i scream for whatever its worth [luja/marcus]

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

he cannot tell what time it is at this point. did he want too? it felt like an eternity since he had entered this arena. he never thought that he would have been put into something like this. he never wanted to be the one to have to fight for his life. the only good thing about all of this, was that he now knew how he felt about his brother. the moment he got out of this arena, if he got out of this arena, he was going to go after him.

the lights seem more crisp, and he wondered if that meant it was night time outside of this place. there was no point in him wasting all of his new found energy on trying to find a way out. he already made that connection on the first day when he killed prisma.

he wondered if his family had been subjected to him having to watch him do all of this. would they see it the same way? probably not. in fact, if marcus did die here, it would probably be for the best. the last thing he wanted was for his new sisters to think of him as a monster. marco was probably sitting back and enjoying the sick show. marcus can already imagine the words leaving his mouth. should have listened to me.

marcus chides the thought in his mind, right up until he heard footsteps coming his way. if he was going to die here, then so be it. his will was slightly shaken in this moment. he closes his eyes and waits, keeping still just enough to avoid detection. he looks up after a moment to see that it did not work. a girl was standing not too far from him, but she was not charging at him. she was not trying to take his life.

marcus figured that if she was not going to act, then he wouldnt either. instead he pulls out the small loaf of bread that he had been saving and rips it in half. he holds it out. "hungry?" he offers, taking his half and holding it in his mouth.

[d11a tsiuri dermott ☕ minie]

Fuck, I forgot to eat whilst I was at the feast.

It really was not my fault though; I had a lot going on in the moment. Between my brother’s pesky ghost haunting me and my bloodlust consuming me, I really did not have much time to think about food. Now that I roam the maze once again it was all I could think about. My stomach grumbled as my tired body continued to stroll along the path finding my way to whoever’s misfortune it would me to next.

My clothes at this point were becoming more of an inconvenience than I could have possibly imagined. The thin cloth was torn and soaked in blood exposing most of my wounded back. Both mutts and capitol pawns alike could have not had the decency to stab a girl face forward like any murderer worth their two cents. They really need to get a grip on things in here.

The feast was whole other kind of disappointment in itself, not one name added to my list. I did not even have the names of the people I encountered. The closest thing I got was Dollface, and what a fitting name it was. A beautiful face that would be the cause of annoyance. Dolls were the toys I despised the most, pretty girls with pale skin and straight blond hair. Replicas of the people who made me feel less of as kid for my complexion and intricate nose. Dolls were the toys that explained the unfortunate reality of what is to come in small sentences a baby could understand. Just what Dollface did to me trying to explain the predicament we found ourselves in.

Damn you, Dollface.

Interrupting my train of regrets and anger was another boy sitting in the middle of the path blocking my way with his eyes squeezed shut. Too easy. I was done with easy, the next person I killed had to be someone willing to put up a fight. Someone I could then smear my name with their blood into the ground. Make a stance, prove that I did indeed deserve to make it passed the first round. Prove that I was better than stupid Dollface who killed an already dead girl, with my help that is. I wanted to put the laughter back in manslaughter.

” ’Bout damn time a guy asked a girl out to dinner ‘round here”, I kidded as I sat down across from him. I took the half of the bread he was offering. Finally, my first piece of sustenance since the night before the reaping. It has been truly way to long. ” I have to warn you though, we have a chaperone” I grunted mildly disappointed that Kaiden would not even leave me alone to have some nonviolent fun. I glared up to my brother dearest sending him the get fucked look that worked seamlessly when we were kids. Sadly, it did not work when it came to figures of my own imagination.

I lean in a little closer to the stranger covering my mouth from the right side and mouthed the words, my brother is watching, before taking a bite of the bread. My eyes open wide with excitement and a feverish smile possessed me. Bland food has never tasted this good.

[pearl mcclain d4 [ryan]]

it replays in his head again and again. the act of killing that is. prisma first, and then the girl from five. he takes a long breath, just trying to keep his head on straight. he knew that he did what he had to do. he convinced himself the first night that everything done here could be forgiven.

hes not sure by who, but by someone at the very least.

the light is low and at this point, marcus does not see the point in trying to waste energy on constantly moving around. he had just felt like a human being again, and so staying in that mindset was the only way he was going to be ready for the next fight.

however, seeing the other girl in this moment did send him into a little bit of a spiral. he had no clue how many more of them there would be at this point. three died in his last bout, was he to assume that three more did as well?

the sickening part of all of it, was that there was some sort of admittance to just how fucked up all of this was. marcus took a deep breath before the girl had taken the bread from him, eating it with glee after sharing that marcus had been the first boy here to offer her some sort of hospitality.

"i guess everyone is more worried about trying to cut people down than show a little hospitality." marcus cannot help but smile. it was the first time he had done that since he had heard his name called. he looks at his half of the bread that he had and he tosses it her way. "here." he doesnt bat an eyelash, even when she mentions that she has a chaperone right behind her.

marcus does not miss a beat in this moment, knowing very well that traumatic events could cause people to act a little funny. it was best for him to simply just go along with it. "would your chaperone get mad that i was sharing some bread with you?" marcus smirks for a moment, his guard not completely down, but just relaxed enough to where the girl could probably get a clean strike in if she wanted too.

she knew he could probably do the same.

they were more than capable after all.

[d11a tsiuri dermott ☕ minie]

The boy across me did not hesitate even for a second when I brought up Kaiden watching us. I guess we all have our own ghosts somehow. I focus on the little bit of bread that I was offered almost inhaling it as I stare at the ground almost too timid to look the boy in the eyes. I was not one who liked reaching out for help, I always found a way to help myself. For the first time these entire games, I felt like I was the vulnerable one and I did not like it one bit.

He offers me the other half that was supposed to be his, my god I must look awful. I start to question the state my body must be in if someone who should want to kill me is feeding me instead.

”Well you definitely have seen better days, Lu” my brother confirms as I almost start to lose all sense of calm in my demeanor. As he relaxes, I tense back up. The fact that he is calm is only proof that I am the weak one in this situation, and I could not have that. Mom always said-

”-Never show weakness” Kaiden mutters in annoyed voice. I look at him, back at the boy, back at Kaiden, back to the living one. I shove the other half of the bread into my mouth to buy myself some time on how I could handle this. How was I going to right this very wrong mistake? I could tell I was taking a little bit too long to reply.

He wanted to know about Kaiden, he was wondering if he was mad that I took the bread. He did see me as weak, as someone who needed the protection of a ghost. I could fix that; the truth would set me free. Clear up the misunderstanding that sent my body into a panic mode just for a few moments too many. I look up to him smiling after finishing my meal, at least I never forgot my manners. You’re welcome mom, I did not make a total fool of myself. I scrunch my face and shake my head, ”No. Kaiden is mad that I killed him before he got to go out and live in the wide wide world”. I shrugged and slightly shook my head reliving my brothers last moments. ”Besides, he couldn’t control me when he was alive, much less dead. Brothers, ammiright?”.

My confidence builds back after my slight slip. Soon again I am smiling and laughing at the misery we found ourselves in. I recall the advice I gave Kaiden before I killed him, I needed to enjoy life in all its miseries. These games had more than enough of those for me to make it ball. I hold out my hand elegantly, waiting for the boy to take it, ”I’m Luja, from seven ”.

Truce. For the moment.

Permission from Arc to write Kaiden as Luja's hallucination