Diamonds For Tears [TLB vs Echoes] (day 3)

[Kire]

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J I M D E E R

♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆

Says, Thinks

I'm cold. I'm not shivering, it's not that kind of cold. I just feel numb, separated, disconnected, distant. The only thing I'm really paying attention to is my grip on Blaire's shoulder. If I lose him I would be screwed, not upset though. I don't know if anything will get to me anymore. The darkness around me doesn't bother me - it never did in truth, but even less so now - and I liked to imagine that by the end of this I would be able to find my way around like a bat because to hell with all of this no-seeing shit. As it was, I was waiting for Blaire to bust his nose on a wall any moment now. Then I could laugh, and then he's probably try to punch me or something, I don't know.

It's been quiet between the two of us since yesterday, since... yeah. There's no way for me to know what the kid feels, and I'm not sure how much I care, but he's all I've got at the moment so I tighten my grip and keep following in his footsteps. I'm pretty damn sure that neither of us know where we're going, and I'm also pretty damn sure that neither of us care. Part of me is tempted to say something to break the silence, but at the same time I'm trying to hold onto this disconnect that I'm feeling and that seems a sure fire way to break it.

It wasn't until I noticed that I could see glints in the walls that I realized two things; one, we were not alone, and two, the walls refracted the light that whoever it was had. My hand had been casually resting on the hilt of Jay's my sword and so I immediately snatched it from its place at my hip. Stepping away from Blaire, I waited for the light to come closer, took a look at the face of the girl carrying it, and sneered. I looked at my companion, then at the candle. "I'm really tired of the dark, aren't you?" I wanted that candle, I wanted to be out of the dark for a bit so that maybe I wouldn't be quite so numb, and maybe, just maybe, I wanted to see the blood that would rise from where my sword would bite into her flesh.

I felt the impact that Jay's body had made all over again, the sound of rending flesh filling my ears along with his words. He may have hated me, but it hadn't been enough to save him from his own stupidity. This girl was stupid in her own right too, stupid for giving me yet another reason to kill her.

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(Jim attacks Valerie Leotos with Sword)
K05epo1vsword
Deep Gash on Right Calf -- 8.0 damage

sword

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

Seeing Fishb--- Jay. I guess I should be respectful now that he is dead, so seeing Jay's face flash in the sky next to Dreads and Emery - the girl who got my nose all wrong and reminded me of Ruth so much it hurt - washed a wave of guilt all over me again. Because that part of me that grows more and more detached from the humane and moral part of me is getting smaller and smaller. Like a dying flame - like the dying embers after the fire at Sycamore, just ever so slowly disappearing into nothing. I can't tell if I am growing numb, which leads me to believe I am already numb having dealt with how my life turned out from the moment I was born, but I still am afraid of running into people. I'm afraid of having to watch someone die again. I'm afraid Twelve hear will stab me in the back - and yes, I mean this very literally.

I can still hear Jay in the darkness, coughing and spluttering and gurgling his own blood. I can still hear the way he hit the ground and the cannon echoing through the dark. I don't want to see anyone else. I just want to sit in the dark, alone, and listen to the cannons burst one after the other until I am the only one left and then I can go home. But I'm not going home. I said that from the very first day, I know I lied when I said I would be okay, and I know I am supposed to be dead right now. But now it's day 3. Now the Gamemakers are just toying with me, making me believe in something that just will not come true.

I guess in that way I am sort of lucky I never had a real mother. Mother's dote on their children, tell them lies, believe in them, care for them - I never got that privilege so I just expect failure and death and cruelty. And yet I think about my mom sometimes, imagine what it would have been like had she lived. I still regret not being able to grab the photo I had of her before I fled from the flames. I still regret being the younger twin, still regret existing, still regret making childbirth her death, regret killing her ... even now, when never being loved or wanted comes in handy.

Sure that means I hold grudges against people and sure that means I am an angry little kid and yes that even means I talk big and pretend I know what I am doing, but that doesn't mean I want to kill anyone. And I regret ever even thinking that thought in my mind. I never meant it. Not the time I threatened Septimus after he nearly blew me up, not the time I said it to a kid on the streets who beat me in a race, Ripred I didn't even mean it when I said it to my father. I hate him, but I would never kill him.

And suddenly Twelve's hand isn't on my shoulder anymore, and I instinctively whip around, axe raised above my head, only to find that he isn't trying to kill me. Not yet anyway. Something shimmers over his head and I squint. Then more shimmering. Then fractals of light that just sort of turn into tiny shimmering rainbows. And I feel uncomfortable because most times I am near anything expensive I just feel out of place. But then I realize that all this shimmering is because somewhere there is a light. And as I have learned, where there is light, there are people.

I have to fight again. Only this time I will see what I am doing and I will have to watch people die and bleed and see the pain in their eyes and see them cry tears and--- I can't do this, I can't do this, I cannot do this...

"I'm really tired of the dark, aren't you?"

It's one of the blonde girls in the upper districts. I don't remember either of their names so Blondie is going to have to do for both of them. She looks ... well, frankly she looks like she died and came back to life. And the two kids from Six are with her, but I don't even have the chance to remember their names before Twelve rushes forward and cuts a gash deep into Blondie's leg. "Shit, Twelve, no! Wait!" But he didn't wait and it's too late and there is blood and shimmering and people and weapons and light and my eyes are almost burning now and I know I have to do this.

I drop my stuff and rush forward, my axe above my head, and swing. I even manage to keep my eyes open. Though I'm sure the remorse in them makes me seem weak, makes me look like an easy kill and a coward. Can they see it? See that I don't mean this? Part of me hopes so.

The other part hopes they believe I am strong.

---

{Blaire attacks Valerie Leotos with his Stone Axe}
FqqQtmqqaxe
{Shallow Cut on Neck -- 4.0 damage}
I've literally rolled this number twice this Games like what

---

Blaire Sycamore - District 5

---

axe

[shrimp]

G A L A X Y

"Kendrick you're gonna be okay, okay?" My heart feels like it's about to burst and the blood dripping down my thigh doesn't help as we drag Kendrick away from the group, tripping over whatever lies beneath our feet. As we lie him down against the walls I know that I'm literally the only one who can do this - Val's a Career, she knows how to slice and dice, not heal. And Tau's still getting over his coma; I've had "enough time" to recover, or so the idiot doctor who followed us to the Capitol said.

"I need to see the wounds. Val, shine the candle over here. Val, NOW."

I never wanted to be a doctor. I know that much about myself.

They're deep, three wounds that slice right through him - his stomach, his chest, his throat. Blood gushes out in what seems like an endless waterfall and I know we have to stop it, we have to put pressure on it we have to bind it up but it's so much blood how can I.. How?

"Shit," I whisper.

With the echoes of the caverns, it's more like a roar.

If I wrap something around his neck, the tightness required would choke him. But he's already drowning in his own blood. It's getting harder to see him now - is that the candle flickering or is it the tears pooling in my eyes?

I don't know what to do, I don't know. They didn't teach us how to save people like this in basic biology nor in the mandatory first-aid classes. No this was reserved for the elite, the best of the best. Like.. like Calliope? Memories flash but I don't know whether I'm making them up or if they actually happened.

Calliope is pushed to the back of my mind - even if she was a superstar medic, this info can't help me. I'm not Calliope Bloom, I'm Galaxy.

Kendrick gently touches my wrists, feather-soft touches that I never would have expected to come from him and the only thing I can do is sob. I can't save him.

I can't. I can't. I can't.

There's a necklace in my palm, the pendant's a horse-shoe, and then he's pressing my fist closed. One last gift.

And then he's up, scrambling, ready for one last battle with the reaper, standing against the river bed, teetering at the edge. I try to scramble, try to crawl towards him because he's going to fall he's going to fall he-

He's gone, and the river screams in response.

"I'm sorry."

---

I don't know what I expected.

Were we all going to live hunky-dory together in the dark confines of this cave system? Of course not - death looms around each corner. The thought just didn't hit home quite as hard as it does now.

Did I know Kendrick well? Out of the four of us he was the one who spoke the least, who walked behind us with a steady stride, who snarled and leaped towards his prey. But he was the one who took the first watch, he was the one who gave the three of us, too young and trusting for our own good, a rock to lean on.

It's like another punch to the chest when the anthem lights up and his face glares back at me. But at least we can see him one more time. One more, final moment of respect. He's followed by the boy from 4 whose sister or something had won the Olympics in some sword event and then by the girl from 12.

The caverns can swallow anybody up, it seems. I wrap the final length of bandage around my thigh and stay awake, watching Val and Tau sleep beside me. Val's been lucky today - her sponsorship finally arrived with another vial of antivenom and a full water jug (we give it to Tau immediately; Val and I already have water, we hope).

It's not quiet, but it's not loud. Whatever lurks in the shadows hasn't come out to play. For now.

---

The next clearing we walk into lights up the minute Val's candle illuminates the space. Reflections bouncing off the walls this way and that, and my eyes light up when I realize that they're diamonds, or at least something similar to it because how can so many precious stones be nestled in one place?

I'm tempted to take one, but what's the use? My fingers touch my brooch instead.

"It was your mothers. She always wanted you to have it, for when you got married."

"Did she? I wouldn't know."

I'm lost in thought as I feel the cold smooth surface of Kendrick's necklace when we come across the two boys. The light makes it difficult to make out their faces, but there's enough glinting off the gems to recognize that one's from 5. Sycamore. Laila Sycamore's brother. Or something. I don't really know. I don't want to ask.

"I'm really tired of the dark, aren't you?"

"Shit, Twelve, no! Wait!"

12. Boy from 12. His partner's dead. Like Kendrick. In quick succession they attack Val and I rush to block them but the damage is already done.

"We'll all be in the dark soon," I snarl, images of the cowboy's false bravado (or was it just plain desperation?) flashing through my thoughts. His partner, just a girl, slicing through Kendrick's throat.

"Especially you."

[wimdy]

[presto][/presto]

T A U A N K I A Kendrick is dead and gone. It’s a reality that hasn’t exactly sunk in yet, a murmur across my skin that I try to brush off in the darkness. It doesn’t help soothe the shiver under my skin, the ache that spreads through my veins with every muddled thump of my heart within me. I can’t do this, not when I’ve seen someone who has helped take care of me throw themselves into the water and be taken away from the world we know entirely. There is no hope for our redemption now, now when the strongest of us has choked on his own blood. We keep moving, even though it’s obvious that we’re all worn down to our bones and it’s only day two. (Three? Four? I can’t fucking tell in this constant state of darkness.) The rush of the rapids fade into nothing but a whisper through the dark, a quiet reminder of what the water took from us as the hush of our shuffling footsteps echo around us. I clutch Val’s hand a little tighter, biting back the sobs that well up in my throat, begging to be let go so that I can just collapse into a pool of my own sorrow. Kendrick did what I couldn’t and now I never can… There’s little comfort in the contact of others, especially when all I can hear are the muffled sniffles, the muted tears. I can’t sleep when we settle down, not when the voice in my head starts to curdle what little hope I had left in me, making me sick with every seething word. The voice is right. I know he is. I’m too weak for this, too pathetic to carry any little bit of weight from my alliance members. I can barely even carry myself. Everything feels too heavy against my chest, even when I’m laying prone on the ground, unable to move except for the shivers that splinter up through my bones and shatter me to the core. Galaxy sits before us as we lay there in the dark, Val curled against my back. She trembles in turn, her breathing stuttered against my neck with every exhale. There’s nothing I can do for us, not like this. --- The last watch is mine, my right leg stretched out before me as I count down the moments until I should wake my alliance members. I could leave them, save them the hassle of working to protect a cripple. They shouldn’t have stayed with me at all. I’m surprised they didn’t leave me at the Bloodbath, decide it was too much work to carry a cripple along for the last few days of their lives. I am nothing but a weight dragging them down, even now as I sit here alone and wait for the sun that will never rise. ‘Oh, Kiki baby… Life is so hard, isn’t it? It’s so hard to deal with. What a poor little boy…’ A quiet whimper curls in my throat, my body tensing as the voice hisses low in my head. There’s a sick amusement in the way the laughter that follows seeps deeper inside of me, my breathing going shallow as it clenches like a vice around my lungs. I feel so cold, the stone harsh against my hands as I push myself up to stand. We need to move. ‘You can’t fight it much longer, Kiki darling. You don’t have any fight left in you. You never did.’ --- When the room lights up before us, the reflections of Val’s light bouncing off the walls, I feel myself flinch from the sudden change of lighting. It’s nothing like the calming light of the worms and lichens in Ezhno’s cave, a soothing glow that faded back into the darkness. This is a harsh light, fire rebounded and strengthened. Val and Galaxy look exhausted to the core, their bodies moving slowly as we shuffle forward. It’s only when other voices call out towards us that I see the two girls straighten up, Val removing her hand from mine as a boy charges forward to attack. I can’t help it as I stumble backwards, my good knee buckling and sending me crashing to the floor. The air is ripped from my lungs as I land on the unforgiving rock and gems that litter the clearing. My chain slips from my hands and clatters in front of me, my arms reaching out to pull myself closer to it. It slides down and away from me a little when I reach out to it, a small screech of frustration ripping my mouth open with a burst of agony, my knee throbbing. ‘Kiki, baby, you can’t do this to yourself anymore… You can’t do this to them anymore.’ I muffle a sob into the ground, reaching out for the chain against and wrapping a portion of it around my knuckles as I try to push myself up. The voice is right. He’s right and I can’t do anything to change that, not when I can barely walk by myself without falling, not when I can’t sleep, not when I can’t even get my own supplies. My eyes snap shut, tears spilling from me as I feel myself crumble farther into the floor. I cannot help them. ‘It’s time to let them burn, Kiki.’ N O T C H I M I N E This was never a game. This was war from the very start, the swan song of the children given up to sacrifice in place of those who rebelled all those years ago. There was never meant to be a victor here, not when the victor has blood on his hands and the lives of twenty-three others to atone for. All of these children, these lives with so little time to sprout, were never meant to be here, Kiki included. I stand, putting a little bit more weight on my left leg than my right. The right knee screams in anguish, but it is nothing like the feeling of water entering your lungs and swirling like a storm being released from the sea. There is a salty, metallic scent that floods my senses as I open my eyes again. Fire flickers from the candle of the girl beside me, her front stained red with newly-spilled blood, a gush of it running from her calf. For a moment, I watch as the world before me, all glittering gems and naive children, goes up in flames. Kiki was never meant for these Games… but I was. [Notchimine attacks Jim with chain] V3|1IWlZwhip [6170 -- Block -- 0.0 damage] fuck me fuuuuuck me i can't do whips man

whip

[Rosetta]

It was hours later, in the dark, when it finally hit her.

Why didn’t I shine the light over his wounds faster? She thought, over and over, as Galaxy’s frantic cries echoed painfully in her head. Lying with Tau on the unforgiving ground, Val shifted uncomfortable, breath seizing up in her throat, as the day washed back over her, dragging her under the current—

His death was not calm nor quick. He died of his wounds, his entire soul pouring out of him as Galaxy screamed and Val swung the candle over his head, lulling him to sleep, sleep—

She washed back out again and came up, gasping for breath. Tau and Galaxy lay in a dark tangle around her and Val was damp and sticky, hair sticking to her forehead, sweat and blood mingled together like how—

The ground was sticky and red and smelled bitter. When the cannon roared, Val gasped, but only for a second. As soon as silence fell, she forced her face back to its calm demeanor. Kendrick may be dead, but Val was very much alive. Her lips were taut against one another, eyes staring straight ahead and cannons made the caverns roar—

She pressed her face to the warmth of Tau’s back, trying to steady herself. It was all over now. The bloodbath had been a different kind of seeing, it had been less feeling, more moving. This time, Val had seen and Val had stopped and Val had realized.

There is nothing kind about death.

***

Val thanked all her lucky stars when she struck her candle the next morning and it lit. Tau’s leg was still as bad as ever and he held her hand tightly as they walked. The entire time, Val looked away from him, cheeks slightly pink. The back of his shirt was surely a little wet with her tears from last night and she was not about to bring it back up. In her other hand, she brandished her candle, swinging it high around a corner to lead her allies when—Her eyes widened in surprise as light answered, dazzling her. Colors fell across her outstretched arm, red and green streaks and Val nearly yanked her arm back in horror before realizing: the walls were…diamonds. Mouth wide, she stepped forward tentatively and could see her own pale expression reflected back at her and back at her and back at her, all the way around. She spun around on the spot for s second, like a little girl, holding the candle, releasing Tau’s hand. Her colorful face stared back, blood-streaked, dirty, lank, unkempt hair down the sides of her head, like straw. She looked decrepit, stupid even.

She approached one stretch of wall and reached out to touch her reflection and to her surprise, a diamond fell out into her hand, a sizable piece too, almost the size of her palm. Lips parting, Val held it up to her eyes and saw her own raised eyebrows staring back, mouth open, her two front teeth just streaked with blood. She was a horror…a monstrosity, reflected back in beauty…but, then she grinned.

“Wow, we look like crap,” Val muttered, studying herself and turning the diamond around and around above her head. And that’s when she saw him behind her, distorted through a diamond. Val gasped, spinning around, reaching for her knife, but he’d already sank his sword into her calf.

Falling to her knees, Val gave a cry as her diamond went tumbling from her head and spinning across the floor. Colors blazed around her face as pain erupted once more on her neck. “Help!” she screamed frantically to her allies, gritting her teeth through the pain as she made to rise, just not before instinctively grabbing her diamond and stuffing it into her pocket.

The two boys who had attacked were just as horrible-looking as they were, but now their weapons were streaked with Val’s blood, their eyes ablaze with lust, her candle casting their faces into various rainbow shades. Val narrowed her eyes at them and moved to step in front of her allies, knife in hand. She knew what they wanted and it took all her strength, but she managed to raise her candle above her head, colors flying, and sneer, “Fine, come and get it.”

[attacks Jim, knife]
9YIyCp5Gknife
[damage]

knife

[Kire]

♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆



J I M D E E R

♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆ ♦ ✦ ◆

Says, Thinks

Blaire swears at me but I move anyway, slicing deep into the girl's leg in an attempt to off balance her. None of the three seem to have expected it because one girl tries to move in front of my blade but she's too slow. So instead she spits some words at me, tries to make me feel afraid but I don't because I don't feel much of anything right now. Except for the excitement that prickles at the back of my neck like a chill. With Blaire beside me and the girl with the candle weakened by our blows I feel like things are going just the way I want them to. The candle would be ours, and whatever else she had too. The boy whips at me with some sort of chain but I catch it on my sword and cast it aside, a sneer or some sort of ugly grin on my lips as my focus goes back to the girl I want to kill so badly.

She tries to get me first, her knife slicing at my throat and leaving a thin burning trail behind. I know the feeling of blood on my skin after the past two days and it only excites me more until I fall into some sort of blood lust. My sword is at the ready again, my eyes focused, my breathing level. I am ready to take her life, to slit her throat or stab her in the heart. I could do the same to her as to Jay, let her impale herself in her attempts to lunge at me. Whatever I did, I would see those candle flames as the only light in her eyes. She was going to die, I would see to it.

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(Jim attacks Valerie Leotos with sword)
ToTzqyhzsword
Shallow Cut on Stomach -- 4.0 damage

sword

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

"We'll all be in the dark soon."

"Fine, come and get it."

I keep backing away from the three of them, my mind playing tricks on me already. I can't help but picture them with fangs and glowing red eyes and each of their taunts and threats more like guttural snarls of feral animals. I'm too scared to function. Because when I shake my head and quickly wipe away the sweat that is dripping profusely down my brow I see them for what they really are: Frightened kids, already beat to hell, just wanting to survive. We shouldn't be fighting. None of us should be fighting this fight. We should all just walk away now ...

But Twelve swung at them - I swung at them - and now they are swinging at us and none of us really has a choice anymore. I have to fight the urge to just start begging them. I have to fight the urge to just run, to just leave Twelve here, to just drop my axe, to just start crying or puking or apologizing ... I can't give in like that. I can't let them see how scared I am, how soft and frail I really am. I take a deep breath and Twelve lunges forward again, his blade catching on Blondie's stomach.

I let out my breath in a little yelp. Ripred I'm scared for everyone, not just myself.

(Go, Blaire, come on just follow Twelve, just do it, just swing you can do it come on come on COME ON!)

I swing halfheartedly. I don't really want it to land. I just want Twelve to think I am trying.

---

{Blaire attacks Valerie Leotos with his Stone Axe}
hcSqv7zOaxe
{Miss -- 0.0 damage}

---

Blaire Sycamore - District 5

---

axe

[shrimp]

G A L A X Y

He scares me - the light in his eyes is too bright, too ecstatic about slashing at Val for him to be even remotely sane. And the fact that his ally knows that he's jumping into things too fast, that this could all had been avoided had he decided to think like a rational human being but no. And now he's gotta pay because I am not letting them take Val away. Val doesn't deserve to die like this.

The Sycamore boy lets out a small squeak and I know exactly how he feels. Each slice into Val's body sends cringes up my spine, fear crawling through my veins. But I can't let this control me - I let it control me when we lost Kendrick, I'm not going to let it control me now. I need to move I need to fight I need to protect them, because they all deserve to go home. Me? I'm just collateral damage.

I watch as Tau swings his whip at district 12 - something seems off, maybe his posture's different and how is he even putting that much weight on his foot? I can't worry about this right now oh no - I gotta swing and I gotta hit. For Val's sake, for our sake. And as much as it pains me, these two boys will not leave this place alive.

Proof's all I need. I rush towards him, hands grasping the hilt as tightly as I can, as the arc swings closer and closer and closer.

Hit him.

You can do this.

I can do this.

[attacks JIM | SWORD]
d11ISw5Ssword
[1037 -- Deep Gash on Left Bicep -- 8.0 damage]

sword

[wimdy]

[presto][/presto]

N O T C H I M I N E Blocked. A quiet snarl unfurls in my throat, my teeth baring themselves as I stumble back from my target. The ground is too uneven here, my footing off as I stumble and crumble a bit under my own weight as my knee gives out. Kiki didn't take proper care of this body. He allowed it to be beaten bloody and broken, hardly dealing out what he could in turn. Now, I would be doing the beating. There's no more time to waste waddling in the darkness when there is blood to be spilled. I push myself up, my hand colliding with something on the ground in the process. My fingers curl around it, lifting it before my face as I'm crouched. A flashlight... That could come in handy. A grin splits my lips again as I tuck it in my backpack, forcing myself to stand again. My knee protests, a screaming pain fracturing upwards into my hip. Every movement makes me ache, but I force myself through it, one hand tangling in the hem of my shirt as I move forward. The two girls are going after the first boy who attacked the group while both boys are going after the girl who holds Kiki at night. (Pathetic child, constantly searching for validation in others and only finding it while he's on the chopping block...) The smaller boy, however, doesn't have the same look on his face. What a good little pet for the Twelve. He looks weak. I tilt my head, standing back as I watch them all come together, watch as they strike and spill and scream, but the boy hesitates. There's a stutter to his step, a gentleness to his swing. Oh, what a cute little thing... He doesn't want to do this, much like Kiki. He doesn't want to do what has to be done. If I wait long enough, maybe he'll do it. It will be easier to take care of business later on with one half-dead ally and only one trying to defend her. My lips lift into a smirk, back cracking as I roll my shoulders and move with careful steps towards where the fighting has shifted. "Where is your conviction, boy? You don't want to live?" I can't wait too long, however. No, too long and there will be questions. My fingers tighten around the chain as I draw it back, looking at the boy with dark hair. I don't hesitate when I bring it swinging round. [Notchimine attacks Blaire with chain] O1FynDp2whip [6054 -- Welt on Back -- 2.5 damage]

whip

[Rosetta]

ooc: fillering because I waited a long time and I have a lot of homework. Sorry :[

Valerie is upset that her friends are being attacked, most it's mostly her. She's holding her diamond pretty tightly and slashing with her knife, screaming obscene things okay.

[attacks Jim, knife]
PF_uQmR2knife
[damage]

Then, Valerie snuffs out the candle IF THAT'S ALLOWED. If not, the candle is still burning.

knife

[aya]

[*roll range="1-5"]
1 - Jim
2 - Blaire
3 - Galaxy
4 - Tauankia
5 - Valerie

Your dice=5 roll to see whom you are attacking should be AFTER your fight (dice=200) roll. If you attack yourself, you may reroll until you hit someone else.

[Kire]

Sorry about this, but here's a filler. Jim is pissed off because it's dark again and he's sick of the dark. He swears and says something about going to regret doing that. Idk, he's just angry.

[Jim attacks the darkness]
MAG6dYwAsword
Severed Right Foot at Ankle -- 9.0 damage

1-5
I hate the dark too. -.-

sword�1-5

[brad bradford ★ d5b [arx]]

The girl with the sword - for Ripred's sake her name has to do with the stars or sky or something...I think? - lashes out and the bone blade catches Twelve deep in his arm. It looked like it hadn't even been all that hard to do, as if the blade was a hot knife and Twelve's arm was butter. Smooth. Except of course for the spatter of blood that came with it. The blade was now dripping blood - the blood of my only living ally - though to me it looked as if he were bleeding glitter or rubies considering the entire cavern continued to gleam.

The jaded walls were giving the illusion that every single person within this place were nothing less than dazzling, extraordinary, and absolutely beautiful. Key word: Illusion. Blood is supposed to be hidden beneath the skin. Blades should be sheathed, not dripping blood. My heart shouldn't be leaping into my mouth each time someone moves. (Why can't we all just leave each other alone?) No one in here is all that beautiful despite the sparkles and refracting light. They are either dying, snarling, or trapped. Maybe we are all a bit of all three?

I swing and miss and that pleases me. Makes my heart settle a bit, though I can tell Twelve isn't all that pleased with me. And I guess when I think about it I am not all that pleased about having my ally sliced to bits... Who am I kidding I don't want anyone sliced to bits. No matter how horrible I think Twelve is, no matter how sadistic he has become, no matter how much Jay's token seems to burn in my pocket, I don't really want him to die. I just don't. And I don't think I can ever make myself want that, no matter how much of an orphaned brat I am.

My face softens for a moment, thinking maybe no one will actually have to die here. Maybe everyone here will walk out of here today, maybe I could ju----

"Where is your conviction, boy? You don't want to live?"

I was paying attention to Blondie and the Stars-girl and for a moment I thought maybe Twelve had been scolding me - and so he deserved to - but suddenly a chain is whipping in my direction and I am trying to act quickly but I can't run away fast enough and then my back is on fire...! I'm so stunned that I actually trip and fall onto my stomach, managing to catch myself on my elbows and not fall face first into the ground this time.

(Count, start counting, Blaire. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven...)

But a second lash doesn't come.

I am in the Arena, not back at home with my father.

I stop clenching my fists, stop gritting my teeth, stop squeezing my eyes shut, and stop counting. I pick myself up and whirl around. The District 6 boy officially scares me. I don't even know his name, but as of right now he will be known as Cripple - cruel yes, but he hit me with a fucking chain. His head is cocked, and though he should be off balance by the looks of it, he stands tall. I point my axe at him, jabbing it in his direction as if the thing worked the same way as a sword or a spear.

"You want me to kill her?" I say, swishing me axe in the direction of Blondie, who seemed to look worse and worse after every second that passed.

And then it's dark.

And I am screeching.

I collapse immediately. "Ahh! AH! AHHHH! DEAR RIPRED MY FOOT! MY FUCKING FOOT!" I'm done for now. Ripred I can't think, my fucking---the pain, oh fuck IT FUCKING HURTS!!

I hear movement and I have no choice but to frantically and weakly swing my axe through the darkness again. I'm just waiting for death now. Waiting for a sword to pierce me or a knife to stick in me or a damn chain to wrap around my throat.

---

{Blaire attacks the dark with his Stone Axe}
|NXq3Dt4axe
{Shallow Cut on Right Hip -- 3.5 damage}
1-5
{Valerie Leotos}

{The number 2 is cursed yo I don't want it >.<}

---

Blaire Sycamore - District 5

axe�1-5

[shrimp]

G A L A X Y

It's almost frightening how unscathed I am when the blood spurts out of his leg. But when the lights go out all that I hear is Sycamore screaming.

"Ahh! AH! AHHHH! DEAR RIPRED MY FOOT! MY FUCKING FOOT!"

Oh my god. Twelve missed, he missed and now his ally's got a foot that can't move or a foot that isn't even there or- I don't even know. The echoes off the diamonds reverbate through my ears and I can't tell where everyone is it's so dark and so loud and part of me just wants to cower in terror and wait until the noise dies down but I can't do that anymore, there's no time to waste.

But I can't see anyone - how am I going to attack if I can't see anyone? I could hit Val, I could hit Tau - what did he even say to Five that made him so fearful? He was standing up straighter than I'd seen him the entire arena and then - darkness.

For some reason I'm scared about that. I'm not sure why.

The sword's too much of a liability right now - I throw it down next to where I think my stuff is as I crawl, feeling through my bag until - aha - there's that heavy club that's got those containers of tar and if I can just light it up....

It sparks, and I know there's only so much time that I have. I turn towards Twelve and rush him, swinging the flaming club with as much power as I have, screeching as loudly as much lungs will allow.

[galaxy lights TORCH (2/3 tar left now)]

[attacks JIM | TORCH/BLUNT]
8gLT9lvLblunt
[7003 -- Gash/Bruised Left Wrist -- 3.0 damage]
1-50
[48 -- 8.0 damage]

blunt�1-50

[wimdy]

[presto][/presto]

N O T C H I M I N E FILLER talk about darkness and how that's where he lives swagger to the left, swagger to the right limp-swagger in the direction of screaming laugh. laugh. wow there's light again. see the boy on the floor, laugh, limp-swagger. "I want you to do what you're meant to do, boy... I want you to die, but not until we have a little bit of fun first." let's see if notch, as intimidating as he's supposed to be, still actually sucks at hitting things. [Notchimine attacks Blaire with chain] w3E9BXI9whip [6146 -- Shallow Cut on Right Bicep -- 3.5 damage] alright. that's cool. just keep sucking at things, notch.

whip