| Latest Posts | The Island - Amanda & Jonathan
As the sun drifts sleepily downward, Amanda realizes something.
"Oh! The reason the sun keeps setting so early in the afternoon is because it is winter and we're in the northern hemisphere. Or it could be summer if we're in the southern hemisphere." After her short outburst, Amanda is unsure of why she said that. Anything to break the silence, she supposes. And she did just realize it. She hastily justifies her thought. "I'm just pointing that out because the early sunset had been bothering me, and I wasn't sure why it was getting dark so early." ... "Anyway, since it's going to be dark soon, we should probably find shelter. The Oil Town probably has better places to stay the night, but I'd rather walk towards the Refinery than go back to the Oil Town, then to the Refinery tomorrow, and back up to the Oil Town again after that. Does that make sense?" She should probably wait for Jonathan to answer, but another thought pops into her head. "Hey, can I see your neck?" If Jonathan allows her to inspect the back of his neck, Amanda closely examines the scar that she is certain will be there. She wants to see how the wound is closed up. Is it stitched? Seared? Naturally healed? She makes sure not to actually touch Jonathan's neck so as not to cause him pain.
Relieved from the tension of the disturbing encounter with the wolf, Jonathan had felt a familiar energy and instincts rush to reenter his wounded body and it had been of use for the descent from the roof.
The centipede of confusion that was still crawling along his spine and growing was pushed back as it looked over his shoulder at the stranger who had saved his life and seemed confident, determined. He could keep questions and mysteries for later. He tried to nod as she talked but failed everytime because she was jumping to another idea before he could finish processing her words. The wolf hidden in a corner of his brain was probably responsible too. The impression of the schock of the event on his mind still slowed his thoughts down a bit. Despite that fact, he presented his neck nearly automatically when she asked to see it, wondering if he should finally talk again and thank her properly while she was examining his neck. "The... I didn't really thank you.", he said, quite awkwardly, from his point of view. He thought that she probably saw him as a panicked teenager.
DAY 2, 1410 - SIMILAR WOUNDS
= ROLL: Amanda's WIS 3 + Doctor 1 = RESULT: 0 stars = ROLL: Jonathan's WIS 2 = RESULT: 0 stars = TIME SPENT: 10 minutes _____ The brief conversation, a trading of greetings and thanks, seems awkward to you both, as neither of you can explain to the other why or how you came to be on The Island. Jonathan allows Amanda to check the base of his neck, and through careful maneuvering of his shirt collar, she sees a quite fresh scar. If it was stitched up, the job was done poorly; no stitching can be seen now. It is still healing, and Amanda can only assume her neck looks similar to Jonathan's. The longer she stares at the mark, the more she feels her own beginning to burn. You both consider Amanda's proposition: the Refinery. It's a bit closer to you than Oil Town, and Amanda swiftly recalls more than one of her recent fur- and teeth-lined targets stalking the area in broad daylight. The walk looks fairly simple, and the pair of you feel more certain together than either of you has felt on your own to this point. _____ STATUS: = Might: No restrictions = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions = Location: Center I2
"Oh, there's no reason to thank me. I just hope you'd do the same if I was in similar danger. Now, let's get going towards the Refinery."
She is slightly disappointed that she could not draw any conclusive evidence from Jonathan's neck. She sets off at a brisk pace, motioning for Jonathan to join her. She'd like to get to poke around the Refinery before it gets dark.
Jonathan's pace is fast and fluid as he follows her. His train of thoughts, less so. He tries to keep the darkness of unknown data away, but can't bring himself to engage much further into dense conversation. He keeps silent and tightens his fists in an obsessional automatism. The gesture isn't much of a weapon against the intense frustration awakened by the lack of a camera amongst his current possessions.
He composes himself an air of determination that he hopes will convince his companion of misfortune if she turns to examine his features.
DAY 2, 1440 - JAGGED TEETH
= ROLL: Amanda's MIG 2 = RESULT: 1 star = ROLL: Jonathan's MIG 2 + Jump Cut 1 = RESULT: 2 stars = TIME SPENT: 30 minutes _____ The View: ( i.imgur.com/rCkzXxs.jpg ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=xHc8Y37ApZg ) Small talk is difficult to come by in such circumstances. The two of you trade pleasantries and not much else as Jonathan pushes the pace toward the Refinery. Amanda finds Jonathan right on her heels, making easier passage of the dusk terrain than she. Even without camera in hand, Jonathan can't help but take note of The Island's picturesque moments, making mental snapshots as they move away from the decrepit house and low howls that bite through the wind to urge them southward. The sun is now low against the mountain range off to the west of The Island. Over the hilltops of The Pines and across the vast field and lake, you see it setting uneasily into the sharp treetops, the scene brilliantly back lit by a red hue that suggests teeth more than plant. It is chilly by the time you reach the Refinery gates. Pushing past them into an open courtyard, you see long buildings on either side, with several windows broken or open, though high up on the walls. Down the open median of scattered debris and broken tools is a tall tower that appears to be one of a few storage tanks across the small industrial islet. The only means of ingress would appear to be one open door on the right building. All others are shut and boarded. Two chirps, one from each of your sat phones, echo out across the empty square. "Charlie 2 in Proximity. Confirm." You look at the phones, then each other, silently pondering the meaning of the message, before Amanda's phone chirps once more, alone. "Alpha 2 confirmed in your company. Good work." _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: No restrictions (nearing hunger, approaching -1 to Might) = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: No restrictions (growing darker, approaching -1 to visibility) = Location: Bottom I2
DAY 2, 1600 - A DEAFENING SILENCE
= ROLL: Amanda's WIS 3 = RESULT: 2 stars = ROLL: Jonathan's WIS 2 + Camera Obscura 1 = RESULT: 2 stars = TIME SPENT: 30 minutes since last session's end RECAP: You worked your way slowly into the Refinery, using the open door as means of entry. With cautious steps, you quietly approached the end of a long hallway, spilling out into some sort of cafeteria and shift preparation room. After a disconcerting vision and solving a cryptic number sequence on a shift clock, you gained access to the prep room, wherein you discovered a bag, soaked in blood, and equally wet and disgusting items inside. = 1 Notebook, labeled "Charlie 2: Jones" = 1 Serrated Knife, Military Grad (+1 to Melee) = 1 pencil thin, 3 inch long electronic device _____ The View: ( a black room, sealed in darkness by the night sky and surrounding walls, interrupted by the lone beam of light from the flashlight you share ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=xHc8Y37ApZg ) A footstep. A single footstep. In the middle of the room. Amanda leans backwards out of the prep room and aims the flashlight toward the middle column once more. Jonathan presses himself against the tiled wall near the door from which you entered, now shut. In the brief moment that passes, both of you see it. Not a fleeting glimpse, but a steady, deliberate sight, captured by your eyes and immediately burned into your memory. It is the figure of a man. Or a woman. It's difficult to tell, really. The flashlight catches the visage directly in the beam's center, but somehow the focus of your vision cannot comprehend what is displayed. The column and the figure are lit bright as day, but the figure itself is black as night. No, blacker. As if the flashlight has a man-shaped hole cut in its bulb. You both see it, standing still by the column. Deathly still. But moving. No, shimmering. It blurs and fades from focus, like a television catching a signal from the wrong channel. Then, with a shriek that resembles the most terrible, gut-wrenching cry of a dying animal, broadcast somewhere from inside your mind, the figure moves toward you both, in separate directions, stretching itself impossibly thin and reaching with tendril-like fingers that disappear a few feet from your nose. All at once, it's gone, leaving you with shaking hands and an unsteady light that displays only a bare column. The situation lasts all of three seconds, if that. You are both left with a ringing in your ears, brought on by the shriek that you can't quite prove happened, and exacerbated by the silence in the room once more. Amanda is standing one foot in the prep room, one foot in the main chamber of the mess hall, holding the flashlight and her bag of bloody items. Jonathan is several meters from her, pressed against the wall of the room, a foot or so from the door, now closed. Your stomachs growl, and the low gurgle makes you wish it were only the wolves with whom you might share The Island. _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: Hungry, -1 (nearing famished, approaching -2) = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: Night, -1 = Location: Bottom I2
She quakes. Understandably so. She just witnessed the most terrifying thing she has ever seen. She hopes that further time on the island won't make that encounter seem trivial, but she isn't optimistic.
She turns to look at Jonathan, says nothing, and looks back at where the figure was moments before. The beam of the flashlight wiggles like a distressed spring in her shaky hands. When she does speak, her voice is hardly there. She coughs, and says "I think we're done here," a little louder. She packs the remains of Jones away. "Let's see if we can't get deeper into this refinery. Its either that or find a place to stay for the night." Summary of goals: A very frightened Amanda wants to scavenge for supplies or find somewhere safe to sleep.
The short-lived feeling of unity in fear is broken entirely when Jonathan is done digesting her first sentences. Startled, he decides to filter his angst and gather the essence of revolt that lies in it to counter with : "Will you... will you just let that pass?".
He waits for an answer, watching her hands intently to indicate that her fear his obvious and hoping to make her understand the subtelty of "I need someone to share my fears and discuss with to avoid delirium" in a brief movement of his eyes, which of course, conveys nothing of the sort, but a vague hesitation instead. He nevertheless stands in place, firmly.
Amanda sighs, unwilling to discuss the terror of the recent apparition.
"I suppose it does merit some discussion. Do you think that was Jones? The one called Charlie 2?" Her voice is a wavering whisper that solidifies as she speaks. She isn't sure if there are any other threats like wolves or more specters in the building, but she can't quite keep her voice level. Despite the recent fright, her analytical mind is ticking once more. Now she is hoping for a new message to confirm her suspicions.
DAY 2, 1700 - RESTORING SANITY
= ROLL: Amanda's WIS 3 = RESULT: 1 star = ROLL: Jonathan's WIS 2 = RESULT: 1 star = TIME SPENT: 1 hour _____ The View: ( the same dark room, now growing darker by the minute, despite the early time of evening. ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=xHc8Y37ApZg ) With as much courage as you both can muster, you recount the horror of your recent vision. The perspectives match identically. Neither of you believe your eyes were playing tricks on you, unless you're both going crazy. That... 'thing', really was there, a black hole in distorted human form against the column. Side by side, you approach the column and bathe it in brightness from the flashlight. The concrete looks most uninteresting and plain. As you whisper to each other, moving together throughout the dim room, a few discoveries are made. The door from which you entered has shut behind you. There is no handle on this side. Secondly, the bloody contents of the pack Amanda found, filling the room with a rusty stench that makes you both wonder why you didn't recognize it earlier, are surely the remains of Jones, or "Charlie 2". Even after some deliberation, you can't make heads or tails of the connection between the bag's contents and the ghastly visage, but you do find several spent rifle casings on the ground in various spots around the room. Other than the blood in Amanda's bag, there is no evidence that the rounds hit anything. No bullet holes on the walls or floors, as far as you can tell, and no blood, human, animal or otherwise. Lastly, you realize the only accessible exit from this room may be the vent grate in the locker behind the time clock. It's not ideal, but large enough for one to crouch in, meaning you'll have to go single file. _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: Very Hungry, -1 (nearing famished, -2 by next post) = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: Night, -1 to vision = Location: Bottom I2
The notebook in Amanda's pack is soggy and slick with blood. Some pages are stuck together, and when opened, difficult to read.
_____ CHARLIE 2: JONES First Entry: "Didn't take long from insertion . . . we've covered nearly half . . . island. No signs . . . or Bravo teams. We were told the natives were . . . but . . . ARE no natives here. Nothing other than animals." Second Entry: "Meyers wants to split up. I don’t particularly mind, but I know it bothers the hell outta Burke. Meyers will take the lake, lakehouse, and . . . Burke is heading east to the swamp . . . old harbor, and I'll look into the Oil Town and refinery." Third Entry: "Four days. Four damn days in this mess hall . . . had to have . . .t least thirty rounds . . . through it or something? They don't even hit . . . Radio's broken . . . more shots somewhere south . . . in this closet and eat what's left . . . rations." Last Entry: ( this page is written hastily in a wildly different handwriting, with deep gashes in the page and fingerprints of red. ) "JONES WOULD NOT COME W. . . TO EAT. IF JONES DOES NOT WANT. . . EART, THEN I WILL. . . IS HEART! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA" _____ The rest of the pages are empty, although the last entry's message can be faintly seen imprinted onto the following ten or twelve blank sheets of paper.
Jonathan considered the vent duct until the question arose : "Which is the suitably responsible proposition?". Should he suggest he goes first or last?
He didn't want to impress. At least, he convinced himself that that wasn't the reason. He felt beholden. Well, in a way, he also wanted to prove that he wouldn't be a burden. But the question was quite tricky. Both possibilities seemed equally dangerous. "Should I go first?", he tried, hoping that his sentence would come across as : "I will go first if you think it's the most responsible thing for me to do.". Of course, he felt like it would never come across that way.
From the sound of his voice, Jonathan appears to be pretty nervous about going into the vent. Amanda is equally scared, but fighting to keep from showing it. When Jonathan offered to take the lead, she was more than happy to oblige. Relief washed over her like a shower rinsing the odor of fear. She placed Jones' knife in the duct and tried to say nonchalantly to Jonathan, "Go for it. If there's anything stab-worthy, stab it."
DAY 2, 1730 - TUNNEL VISION
= ROLL: Amanda's WIS 3 = RESULT: 2 stars = ROLL: Jonathan's WIS 2 = RESULT: 1 moon, 1 star = TIME SPENT: 30 minutes _____ The View: ( i.imgur.com/QYl8Q3z.jpg ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=xHc8Y37ApZg ) You're both starving. It's been the better part of a day since your last meal, and most of the day has included running, heightened heart rates, and heavy breathing. The effects have taken a toll on your bodies. With hands trembling from hunger, the flashlight wavers, sending the light in shaky beams across the length of the duct. Jonathan clutches the serrated knife weakly in hand, unsure of his might should he be forced to use it. In a stroke of brilliance, Jonathan suggests eating as you pick your way through the ducts. The cramped space makes it difficult to be ambushed by anything, and the scent of food won't leave the metal confines. Making progress through the ductwork, you come upon a small opening. It's the first change of scenery in several minutes of cramped crawling, and the possibility of fresher air tugs at your bodies. You rise to your feet, standing to full height as you exit the duct. This hallway of metal beams and wooden slats offers no relief in the way of immediate exit from the Refinery, but it does appear to extend around the next corner, if no further. Jonathan stands before Amanda, swinging the flashlight about with the knife in his off hand, but through the beam's changing direction, Amanda spies paper. It doesn't strike her as odd, since there is paper and debris everywhere, but the next pass of the flashlight's beam displays fairly new paper, like that of the journal she possesses. It's spattered in red, just as uncomfortably like the journal she possesses. Jonathan's light steadies a bit on the end of the hallway, just in time to see a shadow, much blacker than the fading night sky above them, disappear into the next turn. Do shadows laugh? They shouldn't, right? _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: No restrictions, Full (thanks to Jonathan's moon) = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: -1, Night (Negated by flashlight) = Location: Bottom I2
"Wait for a moment," Amanda whispers as she puts her left hand on Jonathan's shoulder. Her right hand leans the gun it was holding against the side of the duct and reaches out to guide Jonathan's right hand into pointing the flashlight at the journal.
"Looks like another one of these... agents or whatever came this way." Her right hand moves quickly back to grab the rifle. The wooden stock feels smooth and strong in her hand. She regrets putting it down in the first place. It's a silly fear, but what if one of the shadows had grabbed it?
DAY 2, 1800 - SOMETHING DIFFERENT
= ROLL: Amanda's WIS 3 = RESULT: Skull = ROLL: Jonathan's WIS 2 + Camera Obscura 1 = RESULT: 1 star = TIME SPENT: 30 minutes _____ The View: ( i.imgur.com/QYl8Q3z.jpg ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=rHtinEcgLn0 ) The sheet of paper flutters softly against the small gusts of air swirling through the tunnel. As you both step up to it, boots crunching loudly on splinters, pebbles, and loose metal, your eyes and the flashlight dart from the paper to the end of the tunnel up ahead. Amanda reaches down to grab the sheet, using part of the light to read it while Jonathan looks ahead. The handwriting looks a bit different from the two you've seen before, Jonathan points out. And while spattered with blood, the paper is different as well. Newer, perhaps. "Question everything. As I question, so should you. Sanity mocks us. -F" Amanda reads the short writing aloud. As the last word is spoken, her voice is cut off in pain. The scar on her neck flares like a hot iron being pressed against skin. Her muscles clench, her eyes water, and during the intense pain, her pointer finger finds a smooth metal trigger, which it pulls, almost involuntarily. The shot is loud and bright, nearly knocking Jonathan off his feet. The next several seconds are entirely devoid of sound as Amanda regains control of her body. You look at each other. Neither of you is bleeding, but you can't tell where the shot landed. Aside from a throbbing heart beat, the only sound is a ringing in your ears, thanks to the large caliber rifle being discharged in such a small enclosure. _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: No restrictions, Full = Agility: No restrictions = Wisdom: -1, Temporary Deafness = Location: Bottom I2
"MAWP. MAWP. MAWP."
Amanda isn't really certain what the procedure for treating tinnitus is, as she'd never been shooting without ear protection before, but she had seen a spy TV show once where the main character got tinnitus and proceeded to say 'MAWP' a few times. Mostly she's concerned that if there are any other shadow-things besides the one they saw earlier, they probably all now know where to look for fresh prey. She folds the note and tucks it in her pocket. The note raises a few questions, but she can hardly hear herself when she shouts, and she doubts Jonathan can hear her at all. Why is the note new? Is F short for a name or for Foxtrot?
As he feels his focus being drained further by the aftermath of the shock, Jonathan stares into Amanda's eyes, awaiting as she slides the note into her pocket, struggling to let new information sink in as a cloud of confusion thickens.
His hand lands on one side of the hallway, the contact of the metal helping him regain his focus. He nods, trying to get her to show if she feels well and ready to walk again.
DAY 2, 1800 - WITH THE VOLUME TURNED DOWN LOW
= ROLL: The Island 3 = RESULT: Moon and star (good for GM, bad for you) = TIME SPENT: 30 seconds _____ The View: ( i.imgur.com/QYl8Q3z.jpg ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=rHtinEcgLn0 ) Your ears still ring. The sound is deafening, but welcomed, as it's the only thing keeping you from total silence. The crunch of gravel, the rough sound of hands coursing along metal walls, even your own breath is now null, and may as well be emanating from miles away, for you hear none of it. In the clamor and confusion, neither of you heard the shrill ping of a sat phone, which, when inspected, reads "NEW MESSAGE: Charlie 2 confirmed in your company. Good work. I1." Jonathan quickly shows the LED display to Amanda, who checks her own sat phone to find the same message. The current time is 1812. The message reads "received 18:01." No wonder you missed it. The beep would have never made it through to your ears in the last few minutes. However, as you both stare at the screens, waiting for the shrill tone to dissipate from your hearing, another message appears. "NEW MESSAGE: I1! NO DELAY!" The sense of urgency displayed by such small pixelated characters is chilling. You look to each other for some silent motion of advice. But it's hard to see through the shadow that stands between you both. _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: No restrictions, Full = Agility: -1, Crowded space, Enemy within Melee Range = Wisdom: -1, Temporary Deafness = Location: Bottom I2
For a brief moment, Amanda squints at Jonathan's darkened, blurred form.
When she realizes, her hair stands on end, and she lets out a shriek. At the very least she opens her mouth and tries to scream. Her ears won't tell her whether or not she succeeded. As her panicked body stumbles away from the shadow and eventually sprints deeper into the tunnel, her equally panicked mind struggles to recall what it has already learned about the shadows. She can recall that the journal pages from earlier mentioned that bullets passed through the shadows, and that the last entry involved blood and the eating of a heart. She would run faster, but she's already running as fast as she can. She throws a glance over her shoulder, hoping to see anything other than a shadow looming over a dead body.
Seeing the anxiety accumulated by the recent messages materialized (if the thing is in fact material in the first place) into the shadow causes a shock that in some strange way relieves a bit of the tension.
Jonathan thinks "Can't separate. Not long". and he takes a few quick steps back, gazing into the shadow, trying to study its response and see if he has a chance to get across. He doubts if it will work, but he nonetheless tries screaming something along the line of "Try going straight so we don't lose each other." to Amanda in case she can hear him. He is pretty sure he messed up most of his sentence as nervosity makes him less articulate than normal.
DAY 2, 1805 - THE ABYSS STARES BACK
= ROLL: The Island 3 = RESULT: 0 stars = PLAYER ROLLS: Various Wisdom and Might related. _____ The View: ( i.imgur.com/QYl8Q3z.jpg ) The Sounds: ( youtube.com/watch?v=7zRIc1Y7-PQ ) Amanda throws the rifle sling over her shoulder and books it. With a hundred yards stretching out before the fork in the tunnel, she thinks of nothing but putting distance between herself and the Shadow. The Shadow, the thing mentioned in the notebook from Jones. Jones speaks of bullets not hitting... something. Amanda has to assume he means the Shadows. She doesn't know much else about them, other than the fact that they seem to absorb all light around them. Black as, well, blacker than night, so black as... something much darker. Her heartbeat pounds, and its sound is slowly joined by that of feet smacking against the gravel and metal of the tunnel. Her vision is fading as the beam from Jonathan's flashlight shrinks behind her. "TRY GOING STRAIGHT SO WE DON'T LOSE EACH OTHER!" Jonathan's voice rips through the darkness. It's enough to make Amanda skid to a halt right at the fork in the tunnel. She turns to look back as her momentum slows, and what she sees is horrifying... Jonathan stands, breath caught in his throat, muscles frozen as his eyes peer into the abyss before him. The creature does not move, and yet it is constantly moving. Almost like a movie on a scratched DVD, the Shadow shudders violently and erratically as it faces Jonathan. His flashlight, pointed directly into the black torso, instantly fades, almost as if the light is hitting another part of time and space entirely. Underneath the outstretched arm of the creature, he can barely make out Amanda's figure at the far end of the hallway, now stopped and turned back to him. Wait... outstretched? Jonathan's eyes flick back toward the creature, and he has only a moment to react as long tendrils of void extend from a black hand toward his face. _____ STATUS, BOTH: = Might: No restrictions, Full = Agility: -1, Crowded space, Enemy within Melee Range (Jonathan) = Wisdom: No restrictions Agility save needed from Jonathan. = Location: Bottom I2
The time won't allow reflection, guts taking hold of his body, him surrendering, face projected as far from the tendril of void as possible, helped by neck, legs, knees...
He first starts to turn his back and half-crouch, head still turned so that the eye catches an indirect sight of the tendril, ready to run if the shadow permits it, hand holding his backpack, ready to sacrifice it in case of extreme necessity. Then, a strange connection produces a shift in thoughts and... At the last moment, he turns off his light and starts running in the dark, his back to the creature.
AMANDA shall use this forum until further notice.
fabletop.com/forum/topic/5931/the-island-amanda . JONATHAN shall use this forum until further notice. fabletop.com/forum/topic/6055/the-island-jonathan . Try not to read each other's posts. They will only serve as story spoilers. Please log in to add a comment. |
= ROLL: N/A
= RESULT: N/A
= TIME SPENT: N/A
_____
The View ( i.imgur.com/MjYj0j4.jpg )
The Sounds ( youtube.com/watch?v=LmxtQuHhmtk )
The echo of the gunshot seems to have driven away any more would-be predators. That said, the lifeless, bloody wolf on the first step of the building will doubtless attract more. It's just after 2 PM, and the sun already hangs low in the Western sky of The Island, hanging ominously above the high peaks of the mountain range. It won't be long before The Island is swallowed up in another night of darkness. A glance at the map reveals your position to be equidistant between Oil Town and the Refinery.
The two of you share a silent moment, having each said your hellos, now waiting for the other to suggest something brilliantly life-preserving.
You can't help but notice you wear the same backpacks.
_____
STATUS:
= Might: No restrictions
= Agility: No restrictions
= Wisdom: No restrictions
= Location: Center I2