Not so cute and {{cuddley}} // [DELISH vs 2 platypus bears]

[kousei ♚]

Narrative
"Speech"
Thoughts

Ari Newton

Sleep is like feather in the breeze, slow but impossible to catch. I lay down on the sandy breach in the dark but I just could not get to sleep, it was impossible to catch. Aidin's corpse bleeding in the sand stayed imprinted in my brain every time I closed my eyes. Despite me knowing I needed my energy for tomorrow. A day of red awaits me. Even after complaining about needing to rest earlier in the day during the night sleep evaded me like I was some sort of scary dragon. I just want to sleep, is that too much to ask?

However my thoughts are -once again- interrupted by the loud blare of the anthem. I recall hearing two canons today (one of them caused by me) but when I see Aurora Villela's face I just don't think I can feel anything, only a pang of sympathy hits me because it's another life lost that didn't deserve to be lost. And then Aidin Grasswood's face reveals itself in the sky and once again my heart rate begins facing as his once alive features stare down on me. My hands curl into a tight fist at my sides. Stop staring at me... I'm, I'm sorry okay. But his face continues to stare down on me as that same haunting music plays and drones throughout the arena and echoes through my mind.

STOP JUDGING ME!!!

And then finally his face dissipates and the life of the anthem reaches it's end. I don't care how gritty this sand is, just let me sleep.

____________

The wind is rude awakening, the cold that accompanies makes me awake with a shiver. At least I'm mobile again. I slowly lift myself up and blink about three times before my vision feels sharp again. My throat feels dry and my bones feel stiff but I know I can move freely again, I proceed to quickly check my rucksack to confirm all my stuff is there. And sling it over my back.

After that me and Anni begin trekking through the sand again. I must admit, yesterday was an eye-opener, it showed me what the games are really about. I killed Aidin Grasswood. His family must be sobbing as I walk, his family must be calling for my blood despite the fact I'm covered in it. The games... I volunteered for this, I volunteered for this because I need it. It was either this or starve to death, maybe I should have stayed at home and starved to death. No, not true. I quickly shake my head of such weakening thoughts. I've already committed myself, there can be no should-haves and could-haves. Just keep fighting on.

Sooner or later we find ourselves back in the arena we were on day 1. The huge boulders surround us and the vines and leaves are all too familiar. But we continue to press on despite the wind and the grey, overcast sky that's honestly really depressing. It's even not as hot as it was yesterday, as if the Game makers want to slowly freeze us to death day-by-day. Stop complaining and keep moving. However the sound of footsteps halts my train of thought and I spin around to see what I can only assume is some kind of mutt. No wait, two mutts that have their teeth bared and a chillingly murderous look in their eyes.

No! Not more of them! My heart begins racing once again as I quickly drop my rucksack and pull another shiny shuriken from my bag and hold it in my two fingers. Please, just go away! Go away!"Leave us!" I command, my already injured arm begins shaking with the shuriken clutched in my hand once again. The cats and their dangerous, barred teeth cross my mind yet again and a wave of fear once again passes through me.

And with a grunt I send the shiny shuriken spinning in one of the platypus' directions.

However it seems my suffocatingly real fear has affected my aim because it misses it and buries itself in the floor. Stupid Ari, now they're sure to attack. I bite my lip and take a few steps away from them, as if it will help anything. "Erm Anni, a little help here?" I say, my voice quavering ever-so slightly. Just go away!

[Attacks Platypus #1 with Ninja shuriken]

ErAaARZK200+9000

[9198 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage (Thrown Knife)]

200+9000

[Deleted]

YOGI.

The two Platypus Bears rambled across the Arena, not really looking for a fight so much as looking for food. The creatures were constantly hungry by nature, and Yogi, the larger ouf the two, was outright ravenous. Shuffling along, the pair communicated in a series of grunts and hisses. In his younger days, Yogi had stolen a delightful human contraption called a "picnic basket," and the food within had been the most delicious thing he'd ever eaten. Upon seeing the humans ahead, he lunged forward excitedly. Perhaps they had a picnic basket he could take.

[Attacks ARI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
lmhrBXzbknife
[Shallow Cut on Left Bicep -- 3.5 damage]

BOOBOO.

BooBoo had never even seen a human before now. Raised in a sterile laboratory where his food was slid under a hatch every day, the smaller Platypus Bear was still in awe of all the wide open space in the Arena. In fact, he was so enamored that he almost didn't notice Yogi charging at the tall, pale things, falling into step clumsily after him.

[Attacks ANNI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
knife
[Miss -- 0.0 damage]

knife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

That night, she couldn’t wouldn’t stop shaking as she heard the booming sound of the anthem over her head and the music would ring in her ears as she stared at one of the faces that flashed across the sky. She spent the rest of the night huddled up and crying quietly, her shoulders hunched over and moving ever so slightly with each gasp of breath. She knew she would never be able to forgive herself for the role she had played in that death, and the guilt kept her stomach in knots as she thought how the world and her life had lost one more person.

How was she supposed to cope with this? Death was not entirely unfamiliar to her—family members from home had died—but never had it stared at her directly in the face before taking someone else. It was scary, frightening, and it made her shake wherever she stood, but what scared her the most was how much she would have to get used to it. Death was inevitable in this arena, that much she had accepted, but how many more times would she have to play a role in it? And how many times would another tribute fall by her hands? She had not struck Aidin down, so in a way, she had not killed anyone, but she was not completely without fault.

Her eyes glanced over to Ari who was resting as well. The poor guy who had sustained so many injuries, first from Aidin then the cat-like things, needed his rest. It had frightened her, seeing how badly injured he was as they ran away from the other two mutts while they could. She had tried to help him as best as she could, but it was really the items from his sponsors that had saved his life while she could bring nothing to the table. All she could do for him was to be on guard and protect them both while he recovered—but she was just a small thing and the weapons felt so wrong in her hands.

A part of her wanted to drop the weapon that was once Aidin’s, to leave it somewhere that no one could ever find it and so she would never have to see it. But that was wishful thinking as she knew someone was going to find it and that there was the chance that she would need it. It had proved itself very useful when they were fighting against the mutts, striking down one of them and effectively killing it, but there was a feeling in her gut telling her that she shouldn’t be using it.

A rustling sound caused Anni to look up and around her surroundings, trying to see if it would come again or be louder. Her eyes scanned between some of the boulders in the way, but she kept her ears trained for sound, knowing they would be more useful in that case. She turned to Ari for a quick second and mouthed, “Do you hear that?” She heard the sound again and stopped in her tracks. It looked like Ari had seen what she had heard for he charged at what looked like two more mutts. He yelled something at the cats, but Anni was so stricken with fear that she stood still, staring at the monstrous things.

Ari must have still been affected by the previous day’s injuries for he missed, and it wasn’t until he said something that she shook herself to the present, just in time to see one of the mutts lunging at her. A breath of relief escaped as the mutt missed, but she knew it was the right time to strike. Holding her own weapon, she struck at the mutt that had attacked her.

[attacks Yogi; Cat O nine tails]
IBEM|j9Bflail
[Miss -- 0.0 damage]



Template credit to Shrimpers
flail

[kousei ♚]

Narrative
"Speech"
Thoughts

Ari Newton

BANG!

I suddenly find myself screaming and on the ground. Am I dead? Did something kill me? No that's impossible, if I was dead I wouldn't feel cold, I wouldn't be screaming. I look at my own body and find that's I'm surprisingly unhurt but I'm blinded by the sparkle on my already bloodstained clothes. What the hell? I take a quick glance at my hand and find it's sparkling. I look like one of those weird Capitolites! But still, what could have possibly done that? In fact I'm so surprised my attention is completely taken away from the fight as I look at my sparkling figure.

But then my attention quickly snaps back to the matter at hand when I see the bear running at me again and I let out a yelp and try to roll out of the way and it's razor sharp claw scratches my arm. And I let out another hiss of pain.No, not like fucking last time. I don't want to be too injured again, yesterday I got lucky because I got sponsored quite a lot of medical supplies that Anni helped healing me up, I was so weak and so vulnerable. And she actually put up with me and helped me. Anni really is a good person. And even now she runs in and attacks the thing that attacked me.

Like a true friend.

I don't know if I can call her a true friend but hell, she was the closest person to a friend I'll ever have in this arena. And I won't let these mutation scums kill her, or me for that matter, and that's a promise.

I take the shuriken from my bag and send it towards the mutt once again.

[Attacks Platypus #1 (Yogi) with Ninja shuriken]

nQH6qQmi200+9000

[9011 -- Shallow Cut on Chest -- 4.0 damage (Thrown Knife)]

200+9000

[Deleted]

YOGI.

The humans had strange, shiny claws, one of which nicked Yogi as it flew by. He let out a hiss that was more angered than pained, batting at the creature who had wounded him. There were no picnic baskets in sight, a fact that irritated Yogi almost as much as the fresh injury. It seemed that if he was going to eat, it would have to be the humans.

[Attacks ARI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
X1rkjGnlknife
[Block -- 0.0 damage]

BOOBOO.

BooBoo was content to follow Yogi's lead, ambling along after the larger Platypus Bear and watching as one of the humans lashed out and struck him. Rude. Snarling in reprimand, BooBoo rounded on the nearest of the creatures, striking out with his paw. All they wanted was a picnic basket, and it wasn't their fault that the humans had arrived underprepared.

[Attacks ANNI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
knife
[Deep Gash on Back -- 8.5 damage]

knife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

A loud bang distracted Anni as she stared in Ari’s direction, only to see him lying on the ground—with glitter on his body. Where did that even come from? She had been so distracted by the fight that she hadn’t spotted any mechanism that could have caused this—and she was usually really good at spotting mechanisms—but she was thankful that it wasn’t something dangerous, albeit really distracting. It was the most amusing and disturbing thing she had ever seen, but she didn’t have time to make a comment as the fight went back to full speed.

Ari made his attack which landed on the chest of the mutt she had attacked. The attack didn’t look serious, but after those misses, Anni was glad that the weapon had at least done something. As if it was an immediate response, the mutt attacked Ari but he was able to block the attack. She was really starting to become impressed with Ari’s fighting skills; he knew what he was doing offensively and defensively. On the other hand, Anni only knew how to wildly swing her weapon and rely on luck. After having stared at the two fighting, she knew it was time to attack the other mutt, but Anni was too slow for what happened next. She felt a burst of pain on her back and she cried out as she experienced something she was not familiar with. Of course she was getting used to the sharp, stinging pain of cuts, but those were generally shallow and breaking the skin. This cut was extraordinary in the sense that she saw spots in her eyes before they became focused again.

Angry at the bear like things, she pulled out the knife-y thing that her belt held and swung at the mutt she had first attacked. Yes, she was mad at the mutt who had managed to get her back, but it was because of the first mutt that she was distracted and didn’t see the other mutt coming.

[attacks Yogi; Sai]
_yP|2fAmknife
[Shallow Cut on Chest -- 4.0 damage]



Template credit to Shrimpersknife

[kousei ♚]

Quick filler to move this along.

[Ari throws shuriken at Yogi]

o6VUBSx5200+9000

[9117 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage (Thrown Knife)]

200+9000

[Deleted]

YOGI.

The humans struck him again, and Yogi let out an angry roar, moving from irritation to rage. Why weren't they going for BooBoo, the obvious weakling in the situation? No, these creatures were obviously stupid in addition to their tragic lack of picnic baskets, and that was an offense punishable by death. Snarling, he wounded on them.

[Attacks ARI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
AnClZmDCknife
[Miss -- 0.0 damage]

BOOBOO.

Well, Yogi was certainly mad. Tilting his head to the side, BooBoo watched as his comanion roared at one of the humans and attacked, his claws barely missing its head. Perhaps it would be better if the humans died. Yogi would be even madder if they didn't, and likely to take that rage out on BooBoo. Not exactly the best way to end a day...

[Attacks ANNI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
knife
[Block -- 0.0 damage]

knife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Fillering because I need to get my butt to bed.

[attacks Yogi; Cat O nine tails]
z7aFLFd1flail
[Broken Rib -- 7.0 damage]

flail

[kousei ♚]

Narrative
"Speech"
Thoughts

Ari Newton

Anni Dorst is a life-saver, Anni Dorst is a true fighter. I can only catch in surprise as she dances around the mutt with her flail -despite the deep wound that animal left on her back- and manages to smash her weapon into the mid-section of the mutation, I know I heard a violent (and quite disturbing) crack, just like the crack Aidin's bones made when Anni smashed her flail against his chest. The breaking of bones is all too familiar and despite how disturbing and painful it seems (I have personally never, ever broken a bone in my life) the sickening crack! of bone against weapon simply signifies good news for me because it means the opponent is dying.

I've never felt the bitter pain of my bone breaking in two, and I hope I never have to. And despite how sick this sounds that bone breaking is a slight signal, it means victory, for now, is very close indeed. The platypus' are like a mockery because they are so difficult to kill, and also because of the fear they so violently strike in my bones. I'm actually this scared of a freaking platypus bear. But to be fear it is a big platypus bear with big mutated claws and teeth. Just like those cats.

Back in district eleven, if anyone had told me that a two platypus bears would be trying to claw me to pieces I'd think they were playing some kind of cruel prank on me and shrugged them off, I wouldn't have dared laugh at them. They're just freaking platypus bears, who ever would of thought that platypus bears could be this threatening? I've still get my next throwing shuriken clutched in between my fingers and I desperately want to throw it at them despite the fear that's pulsating through my brain at this very moment. If I was a coward I'd want to run away, that would be the most logical thing to do. No, I'm not a coward, only a coward would leave their friend behind to die.

That's what Anni is right? My friend, that's the only possible explanation I can have, she's saved me, healed me, taken care of me, -besides my family- no one in district eleven would do that for me, no one cares enough. I guess this is what I think friendship is truly like. Maybe that's why seeing the gash on Anni's back infuriates me and her scream of pain hurts me more than the cat mutation's razor sharp teeth. I don't want her to die on me.

My train of thought is interrupted suddenly by the platypus mutation taking yet another lunge at me. No, not like the cats again. The image of the cat's barred teeth inches away from my flesh is still burned in my mind. All the damn red the cats caused simply refuses to go away! It's claws are inches away from my face as I take a quick step back and it's disappointed claws meet nothing but air rather than my exposed flesh. NThat was too close for my liking. But not again.

I take a few steps backwards, getting as far away from it as the short frame of time I have will let me, making my distance from the mutts once again and bring my arm back, ready to let another shuriken fly. There once was a boy who felt nothing but fear. He felt nothing but fear towards the monsters because they tried to kill him, but then his need for survival conquered his fear and he swallowed his fear. Yes, I can swallow my fear because I want to live. And I think that is reason enough to kill this scary creature standing before me here today.

"Eat metal!" I shout and send the shuriken spinning towards the mutt and surprisingly instead of missing it opens another deep wound across it's back and sends more and more red spattering through the air and across the ground. So much more blood shed, so much more red. the mutation collapses to the floor with a sickening but satisfyingthud! And that makes yet another living thing I've killed purely to ensure my own survival. I can't help but look at the remaining mutt with sympathy, no longer a thing that tried to kill me and Anni but a living thing that lost it's friend. And it lost it's friend purely because of me and my deadly shurikensIf someone killed Anni I'd-, but I halt my train of thought right there. I don't know what I'd do.

Let's just not think about that now.

With the mutation's death that leaves yet another opening for me and Anni to escape because there's another escape route open. "Anni, there's an opening!" I scream and begin running, leaping over the mutation's unmoving corpse like a hurdle; as if I'm in some sort of race, and the finish line is escaping here with my life.

[Throws shuriken and Yogi]

mQOk0vWL200+9000

[9191 -- Deep Gash on Back -- 8.5 damage (Thrown Knife)]

OKAY YOU DEAD NOW SON.

[Ari flees]
[Ari collects firewood]
[Ari collects his shurikens, bringing his count back to 9]
[Air uses first aid on Anni for -3]
[Ari uses 5ft bandages on himself for -1]

200+9000

[Deleted]

BOOBOO.

BooBoo staggered backwards as he watched the larger of the two Platypus Bears fall under the humans' claws. The male scurried off quickly, obviously frightened, but the female stayed, trapped in BooBoo's slow, predatory circle. With a loud, strangled hiss-roar, BooBoo flung himself at the human, claws beared.

[Attacks ANNI with CLAWS (KNIFE)]
|NCXuwMyknife
[Shallow Cut on Stomach -- 4.0 damage]

knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Anni watched as Ari made an impressive throw at the mutt they were attacking and saw his weapon land deep into the mutt’s back. With a loud roar, the mutt fell down and looked as good as dead, meaning Anni just had to worry about the other mutt who had been attacking her. She would not have his chance with him, though, as Ari took off and Anni knew that it was time to leave the fight as whole as she could. The other mutt managed to get her across her trunk, but the cut was not as deep as the one on her back which she would have to tend to. Wasting no time, she took off in the direction she had seen Ari running.

[Anni collects 2 edible plants and 1 medicinal plant]
[Anni collects firewood]
[Anni uses first aid on herself]
[Anni flees the fight]


Template credit to Shrimpers