Mason stopped glaring at Estelle and turned towards Rae, "City. We've gotta meet up with the rest." Pointing towards the mouth of the cave he indication the tall skyscrapers in the distance, "We should head up that way before the sun comes out and it gets hot." While he was looking, he saw the new girl sit down. She was mad, but quiet. Not a good time for this...but... Mason slowly stood up and made his way forward. He sat down next to her, taking care to be quiet. He knew she was deaf, but that didn't matter; he'd been friends with several people who'd been deaf. He just didn't know sign language. Sitting down, he smiled at her lightly, trying to be friendly. He pointed to himself, "My name is TheHeckOfIt, but call me Oveit." He pointed at the ground, "Spell out your name?"

"I agree Mason, we gotta get moving before the it gets really hot, we can't afford to loose anyone for any reason." Gaunt agrees, looking out next to Abyss. "We ought to get moving really quickly, you guys don't have an Air conditioned suit like I do." he says, gathering the last of his material possessions. He pauses, and exposes a silver locket that sits around his neck, along with twin dogtags. He opens the locket, and he comes to tears for the first time, looking at the last photo he has of his family before they were all killed. "Life has never been good to me, and so I don't expect it to be nice now." he says, wiping away the tear on his arm before suiting up. "Wake up the others, we leave in 10." He orders, taking up command seeing as nobody else will.

Gideon groaned as he was roused from his sleep. "Ugh... morning," he greeted everyone as he reached up to rub his eyes, stopping once he remembered his hands being clad in armor. Grunting, he stood up and inspected his equipment. "Rifle, check. Helmet... hey has anyone seen my he- oh, there it is," he says in a tired tone of voice as he reaches down for his helmet. He inspected the inside, and found that sand had blown into it while he was asleep. "God damn it..." he groaned as he carried it under his arm.

Next, he looked around. "What's going on..." he asked before he yawned.

When the guy sat down next to her, it was all Izzie could do not to shift away, he was only trying to help. He began speaking.
"Abyss." She smiled when he pointed to the ground, had he meant for her to spell out her name. She knew some deaf people didn't like talking, sign was their language, and it was the only language they should have to use. Izzie didn't disagree, but when your on the streets or trying to buy something, it didn't help if they couldn't understand. Speech wasn't her first language, she had never considered it to be, but it was something she needed, even if it was just a survival mechnism. Oveit seemed completely comfortable near her, it lessened her bad mood, until she felt her weapon, the whip under her arm. And then everything flooded back into her mind. Some things, she didn't want to remember.
"Has the game done anything? That's... personal? Like its made you realise you weren't a random person chosen? Something that indicates the game, or whoever built the game, knew about your history, your life?" She asked. She wanted to know if everyone was being screwed with like her. Izzie repeatedly flicked her left thumb with her right hand, a nervous habit. she felt on edge, and she didn't know why. All she knew was, the game was definatly here to fuck with them, and she wasn't sure if the group would last... it seemed a bit tense. She looked up at Oveit, dreading what his answer was.

Mason shuddered, remembering the dream that kept him awake. He faked a smile at Izzie, "Yeah, we're all getting pretty screwed up." He pointed at everyone else, "We've all had some shit in our lives...which means we probably weren't chosen at random." Hearing everyone else, "We will be heading out soon." He looked at her, "No one else here seems to get along to well, and I want to keep an eye on you. Would you stick with me, please?" He knew it sounded like he was fishing, but he was serious.

-ignore, double post.-

Rae listened as the others spoke. She figured it would be best to talk to Terror. "We're heading out soon," she told him. "To the big, bad city," she added and stood up. She grabbed her swords and slung them across her back, then put her belt back on and took a red dagger out of it. She threw it at the wall for no apparent reason, then ventured outside. The sun wasn't up yet, but when it was, it sure as heck would be hot outside. She started humming to herself as she started top walk off, figuring the others would eventually come.

She headed towards the city, seeing the skyscrapers on the horizon. She sighed and stopped, turning to look back at the others. Oveit and Abyss were talking, Gaunt was getting ready, and Terror and Duchess seemed to be still a little dazed. Rae knew that two of the players were somewhere in the city and six of them were here. But hadn't there been nine players? Or was she just counting wrong? She'd never been too great at math.

Izzie smiled as she saw through his own smile, being deaf meant that she had learnt other ways of reading people. She couldn't hear their pitch or tone, which was the most obvious way to express yourself, but she noticed the awkwardsness he had felt in that moment, the way his body had reacted to the white lie. She didn't need anuthing sugar coated for her, she had had a shit and rough time as much as anyone here. But he may have been saying it for his own comfort, or for the sake of morale. His asking to keep an eye on her was offending, her pride and the ego she didn't know she had until that point was wounded. But, there was still something about the way he looked when he had said it. And that bit about nobody seeming to get along. She didn't think it was because she was deaf he ahd requested it, but there had to be some reason. Or maybe it was the deaf thing, she wasn't sure. She sure as hell hoped not, because anyone who took pity on her for being deaf, she took pity on them for the pain they were about to recieve. Not knowing what to make of it, she swallowed her pride, and decided that for once in her life, it might not be so bad to actually cooperate with someone, to get along with them... to have a friend. And, she did have to remember, the others had all fought beside each other, she hadn't had that yet, hadn't had a chance to show that she was in fact, more than capable.
"Ok. But just so you know I can handle myself. In fact, I think it'll end up me keeping my eye on you." She smiled a little at her attempt at a joke, her, Izzie Losa was making a joke! What was the world coming to? Well, maybe it didn't count seeing as they weren't in the world, at least their minds had escaped it for a while.
"Shall we?" She stood, brushing sand of the back of her white dress and grinding her boots into the grainy stuff. Then she looked at the desert, and the sun- nowhere near high in the sky, but, as always, it would be soon enough.
"Ugh." She scrunched up her face at the prospect of the bliserting heat she was expecting to come, along with everyone else. She turned to her new...friend... that word still felt strange, before walking after Starve.

Avery was frozen in shock against the wall. Either this virtual stranger just pushed her up against the wall of an alley, or she was hallucinating. She guessed it was the second one by the way he casually asked where they were going to go from there.
She shook her head to try and clear her thoughts, but when she straightened herself up and began following him, she could distinctly remember feeling his lips against her jaw.

"You..." She paused, and physically, stopped to think of a clever insult. Is this what her mental ability had come to these days? Having to stop to think for a bad word? "You asshole!" And not even a good one, at that.

She scowled. They hadn't even had a decent conversation with each other, and he was already molesting her. What the hell kind of companionship was that?
She stomped her foot in aggrivation when he backhanded her insult, ignored her completely and continued his way down the barren street. "Hey, I think we should stay put until the others find us. Or...head into the desert and at least try to find them. What do you think?"

Mason watched Izzie, and noticed he must have stuck a wrong note. When she agrees, he tried to explain, "Look, I know you probably think I don't think you can handle yourself. You probably can, that's not what I mean." He sighed. When she cracked her joke, he smiled a little, "Ha nice one..." Standing up beside her he frowned, "Truth is, I just can't let something happen to you." He paused, "I was 6. Me and my friend Alester were playing in the street. Alester was deaf so...when we played, my mom had always told me to keep en eye out for him. Anyways, we were playing in the street, and someone sped past the 'deaf children playing' sign. You know those, right? Alester was 7, and he never let me forget he was a year older than me. But when this car came...I felt like I was supposed to be the older one, and tried to get his attention. I...I couldn't. The car kept on coming and...." He stopped. After a moment, he coughed and started again, "I rode in the ambulance with him. He told me when he was better we would play tag, and he'd be 'it', cause he didn't like playing catch anymore. I told him that he would always be 'it'. I was in the middle of saying that, and he closed his eyes." Mason shook his head, "I thought he was just resting. They told me he was, and that he would be just fine. He actually did make it into the hospital, but he died on the way to his room." Mason looked Izzie in the eye, "Look, I didn't mean to offend you, but at least for Alester, I want to make this one right." He continued behind her in silence.

Gideon watched Mason as he told his story to Abyss. Looks like he was going to be her guardian/companion/whatever from now on. Well, at least Gideon wasn't going to have to look after a specific person anymore. He looked over at Duchess. "You ready to go yet?"

Axel chuckled.
Asshole? Really?
He had thrown the small girl against the wall like it was nothing, and violated her personal space, and the only insult she could throw at him was asshole?
He shook his head. What the hell did he get himself into?

He stopped when she stomped her foot and suggested that they go into the desert. "Why?" He asked, with a disbelieving look. "So you can get tired and then i'll have to carry you? No thanks. I'd rather wait here."

He made sure she was following this time, when he started walking, and he frowned and bit his thumbnail. 'Where are all these alleged in-game-monsters?'

She didn't say anything after his story, she didn't have to. At least Izzie knew why he wanted to take an extra step for her. She imagines two little boys playing innocently, some dick in a car speeding by thinking nothing would ever happen-that's what they always thought. Bringing up that age though- seven, unnerved her. She didn't want to feel all self-loathing, guilty, sad, alone, not when someone had shared something personal with her. Bringing it back to her... how selfish was that? It didn't matter that at the age of seven was the worst year of her life, they hadn't been talking about her. She began to fiddle with the three thin blue plaits in her white hair. She tugged on them a little too visciously.
"Your friend Alester... he was lucky. That he had someone like you to look out for him. That you rode with him in the ambulence, especially when you were so young, most kids would have been too frightened. But you stuck by him, just like you promised. That's honourable." That was just so admirable in her eyes. He must have been scared, and felt ashamed even though it wasn't his fault. And he still climbed into that ambulence to be with his friend. Tears managed to escape her washed out, almost transparent eyes. They trickled down her face. She wiped them away, laughing a little, but it was forced.
"Ugh, I never cry. And I mean never." She wiped her face again, taking in a long breath.
She looked up at Oveit and smiled, genuinly. She wasn't sure if it was because she wanted to change the subject or not, it was bordering on the one subject she'd never spoken about, not for years, not since she was seven. She found the delicate chain around her neck and rubbed the tiny pendant hanging from it against her thumb. She wasn't sure if she liked it being in the game-world. She had promised to keep it close, and she always had, but being here? It was like she was wearing a fake. And she swore it felt heavier than normal. In here, with her weapon and her ability... it was too much. Too many reminders. And then, she was back in the desert, her first real friend standing next to her.
"Oh, I found out what my ability is." Izzie said. But like everything else in the game, in her life, it led back to when she was seven.

Her expression changed while he spoke to her. It was almost as if she had a similar experience. He watched the tear roll down her cheek, "Look, it was years ago, and it wasn't your fault. You don't have to be upset about it." He smiled back, "I'm alright, I just have to do this. Anyways, what's your story? I mean, you must've had a rough life being deaf and all, but still- what happened to you that you wound up here?" He came to the conclusion that every single one of these players had to have gone through hell and worse in their lives. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I'll listen either way." He dug around in his pockets for something to help her wipe her tears, but found nothing. Glancing back upwards he shrugged, "Sorry...no tissues or anything." After a pause he asked another question, "And what's your power?"

Rae turned to look at the others. Abyss and Oveit were walking slowly and talking about their lives. Rae didn't feel that she should hear their stories, as she'd never come into contact with a deaf person before. Blind, sure, but not deaf. She looked at Terror, who seemed to be trying to coax Duchess into moving. Gaunt was still just standing there. She smiled a bit and ran back to the others. She hadn't gotten too far ahead.


She looked up at Gaunt, since she was relatively short. "C'mon lazy," Rae said, hoping they would start moving soon. She grabbed his hand and started pulling/dragging him with her. "I'm dressed in all black and don't wish to be in the sun for long."

"Lazy! I'm anything but lazy!" He says, an evil smile on his face as he puts his helmet on. "I'll prove you wrong!" He says, smirking as he sticks Rae on his back, and begins running. His feet don't even seem to touch the ground as he races across the desert sands. "What was that about being Lazy?" He says, a big smile on his face under the helmet.

Rae laughed and hoped that she wouldn't fall off of his back. "I guess I was wrong about you, Gaunt," she says. "I think either stubborn or determined works well." She laughed again, grateful for the free ride across the desert.

"Forest, here we come!" Gaunt laughs as well, not remembering the last time he had this much fun. "Okay, that's as far as I can go." he says panting after another mile. "5 Miles with you on my back is one heck of a workout." He says, taking off his helmet. "So, was it fun?" he smiles, knowing the answer already.

Rae nods, then laughs. "Very fun indeed. Thanks, Gaunt." she looks out at the desert, thinking of the others. It would take them a bit more time to get to the edge of the forest. "So i guess we wait for the rest now?" she asks, looking up at him. Part of her wanted to explore the forest, but she knew that probably wouldn't be a good idea if a horde of monsters showed up.