What Goes Bump In The Night {Day 6 Key/Kirito/Preston/Asher}

[Arrows]

Kirito Miristioma

The remainder of the day had been long and grueling. No longer did Kiri sense even the slightest presence beside him. It seemed that finally Kiri was completely alone. The only thoughts wafting around in the minds of other tributes was how much they wanted his scarlet blood to spill into the dismal lands of this arena. For some reason though Kiri didn't mind it at all. Sure he was wrapped in the silence of his own ticking heart and the occasional dong of the clock tower, but he no longer had to worry about anyone else. All his strings had finally been severed... well all but one. 

Circe's golden glowing face stung deep into Kiri's wandering mind as his jaw clenched firmly together. Whether she was alive or not only the anthem would tell him. Part of him wanted to see her shimmering above the other stars. Yet another part of both Kirito and himself longed to feel her inciting warmth at least one more time. Kiri was sure that neither he nor Kirito truly loved the woman but she opened many perspectives for them to peer anxiously into. If not for Circe Kirito would never have taken his first step away from being a soulful and innocent healer. In all truth Circe had allowed the initial room for Kiri to form within the chambers of Kirito's soul. That was a debt he would never forget to repay.

The sound of a distant word mutt drew Kiri's attention back to the falling sky line as lighting continued to flicked across the sky. Booms of thunder roared after their companions as the claws of night began to unfurl around him. Exhaustion was beginning to pull against Kiri's body like steel shackles as he pushed further and further away from the tower. For some reason he did not feel safe near it. It reminded him too much of her... of Key. Every time he looked up at the clocks burning yellow sphere all he could see was her gazing right back at him. Sure he wasn't afraid of the girl but she sure as hell was a force to be wary of. One day though Kiri knew she would fall. She was a clock girl sure, but Kiri could sense her time beginning to run out.

Light finally became only available from the electric streaks above Kiri's head when he finally threw his body down against a sturdy boulder with a loud thud. Kiri could feel his chest rising and falling swiftly as beads of sweat dripped gently down his face. The thought of water made Kiri's dried lips burn in agony. Several long days had pasted since his last drink and something told him that as the days went on and prices sky rocked that he would not be sponsored another bottle. Kiri knew that if he was going to survive from now on that he had to endure it on his own.

A thought soared through Kiri's brain constantly repeating like the cries of thousands of soldiers chanting. A crown cannot be earned weakness and by complaints. A crown can be earned by the rain of blood and the power to endure. A crown I must wear. A crown I must wear. A crown I must have.

Kiri could see the image so clearly now as he waited for the opening tunes of the anthem to bellow from the tower. He was standing tall and proud above millions of roaring Capitolites. His name ringing out from every corner of Panem either because of fear or complete and utter adoration. The from behind him President Snow raises a shimmering golden jewl laced crown high for all to see. Then in the perfect climax the crown is lowered upon Kiri's head as the din grows into a deafening frenzy. A victory Kiri was determined to fight and to kill for. 

Lights erupted from the clouds as the anthem echoed out and Kiri lifted his dusty and scarlet kissed face. Various faces Kiri recognized shone against the dark background until the anthem finally faded answering Kiri's question. So Circe had survived after all. A sigh floated from Kiri's body as he brought his gaze back down to look out over the night wrapped arena. Circe is out there somewhere, he thought as he laid himself down slowly into the dirt. Will you find me again Circe? Then the tantalizing melodies of sleep finally attracted Kiri's full attention as his eyes shut for the evening. 

A moan slipped out of Kiri's chapped lips as he stiffly rose from the ground. His need for water seemed to have doubled over the night as his head was beginning to hold a constant throb with every beat of his heart. Luckily Kiri knew a place where he could find enough water to last him the rest of the games. Sadly he had to admit he had to experience with the territory but it was better than dying from dehydration. So with a subtle stretch he let his feet dragging march across the desolate lands continue.

Time seemed to be eradicated as all Kiri could focus on was the constant thumping within his head. However the pain came with some benefits as he shakily entered the new territory. Already Kiri could feel his blade ready within his hand. It was like a well trained snake, one thing moved too much it would lash out without hesitation. The dagger was an extension of Kiri, one he would use to battle any combatant who dared to loom their heads near his own. In a game with only one survivor Kiri couldn't risk having and second thoughts about striking someone down.

As luck would have it the sound of staggering footsteps revealed the presence of another foe within his area. However Kiri would not run or hide but instead he would face them with his knife glinting. Scarlet blood had permanently stained the blade as a reminder of those who had fallen to the weapon and to Kiri. So when his opponent finally revealed their error in their armor Kiri didn't hesitate to send his blade swiftly towards them. The crown had to be his, no matter what.

Kirito Miristioma Attacks Asher Rainer With His SwitchBlade
6BlVFYz|knife
{Miss 0.0 damage}

Accuracy Reroll 
knife
{ Stabbed in Stomach -- 9.5 damage}

knife�knife

[Asher Rainer 7m {tribsit}]

Something beautiful

ASHER RAINER

or something free?

TAG: WORDS: 451. NOTES:

A loud howl bellowed from his stomach. Asher was tired. All he wanted was to fall asleep and never wake up. Pain shot through his entire body - it was more than he ever thought possible. It felt like a monster was eating its way through his stomach. A dry patch was forming on the tip of his tongue again much like the days before. Water was needed, and so was food, but he had none. No food. Nothing. All he had was an empty jug and some firewood.

His heart hammered rapidly. His body was fighting against him. Trying to keep him alive when the gamemakers wanted him dead. When everyone in the godforsaken arena was prepared to slaughter him.

Yet each morning he woke and started doing the same thing over and over. But this time he was alone. Preston wasn't around. Nothing made sense for him anymore. He spent his time alive protecting the boy, and then in return he severed his arm, and now he's left him. Asher was alone and afraid. He didn't blame Preston for leaving because there was only eight tributes left alive, but it broke his heart into millions of pieces. His entire world has fallen, and now he must go on and fight. He must continue going if he wanted to make it home.

He journeyed through the arena trying to find a place to go when he slipped down the manholes into the sewer system. He wanted the water. He wanted to find a place to get something to drink, and maybe something to eat.

Step by step he moved down the ladders, and he could hear the sounds of rats scurrying across the floor. And the horrible stench that filled his nose was more than he could imagine. A bile substance flowed into his mouth, and he almost lost what little bit of life he had left inside of him.

He tried walking around. Tried seeing where he was going, but it was dark. And it wasn't until he felt the blade of a knife stuck deep into his stomach, and he felt the pool of blood beneath the blade as it slid down his skin. Asher knew he was dead. He knew he was going to die, but he couldn't go down without a fight.

His mind raced for all the things he could've ever received in the world. He thought of his family. His friends. Everyone he left at home. Going down now wasn't an option. He had to win. He had to make it home to his family. Dying felt lonely. It felt horrible. He was afraid, but he couldn't let that hold him down.

With the light around, he turned to Preston.

"I trusted you, and you have betrayed me. You have ruined my life, and it's time I ruin your's."

Asher attacks {Preston} | sword
75RoqMlTsword

[result: 1172 -- Block -- 0.0 damage

Accuaracy reroll
sword
[result: 1087 -- Shallow Cut on Right Thigh -- 3.5 damagesword�sword

[flyss]

DAY SIX | WORDS: 448 | HP: 24

I decided from the second that I no longer felt safe sleeping around him, that it was time for us to truly, and finally part. After all, tensions between Asher and I had been fairly high ever since the doppelgangers set forth in our lives, and I knew- but refused to acknowledge- that his trust for me had shattered the moment that "I" severed his arm. 

It was no question that I would try and venture into the next part of my life before daybreak- I didn't want to be caught leaving him, because hell, I still feel like our friendship lingered inside of us somewhere- but the moment that I picked up my backpack, Rapier, and ten throwing knives, I couldn't help but stare down at the man who I had come to know as my friend, my partner, my brother. 

"I'm sorry," My voice was a whisper in the air, and even though I knew that he was probably far away, in what he could muster in the name of slumber, I felt like that was all the goodbye that he needed. I was broken after seeing two names I knew explode in the sky as bursts of light. One I had forgotten, but the other I had not. Gunner La Torre was the last slice of home that I had, and it felt like I was five again, my entire birthday cake already gone before I can even have the chance to blow out the candles. 

I'll remember you, Gunner. Maybe we'll even see each other when our bodies are sent home like dolls in their boxes. 

***

I walked for hours and once I reached the place where darkness was my friend and light was a blessing, I allowed myself to rest. It wasn't blissful, in that moment where even when I closed my eyes, nothing was different. Different is good, I conclude into the darkness, different is good, I reaffirm. If it hadn't have been for the sharp sound of voices that broke down my barriers like a cannon, I felt like I could have stayed like that for days. Water, possible food, protection from others- I felt like a king.

Pulling myself up from where I stood, I braced myself for people to enter my vicinity. It was going to be bloodshed once more, but this time it was not a new concept to me. Pull yourself together, Preston-the second you entered this arena, your childhood was no more. I had given up so much just to get where I was and like hell I was going to give it up my life all the same. 

I throw myself toward the closest body. 

{It's so short, I'm sorry. }

Sad song - we the kings

Without you, I feel broke
Like I'm half of a whole
Without you, I've got no hand to hold
Without you, I feel torn

credit to nat of adoxography.

{Preston attacks Asher}

cveoCuGUsword

{Miss}

sword

[Stare]

121:52:41

i don't read you anymore
miss you. terrible, it's terrible
i wanna meet you in a while
to say i'm fine

I wake up to a nightmare.

(We told ghost stories. It seems like years ago. They were in pain and I tried to patch them together, to fix them like I fix the tower. People are different, though. I couldn’t save Simon. I killed Stella with my own hands, bloodied and battered and angry. It hurts, knowing that just days ago they were living, breathing things. They were chuckling about superstition. I never thought they would be so cruel as to come back and haunt me themselves.)

My mind has been a mantra of I want them back come back gone forever no come back please but now, staring into the faces of corpses, I find that I’d much rather be alone. I scramble back on my hands and feet, not understanding, not wanting to understand. What is this? What the hell is this?

(Maybe it’s real. Maybe - )

Stop. My eyes flutter shut, hands shaking, throat tight. That is where the danger lies - in believing in the fantasies presented to us just because they’re preferable to the reality. The reality is that I slaughtered Stella Summit, that Simon and Rowan died in my arms. The reality is that Kirito betrayed me and killed my ally, that Nat died without me even knowing it. The reality is that Sue left me alone to face these demons. And Ripred does it hurt, like a blade angling into my lungs, but false parts placed where a fully functioning mind could be doesn’t do anyone any good. It’s a trick, an illusion, and the last time I believed in an illusion the only person who still cared about me payed the price.

But then -

"W- Why did you guys l- leave me to die- to die?"

And she’s battered and broken and I know she’s not real, which makes it even more painful to look at her. I speak not because I think she’ll hear me (perhaps she listens, in her own way, but she is too far to truly understand), but because it’s all I can do. “I damaged you too badly. I struck a vital part. Irreplaceable. You were fading so fast and I couldn’t - it's just that some things... they can't be fixed, and - “ Something expands in my throat, choking me. I cough, tears blurring my vision. “I’m - I’m sorry, I just couldn’t - “

“Where’s Stella?”

No. Not her, too. The tears start flowing openly, streaking down my face. I shake my head. (Expertly crafted. Wonderfully built. Don’t you wonder how long it took them to manufacture such perfect replicas?) Not real. Not real.

“Where’s Stella?”

“Shut up. Shut up.”

“Where’s Stella?”

I’m shaking so hard it’s a miracle I manage to lift my hands to my ears, fingernails dragging against my scalp as I squeeze my eyes shut and sob. “Shut up. Please just stop it.”

“I can’t sleep.”

Not real. Not -

“I can’t sleep. Where’s Stella?”

(It’s an unspoken whisper that no one else hears, something they don’t say but imply in the way they stare.)

You’re next.

“Stop it,” I repeat, my voice thick with my tears. It grows louder and louder until I’m screaming above their voices long after they’ve gone and fake Rowan has crumbled to the ground. “Stop it! Stop! Stop!”

And even though they have, even though their voices have faded off and they’re gone, it’s over, please stop behaving like a child, I’m still screaming, clawing at my ears. Eventually the words won’t come anymore so I just alternate between shrieking and sobbing and the world spins round and round and round.

(“I’m broken, Key.”)

Yeah. Me too.

⋆

I don’t remember falling asleep, but when I wake up I’m hollow. My throat is raw, my chest aching, and I distinctly notice the lack of another presence nearby. There’s no quiet breathing, no eyes on my back. Even the animosity I’m sure Sue felt toward me is preferable toward this nothingness. But the ghosts are gone, as if they never were, and it makes me wonder if the whole thing truly was a nightmare. Then I feel the fresh cuts on my ears from my fingertips and my eyes fall shut for a moment as I focus on the steady rise and fall of my chest.

Not real.

Even so, I leave the clock tower as quickly as I possibly can.

It’s been more than one hundred hours spent in the Arena. I do the mental math quickly, for a challenge, because it’s been a while and even though I don’t need the practice (death approaches too quickly for me to think past today, past this moment) it takes my mind off of things for a moment. 6,000 minutes. 360,000 seconds.

Three other sets of breathing.

It takes a moment for me to register, but as soon as I do I spin around. There’s no hesitation, not even after the ghosts, because Sue was right. There is no happy ending here. Only two sad stories.

But I don’t want to stop writing mine quite yet.

i wanna have, peaceful mind and clear soul
with no blue or violet glow
and i wanna see what you see in your mind
white snow evenings and blue sky

(Key lights her gas lamp)
(Key attacks Preston)
(with Shuriken [1])
VlC6pU59throwing knife
(shallow cut on hand, 3.0)

throwing knife

[Arrows]

Kirito Miristioma

The darkness was instantly dispersed as a radiant light exploded from across the reeking cavern. The scent of blood and sewage tempted even Kiri's solid stomach to give up its tethers. However Kiri would not allow himself to show such a weakness. Not in front of the source of the very light that now danced rampantly around him casting shadows across the dripping walls. It would be suiting that Kiena Ward would be joining Kiri for his hunt. The Capitol must surely love the heated tension between them. However Kiri did not agree that this should be how they fought. If they were to truly clash it would be alone and uninterrupted by others. 

Kiri could feel Kirito squirming beneath his steel skin but he would not let him escape like with Rhyme's death. Kiri would not allow himself to grovel to the ginger girl from three. As far as he was concerned she was his leading rival in these games. In a way they both sort of kept one another alive. Their flames of hate constantly finding more reasons to burn brighter and bigger with every sound of a canon. Their hearts determined to outlive the beats of the other. They were connected, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Still though Kiri could not allow Key to take up all his attention from the other bodies scurrying around like mice. Squealing to one another that just made Kiri roll his eyes. They were in the middle of a fight to the death not some social party. Even the awkward Kirito from district eleven knew that. Therefore when he finally got the opportunity he locked eyes with Key. For several long seconds he held his stare feeling the waves of hate slamming against one another. However he was sure his message had gotten across to her as he turned away. Now is not the time Key, not like this.

Kiri suddenly raised his eye brows as he witnessed the once ally members turn completely on one another. A twisted grin stretched across his blood kissed face as he laughed quietly to himself. The chaos was so beautiful. Finally ties and relationships no longer mattered in the games. All that really mattered was death. Now Kiri realized the true fun could begin as adrenaline coursed swiftly through his veins.

Just as the hell hound that covered his skin Kiri stalked his wounded prey carefully. Like a shadow he moved swiftly and always remained in close enough range to attack. In a way Kiri could feel his body dancing and swaying. Kiri could feel the real Rhyme pushing her energy through his body as well. He could feel everything she wanted him too, she could feel all the power gushing from his darkened heart.

Then Kiri felt two more entities join his body as a surge of energy swept like a typhoon through his body. Imp and Olivia. All of the Twisted Triplets were pushing Kiri on. Kill. Kill. Kill. Survive. Survive. Survive. They chant rhythmically as Kiri's heart matched the beat of their roars. Kiri could feel his dagger hissing within his hand as Kiri stepped closer and closer to the boy from seven.

As Kiri saw his opening and let his blade slither with its fangs open he heard the calls of Rowan ringing in his ears. You killed me! You killed me! She hollered as his knife dove closer and closer to its feast. You killed me! You killed me! She cried out again. Then with a sudden surge of extra force he drove his dagger directly at Asher. Yes I did!

Kirito Miristioma Attacks Asher Rainer With His SwitchBlade
O|1HAryqknife
{Shallow Cut on Stomach -- 4.0 damage}

knife

[Asher Rainer 7m {tribsit}]

This is a filler... I'm extremely busy, and idk when I'll be free to write an actual post...

Some dialogue
To Kirito: "How did it feel digging your blade deep into my stomach? I pray you feel the same torture. The same pain, and I hope you die."

To Preston: "My entire time here has been devoted to protecting you! I became to love you like a brother. You became my family, and you severed my arm. You attacked me, and as I tried mending the broken relationship, you left me. You left me alone and vulnerable. I trusted you, Preston. I fucking trusted you."

To Preston again: "It's time for you to learn the meaning of betrayal. And I promise it won't be pretty."


Asher attacks {Preston} | sword
JI0xGXSYsword

[result: 1014 -- Shallow Cut on Left Hip -- 3.5 damage]sword

[flyss]

DAY SIX | WORDS: 535 | HP: 17.5

Ronnette my dear don't ever disappear
Do what you want as long as you stay here
I need you now
I love you so much more than you could know
The Christmas kids were nothing but a gift
And love is a tower where all of us can live
You'll change your name or change your mind
And leave this fucked up place behind
But I'll know, I'll know
I'll know, I'll know
I'll know, I'll know
I'll know, I'll know
Appearing unsightly
With devils inside me
If you ever try to leave me
I'll find you Ronnie

"My entire time here has been devoted to protecting you! I became to love you like a brother. You became my family, and you severed my arm. You attacked me, and as I tried mending the broken relationship, you left me. You left me alone and vulnerable. I trusted you, Preston. I fucking trusted you." I hear his voice shoot through the air like his canon has already sounded, like his death was already amongst us, because hell- he was damn close and I could feel it. The words that fell from his mouth were no joke, but I was laughing because this must be pure freaking gold for the capitol. Every inch of what we were doing fueled them and it angered me to no extent that my feelings were put on a silver platter for all to see. 

"Listen- I'm really sorry. But there is no family in the arena; they made that plain and clear two days ago, Asher." A single tear made its way down my cheek as I spoke, and for a moment, I regretted my decision to leave. But I was right, wasn't I? Family doesn't exist after you leave your district because that's the one thing that can keep you sane- they want to make you as upset as possible and it's damn interesting to them. Your feelings don't matter, only your thoughts, and if you think that you have control over those, think again. 

"I love you- you're like the big brother I never had. But they don't want that," I motion up to the sky with my sword, an action that obviously tells that I'm speaking about the capitol. "They don't want the humanity that comes with brotherhood." By now, I'm sure that my face looks like a river with one too many streams, but I don't care. I'll never care, I tell myself when the flood actually comes and my sight is nothing but a blur of what I used to have.

"It's time for you to learn the meaning of betrayal. And I promise it won't be pretty." He jumps at me with the sword that I gave him two days ago and I feel a burning sensation on my hip before I realise that he truly, actually meant every word that he said. He hates me, and my face crumples into something inhuman, because I can feel the moisture on my cheeks and lips and chin now, but I can't stop it no matter how hard I try. Upset is not what I am anymore, no- I am furious.

And as I wipe my tears with one hand and wield my rapier with the other, I realise that this is no longer a fight with myself, but with one of the only people I've trusted with my life. 

"Fuck you, Asher Rainer." And my battle cry rings out in the tunnels like the voices of the children that will no longer be heard any more; I know that I speak for them, too, when I slice through his body and sob the next part into the moist air around me. "And fuck you, Charlie Garnet and Warren Whip, for putting us through this shit." 

I'm leaving, Phil, I'm leaving now

I'm going to escape but you won't know how 

Or where to find me when I'm gone

I'd drink myself to death inside this prison cell, this prison cell

So get me out of here, so get me out of here

So get me out of here, so get me out of here

You'll change your name or change your mind 

Ad leave this fucked up place behind

But I'll know, I'll know

I'll know, I'll know

I'll know, I'll know

I'll know, I'll know

Song Credit: Christmas Kids - Roar

The Scientist - Coldplay

Nobody said it was easy
it's such a shame for us to part
nobody said it was easy
no one said it would be this hard

credit to nat of adoxography.

{Preston attacks Asher}

GUMsl1VZsword

{1148 -- Deep Gash on Chest -- 9.5 damage}

sword

[Stare]

121:53:10

i became the weather
cold and dark; unrelenting
i became four senses
always searching for you

The boy becomes a corpse before my very eyes. My stomach lurches at the sight of it, blood splattering and swirling through the water. In the firelight it looks like black spires, serpents of death seeking out their next victim. I can hear his labored breathing, the way each inhale stutters, and even in this poor lighting with the flame reflecting off the water and making everything look pronounced and wicked I know that he is broken. Unable to be fixed.

And for the first time in what feels like ages, I do not try. Instead I release a small cry, scrambling backward. My voice claws against my throat, unable to form coherent words, as water sloshes around my legs in my rush to get away. My mouth remains gaped open, eyes wide, and for a moment I’m sure I look as helpless as he does. There is a beat of hesitation, a moment’s pause, as if we all need to take in the death of yet another child in this Arena.

He didn’t even get to see the sun one last time.

I turn to Kirito, my chest heaving. I know the boy I met in the tower is long gone, replaced by someone I don’t recognize anymore. I know he doesn’t care about me anymore (if he ever truly did). In his eyes I’m pathetic, weak. And maybe he’s right, because only someone who’s truly lost and beyond helping would reach out to someone who betrayed them in a time like this. My mouth opens to say something, anything, words to rope us together. But the light flickers in just the right way against his features, making him look monstrous. He killed Rowan. ”I hate you.”

But not enough to kill him. Not after last night, when my ghosts came back to haunt me. And the clockwork within me is falling apart, trying to remember what’s right and wrong and who I’m supposed to kill when my mind screams that I don’t want to kill anyone anymore, I want to go home. Memories are flashing through my mind faster than I can catch them, of pale skin and wide blank stares and cold hands clutched in my own. I see my blueprint lying against Stella’s too-still chest, the bright flash of light from Simon’s explosion, Sue Tate’s expression when he left. When you kill him… make sure he feels it. Weren’t those my words? Wasn’t I the one who’s pledged to kill him since the first day?

I raise my blade, hand shaking, and narrow my eyes at him. Kirito needs to die. He’s caused too much pain, become something he’s not. And me? Well, I’m already a killer, aren’t I? If I killed Stella, then certainly I can kill Kirito. Clockwork. It’s just clockwork. His defects give him strength in this case, but there’s always that weak spot in a machine. If you let it run broken for too long it gradually wears itself down. One strike to the heart, the most vital part, is all it will take. My arm goes tense, preparing to release.

But Kirito Miristioma is not a machine.

A whimper rises in my throat, because even though I need to, even though I promised to, I cannot kill him.

“You left me,” I whisper instead of attacking, my voice hoarse. “You left me, and yet here we are again, and I still won’t kill you.” Can’t. It’s not a matter of ability but a matter of willpower. I don’t want to see anymore familiar faces in the sky.

It’s easier to attack a stranger than someone you once considered a friend.

their bodies lay beneath me
and still i wasn’t done
i know why you left me
brother i will do the same

(Key attacks Preston)
(with Shuriken [2])
sSpdl|uzthrowing knife
(severed finger, 8,5)

throwing knife

[Arrows]

Kirito Miristioma

Kiri could feel the odd sensation of bile rising like a tidal wave in the back of his throat as he watched the career utterly massacre his ally. Normally Kiri would turn a blind eye to such an event but when allies turn on one another its different. Kiri and Kirito alike could still feel the unmistakable sting of his abandonment of his own allies but this Preston career kid took it to a whole other level. Kiri could feel Key staring deep into his back but he didn't care as he watched the beast of a boy in front of him. 

Kiri could tell that Preston had now taken a sip from the gauntlet of darkness and that was far enough. Kiri was born from the waters of death that lapsed past Kirito's lips and now he could not allow for another demon to be born. If he allowed Preston to go free he would become an even darker beast than he or Key was. One way or another Kiri had to actually ignore the urge to slice the hypocritical Key's head off and focus on this boy.

Still Kiri couldn't help shake off the words she threw at him with the sharpness of her blades that licked across Preston's skin. With every statement she uttered out towards him Kiri grew more and more enraged. She was such a fucking liar to herself. Perhaps she could open her eyes and stop acting like a pathetic child. Everything she accused him of she had done as well. She wasn't the perfect one here, no one was. 

"For Fuck's sake Key open ya eyes damn it." Kiri said to her as he actually felt tears he didn't produce forming in his eyes. "We hate each otha' everyone in the fuckin' world knows that. However ya can't actually have the guts to scream to meh that I left ya, Hell nah. Ya left meh just as much as I left ya. Ya chose to just turn ya back to meh. Ya helped force meh into the darkness ya know! However ya want to know what I can't stand most." Kiri could feel his voice escalating with every last word he said to her until he could feel it cracking with intense emotions. Kiri could feel his chains on Kirito crumbling as he looked at the broken girl who only saw a broken boy. "I still fin' myself lookin' for the same stars we looked at that night. I guess I am even worse then you."

As Kiri could feel his body shattering from within he swiftly moved through the shadows as the flames of his emotions sent pillars of smoke into his brain. All he could see was his target's blind spot as he lashed out with his dagger glinting. Preston wasn't Key, he was just the unfortunate one to stand in between the two erupting volcanoes.

Kirito Miristioma Attacks Preston Garrity With His SwitchBlade
ILxtmGYoknife
{ Deep Gash on Left Forearm -- 8.0 damage}

knife

[flyss]

H U M A N  E R R O R

P R E S T O N  M A R C H
G A R R I T Y

I love you til the day I die

So don't die today, please don't die today

Everything but you is an ugly lie

That's not how you pray, that's not what you say

This is still a filler post. I'm just placing the table I made here so I can fill it when I'm able to actually write <33 

If I'm here when you're gone I'll fall apart
Stop your crying now, stop your crying now
What's the point of life without my heart
You're not dying now, you'll survive somehow

Some more text will go here <3 I'm not sure what, but still. I'll think of something to fill this with later, okay. 

Do you want to die together?

ftj7ZP8rsword

1077 -- Deep Gash on Left Forearm -- 8.0 damage + 1 (Blades)

[Preston attacks Kirito with his rapier {Sword}]

sword

[Stare]

121:53:36

and we all still die
yeah we all still die
what will you leave behind?
oh we all still die

They aren't the same stars, Kirito.

It's ridiculous that in the middle of a fight where the lantern sets the bloodied water alight and throws shadows against the walls my first thought is to remind the boy who betrayed me that the sky we see is a projection. It's something that always nags in the back of mind like programming I can't undo, a functional error that repeats over and over again. The sky isn't real. The sky isn't real. The sky isn't real, Kirito. It isn't real. It's a whisper, not nearly as loud as the echoes of last night's ghosts or the words that slam against me now, but it's still there. It's a reminder, something to keep me sane and remind me that this hell isn't reality.

But that isn't quite true, is it? The Arena and the tributes behave like machines, mimicking the rusty, jerky movements of too-old mechanisms, but that doesn't change the fact that the people I'm killing are made of flesh and bone. They are living, breathing beings, with emotions and personalities and brilliantly complex minds. And no matter how much I dress up this world to be something I'm familiar with, it isn't. This isn't my tower. There's no such thing as broken and fixed. Here, there's only alive and dead.

(Clockwork. It's just - )

No. It's not.

It's something much worse, built up of blood and bones screams and love and hate and death. More than anything, it is death. Agony infects this place and within it death festers and grows, consuming each of us until only one remains and even they will not be untouched.

And I want it so badly to be like a machine because machines are simply. They're what I understand. But then, the Arena isn't something to be understood, is it? It's been seventeen years and I still can't comprehend it. I can't wrap my head around how, around why. Very few of us remember the war, and yet it's something we still feel. Maybe it never truly ended. Maybe we've just spent seventy years losing.

And we do lose. We lose so much. I think of Stella's half smiles, of Rowan's gentle beauty, of Simon's shaking hands but steady expression. I think of Sue's fumbling clumsiness and Nat's lopsided grin. They were never mine and I knew that, I knew that it would only end badly for us, but I cared about them. I cared about them and I lost them, one by one. The blood on my hands is their blood. My eyes find Kirito's, two pinpricks of light in the darkness. "I regret them. I regret them every single day. But you don't, do you?" My lips press together for a moment. I don't let him answer. "You don't. And that's the difference between us."

But regret isn't the same as selflessness. It never has been. And maybe I'm a fool, for wishing so much pain upon myself, but I can't stop fighting for what's left of my shattered life. It's instinct and fear that drives me on, not bravery. I've never been brave. I step back and away from Kirito, almost afraid he'll lash out at me for my words. There's a moment of silence and I take that moment to turn toward the boy. Preston. His name rings as a distant memory. "You don't deserve this. None of us do." There's no hesitation this time. No mistake. But there is an apology, worthless as I know it is. "I'm so, so sorry."

marching away from the stream
this tree it will die without leaves
marching away from the stream
this tree it will die without leaves

(Key attacks Preston)
(with Shuriken [3])
xT5rYiagthrowing knife
(deep gash on chest, 9.5)

throwing knife

[Arrows]

Kirito Miristioma

The blast of Preston's canon fired swiftly as he fell to the ground causing a splash of scarlet stained water to lick across Kiri's face. Carefully Kiri wiped his face ensuring none of the possibly poisoned water touched his already chapped lips. Kiri could sense the unease in the air as he stood with his back against one wall and Key directly opposite to him. Kiri could see the look of utter horror upon her face as though this was the very first time she had killed someone. Kiri knew damn well that it wasn't.

Imagines of Rhyme plummeting to the floor of the now wrecked train car whipped through Kiri's eyes as he looked into Key's. One mystery Kiri could not figure out was just what the hell made the clock work girl tick. Was it the feeling of friendship or the flames of hate that kept her gears of life churning? Kiri wanted so badly to know, Kiri wanted to see what really made this girl kill like she did but still act like such a little child. Perhaps one day he could get the chance to carve her up and take a look for himself. Just the thought made Kiri's body squirm with joy.

Yet Kiri wasn't stupid as she may think. No matter how much she tried to convince him that she couldn't kill him he knew she could. She could kill him just as quickly and easily as he could kill her. Rowan. Rhyme. Stella. Asher. Preston. For fucks sake all of the tributes who now rested in coffins. They were all examples of just how fragile every life is. All it takes is a split second for the eternal night to fall over someone. Therefore Kiri would not underestimate the anti-friend that stood before him. However he wasn't nearly ready to leave. There was so much left for them to discuss without having more blood in the water.

Flipping his knife and catching the handle Kiri pushed gently off the wall as he walked towards the middle of the sewer. Once there he finally looked back up to Key. "Ya are so wrong Key. If Kirito felt no regret do ya really think he would have ended up like this? No. He was so broken and regretful of killing ya friend from seven that he fell apart. I only came to pick up the pieces he left behind."

Kiri could hear his words bouncing like arrows off of the walls as he looked blankly down to the two boys by his feet. Neither of them he had known but deep within the crumbling combines of Kirito's cell Kiri could feel waves of sadness and sympathy. Kiri felt his jaw clench as he flipped the knife once more before turning his attention back to Key who still stood shimmering in the light of her lantern. Kiri had to admit that he could understand why Kirito had found the girl breath taking, such a shame though that Kiri only wanted to finish her breathing.

"Ya know Key I don' think I have eva' truly introduced myself to ya. I mean I know ya knew Kirito but just as you said it yaself, that boy is gone. He is lost in a cell so dark no light is eva' gonna reach em again. I on the other hand get to come out here an' meet all the lovely people inside this arena. Howeva' that ain't the point, my name is Kiri and the old Kirito is gone."

As Kiri paced slowly to and fro he watched her reaction until he finally deemed the time appropriate to continue. "Yet I ain't the only one who has replaced their old master. You Key are not the Key ya use ta be an' I know ya know that. Ya are just like me an' before ya try to deny it just think about that for a moment." 


Eventually Kiri found himself several feet away from Key when he once again spoke to her but this time softer and with words he was sure were not his own. "We are broken clocks Key. We just keep tickin' and tickin' an' just because we want to survive? We have lost practically all who we have cared about an' yet here we are still tickin' like a clock who's seconds keep going but the otha' hands have frozen in time. I only wonda' how many me clocks we are gonna break before we fully break ourselves." 

[Stare]

121:54:03

you were
sharp as a knife to get me
you were
a wolf in the night to fetch me back

Kirito isn't broken because he can't be broken, only machines can be broken. And yet... I slip my blade away and replace it with a knife, holding it in front of me cautiously. He isn't dead but he isn't alive, either, not like he should be. Something's wrong with him, and even though I always knew it only now as he speaks do I realize the depth of his dysfunctional. He's like a machine that's suddenly sprung to life with a completely different functionality, doing things it wasn't even built to do. He is jerky clockwork and gears that don't fit together properly.

He's lost his mind.

A voice suddenly echoes through the sewers, bouncing off the walls and making me start. "... answer me!" It's a death cry, too far away for us to reach them and yet close enough for me to feel their pain. It's enough to make my heart stutter in sympathy.

Damnit, I don't want anyone else to die.

And I can't help it. Something within me snaps. I storm a few steps forward toward Kiri, my footsteps sloshing in the water. I stop just inches away, my expression pulled back into a snarl. “You think it’s that easy? Just a few tweaks and they’re fixed? The real world isn’t like that, Kiri. Life isn’t a machine. Some things - some people - they can’t be fixed! They’re not broken. They're dying.” A pause, and I lift my chin, my grip on the knife tightening. "We're dying."

Ripred, but we are. We may not be bleeding out, but just as surely as the two who lie beneath us, we're goners. Even the Victor comes out half dead. I've seen it happen too many times to believe anything else. My knife lowers slightly and I can't believe I'm letting myself move this closely to him, but suddenly delivering this message seems more important than anything. Even my own life.

"Don't make the same mistake I made," I say, my voice deceptively steady. My eyes dart toward where Preston lies in the water, clutching at his chest but unable to stop the blood from pouring out. In the dim light I faintly catch the glimmer of tears on his face. My heart tightens, and I return my gaze to Kiri's just inches away. The fire casts a glow between us, but it's a false hope. In reality there is nothing left there but vicious fire. "We aren't machines. Those two?" I gesture loosely toward the dying boys with my lantern. "They're people. They have real families and real homes and real people who care about them."

For a moment I feel my expression flicker from anger to pain. I try so badly to find that flame again, the spark that will set me back alight, but it doesn't come, and suddenly I'm just standing before him as a hollow girl drowning in regrets. I'm not angry. I'm just sad. "I know I've changed. But I'm not charging into fights and telling people that I've enjoyed killing." I shake my head slowly. "It's not worth it. I lost my allies. I lost my friends. I lost you, for Ripred's sake, and you aren't even dead. I don't want to lose myself, too."

the wishes i've made are too vicious to tell
everyone knows i am going to hell
and if it's true
i'll go there with you

[Arrows]

Kirito Miristioma

Light and dark continuously rammed against one another in the deep pits of Kiri's soul. He could feel Kirito screaming and crying out from the shackles that engulfed him. Kiri could feel is absolute control slipping with every statement Key would make and it was driving him mad. Kiri was fueling all his efforts towards containing the war zone inside his own mind that he was far less aware of what Key was doing. He was at the point of such hysteria that he didn't notice Key until she was literally directly in front of him spewing more and more of her "wisdom".

Kiri could feel his temples throbbing as he viciously rubbed the sides of his head begging the beating to stop. His eyes shifted and swayed madly around the poorly lit sewer system as he did his best to control his breathing. Kirito was fighting so hard and suddenly he had found new energy Kiri could not have anticipated. Stop it Kirito! Stop it! Kiri screamed at the struggling boy within him as his teeth sawed viciously against one another. This is my body now mine! You will die in this arena! I will thrive here! Go back to hell Kirito and stay in your cell! 

Even with Kiri's screams sending waves of darkness into the light of Kirito's flame he could not stop to boy from resisting. Why was the girl with the hair like roses from district three such a big deal to him? Why would he be putting up such a ridiculous effort just to speak with her? All these questions roared through Kiri's mind as his throat tightened as both he and Kirito tried to force words out of their shared host. 

Another shock sent Kiri into disarray as Kirito actually managed to scream back for the first time since Kiri had taken control. You're parasite! You are in my body! I want my body and my life back! You don't get to decide how or if I die! This is my life not yours! Kirito screamed as Kiri hissed viciously back at the weak healer. WRONG! You are wrong! This body isn't yours anymore it is mine! You let yourself fall and I took what you didn't want! So just fuck off Kirito! Fuck off!

Sweat poured in massive amounts down Kiri's body as he finally sensed himself pushing back the blinding beams of Kirito's light. Slowly the throbbing in Kiri's head stopped and he was able to look back into the clouded eyes of Miss Key Ward. There were many things Kiri wanted to say to her and even more that Kirito wanted to say. However Kiri was not sure just how to start after his internal break down.

Coughing to clear his still strained throat Kiri began to speak but this time much softer than before. "Fine Key to please ya I will confess I did not enjoy killin' Rowan. I mearly said that to see Sue's reaction. I am not the nicest person when I am gettin' shot at by a son of a bitch like that brute. An' you think I don' realize that with each death in here that there is a ripple effect? Everyone knows that, for every death there are a thousand more who are hurt by it. However I disagree that it is not worth it. I think that everyone of their deaths is worth it if I survive. Now don' get me wrong Key, it is horrible yes. However these games ain't just gonna stop. One way or anotha' I am gettin' Kirito home. He has a motha' who will die if I don'."

For once in all of Kiri's time in the arena he realized just how important it was that he survived not only for himself but also for the boy he had trapped. The upper districts like Key's were better off than eleven. Better off then Kirito's Ma who could be dead right now without him. "So Key lemme ask ya this. What is the reason that ya have killed? What is it ya are tryin' so hard to get back home to? Or are ya just killin' to survive."

[Stare]

121:54:44

shadows all around you as you
surface from the dark
emerging from the gentle grip of
night's unfolding arms

His question is the same one that I've been shoving to the back of my mind for days now, and it strikes me like a knife. Why do you fight? The unwanted answer leaps into my mind almost immediately. I don't know. But how can I possibly not know? How can I have killed three people and have no reasoning behind it? My eyes widen in panic as I pull back a bit, mind searching rapidly for an answer as steady and certain as his. I don't have parents who would die without me - they're already gone, one having disappeared and the other burning away before I could tell him how much I loved him. They didn't even let me see his ashes. And Uncle? He may be a drunk, but he's smart enough to keep his job. Besides, the district doesn't have anyone to replace him with. And it's not like we needed the money - we were getting by just fine. When I die it'll be more for him, in fact. And District Three may not be as well off as One or Two, but we're certainly not starving like Twelve. We don't need the extra food? So why?

Because Kiri is wrong. Kiri is dead wrong. Twenty three lives are not worth one. I try desperately to twist it around, to disguise deaths as necessary sacrifices, but the fact of the matter is that they aren't. The math doesn't work like that, the gears don't fit together, the machine falls apart because it's all wrong and no matter how hard I try I can't make it right. Twenty three does not equal one, not even close, and no pretty words or smoke and mirrors can change that. It's a hard fact.

My gaze lowers to my hands, nearly black in the light of the lantern. I haven't bothered washing them since I killed Stella. Now her blood mingles with Preston's, staining my knuckles and drying beneath my fingernails. I frown at them, searching for reasons, for justification, for something to distract myself from the way I see them shaking. Twenty three doesn't equal one, so why am I fighting? What makes it worth it? It doesn't make sense, I don't understand and I always understand, especially when it comes to my own mind. I feel the panic rising along with the sorrow and the anger, threatening to strangle me. My eyes rise again, gaze clashing with Kiri's.

"Because the clock tower's a minute behind and I need to fix it."

I don't want to hear his answer to that. I don't want to hear him tell me that it's a bullshit answer. I know it is but I have nothing else, no logical conclusion, no solution to the endless problem of how does twenty three equal one? And I stare at him, at his mouth about to open and tell me how despicable I am and all the other things I've been hiding from myself for so long, while a mantra of shut up shut up shut up plays in the back of my head. Don't say anything, just shut up, how can I get you to shut up? The emotions rise and fall and suddenly I'm stepping forward, grabbing at his collar, and shoving my lips against his.

And for a moment, I achieve the silence I was looking for.

But then my mind starts up again, gears turning and thoughts whirring through it even faster than before. I don't like Kiri. I hate him. It's not even something that's remotely uncertain in my mind, not as images of Rowan's dead body flash behind my eyelids. I hate Kirito Miristioma. Normal people don't kiss people they hate. Even I, so removed from society, know that. I jerk away so quickly that I stumble and fall back, the water lapping against my clothes and my hair. I just barely manage to keep the lantern in the air, reflecting against the water and turning him into a silhouette.

My lips taste like poison, and already the memory burns. I scramble to my feet and keep my eyes focused on his hands, waiting for him to lash out at me. I can practically hear everyone back at home muttering about my stupidity while in the Capitol the Gamemakers are laughing in delight. What a wonderful little show I've given them. My face grows hot, tears threatening to fall. What's wrong with me? When he makes no move to attack I'm quick to lurch away, stumbling over toward the two bodies. And then, so quiet I can barely hear it over the roaring in my ears, there is a voice.

"Get me away from him."

My gaze drifts downward. Preston. The light is fading from his eyes so rapidly that my hollow heart breaks again, and even though my chest is still heaving I nod rapidly. "Okay." I know that he's talking about Asher, about the ally who now lies dead beside him, but my eyes find Kirito in the darkness and I understand this dying boy's desperation to leave. What the hell did I just do? I refocus my attention on Preston, hooking my arms under his shoulders and lifting. The water takes some of his weight, but I still struggle. "Okay."

(Idiot. You're such an idiot.)

My eyes meet his for a moment and something within me screams that it's not worth it, it'll never be worth it, twenty three will never equal one so why did you kill him? My whisper is shaky and exhausted.

"I'm so sorry, Preston."

(Get away from him. Get away from him. Get away from him.)

Weighed down by a rapidly fading life, I turn on my heels and flee.

darkness, darkness everywhere
do you feel all alone?
the subtle grace of gravity
the heavy weight of stone


[Kiena flees]