staggering ( survivors ) // ridley/milo

[Stare]

Milo's weight leaning into Ridley's shoulder made their progress slow, but their attackers didn't seem to be pursuing them. Still, Ridley felt far from safe. She'd seen the hits Charisma took, could name tributes who had died from less, and even though she knew that her allies were fighters it scared her.

The truth was that she already knew what was going to happen to Charisma, and she knew that she had deserved better.

"I'll say thank you later." Milo's breaths were coming in wheezes. "You're okay?"

Her? Ridley gave him an incredulous look. He'd taken the brunt of the hits and he was worried about her? What the hell was wrong with him?

"Charisma?"

Ridley faltered.

"I'm fine." She avoided making eye contact, instead focusing on keeping their progress fast and steady through the trees. Her throat felt strangely tight. "I don't think Car's going to make it. I'm sorry."

And she was. She was truly, genuinely sorry.

"I'm sorry too. She didn't - fuck this hurts." Milo was shivering against her.

"I know. I'm going to patch you up, though, okay?" Ridley paused long enough to peel off her cloak and drape it over his shoulders. "You're going to pull through."

"Probably will. Maybe." Milo was beginning to stumble. "Can we stop? I'm so tired." She nearly stumbled herself when he nuzzled into her neck, her grip on him faltering slightly. Of course, even half broken he was still a shameless flirt.

"Sure," she muttered, stopping and lowering him down, but he was already gone. She took the opportunity to begin assessing his injuries, trying to determine just how much farther they could move without hurting him.

And it was there, with Milo too far gone to see it, that the loss of Charisma struck Ridley unexpectedly, like a knife in the back. She squeezed her eyes shut and bowed her head slightly, regret momentarily threatening to overwhelm her. It was stupid. She shouldn't have felt much of anything because the goal of the Games was to survive, and she'd certainly done that. She was succeeding, wasn't she? Winning? Doing her family proud?

But they'd lost Charisma.

Ridley sucked in a breath and tilted her head back, glaring at the sky. All that Career training, and she couldn't even keep her own ally safe. Who the hell did she think she was kidding?

Ridley Le Roux was still alive.

But she had failed, nonetheless.

[Baby Wessex d9b [earthling]]

"I'm so tired."

Later, those would be the only words he would remember exchanging with Ridley. Later, he would only remember the slightly sweet, still a little soapy, scent of her hair and the strong support of her arm around his ribs as he slipped from consciousness. The brain - his, others - didn't like to hold onto pain. Sometimes, sleep really was the only solution.

He wasn't out long. The swaying of the forest, the soft murmur of other people nearby, roused him. He came to in a panic, his good arm flailing, back arched. "Where - where?" Milo huffed, then finally focused on her face.

He sighed in relief. Then assessed her pose. "Were you praying?"

[this will be deleted if something happens in my mandate xx]

[Stare]

His voice startled Ridley, then flooded her with relief. She pressed one hand firmly into his shoulder, trying to keep him still. "Calm down, everything's fine." Charisma's face flashed through Ridley's mind. Everything was not fine. But she'd always been a liar, hadn't she? At his comment her lips twisted into a wry smile. "What god would listen to my prayer?"

Perhaps the same one that had 'listened' to her all those years ago as she sat curled in a corner, drenched in blood and crying weakly. The gods hadn't saved her. Pax had. The Le Rouxes had. And now that she'd lost them both, it was time for her to start saving herself.

Her hand shifted from Milo's shoulder to the side of his neck, trying to estimate his temperature. "You still cold? I think I have a sweater somewhere. And how's the pain?"