𝖋𝖆𝖊 forgotten land | u.l.v.w (day 5)

[LAIN 🍽 1M | Mattio]

U L Y S S E S.

After a brief stint to make some distance in the skies, we're back on the ground. The darkness seems to stay in the canopy forest. Shimmers of light flash from the sky every now and then as we push through. I'd like to think we're making decent mileage in the arena. Perry, Larissa, and Bellamy have found us not once but twice in the past two days, and after the incident last night, the last thing I want to do is step another foot in Perry's direction.

Yeah, yeah. I know. Foot joke… still untimely given what I did. But if she can't hear me, I don't think it counts.

Standing beside Torian, I watch his sunny pendant bounce back and forth on his chest. He killed someone today, too. Shit, I haven't even spoken to him about it. I haven't spoken to either of them since they left Caspian. Torian was relatively quiet at the moment, but even from the distance I was at, Jayson was much more distraught. There's a hard brave exterior to him, a shell that cracked with tears rolling down his eyes. I think he might need more time before I reach out.

"You did a pretty brave thing there. I know you didn't want to-- and you shouldn't have to. But you did." I gave him the sun pendant on the first night because he is the sunshine of our group. The pride and joy. If one of us got our grades or awards on the refrigerator door, it's him. But now, he's glooming. Today eclipsed him, a shining star meant to exist in the daylight now caught out by night.

"It didn't help."

"You're right. It didn't fix what happened to Caspian, but it helped make sure you're still here. And I'm still here. And Jayson." There's a question that I want to ask him, but I'm not sure he's even ready to think about what it means to say yes or no to it.

"I guess, but I probably should've hit the other guy, right? For revenge, or whatever." The smile doesn't come. No smile, no scientific facts, no nothing.

The w-word. I'm gonna ask him about the w-word."Look, Torian– it's not about revenge. It's about surviving. We've seen how this ends ninety-three times for however the fuck many people that is. Plus the eight who've died here. I don't want to be tough on you, but I've gotta ask if you want to win and go home or not?"

"Of course I want to go home, but is that realistic? Me?? Everyone else wants the same thing."

No no no no no no, Torian! Do more than just want it– manifest it! "Back at home, I had this one friend of mine, and his cousin told me that there's a one-in-a-trillion chance that if you throw your hand against this tree, the atoms in your hand will let it fly right through." I throw my hand against one of the forest trees. Of course, it doesn't work, and I see the look on Torian's face saying ..., but there's more to the story. "That's physics. That's science. It could happen, right? Statistics, scenarios. There's a scenario where you win. Big victor Torian Vice. That might involve hurting people. You're like sunshine, my guy. Nothing on this world compares to you. The sun is gonna outlast every one of us on earth. It sounds stupid, but just believe in yourself."

…I think I want him to win more than I want it for myself…

"That was a flawed physics argument, but I can't deny what you said about statistics. It's not impossible, it just feels impossible. A lot of people hope and believe, but die anyway. Emotions won't save me."

"I think you can win, personally. I think people underestimate you because you're young. But people like Jayson and I know the truth. You've got what it takes to do good things. The sun grows plants, keeps us warm, the gravity to it keeps us together." Yeah… I've been listening to Torian's spiels over the last few days.

"Thanks…"

The silence tells me that he's heard enough. Hopefully, he'll believe in himself a little bit more now, too.

---

We stop at some point in the night. I can't really tell when the moon has been in the same place in the sky for hours. Torian takes some time to rest while Jayson and I stand watch. We snuggled a little bit last night, but today, I think we both might need it some more.

"Rough day, yeah?"

Jayson talks about how there's not a lot of time left in the Games. On average, they last eight or nine days. We're on, what, five? Jayson says it first, "I'm tired of waiting."

"Waiting for what?" I know and he does too, but we're both coy about the subject. I turn my cheek a little playfully and stare out at the trees. "Waiting for the sun to come up, waiting for the sky to fall, waiting for the-" Hook, line, sinker, he makes the first move. A kiss to the cheek (I thought his evasive ass would never.)

"Ahh… waiting for a kiss." I turn around and one-up him with a kiss on the lips and then some. I pull back and sigh. "I'm gonna have to make you wait another second, Jayson. I have to do some gay shit out back."

I hop up and skip off to the trees behind our camp. No, don't get dirty. I'm just taking another one of those rainbow pisses.

I won't lie… I'm a little smitten! Jayson gets sweeter every second I spend with him. Of course, just like he said, that's limited now. Days? Hours? Minutes left with one another? The stream of rainbow piss subsides and I latch the trousers together again. Really, just an extra step in the process of my night with Jay-

"Hello?"

Torian and Jayson are nowhere to be found.

"Jayson?" Their gryphons are gone, too.

"Sunshine?" Nothing.

"Come with us!"

The voices glow yellow. They repeat their phrase, Come with us. Come with us.

"Okay! Okay! Don't get on my ass about it. I'm coming."

Against my better judgment, I follow them. They lead us back to the Cornucopia, where everything started. There's red petals everywhere, and the blood of those we fought to secure the Cornucopia for our alliance flies through the wind like chipped, dried-up paint. Sixteen alive by day five (rhymes, click your heels for good luck!) doesn't satisfy the Gamemakers, probably.

Of course, there's others by the time we make it to the clearing. Okay… okay, if memory serves me right: Vallen, Will, and… Luna? District Three, District Twelve, and District Two, respectively.

Thorns soar from the ground, keeping us from getting out. The traitor pixies fly further to the center, where a creature that's certainly not another tribute lurks. It speaks: pay your price. There are bags between us, but only three. Four minus three… one of us isn't going to get a bag. One of us is going to die. I pull the jar that I'd gotten as a gift, dipping my sword in for some good luck. Judging by my confidence in Torian's judgments, it's acid. Caspian's dead and Torian's not here right now. I don't have the confidence of a kill yet. Gotta add some cushion to these odds.

The creature in the back steps forward, the flora enveloping her a clear misdirection. She'll certainly be a participant in this battle.

I raise my sword, dripped in a toxic green, toward the others. "Well…" I'll make the first move, I suppose. I move in Luna's direction. Attacking District Two has sort of become my brand, what with Perry and I having two standoffs cut short now. "Well, what the hell." I tug at my pendant, the moon. Hopefully Mr. Sunshine's okay. I want to tug at something else, too, but Jayson might have to wait.

I swing at her full force.

Table by Rave

[ ulysses activates his acid on his sword ]

[ ulysses attacks luna ; acid sword ]

YBYo6X4L4Lsword
[ 1163 -- Shallow Cut on Stomach -- 4.0 damage ]

1-50
[ +8 Acid Damage ]

sword·1-50

[ryan]

you are waiting for the anthem to play at this point. there isnt much left to say to xaa as she goes to sleep. you are slightly perplexed as you watched her trip out of her mind. she seemed to be able to function well, and you realized that she wasnt lying when she lived a wild lifestyle back in one.

apart of you figured that she might be embellishing a little bit, seeing as most people that came from one and two were enrolled in career training at a very young age. you did not know what it was like to be a normal child, but clearly, xaa didnt either.

you looked at tommy for a second, but realized that he might not know what to say either. you didnt even know where you stood with tommy at this point either. you both were tied with one kill each, both ready to do it again, because it was what needed to be done.

the anthem sounded, and you watched the faces in the sky. the girl from seven, the boy from ten, to which you sighed with relief. the girl from eight, and the boy from six.

you thought about it, and that made you curious. it seemed like all the middle district tributes were falling pretty quickly. maybe the gamemakers wanted to see a career win for once. it was a thought that faded quickly as you took a long deep breath.

you counted to ten in your mind, just to pass the time. you looked at xaa and then to tommy, and your spear tightened in your hand.

then you saw black.

---

when you woke up, you realized that neither of them were near by. you werent even near the spot where you had apparently fallen asleep. you stood up and your spear was still in your hand. "xaa? tommy?" you are confused for a moment, right up until you finally hear something in the wind.

its a mystical voice, probably a jabberjay or something. you shake your head, trying to avoid the sound. that was until it grew louder. you see fluttering creatures fly right by your face and you are ready to lunge with your spear. but they are not here to attack you. instead they tell you to come with them.

you know this has to be a trick, but you also know that you dont have a choice.

you follow.

you are led to the cornucopia, and you remembered how a couple days ago, you had your leg broken here. you grit your teeth for a second, right up until you watch the weird creatures disappear in front of your eyes. thats when you see some faces you recognize. the boy from 11, a sickly specimen who seems just a little too over confident for your own taste. the boy from three, vallen, who you had faced days prior and who had showed you some sort of interest in the training center. he was a going to be a tough cookie.

"will?" you question as you watch her walk forward. you are relieved just a little bit, even though she had walked away from you a couple days ago. "for what its worth, its good to see you." you then see a creature adorned in royal garb and you realize that this is probably what summoned you.

you listen for only a moment, you are distracted just long enough, they tell you the stipulations, but the boy from eleven is already poised to strike. you feel a cut on your stomach before the burning sensation actually sets in. you grit your teeth for a moment before letting out a guttural scream.

"you lower districts dont like fighting fair huh?" you remember that the girl from nine had done the same thing to you yesterday, and you had half a mind to try to kill her instead. "i killed the girls ally who tried using whatever is on that sword right now." you purse your lips for a moment before pulling out your spear. it had not let you down yet.

"ill show you what hell looks like."

you did not pause, you rushed the boy from eleven.

you wanted to see how well he faired in close range combat.

[d2a luna goodwin attacks d11b ulysses with her festerwood spear | spear]
tsiTxeD27ospear
[+10]

spear

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

Nobody told me just how hard this would be.

Throughout his entire life, Vallen wanted nothing more than to have friends, and no matter how hard he tried, nobody would stand with him for longer than a few minutes. Nobody cared about robots, nobody wanted to hang out with a poor soul who spent most of his hours locked away in a room building machines that meant nothing at the end of the day. Winning competitions was fun, and for the most part worth it, but now it all seems for nothing.

And now that people have stood by his side, he understands how his life could've been different had he just stepped away from competitions and actually tried.

It's hard, though, knowing that they have to die, and watching Quentin and Elijah fall, seeing them dead, knowing they're never going to speak to him again tears what remaining heartstrings are left. It's important to be strong, to keep fighting, to remember that only one will win, but it doesn't make it any easier. They're his friends, and he didn't even get the chance to say goodbye. It's hard knowing that he let them down, and it's frustrating because he's barely making a difference with the weapon he holds.

What's holding me back?

All that's left is him and Lillybird, and she's definitely more of a fighter than he'll ever be. But why hasn't she left him? Why hasn't she gone off on her own?

I'm just weighing her down.

Being a burden is a hard weight to carry, yet it's one he's carried his entire life, and now he wants nothing more than to simply run away like he's done so many times before. Facing emotions head on isn't easy, but processing them in this place isn't easy either.

He leans against a tree wondering when the world will fall around him, but tonight, Vallen lets himself fall asleep as he knows he's probably going to need it.

"Come, come with us."

Grabbing the blade, he jumps to his feet trying to figure out what's going on, and when he doesn't initially follow, they keep forcing him to move along. Nothing makes sense anymore, and in this moment he looks around for Lillybird and she's nowhere to be found.

I wonder why she left me alone to die.

It's still hard to see, but finding the tree roots and finding the perfect place to put his foot is becoming much easier, yet every twig that snaps puts him on edge. Heightened senses makes it harder to survive through day and night, but it's becoming his new normal. It's just taking a lot of time to adjust and get used to it.

And then he's back in the opening of the cornucopia, and something is near the portal.

That's when he sees them and makes out their silhouettes, but there's one thing standing there that doesn't ring any sort of recognizable bell. Before he has a chance to figure out what's going on, a battle starts, but that's when he sees her. She's blurry; however, after the last couple of days, Vallen is very aware of who she is.

"You killed my friend, and now you must pay."

[kaitlin]

Vallen attacks Will | glaive
f|Sz0Fa6q1glaive
Block

Accuracy reroll

glaive
13117 -- 8.0 damage + 1 blades
glaive·glaive

[alex 🐺]

You do not recognize the bodies in the water. You do not recognize the bodies in the water.

Will repeats the mantra to herself as she curls up for the night on her tarp, leaving enough space for Krueger to comfortably sleep as well, even though his dreams seemed as far away from him as home.

She closes her eyes and her fist curls around the glaive that he had given her. It felt sure and true in her hand, far more sturdy than the dagger that had snuffed the flame out of Elijah’s eyes. Fire and brimstone, he hurled insults at her that she had heard all of her life. And…all she had wanted to do was make him shut up.

So, she stabbed him.

There’s no remorse there, not really. No grand plan or fate or infinity or revenge that she was fighting for. She just really needed that fucking kid to shut his damn mouth for one second.

Boys, honestly.

When she wakes up in the morning, Krueger’s bag is gone, the asshole. At least he could have left a note or something. But the voices that have danced on the wind for days have finally turned into something intelligible and she has no choice but to follow back to the place where it had all started for them. Starbursts and clover bloom all around them along with red flowers, the thirst for blood never quite quenched.

Will guesses that the Cornucopia would get its fill today.

“Luna!” Will yells, genuine happiness in her voice at the sight of the girl from Two. Will had searched the sky each night for a sign that her former tributes had survived and thankfully, she hadn’t seen their faces. It was a small consolation when Elijah’s face had lit up the sky. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’re still around, you sneaky bitch.”

The fae queen that lured them here melts into the shadows as the four face each other, bags between them. A boy she hasn’t seen since the Training Center moves first and she’s distracted by Luna’s counterattack on him so she doesn’t see when the weapon and it’s bearer headed right for her. His first jab misses, thank fucking Ripred, but she isn’t as lucky with his second strike. 

“This fucking guy again,” Will says under her breath as Vallen steps up and buries his glaive in her thigh. She grits her teeth and grips the weapon with both hands, her heart racing.

“What is with you people?” Will asks, the blood from her leg dripping into her boots. The Spring Queen was probably creaming herself with glee.

”Newsflash,” Will says, pointing her glaive ar Luna before she spins back to Vallen, “she killed your friend too. Y’all are 0 for 2 there, buddy. And honestly, dude, yall have been singing this same song and dance for days and I’m tired of it. Want to know a secret? It’s never, ever been about you or your friends.”

Will turns then to the boy who had attacked Luna and lunges.

will attacks ulysses - glaive

b5KvL5_hfxglaive

+8 dmg + 1 blades

glaive

[napoleon, d2m ₊⊹ 🐁 ɢʀɪғғɪɴ.]

       

Spring.

Orchids and blooms, nature returning anew.

Spring, the season of renewal and growth, comes as the last frost on the grass thaws and the first of the many red flowers pushes through. And she, the queen of it, follows behind. The corpses, the snow, the long march of cold death, all of that fades under her breath. Growth, fertility, regeneration, spring.

The portal flickers like a womb.

Then a pause.

Then butterflies. Hundreds- no, thousands of them bust forth at once from the portal, a tidal wave of lilac and pink wings crashing over her children.  Little, lovely children. She is a mother first, a queen second. Spring is rebirth. Spring is regeneration. She is here to help them grow. Out with the old, in with the spring, she is here to transform.

“Childrennnnnn-” layered and cloying is her voice as she lulls, a hive speaking in tandem, resonant like a chorus, and sweet and inviting is her scent as the colorful head of her crown first breaches the portal. Long and sharp are her hands as they claw her body out, and prismatic and glided are her wings once they spread gloriously under the sunlight.

“Play? In mother's absence?” she bemoans.

“Children must wait. Mother knows best.”

“Come,” her arms open eagerly, tenderly, as the butterflies - her lovely swarm - all gather around her kin, “be free of the blight.”

The swarm pushes in. And if her little children have yet to spot the twin mouths crowded with sharp teeth on each butterfly’s wing, they would certainly feel it once the fangs viciously bite into their flesh.

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES ULYSSES,
wing-teeth | (knife)

H8COBZQRmNknife

2191 -- Shallow Cut on Right Shoulder -- 3.5 damage

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES LUNA,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2009 -- Deep Gash on Neck -- 10.0 damage

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES VALLEN,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2128 -- Severed Thumb on Left Hand -- 8.5 damage

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES WILLOW,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2094 -- Shallow Cut on Left Shoulder -- 3.5 damage

knife·knife·knife·knife

[LAIN 🍽 1M | Mattio]

U L Y S S E S.

The acid appears to do more than the sword itself in this instance. It skims Luna's stomach, the acid sizzling around the edges of the wound. It sure does smell like the burning of flesh, but she stays standing, an over-confident look on her face that I've gotten to know well over the last seventeen years of watching these games on television screens. One, Two, and Four. The career districts. It's a toss-up on what you'll get at any given moment: a normal kid or a crazy one.

"You lower districts don't like fighting fair huh?" What, the acid? She's staring directly at the thin layer of bubbling green on the tip of my sword. Why someone who hails from the district that trains their kids to kill is talking about fairness is beyond comprehension. "I killed the girl's ally who tried using whatever is on that sword right now." Uhh… okay? Did you kill the girl who used it? If not, then why are you trying to scare me with it? Apparently, Two will train their kids to kill but make a fool of themselves while doing it!

Luna aims for my head with her spear. "I'll show you what hell looks like." And for the first time in the Games, another tribute pierces my skin. The arrowhead of the spear collapses against the side of my neck, dragging upwards with her momentum. I can feel the metal get close to my throat, but I suppose her aim isn't as lethal as either of us would've guessed. Nothing punctured, thankfully, but just the thought of it combined with what she said before she struck sends me into a coughing fit, wheezes of laughter sprinkled in with the twitches in my chest.

Vallen takes a swipe at Will on the other side, but Will's focus seems to stick on me. She and Luna seem familiar with one another as they talk about Luna's kills as if both were there to witness it. All three of them were by the looks of things. The first one, anyway. But there's more hostility with Vallen against the other two. Perhaps Will and Luna are allies? It makes sense, given the dive Will takes toward me in defense. Her weapon cuts into my leg.

"Ow! Ooh.. oh.. ahh… hahaha." The pain from my neck and leg hurt at first, but I think back to what Luna just said. "I'll show you what hell looks like!" That makes it tickle instead.

"You're one of those careers, huh?" There's a twinge in my tone. "My god, I thought people like you were things of legends… and nightmares!" If the sarcasm wasn’t clear before, it must be now. I'm feeding her delusion, just a bit, with those words. Words like hell, legend, and nightmare. Bait her into making another hilariously ridiculous quip to try and spook me! "I guess we know now why Two became the Trash Bin Capitol of Panem." Trash. One more quip for good measure.

I look to Vallen, a warning and a plea on my tongue. "They'll come for you next if we don't team up."

From the corner of our quadrant, the creature made of blush pink and opaque green wings calls out, the same voice from earlier in the day. Come with us… "Childrennnn," it's the same tone as my grandma would make for my little brothers and sisters when dinner was ready, but they were all still playing tag outside. "Play, in mother's absence?" She wants to join in, doesn't she? Swarms of winged creatures fly around her arms. Ethereal. If it wasn't for the death part, this arena would be whimsical and fascinating. I brace myself as the creatures fly forward, wings wide and firm like the planes of old. They dash and swarm each of us, managing to chip at the shoulder I've given up to protect the rest of my body. I'm pretty sure there's a broken bone on that side from those horses on day two, so what could some cuts do?

The last ones fly by and I pick my head back up. Could've been a little more help, mysterious-mutt-lady-that-reminds-me-of-sweet-meadows!

Eyes turn to Vallen. We haven't spoken before this moment, but I need him on my side. Can't fight two-on-one, nope. I motion him to attack with me. Please, man.

I pull my sword back from the grass and aim it in Luna's direction once more. And then swing, in spite of the pain in my lungs.

Table by Rave

[ ulysses attacks luna ; acid sword ]

|xf7V4MQ84sword
[ 1122 -- Deep Gash on Right Calf -- 8.0 damage ]

1-50
[ +2 ]

sword·1-50

[ryan]

you wait for the boy from three to attack you, knowing well that a dogpile is just around the corner. you hear will share that she is not surprised to see you still kicking. of course you were, well, just about.

the boy from three though swings at will, and you smile a wicked smile. seemed like there was some more bad blood then they all could have thought. you are just trying to catch your breath. "hoping to make it through this fight too will." you are a little out of breath, the cut from the sword taking the breath out of your lungs.

this is not where you should fall.

you look to see that the fae queen has stood from her alter just as soon as will had landed her blow against the boy from eleven. she speaks but you know all too well that mutts that speak are just a gimmick. that it really is the gamemakers talking through them or something like that. you just dont believe it. "mother's dont know best." you say under your breath but that does not stop her from latching her teeth into your neck. you cant help but scream just as she lets you go.

you take a moment to recompose yourself, just as you remembered that you were in the middle of a fight. the boy from eleven seems to be going on a tirade, using words that would trigger someone else. not you though. nightmares? legends? you wanted to laugh, but you could see where this was going. he talks just like your father did.

absolutely disgusting.

he says something to vallen, "hes got his own score to settle." you arent having it. its actually laughable. "as for me?" you take a deep breath as he lashes against your calf, blood pooling off your skin and into a puddle right below you. "i dont need to prove anything to you eleven." you hold your spear tight. its done all the work for you, and you know that it will not let you down.

"dont blink." you stand, in pain, but you have to stand. you have to fight. you cant die here. "youll drop dead before you even know it."

he wants to play heros and villains in his own head, then let him.

youll show him how much of a game this is to you.

[d2a luna goodwin attacks d11b ulysses with her festerwood spear | spear]
hOSPQ4TM3rspear
[result]

spear

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

"It’s never, ever been about you or your friends."

No, it hasn't. It's not about any of that, and her facts are wrong. Thomas killed Quentin, not Luna, so maybe she should pay more attention and she'd understand the reasoning behind the anger, but Vallen never expects anyone to understand anything anymore. It's always about being selfish, about pushing the facts behind to make sure everything is perfect for each individual. Nobody here is friends.

Nobody.

"Actually, Thomas killed my friend. Not her."

Speaking up isn't something he's good at. Now is the time to learn, the time to dive out of his comfort zone and do what he can before it's too late. It's just a matter of pushing himself to the limits to see where he's going from here. Back home, he has nobody, and his family tried pointing that out for years without being brutally honest about it. Maybe if they had been brutally honest, all of this would've changed.

Nothing can be done about it now anyway.

Maybe that's my problem.

All he's ever wanted in life was to find something he's good at, and he found that, but what did he lose along the way? Family is more important than friendships, and right now, he has neither of those. Sometimes it doesn't make any sort of sense, and Vallen is struggling to grasp the idea of everything happening all at once.

His eyes lock on the outline of the creature, and every fiber of his being begs for him to run, but running will never do him any good. Instead, now, he must focus on what's going on. It's clear that one person has to die.

"They'll come for you next if we don't team up."

It catches him off guard, but he's seen it before. The same routine, the same fights. Everything is always the same, and Vallen doesn't want to be at the bottom of some sort of pit.

And being caught off guard is never a good thing because the pain that comes next brings tears to his eyes, but he manages to blink them all away.

"hes got his own score to settle."

It's true. Will killed his friend, but Eleven needs help. Ulysses needs assistance, and maybe if Vallen offers a helping hand, he'll owe him one. A truce can go a bit of distance in the game, even if it's just both of them surviving this one fight because it will help them both to survive one more day.

Looking in every direction and inhaling sharply, Vallen tries to make sense of everything going on. Killing Will is the only way to make up for everything that's happened, but he knows Ulysses is right.

Revenge can wait.

Vallen simply nods his head, and he looks at the glaive and winces as blood gushes from the massive puncture wound in the center of his hand.

"You're right."

He turns around and follows Ulysses' lead, and with a silent plea, he turns towards the sky.

I want to be brave like Quentin and Elijah. May their hands guide me.

[kaitlin]

Vallen attacks Luna | Glaive
TdTxbG9N64glaive

13006 -- 9.5 damage + 1 blades glaive

[alex 🐺]

When the fairy queen comes out of the trees and talks to them once more Will knows she’s in hell. Well, scratch that. When the cacophony of voices from the fairy stops and the goddamn shit-you-not thousands of evil-ass butterflies fly forward with razor-sharp wings, Will knows that she’s really in hell. Because this is her worst nightmare.

The flapping of the wings is like thunderclaps, the air around them a tornado. Will’s momentarily blinded but her jab at Eleven strikes true. She inhales sharply, ire coursing through her veins even though she has no reason to be mad. Words like friend and ally ring in her ears but she hadn’t ever called Luna a friend. A target of opportunity, maybe, but never a friend. Never someone that she could or should die defending, right? Krueger would give her so much shit for the war within her head right now. She wishes she could be shouting at him as shrieks fill the air from the queen’s children—a hunting cry.

Hunter and hunted—the lines blur.

Snakes were one thing. But Luna killed the snake, which was so badass, and then Xaa got to wear its skin on her hands like work gloves that Papa used to wear. But these little shitbag butterflies, with prisms of colors dancing across their wings like gossamer silks and shooting stars, dart forward in a mass and all hell breaks loose. They bite and tear at Will’s skin and she momentarily drops her glaive to slap a few out of the air.

Stupid, idiotic flying caterpillars!

They’re gone as soon as they descend, though, and in the aftermath, the air is sweeter and more pungent and Eleven is slashing through Luna’s defenses. She hits back but Vallen reaches in and hits Luna and a cry escapes Will's throat.

"Actually, Thomas killed my friend. Not her." Vallen isn't wrong and Will definitely was not right, but nothing matters as Luna's being torn to shreds next to her. Maybe that's what Vallen is fighting for—this feeling inside of Will at the injustice of the fight and the sight of her former ally falling in front of her.

Even with the butterflies momentarily gone, there's a humming in the restless air as Will maneuvers herself into position to strike Eleven again. To protect herself, to protect Luna, to strike and tear down this boy that stands between her and her friend, between her and the promise of something.

will attacks d11 ulysses - glaive

lP5z9eI43Iglaive

+3.5 dmg

glaive

[napoleon, d2m ₊⊹ 🐁 ɢʀɪғғɪɴ.]

       

Silver-bell laughter echoes throughout the fuchsia swarm, amplified by the flapping of a thousand wings. Her children ... look how they play. Their pain is an offering to her. Their blood is an iron tithe.

She lets the ground soak it up and turn it to flowers. 

Vibrance, the act of blooming and the flourishing of things, those fall neatly under her domain, but like all else, nature has its rules. Something must die for something else to live. She knows this. And what a beautiful end she shall grant that special one. 

"Surrender," she finds herself speaking again in tandem with the hive, an echo upon echo. "Free yourself of the blight and allow yourself to become a part of my swarm. A part of something that is greater and whole." 

Then she extends an arm and wills the entirety of her swarm to descend upon them again, a dazzling shower of pink flowers that is eager and willing to help wash the rot away.

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES ULYSSES,
wing-teeth | (knife)

VoCzFLCPFHknife

2113 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES LUNA,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2187 -- Stabbed in Eye -- 10 damage
Stabbed in Chest

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES VALLEN,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2071 -- Deep Gash on Right Forearm -- 8.0 damage

LADYEVER'S SWARM BITES WILLOW,
wing-teeth | (knife)

knife

2193 -- Shallow Cut on Right Thigh -- 3.5 damage 

knife·knife·knife·knife

[LAIN 🍽 1M | Mattio]

U L Y S S E S.

"You're right."

It's the warmest phrase to hear when there's a spear cutting through again. Vallen agrees to my request for a temporary alliance, turning on his heel back to Luna. Between my sword, the acid biting through flesh, and the teethlike wings on the creatures flying in and out of the mother's embrace, she's the easier target. His swing connects across her chest. I think of the words she just shared. "Don't blink. You'll drop dead before you even know it." Our conditions flip on a dime. Believe me, I'm in no good condition either, but that goes to show you just how close we are.

Will makes another chip at my shoulder just as the floral creature echoes against the Cornucopia's portal. The creatures soar like paper airplanes racing through the wind. Unmistakable is the shine of the creatures' tips, their mouths slightly open. I could compare it to the saying birds of a feather flock together, but these are more like winged wasps than birds, and their feathers are sharp knives, cutting as they glide. The swarm makes its way to the fight. I fall low, dodging most of them. They fly for as long as the mutt's voice. When the echoes return back to the corner, the swarm follows suit.

I climb back up, sword ready to find Luna again with the acid, but only three of us rise back. Myself. Vallen. Will. Luna stays down, pierced to death by the mutt's minions.

It's death by a thousand cuts.

Her words come back again. "I don't need to prove anything to you, Eleven." An improvement from the hell comment for sure. "Oh yeah? Prove it." I whisper as I pass her toward the bags.

They're labeled: 1, 2, and 3. Which one's the one for me?

Well. I'm from District 11. One plus one is two. With that, I make my pick.

[ulysses takes bag #3 lol]
[ulysses flees]

Table by Rave

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

Filler flee

Vallen takes bag 2

[alex 🐺]

filler flee because ya girl is going to go watch some footie!
will takes bag numero uno!