Don't Stare Too Long (ReD)

Trahnael · May 9, 2015

Adelene took a deep breath and held it in as she peeked through the scope of her sniper rifle. Through that, she managed to keep the rifle's movement to a minimum, and the scope steadied itself to the other side of the lake, on a small target board she's attached to a tree about an hour ago. The tree was already dying, so she thought it was okay to set it up there.

<i>Steady now... Squeeze, don't pull.</i>

Slowly, she moved her right index finger closer to the trigger. But just before she squeezed it, her hands started to shake uncontrollably. Dammit, she was getting tired. And that will not do.

She sighed and backed away from her gun that was mounted behind a smooth rock. She couldn't fire if her hands were tired, because she was afraid to mess up and end up killing some poor animal, or worse, a person. She picked it up and put it down beside her bag.

This called for a break. Adelene gave another sigh, before plopping down under a tree. The afternoon was passing by fast, which meant she didn't have too much time anymore. She always makes sure to go back to the dorms at sunset, after all.

But then suddenly, she felt herself shudder. It felt like someone was lurking in the area, watching her.

Not good. She hated that.

She stood up and grabbed the rifle. As she touched it, it turned into black crystal dust and retook its form as a metal baseball bat. A heavy one. She dragged it behind her as she slowly followed where she sense the presence.

"Who's there?" she asked as she made a turn into the woods and bushes.

ReD · May 12, 2015

Lochlann was on his third bottle of...actually he wasn't even sure what he was drinking. It was an amber liquid that was clearly alcohol, but whether it was whiskey, tequlia, or burbon was up in the air. He'd lost his ability to taste it a while ago.

Whatever alcohol it was, it was strong, and he was on bottle number three, but he barely felt drunk. Tired, groggy, and his bad leg was sore, but not really drunk. He wondered how many bottles it would take before he'd feel something.

He'd been spending a lot more time by the lake because it was quiet, and people didn't really expect him to be so close to his...habitat, if you would.

But he had discovered there was a nice afternoon show to watch while he drank, although sometimes he'd read a book or listen to music. Today, he had a book on Sylvia Plath on his lap next to the backpack with the empty bottles. Only...it looked like he was about to be busted.

"Who's there?"

"Uh, this isn't what it looks like, I swear," he said, his words tumbling out one after the other. What did it look like?

Like he was getting drunk ridiculously early in the day instead of being in class. The voice had a certain level of authority to it that made Lochlann think she was probably an employee.

Trahnael · May 13, 2015

Adelene came out from behind a tree, only to stand face to face with a... another student who seemed so wasted that she thought he was harmless. The metal bat dissolved into black crystal dust once more and faded in the air as she dropped her guard. She looked at him curiously, tilting her head like an inquiring bird.

"...What does it look like...?" she asked. She thought that maybe the guy wasn't thinking clearly. Did he mean he looked like he was intoxicated with alcohol? If that was it then it surely was what it looked like.

Adelene stepped closer, although she stopped just a meter afar. "I'm not going to tell people you're drunk, what benefit do I get for that?" she said, before unconsciously heaving a sigh. Her eyes landed on the male's bag, and her nose twitched at the smell of alcohol. Actually, she didn't mind that smell. She used to drink, too, after all.

She was cautious, but she couldn't help taking another step closer. And crouching down. "Where'd you get those anyway?" she asked, pointing to the bottles. "And why are you trying to poison yourself? That's... That's not good."

ReD · May 13, 2015

"...What does it look like...?"

"Oh--" Lochlann said, realizing again that he didn't really have an answer. Instead, he blundered again: "Uhh...."

She took a step closer and Lochlann found himself leaning back against the tree.

I'm not going to tell people you're drunk, what benefit do I get for that?

He watched her eye his bag and then take another step closer.
He slid a leaf in between the pages of the book he was at to mark it and set it down on the ground next to him. He wasn't sure why but he was feeling a little nervous, although it might have something to do with not being used to someone approaching him while he was sitting down.

"Firtsly, I'm not drunk," he said. "I'm drinking, but I'm not drunk. Secondly, I don't know what benefit you'd get from it, but I've seen you out here before and that just makes me sound like a creeper, so add the creeper to the drinking part and it doesn't look good for me no matter how the situation pans out."

Of course, if he was sober, Lochlann probably wouldn't have mentioned that he'd seen her before at all, because that just made the situation sound sooo much worse.

"Where'd you get those anyway?" she asked, pointing to the bottles. "And why are you trying to poison yourself? That's... That's not good."

"Cabel got them for me," he said automatically. "I'm not trying to poison myself. I'd take poison if I wanted to do that."

He picked up the bottle he'd been drinking from and offered it to her. "It's whiskey. I think."

Trahnael · May 13, 2015

Adelene easily accepted the bottle and gave it a slight sniff. Hm. She could only vaguely remember what whiskey smelled and tasted like, it's been a while.

She tried a glug, before returning the bottle. Her eyes fixed on the guy, she started judging him silently. He knew that she's always been there, but his book told her that he wasn't stalking on her or anything. Besides, why would anyone do that in the first place?

"That booze is good," she commented. As didn't smile though. She wasn't one to smile so easily. "I took a sip, so don't worry I really won't tell anyone. You don't look like a creeper either. Don't be so full of yourself."

She went silent. And then, suddenly, she decided to snatch the bottle back and have a few more sips. The feeling of heat in her throat felt nice. The feeling of alcohol in her body was almost a bit too welcome, after tiring herself out with training.

ReD · May 13, 2015

She took a sip but she made a face before hand like it was poisoned or something. Lochlann wasn't really certain.

That booze is good," .... "I took a sip, so don't worry I really won't tell anyone. You don't look like a creeper either. Don't be so full of yourself."

Before Lochlann could say anything, she snatched the bottle back and had a few more sips, which, for some reason, relaxed him.

He settled back against the tree, motioning for her to sit if she wanted. He wasn't full of himself, was he? Shit, he probably was, although with his reputation he sort of felt like he earned the option to be full of himself.

"I can't really taste it anymore," Loch admitted. That wasn't really a problem, though. It's not like anyone drank booze for the taste. Referring to her earlier training session he asked, "So you come out here in the afternoons to unwind, too?"

Trahnael · May 13, 2015

Adelene shrugged and sat down, although she didn't move an inch closer to him. One could easily tell, though, that the alcohol seemed to have relaxed her a little. Add that to her training just a while ago, she might become sleepy in just a couple of minutes.

"I unwind sometimes, most of the time I'm just here to keep myself busy," she said. She gave the male a long stare, and realized she was somewhat worried. It was natural for her, since she was raised to be that way.

She furrowed her eye brows and tilted her head a little. "You can't taste it anymore, you say. Are you... I'm sorry, are you okay? It's not really my business, is it? But..." Her voice faded, sentence unfinished. She didn't really know what to say. She was just worried. But telling something like that to a stranger was probably weird. And just like what she's said, it wasn't even her business.

ReD · May 14, 2015

She sat down and didn't move any closer and, for some reason, that made Lochlann visibly relax. He leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes for a moment, giving a slow exhale. Lochlann had not been doing well lately, and the last thing he needed to do now was to get too comfortable and hit on a hot chick in the middle of the woods that was out here every day practicing with guns.

"I unwind sometimes, most of the time I'm just here to keep myself busy,"

He'd opened his eyes again to find her giving him a stare that made him wonder if he'd said something wrong. He shifted uncomfortably, his right hand going to rub his bad leg before he caught himself and put it back on the ground to avoid drawing attention to it.

"The lake is a pretty great place to keep to yourself," he agreed, "although it does get pretty lonely sometimes."

"You can't taste it anymore, you say. Are you... I'm sorry, are you okay? It's not really my business, is it? But..."

Lochlann completely misunderstood. The thought that she might be referring to him having a drinking problem never crossed his mind because Lochlann didn't believe drinking was a problem. It was a solution to the problem of his existence.

"Oh, yeah, it's not like I had a..." he fumbled for the word in English. "--a stroke, or anything like that. I can normally taste. it's just that after a bottle or so I can't really taste it anymore and it's easy to forget what it is, you know?

For some reason, this train of conversation made him a little worried. He did not want to end up back at the infirmary. He was fine. He gave her an easy grin to show her how okay he was.

"So are you a student here, too, or do you work on the island?" he asked. He'd assumed she was staff until she didn't lecture him about the bottles.

Trahnael · May 14, 2015

Adelene tilted her head curiously at hearing him talk about stroke. That wasn't what she meant, of course, but she decided not to push it. After all, it's as she said, it wasn't her business.

She wasn't giving the bottle back though. She had a good grip on its neck, so she can easily have another sip. One last sip...

"I'm a student," she said, before finally giving the bottle back. She realized then that she only came to check on this guy because she thought she was being watched by someone hostile. And finding out that she was wrong, she probably had no reason to stay anymore.

She shrugged again. It didn't seem like this guy wanted any company so maybe it was better to leave. "Oh well," she stood up, "I guess I'll just resume my training now. Sorry for disturbing you."

She was about to turn around and leave when she caught the bottles in her sight. Damn, that booze was good. She wanted one for herself. "...By the way, how can I get something like that?"

ReD · May 17, 2015

"I'm a student,"

Lochlann took the bottle back from her outstretched hand and took another drink himself. He shrugged, "That surprises me, for some reason."

"It's hard to guess age on this island, and i've never been good at it to start with. You just don't seem..." he hesitated, then filled it in with the most cliche awkward comment. "....like other girls. but i'm not trying to hit on you or anything, I swear."

"Oh well," she stood up, "I guess I'll just resume my training now. Sorry for disturbing you."

She stood up abruptly and Lochlann worried he'd said something wrong. He replayed through what he could remember of the last few things he said and, yep, he'd probably made an ass out of himself.

"Sorry," he said. He was going to ask if he could come watch her practice, but held his tongue. He took another swig instead and when he looked up, she was looking back at the bottle, too.

He held the bottle out.

"...By the way, how can I get something like that?"

"Well, you can take the rest of this one, if you want." He offered, and then held up a finger in the 'one minute' gesture and fumbled through his back-pack. He finally found one of Cabel's calling cards--a business card with a gold falcon on it and an anagram of Cabel's name--and held it out to her, too.

"Take this to that Polish restaurant at the end of the residential district," he said. "Tell them you're here to pick-up an order for Cabel and they'll hook you up with what you need."

He'd given her what she'd ask for and Lochlann found himself surprised that he didn't want her to leave yet. He said, almost without thinking, "You don't have to go, you know."

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Don't Stare Too Long (ReD)

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