What a Wonderful Kind of Day [Quest/Shy]

[uwu]

Shy Aubergine

Calico cats and calico dreams
That ain't too real
Just make it real
Collisions hurt and abrasions bleed
It's hard to deal when all you do is feel

After setting up a little 'camp' in the middle of the dead-looking forest, I can't help but feel curious. Looking around at all the petrified trees fascinated me. No other tree back in District 2 and I'm sure in any other district looked anything like these. Could any of the trees even get petrified in the conditions they're in? I don't think so if I remember correctly from the plants station. Did they teach us that at the plant station? I lose myself in my thought. "I wonder how the gamemakers got them to be this way. Do you think they grew them like it or did they inject a needle into them?"

Injections would explain what the heck happened to the ones on the ground. Watch yourself." I look around for any random needles on the ground, even though I know that they'd inject them well before they got to the arena, and if they did, they'd make sure to clean it up. I hope. "You think anyone else has been this way?" I look at the ground and avoid the fallen trees. "I don't know about any other tributes being here, but I get the feeling of being watch. Not just with the cameras, but I could just be paranoid." I look around carefully, and shrink into myself a little bit.

"It's going to take me a while to get used to folks knowing all of my business. I feel it, too." I notice Quest shivering, but I know better than to hug her due to the last time I did. "We should probably find a spot to set up camp for the night." I nod quickly. "Mhm." I look around some more. "What about over there?" I point to an oddly clear place. "On second thought, lets go somewhere else." I walk in the opposite direction and plop myself about 100m down. "Here's good." I look back to see if Quest followed.

Yah know kid, you're a weird one, but if you're the last person I have to spend time with, it wouldn't be the worst thing." I give her a giant grin. "Thank you! You aren't too bad yourself!" I try to clear out a space for me to sleep. I should make it big enough for both me and Quest. I make it about where two people could comfortably lay down on their back if they wanted to, or at least what I think is big enough. "Perfect." I sit down and pat the ground next to me. "I hope you don't mind the ground. I really hope it doesn't get too cold tonight. I don't really like sleeping in the cold." I look around. "Maybe we could use the leaves for a blanket? Or maybe some sticks? I dunno." I shrug. I doubt they'll make us freeze to death, but better to be safe than sorry.

*Calico by Alien Ant Farm | Table by Lyndis

Shy uses his endurance to move to the petrified forest

[Deleted]

Quest Hertz

Oh, I'm so human
We're just human
Lean for me, and I'll fall back
You'll fit so nicely, you'll keep me intact

The sun started to set by the time we got into the thick of the woods. I was happy to be done with the vineyard and its terrifying approximation of birds, for now. Shy dawdled around the different petrified trees at our feet, and inspected them with the sort of glee that I wish I could’ve mustered about anything. I wonder how the gamemakers got them to be this way. Do you think they grew them like it or did they inject a needle into them. I smirked at the thought of it, someone injecting a giant ass needle into these trees to get them petrified.

“Injections would explain what the heck happened to the ones on the ground. Watch yourself.” It was as good a guess as any, as far as I could understand it. The capitol put a lot of energy into creating, and making sure these sorts of things were riddled with surprises. I half expected one of them to lift itself off the ground and start taking swipes at us, some hybrid plant-creature creation. Instead, there’s only a looming silence between the two of us in a forest of heightening trees. My teeth chattered, and I brought my arms across my chest tight. “You think anyone else has been this way?” There’d been few signs of anything, but I couldn’t help but think something was around. Call it paranoia or a sixth sense, but I really wished that Shy wasn’t the only one with a knife.

I don't know about any other tributes being here, but I get the feeling of being watched. Not just with the cameras, but I could just be paranoid. Good. At least the kid was starting to catch my feelings of self-preservation and doubt. I’d have to make sure my existential dread wasn’t contagious, though.

“It’s going to take me a while to get used to folks knowing all of my business. I feel it, too.” I shivered again. The temperature in the woods had dropped more than a few degrees, and it was getting harder to see. I probably should’ve considered learning how to make a fire. But instead I’d spent most of my time listening to music, and thinking that someone was going to stab out my eye in the first few minutes. "We should probably find a spot to set up camp for the night.” I said. It hit a little harder knowing that the first night was falling, and that tomorrow there’d be someone’s face in the sky. I looked at Shy. The hell if it was going to be him.

What about over there? He pointed to a spot and I had to narrow my eyes to see. Except just as soon as we moved forward, he turned back. On second thought, let’s go somewhere else. Here’s good. He plops onto the ground and I gave a wry smile. He’s nothing if not a little odd. And that’s pretty awesome. “Yah know kid, you’re a weird one, but if you’re the last person I have to spend time with, it wouldn’t be the worst thing.” It’s just us now, in the quiet of the forest. Well – JANET is stuffed away in my pack. I figured we could go a few minutes without jabbering from her.

Perfect. He sat down and motioned for me to join. With a shrug I nestle down next to him, and tossed my bag from my shoulder. I hope you don’t mind the ground. I really hope it doesn’t get too cold tonight. I don’t really like sleeping in the cold. Maybe we could use the leaves for a blanket? Or some sticks? I dunno.

There’s another beeping sound – a box thumps to the ground just a few yards away. “Hold a sec.” I said, and moved over to find another note. Quest – keep warm and safe. Let’s see what you can do. The box unfolds to reveal a chestplate in black, a small and shiny rock, and what I can only describe as a metal rod with a spiked ball shaped section connected to it at the end. “Well damn. Uhhh… thanks, anonymous rich person?” I put the new armor atop my chest (snug), and hoisted the weapon across my shoulder.

“Someone likes us, kid. Either that or they like seeing the underdogs get a better footing.” I dragged a couple of logs to the little nest we’d created, and knelt to start knocking the flint together. Sparks catch along the wood, and a fire starts to form. “We’ll be warm tonight, eh?” I gave a grin.

“So aside from learning how to kill people – what did you like to do back home?”

[quest collects a number of things from sponsorship]
[quest has used endurance to get to the petrified forest]

*Human by dodie | Table by Lyndis

[uwu]

Shy Aubergine

lyrics

Before Quest responds, I hear a thump near by. Crap, is that another tribute? I grasp my knife tightly. “Hold a sec.” I want to say not to go, but it didn't sound like a large enough thump to be any tribute. She'll be fine. She comes back in armor and a spiked mace. Phew, she came back alive and with more stuff!

"Someone likes us, kid. Either that or they like seeing the underdogs get a better footing." Underdogs? We aren't underdogs. We can easily win if we wanted to. I watch as Quest grabs some logs and starts a fire with some flint or whatever it's called again. "We’ll be warm tonight, eh?" I nod. I'm glad she knew how to make fires, because now that I think about it, I was getting a little bit cold in the dark.

“So aside from learning how to kill people – what did you like to do back home?” I tense up. I hated every second of training. It was pointless and for a stupid cause. I also hated doing all that, but I kept that to myself. "I don't really know. I guess I like being by myself. I like wandering the district and-- Did you hear that?" I hear another small thump nearby. I pull my knife out to go look around. I notice a box with the District 2 logo on it. Ooooh, a sponsorship for me! I quickly open it to find a armored vest, similar to Quest's, some nice, silver shin guards, and two pegs. I stare blankly at the pegs, not entirely sure what I'm supposed to do with them. I put the vest and shin guards on and return.

"So I got these cool looking things and these." I hold up the pegs. "I'm not sure what I can do with these. I guess I could..." I stare at Quest's stash of things for a little bit before something clicks. I look around for a log that looks like it could easily fit into my hand. One happens to be nearby, so I grab it and a rock, and start hammering the two pegs into the log in opposite directions. "Ta-da!" I hold up my new creation. "It's like yours, but with not as many spikes and wooden!" I hope she's as proud of it as I am! I know it didn't take a lot of work, but still. I did something important! And now we can be twins while we fight. It'll be fun!

I look eagerly at her for a reaction. As I wait, I notice the gash the bird did from earlier. How did I just notice this? I move forward and point to it. "That looks bad. I'm gonna clean it." I hastily move over and start wiping down the cut, but then I remember that personal space is a thing. "Sorry. May I try to not make the cut look so bad? Uh... I mean can I help treat the cut so it won't get affected? Please?"

Shy gets an armored vest, a pair of shin guards, and two climbing spikes from sponsorship. He improves the spikes and a log into a spiked blunt. Shy applies first aid to Quest

[Deleted]

Quest Hertz

Oh, I'm so human
We're just human
Lean for me, and I'll fall back
You'll fit so nicely, you'll keep me intact

I don't really know. I guess I like being by myself. I like wandering the district and-- Did you hear that?

We’re not fully formed. At least – he’s not fully formed, yet. He hasn’t even had enough time to figure out what brought him joy. Shy’s probably tasted a hint of it, a shadow that dances on the back of your eyes, that lights up the hair on your skin like in winter, just before a shock. I tried to think of the girl I was at twelve. Quiet, with big eyes and hair pulled back in a ponytail. The type that liked listening, more than spreading my own ideas around. We were conditioned to speak first, think later (or not think at all), but me? I’d rather have held my tongue, to speak when the thought had come something real.

The light danced from the fire in front, casting shadows along the woods behind us. He returned with a grin and armor (someone thought pretty highly of the kid, which was a blessing for us). He held a collection of spikes, metal that gleamed back in the firelight. So I got these cool looking things and these. I'm not sure what I can do with these. I guess I could... A look crossed his face and I could see the pulleys and levers move inside his noggin. He took a log and started pounding them into it – and I’ll be damned, it wasn’t half bad. Ta-da! It's like yours, but with not as many spikes and wooden! And I thought I was the queen of the obvious.

One thing you could say about the kid was that he was frenetic. All gangly and nervous, fast – like a rat caught in the heat of a flashlight – ready to bounce up and over. That looks bad. I'm gonna clean it. He didn’t wait, and moved in to clean the aching gash I got from the crazed bird in the vineyard.

“Ow! Bitch!” I almost slapped him - couldn’t help it. I probably should’ve caught myself, because the look on his face made my stomach turn.

Sorry. May I try to not make the cut look so bad? Uh... I mean can I help treat the cut so it won't get affected? Please? If there was a good place, Shy was well on his way there. The benefits of youth – not having done or seen all the shit that made you a human trash bag. I leaned forward and nodded. Another chime sounded and another box tumbled down behind us. A set of bandages waited, and I moved to hand them to Shy. Underneath were a set of… stickers? I couldn’t help but snort at the faces underneath the plastic cover that shone in the light. Some shaped like eggplants, others faces, some eyes – an array of ridiculous choices. I slapped a few black, sparkling hearts atop my armor before digging deeper into the box.

“Oh fuck yes!” Underneath it all was a shiny chrome kick scooter – something I’d never had as a child but desperately hoped to own. “I am going to be the coolest tribute in the games, ever.” I couldn’t help but laugh again. I was falling into the trap that this was normal, that there could be moments of us being human. But wasn’t that okay? At least we could still feel happy, and forget about the twenty-two other bodies here.

“Hey – I think you’re missing something.” I step forward and bend to a knee, pressing a pair of googley eyes atop his newly created weapon. “I always thought naming weapons was for guys who’s dicks weren’t big enough. Which is why it’s okay if a woman names a weapon.” I stood back, arms across my chest. “Elmer. No – that won’t do. Earl! He looks like an Earl.” One eye lazily stared down at the ground, while the other was the type that would follow you across the room. I chuckled and turned back to my backpack to dig out Janet. She purred, and I began to decorate her – an egg plant emoji here, a winky face there, a pink heart.

‘I believe I am now GORGEOUS.’ JANET chirped, after being placed between the two of us.

“That you are, JANET, babe –”

‘Not a babe.’

“Play something we can fall asleep to, Janet.” I leaned over to put an arm over Shy’s shoulder and grinned. As a slow melody tumbled out of JANET, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the happiest I’d been in a long time.


*Human by dodie | Table by Lyndis