silence speaks.— [peter/orville]

[Deleted]

P E T E R   W E B S T E R - V Ă D U V A

I was in the weights room, stretching, getting ready for a bit of a workout. There was only one other kid in here and I greeted him when I came in but he hadn't said anything. Which is a bit weird, but fine by me. Some people are shy or take a bit to warm up to you. Though, I got a bit nervous when I saw him get ready to bench press. I know appearance isn't everything, he just didn't look like the strongest guy in the world and the bar itself is usually around 45 pounds. Benching can be a lot harder than it looked.

Around the time I picked up a dumbbell it happened in an instant. He tried to bench it and sure enough his arms waver and then fell straight down. He was barely keeping the bar from crushing his throat - I've seen it happen before in Six, it's not a pretty sight. Without even thinking I dropped the dumbbell on the floor resulting in a loud BANG and run over to him.

I spoke calmly, confidently, the last thing I needed was for him to panic and drop the bar on his throat - it seemed like he was barely keeping it up at this point, "Don't let go of the bar until I tell you, alright?" I took it with two hands and got myself into a good position leaning over him so it would be easy to lift without risking hurting my own back. "Alright, you can let go now." And the moment he let go of the bar, I easily lifted the weights up and off of him before setting it on the ground.

"Hey are you alright? Is your throat okay?"

The Peacekeepers were looking at us at this point, but weren't doing anything. I'm pretty sure they saw how badly he was struggling to. If their jobs to protect us, shouldn't they have jumped in earlier? Maybe their job is more of to keep us alive than anything. Keep us alive so that way we can just tear each other apart later. That's what I noticed about the way that this government, this system works.

We spend our whole lives in the districts, being broken down. It's not too bad in Six, but everyone has heard stories from places like Twelve. People dying and starving all the time. And then our name comes out of that big glass bowl and bam! Everything changes. They build us up, give of a life of luxury, and train us for a short time. We feel on top of the world. Until we enter the Arena. And then it happens again, in an instant they rip us to pieces, inside and out. 23 of us die this way, and then suddenly the last one gets built back up one final time.

I didn't know how Flynn and Teddy handled it all, how anyone did. I almost began to wonder if the dead were the lucky ones.

[ table by jay ]

[ 498 words ]

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

O R V I L L E

There comes a point in every day that Orville has to worry about his neck. Sure as the sun rises and sets, his throat is cursed. Whether it's the first tickle of a cold or an ache in his vertebrae from sleeping on a pile of hay once again, it's where he first manifests pain, worry, doom.

It's little wonder to him that during his first real training session in the Capitol, he's pinned to the spot by a bar crushing his throat.


"Don't let go of the bar until I tell you, alright?"

Sure thing, Sue, he'd say, if he could. As it were, his legs kicked of their own volition. He tightens his grip on the bar, hoping the other boy can see the consent in his pale eyes.

And then he lifts the bar away steadily, easily, competently.

Orville's hands fly to his own neck, squeezing and poking, trying to find the most bruised point. It's on the front, adam's apple. It feels kissed by fire.

"Hey are you alright? Is your throat okay?"

Orvillesits up abruptly, coughs several times, and then looks at Peter's feet. "Same as ever," he manages. There's something about his rescuer, something easy and bright and hopeful. He could have let Orville die, could have saved himself the trouble of eliminating Orville in the arena. But he didn't.

Orville forces himself to look up at the other tribute, to really see him, even though eye contact makes his stomach twist. And that's when he realizes the other boy is devastating and all words -- even the strange ones -- flee.

He motions at his neck to indicate that he can't speak more but it looks like he's fanning himself, which feels wholly appropriate.

Because, damn, Peter Webster-văduva is hot.

[Deleted]

P E T E R   W E B S T E R - V Ă D U V A

I was a bit scared for him even after I got bar off of him. I knew I shouldn't have been. I could kill him as early as the Bloodbath. Stab him through his throat with a spear. But that would be then. Now I could still be human. I wanted to hold onto whatever semblance of humanity I had left for as long as possible. Even if it made my life harder later. Right now I could still be kind and helpful, I could be the good person I spent my life being. I could be a dad that Luca would be proud of. I wasn't sure what would happen once I stepped foot in that arena.

But after a bit of coughing, he said he was somewhat okay and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Him just talking was a good sign even if his voice sounded a little... off. Now that I thought about it, I don't think I've ever really seen this kid talk to anyone since we got here. Weird.

When we made eye contact I gave him a little smile, "Glad you're okay... Seven." I had to look at his shirt patch to see where he was from if I was being honest. Other than the ones who were siblings of tributes and of course my district partner I had a hard time remembering where everyone was from. And if I didn't learn too many names maybe I wouldn't feel as bad if I had to kill them. I knew it was a long shot but whatever helped me keep my sanity I would take.

All of a sudden he looked sick for a moment and then started fanning himself, "Hey you okay? Fuck." I put the back of my hand to his forehead out of habit - it's how I always checked Gabriel and Willa for fevers. I only put my hand there for a second, his forehead was definitely sweaty, but he didn't feel feverish. I was still worried, "I'll go run and grab you a bottle of water, I saw some on the other side of the world. If you can't swallow or breathe please try to let me know immediately. We might need to get you to a medic."


I ran across the room and got a bottle of water and came back. Before I gave him the bottle I did one more thing out of habit, I cracked open the seal on the bottle without actually opening it. I got so used to my younger siblings needing help to open bottles that eventually I just started breaking the seals whenever I got them drinks. Now even though they were older I still always cracked the seal for them. And now I was doing the same thing for Seven as I called him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

[ table by jay ]

[ 476 words ]