:| A Story of a Fight |: {Fallron vs Clinglet; Day 2}

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

After a moment of grief and relief for Salome is still alive!, we made our way back into the maze of the house. It was a confusing hellhole in there, but I could have sworn everyone was trying to leave it which was why I wanted to go back. It was the safest decision in my eyes, but it also meant that Fallon had to agree with me because she was literally supporting me. Thankfully she did and we made camp that night in one of the rooms. Out of exhaustion, it didn’t take us long to fall asleep and there was no reason to wake us until what felt like morning fell upon our faces. I turned to Fallon to make sure that she was still there she was still okay and my heart dropped when I saw her face. Fallon had looked so sad that I wanted to cheer her up.

“Hey Fallon, do you remember the 71st Games? My brother was allied with a D12 girl, Chloë.” I pulled out a crayon from my bag it’s the Games Crusader was in and proceeded to draw on the floor surface; the place didn’t need more decorations but I had no other source to draw on. “When he was in District 12 for his Victory Tour, her parents gave Harbinger this wooden carving. It looked a little something like this,” I pointed at the drawing with my left hand while still using the crayon to finish up the finer details. I couldn’t remember what exactly the animal was but the carving had remained in my mind because of what it had meant to Harbinger. I never knew if he got over Chloë’s death, particularly because he had been the one who killed her, but I knew that the present had helped him, just as I hoped its drawn replica would help Fallon.

“I’m sorry I can’t give it to you physically since it’s on the ground but… I thought you might like it,” I told her, my hand now fluffing up the ears to capture the ridges that Chloë Angor had given her little bear-like creature. “We’ll find them, Fallon. I promise we will find Chaos and Lightning no matter what.” It was a bold promise but the need to give her hope was strong in my chest. She had already lost one of her district partners; I wasn’t ready for her to also lose her allies—at least, not like this.

Then, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw movement. I raised my hand up instinctively as I had no weapon to have by my side and looked around for our enemy. There was no person there but some animals and very odd ones at that. My eyes were stuck on the sea animal a…something ray? with its beautiful and bright colors. I shook my head immediately Harbinger told me anything that is a distraction is dangerous, and I ran forward to strike at the animal. No innocent animal would color themselves like that.

I just hope Fallon is okay with this.


[Tamron attacks Clingray; unarmed]
PXrmv4Mxunarmed
[Bruised Right Collar Bone ; 2.0 dmg]

unarmed

[Stare]

you can't turn back the hands of time
just let it go and you'll be fine
what's done is done and its alright
you cant turn back the hands of time

(Are you ruined for good, or is it just temporary?)

Fallon had a hole in her chest. It was a Lorenzo-Zanita-Lazarus-shaped hole that reminded her a bit of the shape games she'd played when she was young, trying to fit octagons into hexagons and diamonds into squares. With the game, all she'd had to do was find the right pieces. It had been uncomplicated, entertaining until it became boring. Now, carrying the gap in her chest, she wished it could be that simple again.

She'd lost the pieces to the game. They were gone forever.

(Your name's small, but you know how to fight them, don't you?)

She couldn't sleep that night. She was terrified the monsters would come, and between stages of drifting in and out of some sort of dreamlike state she shifted closer to Tamron. No one else had stayed, had they? Zanita and Lazarus and Lorenzo were gone forever, and Lucas had turned his back on her.

(Stupid head. Next time I won't save you.)

Fallon had been wrong to think so little of the real life monsters. The ones back home threatened to eat her alive, but these monsters had ripped her apart without even touching her. She wasn't sure anything could heal her now.

Tamron tried, though, and in response to the drawing she offered him the best smile she could. Tamron deserved someone not broken to fight at his side, but instead he had a fragile little girl who drew herself a sword and thought herself a knight. She was all she could give him though, and she'd vowed after their fight the day before that she would protect him. She was small and she didn't have armor and she was beginning to realize that she wasn't very brave, but for Tamron she could try to be a warrior.

And when he rose to fight, when he attacked the strange animal with his bear hands, she was terrified.

But she drew her sword, took in a deep breath, and pretended not to be.

another day is gone
washed away with sorrows that you dwelled upon
and as the moon is rising, you think to yourself
i could be gone, if i go now

[Fallon attacks Clingray with knight sword]
s_DW4shmsword
[miss, 0.0]

[accuracy reroll]
sword
[miss, 0.0]

sword�sword

[Cato]

Aslan

[blockqupote]
The mansion is full of treasures in need of protection. A chance to keep them alive and out of the hands of the greedy tributes walking inside. It's a wonderful world living upside down and inside out. Prowling the halls looking for those who are trying to steal he protects. Together the tributes are strong, but one by one they're weak, trapped within the halls they need kept inside. Nobody steals the treasures. Turning left and right, tributes are prowling. Nobody will succeed because they are in need of being stopped. With a toothy grin, the teeth are flashed, and the mutt lunges forward. Someone would pay for trespassing.

[/blockquote][/div][/font][/div]

-Aslan attacks Tamron-

y7ku6nWVknife

Pegasus

[blockqupote]
Floating away from home. That's what happens. One minute the poor little clingray is minding its own business when the masters called sending it into harms way. But with the sphinxlet at its side, the clingray knew it could survive. Without water it would surely die, and the tributes probably wanted it to die. But what if the tiny creature had a chance to survive? To make it back to the water? Floating around, it saw its friend, its ally, and knew what needed to be done. The clingray went for the other one. Maybe this would keep both the mutts alive.

[/blockquote][/div][/font][/div]

-Pegasus attacks Fallon-

knife
knife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

A blinding pain.

I had watched Fallon swinging at the same mutt, but all I could remember the pain that coursed through my body as its buddy attacked. Whatever broken bones I had felt the day before—and they were still feeling sore—was nothing like watching the thumb of my dominant hand leave me with a clean cut. My mouth opened wide but no sound came out as I looked at it with horror. Only one word was able to make it out of my throat as a weakly called out, “Fallon…” I looked up at her with terror when I saw her struck by our colorful friend.

He can’t… not allowed

Whatever distraction the other mutt had tried to give me failed as I watched my ally’s leg get cut open. I couldn’t tell how deep the cut was—my eyes were clouded by the pain and tears—but that didn’t matter to me, not at the moment. I had dragged Fallon into this fight and it wasn’t right to let her take any damage from it either. “I’m over here, you stupid bastard. I’m the one who hit you first!”

With an anger I didn’t even know I had, I balled up my left hand my whole hand and struck at the offender.

[Tamron attacks Pegasus (clingray); unarmed]
Q|P18A4Yunarmed
[Bruised Right Arm ; 2.0 dmg]

unarmed

[Stare]

you can't turn back the hands of time
just let it go and you'll be fine
what's done is done and its alright
you cant turn back the hands of time

Fallon took strength in the imagined armor, the pretend feel of a graceful steed beneath her. She hid behind her imagination, a protective layer of make believe. She was a knight. Mama said it was wrong to lie, but wasn't that all fairy tales were? Beautiful, magical, promising lies?

"Tamron!"

The cry was high pitched, alarmed, maybe even a bit unhinged, but Fallon couldn't help it. Tamron was all she had left - Chaos and Lightning hadn't found them and Lucas had turned his back on her and everyone else had died. She didn't know what she would do - what she could do - if she lost Tamron, too. In a time when the world was almost always trembling and absolutely nothing made sense anymore, Tamron was the one who held her together.

And he didn't care about what she saw. He stayed anyway.

Her cry was quickly followed by a half strangled yelp trapped somewhere in her throat as she saw the gush of blood smear across his hand, his mangled thumb falling limp and detached first upward and then downward. If she'd had any food in her stomach, she was sure she would have been sick right then and there.

The world smeared like a bad painting and she swore someone had just stuffed cotton in her ears, because even though Tamron was shouting something his voice sounded muffled and distant. Black spots appeared in her vision, dark watercolor blots that spread and then shrank. She sucked in a deep breath to steady herself, willing everything into its proper place. Tamron was her friend and she was a knight and she would protect him. She would convince him that she was strong and brave.

"It's - it's going to be okay, we'll fix it," she gasped out, trying to focus on the blur of the creature before her. "It's okay."

Mama said it was wrong to lie, but they all had to sacrifice.

another day is gone
washed away with sorrows that you dwelled upon
and as the moon is rising, you think to yourself
i could be gone, if i go now

[Fallon attacks Pegasus the Clingray with knight sword]
gWjhgW7Rsword
[shallow cut on stomach, 4.0]

sword

[Cato]

Aslan smiled, blood dripped from his sharp teeth. It tasted amazing, and he wanted more. Perhaps more blood was needed to scare them away. He wasn't afraid, but he feared for his friend. The clingray was taking damage, and Aslan wanted them to attack him to keep his little buddy alive. Maybe food was saved for later. A chance to bring home a meal laced with the lining of tributes. Yes. That was what he wanted. A show. A meal. A feast. With a toothy grin, Aslan purred momentarily. This was the feast of a lifetime.


It hurt. Pegasus wasn't sure what to do, what to think. These nasty humans were hurting him. All he wanted was a chance to live, a chance to fly away with Aslan. But they were hurting him. Punching him. Slicing him. Whatever blood flowed through him was slowly leaking through the cut the girl placed on him. He couldn't allow it to hurt anymore. He wanted to find the freedom. Pegasus wanted to stay alive.

-Aslan attacks Fallon-

DcPXrnO0knife
2020 -- Shallow Cut on Left Forearm -- 3.5 damage

-Pegasus attacks Tamron-

knife
2192 -- Two Severed Fingers on Left Hand -- 9.0 damageknife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

Either it had heard me or it just finally grasped the concept of vengeance, but it struck with a ferociousness that rivaled its buddy. Whereas its buddy wanted one finger, this mutt wanted two. I had thought the pain of losing one finger could not be rivaled yet it proved me wrong as two of my fingers on my left hand fell clean, just as my thumb had done earlier. I couldn’t hear any words Fallon was saying if she was saying anything, and all I could think about was if she would still want me as her ally.

I’m useless. I’m broken. I’m mutilated.

I had vowed to protect her and yet it felt like she was protecting me. Between having to support me wherever we went and my dragging her into this fight, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she decided to take off. No! She’s too kind for that, she wouldn’t do that. Just like I had the day before, I had doubted Fallon once again. How could I have done that to her? Was it because I kept failing?

I shouldn’t have been in this arena. I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth at the Reaping. I shouldn’t have let my compassion get the best of me, because it was going to kill me now. But I wasn’t going to go down without fight. Even if I was going to die from my injuries and I am losing a lot blood, I wasn’t going to leave Fallon to deal with these two by herself. That wasn’t fair for her and it was the least I could do.

I just wish I could do more for you.

[Tamron attacks Pegasus (clingray); unarmed]
FGlou8vIunarmed
[Gash/Bruised Left Knee ; 3.5 dmg]

unarmed

[Stare]

you can't turn back the hands of time
just let it go and you'll be fine
what's done is done and its alright
you cant turn back the hands of time

Sometimes, when she was so young Mama didn't care about the strange things she said, Fallon would wake up and her skin would be stained glass.

It wasn't smooth or clear, like a windowpane. Instead she was a bright variety of colors all soldered together, made up of stained glass puzzle pieces that reflected the light and made it dance like fairies on the walls. Those had been some of her favorite days.

Her skin didn't turn to glass anymore, and the moment she'd entered the Arena Fallon realized it wasn't glass she wanted, anyway. Now she wanted skin made of steel.

The world just kept getting slippier and slippier, shapes gliding into smears and colors fading into black. Tamron was just bleeding so much and no matter how big the sword she held was, she couldn't kill the things that kept hurting him. It was wrong to kill, it was wrong to want to kill, but Mama said tributes got a free pass. She said they were all forgiven, even if they went in bad, because they always went out worse.

Fallon desperately, desperately hoped it was true.

The world blurred again and it took her a moment to realize she was crying. Her steps stuttered and faltered, fear tightening in her chest as she tried to approach the creature again. All she could see was Tamron's face contorted by pain and the blood steaming down into his palms. She couldn't fix that. Nobody could.

"I'm s-so s-sorry, Tamron." Her jaw was trembling like a sobbing toddler's. Blubbering. That's what Mama would have called it. "I d-don't - I'm sorry."

another day is gone
washed away with sorrows that you dwelled upon
and as the moon is rising, you think to yourself
i could be gone, if i go now

[Fallon attacks Pegasus the Clingray with knight sword]
kpZfCADSsword
[miss, 0.0]

sword

[Cato]

Aslan snarled. The enemy continued their relentless attack on Pegasus. He was not looking good. Might not even make it out alive. The thought only fueled his anger. They would pay with their lives for what they are doing to Pegasus. He smelled blood. Not his own. Plenty of Pegasus'. The male was bleeding a lot. He knew what had to be done.


On the brink of death. Just breathing even a little bit caused Pegasus so much pain. He needed to kill the enemy. Pegasus wants to live. He isn't sure he will. Blood continues to flow out his wounds. Every step causes pain. The enemy don't appear to be in good shape themselves. All Pegasus had to do was live long enough for them to give up or die. He could do this.

-Aslan attacks Tamron-

7wM5mqa6knife
2128 -- Severed Thumb on Left Hand -- 8.5 damage

-Pegasus attacks Fallon-

knife
2128 -- Severed Thumb on Left Hand -- 8.5 damageknife�knife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

Going to have to filler because hella sleepy and clingray needs to die; this will be filled in in the morning

-ouchie clingray took another finger (if Tam no longer has opposable thumbs -- or just in thumbs in general -- is he still a primate?)
-Tam just not happy about whole situation
-"You can't do that to Fallon grrrr!!"
-attacks Pegasus because 0.5 dmg away from death gdi

[Tamron attacks Pegasus (clingray); unarmed]
jc3UDBLOunarmed
[Knocked Backwards ; 0.5 dmg]

unarmed

[Stare]

you can't turn back the hands of time
just let it go and you'll be fine
what's done is done and its alright
you cant turn back the hands of time

Pain was a bolt of lightning across her vision, white-hot and disbelieving. The storm roared in her ears, a shudder of thunder rolling through the marrow of her bones as the wind of it bit against bare skin. Fallon's entire body became engulfed in the tempest, blinding her and bringing her to her knees as the world swelled and screamed around her. Or maybe it was her that was screaming, cradling severed flesh and a splintered bone. She dared to raise her head and try to peer through the whirlwind, catching a glimpse of a pale face and far too much blood.

Tamron was dying, and Fallon was beginning to think she wasn't far behind.

Her body was a heavy thing, too mortal and feeling, but she steadied her feet against the ground and forced herself back upward anyway. Sounds were being ripped from her throat and chest, desperate and hopeless whimpers for mercy, for bravery, for something the real life monsters clearly weren't willing to give her. Lurching forward, she gripped her sword with both hands and watched a rivulet of blood twist through the hilt and charge across the gleam of the blade.

Tamron was becoming soaked with it, his hands reduced to mangled and swollen crimson gloves. His steps were becoming increasingly frenzied, the dance of someone balancing on the tightrope of Death. She watched him peer into the void of nothingness and her heartbeat skipped, because Tamron didn't deserve death. Not here, not like this, not because of her.

Too many good people had already been lost, and she felt their souls stirring within the typhoon. They became an uproar of ghosts, racing around her until all she could hear was the sound of their voices and she was surrounded by empty faces that called to her that she was next. And perhaps she would be.

But raising her sword, Fallon silently declared that Tamron would not be allowed to join her.

another day is gone
washed away with sorrows that you dwelled upon
and as the moon is rising, you think to yourself
i could be gone, if i go now

[Fallon attacks Aslan the Sphinxlet with knight sword]
d|5JQjNesword
[shallow cut on left hip, 3.5]

sword

[Cato]

Pegasus is dead! How dare they kill Aslan's little friend! He snarled before showing off a toothy grin, blood dripping from his teeth. They wouldn't get away with it. They would pay for killing him. The little clingray didn't deserve to die! No, these humans do. They would pay. Only one would pay more. The one human killed his friend, and Aslan hoped to do the same.

-Aslan attacks Fallon-

MKODAo|kknife
2072 -- Miss -- 0.0 damageknife

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

It was with relief that I watched one of the mutts stop moving, his precise movements no longer in existence. I hadn’t done much to him, but perhaps it was the last straw I needed to end his life. It didn’t matter to me that I had killed something—we do what we have to do for survival—not when I had other matters to worry about, namely the other mutt.

Fallon took charge, her own hand bloody with the loss of a thumb, and she swung at the cat-like mutt, drawing blood from it. The mutt wasted no time to attack back as it lunged at my ally. Reaching out with my mutilated left hand, I cried out “Fallon!” to warn her, but it wasn’t necessary as the mutt ended up clawing the air next to Fallon. Now is the time while she’s distracted!

But as I tried to move closer to her, my vision started to fade and I only just realized how much red was at the scene. I wasn’t sure this was the way I wanted to go, but I knew the end was soon and the best I could do was make sure Fallon made it out of the fight. I hope she feels the same way. I hope she understands that she has to live. I balled up my right hand the one with the most fingers and struck at the mutt. “You are NOT going to hurt her anymore!”

Not under my watch.

[Tamron attacks Aslan (sphinxlet); unarmed]
_0f3CULCunarmed
[Miss ; 0.0 dmg]


ACCURACY RE-ROLL, YOU DOLT
[Tamron attacks Aslan 2.0; FALCON PUNCH]
unarmed
[Bruised Head ; 3.5 dmg]

unarmed�unarmed

[Stare]

you can't turn back the hands of time
just let it go and you'll be fine
what's done is done and its alright
you cant turn back the hands of time

Her breathing was coming in panicked gasps, pain still throbbing at the base of what used to be her thumb. Fallon just barely managed to stumble away from the next attack, chest heaving and tears still streaming down her cheeks. She just wanted it all to stop, because she was certain not even the Capitolites would enjoy watching the two of them being killed by a cat.

It was madness. That was all it was - madness.

"Tamron." She might have whispered it. Maybe she screamed it. Either way she attempted to stagger toward him, fighting against the storm whipping around her head. Her non-bleeding hand landed on his arm clumsily in a half-hearted attempt to get his attention. "Tamron, stop. You should get out of here."

For the first time, Fallon wished he would leave. Tamron was he mountain, and she selfishly refused to watch him fall. Even the blood dripping from his hands disoriented her - he was Tamron and he was strong and she wouldn't lose him like this. She couldn't lose him like this.

"Just let it have me," she insisted, even though the mere idea of being alone with the vicious cat was enough to make Fallon feel weak. She didn't want to die, but everyone said she was already broken. The loss of a shattered girl with a small name would be nothing compared to the loss of Tamron. "I don't want - "

Her voice cracked, and she pulled away from his arm, returning her attention to the beast. Are you scared, too, little cat? It was bleeding.

They were all such fragile things.

I don't want to lose you, too.

another day is gone
washed away with sorrows that you dwelled upon
and as the moon is rising, you think to yourself
i could be gone, if i go now

[Fallon attacks Aslan the Sphinxlet with knight sword]
b6M|F5J0sword
[stabbed in forearm, 8.5]

sword

[ᕙʕ•ᴥ•ʔᕗ]

Tamron Rhodes

It felt like we had been in the fight for eons but it couldn’t have been more than a few hours at most as our blood stained hands fell the mutt. Is it really over? Fallon had been the one to deal the killing blow, the cat gutted with the sword, and yet I wasn’t certain until I saw that its chest was no longer moving. Exhaustion swept over me as I stared at the mutt for a few minutes, a different type of recognition lighting up in my mind. It was just a cat. But it had attacked us Fallon so it must have been an enemy as well.

The last words that Fallon had said rang through my head as I lowered myself to the ground, too tired to fight gravity anymore. She had told me to leave. She had told me to let her die with the mutt while I saved my own hide. I put my face in my hands as tears started falling. How could I have let it come to this point? How could I have let it be so that she was telling me to leave? This isn’t how you protect people, Tamron.

But it didn’t matter because we were both there and more importantly, we were both alive. I looked at one of my crayons that had fallen loose during the fight. “So…whatever I draw, it comes to life? That’s how you got your sword?” Then where did my previous drawing go? I placed my crayon on the floor where blood had not yet stained it and started drawing the first thing that came to my mind: water. The crayon was placed between my index and middle finger and I shakily drew the outline of the container first, my hand not used to holding something without the support of my thumb. It was one of those cylinder containers I had seen around the Capitol, the only thing I could think of to hold the water. Then the wavy lines to show water. I didn’t know if it would work but something about drawing it already soothed me as I stared and stared.

I turned back to Fallon and gave her a tired smile. “Maybe I should get myself a weapon too.” With a different crayon—its color matches my shoes—I drew the only weapon that I could remember the top of my head. It had a sleek look to it as the long rod had the slightest shimmer to show its metallic sheer. At the end of the long pole was the thin blade that I had used to draw in my training session. Even if I was useless as a fighter, it provided me something I could draw with that wasn’t made out of a waxy material.

Turning my back on the drawings, I limped over to Fallon, blood still trailing my every step. My arm circled around her and I pressed my forehead to her temple. “You were so brave, Fallon, so strong.” A sharp intake of breath filled my tired lungs, providing me the air I needed so I could speak again. “I won’t ever leave you by choice, Fallon. I promise.” My words were meant to be encouraging yet I couldn’t help but feel sad because I knew one day I would have to leave her and she would have to leave me. “Let’s leave this damn room. How does that sound?”


[Tamron drew a koala way back when with wild blue yonder crayon]
[Tamron draws a water jug with cerulean crayon]
[Tamron draws a spear with cotton candy crayon]
[Tamron does F/A on self for -3 dmg]