natural selection | {minx v mutts day four}

[dars]

ms. muffet

We're natural enemies, birds and spiders. When we are small, they take us and they feed us to their young. Those of us who survive grow angry. Angry enough to build webs so powerful, so brilliant, so perfect, that if a bird gets ensnared in it, well, it's as helpless as a fly. Sometimes we don't even bother putting them out of their misery right away. I looked to the human boy next to me; he seems perfectly nice and lovely. I want to be his friend, so I float my way to the surface, my many hairy legs sprawled out around me. I'm as beautiful as a ballerina. I raise one of my little legs, almost as if to say hi to the human boy, and how does he repay me?? Stepping on my house! My new house! The barnacle floors had taken me weeks to polish, and don't even get me started on the seaweed curtains.

Outraged, I attack.

[ms. muffet attacks minx, spiked blunt]
z1Kvug|kRspiked blunt
[14084 -- BROKEN RIGHT WRIST -- 6.5 damage]

mr. tonedeaf

I don't sing. People always expect me to: oh! look! a bird! he's so cute let's hear him sing! Do you know how many times a Momma has purchased me so that I'd sing to some crying brat? It's ridiculous! So, I just stay silent long enough for them to go buy their spoiled children diamond. rings. I mean, how is that the natural order? Oh, I'll get you a bird! And if the bird doesn't sing, then I'll just drop a couple thousand dollars on a piece of jewelry even though you're a toddler!!!! So, I'm sitting here, not singing, living my best life, checking out this weird shrimpy-spider, deciding if I'm gonna eat him, and a human shows up. I'm tired. I don't sing, and I'm not gonna let him take me again.

[mr. tonedeaf attacks minx, knife]
knife
[2192 -- Two Severed Fingers on Left Hand -- 9.0 damage]

spiked blunt·knife

[Python]

[presto][/presto]

"The future can't
be real, I
barely know how
long a moment is"

Camouflaged in a patch of foliage, Minx had hoped nature's bed would protect him from unwanted company. He was startled when he awoke to something in his hand - a card signed by Denali, who he had stumbled across the day before. Knowing that someone had been able to find him and sneak up on him made his resting heart rate skyrocket, but he appreciated the gesture. Good luck Minx.

He was going to need it.

Glass clinking together in his bag, he walked further away from what he assumed was the center of the arena. The wind picked up, sweeping bangs out of his face and cooling the warmth of anxiety beneath his skin. The dirt under his feet morphed to jagged rocks, a little too slippery for his comfort. He paused to peer through the layers of silvery fog and beyond the edge of the rocks. He had never seen the ocean before, or anything like it. The air tasted of salt and the water was more of a sapphire blue in person, sunlight reflecting little crystallines across the surface. Nothing shown on television compared to what he was witnessing now.

The way the water crashed and waned like a massive pendulum deterred him from trying to swim in it. He knew he would drown if he tried; luckily there were pools carved into the rocks and he could sample the water there as he pleased. Everything was fine until he accidentally stepped into one. His throat made a gargle of disgust and then surprise as something jumped out of the pool and into his wrist. A snap made him recoil and cry out in pain. Something had definitely broken in his one functioning arm.

The attack startled him badly enough that his tailbone landed against jagged rocks. There was no time to clutch his swelling to his chest as a shadow swooped down upon him, forcing him to raise his arm sling as a shield to protect his face. He didn't see the bird as much as he heard it scraping against the glove on his hand. There was a sting of pain and nothing more - thank god. He wasn't sure why someone had sent him so much armor, almost like a second suit to cushion any blows that came his way. He also wasn't sure why it had been so difficult to put on. An embarrassing spectacle for the Capitol to watch, but he at least had extra protection now.

"You stupid little - that was my good arm!" He whined angrily, nearly slipping as he stood up to grab his spear. Every inch he moved was a terrible ache, but he could see the bird circling above and whatever bug that was rearing for another attack. He knew he could try to run but it was too dangerous. The rocks were bumpy and slippery, and he refused to be the only tribute to die from tripping over a rock and cracking his head open like an egg.

Instead, he had to improvise.

[attacks ms muffet - spear]
JGYfe8CVIspear
Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage

spear

[dars]

ms. muffet

Insolent human. And to think I wanted to be friends with him! "You stupid little - that was my good arm! I grin with my shrimp-spider mouth, snapping my pincers with glee as he falls back onto his tuffet. "Well, that was my house, bitch!" I reply, although it comes out as a "PSS PSS PSS!" because I am not a human. Snip snip, his pincer pokes me in my head; damn, he has a big one. The females must always choose him first during breeding season. I certainly wouldn't if I were a human. His shell is very soft and I want my children to be difficult to kill.

[ms. muffet attacks minx, spiked blunt]
U|4NdgJJqspiked blunt
[14120 -- BROKEN RIGHT FEMUR -- 7.5 damage]

mr. tonedeaf

The human does not seem interested in me, and I would be grateful if he wasn't trying to steal my meal! "HAAAAAHN!" I say, which loosely translates to, "Hey that's my food, jerk!" in bird. Lucky for me, his beak is not sharp enough to kill my meal; for some reason birds like me prefer to catch our food when it is still alive? I mean it would definitely be easier if we just took the dead ones, but I guess we like to make things more challenging for ourselves. Ugh, what does it mean to exist? I hate when I get like this.

[mr. tonedeaf attacks minx, knife]
knife
[2085 -- Shallow Cut on Right Forearm -- 3.5 damage]

spiked blunt·knife

[Python]

[presto][/presto]

"The future can't
be real, I
barely know how
long a moment is"

Minx didn't understand how something so small had such power. Each time its claw barreled toward him he felt immense pain, and he was too sluggish to avoid it. He had nearly pierced through the damn thing but grazed it instead. It was like trying to swat a fly except he had to use one arm to do so, and that arm's wrist was beginning to swell. It also hurt like hell to hold his spear, let alone thrust it into the rocks. He hated everything about this; would he become the laughing stock of the games because he was getting beaten up by a spider and a bird?

He was on the ground again, pain radiating through his right leg. This isn't fair. Two days ago he had killed a coyote; surely he could defend himself against something under half its size? "I'm sick of this," he hissed, and he heard the creature hiss also. The audacity. Frustrated, he propped himself up on one knee and stared the thing down. He could see the bird's shadow daring across the rocks; when it expanded, he ducked his head. Nose buried in his arm, he waited until he felt the inevitable sting on his arm before he glanced up again. As long as he could protect his eyes, he wouldn't have to worry about the bird.

Once he found the ugly bug again, he seized the chance to smash it.

[attacks ms muffet - spear]
7WIQcH68qspear
Block -- 0.0 damage

accuracy reroll
spear
Shallow Cut on Left Bicep -- 3.5 damage

spear·spear

[dars]

mr. tonedeaf

He. Killed. My. Meal.

I watch as he squishes it. Ugh! It's far too mushy now, just look at it! I wouldn't eat that if my life depended upon it! There are surely others around but still: effort. I'm tired of humans. I'm tired of not sounding like a normal bird. I'm tired of being one-upped by their stupid, shiny trinkets. Papa can buy this kid a diamond ring if he wants, I'm done!

"You must pay!" I squawk, though it comes out as "HOHN HONK!"

I flutter down gracefully. I could've been a dancer in another life, if I had any rhythm. I'm just a broken bird, though. I embrace that. A broken, hungry bird, thanks to this guy. I aim for his soft-looking eyes.

[mr. tonedeaf attacks minx, knife]
kvBVkIUoqknife
[2196 -- Deep Gash on Right Forearm -- 8.0 damage]

knife

[Python]

[presto][/presto]

"The future can't
be real, I
barely know how
long a moment is"

filler bc i wanna know if i make it

asdfghjkl

[attacks tonedeaf - spear]
0BKAgGu76spear
Stabbed in Bicep -- 8.5 damage

spear

[dars]

mr. tonedeaf

"HENH! HENH!" Which, of course, translates to: "MY WING!" How can I flap with a hole this big? I'm bleeding! I'll be stuck here for weeks! All or nothing, now or never. I try to spread my wing and ouch, ouch, nope. That simply will not do. "SQUAWK!" I may not be able to fly, mean human, but I can hop really good. I jump. Oh yes. This will work just fine.

Your eyes are mine!

[mr. tonedeaf attacks minx, knife]
YwpyxeNHaknife
[2107 -- Deep Gash on Forehead -- 9.0 damage]

knife

[Python]

[presto][/presto]

"The future can't
be real, I
barely know how
long a moment is"

minx's helmet flies off and he wonders why this bird is so powerful

gonna stab that bitch again

FINISH HIM

[attacks tonedeaf - spear]
AS9T9B6Uwspear
Deep Gash on Left Forearm -- 8.0 damage

spear