southern royalties – d10, train.

[napoleon, d2m ₊⊹ 🐁 ɢʀɪғғɪɴ.]

The train shoots through the dark night like a bullet intent on a wound.

Ten has been left behind in a blur and everything else had remained with it: his family, his garage studio, his second life.

Onward they run, this train of ghosts and once-carousers. Before Andal would have wondered at the lavish furniture and admired the craftsmanship of the vehicle, but now all he could hold in his head was Flynn’s scared face, the color of Emerson’s hair, and that wretch Garcia standing near Hank, and Flynn, Flynn, Flynn.

The chorus of a foretold tragedy.

Andal enters the carriage with his two tributes once the shell-shock has simmered down to a sense of begrudging acceptance for everyone involved.

He tries a smile at the two boys, waving softly with his eternally gloved hand. “Howdy.” His other gloved hand sets down a pitcher of tea in front of the pair. “It sort of became my tradition to spoil the new folks who get on this train with food but, uh, kinda forgot this time.” He chuckles, then slumps down into the cushion facing the two.

His eyes, brown as fields of barley, study the both of them for a moment before he nods.

“Right.” Andal steeples his fingers, feeling the leather between each one. “So, Emerson, your name already grants you a copious amount of sponsors – no surprise there – and that means we gas you up, Hank. What makes you you?”

Andal’s own selling point to the masses had been the modern southern boy during his games, country drawl replaced by the smooth-sounding syllables the capitol prefer, and he was interested to hear what Hank’s was.

And yet, out of the corners of his eyes, he stole a glance at Emerson. The golden boy with the spotlight stolen from him, how would he fare?

[10th retro gm | paxton hayes]

It's so surreal.

One moment he's standing safely with everyone back in district ten, and the next he's standing on the stage wondering why this happened, but no matter what, Hank knows he cannot take it back. Volunteering is something that shouldn't be taken lightly, and now he understands why. But of course, it wasn't his own choosing. The tug at his heart, the butterflies churning inside his stomach, all of that led him to believe this is his calling.

It's a calling many will never understand.

And now that the train is shooting through the night, he can't help but wonder how everyone else is back in district ten. His family, his friends, all of them. Hopefully they're rooting for him, offering him some much needed prayers - would it be enough? Is it ever enough?

Everything happens for a reason, but what is the reason for this?

I trust in You. You have my whole heart, my soul, my everything. I surrender it all to You, Ripred. I give it all to You.

He doesn't even want to make eye contact with anyone else since meditating with his own thoughts is far more important than anything else at the moment. It's easy for someone to look at Emerson and instantly offer him something amazing. His name alone is all that he needs, and it instantly puts Hank at a disadvantage. Who would care? Why would someone want to help him? He's just a kid from ten that doesn't seem to know what he's doing.

But it all changes as the door open, and Andal walks in.

Hank's heart leaps into the back of his throat, and in that moment, all he wants is to run away, to pretend that he isn't here, yet it's as though someone has glued him to his seat. He listens to every word that fills the air, but the only thing on his mind is finding some alone time to meditate and pray.  But he doesn't know what makes him him.

"I don't know what makes me me." He pauses and looks out the window unable to figure out what sets him apart. "I ain't quite sure what you're actually looking for if I'm being completely honest, but I guess I'd say I'm a gardener. I tend to gardens. I keep them looking nice, and I nurse almost dead plants back to health. All they need is a little love."

If that's not what he's looking for, Hank doesn't even know where to begin.

"All anyone needs is a little love because it can go a long way."

[made by kaitlin]