drop the guillotine | niko v mirage v elm | day 6

[pup]

At the sound of the anthem, Niko looks skyward from his rocky alcove. Holding his breath, he watches as the faces come and go. There's the scary career from four, the guy from six, and then the two girls he had seen struck down just a few hours prior. Then the light dissipates from the clouds, leaving only a calm, darkening sky.

The two people he had been looking for hadn't decided to make an appearance tonight. When it came down to it, he'd prefer to see Itzal and Mirage's faces lighting up the sky rather than see them in person again. Gritting his teeth, he looks down at Bean. The creature appears to sense his stress and comes to his side, conglomerating itself into a little ball of light next to him. His mouth relaxes and he takes a deep breath of the fresh night air now that the pain from the broken bones has been washed away by the mysterious drink he had found at the top of the mountain.

The seelie at his side stirs, turning to look up the mountain.

A purple mist rolls down the hill, crackling in a way that sends chills down Niko's spine. The popping noises, however, are no longer angry and fierce. This time they're more soothing, making the tendrils of fog look like open arms beckoning Niko closer. All the same, he grips his newfound weapon and stares it down.

It doesn't seem like there's any monstrous dragonflies making their way towards him, and has the fog engulfs him he feels no sense of danger. All the same, when he feels comfortable to sit back down in the clouds, he keeps his hand tightly around the hilt of the naginata.

Hours pass, and his patience is starting to wear thin. Between drooping eyes and his ever-jittery leg, waiting for whatever the gamemakers have planned is a torture itself. Sleeping would likely mean death, so he forces himself to stay alert, hand on his weapon. From time to time, he thinks he can see something move in the fog, but it could just be a trick of his increasingly bored mind.

When a scorching sun begins to pierce through the fog, Bean sits up. The seelie begins to move away from Niko down a path in the fog that hadn't been there moments ago. Lighting a path through the fog, Niko knows he's meant to follow the creature. After forcing himself off the ground with a tired grunt, he pulls his pack on and picks up his weapon. Giving his fate to Bean, he follows quietly.

When the creature disappears into nowhere, Niko knows the time for peace is up. Bean likes to do that--vanish whenever a fight is about to happen that is. Niko's knuckles turn white on the glaive as his heart rate increases, trying to make out what could be in the fog.

His breathing turns heavy as the air becomes thick with humidity, but he continues to slink carefully forwards. He thinks he sees shapes in the mist and hears the sound of fast-moving feet, but as soon as he notices, the fog seems to become thicker around him.

Soon enough though, the fog pulls him into a clearing surrounded by fog. Two other paths are facing out from opposing sides. Right when he steps foot into the clearing, his path begins to slowly close behind him, leaving only a wall of fog. The message is clear enough: survive whatever comes through those paths and you will be able to leave.

The first tribute's shape begins to come into focus, and Niko's grip on the naginata only grows tighter. His breathing grows heavy as his heart begins to pound in his ears. It's some kind of sick joke.

Fear mixes with his anger and disgust of the girl entering the clearing. She's the one who had killed Ivy all those days ago.

"What's up, Mirage," Niko states, his voice tinged with barely-contained rage at the sight of her as he raises his weapon.

"I don't see Itzal around to stop me from killing you this time," he paces closer, his weapon leveled at her, his eyes locked onto her. He barely registers the footsteps coming from the other path.

"I saw what you did to Ivy, and I hope she'll be watching us when I get revenge."

attacks mirage with naginata (glaive)
nnV4Q9hLrYglaive
[block]

After striking at Mirage, he finally notices the other figure appearing from the mist. His jaw clenches and a pain shoots through his face as he remembers her weapon striking him in the face yesterday.

"Great, I guess I'm going round two with you too," he says, his anger from Mirage turning towards the newcomer.

Maybe the two tributes he dislikes the most in the arena had come to haunt him from the fog. He's glad to know what the gamemakers think of him, throwing him to the wolves like this.

attacks elm with naginata (glaive)
glaive
[severed right foot at ankle - 9]

accuracy, day 6, on mirage
glaive
[Shallow Cut on Left Hip - 3.5]

---

bean

[kaitlin]

glaive·glaive·glaive

[Python]

Mirage thought she didn't have any faces to look forward to. Her answer to Itzal was simple - "Anyone who's weak." After all, everyone craves an easy fight. Conserving energy was of the upmost importance this late into the Game. She had been counting names in the graveyard since the first cannon, and she knew there twelve tributes left. Halfway through the story, but she knew from experience that corpses could start dropping like flies. She had watched enough times to know how Gamemakers lured the tributes together like bees to flowers, forcing them to fight versus flee. Mirage had no issues with that; she would follow their lead.

They played their cards in the form of a lavender fog. It smelled like ozone and invigoration, and she almost didn't notice Itzal's absence right away. "Itzal? You out there?" She stood up and brushed herself off. Crusted blood and rubble crumbled at her feet, and her loyal Seelie shook some of it off. "Didn't get lost in the fog, did you?" When she was met with silence, she calmly removed her katana and walked forward. If Itzal had finally decided to leave her in fear of being stabbed in his sleep, he had been a little premature. Or perhaps he had wandered off and gotten lost in the fog. Either way, she had to move forward.

As she maneuvered further up the mountain, she understood that she was in the perfect position for ambush. This fact alone slowed her movements, and she chose every step carefully. One accidental kick of a stone could reveal her position, and she would not die to such stupidity.

When a silhouette formed itself in the fog, Mirage considered calling out to it in case it was Itzal. Her brain reminded her of where she was, and she halted her footsteps instead until a familiar face materialized. She took note of his cuts and bruises. "Looking good Niko," she spoke with a grin, paying no mind to his grandiose confidence about Itzal's absence. Something something 'I'm so angry I'm going to win and get revenge'. She laughed. "Dead people don't see or care. You're on your own. I'm surprised you haven't grown a spine and gotten over it by now."

There was a tangle of blades until Niko's slid to the side and caught the edge of her pelvis. It ripped through the top of her dress, creating yet another hole in the fabric. She had stopped counting those.

To her surprise, a second figure emerged from the fog, and Niko seemed as invested in him as he was with her, if not on a worse scale. She couldn't help the loud cackle that escaped her lips as he struck the boy down - who even was that? She couldn't see his face yet.

Hand over her mouth, she turned to Niko and raised her eyebrow. The irony was too funny. "Isn't that like what I did to Ivy? Looks like you're learning."

She pointed her blade at him.

"Maybe you aren't so lame after all."

She stole a quick glance at the newcomer and winked. "I'm Mirage, by the way. Glad we've met."

[attacks Nikolas - katana]
puJrzpSEZLsword
Stabbed in Thigh -- 8.5 damage +1 Blades

[attacks Elm - katana]
sword
Severed Left Arm at Shoulder -- 10 damage +1 Blades

sword·sword

[Sunrise Rainier D2 // [Thundy]]

e l m  -  e r r i n g t o n

The beauty of the sunset, sitting there with Theo, is short-lived. I still think of the beauty of this place as something menacing, something poisonous, and as night descends upon us and the anthem blares, I’m reminded once again that we are not here for any enjoyment. This beauty is not a kindness; it is cinematography for those who want to watch us bleed.

My sleep is fitful, but I’m switching off the watch with Theo anyway, so I use my sleeplessness to give him some respite from reality. I stare into the night with a blank expression on my face, thinking of Dorothy, of Svet, and of Autumn.

I killed a person. Not alone, but I did it. Me, responsible for another human life.

Self-loathing wraps its way around my thoughts, tangling through everything. I feel the pain of it in my body, a physical ache.

What do my moms think of me right now? How could I ever step foot back home in Ten?

I sit there for hours in the dark, pondering it.

The answer becomes obvious somewhere around mid-morning. I’ve just stepped away to pee, and within moments I am engulfed in a deep purple fog. Here is my answer: it’s another day with another fight, and odds are that I’ll never step foot in District Ten ever again.

Heartbreak and relief mingle like old friends in my heart. I think of the creek by my home. I think of the sheer fight in my body the day before, the will to live, and wonder how to hold onto it. I wasn’t doing well before these Games even started, and now what do I have to cling to? What is there hope for? If I die, I will never have to face up to what I’ve done to Autumn.

I’m too wrapped up in my own thoughts to know where I’m going when I wander back to our camp. I’m wandering up, up, up, and I keep thinking I’ll turn the corner and see Theo just there, but I never do. The break in the fog gives me hope at first, but after a long time wandering through the mist, I know that this is by design.

I know, suddenly, that I will never see Theo again.

My heart rate picks up. I am alone.

I am going to die today, I think.

I’m —

Oh.

Just out of the corner of my eye, I see movement. Not Theo. Someone else, someone familiar. Do I know his name? I wrack my brain for what it might be, but the word escapes me. And he’s talking, but he’s not talking to me. Fuck.

I see another tribute emerge from this mist. I don’t know her name either. I see the boy lunge at her, hear him throw a taunt through the fog, and then – "Great, I guess I'm going round two with you too.”

I’m not ready. I'm not. He surges toward me, and I try to back away, but his blade slices deep into my foot, mangling it, tearing flesh from bone and skin from muscle.

I scream. My vision blurs.

I’m so lost, so absolutely overwhelmed by the pain, that I barely hear what the girl says. Something about Mirage. God, the pain. GOD.

But then she’s on me too. She lashes into my arm, and the pain is immediate, doubled, blinding. I scream again, living somewhere beyond anguish. My weapon falls to the dirt in my other hand as I try to hold my arm together. Every moment is an agony.

All I can do is scream, sob, bleed.

I take too long to pick my weapon up from the dirt. I can hardly move. I can’t speak. All I can do is scream bloody murder at the people who are ending my life.

Elm attacks Niko, spiked blunt
7wRTiySJhIspiked blunt
14084 -- BROKEN RIGHT WRIST -- 6.5 damage
(Spiked Blunt) +1 Strength

Elm attacks Mirage, spiked blunt
spiked blunt
14175 -- BROKEN LEFT SHIN -- 7.0 damage
(Spiked Blunt) +1 Strength

spiked blunt·spiked blunt

[pup]

He's never really hated anyone. Sure, he hated the keepers who threw him in a detention center cell for a year and he hated his dad for choosing to live a life that would leave Niko and his sister in poverty, but he's only just now realizing what true hatred is. The absolute loathing that consumed his thoughts and stabbed into him with each words jabbing out of Mirage's mouth.

He despised everything Mirage said. He hated her comparison to how she tortured Ivy, chopping off her limbs before killing her. What he hated most of all though is that it's true. He was starting to see through his pain and his weapon swinging at Elm's legs that he had learned from Mirage too well.

Remember, you cannot feel bad for what you have to do to get back to Kat, he thinks to himself, trying to calm his breathing and focus his vision through the fog.

When the blade pierces his blade, he lets out an agonized gasp. Turning away from the foot hanging loosely from Elm's body, he glares at Mirage. It was an unfortunate mistake, looking away from his last target. If not for the gloves he was wearing, he could swear his right hand would have been completely out of commission.

After a moment of agony and gasping in the fog, he could make out Mirage's weapon swinging brutally at Elm too. Their scream seems to pierce the fog and it begins to dissipate. Niko wants to cringe away as Elm's arm begins to hang loosely in rhythm with their foot and the shriek stabs past his ears and into his skull. It reverberates louder and louder and louder until it's all he can hear besides his heart jumping up and down in his chest.

If he makes it out of this fight alive, he knows that Elm's screams will haunt his nightmares tonight.

He grits his teeth, forcing himself to look at Mirage who's left leg looks bent at an odd angle and Elm who's limbs are slowly falling off of them. In the background, he can see the paths behind them dissipating, the fog slowly retreating to reveal where they are.

Standing on top of a rock floating thousands of feet in the air, the tributes are trapped. Internally, he curses himself as he realizes there's no way out. It serves him right for trusting the seelie that led him here. Even though Bean was his only companion since Ivy's death, it was still a creation made to make his death more entertaining. The mutt should get a raise, convincing Niko to climb all the way up the mountain in the fog when all he really wanted to do was sleep.

"Shit, Mirage," he says through his clenched jaw, refusing to scream like Elm in the face of a living nightmare, "That almost sounded like a compliment. You have a thing for district five guys or something?" It was almost a joke. From what he knew about Itzal, if Niko's compatriot hadn't slept with Mirage already he most likely had been trying to.

"Sorry, but you're not really my type," he continues, brandishing his naginata out in front of him defensively, struggling to keep his steps light through the pain, "I'm not really into murderous nutcases." He swings, clashing with Mirage before backing up and turning once again on Elm who was drawing dangerously near to him.

He tries not to gag again at the sight of Elm's mangled body. Puking once on live television had been enough for him. He needed to think of some words, anything to fill his mouth with other than the bile that he could feel rising in his throat.

"What do you think, Elm? Smash, pass, or viciously murder: Mirage."

Nope, Elm was too close for comfort. Maybe another slice or two would keep them from trying to break any more of Niko's bones.

attacks mirage with naginata (glaive)
v6eeYt8Wvjglaive
[Deep Gash on Right Thigh -- 8.0 damage]

attacks elm with naginata (glaive)
glaive
[Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage]

---

bean

[kaitlin]

glaive·glaive

[Python]

Mirage waited impatiently for the floppy-limbed newcomer to stop writhing in pain so she could take a good look at their face. Their screams were unfamiliar, so they hadn't met yet. She was never against kicking a dog while it was down - if Nikolas was going to maim them, then she had every right to keep them on the ground. It was strategically sound. A moment later, the name and face clicked together when she finally noticed the details of their face. Elm Errington. She had assumed it was someone else.

The issue with cornered animals was how ferocious they could be. Even in their own clumsiness, arm and foot dangling on fleshy strings, Elm managed to surge forward like a rhinoceros and catch both of them with a spiked metal club. That caught her off guard. She felt a new, searing pain in her lower leg. Something unfamiliar. She heard a crack and didn't know if it was from her own body or Niko's. She gritted her teeth, silently admitting to herself that this was absolutely irritating. Fighting two people with Itzal at her side was one thing - fighting two people who wanted each other and Mirage dead was another matter. It left her open for lucky shots like that one.

"Oh please, you took that as a compliment and ran with it? Typical man." It was painful to roll her eyes. She realized how exhausted she was, and the aches were starting to catch up with her. There was an unexplained ringing in her ears, or maybe that was Elm. Either way, it was difficult to make out what Niko was saying.

"Can you shut up already? We're trying to have a conversation," she snapped at Elm. The incessant screaming was too much. "Fall on my sword if it's that bad. Save us the trouble."

She heard the last bit of Niko's snide commentary before he was on her again. Everything in her body reacted on instinct; it knew how to prepare itself for a defensive strike, but something in her leg didn't cooperate. There was that searing pain again, and her leg bended at an unnatural angle. Fuck. Something was definitely wrong, but there was no time to think about it because Niko's sword was trying to make a home in her leg. She pushed the hilt away, coating her own palm in blood, and attempted to smear it on Niko's face.

"Eat it and weep, hypocrite"

[attacks Nikolas - katana]
f9iJfoegKmsword
Shallow Cut on Right Forearm -- 3.5 damage

[attacks Elm - katana]
sword
Shallow Cut on Right Calf -- 3.5 damage

sword·sword

[Sunrise Rainier D2 // [Thundy]]

e l m  -  e r r i n g t o n

The pain overwhelms every sense I have.

This is not dissociation. This is full, excruciating presence, my body pulling apart from itself, skin flopping, muscles peeled open, head screaming in pain.

I just barely hear the words of the other two. From the boy, a question. A stupid question. It's gone from my head before I can even think to answer. I'm staring at the dirt, living in my own world of pain, each breath scraping through my lungs, chest heaving.

I am the mouse again: small and weak. But this time I have been made weak by someone else, not myself. I am hobbled.

Then the girl -- Mirage -- speaks. Petty, petty words. They're the words of someone who doesn't know better.

God, I ache.

My mouth twists into a grimace.

"Fuck you both." I spit into the dirt.

Elm attacks Niko, spiked blunt
1O2zymPpW4spiked blunt
14163 -- BROKEN LEFT KNEE -- 7.0 damage
(Spiked Blunt) +1 Strength

Elm attacks Mirage, spiked blunt
spiked blunt
14102 -- GASH/BRUISED RIGHT COLLAR BONE -- 3.0 damage
(Spiked Blunt)

spiked blunt·spiked blunt

[pup]

The sound of metal meeting flesh is an unholy harmony that forces Niko to wince away from Elm and Mirage as his weapon slices into them. In his moment of disgust, he doesn't notice Mirage's hand flying to his face.

Suddenly all he sees is red. Mirage's blood coats his face, her hand raking across his eyes and covering his vision. He stumbles backwards, waving his weapon wildly to defend himself. He can hear it knock against Mirage's sword, sending it skidding and a strike that was sure to remove his arm only scratches him.

"Eat it and weep, hypocrite."

Yea, he's definitely feeling it. Some of Mirage's blood leaked into his mouth and he desperately spits it out, the metallic taste stringing his tongue. He raises his arm and wipes his eyes in time to understand why Elm's screaming had paused.

"Fuck you both,"

There's a loud crack. He couldn't move fast enough and he stumbles to the ground. The adrenaline numbs the pain, but he knows he won't be able to move that leg for a while. His breathing is heavy, and he can feel his strength weaning away bit by bit. With each strike, he nears death.

Fortunately for him, he can tell that Elm and Mirage are in similarly terrible situations.

He needs to lower his weapon for a moment, using it to prop himself up and drag himself off the ground. He must balance himself on his right leg which is already spilling blood everywhere. The world blurs in front of him, and he stumbles again, catching himself this time before he falls.

He raises his weapon once again to clash with Mirage and Elm. They're swimming in his vision. The world is going dark. He grins, trying to not show the pain he's in. He can't show Mirage his weakness again. Mirage's blood stains his teeth red, and he spits once again.

"Mirage, this a weird way to flirt. Take me out to dinner or something before getting into all this kinky stuff."

His naginata slices through the air.

"Elm, if you're so determined to kill me, can you help me with a dying wish? I want to see her die first."

attacks mirage with naginata (glaive)
PTkyvBS6drglaive
[Shallow Cut on Left Bicep -- 3.5 damage]

attacks elm with naginata (glaive)
glaive
[Stabbed in Back -- 9.0 damage]

---

bean

[kaitlin]

glaive·glaive

[Python]

There were no rules in a fight like this. Mirage had experience in it - no wrestling rings or training simulations where someone could stop her from playing dirty. Some people hesitated because it was 'dishonorable'. Too bad the dead can't honor anyone. As long as she was alive, she would do anything it took to keep herself that way. She didn't care if it was considered shameful, if it was considered backstabbing, if it was considered a 'cheap move'. What's cheap about winning the ultimate game and bathing in prize money? She planned to have the last laugh.

Blinding Niko into Elm's path of destruction was amusing in itself. It was the upper hand she needed, and she twisted herself away from the cornered animal so they didn't break any more of her bones. "Fuck you both." A glob of blood and saliva fell into the dirt, and Mirage resisted the temptation to step on them. She didn't remember much about this person, but they were getting in the way. Two annoying obstacles - Niko and Elm, one in a righteous rage, and the other was a screamer with nothing memorable to add to the show.

She had to give credit where it was due; Niko was doing a fantastic job of mirroring her ability to brush off the pain. "If you think this is kinky, you have a lot to learn." She played into the mockery because it was a welcome distraction. Some people enjoyed pain, but this type of injury was beyond human comprehension. She was a canvas of horror, scars from head to toe.

What a mess.

"Earlier you said you hoped Ivy was watching. I wonder if she'd be proud of this?" She gestured to Elm, gliding over to them as the earth devoured their blood. "What a torturer you are. Why don't you finish the job already?"

[attacks Nikolas - katana]
wGk6PMssNtsword
Severed Left Foot at Ankle -- 9.0 damage +1 Blades

[attacks Elm - katana]
sword
Deep Gash on Right Calf -- 8.0 damage +1 Blades

sword·sword

[pup]

filler flee because i'm going to be out and about all day and don't want to hold anyone up

- foot go bye, niko refuses to scream because he doesn't want to give mirage the satisfaction
- everything becomes foggy and his vision starts going
- sees mirage standing over elm's body and is like 'shit i gotta go'
- begins stumbling away in the fog
- "I wouldn't take your only joy away from you," he calls out through the fog. "Kill ya later."
- limps through the fog

[flees]

---

bean

[kaitlin]