Permafrost: Thunderbird

Chapter 4: Leadership Issues

⭐️Chapter 4: Leadership Issues

So it turned out the Thistlins actually WON against the Wave Crashers.

That was a first, and it sure surprised the Infernos. The Wave Crashers had stormed off after spewing a few insults at the team. The Thistlins then used this as a chance to help teach the Infernos about methods they could use. Of course, some ideas had to be a little altered since the group used different turf weapons. Clara used a lightweight N-Zap with autobombs and tenta missiles, more of a tracking and seeking weapon in its own way that could REALLY help if your teammates knew what they were doing.

Glade used dualie squelchers, a somewhat longer ranged shooter that could still get good kills even if it too was also a tracking weapon. He'd also used the custom variant before, which could get good bomb kills and weaken others with ink storm. Sai used a basic splat charger, a sniping weapon that was able to splat the Wave Crashers because of their larger size. Sure Cosmo could use an E-liter, but he hasn't become accustomed to using smaller chargers yet. Ella had used a bloblobber on this turf war, though she sometimes used a mini splatling on other matches. Both of those were also slightly longer ranged in their own sense, at least longer ranged than a standard slosher or shooter.

All of this clashed with the fact that the Infernos were more close range, and slower if you counted the Dynamo AND the E-Liter. Different styles would mean different methods, and if the Thistlins used a method to beat the Wave Crashers, the Infernos would have to try and translate it to something they could do...and god was it hard to do. The Thistlins had won by not only using ranged weapons, but also keeping tabs on the Wave Crashers wherever they went. Both point sensors and tenta missiles revealed location, and the sting ray could reveal the body shapes of the other players if an area was looked over. This was different from the Infernos' take of rushing in and fighting with only a little bit of backlining.

Nonetheless, the group of 8 still tried to come up with something. They planned and planned, practiced and practiced, swapped their weapons numerous times, and overall did not give up. At the end of the day though, everyone was super bummed that they hadn't gotten anywhere. Even with all that teaching, the Infernos still lost to the Thistlins in turf wars. It was just over and over, no matter what the stage or conditions.

Ryn had felt worse and worse about herself the more the group lost. She was supposed to lead, and while she DID let a few of her friends try to lead, the group found that she was the better choice because they were used to it for longer. Ryn tried to keep a smile on her face loss after loss, and some of the matches were so super close. But consecutive losing was not something she could handle, even if Turf War WAS just a sport and not some life or death matter. It just stressed her out overall, and she wasn't even sure her team was good enough at all.

Well, her teammates at least felt better about training since they could learn about their mistakes. Ryn wasn't about to bring them down by saying she was still sad about it. Besides, the Thistlins were just nice people trying to help her out, even if she somehow felt...attacked. Well, whatever the case was, Ryn simply smiled and held it the whole time, nodding her head as the group's analyzed what had happened each match. The day was almost over, anyway.
When she got home, she could cry to herself.

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Ryn woke up late that night with a start, having (somewhat) cried herself to sleep. Initially, she just had to go to the restroom, but after making her way back to her bed, she heard a noise. Running to her window to try and see if there was anything, she scanned the area. She was starting to become a little paranoid, but her friends were asleep now so it wasn't like she could call or text them. Besides, what if it was nothing all along?

Or maybe...the thought of losing to the Wave Crashers OR The Thistlins again was getting into her head. It was causing her to freak out over such small and she really shouldn't be thinking like this. Ryn decided to go back to her bed and just try to forget today ever happened, even if her friends only had her best interests at heart. But even so, she still found herself unable to sleep. A quiet room only brought more thoughts into her head, and frankly it was almost making it worse.

Ryn sighed before scrambling out of bed and making her way to her clothes dresser. She put on some decent clothes since it was warm out tonight, and got her socks and shoes. She decided to take her phone too, just in case. With all of these things done, she exited her house, making sure the door was locked behind her (she carried the key in her pockets often). She then made her way towards the woods around Laocrah Town.

What had started as a simple walk soon turned into a bit of a jog. The fresh air felt nice on her, and in a way she liked being out under the moonlight. Eventually the jog sped up, and Ryn ran off into the woods. While she DID make sure not to trip on loose stones or roots, she kept going down a worn out dirt path. The adrenaline in her body slowly increased as she kept running, the feeling filling her with a bit of excitement.

Maybe this was all she needed, time alone where she could enjoy herself and do what she wanted. No worrying about society's correct state, no worrying about her problems, just running free through some place without a care in the world. That reminded her, where exactly WAS she? Ryn looked around, suddenly noticing how unfamiliar everything seemed. She paused, her adrenaline spiking up a LOT as she prayed to cod this wasn't what she thought it was...

She was lost.