Defined as Retribution [TSA Vs. SW Vs. Crocolisk]

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My life blood was pouring from the missing limb fast. Everything that I am, standing here, swaying with the force of the wind the storm is producing, is slipping away from my conscious being. My head began to spin. It's clear that soon, without help, I would find myself going home in a box meant for the dead. My body would be lifted up into the sky by some metal machine, claws, to clamp down on my body and hoist me up into the faux storm. Iain was the only one staying close to me and acting as my protector; same thing I promised him. One by one, we each have tried to take this bonebag down without no luck. It even seemed that it still had one more hit in its pathetic skinless attire. No sooner did I hit it, that Iain also aimed for it. However, it merely cut into the bone and coudln't sever it. I knew it would be hard to cut these skeletons down because bone is hard and our weapons are probably equal to that. Somehow, we've been able to make two of them disolve into powder and become no more. This third one, despite all tries to chop it down, turns to me once again, and as I hold out the knife, ready and waiting to attack it once more should the need arise, it brings the sword around. I move slightly, aiming with the knife, but the knife holds little resistance to something so large. The sword would probably cut the measely knife in two and then have my fingers to chop in the process. I try to shield myself from the bite of the sword again, fearful that I will lose yet another appendage or worse. There is no amount of defending myself could prepare me with the pain that would soon rip through my body. It could easily match the pain of the amputation of my left arm only minutes ago. It's trying to dismember me, limb from limb... I'm not going home in a casket. I'm going home in seperate bags. Already, a waterfall of crimson was flowing steadily through my left side where my arm had previously been. Up until now, the pain was bearable with the adrenaline ravedging through my veins up until now. Now, as the sword peirces my arm, stabbing me through the skin and bone together, I scream out. It took no effort at all for the sword to bite into my thin arm. There is hardly any meat there anyways, which made it such an easy thing to do. Once again, blood oozed from the wound, becoming a waterfall to match the opposite arm and the only thing that goes through my mind is that these mindless bonebags want to take my arms. Without my arms, I can't throw my knives and for some reason, I thought that the captiol enjoyed the kill I made just yesterday? I thought that they would want to see me accomplish yet another kill, but without the appendages that would be used to make them? Tears flow freely from each eye. My mouth gaping open without any more sound to escape them as my lungs depleted themselves moments ago. I watch through blurry eyes as my ally takes down the third and final skeleton just seconds after it pulled the weapon from my arm. With my blood decorating the silver blade. I am only pawn. I'm too easy to knock off... too easy to... to... My vision wavers heavily. An unusual need for sleep starts to take over for reasons that I can only connect to the bloodloss. Slowly, I crumple to the ground without any amount of energy and as I look to the world above me, I watch as Iain's face turns grim. The rain assaults my body as the lightning flashes, it makes my last thought final before I succumb to the darkness. I'm dying... "Am I dying, mommy?" I timidly ask the woman, whose hand holds a cold cloth on my forehead. She dabs at my forehead and then my cheeks several times and looks off into the hallway and then back at me. The look on her face is grim as she lets the tears fall from her eyes and they collide with my blanket to soak it up without delay. I reach up to touch her face, but my arm barely makes it half way before I lose all ability to hold it up straight and it comes crashing back down on the thick blankets piled up. A shiver racks my body even though there is no need. I've counted four different blankets that she's put on me, but my body quakes without stopping. "I'm cold..." "I know sweetie. You're going to be okay. You're just really sick, my sweets. You're just very, very sick." She mumbles through tears and hiccups and her left hand suddenly touches my cheek, and caresses it with her soft, gentle hands. I lean into her hand and take a small breath through my lips and then feel myself drift off into a sleep that would feel like an undesireable one. Only, I start hear her scream. Her voice seems frantic. "CECILIA. CECILIA WAKE UP... " Over and over, I hear her scream, and the voice echoes in my mind. She wants me to wake up, but I can't. No matter what I do, I can't seem to pull myself out of this stupor that has taken over. I sit in complete darkness in this little room unable to move. The pillars of black enclose me and though I can feel the cold, black walls, it does nothing to move. I hit the walls with so much effort. Over and over again, I pound on the walls going from one side to the next just six steps away. "Mommy. Wake me up! Wake me up, please? I..." I whimper. I stop hitting the walls. I lay down on the freezing cold ground and curl up into myself to protect my body from the cold. "...don't want to die. My seventh birthday is next week. I want toys. I want a cake. Can I please have a cake?" "Cecilia. Cecilia? Ceci... baby wake up?" Her voice coaxes me with a whispered tone that echoes over and over again. I let the tears stream down my face and let them go over the bridge of my nose and drop onto the ground where it connects with the ground and a sort of 'ping' echoes all around me. "I can't wake up?" I complain. "You have to. They need you. They need you to wake up. They need you Cecilia Isalee Brontz." A voice intercepts. And slowly, but surely, the darkness starts to lighten up. A throbbing heartbeat pounds fast on my left side. My left arm hurts, but it's my shoulder in general that really feels the sting. Something has happened to me, I know that, but as the continous ping of water falls on my face, drowning me where I lay, I groan out to the arguments that are all around me. They need me? Not likely. I groan outward as I try to get my barrings as to where I am and what might be going on. Death did not come to greet me just yet, but my body is feeling the overall pain now. It's almost too much as I try to move and I resort to being a statue for now. My voice however will fight the good fight. "Hettie... leave him alone." The low, raspy voice elicites from my voice instead of someone who is confident. It might as well be a pathetic attempt in trying to sooth a toddler to sleep. However, there are no toddlers around here and who is just a wanna be killer. Hettie and I have never seen eye to eye and she mentions something to me about him leaving. I glance up, opening my eyes as much as I can as the wind and rain keep me flinching until I see Iain racing to my side. However, Hettie and I keep bickering. She claims that he will die and I refuse to let that be a thing. I bite back. She's such a pugnacious person. "He won't die alone... he will live longer than you two." I feel accomplished. Maybe, she'll shut up and let me be. Let Iain and I have a few moments alone together to work out certain feelings that are wanting to burn my throat before I want to say them out loud. Iain sides with Hettie though and that sends a wave of hate through my heart. Iain is letting Hettie win. I hate that... "If he's useless, I am too now. So you two might as well leave us to die as well. I'm of no use to you guys anymore." My halfway good arm goes to prop myself up and despite the horrendous amount of pain shooting through my upper half, I make it to a sitting position and that's it. Nausea runs rampant within my stomach as my vision swims with a might stroke. Slowly, I touch the area that is now missing a vital part of my body. Hope is gone now. Iain holds nothing against me though as he remembers nothing that happened just the day before. My words cursed him to die a horrid death that Hettie wants for him, obviously, but he still sits beside me, collecting my needle and thread and threading it. I know what's comming and I'm sure that it's going to be a necessary thing as this wound still leaks my precious life blood. If I loose any more, I'll sure die. Between my left side missing and the gaping whole in my right, I'm better off food for mutts at this point. He doesn't see it that way. "Why are you taking care of me after what I said to you?" My curiosity gets the better of me and I hold it against him, expecting him to say that I've taken his role as meat shield. After all, that's all I am to our other half. Now, they have two people that they can use to protect themselves as they are over there, cuddling and taking care of each other. They are more worried about each other than us. I could have died today, yet they are off making sure the other one is in pristine condition and leaving me to suffer the damages. Only Iain seems to care about me... "You're my friend, and you stitched me up yesterday. Plus you gave me a chance when nobody else would. You didn't walk away when you first met me like so many people did in my life have. You gave me something to laugh about despite the face of darkness, and I can't let that go. I don't want to lose you." Absolute guilt pummels my heart. Not only that, but the needle that continously assaults my wound make me flinch so much but I bite into my lip with each tug of the needle. It would have been better if the skeleton had killed me and left me without this guilt, but maybe I was kept alive for another reason. That reason is sitting right in front of me, stitching up my wound and being everything to me at this moment. I watch him with eyes glazed over as he works diligently to weave the wound together and make me partially whole again. Bandages are wrapped around the wound before he moves to my right arm and begins the whole process over again. "Yeah, but..." I start as he finishes quicker with the right side. Bandages are wrapped and what bandages are left, he returns them to my pack. "Ceci, what you said is in the past. All we can do is move forward and strive to see another day. That's all we can do, and all I worry about is waking up tomorrow. It doesn't matter what we have to do. You wanted to protect me from the pain you felt, and I get that. I just..." "...just nothing Iain. WIPPP.... WIPPP... WIPPP.... _______ Waking up in Iain's arms, I found my sleep undisturbed by the nightmares of the previous night. I can't tell what it is that has made me find solice in him, but he's given me peace. Just knowing that he doesn't hate me after I what I said and that he understood where I came from, puts my mind at ease. Though, I know the words still linger in his mind. I know that whatever happens today, I'm going to make sure to do my best to protect him. If he can make it home, I want my brothers to adopt him into the family and I know they will accept him. I raised them to be unbiased to others. His disability, or lack thereof as he has shown the entire capitol, will not hinder him from being accepted into my family. He will simply take over as their big sibling. He will finally have younger siblings to care for and to show them the ropes. I can only hope that. Moving slower than normal, I've decided to fall back and follow the others with Iain at my side. It's only now that I feel safe and secured with him. My heart skipping a beat evertime we accidently get too close. I'm not sure what is going on, but as I side eye him, I watch his gait and then bring my hand up to cover the missing part of myself. We are both cripples brought together. We have both been given obstacles that we both need to overcome and hopefully with my brothers watching, they can see that I didn't give up. I woke up to see another arena sunrise. I let the air flow into my lungs with a deep breath and let the air disband slowly. "Iain. I'm really happy to have met you." I say with a whispered tone and bump into him slightly as the world became trecherous once more. Something startles me, and I jump slightly as I reach in for my weapon of choice. Too much is on the line today and with it, I collect the shield as well. Today of all days, I don't want to die. So, I take the initiative to show to Insanis and Hettie that I am not useless. Cecilia activates her [SHIELD] and [LIGHTS her [4]throwing knives on fire] attacks [Sol] WsdZPwQ2throwing knife 9164 -- Shallow Cut on Hand -- 3.0 damage 1-50 +4 fire roll

throwing knife�1-50

[Knuckles]

i a i n .

A storm of crimson sprayed across the battlefield staining his dirt covered face forcing Iain to turn away from the fight only for a moment until the skeleton disintegrated like the two before it. A half grin twisted across his lips spreading from ear to ear as his yellow stained teeth flashed through the darkness. His hair stood on end as the wind continued blasting through the arena, and every crack of thunder was underlining a sound of a cannon. Only one cannon blasted so far. Only one more person has tasted what death had to offer, however, Iain was grateful it wasn’t him or Cecilia.

His eyes rested on the girl lying on the ground unconscious as the storm grew stronger and stronger soaking the waterlogged ground even more. One step after another, he marched towards her with his hand loosely around the axe hoping somehow she was still alive. Iain had so much he wanted to tell her despite the world crashing around him little by little. The tiny girl from eight didn’t deserve the fate the Capitol bestowed upon her, yet here she was dying in the arena for a comedy as the citizens of the Capitol chanted for her blood, but Iain wouldn’t allow them to have it.

Dropping his trash bag on the ground in front of him, he quickly removed the backpack from Cecilia’s arm before digging inside of it opening to find something to stitch the massive wound together. Blood leaked from her body mixing with the rain from the sky leaving a river of crimson dancing through the grass on the ground as the arena drank what it longed for, and Iain knew it thirst for more.

"You're all useless, I did all the work!" Henrietta barked, and in that moment Iain was on his feet dropping all the supplies from his hand as he hoisted the mighty axe into the air. Throughout his entire life, the district eleven male had been called useless, and now wasn’t the time for any repeats of his past as the wind kissed his neck. Uselessness was such a powerful word, and for the first time in his entire life, Iain knew what he had to do. Cecilia taught him to stand up for himself, and that was exactly what the fourteen year old planned on doing. He marched towards her as the flame inside his body grew stronger and stronger until he was standing just inches away from her before his breath became a gust of wind.

"Hettie, call me useless one more time. I dare you." His eyes narrowed as he stared at her awaiting her response, and his hand tightened around the handle of the axe knowing he wasn’t afraid to use it if needed. His heart hammered inside his chest along with the rhythm of the storms dancing around him. Butterflies danced in his stomach eating away at the mucus membranes making him feel sick, but now was not the time to lose everything he worked for. Yet his words didn’t matter. "Oh wow you think I am scared of you? I've seen you fight you're...useless."

Grinding his teeth together, Iain paused while swallowing the words carelessly forming on the tip of his tongue because taunting a beast would only get him killed. Kill me. His mind screamed while staring the career in the eye, yet his heart stopped him. A tether wrapped around him pulling the demonic words from his mind dragging them further and further away into the pits of eternal punishment for even trying to devour the world around him, however, Iain wasn’t through with her. His tongue slid across his teeth, and the half grin grew larger and larger until a full smile laced with malice embedded itself into his face. "I will kill you right now. You have no right to dictate my life, and I am not useless."

The words spewed from his lips, and the flame grew stronger and stronger slowly igniting his body. A wildfire spread throughout him burning everything in place with hatred and revenge. The Capitol set out on a mission to destroy everyone Iain ever cared about, and now it was time he taught President Snow a lesson.

"Go on try it kid, but shouldn't you be tending to your girlfriend?" It took every ounce of strength lingering inside him to keep himself from trying because Hettie was right, Cecilia needed his help. She needed someone to keep her alive like she had done for him so many times before. Iain owed her his life, and this was how he was repaying her. But Cecilia Brontz was not his girlfriend. "I have told you, she is not my girlfriend." He hissed through gritted teeth, yet he turned towards Cecilia making sure she was still alive. In the back of his mind he knew her cannon was close - Iain dread the moment it would sound, and he prayed his cannon would sound much sooner than her’s.

"That's what they all say." His heart plummeted deep into the pits of his stomach swallowed by an open abyss. The echoing of the frantic drum raced through his mind tearing his soul apart little by little until nothing remained except hollow bones, and empty vessels. "Just leave him Hettie." Insanis blurts in without any warning, and Iain finds his gaze shifting towards him as fire danced through his eyes. Specs of red blotted out the world trapping him in a pit of crimson as blood flowed freely. "She is not my girlfriend. I am only fourteen!"

"She's fourteen too, perfect match! Now let’s stop fighting over the love of your life, you should go fix her, she did stitch you up yesterday."

"And I'm going to die, so why should I even try to better my future? It doesn't matter." Iain barked before walking away from Hettie leaving her alone with the one guy she cared for the most, Insanis Keeni. He was nothing more than a pawn to her, and Iain longed for the day the queen turned on the king because all he could do was laugh even if he was a spirit in the sky. But for now, Iain would follow along as the meat shield until he found the right time to escape into the hell of his own because his world was slowly falling around him forming a void as the Capitol took away everything he loved.

Yet Cecilia was somehow still alive.

Her groaning and muffled words reached his ears, and his heart jumped into the back of his throat as the once half grin replaced itself with a genuine smile as he ran to her aid. Not once in his entire life did he ever imagine himself falling for someone so quickly after meeting them, however, given the current state of events, Iain wasn’t complaining. Both their lives were on the line as a war raged around them. Enemy soldiers peaked around every corner preparing to strike, and knowing how precious life truly was set heavily on his heart because for the twenty-four people chosen every single year to journey through the godforsaken arena had a price placed on them, yet for Iain’s family the price wasn’t enough to break the bond forged of blood and tears, and Cecilia Brontz was apart of his family.

"Why are you taking care of me after what I said to you?" Her words were a whisper against the wind fighting for the chance to ring through his ears. Hearing her voice brings him to life. His mind was dying as the fight for survival took over, and the thought of killing grew stronger and stronger until the innocent pulled the train to a halt at the sight of seeing someone so precious as his complete mercy, but Iain would never hurt her. A simple promise he made when she stole his grapes, and it’s a promise he would take to his grave.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he tightened his grip on the needle while carefully maneuvering it through her skin doing everything he could to sew the skin together, yet the gaping hole, and the uneven bone was blocking his way. His gaze wandered from the wound he was stitching to the eyes of the girl resting beside him. Keeping his voice quiet, he allowed the raging storm to block his voice from carrying across the area towards the two cuddling together. "You're my friend, and you stitched me up yesterday. Plus you gave me a chance when nobody else would. You didn't walk away when you first met me like so many people in my life have. You gave me something to laugh about despite the face of darkness, and I can't let that go. I don't want to lose you."

Inhaling sharply, he carefully finished stitching the wound together before moving on towards the gaping wound in her right arm. The sword struck her so easily like she was nothing but a slab of skin tossed on bones thrown into a slaughterhouse with the weak lambs, cows, sheeps, goats, any farm animal residing in district ten, but she was so much more than that. Every creature in the world, both young and old, weak and strong, all deserved a chance to shine. A chance to prove they’re more than what the Capitol has played them as.

"Yeah... but..." Her gaze shifted from his as his hands wrapped around the bandages. Blood crusted fingernails danced before his eyes as he took some of the bandages together wrapping them in his hand before replacing the remaining back inside her bag. "Ceci, what you said is in the past. All we can do is move forward and strive to see another day. That's all we can do, and all I worry about is waking up tomorrow. It doesn't matter what we have to do. You wanted to protect me from the pain you felt, and I get that. I just...."

"... just nothing Iain." Cecilia interrupted cutting the words from the tip of his tongue like they hadn’t mattered anyway. I love you, Ceci. I love you. His heart dropped further as a void grew larger and larger as the storm played tricks on his mind. "... I didn't mean it to be a bad thing. I'm sorry I said that. I didn't mean to hurt you." Every hair stood on end. Fear slithered across his skin wrapping around him slowly crushing his body. His lungs screamed for fresh air as his mind shut off for only a second. His heart fluttered inside his chest pounding against his chest wall echoing through his mind as another crack of thunder filled the air, and in that moment Iain froze as time ceased to exist.

The bag slipped from his grip, and he lost track of the world around him as the storm pummeled knocking the air from his body. Cecilia didn’t want to hurt him, yet her words were still fresh on his mind. Yet this moment wasn’t the time to relive one of the most painful moments of his entire life. He sighed, and with a shrug of his shoulders, he shifted his gaze towards her hoping he would understand. "What do you want me to say, Cecilia? Do you want me to hate you for it? Do you want me to pretend that I'm still hurt? That I don't care about you? Because if that's what you want, you aren't getting it. It's in the past, and I understand the reasoning behind it, but you aren't getting rid of me that easy."

His face burned a crimson red behind the dirt caked against his cheeks, and the wind carried away every horrible feeling eating away at him because in this moment all that mattered was making sure his partner in crime never lost the hope Iain carried so proudly. "I don't want to get rid of you at all...but karma can be a bitch. I deserved worse for what I did. But I'm glad you don't hate me anymore..." Her words matched the words he wanted to hear, yet his body fell from the high because Iain had never hated her despite the pain he felt yesterday. Hatred was such a powerful word, and he watched how it ate through the mind of those he cared about - the change it made quickly became a change Iain swore he wouldn’t ever experience.

Closing his eyes, he allowed the air to fill his body. Every breath sent a rejuvenating vibe throughout his body, and his muscles convulsed against one another taking in the oxygen it needed to keep him alive, yet his stomach was empty, and the hunger pains had long disappeared, yet Iain knew the feeling more than anything in the world because poverty ran through his family until Kirito somehow defied the odds and returned home a hero. "I could never hate someone who stole my grapes."

He paused for only a moment allowing himself to relive the moment in the dining hall when Cecilia convinced him to finally stand up for himself, and at the thought a small smile slid across his lips. "But you know, Ceci, you don't deserve worse. You can't help what happened. Killing is apart of the games, and you saved me and Hettie because they were going to kill us. I know you didn't mean for that to happen. I know you didn't want to kill, and no matter what happens, but sometimes in the games, you are forced with doing things you don't want to do, and I hate it. I hate what it does. And I don't think any less of you." His efforts were to console her. To let her know she had to do what was needed in order for them both to survive, but Iain hadn’t killed anyone, and he hoped his cannon blasted before the chance stood in front of him, yet the odds were growing smaller and smaller - the gamemakers were surely up to something. A storm was brewing, and this was simply the calm before the tornado wiped the remaining tributes out until only one remained. "I want grapes now. Hettie says killing is good. That I'll like it with time. I don't know if I should believe her or if she's telling the truth. I just don’t know Iain. Please don't say anything to Hettie or Insanis, but I'm scared now. I'm useless to them. I'm... no good anymore. Should we leave before they find our blood in good taste for killing?"

Thousands of red flags went off in his mind. Iain knew Hettie was a career, and he knew she would devour the weakest before turning on the strongest - right now Cecilia was the weakest link. As much as it pained Iain to even think of her that way, he knew her chances of surviving deep into the games had gone down the drain the moment the skeleton removed her arm from her body. "I won't say anything, I promise. And Hettie is a career. She's trained for this, and Insanis is following her around like a pawn. I don't want to be a pawn to her. One more day, Ceci, let's stay one more day, then at night we can slip away. I won't let them hurt you. Let's get through whatever stands in front of us tomorrow, then we can run." Running away while they were still ahead was the perfect plan in his eyes because he knew what would happen, and he knew the time would come when they would end up forced to face one another in the fight for ultimate survival. I just hope it’s not too soon. And in that moment the roles changed. Cecilia was the vulnerable one who needed protecting, and Iain was strong and brave - it was a change that the fourteen year old welcomed.

Her cheek pressed against his leg, and every fiber inside him begged him to move, yet in the end his heart won allowing him to remain still as the storm calmed around him. "My brothers are probably frightened right now. How do you think your brother is doing?" It was such a simple question, but the thought of home made him sick. Knowing his brother was watching his every movement, knowing that Kirito was in the Capitol fighting for Iain’s survival, knowing that Ikaia could easily take his promise back devoured his soul. Every second of every single day, Iain found himself stuck on the idea of returning home. President Snow wanted him to return home in a box, but Iain had other plans, at least for the time being.

"I hope Tobias is holding on. He's probably terrified right now, but this isn't the first time my family has gone through this. We've all experienced it before two years ago. Just this time, I'm on this side of it. I remember staring at the screen for hours praying for Kirito's safety. The games tore my family apart once, Ceci, and I'm terrified it's going to do that again." His mind shot back to the time he stared at the screen wondering where Ikaia had gone off to. Finding him was simple, but the scene in front of him bounced through his mind. Iain never imagined the idea of his cousin tying the ropes into a tree as the hangman’s knot shaped itself in front of his eyes. Please keep your promise, Ikaia. Please. He thought while shaking his head rapidly trying to clear the thoughts from his mind.

"I've got three brothers... and a baby sister. This is the first time this has happened to our family...My oldest brother is only 12." That simple sentence was enough for Iain to realize where her strength came from. Cecilia was the oldest child, and being the oldest came with responsibilities - Iain was grateful he had no younger siblings, yet the idea made him constantly wonder what it would’ve been like to see one born for the very first time. Tears swam in his eyes threatening to fall down his face at any given second; having a friend to share these moments with meant the world to him, however, the pain was becoming too much.For the first time since he lost his friend over a picture, Iain found himself beside a friend who would truly last a lifetime, and he felt at ease around her. A sense of peace swept through his body as the weight of the world lifted off his shoulders for the time being.

"I have a kinda large family. Tobias is my brother, and I love him more than anything in the world, and I would love to be able to see him again. Kirito has a twin brother, Ikaia. They had a bond that was unbreakable before Kirito was reaped, and once he returned home, everything just changed. Ikaia had a hard time. One time he almost hung himself. I saw him tie the rope in the tree. He promised he wouldn't do anything stupid again, and I hope he's helping Tobias right now. I hope he's keeping his promise. Tobias is strong. He's been through so much in his life. We both have, but this is the ultimate test. I just hope he doesn't give up hope, and that he keeps living because I'll always be with him no matter what happens. He cared for me when I thought the entire world gave up on me." A new strength danced inside him fueling the flame - hatred and anger fueled it enough, and it had almost went out until just a spark remained, and all it took to bring the flame to life was allowing himself to open up; Iain didn’t care all Panem would hear.

"I didn't give up on you. We all live in one room. We don't have enough money to afford more rooms. I am the nursemaid. Storyteller. Booboo healer. I got to name my new baby sister. Lotus - she's only 2 months old...I don't want to be here. I want to hug her again. I don't want to be here..." He hears her voice break, and his heart breaks with her. Iain would never understand the life of having a younger sibling. He wouldn’t know what it was like taking care of them every single day, and he wouldn’t understand the pain she felt in this moment being away from them when all she wanted was to wrap her arms around them one last time, but Iain would try. Not for himself, but for Cecilia because right now he knew she needed him.

Yet he wasn’t sure what to say.

Many words raced through his mind trying to fly from the tip of his tongue, but somehow he managed to cough the nasty words down until a well thought out phrase passed through his mind. "Ceci, I know you want to hug her again, and see her again. That's why we have to keep fighting. We have to keep trying. Tobias lost his arm when he was younger to a horrible farming accident, and I thought he was going to die, but Kirito, and a group of healers, saved him. And he's still alive and going strong today. He even got a new arm after Kirito won. It's not the end of the world, and as long as you're breathing, and your heart's still beating, you have a chance. You are one of the strongest people I've ever met."

The words were true, and he meant every single one of them because in his eyes, Cecilia was strong, brave, courageous, willing to take control. Cecilia Brontz was a fighter, and Iain longed to have traits matching her’s, yet in the back of his mind, he was glad they weren’t a perfect match. Opposites attract, however, Iain wasn’t sure what brought them together except a young age, and a desire to survive even the harshest of storms. "I see our roles have reversed... you are stronger than me Iain. You have the hope when death is staring us in the face. I had hope before we faced the reaper."

Iain took pride in having hope even in the darkest hour of the storm, but mostly it was an act to keep those around him strong because the other day his hope was just a bird perched on his shoulder before flying away into the clouds forever never to return. Having too much hope only proved detrimental along with feeling completely hopeless, yet Iain had enough hope to keep himself going knowing that the worse had yet to come. His entire goal in this moment was to show Cecilia hope was alive. That it hadn’t died the moment the girl caught fire in front of her, or when her arm fell lifeless to the ground with a loud thud ringing through his ears. He understood the damage hope caused a person, but now clearly wasn’t the time to throw it all away.

His eyes closed for only a moment as a lump formed in the back of his throat, and a heavy heart sank into the pits of his stomach. In this moment, the scrawny boy felt hopelessness. He should’ve ran away while she was down in attempts to save himself, but he knew every friendship came with a price, and his price was his own life. Iain Miristioma would lay his life down for his friend the moment the opportunity came, but right now both were alive, and Iain made sure Cecilia was well. "I know you are afraid because I'm afraid too. Just focus on waking up tomorrow. Just keep that focus of seeing another sunrise. It doesn't change the situation any, and it doesn't change anything that has happened, but it's okay to be afraid. It's okay to have that fear. All I focus on is seeing another day, and I know I'm going to have to do things I don't want to do, but I can't let that get me down, and you can't let that get you down either. You're stronger than you realize, Ceci."

His heart flutters behind his chest slowly rising into the back of his throat closing off his airway. Each breath was forced down as the butterflies danced a rhythmic beat tying his stomach and intestines into knots. Iain Miristioma was in love with Cecilia despite the horrible situation both had been placed in, and Iain wasn’t foolish. He knew at least one would have to die while the other tried to survive, and it was his hope Cecilia would somehow return home alive to take care of her family while his own body rot six feet under the ground. A soft sigh escaped his lips, and he found himself trapped within a storm. Love in the arena was foolish, yet for him it was enough to remind him humanity stood strong.

"I'm only strong because I have you Iain. If you had never been reaped then I might have died in the blood bath. I would never have met Hettie or Insanis. My fate would have changed. You are my strength Iain. You are the reason I am still alive..." His cheeks flushed under the dirt and blood crusted against his face, and Iain was thankful Cecilia had no way of knowing, yet he couldn’t stop a genuine smile from twisting across his face. Many times he wondered where he would be now if Cecilia wasn’t in the games. Dead. In a box ready for burial. With a quick shake of his head, he pushed the thoughts away. Right now Cecilia needed his strength, and any sign of weakness may push her further away. "Ceci you are strong. You've proven that by helping out with your family. You are my family, and you've kept me going. You've helped me so much. You've taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to, and you can do the same..."

"I have a reason to fight." She interrupted him cutting of his sentence before the rest could fly from his lips leaving the remaining words a mystery. A broken heart melted hearing those words leaving nothing but the gusts of wind sitting between them as shards slowly flew away. "Oh and what's that?" He asked curiously with his head cocked to one side hoping her answer didn’t destroy him. Part of him was glad she had a reason to fight because it meant she hadn’t given up, and this moment, this personal moment, was all worth it, but her words caught him completely off guard. "To make sure you get home..."

Home. The broken boy longed for a chance to return home alive to prove to his brother that he was capable of fighting in a bloodthirsty arena, yet her words slapped him across the face leaving a mark embedded deep in his cheek. With a heavy thud, his heart dropped as a single tear swam down his face. Iain wanted to thank her, to tell her that it meant the world to him, but knowing her family counted on her so much more than his family counted on him tore through his body. The flame living inside him dimmed slightly, and every hope he had left scurried across the ground with the leaves. "Ceci, don't count yourself out because I'm fighting to make sure you get home."

For Cecilia, Iain would lay his life down in a heartbeat if it meant she was capable of seeing life outside the arena again because she was his friend. From the time she stood up to him in front of Hettie and Insanis, to the time she stole his grapes in the Capitol teaching him to stand up for himself, to now. Iain never wanted to let her go, but the games were happening right before him, and every hope of living a normal life was gone. "... I care too much about you to let you die in this horrible. I will kill anyone who tries to kill you so your heart stays innocent and free from the heartache I feel from taking that girls life. I don't want you to ever have to feel that pain. I don't want you to ever have to wake up in the middle of the night with nightmares of hurting someone or have karma show you what happens to someone who disrupt someone's future."

Taking a deep breath, he allowed himself the chance to scan the area hoping and praying the enemy was still far away. Even Cecilia is considered the enemy Yet Iain wouldn’t allow himself to hurt her in any way. Love was a powerful thing, and not once in his entire life did he imagine himself falling for someone in the worse place. Feelings became overwhelming, and Iain saw the emotion just the other day when the flame from her knife struck the girl down. That fire left a mark, and Ezero screaming the name of the girl haunted his every waking second. Is that love? Is that what it’s like to fall in love in the arena?

"Ceci, when I was reaped, I came into the game fearing I would be alone. I feared I would die alone without anyone by my side, and you've given me something I've never had before. A friend. You've done enough to protect me. I've been broken my entire life. I've been fighting to fit in outside my family, and you've shown me it's possible. You've given me everything that I need. And it's okay to have a heart. It's okay to feel remorse and regret. Having a heart isn't a bad thing. It means you care. It means you are human. We're just in a place where being a human is the wrong thing, and being a monster is the right thing, but you are far from that Ceci. Don't let Hettie and Insanis try to tell you any different, and if I have to kill someone or let you be killed, I'm going to kill someone because I refuse to let you die. And if it means me dying in the process, then so be it." The words fell gently from his lips erasing every fear in his mind, and the weight of the world vanished once more as the walls crumbled around him. For the first time since Kiera left him, Iain has let someone other than his family in, and that meant the world to him. Right now the fourteen year old was completely vulnerable. Every dark secret poured into his mind. Every haunting moment rest before him, yet the world felt better knowing that someone truly cared.

"Iain Miristioma. You are everything to me. I don't know why we were forced to meet this way... I don't want either of us to die. Can we just live forever?" Every emotion vanished into thin air. A calm crept across him at the thought of living forever. It was impossible right now, but somewhere in another life, Iain and Cecilia could live together forever as a budding friendship bloomed into a beautiful flower. It was a thought resting so far in the back of his mind because thinking about the future was heart wrenching. "I wish we could live forever. I wish we could...." He added quietly not sure of what he was looking for, however, her answer was exactly what was needed.

"We will. One day we will live forever. It might not be today but I will wait on you. Will you wait for me?" To Panem the two of them looked like two fourteen year olds falling in love for the very first time, and as true as that was, Iain thought of it differently. A bond forged from stolen grapes ran much deeper than the swamp water spread across the arena. "I'll wait an entire lifetime plus more for you." He yawned stretching his arms above his head as sleep threatened to consume him. "Sleepy?" Cecilia chuckled softly, and Iain found his feelings grew stronger and stronger towards her with each passing second, and as tired as he was, sleep wouldn’t win tonight because he knew Ceci needed it much more than he did. Especially after such a traumatic day of losing a limb, and right now was the perfect chance for him to show her how much he cared.

"Me? Sleepy?" Iain asked shocked while looking around trying to pretend sleep wasn’t knocking at the door. "Maybe." He admitted while shrugging his shoulders. "But you should sleep. You need rest." Turning his gaze to the stars, he forgot about everything in the world. Just around the corner was another sunrise, and after the sun rose, and the fight was done, Iain planned on taking Cecilia by the hand and running away while they both still had the chance, and he turned back watching the fourteen year old girl to curl up beside him. Her head rested on his shoulder, and it felt as though everything was perfect in this moment. Two teenagers trying to live in a world where nobody wanted them.

"Will you hold me until I fall asleep? I slept so horrible last night by myself. So many nightmares that I ended up not sleeping at all. I don't want to sleep by myself tonight. Not alone..." It was such a simple question, but hearing the words only brought fear to the young male. The nightmares haunted him too as the flames flickered before his eyes, and Iain watched the scene over and over trying his best to change what had happened, yet he realized the past was in the past, and nothing would change it - one could only learn from it.

"Yeah. I'll stay all night."

"Good. That makes me happy.""

"Goodnight, Ceci."

"Goodnight, Iain." Silence slowly devoured him, but only for a moment because Cecilia's voice echoed through his ears once more. "Hey Iain, what did the green grape say to the purple grape?" It was such an odd question especially given the current situation. Death lingered around every corner, and she was asking about grapes. At first, Iain wanted to ignore her, yet curiosity danced across his mind. "What?"

"Breathe stupid." Laughter erupted from his lips, but soon silence took over, and Iain wrapped his arm around Cecilia protecting her from any harm, and he sat silently throughout the night watching over his entire alliance.

---

The sunrise brought a new hope along with more obstacles as the enemy soldiers marched closer and closer. Thousands of footsteps echoed around him as Cecilia finally stirred, and his eyes focused on Hettie and Insanis rising too. Dread flew through his body, as he removed his harpoon from the trash bag before dropping the axe inside. Heavy gusts of wind surrounded him, and each time the scrawny kid stood up, the wind knocked him over tossing him around like a rag doll in the hands of a toddler throwing a tantrum. Silence devoured him tearing apart his soul ripping through the thread tethering him to sanity, and Iain wasn’t sure where he was going, or what the Capitol had in store for him, but one thing remained true - Iain would die before letting Cecilia die.

"Iain. I'm really happy to have met you." Her voice cut through the wind as she nudged him gently, and Iain found himself at a loss of words because none could prepare to what was about to happen. A thunderous herd marched closer and closer. Each passing second felt like an eternity until they were finally standing in view. "I'm glad I got to meet you too, Ceci." Another gust of wind knocked the boy from his feet sending him crashing towards the ground, but in that moment he found the strength needed to survive. His hands tightened around the base of the harpoon. One moment after another, Iain forced himself into a standing position. He glared at the enemy watching as Cecilia launched a flaming knife.

Lifting the harpoon into the air, Iain lunged at the nearest person hoping to stop them in their tracks before the weight of the world had the chance to break the bond holding the two fourteen year olds together.

[ Iain attacks {Astrid} | harpoon ]
Q6QUXG4nspear

result: 3022 -- Deep Gash on Neck -- 10 damage

spear

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

h e n r i e t t a .

Swinging the war hammer towards the remaining skeleton, it felt as if I was wiping away dust on the walls as the weapon sailed through its leg. Disintegrating into fine dust particles, a smile would march across my face as I am pleased with my accomplishment. It is disappointing how the thing has to disappear like it does, the bones would be a fine trophy and the worn armour that sewed them all together would have been perfect protection. However the world continues to be unfair as it teases me with such commodities, a fine blade just to vanish like it did in front of me, the gamemakers are really trying hard to drive me insane.

Glancing at the scene, my friend of blood would paint the ground, covering my dear Insanis and my little princess Cecilia. The girl lays unconscious on the ground, her left arm far from her body. Never have I seen such an amputation before and it is quite a spectacular thing. Maybe we will be able to stitch it back on with a needle and thread…or use it as a weapon. As I recall the District Seven female of last year’s games used one of her victim’s arms in a fight…it would be comical to re-enact.

Wiping the rain from my eyes, the wind continues to send the liquid at my face, attacking my eyes trying it’s hardest to disturb my vision. Although my vision seemed to be its greatest today…my performance has really picked up, compared to what happened yesterday. Finally, I have put on a show for the viewers to immerse in and I didn’t need help…Neither of the three even put effort into their attacks, Iain and Insanis were both pathetic…completely missing many times and well Cecilia’s defence is certainly off…losing an arm! I’ve been the only one to even try and kill these mutations, the fight should have been much quicker with the four of us, thank ripred I was here to sweep up after their failures.

"You're all useless, I did all the work!" I bark, sending my war hammer to the ground in anger. As it connects with the surface, vibrations rattle up my arm, adding more fuel to the rage that is about to erupt from inside of me. I thought they were a perfect choice but they’ve proved that they’re not worthy. I should butcher them all now; they’ll likely become a liability for me in the future, its best that I save myself from it when I have the chance.

"Hettie, call me useless one more time. I dare you." The words fall from such an unexpected mouth, I’ve seen Iain’s spirit build since we stepped into the arena and really it is pleasing me. Despite his soft nature, I know for a fact he has a warrior in him somewhere, a trait to help defend himself although his stroppiness is also starting to become annoying. I cannot deal with hormonal teenage boys who throw hissy fits. Thankfully Jaime has not reached that stage yet, hopefully I will be able to deter it from him.

"Oh wow you think I am scared of you? I've seen you fight you're...useless." I doubt the boy has the guts inside of him to try and fight a person like me. He’s seen what I can do, he did just witness me slay three skeletons. If he has the brains, he knows to stay well clear from me unless he wants to meet a premature end. Observing his facial expression, I can see the grin that is slowly beginning to creep across his face… He really is a psycho. I know people can be born a psychopath or they adapt the trait over time but I have never seen it appear so fast before. Maybe he has been containing a monster inside of him all along. Maybe he is the secret creature of District Eleven that they have released into the arena so that they can continue to bring home the crown…it must be something they have in their water…that’s how they’re getting so much luck.

"I will kill you right now. You have no right to dictate my life, and I am not useless." Chuckling after he speaks, I shake my head in disagreement. Everyone has their lives dictated, nothing makes him an exception. He was dictated all the way to the train and on the journey to this arena; there is no escape from such power…unless he has a plan up his sleeve. And to try and kill me? The boy must really be kidding, does he think that I’d allow him too and Insanis who is watching us both also?

Swinging the war hammer in the air, I’d set myself into an attack stance, ready to take down the boy as easily as I did those skeletons. He’s a cripple after all; I should be able to bash him with this weapon like a sponge. So many would cheer me on, so many support my reign to end District Eleven’s sudden spurt of victories. As soon as he has lost his worth as a meat shield, I’ll butcher him up myself unless somebody else has a slice of him before me. He is the only one I’d be happy to hand over to be killed, even though I am not doing it myself, just witnessing it would suffice my needs.

"Go on try it kid, but shouldn't you be tending to your girlfriend?" A cannon had sounded just before I killed the finale skeleton and I had thought it was for Cecilia’s end however the princess is only sleeping. As we both quarrel right now, blood is quickly falling from the wound where her arm was once attached; it seems her servant doesn’t care about her welfare. I know for a fact that there is something between them…young love…so fruitful.

"I have told you, she is not my girlfriend." He is in denial, like they always are…boys like him. He has probably never been in love before, I doubt they have such recreation opportunities down in Eleven although the arena is a great place for firsts. "That's what they all say."

Truth falls from my mouth, knowing too well what I am talking about. I have had experience on the matter in the past before, if anyone needs advice on the romantic aisle, I am here to support it. Relationships and pleasures are all a part of human nature and even though my twelve relationships all ended up in death, I still know how it works…

Like a spider in the books that I read, I use the males for my own advantages and unlike a female spider, I kill them and let the ocean take their bodies…instead of eating them. However the thought of human flesh does excite me, I haven’t tasted meat in days and the cravings are just as advanced as the ones I have for blood. Never did I think I would miss so much of the things I have left at home, things as simple as food… "Just leave him Hettie." Insanis’ words disrupt my thought and I glance over to him, sending a death stare into his direction. I don’t need him getting involved too. "She is not my girlfriend. I am only fourteen!" Iain pleads like the whiney little boy that he is.

"She's fourteen too, perfect match! Now let’s stop fighting over the love of your life, you should go fix her, she did stitch you up yesterday."

"And I'm going to die, so why should I even try to better my future? It doesn't matter." Before I have the chance the cave my war hammer into his skull, he walks away, abruptly ending our little dispute. "What a stroppy streak of shit." Growling, I’d send the weapon to the ground, disturbing the soil as the hammer connects. The sooner he dies…the better.

"Hettie... leave him alone." A whisper sails into my ears…it’s Cecilia. Finally she has awoken from her beauty sleep…and about time. She is taking valuable time from us by her lounging about, we should get out of this location…we’ve been here too long. "Quiet" Insanis decides to join in with the conversation, spitting out a one word answer as he seems to always do.

Shaking my head in disapproval, I’d watch as Iain walks away from us…alone where he belongs. "Did you not see him walk away, he's alone now. Alone where he belongs, alone where he will die..." Rubbing my head, I’d try to ignore the words that follow my own, only adding input when I hear something important. "Too much optimism." As Cecilia walks to Iain, I hope he becomes useful and tends to her savage wounds.

Looking towards Insanis, I know I ought to repay the debt he created yesterday as he helped patch me up. He doesn’t look as bad as what I did, just a gash on his forearm. Blood still remains on my dress, reminding me of my failure however today I have most certainly reprised myself, blocking out the pain and killing something…

"That Iain is going to have us killed." I say as I inspect the gash on his forearm, taking out the med kit in my backpack, deciding on how to treat it. I should really save the bandages for myself…I may need them in days to come and well my current ones do need changing. Instead I decide to perform the basic first aid that I was taught in the training centre, hoping it does well to his wound.
” I didn't realise you were a scared of a useless cripple” A laugh follows his words, causing a frown to paint itself on my face. Does he forget that I am treating his wound? I can easily make the pain that he is likely enduring worsen. He is certainly a useless cripple, but I am by far not afraid of him. "I am not scared, he's just a liability."

Continuing to tend to his wound, I wonder what the two love birds are doing…probably making out in the water, rolling about…getting wet. "Then kill him, we all have to die someday" Insanis is blind to his use, despite us claiming him to be useless he does come with his own roll, I didn’t make him join this alliance with the intention of him doing nothing.

"I will but he's the meat shield, everyone wants eleven dead. As long as he is alive, everyone will focus on killing him and not us." Insanis is the first person I have expressed my plan too and hopefully he agrees to it. I also hope that he doesn’t ask where he fits in my little plan, for I am sure he will likely send that war hammer of his to my skull…I wouldn’t put it past him. "I love your thinking." A grin would cease onto my face, pleased that he likes my idea. Maybe I could tweak his role in the grand plan...I am slowly growing to like him. "So do I."

I haven’t had the emotions like this in a long time, long before my name was pulled from that glass bowl. I had hoped to reprise them after the reaping at the beach while having the date that I had planned however I am suddenly hit by them in the most unlikely of places. Insanis connects his lips to mine, we hold it there for a while, the peck growing more into a long snog however it takes a turn somewhere else. Something sharps grabs hold of the skin of my lips…He is biting me. Despite it being very peculiar…it must be a fetish of his and I just allow him to continue it.

Pulling away after a short while, I’d inhale in the air, quite amused by the whole unexpected event. "Well that was saucy." Are the only words I can describe the whole thing…however I want to relive it again, the emotions that flooded my veins still remain but I want to add to them. "Stop talking" Knowing that he must have read my mind, he dives in for the kiss, our lips connecting again for a long while. I’d place my hands on his waist, pulling him closer to me as I continue the kiss. I just want this to last forever…

We both pull away after a long time, I then continue with my first aid, deciding not to talk about it.

Filling my mouth with the cool liquid, I’d venture to the springs, filling up the canteen again. As the sky becomes dark, the anthem skips across it, announcing the sad only death of the day. There should have been more… Again, the day is disappointing and I am yet to be fed my blood. Timothy Feldon The other District Nine boy, another weakling added to the list of dead.

Snuggling up to Insanis, I’d close my eyes as the war hammer lays close by me like a child with a teddy bear. Tomorrow will bring me the blood cravings that I deserve…I can’t go much longer without it.

||

Flooding my eyes, the sun wakes me and I feel as fresh as ever. Today I plan on moving us away from this area as I have grown bored of the environment, after spending two days staring at it. Taking the war hammer in my hand, I’d raise to my feet, scanning the area for any potential threats.

Just as normal, I take the lead as I guide us all to our next destination. Venturing away from the lush pure water, I know that we shouldn’t venture too far as the water source is a valuable treasure and I can’t let it go so easily, although I don’t want to go back so soon, knowing the hazards that fill the hollow ground…

Entering a new location, it is so familiar to me…it is the place we left day one however we are not alone here, just like the last time we were here…we must fight again. Excitement rolls around inside of me as I raise my war hammer, plunging towards whatever lies in my path.

[Attacks TARGET ASTRID| Spiked Blunt]
kCpz7L0lspiked blunt
[14179 -- GASH/BRUISED RIGHT SHIN -- 3.0 damage]

spiked blunt

[kousei ♚]

i n s a n i s .

{I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on}

"You're all useless, I did all the work!" Anger resonates through Hettie's bark. Displeasure rushes through my veins but I don't have the energy to argue with her. My angry wound has been on fire for what feels like an age so I just sit there and let her yell. I certainly don't appreciate being called useless. After all, who was the one who helped sew her wounds back together when the other tributes mercilessly tore through her flesh demanding her blood? Who was the one who leapt to kill at a moment's notice? Who is the one who's sworn to pass judgement in retribution for your wounds girl?

I hold my tongue; and evidently there was no need for me to speak out because Iain does it for me with a vigour I never would have expected from him of all people. "Hettie, call me useless one more time. I dare you." He won't have it, he's somehow grown a spine to prop himself up. However, I know and the audience (the whole of Panem) knows he's definitely done it against the wrong person. I wouldn't be surprised if Hettie hoisted her hammer and caved his face in. Cecilia isn't there to diffuse the situation this time, she's passed out on the ground slowly dying.

Strangely, I just don't care...

Evidently no one else does because they continue their argument, none of them willing to back down. "Oh wow you think I am scared of you? I've seen you fight you're...useless." The word useless falls off her tongue and rolls into Iain's ears. She's deliberately trying to wind him up, she must be looking for an excuse to kill him.

I would back her up... If this had been yesterday, or an hour ago, or five minutes ago before she said those words. I don't need to say anything, I just stand here and let it happen, frozen and taking it all in like a sponge. A storm of fie is brewing between Hettie and Iain and I'm going to be caught right in the middle of it. I will kill you right now. You have no right to dictate my life, and I am not useless." Fire streams from his tongue and I brace myself, I wait for it to come.

I wait for the inevitable canon to signal the climax of the storm.

Hettie hoists her hammer up but she doesn't even seem angry, more amused if anything. He's an ant to her while she is a goddess. She can end it just like the, just by lifting and bringing down her hammer like a person's foot would do to an axe or spider they catch dancing across their floorboard. Just like that and District Eleven's streak would shatter like a glass mirror. "Go on try it kid, but shouldn't you be tending to your girlfriend?" She knows that winds him up, calling Cecilia his girlfriend.

Weirdly, I can get that... I wouldn't exactly be thrilled to have a girlfriend missing her right arm.

"I have told you, she is not my girlfriend." He answers back, retaliating just to feed the flames.

Oh Iain, if only you knew how close you were to getting burned right now. Honestly, I don't even know myself - Hettie is too unpredictable like that, you just never know when she's going to do something out of the ordinary. Perhaps that's what's exciting. How arcane she is, you just never know with Hettie. A sane person would be afraid, oh so afraid of such a thing because it's like constantly treading on egg shells. Too bad I ain't sane.

My eyebrow twitches, I'm getting irritated and my wound is still red hot and burning. I've stopped listening to the sound of our disintegrating group and focused pure on my wound, pinching the angry flesh around it that looks puffed out (not from infection of course, I wouldn't be so calm if it was that) but I'm still losing quite a bit of blood. It's a waterfall and has already dripped down my arm, onto my hand and fallen onto my silver hammer.

We have more things to worry about than Iain being useless.

"Just leave him, Hettie." My words are blunt yet they cut through the air like a razor. Hettie stops and glares daggers at me as if expecting me to flinch. I don't back down, she understands that so I just stare blankly at her, none of her daggers even fazing me. She says something else that I don't pay attention to, simply feeding the flames that will destroy all of us if it is not extinguished.

Damned fool.

"And I'm going to die, so why should I even try to better my future? It doesn't matter." Iain's words are water, dousing the flames threatening to tear away at our alliance in one fell swoop. He sees sense because he walks away; he just saved his own life. Thankfully, Hettie doesn't pursue him, she only snarls like a wolf at its escaped pray. "What a stroppy piece of shit. I actually have to agree with her on that one. So far Iain's been all bark and no bite, he's been nothing but a cub that can't get its own way. It's pathetic.

"Hettie... leave him alone." Cecilia's wounded words are barely higher than a whisper and I scowl. She should be resting and besides she is in no position to make demands. If I wanted to I could bring my hammer down on her face right now and there's nothing that could be done. I'd hear her canon ring and that's the end of that.

Luckily for her, I don't do that. "Quiet." I snap, a flash of frustration evident in my words. However, Hettie doesn't help, those words would of shut her up had Hettie not kept talking. She doesn't ever seem to shut up... It's annoying to say the least. "Did you not see him walk away, he's alone now. Alone where he belongs, alone where he will die..." Hettie states bluntly. She's only stating the obvious, I feel no weight behind her words, nothing but fodder.

Cecilia's words only add to the pile of shit. "He won't die alone, he'll live longer than you two." I weakly laugh at her nonsense. If he lives longer than me it will be by pure luck and nothing else. Iain Miristioma is young, weak and naive and to top it all off he's a cripple. If it wasn't for us he would've been slaughtered in the bloodbath. It's funny, he's the exact opposite of what I saw of Kirito on the 70th games.

Cecilia's had enough, despite her wounded state she slings herself up and weakly drags her dead weight to where her friend has stormed off to, leaving me and Hettie alone once again. "That Iain is going to have us killed." Hettie says as she begins tending to my angered flesh. I wince slightly as she touches and prods it but I know it's necessary. Pain is my mistress.

I bitterly chuckle at her comments filled with fire and anger. "I didn't realise you were scared of a useless cripple." I state a sarcastic smile forming on my face and it's clearly gotten to her.

"I am not scared, he's just a liability." She says in her defence.

My response is automatic. "Then kill him, we all have to die someday." Liabilities are dangerous and just a waste of space - they need to be cut out.

"I will but he's the meat shield, everyone wants eleven dead. As long as he is alive, everyone will focus on killing him and not us." She explains. I find myself grinning slightly at her ruthless efficiency and her cold and callous thinking. That's not me. I'm driven by emotion. That's the difference between girls like her and guys like me. Guys like me we're driven by hatred, rage and passion while she's driven by necessity and routine. Every move she's made, every ally she's picked has a purpose. She's got us all on the ropes, everyone of us a piece on a chessboard. I'm dangerous because I'll snap and kill and I'll be able to sing in the shower the next day. Hettie's dangerous because she's conditioned herself to be.

Then where do I stand? I honestly don't want to know.

I'm dangerous because I'll snap and kill and I'll be able to sing in the shower the next day. Hettie's dangerous because she's conditioned herself to be.

"I love your thinking. I state, everything about Hettie Cheyne is a rope. The tendrils coiling themselves around my mind to the point where I'm drawing myself in closer and closer.

Don't do it.

"So do I."

And I lose it.

The pain in my arm, the heat pounding down on my back, my clothes slowly getting in sweat. All of that's lost in the hurricane that ensues when I press my lips against Henrietta Cheyne's lips.

The hurricane escalates when my teeth find her bottom lips and grip into them. I lose all feeling in my arms but I stop them dropping to my sides. The moment can't have lasted for more than half a minute but I swear the hurricane lasted an age because the momentary pause. "Well that was saucy." She says after pulling away but I won't have it. I won't have the image ruined. I don't want to hear her voice because I crave her touch. "Stop talking." I demand and pull her back.

This time I don't even know how long we were together for.

The treatment, anything that was said, meeting back up with Cecilia and Iain, everything else is a solid blur until we find the stars watching over us and the singular canon is revealed. I'm laying on my back looking to the sky when the face of Timothy Feldon catches my eye and a hint of recognition passes through my eyes. I saw his pathetic attempt at first aid on the dummy and upon seeing it I knew it would've been a corpse. I pitied him. I don't know what made me feel that sliver of pity but I did and I showed him how to fix a wound properly.

Good to see it wasn't much help.

That leaves seventeen tributes, sixteen of which-

Hettie touches me, her body pressing against mine. No flirty words, no anger at being interrupted, I just lay there and bathe in her presence.

____

The familiar call of pain wakes me up and I fin myself covered in bites. Those mosquitoes once again. They've been stalking me, tainting my Keeni blood with their disgusting parasite tendencies. It's become a problem because three nights in a row they've stalked us and attacked us under the cover of our dreams. It's not only been me because I've seen lumps on Hettie, Iain and Cecilia; we've all been getting it.

"We should go." I tell them when we're all up and mobilised. We move in our same formation because it's worked up until now. Iain guards our rear and also serves as a shield is anything or anyone sneak attacks us. Hettie leads the front with me behind, the two of us ready to smash into whatever tries to attack us head on. Cecilia is not far behind me. Two cripples at the back.

It makes the perfect sense.

Hours of walking later we find ourselves back to where we were on the first day where we slaughtered those three tributes. I don't think I even remember their names. I don't care enough to remember if I'm completely honest. They're just faces that have gone to joined the stars while their flesh rots in a box. It makes no difference to me.

"We're not alone." I state bluntly yet again. It's become almost like a routine, wait, detect, attack. However, Cecilia already knows and she's already sent her weapon in the direction of the intruder. Like a golden retriever I follow the knives, my hammer heavy and my hatred strong. "I'm gonna gut you, and cut you and hang you from a tree until your crying for mercy!"

I will break you.

I don't have to do this, I want to.

[ Attacks Sol Shim with Warhammer ]

fcuImjYNspiked blunt

[miss]

ACCURACY

spiked blunt

[Double miss]

spiked blunt�spiked blunt

[nell locke d5m [sitter]]

[presto][/presto]

Nell Locke

The nights were
i n f i n i t i e s

They were a few degrees colder than the day but felt hotter and longer from the realization that Death was closing in on her. The days were flashing by, but she still remained. She knew her sentence to the arena was from the devil himself, but why was she still here? Shouldn't she be in a box, heading home to an empty funeral home where no one would reminisce about memories and dreams together? Shouldn't she be long dead?

But she wasn´t, she is alive. She sits upon a log, and fights with the realization that she was alive, but others were not. She was still here. Her friends were still here. Why was she alive? Perhaps it was Death´s cruel trick into developing false hope, only to yank the rug out from under her when she was comfortable.

Timothy Feldon, District 10 Dead.

Nell Locke. Alive.

Is she though? Is she really “alive” when her heart raced at the breaking of every stick and panic had become a friend rather than a foe. Is this truly living? Or is she just being tricked into believing that surviving and living are the same thing.

She doesn’t know, and she knows she’ll never understand the difference between making it and surviving it.

Nell grasps at the straps of her backback, looking to the night sky as the final tune of the anthem dissipates into the air. She stares into the faux sky, and blinks.

Once. Twice.
I n f i n i t e l y

***

When her eyes drift open, she knows the day will be brutal. She can feel it in her stomach that today would be the day that her grace period would end. Mutt fights were not interesting, because animals are meant to be wild. It’s the people that the capitol loves.

They love making them into wild animals.

They love the sound of swords and souls clashing.

The sound of Death, riding upon his chariot with stallions of despair and sorrow guiding his way, was the only thing that would appease them.

They wandered for hours, her small group of misfits heading off into the great abyss that was this horrible landscape.

[attacks Cecilia with spear]
|LmTbORnspear
[3108 -- Shallow Cut on Left Bicep -- 3.5 damage]

The Real Housewives of Panem

spear

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

Sol Shim

Last night, a face hovered in the sky that made his stomach drop. He remembered that male, the young adult who had been a part of the murder of a small boy from two. He remembered meeting the younger one for a moment, they had decided to talk him up in the training center. However that was not his main reason for attacking the group of monsters that had already crawled to the Capitol’s bidding, his reason was that Astrid had believed he was sleeping. Cannons are a sound of sleeping, yes, but they’re a sound of never returning to this hell. In their own dream where it was obviously much better to be in there than here. And he hoped, prayed to god that the place that was where those people go once they come to a never ending rest, that they would be protected. That they were safe in their own little haven.

It had concluded that day that District Nine wouldn’t claim the crown once more- a fallen truth where no tribute from that home would come home as a broken being, imprinted on them that death had been facing them more than once and they escaped it. (who escapes death?)

He wanted to be home, with Uriah. He wanted to be with Pax and Callixtus. He wanted to be home with all of his family and those in his life that made him happy. Though, a better home with the one he cared for most would be his dream home. A home with Luna Shim, where they would both be in unison where they could roam in fields like they once did as children back in District Five. Though- there was a whisper inside of his head. Something procrastinating the thought of death from his mind. It said he could win, though that resulted in a small giggle. Nobody ever wins in this game, they may come to the last fall and be standing, but they never win.

The sun rose over the horizon, and he saw the beauty in them. It reminded him of a book that his parents read to him when he was younger. Sol liked stories. Stories were fun. He remembered the one particular story in general, telling about a long long time ago. It was an old book, he remembered feeling scared that it would just fall apart into pieces every time he saw it. The book was called ‘The Outsiders’, where a male digged sunsets.

That was gold, something precious and small but so valuable in one’s life. He views it as if it’s new like a child’s, he remembers ‘Ma saying ”Stay Gold, Ponyboy.” In the last few moments of his life and then he had been washed away into the arms of death himself. They wanted him to stay gold, in the way of his precious memory and interest of the sunrise and sunset.

He found himself rising to his feet, finding himself looking around to hear the movement of something. Whoever it was would’ve spoke if it was someone he knew, if it was one of his friends.

Gripping his spear, he awoke. ”Get up, get up!” The male exclaimed to the others, completely ignoring that his birthday was the other day and ready to fight. He’s learned to forget about the past, simple enough to forget his birthday.

Finding his home, he sure hoped that whoever fell today would not be him.
[uses jar of tar on matches to light his spear]
[also activates his gem, using the strength bonus from it]
[attacks cecelia, spear]
_QFf6tiIspear
”1-50”

The Real Housewives of Panem

spear�”1-50”

[ali]

[presto][/presto]

Astrid Shaw

​

This game was slowly becoming tiresome, the days seemed to be growing longer and Astrid- more importantly- was beginning to grow more restless. The medication that she’d taken day in day out in the capitol and for most of her life was slowly, beginning to wear off; the voices were returning. It’d been so long since the whispers inside and outside her head talked in hushed tones, loud shouts, and broke the silence that filled the darkening night. The blonde had found herself a nook in the roots of a cypress tree, lying herself down so that perhaps the voices and the ever watching eyes would not find her.

​

They still did. The girl itched at her arms and hummed silently to herself, watching her friends sit not far off. The blondes gaze fell on Sol, then Atticus and then Nell, expecting to feel the excitement that she’d felt the past few days, running alongside them through the marshy water. There was no memoir of her laughter, as she scooped up the egg from beneath the water, no memoir of the smile she shared with Nell, no fond remembrance of her croc tumbling through the air and hitting Atticus on the head. It was as if she had forgotten it all...

​

they

​

are

​

not

​

your

friends

​

“Shh.” She hushed the voices inside her head as the singular face appeared in the sky. She didn’t bother looking, her gaze did not break from its straight direct gaze as her toes, which she wiggled beneath the shallow water. She hummed rocking the ‘egg’ back and forth, humming the tune of the anthem as the glistening silver visage slowly fizzled away to leave only the darkness. The girl inhaled sharply, the sudden and perpetual darkness was suffocating, she could now no longer see her friends in the night as she had done moments before, clouds rolled in and blocked out the moon and stars from sight.

​

Astrid kissed the egg, whispering to it in her dazed and soft voice “night night eggy…see you in the morning.”

​

Morning broke to gales of wind which whipped and rustled through the arena at high speeds. Astrid’s sleep had been faining and so the strong gusts of wind which howled into the sky like wolves to the moon, and the creaking tentative shivers of branches woke her quickly. The blonde blinked, looking over the sleeping comrades before her gaze- and the voices- was attracted to something else; first a silvering shape in the water, then a bleeping parachute and then shadows moving in the distance through the tall and nimble trees. Not moving.

​

Getting

Closer

​

Astrid hopped to her feet, grabbing her spear and then the sponsored tar as fast as she could. Before her mouth could open and she could yell to her friends that danger was near, when suddenly her neck was burning and so when her lips parted, she screamed instead. Her hand darted to where the boys silver weapon had sliced at her skin, where blood bubbled from within her body and trickled down the crook of her neck, soaking into the collar of her shirt. Astrid gasped as her fingers brushed against the gaping wound, when she withdrew them, she saw the burgundy liquid coated her pale skin.

​

He

Hurt

You

​

Astrid looked up, glowering at the boy.

​

Finish

Him

​

[Astrid Shaw drops flower crown]

[Astrid Shaw picks up Jar of tar and uses it to light spear]

[Astrid Shaw attacks Iain Miristioma with spear]

PtMStPFLspear

[damage]

1-50

[damage]

The Real Housewives of Panem

spear�1-50

[mat]

[presto][/presto]

Atticus Manor

Still, the bones of the mutts I had fought only minutes ago rattled in my ears as if they were going to crawl into them and torture me forever. I remember clearly each one fall to the ground, it's bones and armor clanking on the swampy ground. I don't regret defending my somewhat friends, even if it did hurt my a little bit. The sword of one of the skeletons and a random spear both hurt me badly, but I kept fighting for my allies. They're the only kingdom I have left.

Astrid and Sol both help tend to my wound on my forehead. It stings every time they put pressure on it, but all I can do is stay silent so I don't make it worse. I can't move, or I'll make it worse. The slightest movement can cause a shift in their hands and possibly kill me. They must think I have some worth if they want to help me live, right? They wouldn't do this if they didn't care. Finally, I feel like I'm worth something.

I try to tend to the wound on my leg, ignoring the stinging pain runs through my body every time Sol's or Astrid's hands make an adjustment. I almost scream from the pain, but I don't know who's around. And we're finally starting to feel better after a hard day of fighting. Attracting another alliance would be the last thing we want to happen.

Just breathe through the pain, Atticus. I promise, it will be alright.

I inhale, with small breaths so I don't move too much as both I and two of my allies are helping me out. Sol and Astrid seemed pretty healthy already, but I look over to my new favorite druggie, Nell. She's tending to her own wounds, all on her own. They are all scattered over her body, but they don't seem to be as bad as mine. I wish I could run over to go help her as that is a wise social move to make to gain trust, yet my brain tells me no. Sure, it would be a wise decision, but the wounds on my body have to be helped someway. Besides, she has enough supplies to help her body to stop bleeding out. I have to conserve what I have (saying that, I definitely regret giving Sol some of my plants, but he needed them for the gash on his body.

After this, the leisure time begins, and I sit in the swampy terrain. It feels disgusting, but my feet need somewhere to rest, and this was the best choice I had. I fool around with my mask, not knowing that it's a fragile kind. After a minute or so, I split it almost in two. Upset, I throw it out into the swamp just as I did the locket. I guess if I find tributes, I'll have to fight them off without a mask. That's what Quadrys would've wanted, for my to fight like a man with bravery and courage.

The morning sun begins to fall and the moon takes it's place. Soon, the anthem will ring out and show who the single cannon was for. Hopefully, it was for Quadrys's killer. That's the only thing I ask for, for his killer to finally be punished.

The anthem trumpets rise all of a sudden, and it shows one face. The number is similar to one from yesterday, Nine. The face seems too familiar, as if I just saw them a few days ago. It was after the bloodbath, but I can't exactly put my finger on it. The last time I saw people other than my allies and Eryn was the first day- when we saw three dead. And I would bet everything I had that he was there. A monster. A savage mutt who hurt Astrid's friend. Finally they get what they deserve.

This was the first night I closed my eyes and actually slept (after my watch of course.)

My eyes awaken, and my allies and I move to wherever. I don't really think we have a certain destination in mind when we move, but I know that we're moving. Hopefully to somewhere new.

When I see more enemies, I fear that not having my mask will bring me down. Quadrys would be proud if he were here to see my mask be removed. I throw my javelin at the enemies, willingly of course. Like always, I have to protect my kingdom.

I just have to.

There are four of them, four enemies that all seem to be in relatively good shape. Nell and Sol lock onto one girl, Sol's spear flaming. He stabs her, and the fire surrounds her body. It's as if the fire was like a bomb, one split second and she was flaming like hell. I throw at another one of the tributes.

As the girl continues to be engulfed into the flames, I cross my fingers in hopes of avoiding watching another human perish to the Games.

[drops glamour kinkade mask bc it ripped rip]
[receives jar of tar from sponsorship]
[attakcs iain; javelin]
9kce0miZjavelin
15075 -- SPEAR IN CHEST -- 9.5 damage

The Real Housewives of Panem

javelin

[Python]

Tick Tock –

The swamp was his domain. Each body of water had his markings, his trails, symbolizing that it was his territory and his alone. His sleek black scales often failed to camouflage him against the green shades of these mossy wetlands, but when he escaped beneath the water it was no issue. No rabbit or deer was safe from his haws. When they grazed and explored, he hunted and left blood trails to vanish beneath the mud. He was the ultimate swamp predator.

Who dared to interrupt his silence?

Splashes disturbed the waters. He could see feet, legs, and silver shiny objects shifting to and fro. When he dipped his head above the surface he could see them – two-legged creatures, charging at one another as if battling for dominance over territory. But this was his territory. He would not allow these creatures to steal it away. With a growl, he slithered out of the water and whipped his spiked tail at the nearest vulnerable body.

[attacks atticus – spiked tail]
Og0HDQuEspiked blunt
STABBED IN CHEST -- 9.5 damage

spiked blunt

[Knuckles]

i a i n .

Blood spewed from her neck splattering across his face as the harpoon opened a wound much deeper than the world itself. Each gust of wind knocked him around tearing him away inch by inch. Fire flickered in front of his eyes, and Iain stood frozen. Every hair stood on end dancing in the wind as images of the lifeless girl from nine flashed before him along with images of his lifeless district partner lying on the ground sprawled out. Carrita never stood a chance, yet Iain never stepped in to save her. Broken promises ate through his mind devouring him alive.

A war raged around him, yet Iain never took his eyes off Cecilia. He had so much he wanted to tell her, and in the midst of the war wasn’t the right time. Tonight. He thought to himself. Butterflies dance in his stomach as a flaming spear shot through the air with such a force it aimed to kill anyone in it’s path, but somehow Cecilia was capable of defending her own until her blood sprayed across his body, however, that wasn’t the worse of it.

In an instant the flame grew around him slowly creeping across her skin like the flame did to Delta just a couple days ago. A raging inferno danced around him fully engulfing Cecilia in flames, and Iain froze in his tracks. Time ceased to exist. Every part of his mind screamed at him to run and try to save her. All he had to do was put out the flame before it became too much, but the heat was unbearable, and her screams echoed through his mind. Flesh tore away from her body. "Cecilia!" He screamed at the top of his lungs wanting to do anything possible to stop the pain she was enduring.

His heart shattered into thousands of pieces. A void grew around him as the world ceased to exist. Just last night he promised to take her place. Iain Miristioma promised to lay his life down for her, and now he couldn’t even save the girl - all he could think about was her family back home watching. Tears swam down his face leaving streaks in the dirt and blood. "CECILIA!" He screamed once more praying this was just nothing more than a nightmare. His eyes snapped shut, yet the smell of burning flesh never left, and the sound grew louder and louder until nothing else remained.

Spinning around, Iain found himself staring at the male holding the spear in his hands. Anger radiated through his body ignoring every other ounce of pain. "I'll kill you." He muttered quietly as the tip of a spear slid across his face causing his own blood to spill, but he couldn’t take his eyes off the male from district five. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

An invisible hand wrapped around his throat as a spear landed in his chest opening a gaping hole. Every muscle inside his body shook rapidly while his knees gave way sending the scrawny male crashing towards the ground. Blood filled his throat, and he prayed for death to consume him because spending just a second away from Cecilia was more than he could ever ask for, and memories of Kirito holding his friend after falling to the hands of the enemy in the train car that day so many years ago - all Iain wanted was to take her place. To change the world, but he couldn’t. Violent sobs erupted from somewhere deep inside filling the air around him, and each shriek flew with the wind. Nothing mattered to him right now because his entire world crashed around him. "I'm sorry, Cecilia. I'm so sorry." The simple phrase fell from his lips over and over. Each word became quieter with every passing second until nothing remained except a cannon blasting through the arena.

With a shaky hand, Iain clutched the spear lodged in his chest before pulling it out with all his might. All he wanted to do was throw it at the district five male. To make him pay for the sins committed, yet Ceci’s blood came with a price. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.

His nails dug into the ground pulling him away from the fight using what little strength he had left inside him - even the predator knew when to back down from a fight. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. In that moment a silent promise fell from his lips -

Iain Miristioma wouldn’t sleep until Sol Shim’s face flicked in the sky, and his body was sent home in a body bag.

[ Iain flees the fight ]
gathers 1 bundle of med plants & 2 bundles of edible plants
gives Hettie 1 bundle of edible plants
gives Insanis 1 bundle of edible plants
does a lot of F/A stuff on self
actions to come in trib!maint

[d6a georgie cham 🍓🐢 frankel]

h e n r i e t t a .

Swinging the war hammer towards the blonde haired girl, it somehow finds itself in her shin, barely leaving a mark on the surface of her skin. You’re just warming up Hettie. I can’t allow myself to bounce back to my performance two days ago, I must become more consistent. I can see my trainer at home raging at the screen; I must show Panem that Four is producing good livestock as I doubt my blind partner will help contribute to it.

Identifying the faces of our opponents, they are the alliance that won all the items at the cornucopia; I could have won it however…if it weren’t for the meddling kids that I decided to ally with. Really it is atrocious that this bunch were able to last that long in the bloodbath, yes they have a career in their midst but from observing her in the Capitol training centre, she doesn’t half look useless. And two District Five tributes….what does Five even offer to Panem? The boys I both had a run in at the centre, although they were both wet behind the ear, it’ll be soothing to kill them both. Especially the District Three boy, who refused to even acknowledge me at the dining hall.

The wind begins to batter us in the area, the force of it nearly swiping me off my feet. Whoever is controlling the weather must be having a lot of fun. Despite the velocity of the wind, I can still feel the temperature that is causing perspiration to flood my forehead. What I’d give to just dive in the cool salty ocean, maybe we can return to the springs, just to relax in the pure water. I bet it’ll deter other tributes from collecting water from it, if they found out we soaked our bodies in it. However watching them drop like flies due to dehydration would be no fun, I’d rather just send my war hammer crashing to their skull.

Glancing around the fight, I’d see Insanis swinging his war hammer towards the District Five boy, I pray to ripred that he executes a deadly blow…miss…miss. He has caught the disease I had obtained earlier on in the games. Where has his fiery might of breaking limbs disappeared too? Even the cripple Iain is able to stab his harpoon through the District Two’s neck. Really the boy is very un-predictable. Cecilia does the honours of lighting her knives on fire; hopefully she can set somebody a blaze like she did the District Nine girl.

Fire begins to spark up around me, each of the other alliance bar one, has their weapon blazing. Each of them targets the weaklings, they’re the meat shields, they’re doing their jobs. Yet it doesn’t feel right…they aren’t to be killed this early in the games. ”Cecilia” Iain’s voice trails through the embers and my eyes go into a search for my little princess. "CECILIA!" His voice is filled with panic and it sends the same emotion through me. The girl is fine, he is just overreacting like he usually does, I bet she has just been scratched.

Engulfed in flames, my princess’ precious body is swallowed up in the orange embers…no, she wasn’t meant to go this early…it wasn’t meant to be the cripple. The sound of a cannon confirms my worry and it’s audio sends a rage through my body. The boy from Five stands with his spear...he did it…that bastard. Raising my war hammer in the air, I’d grit my teeth, charging towards the boy from Five however the fire deters me. This alliance is too healthy, too powerful. I need my friends from the tribute hunt to take them down…I may be lusting blood but at least I have a brain. But I won’t allow anyone else to have control of their death especially not the District Five boy’s.

Verbal abuse will just have to do.

“I am going to extinguish your flame District Five boy!” I’d wave the war hammer in the air, sweat still pours down my face and the old blood that stains my little black dress is still prominent. Even the cut on my face is still visible and the blood that I had painted on my cheek from the District Two boy’s body. ” I am not scared of the loot you carry around. The next time we meet, I will get all of your jars of tar and pour them on your body. And instead of being unwilling to piss on your flaming body, I will take a shit next to your grave instead.”

Watching as Iain flees from the fight, I’d decide to follow him out, knowing that he’ll likely kill himself in a matter of minutes. ”Let’s get out of this fucking inferno, Insanis.” I’d say my eyes on the mutation that sends its tail into the District Three boy’s chest. Hopefully it will kill at least one of them, but that District Five boy is for me…

[Hettie flees from the fight]
[Uses F/A on self for -3]
[Uses 5ft of bandages on self for -1]
[Receives edible plants from Iain]

[kousei ♚]

i n s a n i s .

{I'm useless but not for long
The future is coming on}

This is all a bunch of wasted opportunities and shattered dreams.

The howling wind batters me like a rag doll, threatening to send me toppling over. It greedily snatches my hair and whips into my eyes as if the Gamemakers set themselves up to sabotage my form. It's a ruthless beast, unrelenting and merciless. The sound of tree branches being snatched and dragged to the side and their leaves flying through the air is loud in my ears; this is going to be a problem.

I give a frustrated growl at my hammer misses the boy's face. For a moment his body seems to shift and shimmer in the air and my weapon appears to have phased right through his flesh, only hitting the air. So close and yet so far. I draw no blood and no bones are split and I scowl. Lucky. Nothing can soothe my wounded pride; it's one thing to miss the skeletons and their stiff bones but it's a whole other issue to miss a living breathing tribute.

Every miss is a wasted opportunity to shatter their bones along with their dreams.

The District Five boy better count his lucky stars that my hammer failed to bite into him because next time I won't miss ( I shouldn't have missed in the first place because a king never fails to pass judgement) and when I hit him next time it's going to hurt one hundred times worse. The longer you avoid judgement the harder it hits when it catches you. Nothing can justify wasting the opportunity to shatter dreams and cause agony.

Perhaps it's the hours of walking that have affected my form. Fatigue has clouded my brain and chipped away at my muscles, leaving me feeling like a hollowed shell. My accuracy is broken, nothing but a mockery of what it once was and it has to be the fatigue, it has to be. But I woke up a few hours ago and done nothing else, I have no right to feel fatigued.

Wasted oppor-

Their weapons blaze and greedily lick the oxygen surrounding them. Greedily lick at me. They're definately going to attack now, we've initiated and now they're going to attack. They want to pass judgement. They don't have the right, they never had the right because they're judgement just won't be pure. I mentally established myself as the true giver of judgement, the one who truly lets it all happen. Not Hettie. Despite her being a queen, the master of the chessboard she doesn't have the right to pass judgement. Definitely not Iain and Cecilia. Two weak cripple peasants who owe their survival to my generosity.

And certainly not these four.

I brace myself, preparing to dodge the onslaught of fire and steel that I anticipated and yet they don't touch me. They know better. They're rabbit dogs, nothing but wild animals who go for the weakest links. I stumble back at the wind fanning their hungry flames for my own preservation. Two spears, two spears are alight and the other two aren't.

The first spear is unlit and nothing but naked steel.

She charges past me with a vigour that mirrors the howling of the wind. But she's still pathetic. Cecilia's shield (where the fuck did she get that from?!) stops the attack. The song of steel on steel hits my ears harder than the howling wind and I grin.

"Wasted opportunities."

Death comes for Cecilia in the form of fire. The boy who's skull I just tried to cave in springs, his spear puncturing straight through Cecilia's protection like it's nothing but a flimsy sheet of paper and skewering her leg just as easily.

But instead of a spray of crimson that I anticipate so eagerly her clothes catch the flame.

Shattered dreams.

"Shit!" I exclaim out loud as the familiar yet deadly chain reaction begins and the end of Cecilia Brontz begins. It's a virus, spreading and greedily attacking her cells - but this time there's no cure.

(If you catch fire stop, drop and roll if it's you.)

They always told me that in class but I don't know if that will make a difference. It's clung to her like a latch crab and quickly become her cloak, her blanket, her owner and it's eating at her like a pack of rabid dogs. There's nothing to lose, my lungs begins tearing themselves apart as I scream. "Drop and roll Cecilia!" I don't know if she can even hear me, my voice is snatched by the wind but her screams are so loud they cut through the howling wind like a sword.

(If you know catches fire smother the flames with a wet towel if you have one and put the flames out.)

I have a water bottle, full of pure water from the springs. I can tear a piece of my shirt off and try, or just try and douse the flames altogether. Maybe I cou-

(I didn't realise put yourself in danger for the sake of weak little girls.)

I bite my lip.

She's nothing but a wasted opportunity now.

Agony radiates from her form and I suppress a grin. Just the presence of such agony sends pure ecstasy through my brain. Just let it be. Cecilia Brontz has no chance now and I accept it. However, Iain refuses to accept her fate. He screams her name as she continues to feed the flames as if she can hear him. "I'll kill you!" He even screams at them and I feel the weight of his words. It feels like a promise.

Even through the spear that just went through his chest at breakneck speed he still finds the strength to keep functioning.

To Iain she's a shattered dream now.

In the corner of my eye I spot it. The rabit mutation. It launches itself at the boy who put a spear through Iain's chest and puts its tail through his midsection.

Even to Hettie apparently because she screams a mountain of verbal abuse at them that it basically inaudible to me over the beat down wind and the broken howls of Cecilia Brontz. Iain doesn't stay and fight, he turns and flees the scene and takes his shattered dreams and sorrow with him. "Stay and fight damn it." I snarl, already grinding my teeth at his cowardice and his already broken promise. I want to pass judgement.

Fuck him! Me and Hettie will-

”Let’s get out of this fucking inferno, Insanis.” She commands and she follows after him, not wanting to leave even one of our-

BOOM!

Our remaining little kid alone. Her canon rings through the sky over the wind tearing through the trees. "You're lucky she burned before I burned you, boy." I spit at him but there's no venom there.

I'm smiling.

Cecilia didn't just feed the flames, she also satisfied my own sick appetite for suffering. I'd love nothing more than to break the one who left her on a platter for death. I want to attack, I want to take another swing at him just to see if I can split his bones and splinter his teeth; he's excited me. My blood is rushing through me like a tidal wave and my heart is bashing against my ribcage harder than the wind. The urge to fight him is like a disease, a constant nagging that's eating up at me and slowly mutating into a sick state of mind. I want District Five to feed his suffering to me. However, I become strangely self-conscious of the fact that I'm isolated and alone. I'm surrounded by enemies and a less than friendly mutation. My survival instincts scream at me from all direction that I don't belong here. They'll have to wait for judgement. It seems for now this will be another wasted opportunity.

With a tired sigh, I step over pile of wasted opportunities and shattered promises and hastily follow Hettie Cheyne.

[Insanis flees
Tribute maintenance to come later]

[Loony]

[presto][/presto]

Nell Locke

When she was young, fire was associated with life.

Flickering flames meant warmth against a world full of bitter cold. Toes curled within socks, and arms pulled against chests around the burning plasma that danced in garbage cans as joints and syringes were passed around like stories. She used to watch flames for hours, drugs creating images against the orange background.

But everything is different in the arena.

Life is Death.

Death is Life.

Fire kills.

She doesn't think much of Sully lighting his spear with tar. She has seen it done many times in the games. Strategy. Something she lacked. Sully was resourceful, he knew what he was doing and when he was doing it. He knows that fire is not life in an arena like this. He is not naive like she is.

He is a killer.

The fire catches quickly, burning flesh, hair, skin... creating a toxic mix of death that drifts into an environment already filled with arsenic.

The girl is dead.

G o n e.

And Nell remains.

H e r e.

Facts. Facts. Facts.

Her stomach pulls her to her knees. Sickness escaping without resistance, as she silently prays that she never meets that fate. Death has plans for you, Nell, you better prepare yourself. She feels warm, hot, scorching tears, pushing themselves out of the corner of her eyes. The girl is was so young.

Sully knew what he was doing. He isn't deranged like the girl from 12, not even slightly mad like their precious Astrid. He is... he was... normal. He didn't have malice in his heart all those days ago on the train. He looked at her with kindness, and she had been the one to return with suspicion. Yet here they stood. Him over the body of a girl half his size, her bent over, sick with disgust and fear.

Why was this the death for a girl so small? God Death had no mercy.

Had they already fallen so far? God Death had no morals.

Had it not been her who had attacked the girl first? God Death had no prejudice.

She pushes herself onto her feet. Looks once at the charred corpse before them, and then turns to Sully.

"What the actual fuck was that?"

Her voice is filled with unjustified rage. She could not blame him for doing what she was so willing to do just moments ago, and yet... she did.

The horrible mutt beside the corpse lunges at Attic. She panics as it pierces his back, and races to defend the boy who did not speak.

But even as she ran towards the mutt, her worry remained with her district partner... the murderer.

[attacks Tick Tock with spear]
pbSVdMG0spear
[3077 -- Miss -- 0.0 damage]

ACCURACY DAY 4:

spear
3123 -- Shallow Cut on Left Bicep -- 3.5 damage]

The Real Housewives of Panem

[/quote]spear�spear

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

Sol Shim

His eyes widened as she burst into flames, it was a completely unexpected theory that the male from five would kill her so easily- it started with a deep gash to her and then she started to be engulfed by the flames. The male from five, named after the sun itself had been claimed by death. He feels weak, right then and there as he stood for a moment and saw the body of a young girl engulfed by flames (how pretty they used to look before he saw them now). It was scary to see her be surrounded by the dancing flames to hear the cannon that meant that he had been her killer.

He never expected to face death itself, not even cause it. Some people might find it funny, ironic even, that the male named after the sun had killed someone with fire. However, as he looked at the small girl of fourteen brought upon by the fate of a cannon filled his ears, making his ears bleed of sin- he finds it as if he had grown a whole new identity. A shiver runs down his spine as he watches her body crumble and fall to the fire that licked her bones.

His legs shake, barely being able to hold the strength of his entire body resting upon them as he places all of his weight on them (why the hell can’t i just die now? i’ve played their game.). There’s no reason for him to keep fighting- the male had fallen to the game that he’s been forced to play in. (suffering is their only test of strength in here.).

All of their threats, all of the screams and shouts of the others that yelled at him and claiming that his name was theirs to hold in death. death had already been claimed for the male, what difference had it made now?

There was so much happening at once and all he wants to do is revive her. She had a reason to live- she had a male that loved her and she loved he (they would have to say goodbye to each other eventually, wouldn’t they have been?), but he had no reason to live. Sol Shim? He was just a boy named after the sun. A toy in their game, a sinner in turning against someone who had been much younger than he. Sol Shim had was a being empty of will to live, a hollow corpse who refuses to come to an end (why can’t it all just end?)

He had killed someone someone of youth (he had killed someone younger than Luna.)

The male from District Five had become accustomed to the same fate that ended his cousin, had he not?

"What the actual fuck was that?" The girl from five, enraged as if she had been the fire itself screeches at Sol. (how was he supposed to know?)

It wasn’t self defense, one could call it that, but it wasn’t self defense in his eyes. It was him falling to their game, a piece on the game board that had just received a kill -a-player card. He feels like falling, (falling, falling falling. but he can’t.

a falter of breath enters his system, clenching his heart as if finding his last breath was the last thing he wanted to do but the last thing he had ever wanted to do was become a murderer. he attempts to find a constant beat- a reminder that he was breathing. a murderer that was breathing, killer of someone who had been loved.

sol shim had never been loved at all in his life.

”i don’t know, nell. his words are a mumble,, only those with the strongest of ears could hear it escape him.

an inhale and an exhale of a newborn killer, he found himself defending a friend who he wanted to prevent from calling a fallen cannon just like the girl from eight.

am i even safe?

[attacks crocolisk, flaming spear]
TBp7WsjKspear
”1-50”
[shallow cut on forehead 4.5 + minor burn 4 = (8.5 damage)]

The Real Housewives of Panem

spear�”1-50”

[ali]

Astrid Shaw

The blonde's weapon scratched the boy barely, her breath exhaling sharply in frustration as the boy got off scot free. Her neck scalded her, a fire burning where the fresh air kissed at the open wound, she winced but her face did not show it, her brown was scrunched into a frown and her lip curled into a snarl as the boy who'd hurt her suddenly made off into the forest with his friends when his friend had stopped smouldering.

"COME BACK YOU COWARD!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she made her way towards the fleeing boy, the bloody water sploshing around her ankles; but then he was gone. Astrid scowled in displeasure, screaching frustration. He got away the voices whispered, tutting.

"OH SHUT UP!" the blonde glanced to her shoulder, yelling as she snatched up her pool noodle in her free hand. There was still an enemy in her mists your friends not my friends she thought as her blue eyed scowl fell on the reptilian visitor. "GO ON GET LOST!"

Astrid Shaw attacks Crocolick with POOL NOODLE Spear
DX3OiWZkspear
[3022 -- Deep Gash on Neck -- 10.0 damage]

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