One More Light {Marauders vs Adepti day 4}

[Knuckles]

His eyes dart around until they finally rest on the branches of a tree. It brings him calm and peace, and it gives him the comfort that's needed. For his entire life, Maverick told himself he never would amount to anything, yet it happened because of other people. Having so called friends made him feel like he was worthless and useless and that everything would always come crashing down, but believing that is always a lie. To this day, those people lived rent free in his mind, and all he wants to do is prove to himself that he deserves so much better.

Leaning against a tree, Maverick takes in the world. Rene is off to herself, yet she's still in his line of sight, and he's trying to keep a bit of distance between himself and Dyno. Losing a bet always sucks, but there's something about losing it this way. Being so close, it's hard to think about. He's just grateful his attack wasn't the final blow. A heavy sigh leaves his chest as he opens up the umbrella to keep the rain off himself. It's better than nothing. A heavy sigh leaves his chest as he slowly allows himself to drift off to sleep. Last night was long, but hopefully tonight is better.

The morning appears, and Maverick rolls out of the slumber and stretches his arms above his head. It's a new day, a new chance to begin, a new chance to get one step closer to making it home alive. But right now, the only thing on his mind is figuring out where to go and what to do now. It's hard to focus on anything until the others are ready. Letting them lay as long as possible is far more important than anything since they took so much damage the day before. Moving at their pace is ideal. It makes it all easier, and once their ready, they start heading out.

One step after another, Mav slowly leads the way keeping his eyes and ears open waiting for someone or something to appear. Being a career is important, it gives him something to do, something to think about that gives him a chance to understand the importance of being where he is. District four has a reputation of being strong and brave, and while he isn't either of those, he can't help but see that Rene is. She's everything district four has wanted, and he's snatching that away from her. In the blink of an eye, everything can turn around without a trace.

How can I become more like her?

Comparing himself to others never made it easy in life, and yet his entire world is running before him, it's giving him what he needs, but the idea of life isn't there. Jalan and Cotlan stole so much from him, they brought him down so many times in life, and now all Maverick wants is to stand tall and proud. His eyes dart back and forth, and then he stops in his tracks and raises his hand. "Alliance at ten o'clock." He whispers before readying his spear and taking off running toward the alliance ahead. Hearing the shallow stream in the distance, it brings him home.

Sometimes the element of surprise works, but other times it can cause someone to die.

It's his hope he's the strongest and will succeed no matter what.

credit to griffin <3

Maverick attacks Steele with spear
j|rZrpuuN2spear
3084 -- Deep Gash on Left Thigh -- 8.0 damage + 1 strength spear

[✨ zozo.]

It's...

quiet.

Francine doesn't like the silence. She's a quiet one usually, ears filled with whispers on the wind. But her heart aches and her fist burns with the punch she threw at Svetlana last night and her ghosts have gone deathly silent in the moment she needs them most.

Wisp coos. A sad, nervous sound. Bubbleboy won't leave her side. And Adan is gone, just like that, bleeding out in a bed of cherry blossoms.

She hates the colour pink. White knuckles, bruised and aching, clasp tightly around the hilt of her sword. When she wakes in the morning her jaw aches, clenched throughout the night. Instinctively she cocks her head, strains to hear their voices. One voice in particular.

But there's no sound but the wind in the leaves of the trees and she still loathes this false forest, empty of ghosts, filled with hate. So pretty. So beautiful. So deceptive.

Steele is serious, Autumn's cheery demeanor dampened. The gap that Adan filled grows hollow. Francine doesn't even nod a good morning, because nothing about this day is good. (Svetlana will pay. Svetlana will pay. Forrester, traitor, Svetlana will pay.) She scowls when she drinks on arrival at the stream, stomps through the pebbled floor, muttering violence in her thoughts to fill the emptiness she feels. Even Wisp leaves her alone, floating sadly at a distance.

Don't go, she had begged. Don't leave. Please.

But they had all left. All of them, Adan included.

So when the other tributes appear Francine doesn't hesitate. She doesn't even think. She just strikes, furious, hurting. If her ghosts wanted to abandon her, fine. She'd just make more with her blade.

With a snarl, little reaper gets to work.

francine attacks rene, katana (sword)

deR6niBhq4sword

4

sword

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

Last night, I saw the ghost of a friend. And that's decidedly what Adan was, whether he lived long enough to know it or not. I was dreaming of course, when he came to me. But I wasn't in the forest where he died. I wasn't even in the arena, I thought. I was in our back pasture back home. I could see Foxtrot and Blackjack grazing in the distance, and then beyond them, I could see the fence line and the chicken coops, and then the woods beyond that. It'd started off as one of those dreams where I could already tell it wasn't real- something about this simple sight I'd seen too many times to count felt more unrealistic than where I really was.

I tried to inhale through the nose and see if I could smell the rain- you always could when the skies were as drab and gray as they were in my mind. But there was nothing, just the wind and me standing there stuck. And then, where before there had been nothing, stood a boy tall and hungry-looking, with curious eyes and just about the most mischievous grin I could've imagined him wearing. I waited for a long time to see if he'd speak, but he didn't. He stood there, looking back at me with his hands in his pockets, expressionless. I got the hint that he was waiting for me to start it. Problem was, there were about a million things I would've wanted to say but in the moment all I could think of was- "Wrong dream, Honeybun. Francine's about three feet to my right- I think she's the one who does this stuff normally."

Still nothing. In my sleep, at least up until that moment, I think I'd forgotten how sad I was that he'd died. I didn't even notice I was crying until both cheeks were wet and the tears were tickling my chin.

"Don't reckon you would've had anything else to say to me now anyway after-"

Adan's mouth fell open lazily. And from somewhere else- not from him, but from the trees in the distance, from the skies above, I heard his voice like thunder: "Can you try to save me anyway, Autumn?"

I covered my trembling mouth with my hand, uttering a desperate, muffled "I'm so sorry," which seemed to be lost on him. He reached his hand out to me and then he began to crumble to dust, like stone. Like something once meant to be permanent. And then my eyes opened.


When the parachute landed in my lap this time, I didn't bother trying to read Francine or Steele's expressions. Just from the size and weight, I knew it was another dress just the same as they did. And though they were always remarkably crafted, they did nothing to help my continued survival in the games. The fabric was not thick enough to negate sharp silver, or padded enough to keep the cold away. It wasn't water-proof. Shoot, it even made climbing a tree for a viewpoint feel like a near-impossibility. And this dress in particular really was special- sky blue silk hugging my body at every curve, black lace sleeves with fish like the ones in the ponds I saw on the first day. This one wasn't just a pageant dress. I could've walked in the fanciest circles of the Capitol in something like this. But the note.

"Have you considered what your greatest talent is, Autumn? You and I both know that there cannot be a moment when you allow yourself to be underestimated, not when the crown is this close. Today, in return for this gift, I request to see a life ended by your hands. There must be an equal dose of brain and brawn to your beauty, after all, and I need to know that you are truly willing to do whatever it takes to survive."

I worried about several things in the moments after I finished reading. The first was that unless she meant hula-hoop, I didn't have a talent. Certainly not anything that'd help me here. The second thought was a question: Kill someone? Hadn't I already done that by failing to save Adan? And the last was this: Did I accidentally sign my soul to a devil? Is that was Bambi Salcedo was? Why else would she have been helping me all this time with people like Steele or the girl from Four were still around? Only to come back this late in the games with demands? Any patron worth having brought more to the table than a nice stitch, I decided.


"Hey, um-" I struggled with what to say to little Francine a bit later, "I know you cared for Adan, but... Sometimes-" The silence mocked me. I saw a flash of Adan's crumbling face again and blinked it away. He's who should've been here with her now, having this conversation. He's the one she trusted. He's the one she cared for. Having me here as some sort of glitzy substitute was just about the last thing I reckoned someone like Francine would want.

"Well..."

I cleared my throat, and before I could dig myself even deeper, I let the silence take us. It wasn't much longer before Francine bolted forward again, little ghoul come to haunt them all, come to get them before they could get her back. There were three of them, just as there were three of us. We were expected to do the same thing we'd already failed at doing, except this time with fewer friends. Did we have the audacity to hope for a different outcome this time?

You bet.

[autumn attacks rene, sword]
nxl5yb1A4Osword
[3.5 +2 ic sponsorship perk]

sword

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

I almost died. It's hard to think about anything else, but I put a smile on my face and try to be strong for everyone to see. Showing any weakness is hard, it's complex, and it's not something I want to do. I've been trained to never show weakness. Being trained as a career took a lot, it brought me to my knees, and then it built me up stronger. But it never prepared me for the feeling of teetering on the edge. My entire mind is racing, I'm covered in blood, I'm very close to just falling over and collapsing forever. But I can't let Mav and Dyno see just how weak I am. I've been broken, but I manage to keep my face clear of emotions. It's hard, but I do it for myself and it's exhausting. I need a goodnight sleep. It's going to be hard to come by though seeing as I am in the arena.

Maverick is sitting off to himself, and I wonder what he's thinking. He's a strange on in my opinion. Sometimes he's very talkative, but a lot of the time he's off in his own little world. Maybe it's normal for him. Maybe it's how he copes with things. I don't know. Going over and talking to him would be ideal right now. I mostly need to take care of myself and make sure that I'm okay, and that I will live to see another day. I look away from him, and I look at Dyno. He's so cocky and arrogant, and he's even more cocky than myself, but I have nothing to prove to him. I showed him what I was capable of.

"You're so worried about getting the first kill. Congrats! I'll only need one kill when all is said and done." A grin spreads across my face as my words flow from my lips. I watch to see his reaction because I want to know how he takes it. Sometimes it's fun to watch people try to talk through their ego that is higher than the trees in the sky, and I'm not about to entertain his. "You'll need more than one. Gotta get the Capitol to be entertained by you." Everything is all about the entertainment. It's sickening, but I can't help the laugh that leaves my lips. "I'm here for me. Not them." It took me a while to get to this point. All I wanted for so long was to be the center of attention while everyone cheered for me, but that has changed. Being close to death brings new perspectives into light.

"We all are, but you can also give them what they want."

His words are true, but I'm not giving them what they want anymore. I'm giving myself what I want, and that means nothing about what the Capitol wants. "I'm a selfish asshole. If they want a victor molded, they can come in here themselves." They never have to go through this. They never have to suffer through the games. They're never placed close to death, and it's something that's annoying, that's terrifying. Dyno chuckles, and I turn to look at him once more. "That's sweet, but you know the Capitol is always right. Don't get too ahead of yourself."

"If they're always right, then may the grim reaper find me tomorrow." It's a challenge, it's a threat, and if the Capitol wants me to die, then they'll make me die. I know what I'm capable of doing, and I will no longer live my life to please them. I'm about to walk away when Dyno speaks once more. "Not if I'm there. I'll kill the grim reaper if I have to." He's a smart guy, and after he says that, I walk away from him, and I go sit next to a tree without another thought. It looks like Maverick is already sleeping, so I make sure I can't be seen, and I start mending my wounds. Once I'm done, I somehow manage to fall asleep, and it's an amazing feeling.

The next morning comes, and Maverick is already awake and packed up ready to go. I wait for Dyno, and then we move on together. Maverick leads the way, and I'm almost afraid to follow him because he's so unpredictable. But I do follow him, and then I stop when he puts his hand up, and then I watch him run into battle, and he's drawing first blood, but I focused on him too long because a couple of tributes are after me, and they're on top of me before I have a chance to back away. I ready my spear, and I move away from them, and I follow Maverick into battle. I run holding the spear out in front of me, and when I'm close to the tribute Mav attacked, I jump and push myself forward aiming for death. Someone has to die, and I'm going to do what I can to make sure it isn't me.

Rene attacks Steele | Spear

IpWZ_Lu0ebspear
3003 -- Deep Gash on Right Forearm -- 8.0 damage +1 strengthspear

[Tom]

The petals dance; fluttering in a dance of death. Wounds sewn back together, limbs looser than before, and there's still the sharp pain behind his shoulder blades every time he breaths in a bit too heavy. Electrifyingly alive, Dyno Moreno can taste the victory in the air, but he can't sit in the feeling forever. Others still hide out in the arena, ready to attempt to soak his legend with their ink and change every passage in his tale to nothing. A hum in the air as the storm rages around him, ever so crackling with the same passion he carries everywhere. Rene was still alive. Badly wounded by Yael and her weaklings. Grimacing to himself, he hides away the drop in his chest of care. Bullying his mind back down into the liquid ego coating his head, spinning away the care he's starting to build up.

Instead, he stays awake for longer than expected. Maverick resides underneath a tree, umbrella open in the storm, keeping the chill away from him longer. A consolation prize to the loser, but Dyno would never tell him such. The umbrella was for comfort and he didn't want comfort here. Comfort was for others. A simplistic approach of ease to the way he handles himself. Dyno didn't need to worry about the storm. The slight static shock every morning makes him feel alive. Feels as if he could tackle any problem and fight the arena itself if he were forced to. Only, he stares forward as the sky glitters with the faces of the dead.

Yael Damaris glitters with all the stars above, streaking through the sky as if she were a shooting star. A moment of seeing all that he's caused before him, flickering in his eyes. The smile he can't help but let twitch upwards as he holds a hand out tracing the parts of her face, remembering the way blood dripped from his skin. The laugh in his throat with molten metal beneath his fingertips. All of his wishes were coming true. No one could stop him. The names in his journal would be crossed off one by one. Faces lost to all of time, but Yael will always be stuck with him. A piece of his legend, cemented by his own sword, blood splatter across his face, and the heavy feeling between everyone.

Would they be thinking of him?

Johnny and Karl.

They had to be.

Adan from Nine wasn't surprising. Ivy Mortuus was more surprising. A sigh as he looks at her face, noting the way that legacies seem to fall away. Names unable to become more than themselves. A saddening sight, but one he's determined to continue to cause. Only one name will remain. His own. Letting the faces fade away back into the crackling sky, he notices Rene avoiding Maverick. Her eyes glimmer in the night as he watches with a sort of ease. There's a silence between them before the smile comes to her eyes, building up a sort of camaraderie for a second. "You're so worried about getting the first kill. Congrats! I'll only need one kill when all is said and done."

The trickling feeling of wanting to smile pulls on his face, but he stops himself and watches carefully. Killing wasn't an issue. Death wasn't an issue. And yet, he's almost stopped for a second as he thinks for too long. Yael would be the first of many. That's what he'd told himself. A legend needs to make a point, a statement. "You'll need more than one. Gotta get the Capitol to be entertained by you." The Capitol is the reason they all are alive by the end. A choice is only as good as the story you tell within the arena. Dyno's spent years studying every arena's story, followed victors of long dead and still alive to find the key to each of their victories. Each on carries a story, builds the capitol an idea, and burns them into the minds of every person. Dyno would take that beyond that level. He wanted them begging him to take the crown from everyone else.

"I'm here for me. Not them."

A laugh that makes his eyes watch her curiously. A sort of flicker behind the irises as he watches her carefully. Volunteering was his dream. Dyno Moreno wanted to be a victor since he could walk and talk. A man born to take the crown by any means necessary. Was Rene saying the Capitol was wrong? Intriguing. There's a fluttering feeling at the back of his throat as he watches her with a smirk the entire time before his voice comes through with clear infliction. "We all are, but you can also give them what they want." They all were there for themselves or at least, every tribute should be. Dyno was there for his dream, but he saw the influence of the Capitol. No one could stop their choices. Only way to push on was giving them a show, a promise, and a reason to help you along. Dyno's spent a number of years on just his perfect storyline beat. A villain who's more than just a villain to Panem. Dyno's the person Panem deserves.

"I'm a selfish asshole. If they want a victor molded, they can come in here themselves." There's a pause in a moment; heart in his throat as he watches her with a careful smirk, trying to not give anything away. The Capitol is the reason they get to fight, the reason they get to be strong, and the reason their legends are born from ash. Reborn into a full scale stardom that never fades. Dyno Moreno would always trust the Capitol's choice. The Capitol is what gave One it's freedom to be the entertainment of Panem. A sort of chuckle comes from his throat, bubbling with interest.

"That's sweet, but you know the Capitol is always right. Don't get too ahead of yourself."

Only, Rene's words surprise him. "If they're always right, then may the grim reaper find me tomorrow." A challenge into the chaos of the storm, beating with the thrum of electricity in his ears. A certain onslaught of rain overhead as he watches petals swarm in a reflection of a puddle. There's a silence for a second as he watches her, soaks in the ease in which she speaks openly of the Capitol. As if their positions had been sentenced by them, he lets her get up. Watches her back for a moment, let's his eyes cloud over as a feeling in the bottom of his chest blooms. Fluttering like a storm of pink petals across the black sky, flickers of light behind them. His smile is darker than before, an excitement at the thought of someone so openly strong. Willing to talk of the people who keep her alive, Dyno Moreno couldn't smile any wider. Death would come for Rene, but he wanted to see where this would go. Voice is barely there, heavy in the sky. The fluttering of a feeling as he looks back to the blood that's been dried along his uniform. Yael's face drifting to the front of his mind.

"Not if I'm there. I'll kill the grim reaper if I have to."

Night comes with an easing storm, electricity still thrumming through the air. A soft glow of the sky as Dyno waits up, keeping an eye out for a long period of time. Rene and Maverick sleep away from one another. The umbrella keeping Maverick dry, but unfortunately the plan to stop the snoring doesn't come. Maverick still is loud. The rain muffles most of the sound, but Dyno resides leaned against a tree, eyes focusing on the petals drifting along the path before his eyes drift close.

The sun comes with an unusual silence. The peace had finally come to the arena. A calm of the raging sky that's now left him on edge. Setting off in the morning, Dyno can taste the metallic blood from yesterday still lingering on his lips. Johnny and Karl were somewhere out there. Would he run into them once more? Ripred, he hoped so. A smirk on his lips as they travel away from the gently falling petals, dancing as if the storm had finally subsided, but glittering brighter than before. Only, when the arena fades away from petals to a flowing stream where the calm sound of water runs does he realize they'd gotten turned around somewhere. A groan almost wants to come from his lips, but instead he hears Maverick, who's in front of them.

"Alliance at ten o'clock." Twitting his head in the direction, Dyno smirks to himself. A heavy fire in his stomach as he swishes Yael's weapon behind his own hands. This would be fun. Dyno could use with another tale to add to his own. Footnotes to be added to his own story. Ink to be spilled onto his pages to keep their eyes on his own. Looking up, he takes in the three others. Francine of Seven, Svetlana's district partner. A strange girl who'd easily been written off in the early days of training for him. Autumn of Ten. Ten had just won, there wouldn't be any chance of another one. Not with him there. Lastly, Steele Cassidy is the one who makes him smile even darker than before, the ease at which he feels the adrenaline start to flow. His voice is just barely a dark whisper as he speaks them allowed to Maverick and Rene.

"Francine of Seven. Autumn of Ten. The last one is Steele Cassidy, my district partner." As Maverick moves ahead of him, the others noticing them by now, he continues. "This'll be fun." Maverick doesn't hesitate with his spear, stabbing the weapon into his district partner. Steele was weak to Dyno. Nothing of a career like himself. The girl would die just like the other faceless ones who didn't matter. Only, he watches the other alliance jump into action faster than Rene moves. Seven goes for Rene; curved sword cutting into her barely. There's a dark look as he watches with a flicker of ease as the girl snarls. Oh, he's going to have so much fun.

Autumn of Ten is just as fast, striking towards Rene. There's a moment where he's watching all of them with an excitement. A smirk of the devil he'd been the day before pulling at his lips, twitching the mask of himself back on. No one understood how much he dreamed for moments like these. Rene moves now, heading to back Maverick up. Spear moving with ease, glittering red blood into the air as he cant feel goosebumps starting to form on his skin. A sort of ease as he raises the naginata of Yael's up, watching with carful eyes towards the new alliance. Firstly, he watches Steele who's also moving into action. His words are cold, filled with a grim desire on the tip of his tongue.

"Steele." The name is calm against his lips, burning through his chest as he watches the blood drip. She's seen better days if her healing wounds were anything to talk about. "You've seen better days." A dark chuckle leaves his lips, raging with the fire of his own desire to destroy, to kill, and to become more. "Which one do you like more? Francine or Autumn?" There's a dark glimmer behind his eyes as he holds the glaive up higher. The silver makes his heart thrum with life, blending in the memories of the glaive cutting into Rene. Yael Damaris wanted to see him falter, but Dyno Moreno doesn't crumble. No, he rises higher and higher. Bigger and tougher than the rest. No one will stop his conquest, his birthright.

"You only get to keep one, Steele. Better choose wisely." Only he smiles with a certain pleased look, burning the feeling in his chest as he takes in her wounds, unsure of who'll fall first. There's a soft smile, grim in nature, but also understanding. One will only get one victor. And he's going to ensure it's him. His voice flickers once more, burning with the same flame of his blade the day before. The sweet taste of death lingers in the air. "Or will it be you? I do love a good plot twist. Don't you?" All of his words don't matter, watching her carefully, he focuses on the two girl from districts beneath One. Steele could choose, but he wasn't going to wait.

Ten's had their victor already.

"Choose fast. Before I choose for you."

Lifting the naginata, he smiles with hundreds of eyes watching him.

A grim taste of death on his lips as he swishes the naginata through the air with ease, the glimmering metal shining with the calm sky.

Another chapter begins as the blade comes down.

(Dyno Moreno attacks Autumn Oakley with Naginata [Glaive])
FgyifhtGHwglaive
(Deep Gash on Forehead 9.0 +1 for Blades)

glaive

[arx!!]

power is out but im gonna get this up and post later

[steele attacks dyno with her yari (spear)]
G5PWf|zKYQspear
[ -- 3.5 damage ]

spear

[Knuckles]

Life isn't easy, it never has been, and it never will be, yet Maverick finds himself in the worst possible situation. He wants to care about those around him, and deep down he does, but he knows caring will only cause so much pain in the future when Rene and Dyno ultimately die so he can return home alive. Caring only ends with heartache and pain, and that's what got him here in the first place. Friendships can only carry someone so far in the game of life because at the end of the day the only person caring about him is himself. Ezera probably wouldn't have saved him if the roles were reversed, and he completely understands the reasoning behind it.

Not everyone is willing to sacrifice themselves so other may live.

It's a weakness, a flaw, something that always brings him down, and instead of trying to figure out where to go in life, Maverick turned to people who never cared about him. All they wanted was someone to belittle, to make fun of, to watch suffer while trying to prove their strength, and Mav fell for it. Being close to them, becoming like them, getting the chance to get to know them for who they are, it all wasn't worth it. The tears, the agony, the broken heart. None of it was worth it, yet he finds himself in this situation because he wants to prove to them that he's stronger than they ever imagined, and winning this would prove it.

But his eyes focus on Rene and Dyno. They've both taken so many hits, they've been challenged, and they haven't stumbled. What if the roles were reversed? Would Mav still stand tall like them? Would he be able to keep himself from begging to die? Would screams of agony and pain leaves his lips?

He doesn't know, and while he doesn't want to find out, the idea of seeing how weak he is compared to them eats him alive, it devours his soul. In his mind, everyone has the wrong opinion of him. They see him as a strong career bred as a killing machine, but deep inside, Maverick isn't anything like that. He cares about people, he understands them in ways nobody can imagine, and now he's fighting against his own morals to figure out the meaning of life, and time is running out.

Maybe that's why he ran so fast into battle. In the hunger games, every second counts, and had they saw them first, maybe things would change. It's always best to start on the offensive compared to the defensive. But does it make a difference? Will it save Rene and Dyno? Will it make things better? Will it give them another day?

And the more Mav listens to Dyno talk, the more he wishes he would leave him behind and find his own way through the games. They're so different, and Maverick is tired of hiding behind the mask pretending he's something that he's not. Looking weak can't be a bad thing, right?

Weakness won't win him the crown, but it's hard, it's wearing him down to pretend he's someone that he's not. He's almost certain Rene knows, yet he tries his hardest to prevent either of them from knowing. It's a conversation he's not ready to have. But watching them, seeing how hard and strong they attack, it gives him the strength he needs to carry forward, to have these moments where he's capable of proving himself.

Would they laugh at him?

Would they belittle him?

Would they make me cry?

So many people don't understand Mav because he spent his teenage years mostly at home acting like a father for his siblings, and for the longest time, it felt as though nobody even appreciated him. All he desires is for someone to care, someone to treat him like an equal, and that's why he wants to prove himself here. But it doesn't stop his heart from breaking even more.

I chose this. I asked for this. I said I wanted this.

His eyes lock onto the eyes of Dyno's district partner, and Maverick looks for the angel of death. He has to be around here somewhere with all the blood pouring from various wounds.

I don't though.

Looking at Dyno and looking at Rene, Mav knows they're counting on him. They're putting so much weight on his shoulders, and he wishes they knew how heavy it is. Maybe they would abandon him. Maybe they would send him away for being someone he isn't. Anything is better than this.

Taking a deep breath, he tightens his grip on the spear.

"Rene, Dyno, let's finish this."

Death is calling, and someone has to answer even if an innocent soul dies because of him.

credit to griffin <3

Maverick attacks Steele with spear
_xadcxZVe9spear
3043 -- Deep Gash on Stomach -- 9.0 damage + 1 strength
spear

[✨ zozo.]

And it's just like yesterday, blades and blood - but the ghosts are gone, and so are Steele's shouts.

("GO! GO NOW!!")

She couldn't save Adan. Writhing under the weight of him, little arms and legs slippery with blood. Svetlana was cruel, but these children are crueler still. Taller. Deadlier. Trained to take a life. Francine isn't. She just knows how to talk to the dead.

No, not even that. She just hears them. She can't even talk back to them, not really. Can't touch them. Can't feel them. Can't even hear them now, when death dances around her so closely now. Can't save Adan. Couldn't save Adan. And Francine knows, watching, that she can't save Steele either.

Maybe she herself is dead. Maybe she's just haunting them all, invisible. Maybe that's why they haven't yet touched her. An 11 branded on her forehead means nothing now. The taller kids race past her like the wind and strike them down - Adan, yesterday. Steele, today. Autumn, tomorrow, probably.

And then she will be all alone, like she use to be. How horrible that prospect feels now. Francine and her ghosts - but they'll be ghosts that don't speak. Francine and the blood on her hands. Francine and her sword, almost as tall as she - how silly she looks wielding it. Wild and untamed. Francine and only Francine -- that's all she'll be, until she dies alone.

Steele does not yell now. So Francine does instead - wild, feral, drowning out the silence she despises so much.

francine attacks rene, katana (sword)

yuUL2ESYdesword

10

sword

[umber vivuus 12b 🥀 [dars]]

The boy from Steele's District, it turns out, did talk too much. I'd thought what Svetlana said about him was just another crazy muttering of the many she was making, but only ten seconds into my interaction with this guy and I could see exactly where she was coming from. I made a mental note to be sure and let her know if either of us lived long enough that I agreed with her.

He lashed out at me and the blade of his awful-looking weapon cut me from my right temple all the way up into my hairline. I shrieked in pain, fumbling backwards in my attempt to defend myself. Luckily enough, Steele came to my rescue. And can I just say how tragic it really is that it was necessary for her to do so. Her, swarmed by the majority of the career alliance, taking more damage than I could ever imagine my own self living through, getting to me in time to keep her own district partner from finishing the job of cutting my head off.

"No!"

I reached toward her as if it would be enough to will her to safety.

Francine was all alone. Steele was close to death. I was still acting like the damsel.

It was only then that I registered that I was sitting on the ground, having fallen backwards while trying to get away. I shuffled forward, one of my knees ripping through the fabric enough that I could feel the rocky mud beneath. My hip got caught up in my sword's sheath and the pinch hurt enough that I was sure it'd broken skin. I kept pushing forward anyway, and swung my sword up as I stood.

[autumn attacks rene, sword]
BtBdfX_mzmsword
[8.0 + 1 blades]

sword

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

Sometimes I think of my life, especially when I'm thrown into moments like this. Everything was always about training for this moment, to fight in the hunger games because all I ever desired was to bring honor to myself and my family. I wanted to learn how to defend myself so that when it came to moments like these, I was given the chance to succeed. Sometimes I wonder if maybe training for this was wrong. Every day brings me closer to death, and I can't help but think about my family. I can't help but think about what will happen when I end up dying. Part of me is envious that Mav and Dyno are still standing so strong and tall while I'm teetering on the fence of life and death. At least, I know what I'm capable of, and even though I have been so close to death so many times, I stare at the grim reaper and smile since he cannot take me yet.

I watch Mav and Dyno fighting hard, and I feel Maverick is going to kill Dyno's district partner, but his attack falls just short of it, and I'm standing in shock because the grim reaper is coming after her as well. But why hasn't he pulled her over the edge? Why am I still stuck standing here wondering when my time will come? Why do I have to focus on everything that's lingering before me right now? I can't help but smile when Mav gives the simple words of encouragement. It helps me to stay focused, to look at what's actually happening, and it gives me the best chance of success. Although, I'm not prepared. I'm not prepared for the pain I'm about to feel, but I don't scream. Screaming only shows weakness, but I am strong. I am a career. I am from district four, and I will not let anyone see me as someone who backs down.

Gritting my teeth together, I topple over before reaching out using the spear to balance myself on the ground. Spots are flickering before my eyes, and I expect the grim reaper to snatch my soul from my body at any given moment. I can hear my heart pounding inside my chest as my entire mind races. It's impossible to understand where to go from here. I so weak right now. It's hard to move, hard to function, and I can feel my soul trying to detach itself from my body, but tiny little threads are holding into place. I have to will myself to keep breathing, to prevent myself from letting one last gasp become my last.

Showing weakness isn't ideal, but I'm not strong at the moment. All my life, this is what I wanted, but maybe it was a mistake. It's too late now as I can't bring back my life from before. I can't turn back time and change the years, and I'll never let anyone see that. I press the tip of the spear into the ground, and I look at Maverick, and then I look at Dyno's district partner. One kill. That's all I need. To see one more light flicker out of. I lick my lips as I spring myself forward. One more attack may be all I have left in me, but it's enough because this is the moment where I can show the world that I'm the one deserving of honor and glory even if I fall victim of the hunger games.

Rene attacks Steele | Spear

BsS37hBJq3spear
3063 -- Shallow Cut on Back of Head -- 4.5 damagespear

[Tom]

They all bleed the same.

Red blood dripping from Yael's glaive, burning red hot as if her pain could be plastered across the metallic weapon. A grim smile pulling across his lips; the taste of sweet pain and pleasure. All at the grasp of his own hands. The silence of a good strike as he leans away, pulling back to watch Steele, unsure of what she's planning. Until, there's a spear coming toward him. Similar to the one Johnny had sprung on him, glittering metal that cuts into his softly. The feeling vibrating through his skin. Burning with a soft tension that's unrivaled to anything else. Watching her, he keeps his eyes focused on the blade, unable to help himself.

Steele Cassidy was trying to take him down.

The grin on his lips shifts to a smirk. Intrigue fueling him as he stares into the quiet of the stream. Soft water rushing against his ankles as he lets himself take in who Steele Cassidy was. A girl who was from his home. The last piece of One left there besides himself. A sort of pang in his demeanor as he watches her for a second, only to watch Maverick be the ruin. Pain burning from his strike, Dyno's unable to help himself. The words tumble out of his lips as the smile drops. "Too bad. You didn't even get to write your own story." The others are rushing Rene, wounds cut deeply into her as Dyno swears for a second she's about to fall. Blood dripping just as deeply as before. His own grip tightening on Yael's Glaive. There's a pause before he notices Rene moving.

"We'll write it for you."

Rene ends it.

Another story closed upon his victory. Another death to add to their kill count. A smirk doesn't come this time, instead there's a feeling in the pit of his stomach. Burning with the memories of One. Steele Cassidy had been his district partner. The memory of a train and two kids being kids for one last time. All of that dies with her. It's a saddening feeling, but Dyno manages to look away soon enough. Words on his lips as he does so. "I love a good plot twist." The words were meant to be filled with excitement, joy, or something else, but instead he's left with a hollow feeling for a moment. It's hard to miss.

A heavy breath leaves his lips as he looks to Francine and Autumn. Blood still dripping from Autumn's wound as he gives them a smile that bleeds into a dangerous look. Swiveling Yael's glaive around, he points it towards Autumn with a threatening stance before he start to speak, loudly and with all the confidence in the world. "Run... or you'll be next." A laugh leaves his lips as he stays with his eyes focused on them.

Every story is theirs to end.

Dyno's will be the only one to become a legend bigger than the rest.

(Dyno Moreno stays and vibes threateningly)

[Knuckles]

This is a filler. I have a lot to do the rest of today, and I work tomorrow. So I want to get something up to not hold this up. I will fill in my fillers ASAP.


"Get out of here while you can." He says to Francine and Autumn, and when he says this he's standing tall and holding his spear as if he's ready to attack if they don't move.

Mav is basically very introspective.

He realizes he's not enjoying the title of being a career and mentally throws it away and doesn't care what anyone says about him anymore. He's perfectly fine being the imposter his "friends" made him out to be.

credit to griffin <3

does not attack and does not flee