"

[Metastachydium]

Nah, that sounds nice. Carine mutters in response, leaning on Jim to brace herself for the arduous journey ahead. And if I'm gonna still have toes, you can step on them all you want.

Figuring that the throbbing of her leg won't get any better anytime soon, and with most of the overwhelming urge to just freak out and scream herself into sweet oblivion, she then inhales deeply. Shall we? she points towards the door. This place scares me ****less. Can't shake the feeling he's still around and lurking.

[MaltholLoth]

"Me too." he replies, then shudders. As they reach the door he follows up with "Be careful what you show me to do though... As I may just do it.." Jim then quickly but gently taps his foot on Carine's.
With a smile he moves his foot away, and slides the door to one side.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea remembers how the lodge looked when she was there earlier today. The small information desk just off to the right of the entrance where the young man had greeted her when she entered. The display model just opposite the desk on the left showed a lovingly crafted scale version of the park that the sign claimed was topographically accurate. The large, open room with the ceiling towering effortlessly three stories above her head. Thanks to the massive window covering the back wall and looking out over the evergreen landscape, the room seemed so much more spacious. It was bright and cheery, with comfortable seats scattered throughout the room, most clustered around either the window or the stone fireplace that dominated the center of the room with its chimney reaching high up into the ceiling. Even with as few people as there were, the space felt well-loved.
Embedded in the left wall was the restaurant where she had a bite to eat, where the seating spilled out into the rest of the room, where she overheard the trio of men discussing their mountain hiking plans over paper cups of coffee and maps that spilled over the edges of the table.
Over to her right was the entrance to the exhibits showcasing the different environments and wildlife that observant hikers could find in the park. She remembered seeing a young boy peering into one of the displays with unbridled curiosity as an older woman in a park ranger uniform explained something about the contents.
Near that showcase, slightly further down the wall, was a door marked as "Employees Only," and opposite that door back by the restaurant was a hall leading to the restrooms, an elevator to the second floor, and an entrance to the kitchen.
On either side of the room, just past both of those, were stairs leading up to a balcony which provided a much better view out the window with a row of seats for a relaxing viewing experience. That balcony wrapped around the sides of the room, leading into hallways to the seating rooms. Smaller rooms with fireplaces for the colder months and equally exquisite views. If Chelsea remembered correctly, one of those rooms had a small bar, though she couldn't recall which in that brief moment between remembering and opening the door.
Immediately, Chelsea can see that the lodge has become a disaster. Chairs are overturned, and some have their insides torn out as if by claws. The stairs on the right have several steps completely missing, with the wood splintered and lying in a pile on the ground. Off to her right, her eyes are drawn to a pool of blood congealed on the surface of the information desk. Further right, the doors to the nature exhibits are closed but clearly cracked. To her left, the shutters to the restaurant counter have been brought halfway down but are jammed at an angle in the tracks, and the seating area appears to have had a vortex pass through. The fireplace in the center of the room seems intact, though there does seem to be a splatter of blood on the stone chimney about fifteen feet off the ground. In fact, looking around again, Chelsea can see several bloody areas, but she can't see any signs of a body or even a piece of a body.

Meanwhile, Jim and Carine collect themselves from their encounter, and after a moment of human connection in the face of adversity, Jim slides the door aside and supports Carine as they exit the building into the fading light of the evening. As they begin moving, they both hear the crunch of glass, but it is swiftly interrupted by a distant rumble from the direction of the lodge. Turning toward the sound, they can see a cloud of black smoke caught under the canopy of needs far off in the distance.

Back at the lodge itself, Chelsea also hears this explosion coming from the direction of the road, though to her, it is far, far louder and is accompanied by the sounds of various objects striking the wooden walls. Especially notable are the two loud thumps when something significant impacts the wall and then again when it lands on the ground.

[MaltholLoth]

"Hmm we should hurry, it's looking like it's getting dark." he says looking out at the sky. As they hear the noise and turn to it "What in blue blazes!" he secures his grip on Carine as they set to go.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

"Be careful what you show me to do though... As I may just do it.." Jim then quickly but gently taps his foot on Carine's.

In lieu of answering, Carine trills back a faint and painfully near-tuneless ♪I feel it in my fingers / I feel it on my toes…♫ as they move past the the doorframe to leave the little cabin of horrors behind, humming on for a while to properly avenge herself.


"Hmm we should hurry, it's looking like it's getting dark." he says looking out at the sky. As they hear the noise and turn to it "What in blue blazes!" he secures his grip on Carine as they set to go.

Carine emits a shrill gasp when the rumble is heard and her poor, naive body makes a pathetic attempt at jumping which, given her current state of disrepair, mostly just results in her losing her balance. Were it not for Jim, she would likely end up grounding her behind. Can that… Does that mean he's ****ing ahead of us? Is that fire? Clinging close to Jim, she feels her legs growing as heavy as lead and her breathing going heavier yet. She sucks in the air with rapid, loud huffs and her eyes begin to itch and water slightly.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[WindStruck]

Well, that was probably the truck exploding now.... good God! At least if a fire broke out and got large enough, maybe firefighters would come to put out the blaze. But would they be able to escape the inferno??

The lodge was an absolute disaster. Something happened here. Chelsea hurries over to the reception area in search of a working phone. If that doesn't pan out, there was always the EMPLOYEES ONLY area...

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

"Whoa! Easy there little songbird" he says as he takes her weight. "Are you ok? Do you want me to go grab you some more water or something?" coming round before her to better keep hold.

"I think it was some kind of fire yes..." He doesn't want to answer her other question, the answers he think of are bad news. If Shia wasn't there it could mean there was more like him. If he is ahead and at the lodge, there may not be the help he desired and Carine needed but still was better chance.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

The huffing rapidly transitions into erratic, muffled sobbing as Carine buries her face into Jim's chest. No, I just… [sob] I'm just fed up with… [sob] This ****. With this, this whole ****ing ****. [sob] I don't… [sob] Don't wanna be some creep's chewtoy, I… [sob] Just wanna go home, have some coffee and medical… [sob] Medical ****ing attention… she gurgles, as the warm moisture of fresh tears begins to spread across Jim's shirt.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, an ongoing breakdown

[MaltholLoth]

Jim deflates for a moment and just holds her. This... this was different. A pat on the shoulder and 'there, there!' didn't feel like it would cut it. Just what was he to do...

He leans his head down on hers, pats her shoulder, and says "There, there!". You damn fool Jim.

"I want that too, well not the coffee or medical stuff but... You're right. This isn't a situation I want to be in... That Shia ...Le.... Booof." he says failing to think of an appropriate insult to change his name to; "I'll not let him touch you. And together, we will get through this. We will get out of here. You and I."

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

It takes some time and some more crying, but in the end, Jim's efforts prove succesful. While still shaky, Carine manages to squeeze out a feeble but heartfelt Thank you, Jim. and a You're still the best crutch ever. between her ever more infrequent sobs. The (surprisingly therapeutic) crisis averted, she pulls back somewhat, trying to blink and wipe some excess saltwater out of her eyes, looks up at Jim somewhat apologetically and, following a sudden, whimsical urge, places her free hand on his shoulder and pulling herself up on tiptoes plants a little kiss on Jim's nose. He kind of earned it. With that, she shifts back by the man's side. Okay. Will try to be less of a mess. she reassures him, not quite as convincingly as she hoped she would. Let's get out of here, you and I and all that.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea hurries toward the counter and, looking over it. She can see, among the other, more negligible, slowly drying traces of blood and the computer keyboard that has been shattered into several shards, two phones, one landline, and one cellular. Unfortunately, the landline phone has had the receiver snapped in two. The speaker portion is sitting perfectly within its cradle while the microphone is off to the side of the dock with its cable to the base unit still intact. The cell phone is a clearer blockade, as it is face down on the desk in a pool of blood. The rear cover is missing, and the battery has been removed. An older smartphone then. In any case, in the space where a battery should be is a trio of small, white, round pills. So far as Chelsea can see from a cursory look, they don't seem to have markings as to what they are, and they could almost be mistaken for mints if not for the distinctive score-line running down the middle of each pill.
A movement in her peripheral vision causes her to instinctively look up at something that the stone chimney had previously blocked from her view. Silhouetted high up against the window is the shape of a person hanging upside-down by a rope tied around one of their legs leading up to the ceiling beams. The motion that caught her attention was the person bending and trying to reach their arms up to grab at their bound leg. Chelsea can see as this person repeatedly tries and fails to maintain a grip on their leg or the rope tying it.

Carine's emotions settled, the duo move on in the direction of the lodge. Carine's injury impacts their top speed, but they nonetheless make reasonable time in their journey. Most of the travel is uneventful until they've covered roughly a quarter of the distance between the cabins and the lodge, as that is when they hear singing. It's faint and distant, far in front of them and likely carried by the wind. The words are lost in the space between the pair and the singer, but the voice is one that Carine recognizes. It's less guttural and aggressive, but she can identify the voice that spoke to her before. The one that talked about having dinner.
Perhaps the wind carried a piece more clearly, or maybe they merely imagined it, but they recognized the words for a moment.
♪-ere's no beginning / There'll be no end...♫

[MaltholLoth]

"Cos oh my love, you can depend" Jim quietly continues and smiles. "I didn't think anyone else would be out here singing after hearing that..." he then says as the wind whips away the sound.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, (if allowed to backtrack..) a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Unlike Jim, Carine doesn't smile. Her face distorts into an expression of pure, undiluted revulsion and horror instead, and she shudders, her grip on both Jim and the spade tightening. It's him. she states in a small, infirm voice. He spoke to me on the hill. Called me his dinner. she continues, the pallor of her face turning more and more spectral.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

As Carine tenses up and tells Jim the bad news, he is equally now worried. He peers into the gloom before them, going to make out a sight of the moking Shia. "Can you see him? We might be able to sneak past him. Staying here won't help though, we should continue, he could be heading off back up the path you came from... I hope". As he says the final part, he plays the handle of the knife into a fresh grip.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, (if allowed to backtrack..) a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine shakes her head nervously. Can't be that close. she murmurs, still holding to Jim as though her life depended on it. Must be farther down that… at this point it dawns upon her. She closes her eyes for a moment and her whole body just sags. The lodge. Creep's been there or will be. Or he's squatting on the path.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a developing defeatism

[WindStruck]

Chelsea calls up to the person hanging from the rope, "Hey, are you alright??"

"I don't know if I can get you down right now. Just whatever you do, don't tell that psycho I'm here!"

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

Carine's collapse catches him off guard and has hold of her only when she nar the ground if not already sat. Helping her back up, he looks at her, nudges her head with his nose to get her to look him in the eyes. "It's your choice, I'll support you with what you want to do. We can go on..., or back, or..."

[Metastachydium]

Carine looks back at Jim, a ghost of the smile being nudged like that put on her face still visible for split second before it fades away, only leaving a blank, serious and very, very tired expression behind. Dunno, Jim. she mumbles. Be someplace else, I guess. she muses. Or just lie down and not give a ****. Less of a hassle. she adds with an awkward shrug.

But then, her face suddenly darkens. Damn it. She lowers her head, and closing her eyes forcefully, she clenches her teeth in an almost comical display of being pissed. Damn it! She's whining. Again. Geez. I kind of promised I won't be like this, didn't I? she mutters, meeting Jim's gaze again. You know what? she asks with sudden, childishly fierce determination. I'm done. Done with this all. We keep moving. And if he shows, we kill the mother****er.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, serious mood swings

[MaltholLoth]

"I don't think anyone could blame you for breaking that one" he says with a wink. Then as Carine gives her rousing speech, Jim feels all the more heartened and gives fist pump and a "Yeerrrr!" swinging round besides her, he gives a nod and an extra squeeze from his supporting arm. "Lets go!"

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, (if allowed to backtrack..) a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Naturally enough, Carine comes to regret expressing some good old murderous intent almost immediately. She's about to explain that she's not half as keen on engaging in combat and killing people dead as she must have sounded (she literally wouldn't hurt a fly; a cockroach, perhaps, but not a fly), Jim, however, proves faster. And very much open to the idew, which Carine finds a lot more reassuring than she probably should under different circumstances. Yeerr indeed. she mumbles, sparing Jim of any further elaboration on how this proves that suspending and upending the normative sequence of reflection and action is conducive to the liberation of the natural initiative of Man, merely making an attempt at imitating his gesture with his spade arm and gently returning the squeeze.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, serious mood swings

[MaltholLoth]

Jim notices Carine's lack lustre cry of defiance. Was she getting tired, quite possibly. Oh no! Was she just saying that because she thought it's what I wanted to hear? But that's why he had said it. He can't back down now, he's not normally a liar and would rather not give that impression.

"Why don't you tell me more about your err... Liberation... Thing" Jim offers to distract her but regretting it as soon as he starts to speak and knowing that he couldn't recall how she had described it.

Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, (if allowed to backtrack..) a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine's eyes spark back into life, although the surge of vigor is short-lived and her answer comes out just as hushed and languid as before. It's not a cult thing or biopolitics or anything. she says with a hint of suspicion in her voice. More like a conscious option to practice l'acte gratuit. Restoring organic self-regulation through the suspension of reflective precedence. Got a book on it, if you're interested. she mutters faintly, but with obvious enthusiasm, before biting her lower lip. It's in French, though.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, serious mood swings

[MaltholLoth]

Jim considers the words slowly as they walk. "Are you saying, that you've stopped thinking about yourself in self study and analysis, in order to return to just being yourself... Or going with the flow?" he offers. "I would be interested, though the French part may cause an issue. Unless you're willing to sit there reading it to me" then laughing quietly, not expecting a affirmative answer.

[Metastachydium]

Not exactly, no. Nothing wrong with reflexion in itself. Carine explains with a very serious face. So long as it's not a means of control impeding the autonomy of action. Impulse is not subversive. It just kind of happens. What's imposed quasi-externally, subverting the inherent organicity of being an actant, is rational control in accordance with normative convention, sometimes under the guise of sublimation. River's just there; dam's made to break the flow and redirect its mo- at this point she stumbles and very nearly falls forward due to letting go of Jim in an instinctive bid to gesticulate. -mentum. Damn. she hisses, which quickly morphs into a faint chuckle. As for sitting, if we live, I'll kind of do that a lot for a while. May as well sit around a fun guy like you, doing fun stuff. she adds, prodding Jim's shoulder playfully with her head.

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea watches as the dangling figure swivels its head about, looking for the voice's source. Finally, it settles, seeming to face Chelsea, though she can't be entirely sure with only the individual's silhouette to examine.
The figure speaks in a seemingly higher-pitched male voice, clearly laced with fear and possibly a touch of delirium.
"Oh, there's still someone alive? That's... good? I'm not sure. I'm not feeling too good. I think blood is pooling in my head, and my leg hurts, and that looks like quite the drop. Everything is red and- has he seen you?" he rambles, the last question interrupting the flow of words with a suddenly clear tone.

As Jim and Carine continue down the path to the lodge, the philosophical discussion is undoubtedly a welcome distraction from the dreadful situation they are currently trapped in. However, it also serves as a distraction from the ground underfoot, and a length of twine stretched across the path a few inches off the ground. That twine goes unnoticed until Jim feels it pressing against his shin enough to draw his attention as he can see it go from taut against his leg to suddenly slack as something off to their right emits an audible snap. Turning, they can see a boulder, far bigger than anyone could move without tools, bound in thick ropes and falling from the canopy of needles en route to swing directly into the duo with clear intent to obliterate anything in its path for as much intent as a boulder can express.

[MaltholLoth]

Jim can feel himself becoming more and more lost as Carine provides further explanation. As she let's go taking a stumble, he slips on trying to teach her. Relieved as she stands and puts her head to his shoulder. "I think you'll need to simplify that for me more but you think I'm fuhh..." He starts to say as his leg finds the trip wire. He looks to the side and sees the boulder falling. There's not much to think about but let the body do its thing of trying to survive...Striding forward his arm trying to reach back to grab Carine and bring her forward with him and throw both forward with a dive.


Blood tokens: 5
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, (if allowed to backtrack..) a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (partially tear soaked with added snot no doubt) and lightweight waterproof coat

[roll0]
[roll1]

[Metastachydium]

Carine's smile turns into a scowl of confusion and then a mask of sheer horror in quick succession. And then she freezes, like the proverbial deer in a headlight, her instincts failing her. The boulder's racing towards them way faster than she can limp. But she still has Jim, at least, who grabs her and throws them both forward. She feels the ground slipping out from under her legs, and clenching her teeth, she braces for the impact.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, serious mood swings

I'll take Malthol's second roll if he doesn't need it. It's not like Carine can outrun Jim anyway.

[WindStruck]

"Um. I'm not sure.. He probably did earlier when I was swimming, but I don't think so recently."

"Hey, uh, just hang in there, and I'll try to get help or find a ladder or something!"

With that conversation concluded (or so she assumes) Chelsea heads into the area that said EMPLOYEES ONLY.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

The man calls out as Chelsea turns away, "Look, if there's any chance that he doesn't know you're here, you need to take it and get out of here.
"Don't try to save me, he saw me and tracked me halfway across the park. You can't even fight him. I hit him with a truck and he shrugged it off like it was nothing.
"I am a liability to anyone still-"
His words are cut short by the sound of something heavy striking the wooden entry doors, causing them to shake on their hinges, followed by the sound of shattering glass.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea jumps at the sound of the impact at the doors. She wasn't sure if it was more crap from an explosion outside, but she kinda figured that the flaming truck only had one 'charge' in it so to speak. So maybe this crazy guy was coming back, and he was mad.

She just puts a finger to her lips as if to say 'shhhh!' and goes into the employee area.

Can I get in there now please?

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim reacts as quickly as he can, throwing himself forward to dodge the swinging stone. As he does so, he reaches back to pull Carine forward out of the path of the threat. Luckily, with Jim's assistance, Carine finds herself impacting the ground yet again, the grit digging into her palms but leaving her feeling only the wind of the stone swinging overhead.
Jim, however, is less fortunate. His selfless act of protection slowed his fall just enough that the boulder collides with his side in a painful but luckily grazing blow that sends him rolling a short distance away with a searing pain in his ribs just below his shoulder. His momentum slows, and Jim lies on his back with the wind completely knocked from his lungs. Each breath is shallow and causes the pain in his ribs to pulse angrily as his lungs expand against the tormented flesh and bone.
Above and slightly behind the pair, the boulder continues its pendulum routine, swinging across the path and back again, the lowest point in its arc being just off the side of the way.

Chelsea pushes her way into the EMPLOYEES ONLY door into a harsh, utilitarian hallway that contrasts the formerly cozy atmosphere of the lodge. The space is about 20 feet long and well lit by the fluorescent lights overhead. The walls, unadorned wood paneling, and the floors are bare concrete with a minimal rug running down the length. Five doors lead out from the hall, three on the left and two on the right, each with a visible nameplate. The two at the end of the corridor are too far to read, but the others she can just make out. The door on the right sits slightly ajar and is labeled as "Exhibits", the nearest on the left reads "Break Room", and the next is simply "Janitorial".
In that brief moment of examination, Chelsea hears another thud, presumably of the lodge's main door opening, and, after a moment, pleading shouts muffled by the door now separating her from the main space.
"You! Get me down and end me! Don't make me watch anymore, you freak!"

Jim Bodily has lost a blood token

[WindStruck]

ohcrapohcrapohcrapit'shim!

The crazy guy (but really, it's gotta be Shia LaBeouf!) was back here in the lodge! Chelsea was sure of it the way the guy hanging from the rope was shouting. And.. this wasn't good. She didn't know why he had come back here, but it would be in her best interests if she wasn't seen!

Maybe she could go into the break room and hide in a cabinet?? If there were even any cabinets. Oh but what if they were full?? Or the other doors down the hall? She didn't know what they were. An office or other random storage place? Ah crap but what if the doors were locked or there were no good hiding places either??

Argh, she didn't have time for this decision paralysis! So Chelsea quickly, but about as quietly as she can move with a sense of urgency, heads towards the door labeled exhibits that was partially open. Opening the door more, so she can stick her head through, she takes a peek. And if it looks like there's a possibility to hide in there, she goes for it!

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[Metastachydium]

Crawling forward alarmed, Carine raises her head slightly in an attempt to locate Jim. True panic only engulfs her, however, upon succeeding in that task. Largely forgetting even about the pain her leg gives her, she scrambles towards the man on all fours, shaking and nudging her with both hands, frantically but as gently as her state of mind allows. **** no. Jim? Jim? Jim! You hurt? Can you stand? Walk? Talk? Please say something! she jabbers in a squeaky voice.


Do I need a roll? I'll make a roll, just in case. [roll0]

Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, serious mood swings

[MaltholLoth]

Jim lies whimpering for a moment, as Carine approaches, he tries to roll and face the other way. The pain is intense and has brought tears to his eyes and they freely flow down his face. His perfect image of a brave Knight in shining armour was shown to be the fake that he was. All that was left was the scared crying wimp who now probably broke a rib or few.
"Mmmuuhh.. arr... Gnahhh..... ehmhmhn" he mumbles between laboured breathes. There is so many things he'd want to do or say but right now, it's just pain getting in the way and the gentle voice trying to bring him to his senses.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (slight tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine's not even sure if Jim's actually trying to oblige and respond or not; all she knows is that he sounds horrible. She feels cold and numb and her eyes begin to water. Don't you ****ing die on me, Jim. she whines, her voice growing oddly nasal. She pulls even closer, wrapping her slender left arm around Jim's neck, trying to raise his head somewhat (it usually helps when her nose congests; it must help with Jim's breathing as well, in some way) just as she runs her right palm all over his chest, looking for an injury or whatever that's more concrete than what she sees and hears. Something that can be fixed. Anything I can do? Pull you away? Get something soft? J-just tell me. S-speak to me, Jim!


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (not equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a powerful feeling of dread

[MaltholLoth]

As Carine brings her arm around his neck his chest twists sending a wave of pain and he let's out a a cry. It may be his body wanting to avoid the pain, or the touch of Carine reminding him she was there but her voice reaches him. He looks at her through his watery eyes and smiles. "You made it, you're OK!." then winces as he tries to move. "My... Chest.. . Eurgh.. The stone caught me good. Just, mmm help me up.. Uhh... Oh snnn I think I can't be your crutch for a while I'm afraid".

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea pokes her head into the open door and looks around. The exhibit room is decently sized and separated into two parts. About a quarter of the room is divided by a low counter, and this area is where the door leads. It seems to be part information desk and part office if the stacks of papers under the counter and old desktop computer are any indication. The opposite side of the counter accentuates how neat and orderly the office space still is because the exhibits are in a state of complete disarray. It appears as though every item that was being used to showcase the wonders of nature and wasn't bolted down has been shoved haphazardly against the door into the lodge. Everything from display cases to branches and stones from the two formerly sealed environments against the wall to Chelsea's left that presumably held some form of native wildlife but are now empty save for the pine needles that cover the floor of the enclosures. The floor is almost completely clear of anything but some broken glass from a display case.
If she were to hide, she would be hidden from the door she entered on the opposite side of the counter, and there seems to be some space between the wall and the makeshift barricade. As well, if she took a bit of time, she might be able to move some of the stacks of paper to create a space where she could huddle, hidden behind what would hopefully look like a ridiculously sized collection of informative pamphlets.
Chelsea can still hear the hanging man's panicked shouting through the employee door, but the volume has decreased to the point where she cannot make out any words and can only recognize that they are words of some kind. Whatever he's saying now is lost to her and may very well be only for his ears, or perhaps Shia's as well. She certainly hasn't heard any other noises from the other side of the door since the hanging man's pleading cries.

Carine does what she can to aid the newly injured Jim. Her searching hand can find no sign of external injury on his torso, be it a clear gash of some kind or an area of clothing soaked with blood. Whatever damage he sustained must not have broken skin, at least based on her admittedly amateur search.
Jim's most significant pain is where the stone struck him, and that pain is enhanced anytime Carine's hand passes over the wounded area. Aside from that, he is vaguely aware of the abrasions and aches on his arms and legs that were undoubtedly a result of being thrown across the ground. Otherwise, Jim can feel no other pains, and his limbs don't seem to be noticeably impaired by the damage they sustained.
Just behind the two, the boulder continues to swing, the motion seeming slower than when it was a threat. Now it is merely an oddity swinging across the path, and, though it was only a few moments ago, there doesn't seem to be any sort of follow-up, no secondary trap or trapmaker coming to see the results of the invention, at least so far.

[MaltholLoth]

With the help of Carine and a nearby tree, Jim stands up. Pained breaths and restrained sobs still present, he looks at the floor. "We eee should probably go oooh. Off the track... A hhhh bit"

[Metastachydium]

Still huffing from helping Jim get back into a more healthily vertical position, Carine bends down again with a couple more pained hisses to pick up her trusty spade. **** this whole ****ing ****. she mumbles in a tone that should sound irate but really doesn't. The ****'s wrong with you, Jim? That was stupid, stupid, so damn ****ing stupid I can't believe it. Should have let it smack me. Not like I'm good for much. Now we're both as good as crips and it's a ****ing trap and he'll be back any minute. How's that sound? Fun? she goes on as she limps back beside the man. She stops, very suddenly and slaps herself on the forehead, before laying a gentle hand on Jim's upper arm. Right. Just… Don't answer. You better not talk much. Sounds like it hurts and I kind of don't want that. she says softly, her hand sliding down along his arm and clutching his. Let's get offroad. That promises an arduous trek, but Carine does her best to block out the thought. They have enough to worry about even beyond that.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a powerful feeling of dread

[MaltholLoth]

Wipes his face, gives a long blink at Carine and a deep breath he regrets as soon as he starts it. Squatting down to get the knife, he stands and dutifully follows her off track.
A quiet mumble comes from him which you may not fully hear "I couldn't have done that"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[WindStruck]

Well crap. At first glance, this didn't really look like an ideal place to be. Being on one side of the counter or the other was a toss up, but it still wasn't really hiding. All the stuff from the displays was pushed against the other door too for some reason, so there went her cover. And then there was broken glass on the floor...

This wasn't going to work, Chelsea thought. So she stopped peaking and went back to the hallway, still leaving the door ajar as it was, and quickly trotted down the hallway to hopefully find a more promising doorway.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea makes her way down the hallway toward the two remaining doors. Once she's a short way away, she can read the labels. The one on the right reads "Warden's Office", while the door on the left reads "Storage". That left door is also open just enough to peer inside, and, while the lights inside are off, there is enough light slipping through the crack that Chelsea can see several stacks of boxes piled up, some sort of small all-terrain-vehicle, and what looks like an overhead door on the far wall.
As she is looking through that sliver of space into the storage room, she suddenly hears the sound of a door slamming open, reverberating down the hallway. Turning toward the sound, she can see him, Shia LaBeouf. He seems a bit worse for wear from when he nearly uncovered her in the woods. He still has the bandages about his ribs, though they look torn and tattered now. As well, he has a vertical line of a wound on his side that has soaked the entire left leg of his pants and stained his shoe red with blood, and a small river of red tracing down the right side of his face from within his hair, which has become matted with congealed blood.
"... bleeding, that's impossible..."
Shia glares at Chelsea for a brief moment before he raises a finger and, without changing expression and barely opening his mouth, lets out that same howl she heard from the cabins. Finger still raised and howl still bellowing from within him, he begins to stride purposefully toward Chelsea. If he continues this pace, it won't be but a few seconds before Shia is upon her.

Out in the woods, Jim and Carine, now reduced to providing only moral support to each other's damaged bodies, trek off-road in the direction of the lodge and luckily make decent time. The duo only requires a single slight detour onto a walking trail, and it doesn't take long before the two can properly make out the structure through the trees as well as the burning wreckage of some sort of vehicle that is the source of the black smoke billowing up into the trees.
It isn't but a few moments after finally catching sight of their destination that the pair can hear a muffled but powerful howl coming from within the lodge, instantly recognizable as the same howl they had heard before. Whatever is happening, Shia is inside that lodge, and something has his attention.

[WindStruck]

The storage room looked really promising. As Chelsea peered inside, she thought she could probably even remove something from a box and hide in the empty box. But then the door behind her slammed open and Shia came striding in.

****!

There was no hiding now. The mad man howled at her and began approaching with his menacing grin. Chelsea nearly choked on her own spit as she just barely managed to stifle a scream. If only she had just a few more seconds....

Since the storage room idea was probably just a dead end death sentence, Chelsea in her panic quickly tried to open the door to the warden's office.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty
-about to be eaten!

[Metastachydium]

The howl brings back memories, and not quite those of the pleasant sort. Not long after she's first heard it, Carine lost a good portion of a calf to an apparently preternatural, anthropophagous weirdo. She nervously reaches out to grab a good hold of her absolute favourite crutch, only to remember he was recently forced into retirement. As she pulls her hand back, twisting instinctively, her stupid body shifts her weight over to her bad leg in an attempt to preserve her balance. The flash of sharp pain takes care of the rest, and Carine finds herself hitting the ground with a yelp like a sack of potatoes right behind Jim.

He ****ing beat us to it. she comments, rolling onto her back, not sure she's keen on the idea of getting up for now. If life gives one a cold hard floor to rest on, one might as well take that break, after all.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a strange apathy

[MaltholLoth]

Jim grimaces at the howl up ahead, now dots are connected and he knows what it means... They're walking towards him. He who had been hit twice by a spade, knifed and a couple of other injuries presumably under those bandages, not forgetting a couple of wonky fingers. Bleurgh! He'll have to try and forget about those fingers. Now where were his thoughts.. Oh yer.. How could he...

At this point, he heard a scuffle of noise followed by Carine's yelp. He turns around. "Ouch... What happened? Are you OK? Was there another trap? Ahh... Hmm yes" Jim replies guessing at what happened. He reaches out and felt the stretch twinge his injured ribs. Better not do that, he instead crouches down on one knee. "C'mon, just because he's ahead of us doesn't mean... Err.. He's not still moving out we can't grab a lift from a passing car. I know I said no being a crutch, but if you're going to fall over, then I think it's probably better I suck it up and try".

He again, offers out his hand, but this time, keeps it there before her.


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Carine's face takes on a vaguely pinkish hue which Jim might recognize as blushing and which otherwise mostly just serves to make her even dizzier, her blood being in a supply way too short to spend on displays of emotion. Sorry, Jim. she mumbles apologetically, tugging on the closest finger of the man's extended hand, but retracting hers immediately afterwards. No need to strain yourself. she adds, pulling herself into something more like a sitting position and bending her good leg in a strange angle in a bid to facilitate getting back up on her feet. I'm just clumsy as ****. That's nothing new, though.

She stands awkwardly with a little hiss of pain and rolls her shoulders. Man. Being down to one leg just sucks. she mutters under her breath. Now, that's prolly gonna sound weird coming from me, but could we just, like, sit tight and play wait-and-watch for a while? Maybe he'll go away. she petitions Jim, tilting her head. Meanwhile, you could help me get those damn needles out of my hair or something. she adds with a weak, but inviting smile.

[7LayerDipstick]

Luckily for Chelsea, the door to the office is unlocked, and it swings open freely. Inside, the room is dimly lit by a single desk lamp and a single, thin beam of sunlight making its way through the window on the back wall at an oblique angle. Chelsea notices that the window is large enough to climb through if she has time to open it. The room itself is a mess, though not the sort of mess resulting from a struggle if her brief moment to take in the space is correct. It is more of a general clutter from someone disorganized, especially the piles of loose papers scattered across the desk sitting in the middle of the room. Aside from the papers littering the desk, the desk lamp provides that slight illumination, and a computer monitor is seated near the edge of the desk. The wall with the window is bare save for a few framed images and documents, while the other three are lined entirely with chest-high filing cabinets, seemingly stuffed with more papers if the corners of pages sticking out of the closed drawers are any indication.
Shia, meanwhile, continues his advance, the howl getting louder as he gets closer to Chelsea, reaching the midway point of the hall as he passes the Janitorial door. His step doesn't seem to quicken, remaining that same purposeful stride he began with. His hand remains raised, a single finger pointed toward Chelsea in a clear indication of his goal.

Meanwhile, Jim and Carine continue to hear Shia's howl distantly as they discuss their course of action. As Carine rights herself, either a timer trips or a sensor activates as the external lights of the lodge trigger, bathing the parking lot, still mostly obscured, in the stark white glow of LED lighting. With that contrast, the pair realize that it has gotten much darker since they left the cabins. The night is fast encroaching now, leaving them only a few minutes before their eyesight is drastically impaired and simple navigation becomes a challenge.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea wastes no time running through the door. She prays there's a lock on it. If there is, she quickly flicks it. And just for good measure, since she has an idea of how freakishly strong this guy just might be, she decides to attempt to barricade the door a bit too. With fear and adrenaline pumping through her veins, she pushes and tips over a filing cabinet closest to the door, obstructing it. "Kyaa!"

Then she hurries her way toward the window, intent on opening it...

Blood Tokens: 5
items: bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

"Sure thing" he says, how could he set no when he could no longer be the crutch for her. Moving behind Carine, he picks out some of the larger clumps of pine needles then runs his fingers gently through her hair from the bottom, upwards and out taking care not to pull more than he can help.

"Well that may have to do, it's getting a bit too dark to be sure. Your hair is lovely and soft by the way. As much as it pains me to say, I think we should get closer. Just to the edge of the light, so we can see the ground before us. I'd rather not fall foul off some other trap if possible. It would also make watching for him leaving easier." Jim rationalised aloud, doing a final comb through of her hair and then running his finger around her ears to tidy her her to her back. He notices some needles stuck to her trousers and brushed them off, including one on her bum. "Sorry, just some extra needles..." gives a couple more patting brushes to an already needle free derriere.


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

"Well that may have to do, it's getting a bit too dark to be sure. Your hair is lovely and soft by the way.

Carine's smile widens as she bathes herself in the light of the compliment. Hey, thanks. she mutters with a proud little chuckle. Reckon that's mostly the balsam's doing, though.


As much as it pains me to say, I think we should get closer. Just to the edge of the light, so we can see the ground before us. I'd rather not fall foul off some other trap if possible. It would also make watching for him leaving easier." Jim rationalised aloud, doing a final comb through of her hair and then running his finger around her ears to tidy her her to her back. He notices some needles stuck to her trousers and brushed them off, including one on her bum. "Sorry, just some extra needles..." gives a couple more patting brushes to an already needle free derriere.

Largely oblivious to Jim's ultimately harmless misconduct, Carine makes a cautious half-turn to gently stroke the man's arm in a manner equally cautious (what's she going to do if she somehow breaks him, after all?). 'Kay. she says with a sigh, pulling closer to Jim. I'm all sold. You've just did a great service to my hair. Would be a **** move not to reward that. We she relents. One proviso, though. No more playing the hero, mister. she mumbles into the man's shoulder, pinching his ear ever so lightly. Like you better in one piece.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a noticable lack of gross resin in her hair

[MaltholLoth]

"And what kind of man would I be if your beau..." Jim starts, then stops, swallows, holds his look at her. "Nnnngg... well ok... sigh we... we both got each others back right. Nothing over the reckless from either of us. Agreed?" he says half bringing a hand up towards hers on his arm.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[7LayerDipstick]

While Jim and Carine discuss approaching the lodge and perform general grooming, Chelsea finds herself locked in an office looking for a way to open a window. A quick examination shows that the window is two panes separated by a small horizontal beam. The lower pane is completely sealed and cannot move, whereas the upper pane can swing open by a hinge at the top of the window. Flicking open the latch, Chelsea can push the window to the point where it locks in place, limited by the length of the support rods holding it open at less than a 45-degree angle. It only leaves a few feet of space, but it is enough to squeeze through with some squeezing. Chelsea could probably climb up with some time and effort. Some sort of step would be invaluable in reducing the climbing and clambering needed. In either case, she will have to contend with the drop on the other side of the window. It's only six or seven feet, but even that could hurt if she lands wrong.
Only a few moments after she swings the window open, Chelsea hears the sound of Shia still howling just outside the office, his volume never wavering, followed by the crash as something heavy slams into the closed door, which rattles in its frame as a visible crack forms vertically down the middle, sending a small spray of splinters into the room.
After a moment, another spray of wood shards flies across the room as a fist bursts through the door just off of the center. The rest of the arm follows suit as Shia begins blindly groping for the lock on the door handle, seemingly unaware of the toppled metal cabinet preventing the door from swinging.

Outside, the pair cleaning the evidence of their proximity to nature can suddenly hear Shia's apparently everlasting howl much more clearly and can more accurately determine its source. It sounds like it is coming from somewhere near the front right corner of the lodge. If Jim remembers the layout at all, he may recall that being near the exhibits.

[MaltholLoth]

Once at the edge of light and hearing the howl come from the right side. The left side seemed the better option. Or it would but for the scene of chaos lit up before them all through the car park.
"Well that was the fire accounted for... Do you have any ideas?" he says quietly to Carine.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

"Nnnngg... well ok... sigh we... we both got each others back right. Nothing over the reckless from either of us. Agreed?" he says half bringing a hand up towards hers on his arm.

Carinetakes the hand and gives it a(n ultimately more in)firm squeeze (than she intended; blood loss is a pain). You've got yourself a deal.


"Well that was the fire accounted for... Do you have any ideas?" he says quietly to Carine.


Carine looks around for something at least vaguely resembling good cover. Knowing their luck, she'd be mighty surprised if Shia didn't have better nightvision capabilities than either of them. Yeah. she half-whispers, trembling ever so slightly. How about we stay the **** away until after he's howling elsewhere?


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze

[MaltholLoth]

"So just get comfy by one of the trees, just out of the light and keep an eye out for him, hopefully leaving? Sounds good by me. Then if one of us looks to the light of the car park and the other can watch into the shadows?." he confirms, still without another plan that would then replace this.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Yeah. Carine agrees to the plan with a languid nod. At this point, she's not entirely sure if it's just the blood loss or also the acute caffeine withdrawal, but she's pretty sure she could use some rest. Some sleep, even. Dibs on not-the-car-park.

[WindStruck]

There really wasn't much time. Could Chelsea make it out of here alive before that freak muscled his way through the door? But even if she did, she saw how fast he was moving outside...

She needed something to help her climb out the window and so began to push the desk chair against the wall. Then she had an idea. Maybe another crazy idea, but probably way better than the last, and it would probably save her, or... well, she'd die anyway!

Grabbing at her bikini top, she gives it several hard yanks to break (maybe untie) the thin strings holding it together. Then she haphazardly wedges the tiny garment between the window and the latch that kept it locked. And finally, she hurries under the desk trying not to make a sound and to slow her breathing.

With any luck, the crazed cannibal would think she already managed to climb out the window but her bikini got caught in it, and waste no time chasing her down.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: Let's not talk about this...
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Carine and Jim creep forward slowly and carefully until they reach the very edge of the lit area. As they draw close, they hear Shia's howl interrupted by what sounds like metal scraping over concrete. Then, after a few moments of silence, they hear the sound of glass shattering, and Carine can see the shape of a person fly through the air originating from somewhere around the right corner of the lodge. She watches as they land on the ground easily twenty feet from the lodge and, though it is hard to tell in the growing darkness, rise back to their feet in less than a second. The figure stands still for a few seconds, and for only a moment, Carine sees the person's eyes glowing in the darkness like those of a cat. However, whoever it is either doesn't see the two or simply has no interest in them as they turn and begin a light jog into the woods. Unless she imagines things, Carine could swear she sees the figure bring their hand up to their neck before they are entirely lost in the darkness of the woods.

Chelsea, meanwhile, successfully gets her top off and caught in the window latch just as she hears the faint click of the lock through the howling and the rattling of the door trying to be opened against the toppled filing cabinet. She tucks herself under the desk as the rattling becomes more intense until it becomes a rhythmic slamming accompanied by the sound of cracking wood. After about twenty seconds, there is a brief lull, leaving only Shia's incessant vocalizations, before even that is cut off by a cacophony of noise. Chelsea is bombarded by the sound of wood shattering as the door breaks into fragments which she can see strike the far wall and tumble to the ground, and the ear-splitting sound of metal scraping across concrete as the filing cabinet skids across the floor and rams into the corner of the desk. Luckily, it seems the cabinet had lost much of its moment, as the desk is only slightly knocked askew. Still, it is enough that Chelsea has a direct line of sight to the window she was hoping to use as bait.
She listens as Shia walks into the room and apparently stands in silence for a few seconds before walking toward the window. Chelsea can see as Shia rounds the corner of the desk and approaches the window. He stares at the opening and the article of clothing caught in the latch for a long moment, his right hand drifting up to grasp the fabric. Suddenly he lets out a grunt that Chelsea could almost swear was vulgar as he swings his arm down, ripping the bikini top from the latch with the sound of tearing fabric, and casts it to the ground behind him. With no fanfare, Shia takes one step back and crouches before leaping bodily through the lower pane of glass into the darkness outside. With what little light is diffusing out the window, Chelsea can barely make out the shape of Shia standing upright and jogging out of her view.
In the silence, Chelsea can see that her garment, initially only slightly damaged by her hasty removal, has been further damaged by Shia. One of the straps on the right has been completely severed near the middle. It's probably salvageable, but the string would be shorter once the broken ends are tied together.

[MaltholLoth]

"What was that noise I wonder?" Jim puzzles as the metallic scraping sound is heard. "I wonder how long we'll have to wait" he asks as he looks through the wreckage that is the car park.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

"What was that noise I wonder?" Jim puzzles as the metallic scraping sound is heard.

Hope we'll never know. Carine replies, shrinking back into a comfortably deep patch of darkness.


"I wonder how long we'll have to wait" he asks as he looks through the wreckage that is the car park.


Not for long if you keep talking. she retorts, her voice a tense whisper. ****. Sorry, Jim. she adds almost immediately afterwards, with a sigh, laying a palm on his shoulder. I'm just sick of it all. Most of it all.


♣

Carine tenses up again upon seeing the strange creature leap straight through a window and fails to stop a squeal from escaping her lungs as she plasters herself against the ground. The eyeshine, in particular, makes her cringe. Their murky hiding place doesn't feel quite as safe anymore than it did mere moments ago. But then, the thing jogs away. She waits for a moment and then another, but everything stays still and silent (by the standards of a creepy crepuscular forest). With light trembles still dancing all over her body, she cautiously crawls closer to Jim and pulling herself up on his closer shoulder, she presses her lips against his ear. Jim. she whispers from up close. He's gone. Or is he? Was that Shia? That must have been Shia. That better have been Shia. Or we're ****ed and there's another, but let's pretend that's not possible.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a measure of optimism

[MaltholLoth]

Carine's breath was warm but the tone of her voice was what held his attention. So looking out, he whispers his reply "If that's was him... Do you want to head over to the lodge? We could go direct or round I guess?".
He brings a hand and rubs a little bit of her arm that he can reach at a skewed angle. "I don't know when it will be over, but we will see it through soon"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat

[Metastachydium]

Jim's little gesture is more than welcome (especially given that with the evening chill setting in, fear's not the only thing giving Carine goosebumps anymore); his suggestion less so. Sticking close to his earlobe, she makes sure to voice her doubts. Dunno. Creep's been in there. Likely left a mess. Can we just get the **** out of the park? she asks. And then, she wavers. Could use some ****ing coffee, though. And some warmth, of course, but she has a portable source of that, who doesn't seem averse to the idea of keeping hypothermia off of her. So, your call.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a horrible dilemma

[MaltholLoth]

"With night setting in, many miles to town and your leg in the condition it is... I don't fancy or chances with that. If it's what you want to do. I won't leave you to try alone. There's also that woman who said she was coming this way to get help. I don't know if she was able or not but this place would sure have the best chances of finding or getting any." He says as he shifts to get up. "There may also be some lost and found clothes or the likes, you're starting to feel cold. Come here" and that he tries to rub her arms a bit to warm them up.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: hopeful, weary, sore

[WindStruck]

Chelsea steels herself as the door splinters open and the filing cabinet skids into the desk, but thankfully her cover isn't blown. She holds her breath as Shia approaches and examines the window. And then suddenly, he leaps through the window and quickly disappears.

After a few moments, she breaths again with a sigh of relief. It worked. It worked! She had lost the crazy guy. But for how long? He was super strong, super fast, and from what she could tell, he seemed to have an extremely good nose too. Looking down at her bikini top, however, she frowned.

Oh god damnit.

It was ruined. Completely ruined! She'd probably never be able to fix it properly. But then again, maybe she could fix it if she had plenty of time on her hands. Which she absolutely didn't. For what it was worth, Chelsea took some solace in the fact that the park was deserted, and.. well.. that chances are, no one was going to see her in her current state. Because chances are they had already left, fled, or the crazy guy killed them. Then again, there was probably still that one guy hanging on the rope...

Chelsea slowly and carefully crawled forward, feeling around for shards of broken glass and splinters. She needed to get out of here and she probably did not have much time until Shia realized it was just some trick. Once able to stand, she takes just as much caution feeling and shuffling her way towards the door, until she can step over the filing cabinet and back out into the hallway.

Now that she was safe for the moment, and not at risk of stabbing her feet on sharp pieces of glass or wood, she hurried over to the employee break room and went in. She was determined to make herself a hiding spot here, where the crazy guy might never possibly look. But for now, she'd have to see if that was even remotely possible.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[Metastachydium]

Carine is happy to be rubbed and it shows: Jim's attempt at keeping her kind of warm puts a smile so grateful on her face that it almost sheds light. Still, sher mind begins to race: is Jim an empath or does she feel icky and cold to the touch? She doesn't want to feel icky and cold to the touch. She's not a deep sea mollusk, damn it!

These musings delay her answer a bit, but she ultimately gets around to considering the options Jim presented as well. Yeah, don't think we can go to town either. What I meant was, like, finding the closest road or something and hitching a ride. she explains, still smiling. I still don't know **** about this place though, so… I don't know. We can take a quick look at the Haunted House if you like. A sweater would be sweet. she mumbles, leaning forward to bump her head into Jim's chest just above his sternum. Just… Let's, like, make a break for it before he circles back around.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a horrible dilemma and some borrowed warmth

[MaltholLoth]

With Carine putting her face in his chest he's able to better rub her and the goosebumps are all more obvious. "The hitchhiking idea is good, but yet, let's make a dash for it now" he says, pulling back just slightly but bringing one hand down to take hold of hers, interlocking his fingers with hers. With a final look around, he gives a smile and nods his head towards the 'haunted house'.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: very hopeful, weary, sore, slightly smitten

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea carefully makes her way out of the room on her hands and knees, brushing aside any stray shards of glass or wood splinters. She crawls under the top half of the door hanging, shattered and cracked, off the single remaining hinge in the doorframe. Getting back to her feet, she hurries down the hall toward the breakroom and swings the door open to reveal a well-appointed seating area and kitchenette.
The room is lit with the same fluorescent glow as the hall, though Chelsea can see a few lights above the counters of the kitchenette that might provide a softer light if they were on. The counter starts near the middle of both the far and right wall of the nearly square room, and the two halves join in the corner where a sink sits embedded in the fake white marble surface. Cupboards occupy the space underneath the counter. The end of the counter on the far wall is capped with a simple standing refrigerator and freezer that has a severe dent in the lower door. On the counter next to the fridge is a microwave, and on the opposite end of the counter is an over-designed, high-tech, touch-screen, self-grinding coffee machine. At least, that's what Chelsea is pretty sure the device almost completely covered in sticky notes is.
In the middle of the room is a long, bare metal table surrounded on all sides by a variety of mismatched chairs, from metal folding chairs to a couple of armchairs that look too low for the table and even a rolling desk chair at the far end.
The walls are windowless but are covered on almost all sides by various posters and documents. The walls by the kitchenette have imperial-to-metric conversion tables and a poster covered in images of herbs. The left wall is covered in what looks like every promotional poster for the park from the last few decades, all arranged without any apparent sense of style. Directly to Chelsea's right, past the end of the counter, Chelsea can see an oversized calendar for the year with a flower motif and a lot of tiny writing on nearly every date.

Like most deep-sea mollusks, Carine and Jim's journey across the car park to the lodge entrance is relatively slow and uneventful. The only events of note are a series of small pops from the shattered and smoking remains of the truck sitting on the road and, as they reach a better angle, a view of the trio of skulls lined up across the entrance of the parking lot positioned to face the door to the lodge. All three skulls have streaks of sooty discoloration, and the one nearest the smoldering wreck has a visible crack running along the cranium.
As they approach the entrance to the foyer, the injured pair see that the right door has been knocked completely off its hinges, leaving the closing mechanism above to jut uselessly out of the doorframe. The door itself is devoid of its former glass, leaving just a metal rectangle with handles wedged in the small alcove that once held a pamphlet display before the remains of the door crushed it. The glass that litters the foyer floor looks to be the sort of tempered glass that produces less dangerous shrapnel when shattered, as the pieces all seem to be reasonably small and likely pose no threat unless someone were careless. The wooden double doors that lead into the lodge proper seem undamaged and unfazed by the destruction before it and are lit almost regally by a pair of warm lights illuminating the doors more than the rest of the space.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea closes the door a bit, leaving it slightly ajar exactly as before she entered the room. She then makes a beeline for the cupboards, opening them all.

If she could move everything from one of the storage spaces and cram that stuff into all the others, that would make room for her to get in herself. Heck, she figured a shelf wouldn't even get in her way. If there was a shelf it could probably be taken out and then put under all the stuff in another cupboard as well...

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

The place had certainly seen its fair share of the carnage. Like his own mobile comfort blanket, he leads Carine by the hand to the doorway and keeping the knife before him, looks for any sign of trouble as he steps in.
The coast clear, moves towards the restaurant. After looking to make sure it appears clear says "I just thought, they may not be as warm but there was certainly t-shirts in here. Why don't you check what there is, I could do with something too if possible. I'll see if there's any food or drink about. Maybe even get you that coffee?"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: very hopeful, weary, sore, slightly smitten

[Metastachydium]

Holding onto Jim's hand (it feels warm and it feels good), Carine limps inside as well, her spade kinda-sorta ready, although unlike Jim, she's actively trying to avoid looking around too much, focusing mostly on the floor just ahead of their feet. Shia's been inside the lodge; that might mean gore (she'd sooner not see) and that might mean traps (which she wouldn't mind noticing this time around).

As Jim reveals his plans, she looks up at him, all hazy and puzzled. Already have a tee. she mutters, shifting closer to the man, showing no sign whatsoever of intending to let go of his hand. Besides, I'd rather you didn't wander off. Not even for my damn coffee.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a mild form of separation anxiety, Jim's hand

[MaltholLoth]

As he finds his hand still otherwise unavailable for his own use, but not bothered by the fact, he leads into the restaurant area.
"Ok, well, I was just thinking a few extra layers would be better than nothing. We can do that in a minute.. Just let's check for some refreshments yer. I guess we could see if there was anything left around in the staff room or locker room actually. I'm sure they wear coats at times so perhaps let's do that."

Hide
Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand
Emotional/mental state: very hopeful, weary, sore, slightly smitten

[Metastachydium]

Carine gives Jim a few relieved and affirmative nods. Okay. she says. That's okay. Just let's not split up. The last time Jim left her behind to check the next freakin' room, Shia just popped into the scene ex nihilo pretty much immediately. She can do this with Jim. She can't do this without.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand (still!)

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea remembers how the lodge looked when she was there earlier today. The small information desk just off to the right of the entrance where the young man had greeted her when she entered. The display model just opposite the desk on the left showed a lovingly crafted scale version of the park that the sign claimed was topographically accurate. The large, open room with the ceiling towering effortlessly three stories above her head. Thanks to the massive window covering the back wall and looking out over the evergreen landscape, the room seemed so much more spacious. It was bright and cheery, with comfortable seats scattered throughout the room, most clustered around either the window or the stone fireplace that dominated the center of the room with its chimney reaching high up into the ceiling. Even with as few people as there were, the space felt well-loved.
Embedded in the left wall was the restaurant where she had a bite to eat, where the seating spilled out into the rest of the room, where she overheard the trio of men discussing their mountain hiking plans over paper cups of coffee and maps that spilled over the edges of the table.
Over to her right was the entrance to the exhibits showcasing the different environments and wildlife that observant hikers could find in the park. She remembered seeing a young boy peering into one of the displays with unbridled curiosity as an older woman in a park ranger uniform explained something about the contents.
Near that showcase, slightly further down the wall, was a door marked as "Employees Only," and opposite that door back by the restaurant was a hall leading to the restrooms, an elevator to the second floor, and an entrance to the kitchen.
On either side of the room, just past both of those, were stairs leading up to a balcony which provided a much better view out the window with a row of seats for a relaxing viewing experience. That balcony wrapped around the sides of the room, leading into hallways to the seating rooms. Smaller rooms with fireplaces for the colder months and equally exquisite views. If Chelsea remembered correctly, one of those rooms had a small bar, though she couldn't recall which in that brief moment between remembering and opening the door.
Immediately, Chelsea can see that the lodge has become a disaster. Chairs are overturned, and some have their insides torn out as if by claws. The stairs on the right have several steps completely missing, with the wood splintered and lying in a pile on the ground. Off to her right, her eyes are drawn to a pool of blood congealed on the surface of the information desk. Further right, the doors to the nature exhibits are closed but clearly cracked. To her left, the shutters to the restaurant counter have been brought halfway down but are jammed at an angle in the tracks, and the seating area appears to have had a vortex pass through. The fireplace in the center of the room seems intact, though there does seem to be a splatter of blood on the stone chimney about fifteen feet off the ground. In fact, looking around again, Chelsea can see several bloody areas, but she can't see any signs of a body or even a piece of a body.

Carine and Jim traipse through the foyer as best they are able and enter the lodge proper. The space seems much the same as when Chelsea examined it, save for it being much darker. Five of the lights hanging from the ceiling are dimly lit, providing a slight illumination to the area, though fine details are lost to the incomplete light.
They make their way past the damaged display and toward the disarrayed tangle of tables and chairs that make up the former seating arrangement for the restaurant. Carine especially must mind her step over and around the toppled furniture as they pick their way through the mess of metal legs. However, it is Jim who finds his foot snagging the leg of one of the tables just as they exit the clutter of a former dining space. It causes him to stagger slightly, though not enough to risk his balance. It does cause just enough movement to dislodge a precariously perched chair and send it clattering to the ground behind them.
The quiet, previously only broken occasionally by the pair's words, now seems insistent on remaining broken, as before the sound of falling furniture ceases, a string of expletives pierces the air in a voice almost similar to Jim's, save for a shriller, harsher tone to the speech.
"... You better be back to eat me, you demon-beast! I'm not long before an aneurysm takes me out, and I will exert all my will to ensure I start putrefying like a lobst- wait, two of you? You two aren't that freak at all. There are more of you alive in here? I can't see good. Is one of you that lady Shia went after? How'd you escape?"
Jim and Carine can see, hanging by his leg from a rope and barely lit by one of the active lights, a man in a Forest Ranger's uniform with his arms dangling down toward the ground and his head tracking the pair as his body slowly rotates back and forth.
In the time between walking toward the restaurant and this man's shouting, Jim did notice that 'coffee' was listed on the menu and saw a display board behind the counter that, while cut off by the partially closed shutters, does seem to have some clothes listed as being for sale.

Chelsea hastily pulls open all the cupboards, finding that the doors are paired together, each one in a pair opening to the same space behind the facade. Most of the cabinets are almost completely empty save for some empty plastic containers, collections of dust, or, in one case, a stack of seven cookbooks that look about fifty years old. Unfortunately, each space has a single shelf that spans the whole length accessed by the two doors, except for the area directly to the left of the sink. It seems as if the shelf was removed to provide more space for dozens and dozens of containers of dry oats. Every container is sealed and stacked neatly in this dedicated oat storage area, and Chelsea grabs armfuls of them and begins cramming them haphazardly into other cupboards.
As Chelsea relocates the pile of oats to every cupboard except that one, two things occur. First, she hears the now familiar shouts of the hanged man out in the main hall, now mostly muffled by the multiple doorways, though the cries quickly fade away after only a few seconds. Second, she notices that some of the oat containers seem heavier than the others and that all of them are at least ten years past their listed expiration date.

[MaltholLoth]

Feeling at first like a sneaky little ninja, he gets over confident and when he falls over the final table and the noise ensures he no longer feels that. If he hadn't already come to a crouch from the trip, he would certainly have done something similar in expectation of a clip round the back of the head from Carine.
As the voice suddenly shouts down, Jim recoils a couple of pages in shock. "C**p in 'ell! Did you have to scare us like that!" he exclaims.

"No we're dead... Oh course we're alive!" His frightened state bringing out the sarcasm in him. He lets out a sigh of frustration as he tries to regain a sense of calm.


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand
Emotional/mental state: surprised, weary, sore, slightly smitten

[Metastachydium]

With a startled cry and a hiss of pain, Carine, dragged downwards by the sudden force of Jim, khm, adjusting his stance, lands on her bad leg. And Jim. But the latter doesn't bother her half as much. The **** are you doing up… she begins to join Jim in chewing out the hanger as she tries to straighten her injured limb when the ranger guy's words finally hit her straight on the head. Wwait. There's another chick in here?


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand, a sudden clarity

[MaltholLoth]

Jim tried to help Carine back to her feet from underneath her. Not the easiest job in their tangled injured way, but she's not that heavy and he can think of far worse people to be tangled with right now. Jim clicks on the woman he means, "Red hair... Possibly wet looking? That must be the one who came for help... But we saw him leave a few minutes ago and she came here she's ago... Oh... Monkey nuts!". After a moment of reflection on the situation he realises something else.. "I don't think I can reach to help you but... Is there a ladder or something about?"


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine shaped pillow
Emotional/mental state: apologetic, weary, sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help

[Metastachydium]

Huh? Carine doesn't quite see Jim's point about the Lady of the Lake at first (and being busy (in theory) helping (but probably really just hindering) Jim resurface from under her), but Oh. Oh. she gets around to getting it. It's not a nice feeling.

Nor is realizing (owing to Jim, yet again) that she's been ignoring the plight of a fellow victim to inquire about another that might not even need their help (or anyone's, really) anymore. As Jim puts both of them back on their feet, she turns the face the ranger with a guilty little grimace on her face. Yeah. That. she mumbles, a little louder than usual for the hanger's benefit. What Jim said. Waving her spade hand feebly before her face, she adds an equally garbled Sorry. Lost a lot of blood.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand, some further sudden clarities

[WindStruck]

It was a little disheartening to see the shelf in the way of all the cabinets, but when she opened the last cabinet next to the sink, Chelsea hit the jackpot! ..of oats. Apparently, lots and lots of packages of oats here. It was kind of a weird setup, but it all could easily be changed seeing as all the other cabinets were practically empty.

There was something strange about the packages. Outdated, and some heavier than others. What, was some guy hiding gold in them or something?? At this rate Chelsea really didn't care. And as she heard the sounds of the man yelling from the main lobby again, her heart started beating faster.

Oh no, oh no, oh no!

Calm down, just finish this!

Chelsea was almost done relocating the the oats. She took a few less containers at a time, but moved very quickly, trying to put all the rest of the containers somewhere else. If the cannibal guy caught her now, she wasn't going to get away!

When all the packages are relocated, she closes all the cabinet doors (except the ones near the sink) climbs in, and then tries to close that one from the inside.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea rushes, stuffing oats containers haphazardly into the surrounding cabinets. Thanks to the lack of organization, her work is hindered by the extra space each container claims. She fills three cupboards with the strange oats before the shelf-less cupboard is empty. With the area clear, Chelsea closes all the other doors and crawls into the enclosed space. The task is far from comfortable, and she catches herself on the edge of the wooden frame several times in her haste.
Nonetheless, she curls her frightened body into the cupboard and begins fumbling with the doors, trying to pull them closed from within. She successfully closes the door near her legs by reaching out the other opening and pushing it, but the same trick has no chance on the remaining entry. Chelsea can grip the door by wrapping her fingers around the edge and pulling, leaving a small opening when she extracts her fingers from the gap. Trying to swing the door, so its momentum closes it entirely is unreliable. The few times she tries, it only results in the door bouncing slightly open again. Inside the door, the only thing available that might provide any grip is a small lip about two inches from the edge, but the surface is maybe a millimeter wide, and all Chelsea's attempts to grip the tiny space are thwarted by her own hands pushing the door away.

The figure hanging from the ceiling groans as he bends, reaching for his bound leg. After a moment of fruitless struggle, he drops back down with a huff and resumes gazing at Jim and Carine, his head needing to compensate more for the added rotation the escape attempt created.
"Uhhhh, yeah, red hair, lotta dirt. That freak followed her into the employee area, I think. I was yelling, not paying... uhh, ladders are in the employee area. Need'em to change the lights," he explains, his words sounding more and more strained until they trail off into unfocused muttering.

[MaltholLoth]

With his initial fear and annoyance fading, the dangling man seeming the more pressing issue, he takes hold of Carine's fingers in a gentle hold "I'm sorry, I think you're coffee is going to have to wait. Let's get him down, he may be able to make sense of the machine anyway. Back in as moment fella
". He fights hard to resist saying 'hang in there' but a smile crosses his face at the thought.

Nudging Carine with his elbow, he leads the way through the tables and chairs back to the hallway to pick the staff area door. As they pass through the doors from the restaurant, he feels the silence is too empty. Thinking to fill it before it gets to their minds he tries making some small talk. "What do you do for a living?"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand which his thumb strokes
Emotional/mental state: perceptive, weary, sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help

[WindStruck]

Chelsea frowns, growing a bit more panicked and frustrated with each attempt at closing the cabinet door.

Thankfully she comes up with an idea however. After running a hand through her hair, she gets a loose strand. Then, holding each end of the hair, she wraps it around the corner of the cabinet and slowly pulls. If anything, should she be able to utilize both hands and pull this off, the gap between the cabinet doors and their enclosure should only be about 'hair width'!

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[Metastachydium]

How exactly they are going to lug a ladder about, let alone climb it is nothing Carine cares to think too much about right now, whereas whining over the pesky circumstances that keep her from getting the Substance that her brain craves would feel an odd thing to do. Insensitive too. She ultimately ends up going with an innocent grimace, an idle stare and a mumbled 'Kay. Let's make haste, though. My brain's back to prioritizing conscious deliberation and it's scary.


♣

Jim's sudden question comes as a surprise, but it still makes her kind of proud. It's so out-of-place that it must have been a spontaneous verbal action; it's too bad that he still overrelies on the staples of polite conversation, but he's trying and that's sweet. Pretending I still deserve that scholarship, mostly. Student loans creep me out. she answers, bumping her head against the man's shoulder as they walk. Prolly gonna drop out, though. Turns out, sociology is quantitative as ****. she muses idly. You?


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand and a few reasons to feel proud of him

[MaltholLoth]

Lets out a small 'ha' of amusement as she says about student loans. "Yer, they're no fun that's for sure. Mine's still hanging over my head now. Only give up on learning if you don't want to make use of it and don't enjoy it. Learning something can't be taken away by anyone. No matter how poor you end up. Still, to me it's clear you have more than a couple of braincells up in that pretty little head of yours. As for me, just your boring old guy sat in front of a computer, churning through reports and keeping the company happy so long as the data looks good. Not very glamorous. What will you do if you don't continue with it? Were you hoping to do some... socio related profession?" He offers a quick smile back just before they enter the 'staff only' area so he can focus on what's before him in the room.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand which his thumb strokes
Emotional/mental state: perceptive, weary, sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help (currently forgotten about in favour of...) mixed emotional thoughts of his academic past and current career

[Metastachydium]

Happy as she is that Jim's just stated he thinks her little head is pretty and filled with properly functioning neurons and glial cells, his question gives her some pause. Dunno. Haven't planned so far ahead. she mutters with a shrug. Partly on purpose too. Transferring the iniative and all that. she adds with conviction. Might just jump ship, on the short run. Anthropology or communication sound fun, if I can cough up the tutelage fees. She purses her lips for a second before going on. You could try something kinda like that too, you know. It's not like you're really that old. she remarks inching closer to the man as they proceed down the hallway, her hip briefly brushing against his thigh. What was your degree again? IT?


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand

[MaltholLoth]

"Kind of you to think so, but I think with the cost, and such I won't be doing so any time soon. As to the degree... That was not IT, even if it would have made sense from my job, but also why I'm only in the position in on now... It was actually Pharmacology and neuroscience, but let's not go there!" he smiles and gives her a wink. As they approach the first door, he gives the offer to Carine "Room number one... Hmm canteen?" as he does so he moves her hand behind her that he can return the hip bounce but pulls her a little more than expected and they bump into the wall with his back against it. "Uumph! Oww!" he let's out as the pain of his chest resonates out once more.


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand which his thumb strokes
Emotional/mental state: perceptive, weary, sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help (currently forgotten about in favour of...) mixed emotional thoughts of his academic past and current career

[Metastachydium]

Huh. Jim's got quite the hidden depths to him, that one's for sure. She stares at the man with her mouth hanging slightly open. She's impressed enough to even miss the word canteen, promising as it may sound. But… But… Neuro-****ing-science? That's way coo… Thump. Carine doesn't get to finish the sentence, or, for that matter, its last word as Jim bumps into the wall and she herself into Jim. Hey. Falling over and stuff's my shtick. she mutters with a faint giggle, before catching herself pressing the wind out of the man's chest. Ouch. Sorry. she adds with a wince, pulling back just enough to give said cavity some space.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand, some shock, awe and light embarrassment

[MaltholLoth]

He gives a fleeting smile at Carine's comment about her being the clumsy one. As she pulls back, he gives a sigh of relief as he tries to force back the pain. "Don't worry, my fault. Shall we try in here, guessing they may have some first aid bits around right? Fingers crossed someone with pain relief medication so happened to leave a full box around.".

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand which his thumb strokes
Emotional/mental state: weary, temporarily more sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help (currently forgotten about in favour of...) dealing with pain

[Metastachydium]

Carine tilts her head to a side and looks up at Jim with eyes narrowed in an onvious feat of intense concentration. Dumb question: she begins cautiously. didn't we, like, find painkillers back in the cabin thing? She then suddenly shuts her eyes all tight and her face starts growing pinkish again. ****. Please tell me I didn't eat all of those!


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand, some suddenly not so light embarrassment

[MaltholLoth]

"I quite forgot about those. That being said, I thought you had them..."

[Metastachydium]

Carine emits a sound somewhere between a whimper and a groan. She could split her own head in two with that spade of hers right now. **** me. she hisses with obvious indignation. Skinnies for girls don't come with actual pockets. she explains, more exaspearted than irate. So ****ing sorry, Jim. Didn't mean to screw you over, you gotta believe me. she jabbers staring at the man as apologetically as it gets, the corners of her mouth curling downwards and her grasp on his hand tightening reflexively as if in fear of losing hold of it.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand, no pockets, an unhealthy dose of self-hatred

[MaltholLoth]

As she jabbers on, he would have brought up his other hand to rest a finger on her lips but with the knife in it, that didn't seem like a good plan. There was another way, but, right now there was a little bit too much annoyance which he tried to snort away. "Gladly, but right now let's... Let's just see if we can score lucky a second time" he gives another strong expiratory breath from his nose, "Besides, you weren't to know.". A slow blink, and he turns to the door.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand
Emotional/mental state: weary, temporarily more sore, hopeful for the guy but sad for the loss of a woman trying to help (currently forgotten about in favour of...) dealing with pain, small amount of annoyance.

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea combs through her hair and grabs the first loose strand that comes free. Looping it around the corner, she tugs, and, just as planned, the door slowly comes to as close to fully closed as is possible, leaving her in near pitch darkness. Her only light is the tiniest sliver of brownish light making its way between the frame and the door.
And just in time, it seems, as Chelsea hears the door out in the hall open followed by... voices. Two voices, one male and the other female, and neither of them sounds like Shia, though the male voice sounds a bit like the voice of the man hanging from the ceiling. She can't make out any of the words, but it sounds like a normal conversation. The voices approach the door to the employee lounge when they are interrupted by sounds of pain and some apologetic tones.

As the duo make their way out of the forest of toppled dining space and begin casual conversation, they still hear the ambient mutterings of the man, which are lost to the air save for a few pieces. "... and... tomb... dev... honey... going..."
They continue uneventfully through the unlocked Employees Only door and to the door marked "Break Room". After they both recover from the loss of balance and Jim recenters himself regarding the pain that is almost certainly a broken rib, they face the door and see that it is slightly ajar with the same bright fluorescent light of the hall visible through the crack.

[MaltholLoth]

Another mess of a room great, and no sign of a ladder. "Well I don't see a ladder to help that guy out, but by the looks of things, you've got jackpot! I'll check the fridge and units for some pain relief if you want to get yourself that brew? I think we've already spent too long in this place. I would rather that freak doesn't come back but if you get some go go juice in you, at least that'll help out." he says as he heads towards the fridge freezer.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: weary, temporarily more sore, concerned about time for the guy but sad for the loss of the woman

[Metastachydium]

Damn. Jim's probably pissed and merely too nice a fellow to show it. And worse yet, she did this to herself, and of course Jim all on her own. "You weren't to know" is hardly a real excuse: a deadly creep is on the loose for ****'s sake, getting hurt some more was all but guaranteed. And once she screwed it up big time, she absolutely had to bring up the subject and give Jim false hope. She feels like something cold's creeping between the two of them and she's powerless to stop it. Even as Jim's hand slips free of hers, she can't quite muster the strength (be it physical or mental) to push back. Instead, she mutters a timid Okay. and obediently starts limping towards the Machine. She needs it more than ever anyway.

Though she can't shake the feeling that something really bad (perhaps even Shia-level bad) is about to happen, she begins fiddling with the coffeemaker, partly to keep her mind and hands busy. She has ample experience with a wide array of makes and models. This one thing should work out all right. She's sure of that much.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, her shame

[WindStruck]

Thankfully Chelsea got the cabinet completely closed (or at least as closed as it could just about possibly be) and just in time too, as it was obvious someone was coming again. But what Chelsea heard was .. unexpected. It definitely wasn't the crazy guy talking to himself. Or was it? Maybe he could pretend to have a different man and a woman's voice, but that just seemed even more strange. And why?

And that's when Chelsea realized.. there were still other people here? She was thinking, connecting the dots. Maybe it was the guy she briefly talked to (or kind of shouted at) at the lake, and the other woman that got her leg bitten? So they would know about the crazy cannibal guy. Or what if it was two different people, somehow? Regardless, they had to have walked by the burning truck and all the wrecked vehicles, plus the whole lobby area that was an absolute mess. And the yelling guy on the rope. They had to know something was wrong. Yet their current conversation seemed so calm and vapid.

But then Chelsea realized something else. She was almost completely naked. And.. oh boy. She was starting to feel more flustered and embarrassed by the second. Should she come out of the cabinet? Did she even want to do this?? It wasn't comfortable here being crammed in the dark. But then again, there was a crazy cannibal guy on the loose.

And Chelsea started feeling like something really terrible was about to happen. Maybe he realized he'd been tricked, or at the very least thought he lost her and was coming back. Maybe it would be better if she just stayed in the cabinet? Save her some embarrassment.. and maybe save her life?

[MaltholLoth]

"You know what, I think it'd probably be best if as soon as you've got your coffee we go see if we can get a ladder for that guy... Unless you want me to see if there's another first aid kit to change your dressing? I doubt any pain killers we find around will help me much. Having that extra set of hands would be handy if that freak returns." he says as he still opens the fridge to check there first before moving onto the next door cupboard and drawer, he can at least check while waiting. Snacks? Plus Carine had gone quiet, was she that in need of coffee or had he been too rude. Pain killers. Knowing his luck, he'd blown any chance regardless if they manage to get out of here. Anything? Talk and say too much or something silly, or don't talk and give the impression you're not caring... Silence can be comfortable with the right person. Snacks?

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: weary, temporarily more sore, hungry ish, concerned about time for the guy but sad for the loss of the woman

[Metastachydium]

Facing what's probably going to be the hardest decision of her life so far, Carine stares at the Machine for a long moment, throws a glance at Jim as he rummages through the room and then stares at the Machine some more. But as she inhales sharply, it happens. Her mind sinks back from the Preceptial Constituent and the supernal level of the analytic triad, away and into the realm of the vegetative urges.

Her brain might need coffee, but she's not her brain. Jim? she calls out turning around and trying to meet the man's gaze. Look… Let's forget the coffee. And my ****ing leg. You're right, there's other stuff and it needs doing. And if you're done there and… with an expression of profound misery on her face, she bites her lower lip and begins limping towards him. And if you're not too mad, um, can I have your hand back?


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, her shame, a modest proposal (that doesn't involve eating babies)

[MaltholLoth]

Closing the fridge, "I'm not mad, just unlucky... With some things at least". As he walks over to Carine with a goofy smile on his face, he closes the cupboard door under the sink. Out of place, reflex action memory, just as with that infernal cupboard at work that has a habit of being left ajar because it has a little bit of resistance just before closing. The number of times he'd caught his leg on that door wasn't worth the moment he'd now developed in watching for it and closing it at every passing occasion.

"My hand is at your command! Let's go get that man down. Never know, he might know how to pilot some helicopter that's hidden on the roof! Haha! So, let's see that smile, can I have that back?" offering out his hand to be taken.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: weary, sore, hungry ish, concerned about time for the guy but sad for the loss of the woman, giggly happy

[Metastachydium]

It's all yours. Carine mutters as cheerfully as one can mutter things, a beaming, relieved smile taking shape on her face as she reclaims Jim's hand. Looks like her subconscious is still smarter than her reasoning apparatus, after all. Hopefully so is Jim's. A helicopter sounds nice. Now, let's get rolling. she adds still smiling and drawing closer to Jim's side. Preferably not on the floor this time.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a smart subconscious, Jim's hand (recaptured!) and the joy that comes with it

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea hears as two pairs of feet walk into the break room, and, though it is ever so slightly muffled, she can listen to all of their conversation from within her hiding place. During the exchange between the two outside, she sees that sliver of light shrink further, presumably as the male voice's owner closes it that last bit.

Jim pulls open the refrigerator to see an assortment of meals packed in plastic: sandwiches, a few different containers of the same chili, and one larger plastic container on a lower shelf has a spread of sushi with a heart-shaped sticky note stuck to the lid. Looking over the door before moving to the cabinets, Jim does see, along with a glass quart of whole milk and assorted condiments, a few bottles of cough syrup that, if memory serves, do contain some painkiller. His glance into the cabinet shows a lot of disorganized containers of oats.

Carine meanders forlornly toward the coffee machine and, moving a sticky note covering the screen ("Tim, if you put pre-ground Folger's garbage in here again, I will personally throw you into the lake. -Sam"), she can see that this device is the kind that stores and grinds its own beans and it looks like it brews espresso exclusively and waters it down to varying degrees. She doesn't get very far into its assorted menus before turning away to speak with Jim.

Before the two not currently hiding in a cupboard can exit the room, everyone in the room hears the screeching sound of metal tearing and distorting echoing down the hall. In her hiding place, Chelsea can hazard a guess that the noise is coming from the storage room she saw earlier, though what exactly the sound comes from is a mystery.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea was still so indecisive about whether she should come out and say something, or if she should stay hidden away. Honestly, would even hiding help?

She managed to listen to the two's conversation about coffee and helicopters and.. they seemed pretty strangely cheerful for the horrible situation they were in. It was almost like listening to two best friends chat away...

Still the horrible feeling in Chelsea's gut remained, and while she still hadn't decided to reveal herself, maybe she wouldn't have to. Maybe she'd be found anyway? But it seemed they were about to go somewhere else to look for a ladder.

It was a great idea, if not for the fact that the crazy guy was probably coming back. Any minute now. The rumble and screeching of metal all but confirmed Chelsea's fears.

Yep. That was him. Good luck you two. And.. God save us all.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

As the sound, Jim freezes. Swallows and whispers "I don't know what that was... But I think we're too late for that man's help". Taking a step back, he gives a quick look about. "Quick, behind the counter" he hisses "If he comes in here, at least we'll have the counter to give us some range over him"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand (yay)
Emotional/mental state: tense and afraid, sore, hungry ish, concerned about time for the guy but sad for the loss of the woman them

[Metastachydium]

As it would seem, that smile was never meant to last. With a startled squeal, Carine shudders and presses herself tightly against Jim's side. To make matters worse, moving so quickly makes the room spin around her and she's almost pleased to feel that even her good leg becomes heavy as if filled with lead, figuring that it should at least anchor her in place.

Jim's whispered words, ringing in a manner positively otherworldly, so much so that she can hardly make out the words. Still, his pull on her hand speaks clearly enough and she lets the man drag her into the relative safety of the realm behind the counter. She wishes it were over at long last, but walking-into-the-very-physical-sunrise-with-Jim kind of over, but apparently, that would be way too easy. Why can't life be easy, for a change, she wonders adjusting her grip on the spade and doing her best to brace herself for the Shia that cometh.


Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand (recaptured!), some dumb doubts and dumber questions

[MaltholLoth]

"It's almost a shame you didn't make that coffee, a scalding hot drink could be handy to throw over him" he says but more to himself than to Carine.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand (yay)
Emotional/mental state: tense and afraid, sore, hungry ish, concerned about time for the guy but sad for the loss of the woman shia walking in

[7LayerDipstick]

While Jim and Carine take the closest thing to cover they can find, and Chelsea continues to hide in her cupboard, all three can hear the thumping of running feet coming down the hallway, followed by the slam of a door colliding with a wall. However, the entrance to the breakroom remains undisturbed, and there is a brief moment of silence broken only by the sounds of each individual's heartbeats. Unfortunately, the silence is short-lived as behind the rightmost wall is heard the clattering of objects of all kinds colliding with what can be presumed to be the floor, and, nearly drowned out by the cacophony of disarray is the cracking of compacted gypsum as the two not in cabinets see the wall next to the coffee machine bulge outward. Another moment of silence passes before the wall section erupts in a plume of dust, revealing the unmistakable, albeit dust-covered form of Shia LaBeouf lodged halfway through the wall and quickly pushing himself fully into the room while glaring at the two visible survivors.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has the slight misfortune of the cupboard door by her feet popping open slightly when the walls shake from an entire human body lodging itself into the nearby drywall.

[Metastachydium]

No, no, no, no, no, no. Carine's heart misses a beat as Shia forces his way straight through the freaking wall of the room. She hears herself mutter a confused and inane There was a door., but by then, the scared animal in her is already beginning to put her on auto-pilot. Holding onto Jim's hand (he mustn't rush ahead, he did that once before and it was horrible!), she stands (or, at any rate, makes an attempt to do so) while pulling the man up with herself, trying to get ready for whatever's to to hapen next.



Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand (recaptured!), half a battle plan

[MaltholLoth]

As Shia passes the door, Jim keys of a little shaking breath of relief. The thoughts of other man hanging upside down now start filtering through to his mind. Oh no.

His thoughts were in vain for the sudden thump against the wall drives the fear for his own life and Carine right back to the fore. Only for the head of shia to appear through the wall! "Aeeerrr!?!" Standing with Carine he takes a pace forward and starts to pull at the hands of Carine for a simultaneous attack. She pulls back though, and he pauses to take a brief look at her on confusion. Was it terror that held her frozen? At least run if you can't fight... Wait, what was that look, Carine pulls him back... What was she thinking? He's halfway through the wall, isn't now the best time?
"Come on, together?" he urges with a hope to rouse her from inaction.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand (yay)
Emotional/mental state: confused and afraid, sore,

[Metastachydium]

And it works! Jim's words punch through the haze. Carine blinks and then nods. Together. Yes, that'll do.

Adjusting her grip on the spade, she surges forward as fast as her limping allows for, trying to rely on some borrowed momentum from Jim, and lines up a clumsy, sideways chop on the cannibal.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, Jim's hand (recaptured!), a newfound determination

[MaltholLoth]

Spurred from her shock, Carine hobbled forward at quite the pace, leaving Jim to help push her along as much as catch up. Then with his forward momentum drives the knife forward at the dusty form of Shia.

"Fricken die!"

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, Carine's hand (yay)
Emotional/mental state: afraid, sore, vengeful

Successful...?
[roll0]

[WindStruck]

aahh!

It felt like a freaking earthquake was happening! What the heck was going on?! With the huge disturbance in the building and rumbling, the cabinet door near Chelsea's feet opened a little. All she felt she could do was try to curl herself up tighter to try to keep her feet away from the crack.

It sounded like they were trying to attack the guy who literally just plowed through a wall?

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

The two armed survivors lunge toward the partially emerged form of Shia LaBeouf with weapons raised. Shia does not deign to lock eyes with either of the two even as they close on him. His eyes instead focused on the space between them. The moment Jim and Carine make to strike, Shia's arms move in a blur of motion, coming away from the wall and bringing his hands in the path of each of their respective strikes.
Carine's swing is intercepted with the crack of handle against palm, leaving her feeling the reverberations of the sudden stop rushing along her bones. Shia's fingers grip around the shaft of the spade, and Chelsea suddenly finds herself bearing part of Shia's weight as he begins to pull, either bringing Carine closer or pulling himself further from the wall. In either case, the gap between the two begins closing.
Jim finds his strike similarly interrupted. However, he is carrying a blade, and the point of this blade is first to reach Shia's grasping hand. With the velocity of their collision, the tip finds no issue in piercing the skin and driving through the flesh of Shia's hand, forming a vertical slit. In that brief second between the tip of the blade striking the palm and the handle reaching that same point, Jim can feel a slight grinding sensation as the edge of the blade rubs against one of the metacarpals, undoubtedly scoring the bone. The moment the blade comes to rest, fully embedded in Shia's hand, Jim feels the fingers of that hand wrap around his own with a powerful grip. Jim notices the partial weight Shia places on him as he begins to pull the gap between them close, just as he does with Carine. Jim also notices that while Shia's grip is still firm, it isn't as strong as it was in the cabin, and Jim can see why. On this hand, the flesh around each of Shia's knuckles is swollen and inflamed, the skin visibly purplish-red even through the layer of dust covering the madman.

Chelsea is now taking up slightly less space in her cupboard. She notices particles of gypsum dust making their way into the cabinet through the slightly open door.

Shia LaBeouf has lost blood tokens

[MaltholLoth]

The unified fighters both strike true, though only a hand in each case. Jim focuses on where his attack landed. That graunch from the bone felt wrong, and those knuckles look... Look bleurgh! Still he tries to reclaim the knife... Up, down, forward, back, it was no avail, even with a weakened hand from those knuckles. If only he had a way to... He releases Carine's hand and checks his pocket, a quick rummage and he draws forth... What the! Oh yer, that handle. It's not quite the pocket knife he'd thought of but still hard and though not pointy and sharp, it still has a finer point to deliver blows with than his hand.

Holding the handle as you ordinarily would, he slams the end down onto the knuckles, over and over, squeaming and squirming to release the knife and his hand from that grasp.


Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, What the... Shia's hand 😱😰
Emotional/mental state: afraid, sore, missing that soft touch, not missing the strong hand

[roll0]

[Metastachydium]

Carine gasps as Shia just casually stop the spade mid-air with enough force that she's pretty sure the hit was more painful to her than to its intended target. That's bad. Really bad. Let go! she squeals tugging at the tool. That's her spade!

Within the fraction of a second, to top it off, things get worse. Just as her poor useless legs begin to feel the burden of Shia's sheer weight who pulls her closer with little effort, Jim's hand suddenly slips out of hers. She flashes a nervous glance at the man, only to see him in an all too familiar predicament. Her eyes widen and then narrow. That's her Jim! And stop grabbing Jim! she shrieks, as she clenches her newly available fist and leaning forward, aims a punch straight at the creep's eye, as if he was one of those stupid movie sharks.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (co-owned with some cannibal guy)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, anger and desolation

[WindStruck]

Oh god, oh god, what to do?? For the time being, Chelsea continued hiding, not sure if the others could handle the situation they were in, not sure if she should help, not sure if they would die..

It sounded like a tense and chaotic situation. Perhaps, she told herself, she would just get in the way or be some awful distraction. Who would her awkward presence throw off balance more? The cannibal or the survivors? Probably not the guy who views her as a tasty rack of ribs.

Still there, moving things along. Good luck. :smalleek:

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim extracts the metal handle from his pocket and strikes repeated blows against the swollen, angry flesh of the madman's knuckles. With a low, bitter growl, Jim can feel Shia's grip loosen and free him of the weight as the cannibal pulls his hand away with a sickly squelch when the blade comes free of the impromptu stigmata. Jim's momentum and sudden lack of force to pull against send him staggering back away from his assailant. As his position is suddenly modified, he can see Carine swinging a blow directly towards Shia's face as she shrieks in... rage?

Carine yanks at her spade, trying to free it from the malevolent grip of Shia, when she loses Jim's hand and, seeing him in related trouble, reacts with a cry and a vicious swing toward their assailant's face. While her strike is true and powered by a desire to not only survive but to protect, Shia unexpectedly shifts his body, pulling his arm away from Jim and suddenly putting extra weight on Carine and her single load-bearing leg. The twisting of his torso and the sudden excess weight do not stop her strike but do adjust its point of impact slightly. Carine feels a dull pain lance through her knuckles as they impact the space just below Shia's eye. Shia's head twists down thanks to her fist catching just against his cheekbone, and hopefully, the pain Shia feels is on par with the pain Carine just developed in her hand. It very well may be as, for a moment, Shia's incessant pulling contest weakens.


Fighting [Shia] barehanded will not do any lasting damage...

[Metastachydium]

Inevitably, Carine gets to learn that she's not exactly built for fistfights and Shia's probably not a stupid movie shark. She also comes to realize that she might be in dire straits here: her whole body hurts and her good leg might give in any moment now. An undignified grunt of pain escapes her as her knuckles bounce off Shia's hard cranium, and with the immediate threat to Jim kind of resolved, her courage begins to melt away. Her heart rate steadily rising, she desperately tugs at the spade again while trying to awkwardly shuffle back and away.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (co-owned with some cannibal guy)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a brand new source of pain

[MaltholLoth]

Jim stumbles back but his current reason to be (a crutch), was still engaged in a tussle over Carine's spade. That spade had saved Carine and him, he knew these were bad memories to share but they were memories all the same. If it was precious enough to her that she fought for it, then it was enough for him to fight for it too... Well, it also happens to be a handy weapon and they needed all the help they could.

As inspiring as it was to watch Carine put fist to face, it was also as clear that it wasn't making much of a impact on proceedings. The balance had changed, both senses of the phrase. This he could address, he takes a pace out wider, initially thinking to go behind and then at least one of them should be free to attack without facing the crazed celeb. That said, it would also leave the other seemingly alone and he wasn't sure Carine would forgive him for that so he comes back in from the side and aims for the one place that should be hard to block, cause Carine to regain her spade, and leave any man in pain, super freak or not. A slash to the family jewels.

Blood tokens: 4
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, a bloody door handle?
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat, What the... Shia's hand 😱😰
Emotional/mental state: agitated, afraid, sore, missing that soft touch, not missing the strong hand

[roll0]

[7LayerDipstick]

As Jim skirts around the tussle, Carine, losing her composure, is granted a minor boon as she pulls against the grip of Shia LaBeouf. In one fortunate moment, Carine manages to twist the gardening tool, which wedges between the tip of Shia's pinky and his palm, and with that bit of leverage, Carine's tugging pulls the rest of his fingers away and frees her spade. Now no longer fighting against the madman's strength, Carine finds herself mimicking Jim from mere moments ago in staggering backward, luckily with her grip still holding her spade.
In a less fortunate moment, Jim selected the instant just before Carine freed herself to attempt a strike on Shia's delicates. As he lunges forward, knife outstretched, toward the sensitive space, Shia, suddenly having two free hands again, slams his hands against the wall and brings his knee out of the last remaining section of drywall that kept him from entering the room entirely. In either a stroke of tactical genius or plain dumb luck, this movement also happens to bash Shia's thigh against Jim's encroaching blade, leaving little more than a slight cut in the cannibal's track pants and completely deflecting the attempt to cut his coin purse.
Shia snarls at Jim, a visceral, animalistic noise, and brings his wounded hand to grasp Jim just under his woefully unprotected armpit and, in one motion, swings Jim off the ground and hurls him toward the cupboards on the far wall. As he is being flung, Jim hears a pop from his shoulder, followed by a red-hot pain in the joint and a tingling numbness down the arm. It is painful enough that Jim almost doesn't feel the renewed pain from his tortured ribs as he slides on his back across the floor and slams against the cabinet just next to the sink.
With Jim now thrown to the wayside, Shia turns his gaze to Carine and, in the sudden moment of silence broken only by the fridge's compressor and the sound of dripping water from somewhere near Shia, the cannibal develops a grin all too familiar to Carine, but he doesn't move an inch. The only change is the grin and a joyous twinkle of fluorescent light in his eyes.

In her cupboard, Chelsea hears the sounds of combat outside her safe haven, interrupted by another crumbling crack of drywall followed shortly by something heavy hitting the concrete floor. Whatever it is, she feels her room shudder as it slams into the outside of the cabinet and cracks the door near her head, leaving it crooked on its hinges and letting in a couple little slivers of light.

[MaltholLoth]

Jim hadn't seen the the arm coming out.. And even if he had, he wasn't expecting to learn to fly. Then "Ahhh! Ooof!" as his shoulder pops and then he lands sprawling out on the floor. Isn't this the part in films where they then spit up blood? He wouldn't like to spit regardless but what those films don't show is the pain from flying and landing with a dislocated arm, not to mention that rib or two which of they weren't before, now most certainly were broken.

Jim let's out a whimper, his conviction in the fight wavering, only held in by the other now stood alone against their adversary. "Ahh uh huh huh". Moving slowly trying to avoid causing the pain to flair further, he uses his good right arm to lift himself up, bouncing off of the cupboard to his side grasping at the edge of the sink as the door looks ready to fall off. If he'd been in a good condition he'd have dealt with it, either trying to pull it off to use as a shield or having just fixed it off life had not been... This. Standing for a moment, slightly droopy to his left side, he realised his weapon isn't in his hand anymore. Luckily just a short step away along with the door handle, which he quickly takes the chance to lower himself to it, gasping his left arm as he goes down, but letting it dangle as he rises. Now looking at the situation with Carine and weighing up what to do.

Blood tokens: 3
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid, more pain, missing that soft touch, regret

[Metastachydium]

Carine tries to project an air of triumphant defiance as she clumsily tries not to land on her behind, but despite all her efforts and despite becoming the sole, proud owner of the folding spade again, she is soon forced to drop all pretenses (and her jaw is likewise forced to just, well, drop) when Jim gets tossed. It feels wrong on so many levels. She winces as he lands and for a moment, she's paralyzed with indecision. She must help Jim. She shold just run… Erm, limp there real fast! Which would let Shia get through unopposed. Cold shivers begin to climb up and down along her spine, her arms, her esophagus (how's that even possible?) and everything seems slow and dull. Even her anger. Even the pain.

Fortunately enough, Jim might be easy to put down, but quite clearly a lot harder to keep there. Carine can hear him groan and see him try to scramble back on his feet. It's not yet over. An emergency supply of fresh blood streams into her head. She's had enough. She hurls herself forward with reckless abandon, going for a rapid thrust instead of the usual chop, aimed straight between the creep's eyes.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 4/5
Item: folding spade (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, a brand new source of pain, a fury that hell hath not

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim rises from the ground and retrieves his weapon in time to see Carine lunge toward Shia with the tip of her spade pointed directly toward his face. Jim can also see Shia's familiar unconcerned demeanor and malignant grin as he drops into a crouch and simply lets the point of the spade pass harmlessly over his head. With Carine much closer and himself in a lower position, Shia propels himself upward, his head slipping between her arms as the top of his head impacts Carine's chin, slamming her jaws together with a sickening crack. Jim, despite his distance, can hear the sound like a thunderclap and can see as Carine is again sent staggering backward before colliding with the table in the middle of the room and losing her grip on her spade.

Carine barely has a moment to process Shia's movement before she feels blistering pain in her mouth, leaving her vision blurred with welling tears. The crack of her jaws slamming together reverberates in her skull, and she tastes the unpleasant metallic tang of blood. Her tongue, still functional despite the disaster area her oral cavity has become, finds a shard of something hard moving loose in her mouth. It takes her a moment to realize it to be a shard of one of her teeth. It takes another moment for her to realize that she's leaning against something solid, probably the table and that her spade is not in her hands where it belongs. Carine, vision still swimming, and Jim both see the dust-covered lunatic take two steps toward Carine and, with his injured, bleeding hand, begin to reach to grasp at her head.

Carine has lost a Blood Token

Delayed Notice: Jim has lost a Blood Token

[MaltholLoth]

Things seem to be going from bad to worse, with Shia seemingly taking all they could throw at him and still keeps going, they need to get out of there. Now though, is tricky as it will get given Shia it's closing in on Carine. They were to do things together, he can't leave her in this situation, undefended.

Grunting through the pain, he stumbles a run forwards, building his aggression as he does (I'm thinking this is side on to the situation, so let me know if not and I'll adjust). Those outstretched hands, they weren't to lay over finger on her! He seemed to have the advantage though, from here he was already nearly behind him and that would be better... He hoped. The neck and spine, a good strike there should really slow this... This monster! So taking a couple of paces to the side to come more from behind. Then strike!
"Leave her alone!"


[roll0]

Blood tokens: 3
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, quite afraid, more pain, missing that soft touch, regret

[Metastachydium]

At this point, all Carine feels is fear and pain. Her only consolation is a faintly pulsing, little thought in the back of her mind: at least he's not after Jim for the moment. That's got to be something.

She could now do the "spitting blood" trick on Jim's behalf, but that would require her to still be capable of thinking straight enough to remember her tropes, which she really isn't. Instead, she flails a trembling, panicked arm towards Shia, trying to swat the reaching hand away while attempting to roll on her side and, perhaps, off of… Whatever she was slammed against: the Spade is down there and Shia isn't.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: folding spade (whereabouts currently unknown)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, fear and a faintly pulsing little thought

[WindStruck]

Meanwhile...

Chelsea is still cowering in her cabinet. Although at this rate, it seems her hiding place will fall apart if they keep trying to fight in this room.

A metal clattering catches her attention an old door handle slides into her limited view. She still doesn't exactly know what she's looking at, but the growing proximity of activity towards her makes her feel even more nervous.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Carine, perhaps with more strength than she realizes she still has, manages to deflect Shia's grasping hand, pushing the arm aside as she slides from the table down to the floor where she can at least somewhat discern the shape of her spade resting under a wooden chair off to her right. Her vision clears slightly, her eyes doing their job of whisking away the tears allowing her to see the new spattering of blood running along the handle.
Jim sees Carine swat Shia's hand away as she lowers herself or, maybe closer to, a fall to the ground. He also notices the startled look on Shia's face as the injured woman easily bats his hand away. The cannibal clearly wasn't expecting that, and Jim hoped he also wouldn't expect the strike to the back of his neck. It doesn't take long for Jim to realize that his hope was misplaced as Shia spins, hand out to catch Jim's wrist the instant he moves to attack. Shia gives a mighty yank to the captured wrist, causing Jim to stumble forward until he collides, chest-to-chest with the mad actor, an event that sends new twinges of pain from his battered torso. Shia keeps his arm extended fully, keeping Jim's knife-wielding hand away from his body as he briefly glares into Jim's eyes before turning and ducking his head to sink his teeth into the injured shoulder. Jim feels the pain already present in his dislocated shoulder amplify as the sensation of a dozen unnaturally sharp teeth piercing his flesh is introduced. They feel strangely cold as they separate a piece of his body from the rest.
Carine realizes that Shia hasn't made any attempt on her life in a moment and suddenly processes that he is facing mostly away from her and has ahold of Jim.

Jim has lost a Blood Token

[Metastachydium]

Though she's in no small pain, lying on the floor undisturbed for at least this one moment reawakens the urge in Carine to just give up. It's not like it isn't over anyway. She can't get herself to reach out for the spade. She can't get herself to try and crawl away. But then, the tears are blinked away and she realizes why she's left alone. He has Jim. Some primal instinct kicks in and a wave of blood red rage washes away the pain, the horror, the mire of defeatism. Pulling herself up into a half-sitting, half-crouching position, and using her good leg as a spring again, just like she did on the hill, Carine leaps forward, bumping against Shia's back, reaching out with an arm to establish a choke hold, her other hand sliding along the creep's face, looking for an eye to sink her nails into.


[roll0]
Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: folding spade (whereabouts currently unknown)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, fear and a faintly pulsing little thought

[MaltholLoth]

The pain from being pulled into the vile man was enough, the pain around his wrist as that's pulled out was enough. The pain of a bite into his shoulder, rending flesh from its rightful place was too much. He screams in agony.
His eyes well up, his struggles in vain with the only free arm flopping around by his side, the other pulled and held tight off to the side. His chances of escaping this madness fleeing, his only consolation being the sight of Carine appearing again, her arms wrapping around the already bandaged face grasping and clawing their way about. "Carine" Raising his knee to a former target he hopes will at least allow him to push away, his mind thinking now only to flee if they can both get the chance.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid and upset, more pain, missing that soft touch, pain, many regrets

[7LayerDipstick]

With the sheer force of her will, Carine pulls her tired body off the ground and lunges at the freak attacking Jim. Her leg may be injured, and her mouth may be slowly filling with blood, but her arms remained unharmed and unhindered in their current purpose of freeing Jim. With speed born of fury, she slides an arm under Shia's chin, and her remaining free hand grasps at his face, fingers seeking those vulnerable openings in the skull that house the eyes.
Jim sees Carine as she latches onto Shia's head and feels the cannibal's teeth pull free from the flesh of his shoulder, leaving a painful wound but luckily not tearing away any meat as Carine experienced. Lifting his leg, he fails in planting it against his intended target, instead pushing against Shia's thigh and at least successfully moving away from Shia a step or two. Conveniently, Shia also releases Jim's wrist as he brings his hands up to pull against the arm crushing his windpipe with little avail at this moment. Jim sees red marks around the madman's eyes, some even seeping tiny drops of blood, as Carine claws at his face and hears his breath coming slow and raspy through the restricted passage.

Carine feels it before Jim can see as Shia leans back against his assailant and simply stops supporting his own weight. She feels herself and Shia tipping backward and gradually succumbing to gravity. After a moment, Jim, perhaps not completely clear, realizes that Shia does seem to be tipping back away from him. They both realize that they have but a brief second to change the situation before Shia collapses while using Carine to break his fall.

[Metastachydium]

Some part of Carine knows that what she's doing is as stupid as it is pointless. But then, by now she's spent quite some time developing the will and techniques to wrest control from the supernal reasoning apparatus and to resist its analytical directives, and the blood throbbing in her ears, the blood flooding her mouth or the blood staining her nails, not to mention the growing sense of urgency all work towards dampening the sound of this cold voice. Refusing to let go, she does her best to keep up the pressure and to keep her nails inching closer to where she suspects those wonderfully squishy balls of jelly are hiding, even as her body twists and her weight shifts to the side to avoid getting trapped under the creep.


[roll0]

Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: folding spade (whereabouts currently unknown)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, fear, blood, blood and blood

[MaltholLoth]

Almost like a rabbit caught in the headlights Jim watches the valiant Carine and monstrous Shia go backwards. The pain from his left shoulder seemingly taking over his thoughts that could be of use. The hands of Shia trying to free his neck to breathe freely would mean is unlikely to be blocked if he tried to take the knife up and into the chest from the stomach should be his plan but no. The gradual turning of their bodies should have been a relief, yet, he merely wiggles the blade unable to decide what to do.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy waking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (tear near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid and upset, more pain, missing that soft touch, pain, many regrets

[7LayerDipstick]

Carine twists her weight, fighting against Shia's attempts to keep her underneath, but with her feet better planted than his, she is able to overcome his raw strength and shift herself, rotating both bodies before hitting the ground.
The impact hurts, but it's a far cry better than what likely would have transpired if Carine had failed. With both her and Shia on their sides, Carine resumes her attempts to damage Shia's eyes. She manages to dig her fingers into one of the sockets but does little more than scratch the tightly closed eyelids.

Jim watches the pair fall and sees Carine twist them in the air to avoid being crushed. He realizes, as the madman pulls and tugs at the rage-powered arm compressing his airways, that Shia has left himself exposed.

At this moment, Shia LaBeouf is vulnerable. The next attack made against Shia, including unarmed attacks, will remove 1 extra Blood Token from Shia. If the attack fails, Shia's retaliation will not be sufficient to remove a Blood Token from the attacker.

[MaltholLoth]

She did it... Or she was doing it. His struggles were not working against her. Carine you star! His chance for revenge at this opportune moment seemed all too good to refuse. Left arm and shoulder were mighty sore, the way the arm lolled around really didn't help but if he could help end this crazy nightmare, then it would be worth putting up with it just a little longer. His eyes closed in on the wriggling fiend, bloody thoughts racing through his mind. What was it... 7 points to slash and render them an inevitable death. Arteries on the neck, and groin he could recall the others less certain, maybe the arm pits? Then of course there was kidneys, that may take too long. Stop thinking and just stab him already.
"Byaagufuuurrrrna!" he roared as he seeing back his left side, in part to keep it clear from Shia, in part to give momentum to the right side. Although he was unaware of his nonsense phrase, in his mind he had thought to say 'hold him steady! This is for hurting Carine!'.
Once the blade goes down he looks to Carine"Now let's run!"


Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid but with a blood lust, more pain, missing that soft touch, pain, many regrets

[roll0]

[Metastachydium]

Landing on the floor for a second time in what felt like just as many heartbeats, Carine grunts some blood onto Shia. In her strangely uplifting frenzy, she's only vaguely aware of Jim rising from behind the madman and can't quite make out what, exactly he's bellowing. It strikes her as distinctly non-English, and it can't be French, because Jim doesn't speak French; unless, of course, he picked up a couple of words like any self-respecting snob would, but then, it doesn't sound French. Her inability to find Shia's eyeballs under what feels like a rhino's hied only adds to the frustration, but luckily, she's not holding his throat with her mind: her arm remains firmly locked in place – right until Jim's voice finally reaches her ears. Let's run.

She doesn't think things over. Not even for a second. Run. In the strictest sense, she can't actually run, of course. She knows that. Her leg knows that. But it doesn't really matter. Let's run. It makes too much sense. And it's coming from Jim. She doesn't want to lose Jim. Paying little heed to the risks involved (damn creep's still moving; damn creep's still alive) she lets go and scrambles over Shia's lying form on all fours, her right reaching out towards Jim.

It's going to be alright. It must be.


[roll0]

Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: folding spade (whereabouts currently unknown)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, some more blood, trace amounts of frustration and a very strange calm

[MaltholLoth]

Giving only a brief moment to step around Shia once again, not taking his eyes off the man as he gathers himself and breathes again, he gives Carine enough of his arm to assist her up before heading to the door and heading right in haste.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid but with a blood lust, more pain, missing that soft touch, pain, many regrets

[7LayerDipstick]

Jim contemplates the vulnerable points of the body for just long enough to give Shia just enough time to slip his fingers under the arm crushing his windpipe. By the time Jim begins to swing the blade down, Shia is wrenching Carine's arm away and, inadvertently, swatting away Jim's strike leaving only a small gash on Carine's arm.
As Carine releases Shia's face and scrambles over him, Shia simultaneously rolls himself away from the pair of assailants and brings himself onto his hands and knees. He lets out a spluttering cough and achieves what neither Jim nor Carine were capable of, spitting up blood. Another cough sounds from the cannibal's chest, almost sounding amused.
As Jim lifts Carine off the ground and the pair rushes as best they can, they hear Shia growl out a couple of words before they round the corner. "Yes, run."

While the two make their way toward the exit and out of the employee area, Chelsea, still in hiding, hears a grunt followed by a single set of footsteps walking slowly and evenly in her direction. They stop just outside her hiding place, some of the small shafts of light leaking through the damaged doors becoming occluded by the presence. There is a pregnant pause before Chelsea hears water flowing and striking the metal basin of the sink directly adjacent to her and the subsequent sound of slurping as someone drinks from the tap.

[MaltholLoth]

With relief to have Shia not in pursuit and Carine back besides him, he holds only his left arm to support it and ease the pain. When he sees the door signs say 'office' and 'Storage' he realises this wasn't the way they'd come from to get back out but the sight in the storage gave him hope. Turning to Carine he gives a smile. "That's lucky"

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes,
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat,
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid but optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, many regrets

[Metastachydium]

Dizzier than ever (getting back up that fast certainly didn't help) and in no shape to notice they are fleeing the wrong way, Carine hobbles onwards trying to keep the pace with the still surprisingly agile Jim. Dunno, Jim. she mutters between laborious huffs. I think I kinda just swallowed a premolar and a lot of blood. Both mine. she adds, a weird little hissing noise accompanying each word, her right hand reaching out to make an attempt at grabbing the man's closest fingers, or, barring that, a handful of his raincoat. How's the shoulder?


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: none
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar

[MaltholLoth]

Catching the sound of water running, he looks over Carine's shoulder then at Carine. The trail of blood that had run down her chin, her heavy breathing, the other scratches and marks from the fights and she was concerned about him. Foolish man.
"I'll be fine, just a few things that are wobbly or broken... Be better in no time." he gives a strained laugh and winces. "Don't worry about your tooth, I think I found putting my tongue over it eases the sting from breathing over the nerves." with that he opens his mouth a bit and lowers his bottom lip that you may be able to make out one the left hand incisor being a slightly different colour by comparison.
Looking down at her hand clutching his coat, he gives a flicker at the corner of his mouth. "sorry... If I could hold your hand I would. Look though" nods into the storage room.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes,
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat (multiple owners),
Emotional/mental state: pain, very afraid but optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, many regrets

[Metastachydium]

Though she has absolutely no intention of leaving her tongue any closer to her teeth than absolutely neccessary (she's mostly happy she didn't bite it off back in the chillzone), Jim's assurances earn him a tired but very real smile which his follow-up comment and apology helps keep there. No fair. I liked that hand. she mumbles in a comically whiny voice as she stares into the storage room, squinting slightly, not quite certain what she's actually looking for. Is it the boxes, the other boxes, the other other boxes or… What might be their ticket back to safety. Oh. she says airily, giving in to the magnetic pull the vehicle seems to exert on her and limping past the threshhold and into the room, pulling Jim along.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: none
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, some of the Shining Raincoat

[WindStruck]

Chelsea continues listening to the struggle outside her hidey-hole. Grunts, a scream of pain, other sounds of rustling and shuffling around. But eventually she hears them speak of running, and it gets a lot quieter. But that leaves you-know-who left with her.

Chelsea tenses up a bit as she hears the lone footsteps approaching. He couldn't have known.. could he?? But she wasn't coming out now. The time for that had long passed when she could have tried to be a big damn nearly naked hero. Now Chelsea just had to keep sitting quietly and control her breathing, and manage the numbness developing in her back and limbs as she waited.. and hoped the cannibal would leave.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea listens as the water flows, the stream repeatedly interrupted by something being washed. It's a long minute before the flowing water is silenced and replaced by drops of water splattering on the floor and fabric rustling gently. Another moment passes, and immediately next to her, under the sink, she hears a tumbling of cardboard colliding with cardboard, and she realizes that her precarious pile of oat containers must have come unsettled and ready to topple at the slightest provocation.
Chelsea hears a confused grunt from the cannibal outside and metal slam against wood from that neighboring cupboard. With a distinctly casual, "Hrmm," Chelsea watches as the door by her feet slowly begins to open, the bent hinges squealing in protest of being forced to operate in their warped state.

Though the room is dark, Jim and Carine can see with the light of the hall the shape of the ATV sitting in the storage room, and it becomes all the clearer as Carine pushes open the door to step inside. The machine looks well used, matte green paint scuffed, dirty tires with worn but perfectly acceptable treads. No obvious key in the ignition, unfortunately.
The two can see the rest of the room clearer now as well. The walls are lined with shelving units reaching the ceiling, save the one with an overhead door, and those shelves are covered in bags, crates, and boxes of all sizes. The shelves on the wall opposite the overhead door also have a section devoted to tools. Everything from axes, shovels, and pruning shears to chainsaws, edgers, and blowers. There are even a few unrecognizable items thanks to the dim light and some that may still be unrecognizable with brighter light.
As for the boxes, they are far more numerous than the initial glimpse of the room let on. The collection of cardboard consumes half the prodigious floorspace nearest the pair's entrance, but there is a clear order to the numerous containers. The piles are arranged in a careful grid with space on all sides where two people could pass without bumping shoulders. The arrangement also leaves about six small aisles running perpendicular to the length of the grid with about enough space for a single person to walk.
Jim is the first to notice the trio of light switches on the wall to the right of their doorway.

[WindStruck]

Chelsea was in a pretty precarious situation, that was for sure. Though she was taking care to not move around, for some godforsaken reason, now the stuff piled in the other cabinets were beginning to shift around. And worse, this caught Shia's attention. Even worse, he came over and was beginning to open the door!

Sh**!

There wasn't much Chelsea felt she could do now... She'd try to shift her legs and feet away from the opening cabinet as much as she could without making noise, but if he kept opening the door, he'd definitely see her. And he'd pretty much be blocking her escape as well. Chelsea could only hope that those stupid items would keep moving around a bit more so that Shia would at least realize the sound wasn't coming from her cabinet!

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

As he is dragged into the storage room, although quite willingly it would seem as he gazes around the room. At last his eyes fall on the light switches and bumps his good right shoulder into them to flip them and gain some light.
With the added light, the multitude of tools brightens his resolve further. "Carine... Can I ask a favour? Do you mind trying to relocate my arm? You'll get my hand to hold as much as you want if you do!" he says with a cheeky smile. Then looking at the choice on the shelves and feeling like a boy playing Rambo, "Then I may pick up a little more protection in case he decides to follow us. We'll see if we can't get this beastie up and running too. With any luck the keys will be close to hand"


Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes,
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat (multiple owners),
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, many regrets

[Metastachydium]

That insidious manipulator! Carine gulps and shuffles by Jim's side. Not gonna say no. she mutters cautiously, drawing out each word. How could she? That's one hell of a deal. Never done stuff like that before, though. Saw it done on YouTube. And movies. But that's about it. she explains pressing the misbehaving arm gently against his torso and wrapping her cold, cold fingers around his wrist to bend the arm at the elbow. Now. Kocher's not supposed to hurt much. she adds, uncertain and a tad bit trembly as she feels cold sweat break through the pores of her scalp. So this'll prolly hurt. Clenching her teeth (which results in a wince), she very slowly begins to rotate the upper arm outwards before softly pushing the elbow up and up and finally turning the lifted arm around its axis again, now inwards. Her heart beating fast and loud, she shuts her eyes tightly and purses her lips. Jim?


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: none
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, JIM'S ENTIRE ARM!, an irregular heart rate and a serious performance anxiety

[MaltholLoth]

Jim closes his eyes, and tries to think of anything other than possible pain. The cold hands, where the keys could be, it's gonna hurt, no it won't, she's already done more than he knows of, the blessings of viral videos or the likes. The only movie he could think of... He didn't fancy his chances of replicating the success, or not without a huge amount of pain. Then he crushes his teeth together... "Nyuts on toast! Gahh... That... Was possibly less painful that it could be but..." opening his eyes and breathes deeply and tries very tentative movement of the shoulder and arm. "I think, I think you're allowed to hold my hand again. Just to make sure it's properly supported of course" he smiles. "I owe you one... Or is that two now? But while we look for the keys, did you want to grab another spade.. Or maybe Something more... Aggressive?".


Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes,
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat (multiple owners),
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, many regrets

[7LayerDipstick]

Chelsea watches as the door swings open and reveals one leg of Shia's filthy track pants and several of the containers of oats strewn across the floor, one still slowly rolling away down the line of cabinets. Shia's face, partially silhouetted by the fluorescent light, slowly draws into view from above the little doorframe. His eyes flit around the space before quickly running up Chelsea's body and meeting her eyes. He stares for a few seconds until, with lightning speed, his left hand lunges toward Chelsea and stops less than a foot away with his palm upright.
Suddenly, Shia speaks in a surprisingly normal voice save for a backing of what can most closely be described as gravel in a cement mixer. "You have... trapped yourself. This is... boring. The others are easy prey now, but you are unharmed, so you get a head start. Take it. It is better odds than here."

Back in Storage, Jim's vision blurs as he experiences a shooting, red-hot pain as his shoulder is twisted back into its joint with a visceral pop, but the renewed tingling numbness dies down, and the pain dulls to a more manageable degree over the course of a few seconds. Like that, Jim has regained motion in his arm, though the available degree of movement before the joint begins to protest is somewhat limited.
The duo can now look around the lit room with greater clarity with the first aid out of the way. The bags and boxes on the shelves all have printed labels taped to them. Some of the tools reveal themselves to be hedge-trimmers, weed-cutters, and, in one case, an extraordinarily long chainsaw. Just to the left of the overhead door is a standard door, and just to the left of that is a wall-mounted lockbox with a four-digit code padlock keeping it closed. The two also notice that about six feet up on the overhead door is a dark patch that was not illuminated by the lights. It takes a moment to realize that it is a hole rent into the door's aluminum, leaving a gap looking out into the night. The metal is deformed inward, leaving sharp points of bent material jutting into the structure at odd angles.

[MaltholLoth]

With the arm back in place and the heat of pain subsiding, he flexes his fingers and reaches for Carine's hand. "When we get out of here... I'm going to owe you so much." he runs his thumb over the back of her hand. "Yet, let us focus on the getting out... As I'm getting rather worn down. Looking at things... I'm hoping that the keys are in that lock-box. Shall we?".
For a brief moment he studied what's available, if there wasn't the crazy man just back the way they'd need to go, some of these things would no doubt help that hanging man. Right now though, he couldn't be helped. The code would be a pain but... He drags Carine to the boxes, and with some work, holds the knife and the handle of a small axe in his free hand. "Can you grab a couple too?"
Once done, he heads to the lock-box. "This may be easier without the hand holding... But your call. One axe in the gap where the lock will be, and the other turned and used as a hammer". Smiling, feeling very proud of his idea.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, many regrets

[WindStruck]

Chelsea's heart just about dropped into her stomach, and that kept going down as the crazed actor continued opening the door and peered inside. She was just beginning to tremble as they locked eyes, and she knew what was coming...

But then the mad man offered his hand and spoke instead. It took her a few seconds to realize that she wasn't being eaten or horribly maimed. Not yet anyway. She shakily opened the other cabinet door nearest to her and used the offered hand to help herself up, while covering her chest with her other arm.

She backed away from him, looking back at him, so bewildered. "Why are you doing this?" she whispered.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[Metastachydium]

Carine loudly expels the breath she held and opens her eyes. Jim's arm was still attached to the rest of Jim and apparently she didn't make it any worse! She eagerly takes the offered hand and touches her forehead to the newly restored shoilder as softly as she can manage. Silly rabbit. she mumbles as she lets Jim guide her to the wall with all the tools. Between my leg, the dumb thing with the boulder I'm still pissed about and saving my hair, all you owe me's a ****ing coffee. With some awkward fumbling, she picks up a pair of hatchets as instructed and limps along to the box. That she doesn't have the faintest idea what the current master plan is strikes her more as a blessing and a boon than anything. With her leg, back, poor naive designated shark-puncher still just barely in commission and the world slowly swimming before her eyes, she may as well swim some herself. That's what she does, after all.

Still, there are some red lines. She'll cling to that hand as stubbornly as need be, plans be damned. No takebacks. she mutters feebly, giving the man's hand a quick squeeze while she gets into position to do… Well, whatever she's supposed to do now.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: two hatchets
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, relief, the Flow, Jim's hand (again), no clue

[MaltholLoth]

He puts his axe into the gap between the frame and door of the box then looks to Carine. "Right, if you can use one of yours like a hammer, just use the side or back and smack it one."

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, thinking he's clever

[Metastachydium]

Will try. Carine responds slowly and somewhat uneasily. Why does she need two axes for this? And where should she put the one she's not using at the time? Would dropping it make too much noise? What if she drops it on her left foot? She still needs her left foot. And, for that matter, the right foot too. Damn.

Nevertheless, her nerves are well aware that they are in something of a hurry and she absolutely doesn't want to let Jim down, so bending down sideways in the most awkward fashion that's still humanly possible, she endeavours to let an axe down instead, and quite literally for that matter, allowing the implement to slide out of her grasp.

The moment the world stops spinning too fast for her to trust her aim once she's straightened herself, she begins to hammer on the other axe, wincing each time the steel meets steel with a clang. It's loud. Awfully loud, and yet again, she's not really sure if it's even working.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: a hatchet (equipped); a hatchet (not equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, Jim's hand, too many conscious thoughts, but still no clue

[7LayerDipstick]

"Fun," replies the cannibal as he rights himself and stares Chelsea down. With this far better view than she ever had before, she notices that those eyes are empty, devoid of any expression or character. Somewhere deep inside, Chelsea suddenly feels Shia doesn't even truly recognize her as a living being.
Shia lifts his arm and points toward the door. "Ten," he intones as the first curling of his lips into his malicious grin develops.
"Nine."

Carine and Jim collect some axes and make their way to the lockbox. Jim wedges the blade of one of the axes into the seam as Carine lets down one axe and begins to use the flat back of the other to drive the wedge into the gap. The sound is loud and seems all the louder in the quiet room. The pinging seems to reverberate and, at the moment, feels as though it must travel miles away.
The first two swings seem to have no impact on the integrity of the lockbox. The third results in the body of the metal container denting inward. Each subsequent blow bends the metal further until the seventh strike, where, with a secondary ping, the entire lock assembly dislodges itself from the box and skitters across the floor. The door of the box swings open, and from within spills several dozen different keys, which all clatter to the floor in a disorganized mess. Within the box are at least a dozen more keys hanging from hooks and a note labeled "Code Change Log."
It looks like the current code is '6184,' and it is two months past due for changing.

[MaltholLoth]

"You did it!" he exclaims as the lock gives way and the contents reveal themselves. Stowing the axe into the band around his waist formed by the tied waterproof, he then begins searching for keys that look right to the vehicle.
" We should try and remember that code too. 6184..."

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain,

[Metastachydium]

With the ringing sounds of her hammering (axeing?) Jim's axe fades away, supplanted by another set of ringing sounds, Carine finally opens her eyes properly to assess the fruits of their labours. We rock. she mutters, dozily with a faint but fond smile, just as she feels herself starting to rock left and right. The world's funny like that, apparently, and she's tired. As tired as it gets. She cautiously slips closer to Jim to rest her temple on his shoulder for some extra stability and a measure of comfort. We keep that up, we might even walk. Drive. Whatever. She watches Jim sift through the contents of the box, ignoring the nervous little voice pressuring her to do the same with the keys on the floor. She doesn't really feel like not holding his hand, and it's not like she's even sure what an ATV's ignition key looks like. Still, even her gut seems to think that's a bit stupid. Need help with that? she asks, shifting her gaze up towards the man's face. Hopefully he doesn't.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: a hatchet (equipped); a hatchet (not equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, Jim's hand, Jim's shoulder, disturbing thoughts, but little strength left to act on them

[MaltholLoth]

As Carine tests her head on his shoulder, he spares a quick glance at her. She'd been through a lot, not that he hadn't, but she'd fought so hard and given how late it was, she was no doubt running on fumes. With some care he slides the handle of the knife between their two hands. With a note few hand he softly rests it on her cheek then curls his fingers slightly to stroke, "If we can get into that ATV and away from from here...Let's just grab all of the keys. I think it's one of these few, but...if we have them, no need to go back."

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife, couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain,

[Metastachydium]

Carine's surprised at first to get a share of the knife's hilt; what comes after, however, more than makes up for the weirdness. Closing her eyes for a moment, she lets that smile slip back on her face. Sounds good. she murmurs. Let's do that.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: a hatchet (equipped); a hatchet (not equipped); half a bloody knife (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a misplaced premolar, Jim's hand, Jim's shoulder, Jim's other hand, a serene urge to just drift off

[WindStruck]

Even while Chelsea is having her minimal conversation with Shia, she hears the ringing of metal slamming onto metal. She knew two things:

1) It wasn't Shia causing that racket.

2) Since it had to have been the other people she heard before.. they had to have some kind of tools with them.

Momentarily, her gaze hardens at the cannibal and she threatens, "Follow me, and you won't be having any more fun."

Chelsea makes her way to the storage area not far off, where the din of jingling keys and voices could be heard. She.. sadly had no time for modestly. Pretty sure Shia was down to six by now as she flung herself into the storage room.

With an arm still covering her chest, she looks at the two others bashfully. One man who she vaguely recognized as the one she briefly spoke with at the lake. And the other woman.. she wasn't sure.

She just murmured, "He's coming," as she looked around for and went for the most convenient weapon. A shovel.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini, shovel
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

All keys accounted for between them, he looks at the ATV, then Chelsea walks in causing Jim to nearly drop them in shock. He's quick to realise it isn't Shia, but nor can he quite believe who it is. The red hair, the wet look, plus mud for some reason... And oh! Err, should she be... Why is she. He turns to face Carine, cheeks going flushed. Then her words permeate his tired mind. 'He is coming'. He lets out a little squeak of horror and tries to drag Carine to the vehicle without looking at the new woman. "In. Quick."

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife (co owned), couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe (stowed)
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, confusion!

[Metastachydium]

Carine meets Jim's gaze and her eyebrows rise ever so slightly in confusion before she'd slowly turn her head around to see what's going on at the door. And then she sees the newcomer as well. Could that be the Lady of the Lake? Didn't she get eaten or something? And is she… Basically naked? Carine squints and tries to concentrate for a second to make sure she's not hallucinating (improper blood supply to the brain can get messy, after all), but the redhead doesn't quite disappear. What happened to your clothes? she mumbles in a somewhat inane display of surprise at that, barely able to focus on not falling flat on her face again as she lets Jim drag her steggering along towards the vehicle.


Blood tokens: 3/5
Item: a hatchet (equipped); half a bloody knife (equipped)
Other belongings: white one-shoulder T-shirt, light gray high ankle skinny jeans (now slightly redesigned), flat thong sandals, a dishtowel and half a roll of gauze, pain, a half-digested premolar, Jim's hand, less blood than she'd like, a nagging suspicion that she's seeing underdressed ghosts

[WindStruck]

As the focus on fighting against Shia slowly turned to Chelsea's state of undress, she began flushing, with one hand gripping her improvised weapon, and the other arm still trying to cover herself.

"The bastard must have taken my stuff while I was swimming, ok?"

"D-don't you need to open the garage door? I'm not sure if it will.. there might not be time."

[MaltholLoth]

Dropping the keys on the seat, he'll then start going through them to find the right one to the ignition. For a brief moment he relaxes the grip on Carine's hand, not so much it let's go or drops the knife, but in a state that Carine can pull away if she wished without effort. "Feel free to get it open, just sorting out the key first just in case..." he says to the new arrival without looking up. Having did this plants doubt in his mind. Great! What if the key wasn't here. What if the vehicle doesn't start. What if the door won't open. What if... Enough! Focus man, focus!

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife (co owned), couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe (stowed), keys keys keys
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid but (probably overly) optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, confusion and concentration

[7LayerDipstick]

"Eight," says Shia in response to Chelsea's threat.
"Seven," she hears as she rushes out of the room.
He is undoubtedly past 'six' by the time she grabs the shovel, a longer one with a stout wooden shaft and a lightly rusted square head.
Keeping his gaze averted from the immodest view, Jim spills the keys over the seat and begins shuffling through them and setting aside all the keys that clearly would not fit the ignition switch while Carine tries her best to clear her clouded mind.
After their brief conversation, all three hear sounds of destruction coming from back in the direction of the employee lounge, followed by metal clattering. There is a moment of silence before Chelsea hears something metal scraping against the concrete floor of the hallway, gradually making its way in their direction, and it doesn't take long before Carine and Jim can make out the noise as well.
In the moment before the three can act, a small cylindrical object flies against the doorframe and bounces against it before coming to rest harmlessly near Chelsea's feet. She can identify it as one of the oat containers from her hiding place, now the proud bearer of a significant dent from its impact. However, Jim and Carine have no clear view of the object from their position near the vehicle.

[WindStruck]

"F**k!" Chelsea swears, almost a mumble except for her fright. She decides to take cover behind something. A shelf, the ATV, whatever was big and sturdy. Didn't seem like they were leaving any time soon, so she only hoped the others still firmly had their axes or whatever firmly in their possession.

Blood Tokens: 5
items: half a bikini, shovel
-excellent swimmer
-fairly dirty

[MaltholLoth]

With the slam of a metal object, Jim fears for the time they have left. The need to find the right key grows, 'Where is it! It must be here! It has to be here!', then it occurs to him, the woman was right and there was no time, nor much to worry about him being stood on the other side of the main overhead door... "THE DOOR! GET THE DOOR OPEN!", he calls, if nothing else, at least they can try and run through an open door. "Carine, watch my back. I need to find the key" he says, still scrambling through the keys trying any that hold promise.

Blood tokens: 2
Item(s): multitool with torch, bloody cabin kitchen knife (co owned), couple of alcoholic wipes, Carine's hand, small axe (stowed), keys keys keys
Dressed: Comfy walking boots, loose cargo trousers, loose t-shirt (2 tears near shoulder) and lightweight waterproof coat
Emotional/mental state: pain, afraid and no longer optimistic, more pain, did I mention pain, frantic concentration