dotj (It All Falls Down) JadevsMoka(aza)

[pup]

Azalea
(Sorry it's short)

Jade Saffron:

Jade fingered the necklace that her little sister had just given her. It was made of jade, her favorite type of stone. Her little sister had come and wished her good luck before hurrying up to the stands. All her parents had done was glare in a way which got the message through. They went up to the stands as well and Jade felt their piercing stare on her the whole time and she knew what it meant. Win. Well, she would. She always won stuff in career training so why not now.

She slipped into the padding and other necessary equipment before walking out into the huge crowd. She walked onto the huge stage where she would be fighting someone named... someone named... well she didn't know. To check she quickly glanced up at the huge screen. Moka. Ok then.

Jade looked over at Moka, her eyes full of excitement of beating someone else, and said "Good luck." That's it. Then she whipped her head of blonde hair around and walked off to the other side where she quickly got into the pose to start.

[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

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MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

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I'd wanted to show my sister and family what I'm worth ever since I had been nothing but a white sheet of paper a few days before the reaping. So weak and flimsy. Crying into my sister's welcoming arms was coming too familiar for me, her comforting words sticking in my head like a beautiful melody yet it made me feel like a little dove.

This was the first year in which I was allowed to watch the games from the very beginning. The atmosphere boomed every time we saw Quartz or the other tribute and it felt so warm and like a second home. 

But we all smiled as teenagers fought to their deaths, and when the tributes from our district died, our happiness floating away and our smile became weak and cracked. No truth, no meaning - only sadness and a thirst for justice.

It was in those moments where Quartz and Jeff were stuck in the limbo between life and death that I realised as I gained another year, my chances became more likely. 12 and your name is in once, 13: twice, 14: thrice. There's no escaping the fact that the odds are not in your favour. 

When their souls were reaped I shed a tear, and as it dripped about the curves of my face I knew that I had to change. One day, it could be me. The thoughts and feelings surrounding the idea make me weak at the bones and make my stomach do somersaults.

The feelings are so grey.

~

But the sickening mind games I played with myself drove me into acceptance. A bitter-sweet acceptance that I will be reaped. Moka Fleur, a girl of 13 who is stolen from her family and placed into an arena with nothing more than a backpack and shiny weapon

And I hated that. I hated it so much - too much. So much so, I had to do something about it. Because if I didn't and my name was pulled from the oversized fish bowl, I know I'd be a ghost amongst the living.

---

I shake my head and gaze over with my soft eyes to the girl standing in front of me. She looked excited to be fighting a 13 year old who is an embarrassment to herself and her name. Her face tense with apprehension, mine: a face sketched with fear.

Fearing the future, but grateful for the adventure in which I was about to embark upon.

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template by chelsey

[pup]

Jade smiled again in excitement. She was a good thirteen year old fighter when she was thirteen. This girl may be too. Most people in this tournament are career so she must have had a few years of training so far. Jade remembered when she was thirteen. She laughed when she went up against a boy of fifteen in a wrestling match. Sure she lost but she didn't show as much fear as this small girl was.

Jade winked at the girl. "Take it easy." She said, "I'm not going to tear you limb from limb." Jade hoped that was reassuring to the small girl with an innocent, terrified face. How did she get in this tournament if she's so afraid. Jade thou th t with slight amusement. "Its just a little competition you don't need to be that scared."

Jade winked again at the girl, "And don't worry, I will try to hold back a bit if you'd like." She smiled again reassuringly at the girl as the referee told them to get into position. Jade adopted a simple offensive stance. "I'm Jade by the way, nice to meet you and good luck." Then the referee blew the whistle.

Jade lunged forward simply as her first attack sailed toward the girl.

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(Sorry it's short again!)

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[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

_______________________________________________________

MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

_______________________________________________________

I don't like my opponent. She seems too absorbed in it all, the atmosphere, the fight, the moves and the sword. She keeps smiling and the smile drawn upon her face seems so evil, her lips have become a blood red and her teeth a deadly white. I don't like her at all.

I gaze up to her, blowing a strand of hair out of my eyesight as I spy her. She winks at me and I frown as she says, "Take it easy." Hatred is swelling inside my stomach with every move she makes. "I'm not going to tear you limb from limb."

"Its just a little competition you don't need to be that scared."

But I do need to be scared. Not being scared shows that you're less a human. We're all scared of things, the sky, water, spiders- death. I don't believe anything she says, her words are entangled with falseness and her winks make me feel sick to the stomach.

She says something else, but it is too much a blur to me. I feel so cold and alone, alone on a deep blue, wide sea with no boat, no island in sight. Just surrounded by the sea, full of sharks and other creatures that want my limbs for their lunch.

"Good luck."

The words finally come out of my mouth but I don't mean any of it. I take a step and notice that she's already racked up four points, meaning I'm left struggling behind with nill. 

This has to change.

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template by chelsey

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[pup]

A laugh almost spilled out of Jade and into the loud noise of people who had come to watch her beat a little girl. Jade didn't think it was fair considering she had just gotten four points on the girl. They should have matched the girl with someone her own age and skill level. But if they were in the games Jade supposed it didn't really matter. This was just another elaborate training exercise for the games.

Jade let her defense position be a simple one and let the girl get three hits on her before blocking her off just before she got four hits. Jade was nice, but not that kind to let the girl beat her. What would her parents say if a girl of thirteen had beaten her. They might just not say anything and instead disown her.

Jade got ready to lunge forwards again. She smiled sweetly at the little girl. "See. That wasn't so bad. It's just a game. Honestly you should lighten up a bit." With that Jade attacked swiftly, trying not to make it too hard on the girl who shouldn't really be fighting her. The crowds were still egging her on though so she might be carried away.

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(Sorry it's short again!)

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[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

_______________________________________________________

MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

_______________________________________________________

I manage to get 3 points from my first lunge at the girl. I'm surprised, my balance seemed odd and my grip on the sword did not make it feel like an extension to my arm. As of now, I was only 1 point down which gave me a slither of hope to feast upon

I hear the crowd - for the most part, they are cheering her name. Jade, Jade, Jade. It's only every once in a while that I hear my own name shouted louder and heavier than hers. I wish I knew who it was. Hearing something as simple as your own name makes you feel a strong sense of pride swelling inside you. It makes you feel like you can take on the world. 

I watch her carefully. Her foot quickly darts from one place to another whilst her arms are in a completely different world. I'm in a completely different world. This fight, this tournament, it's all so alien to me. But I thought it was my only chance to show Sana how much I've grown. That I can make a dream become a reality, that I can make the impossible, possible.

She quickly tries to make an attack on me, but I send my arm swiftly through the air and block most of her stabs. I can feel my forehead sweating in the sun and it makes me feel weaker by the second, that's when I realise what my next move has to be.

I skid slightly and run into the shade on her side of the playing-field. The coolness of the darkness is much more comforting that the sweltering sunlight which reigns over us all like a queen. I wipe my forehead in a fast split-second and realise now would be a good time to plant another two points, or three, or four. Just not one point.

I reach out to her, the clashing of the metal swords is a poignant noise and echoes around my head easily. It echoes and it echoes again, until I realise that it's done. 

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template by chelsey

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[pup]

Jade smiled again at the girl. Now that the girl had gotten ahead she wouldn't go as easy on her as she has been. She let her get four points on herself and then smiled as she moved her sword to block the fifth strike. This was more fun than expected. "Nice job," She said grinning, showing her pearly white teeth. Jade moved her sword to an offensive position this time a bit more advanced, getting ready to strike quickly. Jade raised her sword and winked before going straight at the girl.

Jade quickly moved back and got back to her defensive position. She let her eyes flit to the screen.

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Drat, another one. She could have sworn she hit more than that. Now she will have to get four the next two rounds to win! This girl might actually beat her. I shouldn't have let her get in those free shots early on. Jade thought.

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[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

_______________________________________________________

MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

_______________________________________________________

I look up to the screen and am taken into a warm hug when I see that she score only a single point. I let out a brief smile, knowing that this means I am ahead - by one point. 

I'm distracted by my constant intrigue regarding the scoreboard but the new uproar of the crowd chanting my name reminds me that is still very much a competition, and as much as the thought of beating another to progress scares me, there is a part of me within that thirsts for a crown.

I take a moment, dodging her attacks to absorb the unique atmosphere - it's something so different to what I've normally experienced. So alive and kicking. I wonder if this is what the atmosphere in the Capitol is like when the games are on. No, don't think about them. It makes me shudder with fright and I find myself backing away from her slowly.

Sana's face in the crowd catches me once more and it fuels me to do this for her. I must do this. I inhale another shaky breath and begin to work my way forwards to make up for some of the ground I'd lost in my foolishness. I dance forwards towards the other girl, Jade, and lunge forth at her with my metal arm extension.

Hoping to continue with my lucky streak.

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[pup]

Jade grinned. No more Mrs. nice girl. Now it was time to get serious. No more ones. No more losing. Now she will win. Now she will beat the girl. It was fun being nice and all, but Jade still had to win. What would her parents say if she had lost. She could see their faces in the crowd now, white with fear and anxiety about what would happen next. She lunges forward, trying to do what the career trainers say. Think of the sword as an extension of yourself. Well, it isn't.

To be good at using a sword you need to realize it's just a tool and it's fine if it gets a little dirty. None of that extension or an extra long arm stuff. It's time to get brought back to reality all you little career out there so still believe what they are told.

Jade grinned as the girl tried to attack. Jade blocked most of her shots but slipped and let one through. Now the girl was ahead by two points. My turn. Jade thought with another grin before she let loose with her tool. Not an extra long arm.

She quickly stepped back again and got ready for the next attack. She looked dup at the screen to see the current score. She had to win.

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[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

_______________________________________________________

MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

_______________________________________________________

No. Please don't let this come to an end so soon. I was ahead - yes, but no more than one point - but I was ahead. Winning. And it's the winning that counts in things like this. Losers are rewarded with shame.

I begin to lose hope again; feeling it drift away past my face have a newly found sense of familiarity. I don't like it. It's a feeling similar to that when you are ill and you feel those strange stomach movements whirling inside, it's a feeling similar to the feeling you feel on the reaping day, where there is so little to feel yet so much. I don't like it.

Tiredly - with my face struck by hopelessness - I try to claw back what's left of what I had. The name calling of 'Moka' has faded once again into 'Jade', which reduces me to nothing more than a body with a sword. A body with a sword who could do damage, but doesn't. Because I am nothing but a little girl from District One who isn't a career.

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template by chelsey

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[pup]

Jade was terrified now. The girl was only three points away. If she got anything above a two this turn she would win and Jade's parents would wear bags over their heads because Jade couldn't beat a thirteen year old girl. Jake's smile vanished slightly as the four hits came to her. Jade readies herself for the next attack she will unleash on the little girl.

"Nice job kid." She said, regaining her grin, "unfortunately fun time is over now." With that being said she rushed out with her sword and this time got back quickly. Jumping into a defensive position so the girls next attack won't hit her. Jade won't let Mom a get past her defenses this time. This time it's for real.

(Sorry it's short!)


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[Azalea]

IT WOULD FEEL JUST LIKE A SLEDGEHAMMER.

_______________________________________________________

MOKA FLEUR
and so 'x' marks the spot

_______________________________________________________

I close my eyes and think back to a time where is was so much more peaceful. Watching the other fights with content but scared eyes, reflecting everything I was seeing straight back out onto the large stage. I open them and I'm living in the reflection, but there's no glass to break through. It's all real.

What is there to see in her except a beast? An evil which lurks within her, thirsty for my defeat and preying on my weakness. I don't like to think of it, but I'm truthful, always. And I really mean it when I say I've lost. 14 points to 12. In my current state, only a miracle would let me score 3 or 4 points. Only a miracle, which I hope the skies bring.

I try to forget it but as I lunge forth, it slops around my mind like a thick layer of glue. Too hard to rid myself of, too sticky to forget. And it's as I put everything I have into my final dance that I realise that within the simple seconds of this fight; I've changed.

For better or worse.

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template by chelsey

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