Almost Strangers [unnamed, day 3]

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

m a g i

Gas, out of time, out of money
You're doing what you can, just makin' it run
(There's only so much I can)

Magi kept quiet as he moved to tend to Lara’s wounds. If he had ever been woozy from the stuff he would’ve known it by now, though he couldn’t help but feel the pinprick of sweat underneath his arms as he surveyed the damage done. Olete and Krueger had torn into Lara, and she’d been lucky to escape with her life. And yet here they were, still standing, in spite of all her wounds.

He couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Neither of them seemed to possess the requisite skill, nor the tenacity. They’d stumbled along the second day, facing a deer, one that had almost been ordinary. And today between a body covered in eyes and a girl clamoring for death they’d emerged victorious.

Should he have had more faith?

He didn’t know what to make of his ally. They’d said hardly a word to one another. It’d been almost purely transactional at this point, almost three days gone by. Probably for the best. And yet he ached to know if he would truly trust Lara.

“How are you feeling?” Magi said as he moved to wrap some bandages along the wounds on her arms. The blood made the gauze and soft fiber of the bandage sticky. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more help back there.”

He didn’t want to think about how her knife had pierced Olete. He couldn’t bring himself to think about how yesterday they’d been teasing one another like teenagers were wont to do.

[Magi performs actions in maintenance]

ELEGANT

[Red]

 

 

L a r a

 

My world is crumbling, can't watch and do nothing
I'm done with this panic, I'll hop into action
And save this town

 

The coldness of the stream soothed the sores and blisters on Lara’s hands as she ran her fingers through the water, splashed it on her face. Yeah, who knew how many different germs were living in there, but at least her face was free of blood now, right? She slicked her blond and brown hair back (to think she had been worried whether two-tone would suit her just a few days ago,) and tied off a strip of fabric over her missing eye. It still hurt to touch, but Lara was feeling a bit better now with her wounds washed.

She turned and followed the scent of wood smoke back to where she had left Magi with the fire. Dumped into untidy piles were all the things they had collected or received throughout the games. Her eyes were drawn to the glaive that she had looted from the person she had killed, its sharp blade glimmering in the firelight. A weapon made to kill. Sure, she probably didn’t need so many weapons, but she didn’t feel comfy just leaving them lying around for other tribute to find. And who knew, could come in handy.

As she settled down, Magi came over to help her with her wounds. “I have had better days,” she winced, “but considering how much damage I took, better than I should be allowed.” The wound on her arm still really hurt, but the other ones were better. “We both did the best we could.” She sighed and leant back against the tree. “Hey Magi, do you think you could take first watch?” They both knew she needed the sleep.

She feared to sleep, much as her body needed it and longed for it, for whenever she closed her eye, Olete’s face swam in her vision, the moment when she plunged her knife into her eye socket, mimicking her own wound but to a much greater and deadlier extent. Every time, the scene became more gruesome, as if her mind was making up for her limited sight. She had just murdered another girl. Right after talking about them all turning into beasts, she went and murdered her. Lara was the biggest beast of them all. Eventually though, sleep came over her like a blanket, blocking out all of the waking world and sending her into the deep corners of her mind.



 
 
[attacks Olete with knife]
 

 

ELEGANT

 
q9XNxySTfmknife

[Result: 40 damage]

knife