06-11-2008, 12:19 PM
The air was becoming thick with humidity, almost suffocating. The island had essentially turned into an oven; the participants were the fillet mignon, trapped in the broiler.
Aero wiped the sweat developing on his forehead as he wrapped the makeshift bandage around his wound again. “Whatever,” he replied, wincing as he tied the cloth as tight as he could. “So, where you from?” He and his partner knew relatively nothing of each other. Aero wanted to make small-talk, just to keep it friendly.
“Earth,” Kirano replied, retrieving the bottled water from his sack and drinking it. He could feel the water nourish his body from the tiring heat. “You?”
“Same, man.” He got up off of the ground, favoring his wounded leg (it was affecting every part of his movement). “Ever heard of it?”
“Cali?” Kirano asked with a raised brow.
Aero reacted in the same manner and said: “Yeah, Cali. I know you’ve heard of it.”
“Nope.”
“Forget it then.”
The two didn’t speak to one another again. Kirano searched through his sack with wild hands, hoping to grab the bread. He did so with no success; he kept looking.
It had been a long competition, longer than he thought he’d last. He was a newbie, and to suspect a newbie to come so far was near unfathomable. He wasn’t lacking confidence, just thinking in pragmatic. It was the brand of thinking that secured his focus, and perhaps even kept him in the game.
He could still picture the first day he was on the island, awaking from the cold concrete of the ruined city, with only the provided sack to keep him company. It had come fully supplied with survival needs, but he had failed to replenish its food and water contents. He slung it back over his shoulder and brought his arms through the straps.
Aero’s thought of the competition differed.He was destined to come this far. He was destined go to further as well. Fuck being fresh meat; it was not about who was more seasoned,but rather who had the heart. Aero had the heart. Pragmatic thinking? Aero didn’t think in that light. He saw in the light of his ability, and that was all that mattered.
But doubt did loom over his confidence. He could still remember the two fights he engaged in—with Reijin and Android Seventeen—and remembered them well. He doubted that he could defeat either one of them. They had credibly kicked his ass from left to right. But his heart still drove him to want to confront them again, ignoring what the consequences may be. Losing was something he didn’t mind. He might have been the only one thinking in that light. It was more about the competition—the thrill of the fight. Win or lose—to either Reijin or Seventeen—still had its thrill. That’s what he thought of, not the thorough asskicking.
He was injured though. Fuck his injury. He had been injured before, and in much worse ways. Pain was simply nerve endings in your body transmitting information to the brain, which was then translated into OUCH! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! But the brain was weak, stupid. Who needed brains? The mind was what he deemed tough. And last Aero checked, mind overcame all, if you were willing to allow it. His brain did translate the pain of his fresh wound, but his mind convinced him to ignore most of it. The mind was the lone thing Aero gave consistent attention to in life. A.D.D. never affected the body.
“We need to scavenge for some food,” Kirano said, a subsequent sigh exiting. “Use your binoculars to search for some.”
Aero spun his binoculars around his neck and grabbed them with a steady hand, bringing it to his eyes. All that they showed were hills upon hills in rollercoaster gradients. He could barely see a mile down the island. “I’m not picking anything up, jack,” he replied, readjusting the lenses and focus. “Still nothing.”
“Damn,” Kirano murmured. “We need food. We may be strong-willed, but food is something that we cannot deny our bodies of.”
“Yeah.” Aero brought the binoculars down, looking over at his counterpart. “Especially in this type of muggy heat too. It’ll really take its toll on ya if you ain’t paying it any attention.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead again with the back of his hand. “We need to find some shade or somethin. Or at least get out the heat.”
Kirano simply nodded. “Agreed.”
Aero wiped the sweat developing on his forehead as he wrapped the makeshift bandage around his wound again. “Whatever,” he replied, wincing as he tied the cloth as tight as he could. “So, where you from?” He and his partner knew relatively nothing of each other. Aero wanted to make small-talk, just to keep it friendly.
“Earth,” Kirano replied, retrieving the bottled water from his sack and drinking it. He could feel the water nourish his body from the tiring heat. “You?”
“Same, man.” He got up off of the ground, favoring his wounded leg (it was affecting every part of his movement). “Ever heard of it?”
“Cali?” Kirano asked with a raised brow.
Aero reacted in the same manner and said: “Yeah, Cali. I know you’ve heard of it.”
“Nope.”
“Forget it then.”
The two didn’t speak to one another again. Kirano searched through his sack with wild hands, hoping to grab the bread. He did so with no success; he kept looking.
It had been a long competition, longer than he thought he’d last. He was a newbie, and to suspect a newbie to come so far was near unfathomable. He wasn’t lacking confidence, just thinking in pragmatic. It was the brand of thinking that secured his focus, and perhaps even kept him in the game.
He could still picture the first day he was on the island, awaking from the cold concrete of the ruined city, with only the provided sack to keep him company. It had come fully supplied with survival needs, but he had failed to replenish its food and water contents. He slung it back over his shoulder and brought his arms through the straps.
Aero’s thought of the competition differed.He was destined to come this far. He was destined go to further as well. Fuck being fresh meat; it was not about who was more seasoned,but rather who had the heart. Aero had the heart. Pragmatic thinking? Aero didn’t think in that light. He saw in the light of his ability, and that was all that mattered.
But doubt did loom over his confidence. He could still remember the two fights he engaged in—with Reijin and Android Seventeen—and remembered them well. He doubted that he could defeat either one of them. They had credibly kicked his ass from left to right. But his heart still drove him to want to confront them again, ignoring what the consequences may be. Losing was something he didn’t mind. He might have been the only one thinking in that light. It was more about the competition—the thrill of the fight. Win or lose—to either Reijin or Seventeen—still had its thrill. That’s what he thought of, not the thorough asskicking.
He was injured though. Fuck his injury. He had been injured before, and in much worse ways. Pain was simply nerve endings in your body transmitting information to the brain, which was then translated into OUCH! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! But the brain was weak, stupid. Who needed brains? The mind was what he deemed tough. And last Aero checked, mind overcame all, if you were willing to allow it. His brain did translate the pain of his fresh wound, but his mind convinced him to ignore most of it. The mind was the lone thing Aero gave consistent attention to in life. A.D.D. never affected the body.
“We need to scavenge for some food,” Kirano said, a subsequent sigh exiting. “Use your binoculars to search for some.”
Aero spun his binoculars around his neck and grabbed them with a steady hand, bringing it to his eyes. All that they showed were hills upon hills in rollercoaster gradients. He could barely see a mile down the island. “I’m not picking anything up, jack,” he replied, readjusting the lenses and focus. “Still nothing.”
“Damn,” Kirano murmured. “We need food. We may be strong-willed, but food is something that we cannot deny our bodies of.”
“Yeah.” Aero brought the binoculars down, looking over at his counterpart. “Especially in this type of muggy heat too. It’ll really take its toll on ya if you ain’t paying it any attention.” He wiped the sweat from his forehead again with the back of his hand. “We need to find some shade or somethin. Or at least get out the heat.”
Kirano simply nodded. “Agreed.”
![[Image: 1stAerosig.png]](http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q218/Aerogfx/sigs/1stAerosig.png)
Placed 3rd in Dante's Abyss 08