tear stained hearts (bbh v. h | day 5)

[[nyte]]

and every heartbeat was a scream

The smell of blood has never bothered me. Sweet iron consumes most everything else, overcoming even the rot of bodies and decay of their fragile flesh. "Minos, the only thing I'm praying is that you shut the hell up." I'd high-five Beard if we weren't fighting to the death, if I were not currently tearing into his skin and stealing away precious beats of his steady heart. A wise man accepts his death, but a fool does not fear it.

Machaon is desperately splattering plaster along his wounds, I can almost see the gears turning as he tries to return to his usual neutral state. The poor kid must have been through something awful if he's built this many walls, he must have been hurt bad. If there was any of my heart left to break, I think it would. "I'll believe it when I see it." He mutters and it is frustration that sets my jaw into place.

"Listen here you pessimistic cunt," I heave the warhammer onto my shoulder, feeling used and empty and tired "I'm not saying we're all going to make it out of this alive. I'm not saying any of us are. But something's getting to you, you're breaking down and you need to get your head back on your goddamned shoulders." My throat is bleeding, dry and cracked and the water I drank last night was not enough to satiate this constant sting. Breathing has become all too much effort. "No matter what happens, Mach, who dies or who lives you best make it alright or you'll drive yourself mad."

I was always a good big brother. Before my parents sent me away, changed the locks and rented my room out for cash they didn't need- my sister was my world. It was her that I hid the scars along my veins for, it was her I brushed my teeth and combed my hair for. She was a small thing, something I knew I had to protect and so even when consumed by my own mistakes I sewed a smile to my lips and told her everything was fine. Everything would be okay.

And I did my best to make it okay, even when nothing was.

I guess that's what I'm doing now. Because, fuck, I'm terrified. I'm in pain and I'm trying to kill a guy whose name I don't even remember. It won't control me, not emotions so painful and real. It is nothing like the rage that sent adrenaline coursing through my veins- forced my heart to beat a thousand times faster than normal. There's no euphoria to be found in despair.

Justice laughs and for a moment, I think things could be okay. By some miracle we'll make it out of here alive and well and we'll live to see another day.

(Pick a god and pray.)

But if I want that, I'll have to do it myself. I'm not weak, if I've shown anything these last few days it is that I am anything but. If I want to save my fucking friends it's time to get off my ass and fight for their lives because I care about those a helluva lot more than I do my own.

Minos keeps screaming, words I don't bother to listen to.

Machaon apologizes.

Natalie does too.

For the first time in my life, I'm not alone. I stand shoulder to shoulder with people I have come to call friends and if I were to die today, it'd be with their names upon my tongue.

And I don't think I'd mind that at all.

[attacks daniel -- warhammer]
NTcW9iH2spiked blunt
[MISS -- 0.0 damage]

. . .


☠  a  t  l  a  s   w  h  i  t  e  ☠

spiked blunt

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

TATE

Daniel huffed in that moment, annoyed that he missed in such an important moment that he didn't need to miss. All of the fighting and speaking going around confided him, got to his brain and he couldn't focus properly to get a good attack in. And he felt selfish because of that, the never ending rage that pumped with liveliness inside of his mind. It pumped a sliver of bloodlust, some feeling of fear, some want of protection. It slowly started to dissolve in a way, and he became slightly stunned from his mental battle cry. Daniel began to listen to them for once, and it was an odd thing for him to observe.

Minos didn't know when to quiet down, Natalie and Macaroni, I think that's what his name is, were apologizing to each other for whatever reason it was. They could've been apologizing for being so far from being in unity or for fighting each other. He hadn't been completely paying attention to what everyone was saying, so for what he knows they could've been plotting against him. Though that idea got rejected as he listened to what the hell everyone was talking about.

"Fisting? Can't say that's my kink. Sorry." Alright, so they're either talking about fisting each other, their kinks, or making some kind of internal bond with that joke. Daniel let out a small laugh. It wasn't the normal occasion for him to hear about fishing or kinks, and where he would expect that conversation to be was definitely not a fight.

”Don’t worry, I know what you guys are doing is self-defense.” Self-defense, which is understandable in a situation like this. But it doesn't seem understandable in the form of him having a legitimate, mature conversation in the middle of a battle. A battle where all of the participants were deeply eyeing the reward of living another day. The reward would be the exact same schedule, but who knows if they'll survive that?

Daniel! I can’t take this. I need to tell you now, before I die. Before I venture to my afterlife, heaven or hell, or somewhere in between. It was never supposed to end up like this. I wasn’t supposed to tell you, but I can’t… Not anymore. I have to tell you…” Oh, great! A speech dedicated to him. Now he feels really included in all of this chaos. Minos was a total drama king, which Daniel didn't mind.

He always loved a good show.

”Daniel Tate, you’ve stolen my heart. I… I love you… don’t you ever forget that bonehead….”

Oh, that really throws a wrench in things. It was a slightly surprising thing that Minos said that, and especially in a fight. And in that moment, Daniel became scared. He was never good at showing emotion and telling people how he felt, and this made that fear of showing it worse. People would be waiting for him to say something like a “I feel the same way,” but he couldn't do that. Sure, there was a spot for Minos in his mind, but Blanche was the person back at home. Getting caught up in romance here was a silly thing because only one of them escape. He had Blanche watching with his kid, hell, maybe even kids coming in the future. The knife that would've lodged itself in her heart might not be able to be patched up. Some wounds are permanent and can't be fixed.

A broken heart is one of them. Daniel could opt to say nothing and keep fighting. But, sometimes saying something means a whole lot more than nothing. He looked at Minos for a second, hesitating for a moment before he started.

”You're alright, kid,” he said through his gritted teeth and feared results of growing more attached than he already was. Hell, he's been attached to Minos ever since he fell asleep in his lap in the cafeteria. There wasn't any way for him to break that attachment, but there was barely any way to show it. Emotion was not his favorite, and this didn't change a thing.

Looking back at the male from nine, his hand soon found itself wrapped the one thing that reminded himself of home, and swung.

i'm so, so sorry.

[attacks atlas, axe]
Ya7x2HqJaxe
[dg - 8.0]axe

[lance]

so what if you can see natalie brandt the darkest side of me?

”Fair enough,” Mach responded, nodding. ”But you shouldn’t blame Justice for this." She paused, looking at him in skepticism.  "He started this fight because he’s smart." Mach continued. "He knows this is the Games, and tributes don’t walk away from each other. If he didn’t hit first, I’m sure Minos here would’ve tried to gut him. Everything can be argued as self-defense.” Well, you're not wrong there.  Was it self defense when she had killed Kizzy to stop him from striking Hypatia? Was it self defense when Bailey had struck her down anyway? It was all too confusing to ponder on the battlefield.  ”Don’t worry, I know what you guys are doing is self-defense.” That's...reassuring, I think. ”Let’s see who the best defender is.” Mach finished by darting off back over to where Minos was, attempting to bash her ally in a bit more. The attempt was ultimately futile, but Natalie could tell that he was fading. Don't you die on me now, Vallanso. She strikes out at Justice again, dragging her horn across his other arm this time to little effect. C'mon, Fray. Take your attention off of him. Please. WIPWIPWIP

Inspired by the lovely Chelsey <3

natalie attacks justice bae with her horn
esamizKtknife
2047 -- Shallow Cut on Right Forearm -- 3.5 damageknife

[arx!!]

justice
fray 

every wound
will shape me

"You know, as touching as this all is guys," I growl through gritted teeth. "Neither of you is doing very well at this 'defending' thing."

I feel blood seeping into my sock, into the heel of my boot. My arms ache, my head is pounding, and all I can think is that I don't want to die. Fuck all what my parents want, what my district expects from me—I just want to run. Of course I know that isn't an option. At least not really. Looking like a coward? Acting the way everyone here seems to expect me to by betraying my allies, leaving them for dead? No. I can't do that. I can't do anything but swing an axe.

"Machaon! Justice! Atlas! Just kill me already. End my life already, or are you too weak to do it?"

I shove my way past Natalie, her blade catching again on my arm. But it's only a scratch. And it'll take more than that to slow my rage.

I'm not sorry, Five.

every scar will
build my throne

[Justice attacks Minos w/ axe]
C0O06ctTaxe
[Shallow Cut on Left Forearm -- 3.5 damage]

axe

[Python]

i've forgotten how
to walk by myself
i could do with a little
more of your help

Machaon knew he was a pessimistic cunt, but didn’t expect such a retaliation from his ally. Am I really breaking down? He looked at his hammer, barely touched by blood, and wondered if this was the reason why he couldn’t land a hit. His head wasn’t screwed on right, was that what it was? He felt fine. Not fine as in perfectly dandy, but fine enough to call himself sane and collected enough to think for himself. That was his own perspective – maybe Atlas could see something different. The optimist versus the pessimist. Who wins?

Nobody.

”Easy for you to say,” he grumbled in response. He didn’t have the power to make things “alright” no matter what Atlas said or thought. Humans were powerless creatures.

If everything was alright, Lucia would be fucking alive.

There was love, blood, and desperation in the air. It scorched the insides of his nostrils and perked his head up. His war hammer was a mere whistle in Minos’ ears. Even with a God’s hammer he was the weakest link, losing whatever special touch had shattered the boy’s ribs only minutes ago. Minos didn’t seem fazed by any of it. Instead, he paused in the midst of a storm and confessed his love to – who? Daniel. Oh, right. The bearded tribute was Daniel. It was nice to know everybody’s name, but this was borderline playing at a game of foolishness. Confessions upon a deathbed were not uncommon, he knew that for a fact. Men and women alike confessed to stealing, to love, to past sins and unfulfilled wishes. He understood the desperation – people didn’t want to die with guilt or regret weighing on their hearts.

This was different. There was blood spatter at their feet and hostility in the air. Now was not the time for a love confession, no matter how touching.

The mood changed drastically with Minos begging for his death. ”Machaon! Justice! Atlas! Just kill me already.” Suddenly they weren’t numbers anymore. They could speak to each other as equals, as human fucking beings. He was pretty sure that didn’t matter anymore, but it mattered to him. ”End my life already, or are you too weak to do it?”

He was. He always was, and once again Justice had to leap in and compensate for his failure. He struck Minos down and fulfilled that last wish. It sounded like more of a desperate dare, but either way he was gone. Just like Percy, just like Stevie, just like Petra, and just like Heathcliff. The wheel continued to spin. Who would it land on next?

”You can keep your axe away from us now,” he said, eyeing the gash on Atlas’ arm and the blood dripping from Daniel’s blade.

No more of this.

[attacks Daniel - war hammer]
vJHBTLsospiked blunt
MISS -- 0.0 damage

spiked blunt

[[nyte]]

and every heartbeat was a scream

Justice killed another. Babyface falls, a cannon rings and I am deaf. Numb. Beard's blade kisses my skin again and I want to scream, biting the inside of my cheek so hard that I can taste blood. For a long moment, I close my eyes and allow myself to be consumed. Pain is a sobering reminder that today, I could die.

And if not today then tomorrow.

The end is blood upon my tongue, sliding down my throat and churning within an empty stomach. I'm hungry, I'm tired. Maybe I would give up, if that wouldn't ensure the deaths of my friends as well as myself. "Easy for you to say." Machaon grumbles and my heart falls. Past the pit of my stomach and through the soles of my feet.

"Nothing is really easy for me to say, right now." I give him a half hearted smile as my blood pours onto stone beneath my feet, dripping like spring's first shower. My voice shakes, fear crawling through every syllable as I attempt to ignore the constant throbbing in my chest and limb. "D-dunno how Babyface kept talkin', this shit hurts."

As hard as I try, I cannot keep the tremors out of my voice, pain is like poison down my spine and it wears away at the composure I have tried so hard to keep.

I smile nonetheless.

Through the pain.

[attacks daniel -- warhammer]
y1FDAGg2spiked blunt
[MISS -- 0.0 damage]

. . .


☠  a  t  l  a  s   w  h  i  t  e  ☠

spiked blunt

[thompson harvard - d2b - arc]

TATE

Daniel heard the cannon, and to no surprise it was Minos that soon crumbled. It was quick moments like that making the fire seem even more fueled. It was like a magnet in a sense, the closer to an end it came, the stronger the urge to keep fighting came with it. He was sad for the boy in that moment, but he couldn't distract himself with getting upset over the idea that Minos was dead. The fight was still raging and one little slip up could lead to him being next. It wasn't long after Minos had fallen that they turned over to Daniel to start attacking him. And with that, came the questions that wouldn't ever end from them.

Machaon had daggers set onto the gash he had painted onto Atlas, soon speaking to Daniel in a fake threat of sorts. ”You can keep your axe away from us now,” and Daniel found himself chuckling. He spoke to them with the small sliver of confidence he held within him.

”I would say the same to you, but you seem to be doing great at that.”

Machaon also said that and then tried to attack Daniel, which was kind of silly in his mind. Through gritted teeth, he filled in the spot that just had lost and swing at Justice.

The best kind of justice, really.

[attacks justice, axe]
J5N46NW4axe
[result]axe

[lance]

so what if you can see natalie brandt the darkest side of me?

Once again, she proved ineffective. Her feeble attack did little to impede Justice, and apparently, her body had around the same effect. The boy roughly shoved her to the side, causing her to trip over her golden boot and crash to the ground in a heap.  She felt the cannon before she heard it, and her heart stopped.  She couldn't look, as if not seeing it with her own two eyes would somehow deny it, but the rational part of her buried deep within knew that was a foolish notion. So she turned, just in time to see Minos Vallanso collapse to the ground.  His descent was different from Hypatia's, quick and heavy and so final and she- She paused, closing her eyes to stem the welling of tears building up in them.  In.  Minos was dead.  Out. Minos Vallanso was fucking dead, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. In. Twice now she had tried to save her friends from the threat of other tributes, and twice now she had failed.  Out.  Maybe this year, the curse of District Eight was taking a new form.  In. Hold.  Instead of killing her, it killed anyone who got close to her.  Out.  She opened her eyes. She felt the liquid fire of rage course through her veins, wiping away pain and fatigue like they were nothing.  Sounds were muted. Machaon and Daniel exchanged words and blows, yet she barely heard them. A mixture of rage and grief was snaking their way through her body, and yet she had never felt so... Calm. If Daniel wasn't going to run, then by Ripred, she wasn't going to either.  She twists her ring once for good measure, then clunk-steps her way back into battle.  Justice must be served.

Inspired by the lovely Chelsey <3

attacks justice with her horn
RZFTxAlOknife
2005 -- Block -- 0.0 damageknife

[arx!!]

justice
fray 

every wound
will shape me

Sorry loves gotta get going

every scar will
build my throne

[Justice attacks Daniel w/ axe]
kNmZrrwwaxe
[Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage]

axe

[Python]

i've forgotten how
to walk by myself
i could do with a little
more of your help

Atlas managed to smile through the pain, and he admired him for that. Nothing was easy to say, nothing was easy to accomplish. One tribute was down but the blows continued, blood leaking from multiple wounds like they had crawled through a tunnel of barbed wire. He didn’t want to hear Atlas sound so defeated. He didn’t want to hear silence from Justice. The echoes of tearing flesh, gasping breaths, and clashing steel turned his stomach into a typhoon. The water he had sipped the day before – along with poison to torture his own mind – was threatening to join the acid in the misty lake, but he swallowed and tried to focus on everything except the corpse nearby.

”I’m fucking tired,” he gasped. It wasn’t only physical exhaustion, but a state of mental fatigue. He was tired of death because it had followed him since the day he was born. He was tired of swinging his stupid hammer and battling with nonexistent wind instead of saving his allies’ lives. He was tired of fighting for what felt like nothing. Maybe it wouldn’t be nothing, and one of them would survive. Maybe not. Maybe their pain was pointless and he was a puppet after all – but for the capitol, not for the career who was losing blood by the second.

It was quiet without Minos, save for the heartbeat throbbing between his ears and the heaving of his lungs. Every breath felt wasted. Justice was painted red and Atlas looked like he was tiring. If he was a Capitol’s puppet then he was a useless one, flailing like a child with a hammer too heavy for a nurse’s arms. He sighed and shoved it away. He could not shatter skeletons like Atlas, or leave a path of crushed enemies behind him. He didn’t want any of those things either. What he craved was survival, and not just his own. It was unrealistic to hope that all three of them would escape this treacherous day, but that’s what the Games did to people – it forced them to form bonds whether they wanted to or not, and it hypnotized them into believing that fighting for friends was honorable. It was stupid. Emotions made people stupid.

I’ll be an idiot forever.

Everyone was going to fucking die. Only one could win; it could be any of them or it could be none of them.

A shred of hope for himself was not what kept him lunging for Daniel. It was avoiding the consequences if he didn’t. Justice’s death in his own hands, Atlas’ death in his own hands. He had a strong conscience, but it wasn’t strong enough for that. He couldn’t ruin them like that.

So, like the hyprocrite he was, he decided to ruin someone else instead (or die trying).

[attacks Daniel - sword]
uUlMvPv1sword
block

sword

[[nyte]]

and every heartbeat was a scream

I'm losing it. My arms are tired, my body aches. Everything is too much and wince with every swing of a blade toward Justice. For once I am at a loss for words, the world is crumbling around me and I am lost. To be found upon the ground with blood pouring from my wounds. To be found dead, my marionette strings snapped in two.

"I'm fucking tired." Machaon's words are my own, trapped upon my tongue and swallowed with the blood pouring down my throat. Am I dying? I cannot tell, the pain radiates through my broken body with every breath and there is no relief. No ebb to this flow. Yeah, I'm fucking tired. I want to lay down my weapon and sleep because there is nothing to feel within the velveteen embrace of nothing. I want it all so bad.

But blades still fly, wounds are still carved into flesh and it is Justice's mouth that draws silver to his skin like flies to honey. I'm tired. Tired of watching my friends die. Tired of not being able to save them.

Machaon and Justice seem to have beard covered, leaving me to deal with Machaon's fucking district partner. Thanks for that, Pal.

"Look I got nothing against you, okay? But I can't lose Justice. Not yet."

There is a bond between the three of us, one that has grown with every drop of blood we worked together in spilling. I don't know for how much longer we can manage this- sticking together, fighting together. We all can't go home.

But I don't think about that.

[attacks natalie -- spiked blunt]
st|CkkmMspiked blunt
[BROKEN JAW -- 7.0 damage]

. . .


☠  a  t  l  a  s   w  h  i  t  e  ☠

spiked blunt

[Deleted]

TATE

filler af for arc because I'm not in a fit state

[attacks justice, axe]
aEueyhE5axe
[11160 -- Deep Gash on Left Forearm -- 8.0 damage]axe

[lance]

so what if you can see natalie brandt the darkest side of me?

Fillering cause we need to finish this up tbh. basically she gets her jaw broken by atlas and mentally curses him out and is fighting through the pain to stab justice so yeeeeeee  this will probably turn into an actual post once all the flailing is done.

Inspired by the lovely Chelsey <3

attacks justice bae with her horn
rPSZ2xrGknifeknife

[arx!!]

justice
fray 

every wound
will shape me

lmao screaming okay sorry for this filler I really do have to go though bless all of youuu

every scar will
build my throne

[Justice attacks Daniel w/ axe]
ze8VlqJzaxe
[Deep Gash on Neck -- 10.0 damage]

axe

[Python]

i've forgotten how
to walk by myself
i could do with a little
more of your help

probably mach panicking like "shit, shit, shit, hang in there justice!"

like wow we were kinda bros but now he dying

for the fuckboi!

(will fill this in when im not packing)

dont call me out for fillering ok THE DAY MIGHT NOT BE EXTENDED

[attacks Daniel - sword]
5XEdyfeDsword
Shallow Cut on Left Thigh -- 3.5 damage

sword