Now we got problems // Bad Blood Day 1

[Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie]

”My nose!” I hissed through my teeth, my snake like tongue flickering with every word. ”The wretched bitch broke my fucking nose! ” the words came out of my mouth as I breathed air in through my mouth. I was very found of my unique facial features. A symbol of my heritage, unlike the perky upturned ones that the blond rich kids of the career center wore with pride. Fuck beauty standards and fuck conformity.

Luna, Will, Thomas and I gathered at the edge of the cornucopia away from the action. Will seemed to be doing alright for herself while the rest of us most definitely have seen better days.

What a way to get this game started.

The adrenaline dripped out of my system. The ultimate high was coming to an end and there was nothing more I wanted than to go back. Was that so crazy? I did not want to feel the pain that cursed through my face and my wrist. How was I going to win people over if I looked like a cripple, and not the hot kind. An essential part of my whole charm was my ever-flawless appearance even in the worst of my moments. Not even the lingering sense of withdrawal was enough to stop me from stealing the show during our little stay in the capitol. I knew the cameras loved me whilst I was there, and I did not even need to try hard.

I guess that would have to be a problem for a future me, now it was time to scheme.

I turned around from my alliance and took a second to compose myself. One deep breath in and one deep breath out. I turned back around with my usual eerie half smile on my face and my eyes more intense than usual as they were near jet black thanks to the orb that attached to myself right before I was sent into the games.

”Well wasn’t that just a blast my dears, but I think it’s time to get down to business and figure out where we go from here. I don’t know about you, but I have a feeling there will be some wonderful sights to see.”

[Xaa collects items from the forrest + other stuff in maintenance]

[pup]

The forest, what had first looked like a sanctuary, is clearly a trap. In the moment of silents between our footfalls, quiet laughter bounces from tree to tree. There's nothing I can see there, though. Whatever's following us is keeping a wide birth for now. I'm not sure how long that will last.

Elise broke my wrist. I didn't need a fancy x-ray or a doctor to look at it to know that the pain shooting up my arm will be getting in my way for the rest of my short life. We went from setting up social media accounts to fighting against each other in the bloodbath. The girl from seven, her ally, also left me with a few nasty bruises. Those purple and black wounds will heal quickly, but the wrist is going to be an issue.

While we escape from the bloodbath, I mumble a quick apology to Will for tripping into her at the start.

When we finally stop, Xaa begins to complain. For a career, she doesn't seem to have a lot of experience with pain. My teeth are pressed together tightly as I look at the gnarled roots on the ground. I need something to set my wrist and stop the pain. I'm not going to be able to think straight until the torture Elise is putting me through subsides.

A fallen birdhouse is on the ground. It looks dilapidated and unlike the polished ones sitting amongst the trees. It's halfway buried into the ground and a light layer of dark green moss has begun to wrap around it. Whatever used to live there won't mind me using its home. With a well-placed elbow and a crack, the house chips into more manageable pieces.

It'll work. The wooden panelling will be my splint, and some spiderweb-like netting hidden amongst the forestry will hold it together. I sit on the ground, balancing the wood against my hand on top of my knee. Tying the webbing around my hand, I finally get a moment of reprise. The makeshift brace will stop my hand from bouncing around.

Time to assess the damage. It's what I'm here for.

I pick myself up off the ground and glance at Xaa. "You'll survive," I say, my eyes lingering on her forked tongue before looking back at her nose. Dealing with overreactive patients is not my strength. People would come in all the time with issues that were barely issues, and I would try to turn them away at the door. Of course, my parents would take them in all the same. Xaa sounds like a patient with a cold trying to pull my attention away from a third degree burn.

Turning my attention away from Xaa, I look at Will. No major damage. A few scrapes, but nothing major.

Luna, on the other hand, had been set upon by the burly guy from five. I'd heard the crunch from her knee breaking and helped her hobble to safety. "You have to take it easy," I say, picking up some more discarded bird house pieces. "Sit down, I'll make you a brace."

Xaa talks over us as I set the wood in place.

"Now we just have to see which wonderful sight is going to try and kill us." I grumble to Luna under my breath as I finish up the brace. Xaa's enthusiasm is going to tire me out quickly. Then, standing up and speaking loud enough for Xaa and Will to hear me, "We should probably try to find some water."

[picks up things]
[more actions to come in maint!]

^{table by ryan!}

[alex 🐺]

Will catalogued their injuries as she paced around the clearing. Now that the Arena had fallen silent and the sun was slanting in the sky, she could see the mythical beauty that was all around them. And she could see that they had definitely gotten out just in time.

“Broken leg, busted nose, wounded pride,” she teased, winking at Xaa. “Am I missing anything else?” Thomas was crouched over Luna, tenderly touching the wound on her leg to help her reset it. From somewhere in the back of her mind, she recalled that his family were healers back at home. She’d never asked him if that was what he aspired to do as well.

Maybe that didn't matter anymore. Maybe it was all that mattered. 

Standing next to Xaa and bumping the girl with her shoulder, Will craves a barbed comment or thinly veiled threat, but so far, all Xaa had done was yell and curse at the sky. She thinks she can hear voices traveling across the wind as the grass below their feet inhales and exhales sharply.

The land was breathing. Or maybe it was just their pulses slowing down in the afterglow.

“I agree,” Will says, looking at Thomas with a nod. As children of Twelve, they knew how precious a resource water could be. Especially in the wilderness. “Who knows what's out here.  Plus, there haven't been any cannons yet. The Gamemakers will want their blood." 

[ will gathers plants + other actions to follow in maint ]

[ryan]

its just a little too funny how things took a turn for the worst. you had been doing so well, getting past most of the tributes, grabbing what you needed, and then bam. there goes your leg. you would show that boy from five what it meant to be strong, but it would have to be another day.

at least you were able to grab a weapon.

tommy is doing his best to not move you while he carries a broken thing in his arms. its weird, and slightly tender, mostly because you had never had a boy show you the kindness he is at least showing. maybe that is what it is like to feel like you are worth more than to the opposite sex.

the forest is lush with greenery, the cornucopia looks so far away now, tommy takes one wrong step though and you can feel it in your leg. you glare at him for a second, but realize that he could drop you at a moments notice. it was best to play nice.

he sets you down for a moment, and not even a moment later, you hear xaa scream about her nose. "at least you can walk. " you are a little more literal with everyone, even if you are close with them. it was easier to protect yourself that way after all. you take a deep breath as tommy walks through the trees and talks about making you a brace.

again, you have no clue why a man might be treating you the way they are, but you are, at the very least, impressed that they can do that much. "im going to get that boy from five." you wince at the pain as tommy tries to move around the leg. "and this is why i hate men." you say that, looking to tommy right away. "present company excluded... for now." tommy hasnt given you a reason to hate him yet, and you both hoped to keep it that way, you were sure.

will speaks up, they talk about water, both of the twelves are proving to be more useful then a capitolite might think. to you it made sense. they were used to having to be resourceful to make it in twelve. they got this far, what would stop them from making it any farther.

except maybe an axe to the face. "the longer we sit, the more likely they will ready our cannons, so lets go tommy, get this leg set so we can find some higher ground." you are barking orders out, not in fear, but in a studious fashion. you had seen all the archives already.

you knew what could come next.

[actions in maint]