hell was the journey | bad blood v the feylost ; day three

[alex 🐺]

Scratches and bruises litter her body but it’s her left thigh, throbbing from below her hip, that causes the most concern as she drags the tarp out of her bag and onto a dry piece of land. She drops onto it unceremoniously, the iodine tablet fizzing next to her in the water from the cenote. She grasps the needle shakily, biting her lip hard enough to break skin as she digs the needle into her flesh. Fuck, they always made this look so easy in all of the other games, but it stung like a bitch. 

It feels like it has been years since her body has been her own, and yet it has only been hours since they awoke on the second day. She taps fingers that are not hers against skin she can hardly feel, watches a chest rise and fall, and wonders if her empty shell would echo if Xaa hit it hard enough. Perhaps they will find out in due time.

Luna’s revelation sticks in her mind as she settles in behind Xaa, her forehead on Xaa’s back as the girl’s chest rises and falls. She doesn’t want to ask or acknowledge whatever is it that is swirling around them. She has no words for them yet. Words meant nothing and felt just as cheap when they would all be dead in days. Platitudes and secrets fell flat and they were all wary around each other. Tentative as they should be. She owed Xaa nothing but her fate was tied to her at the moment. She grips Xaa’s hip and hopes that the choice she made days ago wouldn’t be the reason she died in the coming days.

They stay in the relative safety of the cenote for the night, echoes of rocks falling all around them. At one point, a cascade of noise wakes them and Will rolls as she feels heavy stone striking her. None of them seemed to have escaped unscathed. Somehow there isn’t more lasting damage and Will feels a bruise forming under the stiff material of the stupid fucking corset that served as her uniform.

They woke early, right as the sun was rising, and decided to head back to the Canopy Forest. Getting more plants seemed like the best bet for the rag-tag group. Will leads the way for some stupid reason as if it was her that slew the snakes and not the girl from Two.

She definitely, probably, had a death wish. That and everyone else were slow fucking walkers.

“Can we just like….stay alert, or whatever? This fucking place will eat us alive.” She says it to no one in particular, her fears bursting out of her chest as she grips a knife in each hand, scanning the trees. Symbols smile back at her from some of the trunks, birdsong floating through the air like wind.

Her steps over fallen leaves and roots are loud as shit, so it’s no wonder that they come upon another alliance, flickers of sunlight casting shadows across their faces. She grips hard on the knife in her right hand, a shout on her lips as she lets the weapon fly.

As Xaa had said to her the night before, whispered words on her lips as she stroked the snakeskin now covering her hands with a reverence usually reserved for deities- kill or be killed, darling.

will attacks d10 elijah - throwing knives (1 of 6)

3Ta67l8gJSthrowing knife

+3.0 dmg 

throwing knife

[pup]

The murky waters were, as expected, not safe. Soon after I helped Xaa through her first bout of injuries and we were settling down to sleep, the cave comes tumbling down around us. I've heard all about collapsing mines, but it's not something I had ever expected to experience. I start to dig through the rubble to pull myself up, my chest tight and my breathing heavy in the dust. The miners always say the first thing to do is to get out and then worry about injuries.

The debris at least does me one favor and pulls Will and Xaa apart. PDA is gross.

Will, Luna, and I avoid the worst of it. Xaa isn't as lucky, a rocky spear plunging into her back. Luckily we still had some supplies for me to stitch over the injury as best as I could after we dragged her to safety. I'm still apprehensive about the snake-tongued girl from one. Our conversation yesterday seems planted, part of her plan to make everyone like her before she needs to bash our heads in with her weapon. I'd prefer to make sure she stays alive for a bit longer, though.

When I diagnose an illness, I take a thorough evaluation of the patient. It's interesting, pulling each symptom apart piece by piece to determine what mystery disease I'm facing. Xaa is no different from my patients. However, instead of an illness, the mystery behind her family is the most interesting part of all of this. So instead of pulling away from our conversation yesterday, I made her a peace offering of snakeskin gloves. Maybe soon she'll finally tell me what "the greater good" actually means for a toy store.

After dragging ourselves out of the sludge, it took us a few moments of catching our breath to notice the sky. The air was no longer muddy with humidity, taking on a nighttime chill. The sky burns an iridescent purple, swirling lavender with darker shades in an ombre lit up by ever-growing lilting laughter in the distance.

Will leads us back the way we came. The forest offered more sanctuary than the open-air and the crumbling bog. When she tells us to stay alert, I respond with a sleepy grunt. The sleep deprivation was already catching up to me- my eyes were starting to droop with every step.

Will stops abruptly and I tumble into Xaa. "Sorry," I say quietly, my eyes widening at the sound of approaching footsteps. Steadying myself, I reach up behind me to grab onto my sickle, drawing it from the bag.

Will takes the first punch, swinging at the guy from ten I don't think I ever met. I do see two familiar faces. I pause, looking between the two. Despite all of Xaa and Luna's orations about the need to kill quickly, I can't bring myself to take a swing at Vallen yet. All the guy wants is some peace and quiet, which is confusing because of who he chose to ally with.

"Hey Quinn," I say, turning my weapon on the boy from six with a grimace, "Any final fun facts you gotta get out?"

[attacks quentin with moon sickle (axe)]
xZIzStq4Shaxe
[Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage]

^{table by ryan!}

axe

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

So much of life revolves around seeing, around visualizing the world, and that has been snatched away in the blink of an eye. All it took was one wrong motion, but at least it wasn't the end of his life. Sometimes blessings come in disguises, and maybe this is one of them.

But how?

Life comes crashing down in a split second, and in this moment, Vallen isn't sure which way to turn. Building robots requires his eyes, he needs to see, he needs to make sure that everything falls together perfectly. And now, now he's trapped in a place where vision plays a huge role in survival. Just knowing what he knows, knowing how important it is to see to land a perfect blow.

What's the meaning of life?

Before being reaped, the answer was simple - building robots and winning competitions, but none of that is the truth anymore. There's so much more to live for than collecting medals, ignoring family, and pushing friends away. For the first time in his life, Vallen feels as though these people gathered around him are his friend, yet this is only temporary because only one can live. None of it answers the question, though. The meaning of life is something he's never pondered before, and it weighs heavily on his shoulders.

And as the sky turns to night, he realizes he cannot see a thing anymore. Darkness surrounds him, and it's terrifying. Every hair stands on end, every breath catches in the back of his throat, and before he even realizes it, silent tears stream down the side of his face. The nighttime hours often offered him an escape, but even that has been snatched away.

I'm sorry mom. I'm sorry dad. I'm sorry.

All the nights he spent lying awake in his room putting together the perfect robot could've been spent making memories with his family, laughing with them as they told jokes around the dinner table, anything, and now he has none of those. Missed opportunities crash before his mind as guilt wraps around his heart making it almost impossible to stay alive.

I'm sorry.

Do they even care? Do they feel the agony, the pain, the sorrow creeping through his veins? Can they see him suffering? Do they even want to?

Drawing his knees towards his chest, his grip on the glaive tightens. Sound is all he can go by now, and every snapping of a branch, sloshing of water, it all brings him to attention ready to lash out at any given second.

In the morning, he looks around, and everything is just as blurry as before, but he waits for his allies to stir, and once everyone is ready, he starts moving carefully through the arena. Every little sound causes him to turn in every direction as he prepares for whatever may come his way. It's easier said than done, though. One of the others should guide him through this mess, but he doesn't want to ask for help. Being weak in a place like this isn't an option.

Every now and then, he stumbles over a tree root he was unable to see, yet he quickly jumps to his feet and tries to make sense out of the world around him.

Something whooshes, and then he hears the voice of someone he recognizes. Quentin is in trouble, but who else is there? He turns, trying to take it all in, trying to listen for the sound of others. Taking one step closer, he squints, trying to visualize everything, but it's impossible, and while screaming is the only thing he wants to do, Vallen knows it'll get him nowhere.

Instead, he focuses, takes a deep breath, and tries to pinpoint where Thomas' voice came from. Sometimes all anyone needs is a chance to learn to use their other senses, but with no training, the idea seems so foreign.

I have nothing to lose. and everything to gain.

Strength isn't about how much weight someone can lift, no, strength comes from within, and Vallen is ready to prove he has what it takes despite the world holding him down.

[kaitlin]

Vallen attacks Thomas | glaive
QNEeuvZZ1iglaive

{ 13118 - 3.5 damage }

glaive

[ryan]

the night winds down, just for a moment as you realize that you have probably focused way too much on the girl talk that xaa and will had engaged in. it was weird, seeing as you did not really care for it back in two. a lot of the girls used to talk of fellow male careers like they were going pounce on them right then and there. luna did see it from their point of view. most of the boys were at top physical shape, but luna just didnt understand why they might have been worth the distraction.

and to be quite honest, men werent really all that and a bag of chips back home. most of them were full of themselves, and now that most of them had been shoveling shit into furnaces, or whatever "waste management" meant, they felt even more entitled to your attention.

only the best of the best were able to keep their spots at the academy, which meant you left most of them in the dust.

the time passed, and the sounds of the cenote had been relaxing. mostly the water passing through. you had let it calm your nerves, that was until you had realized that there had been a ringing sound that you did not notice quick enough. a tiny explosion happened just feet away from you, but you had been quick enough to only feel tiny pieces of glass hit you. you looked to everyone else for just a moment. "what in the world..." you werent paying attention as your foot caught on one of the tree roots that had extended out of the ground and you banged your knee onto the hard ground. "fuck." you continued as you held your knee close to your chest.

this was just confusing. just when you thought you had a moment of peace, the gamemakers mustve wanted to keep you all on your toes. you thought about flipping off a random tree, because you were sure there was a camrea in there, somewhere. but you didnt.

you just took a long deep breath.

time passed and you watched as the anthem had come on later that night during your watch.

no one showed up.

tomorrow as going to be bloody. you just had a feeling.

the sun came up and everyone had risen around the same time. you did not make eye contact with any of them, because you had a feeling that you might be intruding. instead you stood up and stretched. your knee was sore, but there was nothing you could do about that. nothing like walking it off at this point. you thought about was boss would have told you. no pain, no gain.

you sometimes wished you could have thrown a knife at her, but you didnt. especially not now. the memories of home were the only thing that were motivating you. that and the thought of seeing olivia again.

you havent told any of them about her, and part of you wonder if it was because you wanted to keep the idea of her to yourself. she didnt need any more publicity after all.

you blushed for a moment though.

you covered your face as you guys got out of the area and went straight back into the forest. you felt a little more comfortable, right up until you started hearing footsteps from behind the many trees. "tributes." you did not hesitate to get up close to the trees. "they want blood." you smirked for a moment, realizing that maybe you were a little too into this.

"over there." you point out, but will is already arming herself with a knife. they throw it, and then tommy is already rushing the boy from six.

you remember him from the training center. its all hazy, but tommy told you enough to make you realize that there is good reason to not like him. after all, someone needed to die. they wanted blood, and you were not someone that would shy away from giving into demands.

"i have one tommy if i may." you dont waste time to interject. your spear was brandished. "fun fact..." you look to the boy from six. "youre gonna die here."

you do not even hesitate. you move forward.

so does your spear.

[d2a luna goodwin attacks d6b quentin quinn with her festerwood spear | (spear)]
ipAT1jfJvEspear
[10 + 1 for rivalry]

spear

[d4 tati pelotte [azalea]]

♛

Sleepless nights are starting to become the norm. There's just something about this sky that keeps me awake; I can't connect the dots and form constellations like I used to back home. Sleeping rough meant that the only lullaby I'd ever listen to in Five was the sound of backstreet deals and hushed whispers from around dodgy corners, but somehow I'd choose that every time over the silence that squeezes tight around my throat in this arena. The rustle of the leaves fades away, our voices wither and all that is left is emptiness. There are no cannons, no faces in the sky, there's just silence.

I don't trust it. This is all a facade for whatever hidden agenda the gamesmakers have; rules cannot apply when nobody has died yet and the sun is rising on the third day. I start to grow sceptical, even of my own allies - because how can I trust anyone when it might jeopardise my own survival? Don't get me wrong, these people have my back and I have theirs, but the ethics behind the "friendship" we have feels irresponsible. It's an illusion just like everything else here is. I only really have myself now, but I guess that without Marcus, that's how it will always be, so I should probably start to get used to it.

We start walking at dawn, Vallen stumbling every so often, desperately trying to adjust to his injuries. I look at him and feel conflict in my chest. It's a good thing my heart is caged because I don't want to think with it - it's not a good idea to put your heart anywhere that has no armour. People who wear their heart on their sleeve might have an incomparable sense of charm, but they are naive. Heart has no place here, especially in my case, because what victor ever really had heart?

Killers always have cold blood. Even when they try to deny it, that in itself is just another act of malice and manipulation.

As time passes, the air swells with anticipation. There's an eerie sound of laughter that dances on the edge of my senses and I know that we are approaching the same forest we found ourselves in after the bloodbath. We delve deeper into its enigma this time; the canopy crashing above it in a soft but foreboding manner. This realm observes our every move.

Every step starts to add a new layer of mystery to the forest. The light and shadow tiptoe around each other, forgotten lives hiding on the lines between them. It's magical, sure, but in an elusive way, because as soon as you notice it, it disappears just as quickly. It tempts us in, the wind carrying its secrets towards us, but I close my mind. There's no time for anything other than survival, and that includes thinking about Marcus.

The M word seems to only become more prominent in my head with every pledge that I take to forget it. He'll be more than damned when I see him again.

I'm transported out of my thoughts when we hear a voice ahead, and with a swing of an axe, Quentin is bleeding. In a flash, so is Elijah. Figures start to close in from the once enchanting panorama and even these trees can't hide the fact that this is kill or be killed. Bloodlust stops for no thing, not even this hallowed ground.

Vallen swings out in retaliation, slicing against one of the boys from Twelve.

"Hey Quinn, any final fun facts you gotta get out?" He says as he swipes through the air towards him.

"Fun fact, you're gonna die here," says the girl, her voice wrought like iron as she brandishes her spear and lashes out towards him. It draws more blood and looks like it hurts.

"What are you trying to do, bore us to death?" I'm not sure that tactic would work on me.

Talking less and doing more is how this fight will go our way, so I bring my lily-hilted sword into my hand and hold it upright towards the sky. The sharp edge cuts easily through the silence that looms in the arena and sets everything into motion. Sounds start to grow louder and louder and I think that maybe in this noise, tonight may not be so sleepless.

table by kaplan

[ lillybird ludwig attacks thomas ; lily-hilted sword ]

NLrhwQFfumsword

[ 1123 -- Deep Gash on Right Thigh -- 8.0 damage +1 blades ]

sword

[Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie]

Damn Luna had to open her mouth about the things I said to her about Will in confidence. I avoided her question like the plague and denied the existence of our previous conversation hoping that Will would not bring the matter up.

She didn’t

Yet when the night fell she still laid down behind me, her hand on my hip pulling me closer to her body. A silent agreement to not talk about whatever this was, whatever game we were playing with each other. Labels and feelings had no place when only one would make it out. I knew when it came down to it, I might have to kill her. It would no longer matter what I felt towards the girl from twelve. This was all temporary so why waist our time talking about what could have been. I stroked the new snakeskin gloves on my hands as I let myself fall into a deep slumber.

“Goddamn…Fuck!” I screeched as I was rudely awakened by a sharp rock piercing my back. First I was woken up to snakes trying to kill me and now fucking stones? What was wrong with this fucking place, a girl just wanted to wake up to her…whatever the fuck Will and I were, in peace and enjoy a nice morning together. Was that too much to ask for?

I could see Tommy rolling his eyes already as I approached him with a more than annoyed scowl asking yet again to be stitched up. This time in silence, no questions from him about the toy store and I did not press for answers about his family. It was an awful morning, and no one was in the mood for lighthearted conversation about our loved ones that we might never see again.

After a quick fix up job on my back, we all started to make our way in silence with Will leading the pack. At first I tried to keep up beside her, but the more I got lost in my own forest of thoughts the more I noticed myself slowly slipping behind her. My mind wandered at a pace my feet could only dream to keep up with. Eyes darting around the arena looking out for any signs of danger. More often than not it was as if we were being watched or followed by something in the shadows. Not the cameras that were capturing our every move, but something more, something not outright human.

Ghosts don’t exist, Xaahira. The creatures that go bump in the night are all in your head. This arena is trying to mess with you, but you cannot let it. Remember who you are, the untouchable goddess of sin and desire. You embody the serpent that you oh so admire, just look at yourself, you are far beyond that of any mere human.

I gave myself the pep talk in my mind. Possibly whispering the words under my breath, manifesting the girl I was before the capitol robbed me of my immortality. Surly mother had to know I worked better under the influence, why hasn’t she sponsored me any of my product from back home? I’m sure the viewers at home would love to see just what –

I stop in my tracks as Will comes to a halt and Tommy runs right into me. He apologizes as I shoot him a death glare. My back still in searing pain did not need any more damage to it. Ahead of us were four other tributes, the first ones we have encountered since the bloodbath and just my luck…the know it all from six and the cult member from ten. The weary boy with what seemed like more mommy issues than me was also present. The last one, the blond, she was new.

I watched as Will threw a knife in the direction of Elijah drawing first blood. Time to paint this arena my favorite shade of red.

I slowly snaked my way up behind Will, “Oh Will, you are such a tease! Enough with the foreplay darling, let’s kill them already.” I licked my lips with my serpent tongue as I slowly moved forwards in front of her towards Elijah. My newly present shadow slithering behind me. “Elijah, darling.” I hiss, “You should have chosen to worship me whilst you have the chance. Can’t you see, I’m the closest thing to a god you will ever come across!” I opened my jaw wide and my tongue flickered as I lunged towards the tribute from ten.

[Xaahira attackes Elijah; Moss covered club (Spiked blunt)]
KjaGISHKFEspiked blunt
14033 -- GASH/BRUISED RIGHT FEMUR -- 4.0 damage
(Spiked Blunt)spiked blunt

[djed carnelian . d8m [kap]]

♛

As night fell, not a single face graced the sky. Again, we'd had a deathless day. I had a feeling there wouldn't be any more of those: the Gamemakers certainly couldn't be happy with the way things were going just yet. They'd be pushing us all toward one another soon. I was sure of it.

I don't let myself be too concerned about how the others are doing, although there is a part of me that worries about Vallen, and how long he'll survive with the injury to his eyes. The arena isn't a friendly place, but I hoped he could keep going a little longer. I needed allies, and to be totally honest, I didn't mind having him as a friend, either.

There was little to no conversation that morning as we got moving through the arena. Apparently, we'd circled around a bit, as we ended up back in the area of canopy-like tree cover. I was trying to stay on guard the best I could.

It seemed I wasn't doing a very good job. Before I knew it, four other tributes had approached. A knife stuck into Elijah and separate weapon collided with me— Thomas O'Quinn seemed to have some words to share with me, too. I ignored him, despite one of his buddies chiming in.

I didn't need his taunting or bullshit. It was irrelevant. Pointless. There was no need to feed into it, and Lillybird seemed to have similar thoughts, as she made a comment about them boring us to death before striking back. A spear dug into me, and I let out a sound of pain. Vallen and Lillybird both landed hits on our opponents, and I decided to follow suit. I wouldn't give the satisfaction to Thomas to be my first opponent, though. No, the girl from Two was right there, after all. How would he feel about me attacking his friend?

A smirk crossed my face.

Guess I'd find out.

table by kaplan

[Quentin attacks Luna; Thorny Wooden Club]
aByrvcr32Tspiked blunt
[14096 -- MISS -- 0.0 damage]

accuracy

spiked blunt
[14052 -- MISS -- 0.0 damage]

spiked blunt·spiked blunt

[Jorg]

♛

The sun slowly continued to set as Elijah sat at the lagoon's edge, the water lazily lapping at his bare feet. Farther Garcia always preached that the Games would be a test for any "lucky enough" to be reaped, yet Elijah feels more doomed than lucky. The fact that there is nothing but death in this twisted blasphemous hellscape eats away at his soul. Trails were never meant to be easy, yet how much is anyone expected to take? To have the blood of their contemporaries on their hand, to have the humanity stripped from them as they become a monster for other's entertainment. Were the Districts ever seen as human, to begin with?

Maybe Father Garcia was right, though. He needed faith that Ripred would carry him through to survive this gauntlet. However, his distrust of Father Garcia grew, making him struggle to determine what he could trust. Elijah's internal is incredibly fitting for this arena. How the forest seemed peaceful and welcoming, yet is particularly deadly. Even a cry for help is a trap set out to kill the tributes. Elijah looks at Quinten's missing hand and remembers how a water creature cut it off before almost healing it. This lack of faith and trust is what Father Garcia had in mind, to see if he could trust Ripred and not those trying to deceive him.

The daylight arrived all too soon, and even then, the sunlight didn't last for long. Lilac clouds painted the sky and blanketed the sun, which plunged the arena into an unnatural twilight. The stars came back to life, and the creatures came out to dance and play. Elijah became more unnerved as they worked their way deeper into the forest; Vallen tripped over roots because he didn't want to appear weak without his vision, Quieten trying his best to function with only one hand, luckily Elijah and Lillybird were still fully intact, but could they protect the other two while protecting themselves?

He didn't have to think about that for long, though, when a knife grazed his arm. Elijah cursed that he was forced to become a light source but was grateful that it was only a scratch. He was disturbed to find that his blood was changed to be the same colors as his eyes, though. Quinten got the worst of the assault, though, and ended with a spear across his neck. Those idiots thought they were talking smack, which Elijah couldn't help but laugh at. Lillybird had even mentioned that they were boring.

"Please, Lilly, they're not worth noticing. How can they be boring when they can't even attract enough attention, to begin with? The only one worth our time is Xaahira, but she and I have some things to discuss first. Need help disposing of the others?" Elijah asked, a sly smile playing across his lips as he got his clawed hand ready. He did not expect Xaahira to strike him through; luckily enough, she only managed to bruise his leg.

"Oh, Xaahira, there is still time for me to convert. Just let me know which one of your disciples is your least favorite, and I'll have no problem getting them out of the way." He hissed back at her. Not allowing Xaahira to answer, he struck at the girl who stabbed Quinten, hoping to make his knife dig as deep as her spear.

-

[Elijah attacks Luna; Clawed Hands (knife)]
1sflANGj1Pknife
[SC right thigh - 3.5]

table by kaplan

knife

[alex 🐺]

Xaa's innuendo is drowned out as the weapons fall on Luna and Thomas. Will knows she's to blame - she thought she could throw her knife and be done with it, but she's dragged her allies into something that they may not be able to get out of. This isn't the fight with the snakes. This isn't even close. This is darkness and chaos and swirling emotions.

It's dark and gritty and Will blinks a few times as her eyes adjust better to the low light. Curses are thrown as quickly as punches, stabs traded like barbs from dark lips and Will rolls her eyes at Xaa. Honestly, was she ever fucking quiet?

"Maybe if you could actually aim as well as Luna, darling..." Will levels back at Xaa. "Or are we all doing your dirty work now?"

will attacks d10 elijah - throwing knives (2 of 6)

Jye4qOlpa1throwing knife

+9.0 dmg 

throwing knife

[pup]

filler so I don't hold anyone up!

Sees bloody thigh and is like oof this hurts.

"Geez Vallen, tell your friend to chill out."

(also ooc note for the gms to use the amulet of protection on the last sc)

[attacks quentin with moon sickle (axe)]
Wa4fz47qpZaxe
[Severed Right Calf at Knee -- 9.0 damage]

^{table by ryan!}

axe

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

It's not much, and Vallen can tell. The world is falling apart around him, around them, and all he wants is to run away like a coward, but he was the one that led them into this, and maybe they're foolish for following someone who can barely see. It's obvious, just watching himself tripping over the roots, they had to see him, they have to know what's wrong with him.

But do they?

Why follow someone like that into battle?

Just let whoever this is kill him.

But then he stops for a moment. These people want to assist him in whatever way, and Vallen fully believes they're just trying to keep themselves alive. He's an easy kill, but why aren't they attacking him now?

Why haven't I felt any sort of pain?

He listens to the voices around him trying to figure out exactly who they are, and he recognizes most of them. Thomas, Xaahira, and then his allies, but who are the other two? Who are they?

Looking around, he tries making out their faces, but the world is too blurry, the world is slowing down, and the shades are coming together as one. Not being able to see is terrifying and knowing that this could easily turn around and destroy him later in the game is becoming more and more real. All it would take is one wrong move on his part.

Would anyone try to save me?

He listens, and he pauses listening for any sort of branch snapping to give away where the people are. Adjusting to being legally blind is difficult, and it's not going to happen overnight, but maybe this will give him the strength that's needed, the courage that's needed. Being in a caged fight is hard enough, yet his opponents have every advantage on him, and Vallen is very aware of this.

"Geez Vallen, tell your friend to chill out."

Pivoting around, Vallen finds himself facing the way Thomas' voice came from. No. Telling them to chill out means making sure his friends die, and he wants nothing to do with that. They're people who slightly care about him, they're people he slightly cares about despite him trying to keep any sort of personal feeling out of the game.

"I'm sorry, Thomas, but I can't do that."

His heart sinks into the pits of his stomach because he knows what has to happen. It's just a matter of if he can pluck up the courage to take the life of someone who doesn't deserve it.

[kaitlin]

Vallen attacks Thomas | glaive
PRs5QV9gmwglaive

{ 13195 -- 9.5 damage + 1 blades } glaive

[ryan]

you are not even phased by the feeling of our spear pushing into the boys neck. it is a twisted and visceral sensation as you can feel the spear go through parts of his skin. you do not look away, you let the blood pool for just a moment.

he tries to swing at you, but you are able to duck out of the way and then twist the spear just enough to let him know that you are in fact, ready and willing to kill him right here. there is no more pleasentries, there is no more time to share stories of home, this is kill or be kill and you were determined to make sure that you, or your friends, were not the ones to die here.

everyone is talking amongst themselves, and you realize that, yet again, you are simply just existing. you arent ignored, it is very clear that everyone else just saw what you did. maybe you arent speaking loud enough. you realize that you dont have too. you just need to let the weapon do all the talking. however, a part of you feels like some quiet words would really rattle the boy from six.

"what? did i puncture your larynx? cant speak?" you arent even going to waste your time trying to be nice to him. "they all told me so many things about you, hell, i even witnessed some of them myself six." you pull back your spear, you can see more blood pooling from the wound. "i know you have your own voice." you arent even paying attention to the boy from ten, whose knife simply grazes your thigh.

"your friends arent going to save you here." you lock eyes and make it very clear that he is going to perish, one less hope for district six this year.

you are villainous.

you are lethal.

and you strike.

[d2a luna goodwin attacks d6b quentin quinn with her festerwood spear | (spear)]
3dUqSnBRSjspear
[3.5]

spear

[d4 tati pelotte [azalea]]

♛

As soon as my sword slashes against the boy's leg, chaos blooms into the air. It feels necessary in this arena, where every plant whispers deadly secrets to one another, poison floating on the wind threatening to make me fall into their illusion. The blood that spills paints the vegetation on the ground, tainting it even further, turning it darker than it was before.

"Please, Lilly, they're not worth noticing. How can they be boring when they can't even attract enough attention, to begin with? The only one worth our time is Xaahira, but she and I have some things to discuss first. Need help disposing of the others?" Elijah says, and it's pretty much a long-winded way of telling me to be quiet. But I can't and I won't in this hellscape, because the world is watching and that is what matters most. These games are for entertainment purposes and if I win, then what is the point if nobody gives a damn about me? The only heart I'd ever won before was that of a gay boy, so there must be something about me that has some sense of allure, even if it is sick. Elijah strikes down against them to little avail, and it looks like his bark is bigger than his bite.

I let the silence consume me for a moment. The blood dripping from the blade of my sword is completely immoral but it feels sweet too; I look out to our enemies and paint them with... M word's features. My jaw clenches in spite as four depictions of him stand opposite me and the rage swells inside me. It only makes me want to hurt them more, it makes me want to drift further from humanity in favour of becoming a star. Who needs a heart anyway? It'd only get broken.

"I don't think any of them are worth our time." I say frankly, staring at the shifted faces. Because it's true - there's no use in getting hung up over who and what these people care about because they don't care about me. And as selfish as it is, that's all that matters. These people would break a promise just as easily if it meant saving their back, and they'd leave a girl waiting after the Reaping for a goodbye that'll never come. Time is precious, it's a fleeting thing made magical by this arena and I won't let just anybody take mine.

Luna from District Two starts to taunt Quentin and it's a low blow considering the circumstances. They dance around his bleeding body like it's a gift from God, poking and prodding at him until it brings their smile from ear to ear. She stands like a predator over her allies, her tongue like venom as she spits words into the air like knives. Maybe if I was a little more delicate, they'd do some damage, but the streets of Five will always be worse than just another desperate tribute from Two.

"Hey," I say, holding my sword to the sky once more. I look past the blade to her and realise that we're probably more similar that I'd like to admit, although, I at least have the decency to not rub salt into the wounds. "You should start worrying about who is going to save you when you're lying on the ground with nothing more than a bright, white light to keep you company. When you're lying there, bleeding out and you question everything you've ever done, I hope you'll see our faces, my face, and wonder if it was worth it." I've got my own snake tongue too, and my poison can't be cured by any antidote. When you grow up on the streets, the streets make you. They don't round out those sharp edges, they just strike against them until they become deadly.

I edge closer towards her, my sword shining in the darkness. "Your friends aren't going to save you either, so what's the point?" I know that her words are nothing more than an empty taunt, but mine are a psychological threat. My words are tiny, little blades in the air that will scratch away at her mind until there's nothing left.

It's us or them. Someone is going to die today, right here, and I won't let it be anyone who fights with me. Blood growing like roses, at least the early grave will be pretty.

table by kaplan

[ lillybird ludwig attacks luna ; lily-hilted sword ]

SHBXE|LtWOsword

[ 1171 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage ]

[ accuracy reroll ]

sword

[ 1042 -- Shallow Cut on Right Hip -- 3.5 damage ]

sword·sword

[Hafen d4 ⚓︎ minie]

I watched Elijah strike Luna after he offered me the blood of my own.

Oh hell fucking no.

Everything about me screamed that I was a creature of habit; the addiction I could not kick, the need for a family unit, my everlasting love for the animals around me. I looked for the patterns in life that made the most sense and I stuck with them. Nothing could scare me if everything was just as it was supposed to be, only in a different environment.

Growing up I would bully my little siblings, especially my sister Gorgina. I was allowed to accuse them of crimes they did not commit, give them a hard time and even shake them down from time to time. It was okay when I did it, but the second anyone else laid a finger on my sister, all bets were off the table. No one messed with my family except for me.

Following my old ways, no one was going to kill my friends except for me, and no one was going to win my loyalty by offering any one of their heads on a platter.

Time for a theology lesson, Elijah darling! I yelled trying to regain his attention after he seemed fixated on making Luna bleed. This is Xaahiraism, I do not, under no circumstances, accept human sacrifice of one of my own! rage was building up in my chest getting ready to explode. There was nothing I despised more than a traitor, someone who cannot stay loyal to their own. I did not believe humanity was any good, but I believed we are capable of loyalty. Nothing else matters.

I turned back around to face Will. Usually, it is never good to play your queen all to early in the game, but this was one of those rare occasions where there was not much else to be done. I blew her kiss and smile as I fueled my every next step with anger and fury.

Bad boy! I taunted Elijah as if he was an ill-bred dog. Don’t you know what happens to dogs that can’t behave? We put them down. Get your filthy paws off of my friends!”

He wants a bitch fight. Fine. I got claws of my own.

[Xaahira attacks Elijah; Clawed Hands (knive)
pZMXGTXuYbknifeknive

[djed carnelian . d8m [kap]]

♛

Filler, sorry!

-Quentin is mentally freaking out from the wounds he has but is trying to keep it together outwardly.
-I'm making his severed leg just be a very deep cut on his leg on/around his knee that makes him stumble a lot and makes it hard to walk.
-He's grimacing through the pain.
-"Fun facts still what you want?" he asks, turning to Thomas. "Here's one— I can hurt you, too."

table by kaplan

[Quentin attacks Thomas; Thorny Wooden Club]
x1Fa_anULYspiked blunt
[14104 -- BROKEN RIGHT KNEE -- 7.0 damage + 1.0 strength]

spiked blunt