Re: In these bodies we will die. [[open]]

[HIKARU 'FLICK' AYUZAWA]

There were two bodies on the beach. One, sat huddled in a miserable state, yet clearly alive and functioning; if only just. The other, lying motionless on the edge of the water; lips blue and face bloated. Dead.

Flick, a girl who was so used to living comfort, hugged her legs close to her beating chest, eyes trained on the body with a frighteningly obsessive quality. Was it dead? Was it alive? Did it even matter? She'd been watching, just watching, ever since the body had washed ashore. She was surprised when she felt the urge to run up and help - she'd never felt like that before. The need to help others. A humorless laugh escaped her quivering lips, her damp hair sticking to her face in a choking hold. Funny, how her attitude towards others changed now that she was, to some extent, vulnerable. Artificially blue eyes (to her surprise, they had remained in place. Hurt like a bitch, but she didn't care for the pain enough to remove them) flickered to the body's chest, checking once more for any movement. Nothing.

Well, then it was most definitely dead, then. Her gaze strayed to its bulging pockets, and after a moments thought, she stood, groaning softly as her body complained after hours of stillness. Nudging the body with her bare foot, she chewed on the inside of her cheek before dropping to the floor. With a certain desperation that she'd never encountered before, she unzipped the pockets and ripped out the contents: a wallet, ruined slips of unidentifiable paper, a pocket knife, and a bag of unopened peanuts for shits sake. Flick chucked the wallet and paper back into the ocean - money had no use in hell. Next, with a few minutes of grunting and effort, she wrestled the black jacket off the body with no sign of remorse. The dead had no need for clothes, and the jacket seemed warm enough - when it was dry, that is.

There was no use asking how, or why. The Captain did a lousy job and crashed the ship, and shit happens; there's your fucking how and why. No use dwelling on it. Flick, if anything, was a practical woman - not like those hysterical drama queens flinging themselves overboard so much these days.

Tugging on the jacket, she lightly stroked the material with her fingertips. Leather. Nice. She scowled when the cuffs dominated over her hands, flapping around like two useless fins. Rolling up the sleeves, she pocketed the knife, before kneeling down to shove the body back into the ocean towards its watery grave. If Flick was to be expected to live on this godforsaken island, then the dead would have to go. As the body floated away, Flick sank back towards the ground, hugging her bare legs once more.

Appearance speaking, she was a mess. Her shoes were long lost, her hot pants and drop arm top ripped. The leather jacket was currently the best piece of clothing she had, and that was an understatement. And this wasn't even mentioning the cuts crisscrossed across her entire body, her limp hair and - what she presumed, since she didn't have a mirror - less that perky face. And she didn't even have her make up bag. Shame. Flick supposed it was lucky of her to have naturally pretty features. But still, she'd miss the kohl strokes.

And then there was the mental mess that was her brain. Figuratively speaking, she was fine, besides the ache all over her body. She didn't like her father (or anyone, for that matter) after all. No one would be missed - they'd miss Flick, but not the other way round. In fact, this island was something like a blessing in disguise. Wasn't this what she wanted? To be alone? Of course it was. And this island would have been perfect, if she had all her things, and had arrived here on her own free will. And o-oh God, her cigarettes, her fucking cigarettes. Flick was going to die of cravings.

Kicking the ground halfheartedly, she grabbed the bag of peanuts and ripped it open before throwing some into her mouth, watching the body float away with a bored expression.

[MAELINA DAWSON]

Pulling her makeshift net up out of the water, Maelina gave an excited gasp as she found she'd caught a couple of small fish and a rather large crab...only problem was that the crab was trying to ear her fish! Grabbing a handful of net, she dragged it further up the beach so she wouldn't risk loosing the only thing she'd really caught in days. She wasn't quite sure how to cook the crab...she'd only ever seen them boiled and she didn't exactly have a pot she could throw it in. Her supply of fresh water was starting to get low again too, she'd have to make another trip into the forest. It wasn't her favorite place to go, the terrain was pretty difficult to move through and her shoes were starting to fall apart. Heck, she really only wore them now when she had to go into the forest.

Pulling open the strings on her net, Lina tossed the ends open to reveal what would soon by her dinner. The crab instantly tried to scurry away but Lina grabbed the knife she'd found earlier that week and stabbed it right through it's middle. She wasn't quite sure how to put a crab out of it's misery but apparently that did the trick. Rolling up her net into a bundle that would be easier to carry, She made her way back up the beach. One of the lifeboats had washed ashore with her and Lina had pulled it up towards the treeline so the ocean couldn't reclaim it as the tide came in. She'd flipped it over and dug out the sand from under it, covering the new burrow in canvas. It wasn't perfect, but it was essentially waterproof and Maelina was constantly making new additions to it as more things washed up on shore. She'd found a lighter in the pocket of one of the dead bodies, one run on butane so even when it got wet it still worked.

Dropping her net next to the fire pit she'd created, Maelina reached inside the opening to her makeshift home and pulled out a small box she kept her valuables in. At one point she was sure she'd have stuck jewelry in there, not it held the lighter, a box of water proof matches and a couple of knives. Pulling out the water proof matches, She stuck them in the pocket of her rather raggedy shorts and went to the edge of the treeline searching for firewood. She never made anything too large, just enough to keep her warm and to cook what food she managed to catch. She was working on making a spear but as she really never had to make one before, the process was a bit slow. It didn't take her long to gather enough sticks and upon her return, she spotted the figure of a girl off in the distance down the beach.

Her save the world syndrome kicked in and she dropped the pile of wood next to the fire pit. Starting off down the beach towards the girl, Maelina reached up to pull the hair tie out of her red curls, allowing them to cascade around her shoulders once more.

[HIKARU 'FLICK' AYUZAWA]

Flick licked her cracked lips with a small wince, grounding the two somewhat softly together. She snickered lightly; if only her hair and make up team could see her now. They'd just commit suicide at the look of her. A disaster, they'd say. She rolled her eyes. As if getting stranded on an unknown island wasn't enough of one. But, that was hair and make up, for you.

Grabbing another small hand full of peanuts, she threw them into her expecting mouth one by one, chewing them without much pleasure. Flick had already swallowed enough sea water to leave her saliva salty for the rest of her life. The salted peanuts weren't exactly a Van Houten cake. But, unfortunately, that was the only thing she had, and in order to tackle the wild, she had to be, to a certain degree, energized. With a lazy glance at the red packet perched on the sand, Flick gave a little snort. As if peanuts would help. Peanuts. She kicked the sand with her bare foot without the force of someone who cared. The world had gone mad.

Finishing off the peanuts left in her hand, she patted away the crumbs of salt and leant back against the sand, in mindless thought. What the hell was she going to do now? She hated to admit it, but she wasn't strong. Flick doubted that she'd be able to hunt, or anything else as 12th century as that. For one, she didn't have a gun (and any suggestions of making a weapon could go to hell), and two, she wasn't starved enough to care at the moment. Besides, a human could live without food for weeks; it was water that she had to be worrying about. Fresh water. Which was harder than it sounded, seeing as she didn't have a bowl to collect the sea water in, or a fire to purify it. So, unless her father organized some sort of search mission, then she was stuck here. Flick shrugged mentally. Here, there. It didn't matter; it was all the same hell to her.

A sudden crash had her jumping up straight into a sitting position again, eyes wide with surprise. There, to the side of the beach, was the form of a red-headed girl running towards Flick. It's not a savage, is it? She thought, eyes narrowing as she tried to pin point her gaze on the girl; her form still visibly relaxed, yet her mind in a haze of panic.

As the girl (or what Flick thought was a girl; you never could be sure, in these situations) ran closer, she reached forwards and grabbed her bag of peanut before standing up, arching one brow in puzzlement. Where did she come from? Was she on the ship? Or, quite possibly, were there already inhabitants on this island? The idea of danger brought a wild smile onto her lips, shifting stance in order to gain an arrogant position.

But then another thought bubbled into her mind. What if this person was from the ship? Then surely, she would recognize Flick. She was a celebrity after all, for shits sake. Would she have to continue her act? She glanced hesitantly at the body that had now nearly floated away from sight, before looking back at the girl that had now reached Flick. Maybe. If she could be bothered. If it was even worth it, any more. Reaching up and taking hold of one damp strand of ebony hair, she twirled it lovingly around her finger, her free hand clutching the bag of peanuts against her side. Flick tiredly gave her signature 'Golden Child' smile to the girl, just in case, but she was only putting in a little effort. She was too tired to do it properly. "Can I help you?" She asked, in a sickeningly sweet voice, as if the two being stranded on a beach was a usual occurrence. "Were you stranded here? L-Like me?" She bit on her bottom lip, widening her eyes innocently, finally giving her the full 'Golden Child' perfomance.

[MAELINA DAWSON]

As Maelina came closer to the girl, recognition donned on her. She was not the type to become an over eager, shrieking fan girl though. Being a part of the performing arts herself, Maelina knew that politics and the way the public viewed you was everything. She'd known Flick had been on the ship, hell, who on the ship hadn't been aware the gorgeous 'Golden Child' was aboard? It seemed the whole ship had been in an uproar over it. Maybe before Maelina would have gushed about what she'd thought of Flick's talent. Now it didn't matter anymore. Flick was stranded her just like Maelina, they were equals. Still, that was no reason not to be nice.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. I was a Dance Instructor on the ship. Though I doubt that counts for much anymore." Maelina took a moment to look around her, taking in the not so luxurious settings they were stuck in. Turning back to Flick, Maelina held her hand out to the girl in greeting. "I'm Maelina, my friends used to call me Lina though." If Flick chose to take her head, Maelina would give her a good handshake before releasing her. If she didn't, Lina would simply shrug and put her hand back down.

"I saw you sitting out here all by yourself, thought you might like a good meal. I caught more then I could eat tonight and figured I'd share instead of wasting it. I've got some fresh water too." While she was running low on that, Maelina would just have to make a trip into the forest tomorrow to get some more. The Southern Beach was turning into quite the treasure trove with new luggage cases being washed up daily. She wasn't sure how long that would last however, she would have to start working on something more permanent then her boathouse. Ha! Boathouse, oh she cracked herself up with that one, making a warm smile cross her lips.

The breeze caught at her loose fitting plaid shirt, she'd found it in a suitcase full of clothing a couple days back, unsure whether it's true owner was still alive or not, Maelina decided she'd cross that bridge when she came to and had dragged the whole suitcase back to her Boathouse. Clothes were going to become scarce eventually, a commodity she'd thought of as a right before. She wasn't so keen on making her own clothing though, killing a fish was one thing. But, killing some cute little furry creature was not on her list of things she wanted to do anytime soon.

"I've got a fire too, it gets kind of cold on the island at night. You're welcome to stay and keep warm." So she might have been pushing it a bit with that one but Maelina couldn't help it, her bleeding heart always got the better of her.

[HIKARU 'FLICK' AYUZAWA]

Flick immediately saw the flicker of recognition cross the girl's eyes, and she let out a small, inaudible sigh. She narrowed her own eyes slightly, steeling herself for that moment of annoying, fangirl screams, if it were to come. It was tiring, being famous. How silly of her, to think that crashing onto an island would change that. She chewed on her bottom lip, making her seem nervous and scared, when in reality, it was just a habit she'd picked up from an acquaintance long ago. "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I was a Dance Instructor on the ship. Though I doubt that counts for much anymore," the girl said, pausing a moment before sticking her hand out in a confident, and respectable manner. Flick raised another brow a fraction of an inch, intrigued by her words. Though I doubt that counts for much anymore? What was that supposed to mean? A little warning, perhaps, that she knew about Flick's status, and that she did not care anymore? Still keeping up with her act, Flick timidly reached out and shook the girl's hand three times firmly, letting go gently after. "I'm Maelina, my friends used to call me Lina though." She fiddled with the idea of telling her that she didn't care, but she stopped herself, reminding herself that Maelina could be useful. She smiled widely, before tilting her head slightly to the left in an adorable pose. "Konnichiwa, Lina-chan!" She giggled, using her usual greeting; overly cute, overly friendly, overly known. Overly disgusting. "I'm Flick - it's a pleasure to meet you!"

The words hardly felt wrong to her lips now; the lies told so often, they were almost the truth. Flick allowed herself 5 minutes with Maelina (who she had already called Lina, to keep up with her friendly image), and if she didn't prove herself useful by then, then Flick would just return to her usual self. If they were to be stranded on this island for long, then Flick didn't see the point in pretending anymore. Even back at home, she had to have her breaks.

"I saw you sitting out here all by yourself, thought you might like a good meal. I caught more then I could eat tonight and figured I'd share instead of wasting it. I've got some fresh water too." Flick felt herself smile one more, her thoughts smug and triumphant. So, Maelina was the helpful type. Perfect. Just what Flick needed. "Oh, gosh, really? You'd share all that with me?" She beamed with hope, almost sickeningly so. She let herself shiver once, before bending her arms to hug her own body in a feeble attempt to protect herself from the wind. She was still damp from her submerging out of the sea, and the breeze only made her colder still. She flicked a dripping strip of hair away from her cheek, smiling sheepishly at Maelina as she did so. "Arigatou, Lina-chan. Thank you very much; you're such a wonderful person." She murmured, speaking the words softly as if saying grace. She smiled angelically once more, before dropping the packet of peanuts she was holding onto the sand. Before Maelina could comment, she kicked it gently away with her foot. "It's empty." She explained, grinning slightly at her lie. She'd come back for it later, when she was done stealing food from this girl.

It occurred to her, that this stranger, might be dangerous. Flick surveyed the girl, analyzing her slyly with a critical eye. "I've got a fire too, it gets kind of cold on the island at night. You're welcome to stay and keep warm." She didn't know about dangerous, but Maelina was definitely the over helpful kind. She chuckled softly at a thought: back home, she wouldn't have bothered to spend a second with such a kind, even if they declared to be her biggest fan. If there was one thing that she couldn't stand, it was the type of people who felt as if they had to help everyone, as if they were angels sent from fucking heaven. However, Flick kept those thoughts to herself, and instead smiled widely again, nodding enthusiastically to her words. "Oh, Lina-chan! You're just too kind; it'd be an honor to stay." She skipped in front of her, clutching the cuffs of her newly stolen jacket with her fingers. "Lead the way? It's getting slightly cold." She pressed her fingers to her mouth, eyes apologetic, as if she was truly sorry for being the slightest bit rude.

"Ah, Lina-chan. I don't know what I would have done if it weren't for you. I may have even died from dehydration... You are like my guardian angel!" She joked, knotting her hands together behind her back, laughing like a child; a figure of a heavenly being herself.