Difficult Times [Ems]

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

Its only day three of the hunger games, but it feels like its been weeks. Kirito gone to the Capitol to do his duties as victor. It feels like only yesterday that he was shipped off toward the games not to mentor, but to be an unwilling participant. No matter what I thought of him throughout the games, killing the district two male, or even being crowned victor, I always thought Kirito would die. He proved me wrong and for that, I am happy. I love him. As does Iain. Kirito changed my life by helping me get a prosthetic arm. I've been testing it each and everyday expecting it to disappear like he did. Each night, I used to wake up screaming with terror. I'd relive the accident every night. No longer thanks to Kirito. Iain didn't want help. I've tried to get him to accept it. Things would be better. I've asked him to come to the house here in the victor's village. I know why he's refused to visit this place even once. He'd rather things remain the same. Never changing. That's where I disagree. Life in general has gotten better. Would I wish Kirito free of the nightmares he surely endures? Of course, but him being victor has helped our family a lot. There's no denying that. I'll help him through the difficult journey of accepting what's happened. I don't know how much I can do. I'll always keep trying though. He's my brother. I love him. Ikaia on the other hand, lives in the old house. He even works in the fields despite not having to anymore. Him and Iain are the same. Neither of them like the change. For me, it's made my life better. I can work. I can do everything I was capable of doing before the accident. I can't imagine how Kirito feels. I mean, he's lost an eye, both ears, fingers. Everything is replaceable except the eye. Taking a deep breath, I focus on the fighting once more when I hear footsteps coming through the house. Turning away from the tv really fast, I notice that Iain is walking through the door. Part of me wonders where he's been, but the other part decides to not question him. Shrugging my shoulders, I continue watching the games before speaking to my brother. "Didn't think you'd show to be completely honest. Glad you did."

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

[googlefont="Jim Nightshade:400"]

Iain Miristioma

Fourteen | Male | District Eleven

The games have been going on for three days, and honestly, I don’t care about them. Watching my own family travel through the previous games was enough to make my life a living hell, but Kirito won. He managed to win, and for that he’s one of my heroes. Just living in his new house in the victor’s village isn’t what I want. Sure, I’m grateful for a better house, and a place to stay that doesn’t leak when it rains, yet I just want my old life back. One without fame and fortune. I’m tired of the cameras. Of people gathering around trying to ask questions. It’s becoming a nightmare. Every night I’m afraid to close my eyes. Crowds terrify me, and with people always wanting to talk to Kirito it makes my life harder. I guess it’s all apart of being family to a victor.

I’ve avoided the games so far because I want nothing to do with them. It’s horrible watching the teenagers die in the games. Innocent souls turn into vicious monsters because they all want to survive. Who wants to die? Surely those who volunteer don’t want to die, but why else would the volunteer? Do they really think they have a chance of winning? A chance to have a crown placed on their head? It’s beyond my wildest imagination. I don’t know if I would ever volunteer for the games. I may if I had the chance because I want to prove that I’m just as good as Kirito. That I can do things for myself, and I don’t need the family holding me back.

Which is why I go out and work in the fields when I don’t have to.

But today is different. I’ve decided to gather plants to cook for Ikaia, Tobias, and the others. I don’t know if they want the plants because they’re used to having better food. Food that nobody else in the district can afford. It makes me sick. Victors get everything handed to them like their a god, yet everyone else is forced to starve. Which is probably why I resent Kirito so much. He’s royalty, and I’m nothing compared to him.

When I reach the house, I don’t even knock. I just walk inside holding the bundle of plants and herbs in my hands. Dirt cakes against my skin. Muddy footprints paint the tiled kitchen floor. I can only imagine what Kirito would say to me right now. But I stop the moment I see the games airing on the tv in the living room. I’m ready to turn around and leave when Tobias notices me. Sighing to myself, I place the plants on the table before kicking my muddy shoes off. "I just thought I could fix some dinner for us all. Like before. I gathered the plants and stuff. Would you like any?" It wasn’t much, but it was worth a try. At least it might strike up a conversation because it feels like it’s been an entire lifetime since I’ve spoke to him.

ooc notes goes here

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

Plants. Iain offers plants for dinner. Whilst I am not surprised, I'm also a little concerned for him. He's not adjusting well to the rich life. Nothing wrong with that though. I myself miss the old days in a way. Everything was so much more simpler back in the day. All we had to do each day was survive. Nothing except surviving. Now that the family has money, I don't know myself what to do everyday. Its not surprise Iain is struggling to change. I've gotten used to having delicious food that I can afford. I've left Iain behind not realizing that he needs someone to guide him along the changes he'll face. I'm ashamed of myself. I shouldn't have abandoned my brother. "I wouldn't mind some plants. You'll have to prepare dinner though. There's so many different plants that I won't know what to do with them." I can't help the laughter that escapes my lips. I've never been good with plants. I've grown to love the new foods I've tasted, but it'll be a breath of fresh air to try old things again. I'll be here for him from now on. I'll help him to see that this new life isn't as terrible or frightening as it might appear. In time, I will convince Iain of the positive things in having new stuff to try. But for now I'll let him cook his food. It's amazing what he's capable of doing. I've watched him for many years. The way he stands in front of the stove cooking mashing the plants together. It's amazing what it can do. I love tasting them because it's amazing. And normally they taste great. Hopefully they still do. Truthfully, I want Kirito to bring home a victor. It'll make him feel better about himself, but it'll also show that district eleven is unstoppable. Is it possible we can win three times in a row? Only time can tell. I turn back to Iain wondering if he'll at least stay after the meal.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

[googlefont="Jim Nightshade:400"]

Iain Miristioma

Fourteen | Male | District Eleven

It's exciting to know that Tobias wants the meal I'm wanting. Had he not wanted it, I would've still fixed it. A large grin plasters against my face spreading from ear to ear. Sure, I can eat pretty much whatever I want right now, but none of the delicacies sound appetizing. Being in this house right now is different compared to what I've always knew. Don't get me wrong, I love Kirito, and I'm very happy he's alive still, but I don't want to be rich while other people, my friends, are starving. I don't want to have every meal handed to me when they're still fending for themselves. It's just not right.

Joy bursts inside of me. I honestly didn't think Tobias would want the plants. He's so caught up in the new world that he doesn't understand what it's like living in between. Maybe I can just live on the poor side forever and stay with my friends in their old houses. But right now, I want to spend the day with my brother. Tobias has always been there for me even when he wasn't capable of being there for me. He never left me behind. He always tried to include me in everything, and I love him for that. Sometimes, I just wish that Kirito wasn't reaped. I wish he didn't have to go through the games because right now all I want is my old life. I want to go back to struggling to survive.

"Great!" I exclaim as I turn towards the kitchen wondering where the bowls are. "Do you know where the bowls and things are?" I open a few drawers, but the items I see inside look nothing like what I'm use to. I pick one of the things up and stare at it for a while. It's some sort of machine that has tongs sticking out of it. "Tobias?" I ask quietly knowing he's not going to want to leave the TV where he's watching the game, but my curiosity has the best of me. "What is this thing?" I hold the contraption out in front of me hoping that he can answer the question. Maybe it'll be nice to learn something. Perhaps if he knows how to use this, we could make the meal together.

ooc notes goes here

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

Knowing that Iain is happy makes my entire world better. For the first time I see a genuine smile spread across his face. It’s the small things in life that make it worth living. Honestly, when I lost my arm in the horrible accident, I thought my life wasn’t worth living, but now it is. Thanks to Kirito. When he asks what something is, I turn towards him trying to see it, but I can’t see it because I’m too far away. Slowly, I stand from the chair and move into the kitchen where he’s standing. Whatever he’s holding looks terrifying, but for whatever reason it’s in the house? I don’t think Kirito would own anything that would hurt us? Would he? Shaking my head, I take it from Iain and notice the cord hanging from it. Noticing the end of the cord matches things in the wall, I walk towards it before plugging it in. Part of me expects it to turn on in as soon as I plug it in, but it doesn’t move. It still makes me wonder what it is and what it’s for. I look around trying to find instructions, but I don’t see any. Many buttons are on the machine, and I know hitting buttons isn’t the best thing in the world, but I have to see what it does. So I start pressing buttons. The first button does nothing that I notice. The second button spits the tongs out at me. Chuckling slightly, I put them back in the right place. There’s only two more buttons on the top. One of them has to do something. So I press the third button, and the machine turns on. The tongs start spinning really fast. My chin drops to the floor, and I almost drop the machine. The vibrations are strange, but feeling it against my prosthetic arm makes me feel uneasy. So I start pressing more buttons trying to turn it off, but none of the buttons are working until I hit the last button on the top. Suddenly the tongs stop moving, and I’m grateful for it. But the biggest question remains, what is this? What is it for? I turn towards Iain and hand it back to him because I don’t want it anymore. Not when it look dangerous. I just hope that nobody hurts anyone with it.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

[googlefont="Jim Nightshade:400"]

Iain Miristioma

Fourteen | Male | District Eleven

When Tobias comes into the kitchen, my heart stops for a moment. He’s actually paying attention to me. It’s not much, but at least he’s here with me. I never anticipated this moment. Maybe this will help us come back together as brothers? Maybe Tobias will realize that I’m not stuck up, and I don’t want nothing bad to happen. I’m just trapped in a world where I want everyone to care. I don’t want anyone to go hungry or thirsty, but it’s the world we live in. People die every single day from starvation. I’m glad that I’m not one of them.

I flinch when Tobias takes the machine away from me. At first, I feel like he knows what he’s doing with it, but then he shakes his head. It feels like a huge let down inside. Maybe I can take it back from him and try to figure it out by myself. Yet he takes the cord hanging down from it like he’s used it before or something, and he puts it in the wall. I don’t understand why he’s putting it in the wall, but I watch as he pushes buttons on the machine. I want to tell him not to do that because we don’t know what could happen, however, curiosity has the best of me.

Eventually it turns on, and it’s so loud. I place my hands over my ears. ”Tobias! Turn it off!” I scream at the top of my lungs hoping that he hears me. As much as I like watching the tongs spin around, I can’t handle the sound. Finally he turns it off, and hands it back to me like I’m supposed to know what it does. ”Maybe…” I start to speak, but I decide against it. Instead I start putting all the plants in a bowl that I found under the sink. Once they’re all in the bowl, I dump the syrup I made from mashing plants together earlier. Slowly wrapping a tiny hand around the handle of the machine, I take a deep breath. ”Tobias, will you help me? I have an idea. I think they can mix the stuff together.”

ooc notes goes here

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

At least the machine turned off when I wanted it too. It’s so different than anything I’ve seen before, but right now I just watch as he places all the plants into a bowl. I watch as he puts in the syrup stuff. It’s amazing what he’s capable of doing. Maybe one day he could give me a lesson on how to gather plants like he does. Iain knows so much about plants, and I don’t. But I can help out because I know how to use the medicinal plants for first aid and healing people. I’m not the best healer in the world, but at least I’m not totally worthless. I was able to learn how when I wasn’t capable of working in the fields anymore. Agreeing to help Iain turn on the machine inside the bowl takes a lot of effort on my part because I’m afraid of what it’ll do. I watched the tongs when I turned it on. But I want to help him mostly because I don’t want this thing to hurt him in anyway. "I’ll just press the buttons if you hold it." I insist. It’s not much, but at least I can help him out in someway. I want him to be happy, and he’s happy right now which makes me feel complete. But fear lingers inside of me. Neither of us have used this thing before. Neither of us know what’s going to happen. Yeah, I had it turned on just a bit ago, but right now I don’t know. "Alright, Iain, let’s do this." I hope he has a tight grip on the machine when I press the button to turn it on. At first it seems like everything's going according to plan. The plants are mixing together nicely, but things take a turn for a worse when I accidentally press another button. The tongs speed up and plants go flying across the room. Syrup sprays me in the face, and I’m not sure what’s going on, but I can’t find the button to turn it off. I just try to duck and cover as everything makes a mess on the walls. It leaves my mind blank. Only one thought sits on my brain, and it’s not a good one. If Kirito would see this mess, he would probably never let us in the house again.

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

[googlefont="Jim Nightshade:400"]

Iain Miristioma

Fourteen | Male | District Eleven

”Alright, Iain, let’s do this!” I make sure I have a tight grip on the handle as I place the tongs firmly on the plants in the bowl. Taking a deep breath, I try to control my emotions. I try not to let anything bother me, but this machine in my hand is terrifying. ”Let’s do this!” I exclaim right before Tobias turns the machine on. At first it’s not too bad, but soon the vibrations of it creep through my arms making it almost impossible to move. But I keep holding on and trying not to let go of it because right now I’m trying to make food with the stuff in the house. Yet it has proven difficult.

I start screaming again because it’s hurting my arms. The vibrations are making my arms ache, and no matter how many times I try, I can’t control it. The tongs are going faster and faster, and it feels like my arms are going to fall off. I try to keep a tight grip, but my hand slides off the handle and the machine is spinning out of control. Plants and syrup are flying everywhere. Spraying across the kitchen. All over the counters. The floor. My face. My heart drops to my stomach. I had spent hours gathering everything and hours mashing the plants together to make this syrup.

”Tobias! Turn it off!” I scream at the top of my lungs as tears threatening to fall down my face, but I don’t know if he heard me. I look around trying to find where he stuck it in the wall at. ”Tobias! Turn it off!” I scream again as the mixture flies everywhere throughout the kitchen. Finally, I see the cord, and I yank it from the wall, and it’s silence once more. The machine slowly stops spinning, and I notice that Tobias is trying to hide from what just happened. My heart skips a beat as I see the mess in front of me. Everything is ruined. I ruin everything. Always have, and I always will, however, that’s one emotion that I won’t let Tobias see.

”Well, that was a horrible idea.” I say as I look around thankful that Kirito is gone right now. I don’t want him to see this, but at the same time, I do because I think it would be funny to see his reaction.

ooc notes goes here

[Noah Vau - D2 (Cato)]

[googlefont="Rock Salt:400"]

Tobias Miristioma Seventeen | Male | District Eleven

As soon as the machine is turned off, I start laughing. I can’t help myself as I look around at the mess we’ve created in the house. Plants are everywhere. Some are stuck on the ceiling, and I don’t know how we’re going to get them down, but for the moment what matters is that I’m with Iain. This is one moment I won’t ever forget because the two of us rarely spend time together. I don’t know what any of these plants are, but I just know that they were our dinner, and now it’s ruined. Thankfully, I can go into the town and get more ingredients. Maybe Iain can go with me, and we can pick them out together and he can show me a few things about plants. That would be nice. I take a towel from the rack beside the sink before handing it to Iain, and I get another one for myself. We’ve made a mess, and we need to clean it up so that Kirito doesn’t get angry. But part of me worries that Iain isn’t happy about losing the ingredients he collected. ”You alright, Iain?” I’m not sure if he’ll answer my question, but at least it’s out there. I want him to know that I care. That I want to be with him. I want him to know that he’s not alone, and I’ll help him transition into this new life if he’ll let me. I start wiping off the counters and the ceiling. Mainly the ceiling because I know that Iain won’t be able to reach it. I wonder what all he had in this. I know he was creating his soup he always made before. It was amazing, and I know this one was going to be just as good. Once the ceiling is clean, I wipe off the highest parts of the walls. I helped make the mess, and I’m going to make sure we both clean it up. It’s how we were raised. Mom and dad wouldn’t want me to just walk away and leave him. That’s what I did before. ”Hey, let’s go to the district square. We can buy some ingredients there, and we can mix them the old fashion way. How does that sound?” I ask as I finish cleaning the walls off. Once the cleaning is done, I take the towels to the laundry. This way Kirito won’t ever notice anything has happened. ”And I promise, Iain, I won’t ever leave you behind again. I’ll always be here with you.”

OOC notes go here

[Knuckles]

[googlefont="Jim Nightshade:400"]

Iain Miristioma

Fourteen | Male | District Eleven

Laughter is contagious which is why the moment Tobias starts laughing, I start laughing with him. Making a mess isn’t supposed to be fun, but this is the most fun I’ve had in a long time. My face is sticky from the syrup I’ve made, and the entire kitchen looks like a jungle. I look around taking in all the plants amazed that such a little machine was able to create this big of a mess. It seems impossible, however, it definitely proved me wrong. My muscles are still shaking from the horrible vibrations it put off. Soon they’ll end. Soon everything will be back to the way it was, but first this mess has to be cleaned up. Yet I can’t stop laughing.

Tobias hands me a towel, and I take it, but the first thing I do with it is wipe the sticky syrup from my face, but it’s too sticky, and I’m left with little pieces of fuzz stuck in the syrup which only causes me to laugh more. After putting water on the towel, I clean myself up before taking on the floor. I scrub every crack and crevice because I can’t leave anything behind. Kirito can’t ever see what we’ve done, and I can’t leave any evidence behind. Silence rings through my ears until Tobias asks if I’m alright. Part of me wants to tell him that I ruined our dinner, but the other part wants to tell him I’m fine. Just like the old days. I’m good at locking my emotions away, but now isn’t the time. ”Yeah, I’m fine.” Once the floors are cleaned, I head to the lower part of the walls and wipe it clear of the ruined soup. I’m still amazed at the mess we created. But I won’t stop cleaning until it’s done.

He takes the towels from me and walks away. At first I’m left, alone in the kitchen. It looks like nothing has happened. The entire room is cleaned, and it makes me happy, yet it still bothers me. The stew was ruined. It was slung everywhere by the horrible machine, however, when Tobias returns he offers to go to the district square to buy the ingredients. A large grin spreads across my face. While it’s not what I made myself, at least he still wants to help. ”Yeah! That sounds good to me!” Maybe this is the beginning of a new relationship. Maybe we can go everywhere together. And then he promises he won’t abandon me anymore. It hits home. ”Alright, Tobias, let’s go get those plants and syrup. I’ll show you what to get.” And with that, I walk out of the kitchen, through the front door and outside praying that this isn’t the end of a fun filled day.

ooc notes goes here