MISS Potts

[SparkleBreaker]

Agents
​

 
​

Name: Sydney Wagner 
DOB: Nov. 26 1991
Age: 24
Status: Training 
Current Location: Training Facility 
Personality Traits: Daring, Dedicated, Fun-loving, Hardworking, Idealistic, Tough, Blunt and Critical



 

Name: Brian Dean
DOB: July 8, 1986
Status: Trainer
Current Location: Training Facility
Personality Traits: Odd, Ambitious, Decisive, Dedicated, Intense, Venturesome, Fair, Well-rounded and Witty 






 



Name: Michael Magnuson
DOB: Feb. 23 1967
Status: Agent
Current Location: (On the Field) New York, New York, United States.
Personality Traits: Cultured, Focused, Honorable, Private, Old Fashion, and Neat.



 

Target
​

Name: Marley West
DOB: May 15, 1982
Status: Unknown
Current Location: Unknown
Personality Traits: Obsessive, Power-hungry, Narcissistic, Deceptive, Confident, Brutal, Charming and Opinionated 

 

[pyreshadow]

Agents​

Name: Mei Leung
DOB: March 1 1990
Age: 25
Status: Training
Current Location: Training Facility
Personality Traits: Adventurous, Outgoing, Brave, Spontaneous, and Loyal

Name: Aoife (ee-fah) Mac Brádaigh
DOB: December 3, 1992
Age: 23
Status: Trainee
Current Location: Training Facility
Personality Traits: Fun-loving, Spirited, Passionate, Technophile, and Artistic.​

​

Name: Ethan Thompson
DOB: August 12, 1985
Age: 30
Status: Trainer
Current Location: Training Facility
Personality Traits: Hardheaded, Prudent, Player (to an extent), Uncaring, and Vigorous.

Name: Caleb Montgomery
DOB: October 31, 1980
Age: 35
Status: Agent
Current Location: Unknown
Personality Traits: Lazy at times but OCD at other times, Unkempt, Direct, Aggressive, and Romantic.​

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

All of them were crammed into the back of the vehicle. Mr. Magnuson had left her in the parking lot behind the Pottery Barn after his giant spiel on how rigorous training would be. Proposing someone for the job was just as nerve racking, depending on how the recruit lost out. It was a small tick that gave away his uncertainties about his choice, but his gut feeling told him she was the right one for the job. It was confusing, the whole ordeal, meeting in a pottery barn, the crazy opportunity. Apparently, she had been on his radar for some time, according to him. 

The boxed black van pulled up just as Sydney had approached the group of candidates, all of them just as qualified as she. There was no time for introductions as the back doors open and orders were being barked for them to get their asses inside. Everyone followed the orders without questions. No one wanted to be the first to be let go. It would tarnish their name. Sydney sat between two other gals, but didn’t say anything. Only a few whispers happened, but everyone became silent fairly quick once the vehicle was in motion. It mainly stayed that way. Tension thick in the air as everyone sized up their competition. 

It was about thirty minutes in the drive when they switched to a rough road. It was odd, but Sydney didn’t think much of it. The facility was probably off the beaten path. Scraping the chipped nail polish off with her nail was a nervous tic of hers, one she couldn’t resist at this time. It was what was keeping her sane from all the unanswered questions.Where was the training going to be held? How long before they picked someone? Who was she up against? What were their tactics? The list just kept going on in her head. 

A large bump snapped her out of it all. It jostled her almost out of her seat. The next impact was worse and it sent her flying back crashing into the side of the van. “Ouch.” she whispered under her breath, rubbing the now sore spot on the back of her head. The commotion didn’t stop there, but she had found something to hold on to keep her in place. “Did something happen to the driver.” Sydney gestured with her free hand towards the cab of the vehicle; hoping one of the nearby candidates would take it upon themselves to check on the driver. 

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

The day had been a rather interesting one, though Mei could very well say it was the entire week that had been so. Caleb -because he almost bit her head off for calling him Mr. Montgomery- had found her at the beginning of the week with a rather unique proposal. She knew she wouldn't have been the only one to have been selected as a candidate based on what he said; but seeing the others around her just clued her in on how real everything was. Caleb told her she would be a good fit with them but she figured it was something they had to tell all the candidates. To give them that mental boost in order to prepare them more for what was coming. Mei didn't need any sort of thing like that since she was confident enough in her own abilities; far from being cocky like a couple of the others that were packed tight in the back of the car.


Mei glanced around at each of them individually, trying to assess -much like they were doing- who would be the most competition for the job. She said nothing and once the car started to finally move, she leaned back some against the seat she was in. It was one of the closest to the little tiny window that was closed, the only thing blocking them from seeing the driver. Somehow, she started to feel a bit at ease with how things were going along so far. Only it didn't last as long as she had hoped. The time that passed was something she didn't pay attention to nor the change from paved path to dirt; but when the car started throwing them around like rag dolls, it caught everyone's attention. Mei glanced around and shot her arm up so she could get a firm stance on the car to stop her from flying like some of the others. It didn't last long either as the rumbling and sound of metal crunching got louder. She heard a question about the driver before a large impact shot her hard against the wall of the car. One of her hands came to rub against the back of her shoulder as she shifted to knock on the window with her free hand.


"Hey, you okay?" Mei called loudly and waited a couple of seconds before knocking again. When she still received no answer, she moved the window aside and glanced around the front of the car. There was no one there but that wasn't what caught her attention. It was the fact that the car was slowly sinking in water that caused her to quickly glance back to the others. "There's no driver and I'd assume that we've had a nasty accident because of it." She paused when another person interrupted her to ask her why she 'assumed' what she did in a snarky attitude. "Because we're sinking, that's why. The engine's already been flooded with water and I don't know how much time we've got until we're fully submerged. Whatever happened landed us in a body of water." Which meant they'd have to figure out a way to get out before the water flooded back here too. With no windows, the only exit was the door in the back. "Someone check the door in the back to see if it's open." And be ready to hold their breaths just in case but she figured that was a given by her announcing they were being submerged.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

“N-no driver?” she stammered, wonder how they’d have gotten this far without noticing their surroundings. Scrambling up towards the cab, she took it upon herself to make sure there was driver. Empty, but how? There was no trace anyone had ever been in the cab to begin with. No door was a jar. Keys weren’t even in the ignition. “No one was ever there!” she hollered, pounding on the small window that didn’t give way. It’s a test. Time was running out. The front end was sinking in further and the cab had water up to it seats. Turning, she searched the van for anything. The doors wouldn’t work. That was too easy, but they wouldn’t leave them with nothing. Or would they? 

Double doors at the end of the van wouldn’t budge, even with the large male panicking and pounding furiously on them. The van shifted greatly, tossing most around inside the cramp compartment. Water started seeping in, covering over half of the floor. The man was up once more, trying to pry the doors open. Blood covered his hands as he continued trying the doors.

“Quit that!” Sydney barked. Water was now up to her waist. “The impact of the water will send us all spiraling backwards and likely knocking us unconscious. Our best chance is to wait for it to fill with water. The pressure will equalize and we should be able to open the door, if unlocked.” The doors weren’t going to magical unlock themselves. That left the driver and passenger door. Even if they were locked, they could pull the tab to unlock’em. 

The window was small, but everyone should be able to fit. Some a tighter fit than other. “We need to get out there.” she pointed out the window into the cab that was over half full. “There is a window in the way. Keep trying the doors.” The gal that had been seated next to her ordered. The man never really listened in the first place, just kept trying the doors over and over. Biting her bottom lip, she looked to see if any of the other candidates would help. “Is there anything to break the window with?” she asked, hoping not all of them were dumb enough to keep pawing at the doors that wouldn’t open.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei watched the other woman that seemed to double check her words, as if she'd make up something like that. But that mattered little given the circumstances of what was happening. If they didn't think fast, who knew how they could all really end up. Well, dead was an option but not an option Mei would allow. Her gaze went from the woman to the guy at the other end that was starting to bang against the doors. There was no way it would be that easy or- "Ah!" A surprised cry escaped when the van tossed them all around again like rag dolls once more. Once she was settled once again, Mei slowly shifted and glanced down at the water pouring in more quickly than it had before. The same woman that double checked Mei now tried getting the guy to stop abusing the door when it clearly wouldn't open. Not that the words were heard from him since he still attempted even after the suggestion of waiting for the water to fill.

If they waited that long and the doors weren't unlocked, they'd all be screwed. Mei found herself nodding at the suggestion of going through the window to get to the driver and passenger side of the van. "Yeah, I've got something." Mei chuckled a little as she took off her leather tank top jacket and wrapped it around her hand. Without waiting, she punched the window hard and caused it to shatter with the impact. She moved the covered hand around to get rid of the loose glass and the sharp edges before pulling her hand back. "Two of the smaller ones should go through first to help pull the rest of us through, one by one. It'll be a lot easier to get out through the driver side than it is through those doors that Giant there obviously can't get open." Mei pointed to the guy still banging on the doors, indicating he was the Giant in her reference. Obviously not the smartest of the bunch of them either. "We need to move quickly though because there isn't a lot of time. You should go first and also you." Mei first pointed to one of the quieter girls sitting next to her and then the one that had checked to see if Mei's words about the driver were accurate.

"After you two go, then Giant and some of the other bigger guys that can get the doors pushed open. Unlocked or not, the moment that they get them opened we'll have to double the efforts to get out faster. The water would fill much quicker no matter which way we go and I doubt any of us want to get stuck in here when we reach the bottom."

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Sydney shrugged as the other’s hand went through the window. That was one way of doing it. A few were following the plan, not that it mattered. When it was a success the others would surely follow suit. “Right.” Not wasting time, she pulled herself through since she was already next to the window. The Cab was cramp and the water was up to her neck and rising. Hands on the roof of the cab she held herself in place as she shifted to the side for more to come in. The water was cold. That factor combined with being trapped in a sinking car caused her to shake uncontrollably. 

Sucking in a big breath, she went under to unlock the doors instead of having it eat up time later. The door was already unlocked when she went down there. It was blurry, not being used to having her eyes open underwater. At first she couldn’t tell, but when she focused out the windshield she made out a large drop off. “We’re on the edge!” she screamed, once she came up for air. “We’re o-on the ed-edge of a drop off.” she stammered, forcing the other back to the other side, with the help of the smaller lass that had already made it in.

Water had almost filled the cab completely now. There wasn’t much time to communicate. “Wait fo-for us to open it, than one at a time. Otherwise we’re going over the ed- .” Water had filled up the entire cab and both girls immediately dove to the driver door. It took both of them to force the door open. The other candidate swam away, but Sydney turned quickly to wave the rest to move forward. 

The vehicle had made it quite away from the shore and was further under than she had expected. The burning sensation was heavy in her chest as it felt like her lungs were soon going to burst if she didn’t get any air into them soon. The light was brighter and she knew she was close. The first breath was the most exhilarating she had ever taken. Wading in the depth, she caught her breath as others began popping up. Once strength began returning to her body she made the trek back to shore. 

A man with long brown hair was on shore, seeming uninterested in his surroundings, or that young adults had appeared winded from the near death escape. His eyes were glued to the mobile phone in his hands and only parted for a second when the gal that reached the shore once called out. It was one of them, an agent.. The assumption she had earlier was right and it was all a test they had put them through. Did they pass? Sydney reached where she could touch and sand had never felt better beneath her feet. Exhausted, she crawled until it was too shallow and it forced it to her feet.“Sir?” she questioned, closing the gap between them. “I’ll address all of you when the rest are ashore.” he stated nonchalantly.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei watched as the plan started to unfold, dropping the leather jacket to the ground. It would just weigh her down in the end so she didn't want to bother carrying it any longer. Much like some of the others, the cold of the water was starting to cause her body to shiver. She wouldn't admit it to these people but the truth was she was loving every second of this. The adrenaline coursing through her body, the thought of what could happen if they didn't make it...okay, well maybe not so much the fact that they could really die if they didn't make it. But living on the edge was the best way to live because at least she could say she experienced this. Her thoughts all but stopped when one of them screamed where exactly they were and a small smile crept onto Mei's lips. How ironic. "Stop, not yet." She said quickly when one of the bigger guys was already trying to squeeze through. Moment's later, she heard the words being interrupted so she stole a peek through the window. The water was filling up too fast.

Quickly Mei shifted and waved for the guy to go through next. She had to give a little push in order to get him in but eventually it worked. She made sure all of them went through, having had to hold her breath with the last one before she followed suit. How they ended up so far away from shore was a wonder in itself but she fought hard to just focus on one thing only; swim. By the time she breached the water's edge, her lungs were on fire. A couple of coughs escaped but she made sure they were quiet ones. Once she was sure that she was all right, she began to slowly swim in the direction of the shore where the others were. It seemed like it took an eternity to get there but once the water was shallow enough, she pushed herself to her feet to walk the rest of the way. "You all right?" She asked Giant, pausing next to him until he nodded his head and tucked away his hands into his pocket. With a glance around, it seemed like all of them had made it safe and sound. Which just left the dry agent on his cell phone with all the answers of the 'why'.

As they all waited for the agent to speak, she pulled her hair together tightly and bent slightly so she could started wringing it out. It wouldn't help to dry it now but at least the cold wouldn't make it worse as the minutes went on. "What a way to start the morning." She earned a chuckle from one of the other guys near her from her quiet comment. Her gaze went from him to the guy with the phone as she -much like the others she was sure- waited for what he had to say.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Everyone was ashore, but the man remained wrapped up in the phone. It was rather annoying seeing they were drenched and shivering. Arms crossed, Sydney did her best to keep warm while waiting for the male to pull his head out of his ass. It was Mei’s comment that grabbed his attention as his head snapped up, his full attention on the brunette making cracks at the training. It was intense, and Sydney shifted awkwardly as he did not say anything at first, merely stared the woman that had smashed the window open. Sydney bit her lower lips, eyes trained on the male that was impossible to read. 

“Glad you’re taking your training seriously Mei.” Wow, he speaks Sydney thought. The man’s gaze fell on each of them, checking for any injuries. All of them seemed pretty unscathed despite a few bruises here and there. “Well, for those you haven’t out it together that was your first test. All of you made it out, but I don’t think everyone would have if we had taken away select few candidates.” A four wheeler was fast approaching from behind him, but he didn’t even bother to glance in its direction. 

“The next task will be to find the training facility. Supplies are over there. Labeled with your names.” he pointed over to the line of trees where a pile of camping gear and maps were stacked. There was no time to ask questions as the male had hopped in the small vehicle that was already driving away. “Are we supposed to track’em maybe?” One thing after another, there was not time to let the last exercise sink in, let alone figure out this man’s angle.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Talk about an awkward moment; she hadn't meant her words as a joke, even if the other trainee had taken it that way. Still, the way their 'instructor' was looking at her caused her to look at anyone but him. If looks could maim someone, she'd be screaming on the ground at this point. She wanted to point out that she was taking this seriously but she decided it best to keep her mouth shut for the time being. This guy was nothing like Caleb and she didn't want to find out what would happen if she pushed his buttons. He stated the obvious about it being their first test and went right in to the next one. Even as he spoke, Mei's eyes glanced in the direction of the vehicle that was coming towards them. Somehow she didn't think that was for them and not moments later did she get her answer. They had to not only make a trek but figure out the location as well. At least this guy was kind enough to give them supplies and not have them rely on the stars or something.

"At least there's no time limit so we won't be rushed." Mei pointed out in an attempt to make things a bit lighter. To top it off, if they all stuck together and voiced ideas then things should go a lot smoother than being by themselves. "We can't track them, what if he's not even going to the facility?" Another girl voiced loudly as she shook her head at the idea then headed to the supplies. Mei followed the crowd to the gear that was laid out for them and glanced over each badge curiously until she found hers. Out of curiosity more than anything she started digging through hers; thermo blanket, flint, flashlight, pocket knife, all essential things for a survival kit. She took the pocket knife and attached it to her hip before throwing the bag over her shoulders. "So...who exactly can read a map?" A quiet voiced guy asked as he had been focused on the map more than what was in his own pack. The map in his hand was one of the more complex ones that Mei had seen. She could probably attempt to read it and get them at least close but if there was someone that actually knew how to read one properly, she'd rather them take the lead.

"We might not want to linger very long here if we're hoofing it. It's already about midday and obviously around here there's no real place to make a bed for the night if need be. So if someone can read a map, raise your hand or speak up. Something." Giant number two spoke this time, being only an inch or so shorter than the other Giant.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Half didn’t bother with the map and others couldn’t read it. Why every time she spoke up her ideas were shot down, or made out to be illogical? It was starting to irritate. A stranger had spoken up for her and it was greatly appreciated. A dirty look and the other was off to her own business. It was early in the game for thoughts like this, but she truly wished that she didn’t make it much longer. Combing her fingers through her wet hair, she pulled the shoulder length hair back in a ponytail. A chunk of side bang refused to stay captive, but most of it remained in place and out of her face. 

“Ah, thank. You’re good at . . . punching windows.” she returned the compliment with one of her own, turning with a smile on her face. “I know.” she shrugged, a smile on still on her face. “The instructor, or whomever, we were never properly introduced to him, had mentioned it earlier.” she said, shaking the other’s woman’s hand. “Sydney.” she told her, her hand slipping from the other to tuck the hair that had fallen out of her face. Many started following the other, but the one with the map had held back, sticking with the one that knew how to read it. 

“Thanks for that.” Her flinger flicked to the girl that had spoken out earlier to herself, to give the gist of what she was referring to. “Shall we before we’re the only ones left?” Sydney adjusted the strap over her shoulder from the bag before pressing on, following the ones that had left them behind. The sky had grown a tinge darker from earlier. “It be just our luck for it to rain, wouldn’t?” she asked, looking up at the sky. Sydney had stuck close to Mei since she was the first one not to completely try and shut her down.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei glanced around for a moment when she noticed a couple of people pulling out the jacket that was in the bag. She thought about doing the same for herself but without the leather jacket that was lost to the water, she didn't exactly have much in the way of her shirt. As much as she couldn't strip down like some of the others, she still took the same idea and pulled on the jacket. Almost immediately she felt like a wall of heat kicked the cold feeling to the curb and was grateful that they provided such a thing. Still rather surprising given the lack of anything else. Once her backpack was around her shoulder again, she shifted closer to look the map over with a few of the other people. It was nice to have someone else pick up the task of deciphering the map and not having to rely on herself for it. Not that she wouldn't have offered if the need arose but it hadn't.

"So we have to walk around the lake just to find this river first? It's not even where we need to go." Again, it was another girl that made the complaint rather loudly; she wasn't even near to look the map over but she felt the need to voice her opinion anyway. "It's the best idea yet, I don't see you coming up with anything useful." Mei pointed out, causing the girl to flash her a glare that just ended up making Mei laugh quietly. "Oh calm down, it really isn't that big of a deal to follow the advice of someone else. Besides, by circling the lake to find the river it means we're staying near water. If we happen across any animals, then we also have dinner to an extent. At least enough to tide us over for the time being." Mei added as an after thought, noticing the way the girl's brows scrunched together in thought. When she realized both Mei and the first girl were right, she scoffed at them before grabbing her bag and starting to head out first. A couple of the other candidates followed after her rather quickly but that was fine. They wouldn't get very far without the main map or what they were looking for.

Mei waited for a moment as her attention went to the woman that had read the map; the same one that helped out in the crash itself. "You're pretty good at reading a map." She commented with a small smile as she took a step closer, holding her arm out to the other woman. "My name's Mei, what's yours?" Not that this was exactly the right kind of people to get friendly with given why they were all here. But this wasn't something that could be done alone, so why not try to get to know at least one of them?

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Judging by the day so far, planning to test their survival skills in the rain sounded right up their alley. Sydney pick at the seam of the jacket, grateful it had been provided, even if its fate was to get wet with the rest of her clothes. “Rude of them.” she teased, agreeing that they had probably planned accordingly to the weather. A low rumble of in the distance gave warning to the storm coming their way. 

“Ah, a fire would have been nice.” The shivers hadn’t stopped since she had emerged from the depths of the lake, even with the jacket. She was just a giant freeze baby, though she kept her complaints to herself. Stuffin her hands in her pockets, she slithered up next to them to look at the map once more, getting a better picture of what Mei was mentioning. “That sounds like a good resting spot.” she agreed, hoping that they were going in the right direction for it. Though they traveled together, alliances were being made. People were sorting themselves into smaller groups, even if they didn’t realize it. Some may have gone off, if it weren’t for the only map. It was the glue that was holding them together. 

Hunting? Sydney knew nothing of the sorts. Mothing the word no, she shook her head slowly. “Nothing.” she shrugged, being useless in that department. No weapons were provided, at least not in her pack. How they were going to go about getting food was intriguing. “Don’t we need a fire to cook it?” The thought of raw meat or a skinned animal made her stomach churn. That only meant that she was going have to put her big girl panties on. “I was thinking. . .” she paused, looking at the girl that had spoken against her earlier. If the hunch she had was right, that meant they would not only have to interact with the snob again, but also work and include in the plans. “What if each our packs are different? We all have something that the group would need?”

Spoiler

Post between this one and the last is missing. That is why there is a bit of a skip.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei was a bit glad that Sydney seemed to agree with her idea of where to rest. Mainly because she didn't want the other woman to think she was carrying everyone by herself; half of them were useless, that much Mei was almost certain of at this point. From the one that had swam away without helping the others to the snob near the front of the line. If they had any skills, Mei would be rather shocked by the sight. Hearing that she knew nothing of hunting though caused Mei to smile a bit and not her head lightly. Her and Giant Two would be needed for this, maybe a couple of the others if they spoke up about the idea once they grouped together again. Though she had a feeling some would shoot down the idea as quickly as Sydney's had been.

"Depending on what Giant Two and I find, we may need a fire but that can be figured out once we get something." Mei instinctively touched the blade that had been in her pack before turning to Giant Two; he was saying his name was Chris and as much as Mei nodded to show she'd heard him, he was still going to be Giant Two to her. Sydney started speaking again so Mei turned her attention to the other woman curiously. Her questions seemed to be rather legit given how the day had been so far. It just seemed like it would make a lot of sense. "If that's the case then we're screwed. Tension is high in the air for some of those others so if they can avoid helping out then they will." The original Giant spoke this time as he folded the map and placed it in his pocket. "Well how about this? What do you have in your pack right now?" Mei asked him, thinking what better way to know for sure than by testing it with the four of them. He opened up the pack to show a thermo-blanket, fishing hooks, duct tape, string, and rope underneath the jacket and water bottle that was likely in all the packs. It was definitely different than Mei's was.

"And yours?" She glanced over to Giant Two, who stepped closer to show them all what was in his pack. It held a thermo-blanket, a signaling mirror, a larger flashlight, and a tarp. "Looks like you were right about that Sydney. The real question is, how are we going to get the others to listen and cooperate with us? They all seem to want to follow Snobby."


((OOC: I skipped over one of my posts so that way it could still match what's here, otherwise it'd all be out of whack in a way lol))

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

 A tarp and Thermal blanket? Were they meant to stay out the whole night? Sydney’s feet had quit carrying her, they were walking slowly enough were it wasn’t much of a difference. Her nose was deep in her sack pulling out the objects she had noticed earlier. “I have a set of binoculars and some rope.” she shrugged, digging around for anything else different from the rest. There were a couple of trump cards in their deck. Between the four of them they had means for a fire, shelter, and navigating. That put Sydney’s mind at ease. “What do we have to lose if they refuse?” she shrugged, stuffing the gear back in. “We have the map, means for shelter, a fire, and we have a plan for food. That is all the necessities covered.” Hell, it was enough to leave the lot behind. 

A flash of lightening lit up the sky. “One Mississippi, two Mississippi, . . .” In a low whispers, Sydney counted the seconds. All the way up to seventeen before a low thunderous growl erupted from the sky. Mother Nature wasn’t going to bless them with much time. “I think we need to work on a shelter. We have around fifteen to twenty minutes before the storm arrives.” The clouds grew darker and more ominous as the front inched in.

Flipping her head in the direction of the group leaving them behind, she shouted, “Hey!” disgruntledly. The best and the brightest were out here and yet they were meandering around like a herd of cattle. “Perhaps, if some of us pulled their heads out of their asses we could get somewhere instead of wandering around mindlessly.” Sydney flat out gestured at the snobby girl and her new found posse. None of them had been placed there to be friends. A prissy spoiled brat wasn’t going to intimidate her. All eyes had shifted on her. Some were gawking, others glared. “Every bag if filled with different gear. We have rope and tarp.” Index finger in the air, she swished it in a circle motioning to the four of them. “I think it be best if we set up a shelter. It should be fairly decent with all of us working together. While the storm passes we can study the map and get a better understanding.” Whispers went about and something must have gone right, because slowly many candidates sauntered on over.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Sydney had a point: they basically had all they needed and the rest of the group had what? A snobby little girl pretending to be a woman trying to lead them? That wouldn't get them very far at all while at least the four of them would be pretty well off. Her and Chris could easily hunt for four people by themselves. Her eyes scanned the sky when the lightning danced across the sky briefly; it barely registered that someone was counting the seconds until Sydney spoke again. "My, my. You're just full of useful tricks, aren't you Sydney?" Mei said with a small smile on her face as she stepped closer to the larger group to eye them individually. From the looks of it, there were still quite the few that didn't seem like they wanted to follow Snobby either. Which would end up being helpful to them once they gathered around. Mei was about to open her mouth to call out to the group when Sydney spoke up first.

A grin formed on Mei's lips as she watched the way the snobby woman stopped abruptly to glare their way. The others in her group just did so because she did. Slowly Mei's arms crossed over her chest as she held her head up high, knowing how easy it would be to just leave the rest behind. But that wasn't her style, nor did it seem to be any of the others. At least, not yet. As the whispers of whom they should actually follow went about, Mei kept her gaze directly on the snobby woman as she did the same. Even while most of the candidates started heading Sydney's way, Mei didn't once break eye contact. Not until a small 'tsk' escaped the snobby woman's lips and she inched closer to them as well. A triumphant look spread across Mei's lips this time as her arms dropped and she glanced around the rest of them.

"If you can hunt or fish, raise your hand." Mei spoke in an asking manner as she once again fingered the knife at her side. After some glances among the candidates, three others rose their hands before stepping closer. "Giant Two...Chris, sorry-" Mei corrected real fast and gave an apologetic look to Giant Two before continuing, "-and the three of you will head out to get food for everyone. We each have water with us but it might not be enough to last the night. We should stay near the lake as much as possible. If the rest of you work on getting up some shelter, we just might be able to get everything accomplished before the storm hits." Mei put in her suggestion, glancing around at each person individually before landing on Sydney; out of everyone, she seemed the most capable so Mei actually felt like she could rely on the other woman for the time being. Until the tests got harder and it would be needed to work individually.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Sydney’s eyes traveled, studying all that sauntered over to them, leaving just the pretentious princess that she had just insulted. No surprise she was the last to fold. It felt like a war had been won when she conceded to working as a team. All her attention was ripped away and went to Mei as the game plan was laid out, it sounded well enough. There wasn’t much time to mull things over. Another crack of thunder reminded them that. 

“Sounds good.” she nodded, removing the rope she had mentioned earlier. It was over twelve ft. long. “Will you help me find a place to set up camp?” she asked the map holder, since he was the only other one she knew to have a tarp. “It be best if the ground didn’t dip in to avoid puddles. If we could find a wall of rocks, sort of a cliff, that be ideal and give us more shelter. Otherwise, we’ll want more of a hole in the ground to block out the wind.” After folding the map and tucking it in a safe place, he nodded in agreement before heading off to find a resting spot. “If you have any supplies to help create a shelter let me us know and start looking for an area that I just described, or large sticks to help prop the tarp up.” she told them in a kind voice, trying to keep the peace. So far it was working because many of them searched through their bags, while others did as she instructed. 

Separation anxiety started forming. Earlier, it was mentioned that Mei would be hunting, but now Sydney wasn’t sure if the other woman was going to help the three. Secretly inside, she was praying the other woman wouldn’t leave her, even if it would be only for fifteen minutes. Oh boy, she needed to get it together. They were competitors, not besties. “Are you going hunting?” she asked, even if it was against her best judgment. Sooner or later one of them had to lose. An ally wouldn’t hurt in the meantine, she would just need to keep her wits about her when it was closer to the finish line.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei stepped off to the side with the other four that would be accompanying her on this hunting expedition. What they would find she hadn't a clue but she prayed they found something that could feel them all. She could hear Sydney suggesting places to find the shelter and couldn't help but smile a little; definitely reliable. "So. Fishing or hunting?" Her attention went to the four others in the group, three men and one other woman. Chris mentioned being better at hunting, so he'd be with Mei. The woman and another man said they were good at fishing while the third man said he was better at hunting. Mei took in the news for a moment before nodding her head and making a small motion to Chris.

"We'll need to get the fishing hooks and the thread from Giant-" she made a motion to the guy she was referring to since the others in the group wouldn't know, "-then you two can take those to the lake and see if there's anything that can be caught. Obviously just find some worms in the ground or something to use as bait. Then we'll go a little further from the others, since the noise would likely have scared off any game around here. We'll just use the compass and such to make our way back once we find something." The others nodded their heads and started rummaging through their sacks for useful items; Giant Two ended up going to Giant one to collect the necessary items for the fishing. Which left Mei, who completely forgot what it was she was about to do when she heard Sydney speaking to her. Mei turned around with a smile before nodding her head to the question.

"Yup. With more of us, we'll have a better chance of being able to bring food back for everyone and not just small ones either. I'm pretty good at hunting, or at least that was what one of my guy friends said during the last hunting trip he took me on. I caught four turkeys and he didn't catch any, so I don't know how good of a hunter he is to be saying much." Mei added the last bit more as a joke than anything, even if it was true to an extent. "Don't worry though, we'll keep as close to you all as we can as long as we find some game. With the storm fast approaching, it might make things harder but...at least there's a decent amount of us tracking." Which meant that they should be able to find at least something, even if the rations for everyone had to be small. "Just make sure the shelter's up by the time we get back. I know you can do it." She added with a small wink before turning when she heard Chris calling her over with some other questions.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

“Well, at least we won’t go hungry with you out there.” Sydney giggled awkwardly, inwardly thinking what the hell? Why would she say that? The news sort of made her wrinkle her nose ever so slightly. The shelter wasn’t the problem. It was miss sassy pants over there looking for sticks. By looking, it was more like sitting on her ass and not pulling her weight. “Yeah, I totally got this. It’ll be ready when you get back.” she said, giving a last wave before she turned to the group that she was working with. 

“Still have your head up there?” she asked, passing the other female by. There was a snotty comment coming out of her mouth, but it was covered up by another saying they had found the perfect spot. Indeed it was. The location was near the river, with the perfect rock formation that would protect from the wind. “Nice eye.” she complimented, sizing the space up. “I have metal stakes in my bag that can hold the tarp down.” One of the women that were following her highness spoke up. That made the idea in her head all the better. “Alright, we should pin the tarp down up there using the stakes and then I’ll climb the tree and tie it up there. It’ll be just like a roof.” Sydney pointed as she spoke, starting with the top of the rock formation and then to the tree. If it was done this way they wouldn’t need support from any sticks, it be like a web in the sky. 

Climbing the tree was bit more trouble than anticipated, but once up there the trap was secured in several place so it would fan out above them. With that out of the way the other side was pinned between rocks and held down by the metal stakes. In the time they had, they preformed a very decent job, it did well when the rain came. Sydney was exhausted and plopped down on one of the large rock that had been moved underneath the tarp to keep their bums from getting wet. 

“A fire would be nice.” She rubbed her hands together and then breathed on them before slipping them into her front pockets. The tarp was pretty high above their heads. “You reckon that is high enough if we start a fire the smoke wouldn’t bother us?” she asked, shivering. All day she had been fighting to keep warm, ever since being forced to take a dip in the lake. Plus, if they had one going already when Mei and her group came back with the food they could get right to cooking. “I think there is enough air that the smoke wouldn’t be too bothersome. I set some aside in case we wanted to build one.” The map holder commented point over to the pile of wood. 

“Oh, I could kiss you! That is how happy you just made me” Sydney was already on her feet, fire wood bound. The guy had thought it through; she would give him credit for that. There was a range of small twigs to decent size logs. A bit of each would do, so she took a bit of everything while others created a space for the fire. Hopefully in no time they would have one up and running.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei glanced back once as they started heading off, just to look over towards Sydney to see her getting started already. A small smile spread across Mei's lips as she turned her attention forward once more. This was going to certainly be an interesting adventure ahead of them. The two designated for fishing split off from them, keeping a hold of the flashlight just to have some kind of way to let the others know where they were. Mei led the other two further into the woods at a decent pace, already crouching and making sure not to step on any branches or things that would give them away. The other two followed suit and soon enough they came upon a trail of some deer. That would certainly be a good thing to bring back, so long as it wasn't just a doe. Chris made a motion that they should circle around the area so the three split off to try and box in what they found.

After searching for a few minutes, Mei stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the markings of a large deer some feet to her side. A quick glance around showed her nothing of the other two but they had to be at least near. Probably. It wasn't like they knew the woods or anything...but now wasn't even the time for such thoughts. Mei looked around more thoroughly before climbing up the nearest tree carefully. The thick branch that she chose to rest on wasn't terribly high off the ground though it was enough to cause most people to worry. Lucky for Mei she was rather accustomed to this sort of life. She heard something in the distance and noticed the other woman that had come tracking with her. She was closing in like a buffoon would to attempt to get the deer; that did nothing but startle the creature. Mei had to act fast as the deer started heading in her direction. She pulled out her blade and jumped the moment she thought the deer was close enough. She caught the deer with her legs near its butt, causing it to go rolling to the ground as Mei did. She was quick to get to her feet and slashed at the throat of the deer.

"I thought you said you knew how to hunt." Mei spoke to the other woman, panting a bit as she dropped to the ground to let the adrenaline run its coarse. "I've only ever hunted with a rifle, I didn't know what to do with this...butter knife." The woman commented, waving the dagger around as if it was some kind of toy. Mei let out an annoyed sigh and almost commented on it when Chris came back with a smug look on his face. "Nice catch. Guess it's better than what I got." As he spoke, he held out the three rabbits he had managed to catch right as the rain started to pour down. Mei glanced up with a small laugh before hoisting herself up to her feet. "Guess it took longer than we thought. It doesn't even matter really if the others caught some fish or not. Here, carry these and I'll carry the deer." Chris held the rabbits out to Mei, who took them with a small nod of her head. "I can help to gut them! I promise I'm good at that." The other woman said quickly as they started heading back in the direction they had come in. Chris had thrown the deer over his shoulders, letting the remaining blood drain from its body as he walked.

They met up with the other two that had caught a handful of small fish before making their way back to where they last saw the others. It wasn't hard to follow the trail to the actual 'camp' that was made and Mei was honestly grateful for it. She was rather tired of being soaked to the bone for one day. "Looks great! Though I think you'll need a bigger fire pit if we're going to be cooking too." Mei called out when she spotted Syndey near what she assumed would be the perfect spot for the fire.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

The tarp had been put up in enough time that the ground was still dry. Ground was dug up in a circle to keep the fire from getting too much out of hand. On hands and knees, Sydney was crouched down putting the final touches on the log set up when she heard Mei comment on the size. Sliding into sitting position on her knees she gave a soft pouty face as she looked at all she had accomplished, knowing now there was more work to be had on it. Sydney gave a defeated sigh. “I guess we can push back the seating arrangement and make it a bit bigger.” It was the first time she had looked up since the hunters return. “Oh, wow!” she exclaimed, seeing all that they had brought in. “We won’t be hungry tonight.” she added, her face brightening. 

“We can make it a bit bigger, but we’re working with a crowded space. Plus, we don’t want to light the tarp of fire.” she giggled. Though, it was a very good possibility if they go too big it could happen. There wasn’t much time that was needed in making it a bit bigger, they widened the circle and tossed a few more logs on the pile, before tactfully putting the kindling in the heart of where the fire would be. Map Holder had the honor of lighting the fire.

“Did you guys need any help?” she turned to Mei when everything was finished, begging quietly in her mind that the answer would be no. Guts just weren’t her forte, nor was of skinny animals or filleting fish. The offer still stood, not matter her dislikes. Besides, there wasn’t much else to do that wouldn’t make her feel utterly useless. Sydney was as close as one would dare to be to a fire, relishing in all the warmth that it gave. The fire had grown rapidly; it was already warming her hands over the fire nicely.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Well that made things easier for Sydney at least if she'd had venison. That meant that she could eat at least some of the food they gathered. The way that the other woman made a face at the mention of calamari was rather cute. "Yeah, calamari isn't for everyone." Though she happened to enjoy it for the most part when it had the right seasoning. She finished off the second rabbit and then made a motion to the people with the fish. One of them got up and stuck sticks inside the rabbits that were ready while Mei went to finish skinning and gutting the last rabbit. "Me?" Mei glanced back to Sydney with the question before letting out a small laugh. She couldn't just say that she was used to eating whatever was given to her.

"I'm a garbage disposal so to speak. I like any and all food and love to try new things when it comes to cooking." That was a good way of putting it. It only took another moment to finish the rabbit off before she got up and walked over to the fire. The warmth hitting her felt so wonderful but she still wasn't set yet to relax in front of it. Not until she stuck a stick through the rabbit and stuck the stick into the ground angled up to get it starting to cook. Once she was sure it wouldn't fall, she went to grab her bag and pulled out the thermo-blanket. Her clothes were dry enough -even though they weren't really dry- for her; all she cared about right now was warmth. "The last time I had rabbit though was in a stew with some potatoes, beans, and rice. I was with one of my old friends from a Hispanic culture and the grandmother loved to cook exotic stuff. I ended up having iguana and rabbit for the first time at the same time too." Mei was for the most part just talking to keep conversation going as she wasn't too fond of the silence that she knew would ensue.


((OOC: another skip to keep things even))

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

Eat anything would be nice, but Sydney was on the picky side. There was no choice in this so she would just keep her mouth shut and avoid the fish. Mei had joined them around the fire, though Sydney didn’t say much. Her stomach was squirming over the rabbit being stuck with a stick despite her best efforts, it showed. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked away from the scene, but she could hear as the stick had to be forced through some flesh at times. 

“That sounds rather nice.” She commented, looking at what use to be cute little live bunnies. It was the circle of life, she knew that, but she still didn’t like seeing it happen. It was something that she wasn’t accustomed to. “Too bad we couldn’t make a stew now.” she added, figuring it would have been easier to stomach without seeing as a whole. Scooting over on her perch, she patted the space on the rock she had just freed. “Want a seat?” she offered, all the ones close to the fire had been snagged by then.

 

[pyreshadow]

┏━━━┓
Mei
┗━---━┛​

Mei ended up scooting closer to the other woman when the seat had been offered. Not because she was too cold but more because she was starting to think that maybe there could be some kind of friendship there. Not so much a crutch but someone to give that extra push until the end. Once the end was near, it was obvious there could only be one but until then what was stopping anyone from forming some kind of alliance? So the night was filled with some small talk from the various groups, including Mei and Sydney. Most of the food had been eaten, even those that didn't really want any type of meat ended up wanting it once it was finished. The remains were bundled up and set aside for the morning; at least there'd be something for breakfast where they wouldn't have to go hunting again. Even as people started going to sleep one by one, the rain continued on throughout the night.

It wasn't until morning when the drizzle ended and the sun peeked through the passing dark clouds. Mei had ended up sleeping rather close to Sydney due to the cold -or so she told herself- and was also one of the first ones up. She and Chris prepared the last of the food to distribute to everyone evenly and by the time they were finished separating it, most of the people were up. Everyone ate the little bit they could and then started working on breaking everything down. Those that used some items from their packs got it back and the rest just waited until everything was done. Then they were off, with the map holder, Sydney, Mei, and Chris leading the way. It didn't take long to pick up the trail that had been mentioned that would lead to the training facility. Now that Miss Snobby seemed a little more cooperative, she stayed further behind and just followed whatever was decided by the others. For now anyway. They had been walking for a few hours at this point until Chris was the one to notice first.

"Hey, isn't that the thing on the map? That mark that was right before the facility?" He asked, pointing out a very distinct rocky slope to the right. The map holder glanced down to the map in his hands and quickly nodded his head before showing it to Sydney. "I wonder what kind of place it is." Mei thought out loud, though she knew it would be better than what she was used to. Which was nice, even if she ended up sharing a room with someone or multiple someones. She also wondered if it would be Caleb that greeted them or that one stuck in the phone like he didn't care. "How much longer do you think it'll take to get there?" Mei turned her gaze to Sydney since she was better at estimating than herself. That and she rather liked asking Sydney things, random or not.

 

[SparkleBreaker]

Sydney
​

The prayer was answered with a no, luckily. Sydney didn’t put up a stink. She merely stuck close to the fire, tending to it when needed. Map holder was hovering over the map, studying it. Others delved into their sacks to see if anything was missed as they waited for food. A large rock Sydney had claimed was scooted closer to the fire so she could enjoy it in a more relaxed manner. The rain hitting the tarp and the crackling of the fire was comforting. It was a nice moment of relaxation, one that they probably wouldn’t get again anytime soon. There was no reason to let it go to waste. 

Sydney focused on her wet clothes while everyone else was preoccupied. The combat boots that she was wearing were driving her nuts. Every time she shifted she could hear the water swish around inside. Undoing the zippers on the side she slipped out of them and placed them upside-down off to the side in hopes the water would drain down. Most of the clothes were damp, but her socks were still soaked because of the trapped water. Socks were off next and exposed her pruney feet that caused her to wrinkle her nose in disappointment. 

“I’ve had venison before.” She answered, wringing out her socks. “Once I had Calamari.” The memory of it was enough to make her face wrinkle in disgust. “It was like rubbery chicken. Blah.” she described, shaking her head. Food wasn’t near ready, so she pulled out her thermal blanket and wrapped her lower half inside to keep warm while she gave her socks and shoes sometime to dry. Her arms hugged her legs in close to her chest while her head rested on her knees. “What about you Mei?”