rainbow path to hell [fall from grace] DAY 1

[k!ah]

a r a b e l l a. 

“There she stood in the doorway

I heard the mission bell

And I was thinking to myself

This could be Heaven or this could be Hell.”

The blade had cut through her skin like it was butter. It had left a fiery trail in its wake, her stomach burning as she ran with her hands clasped around the hilt of her blade, her rump sack onto filled with a couple items that she had managed to grab between the flying fists. It had not quite registered with her yet what had just happened. It had all happened so quickly. She had barely had a chance to think, the buzzer screaming in her ears followed by the one thought of finding Cyro and her allies.

Even now, as she ran, she couldn't quite remember anything in intricate detail. Her mind was still fizzy, her legs pumping with adrenaline. She remembered only one face, Jade Morin's. She hadn't meant to attack the girl, but her first had struck her before she had realised. She couldn't quite understand the conflicted feelings that raised in her chest when her face flash before her eyes. She wanted to hate her. She wanted to bad to hate her. She got under her skin, she caused her to lash out, for her emotions to swing like the large hammock that had been in the yard of her home. So why? Why did she care? Maybe it wasn't that she cared, maybe, she did in fact feared the girl. After all she was a career.

She pushes the thought to the back of her mind as the feeling in her body returned, as the burning of her lungs became too much. As the sound of one canons encores through the air, her mind. One death. She had been trailing behind her allies, being the last one to escape the bloodbath. Before her the figures grew, her focus on them growing until they were clear. Stopping she places both hands on her knees, her body heaving as it thought for breath. Her heart was racing, and for a moment she can do nothing but gasp for air.

After a moment she does, her eyes beginning to examine her allies closely. She starts with Mer, who seemed to come to come out with nothing but a black eye. Then her eyes travel to Lys who was worse for wear. Her lip had inflated and her arm seemed to be broken. But worse she was pale, and unsteady on her feet. Drunk. Arabella thought as she moved onto Cyro- wait was that Cyro? She takes a step closer, her eyes investigating the bluish purple mess that had begun to blossom on his pale face. "Oh my, Cyro, your face!" She drops her bag to the ground, "I don't have anything in here," she pokes the bag on the ground with her toe, "for it. How does it feel...?" She trails off as for the first time she looks around them.

"Whoa," and once agin her breath is taken away, this time for the pure beauty of the earth that she stood upon. Below her feet were stones- no, not stones, gems- of all colors, colours that she hadn't even known existed. They glistened brightly in the light of the sun. She had never seen anything like it. It was like a rainbow that had expanded across this expanse had somehow shattered, the pieces imbedding themselves into the surface. "I've- I've never seen anything like this, not even in my dreams," her voice sounds as though she had been hypnotised, her eyes glazed as she turns in a slow circle, trying to take in all of it, all at once.

If she was one of the princesses of her stories she could pretend that she was walking on the wealth of her family, that it surrounded her castle made of Amethyst and Diamonds. But she wasn't, she reminded herself, the pain that burned the flesh of her stomach reminding her that this was not a game of her imagination. That this was reality and one lapse in concentration could cost her her life. She tightens her grip on the hilt of her sword, using her other arm to wrap her cape tighter around her body, using the pain pulsed on her stomach as a reminder to stay focused.

[picks up: 

Geode Morning Star (spiked blunt)

Flint

Right Vambrace

other actions trib maint]

lyrics- hotel california (eagles)

[cass]

m e r e d i t h .

Darker times will come and go
Times you need to see her smile
And mothers' hands are warm and mild

Her hand was tight on Lysander's arm as she dragged her behind her, the two of them fleeing from the chaos. She'd yelled quickly to Cryo and Arabella, and she just hoped they were following behind. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she had chosen this direction to run in, honestly who really cared? As long as they were out of the bloodbath.

Her face stung the fist that she had caught from one of the other tributes had been a glancing blow. Isabelle hit harder. The other hit had been to her eye, but she had escaped with very minimal wounds. Lysander had a swollen lip, there was a trail of vomit, though, an easy distraction from the wound. Meredith had seen Pisces swing at her ally, she had heard the way Lysander's arm had cracked under the hit. There was no doubt that it was broken.

The pair came to a slow stop, and Meredith had let go of Lys' arm. There really had been no strategy to the decision to run in this direction. From the cornucopia, it had been merely flashing light under the suns rays, alluding to something else. It had felt alluring, but as they had drawn closer the land had become less appealing, it was too late to turn around now. Meredith rubbed the back of her head.

"This is just a bit shit," she said, staring at the assortment of millions of gems lying all over the ground. "I thought I'd finally escaped luxury, to you know, die." She knelt down, picking up one of the gems, it was a stunning green colour. She squinted at it, no way-

"I think they're real."

Meredith could hear Arabella's own wonder echoing behind her. Her hand closed around another one, this one a deep blue that could only be a sapphire. She had never been a fan of pretty things, and shiny jewellery, she hated it when Octavia made them dress up in fancy outfits. This place reminded her too much of Octavia's poor taste.

She straightened up before throwing both of the gems as far as she could. She watched as they clattered to the ground, disappearing into the field of a thousand other gems. There was nothing in front of them, but more gems, "there's no cover, no protection." To their left was a terrifying-looking mountain that went so high the clouds covered the top. And to their right- Meredith peered into the distance, it just looked like a storm.

Honestly, it was a lot better then she had pictured.

Shaking her head she turned back to Lysander, "I didn't get anything good to help you out there." She turned her gaze to the backpack, pulling out the three other items she had managed to grab. A bouquet, urn, and the twisted dagger. Flicking her gaze over to Arabella and Cryo-

"Fuck, Cryo, protect the face man, number one rule." She shook her head, beckoning them forwards, before pointing at Lysander's broken arm. "Do you guys have anything to help that?"

She turned her attention back to Lysander, the other two seemed fine, Cryo would just have a bit of a headache and it looked like Arabella had nothing but a little cut. She raised an eyebrow as she caught better sight of the weapon Lysander had grabbed, "can I have that crossbow, little miss drunk?" She pointed at the vomit on her shirt, "as an apology for spewing all over me?" 

[Tom]

Bloodbath had sent him spiraling into his past.

Black eyes, busted lips, and hatred along every sentence thrown at him. Days where he would just breath in the escape of school, pretending like going home wasn't as scary as it truly was. Amira having found him, giving him an escape from the pain of his home life. Eyes meant for him; beautiful in every way, but life messed with him always. Taking away everything good and giving him nothing more than flowers upon a gravestone. Levi Izar-Krane died in a flutter of pink and white snow; he can remember the days where he went to his cousin's grave pretending like he would listen to him.

Cyro Krane was alone.

Levi Izar-Krane wasn't there for him and neither was Wilson Izar-Krane.

Heavy breaths as he's rushing out of the bloodbath, hands clasping to gravestones in order to not stumble and fall. His vision is blurred from the swelling from his eyes, the number that Zenia from Three had put on him. Obnoxious to deal with, but he didn't care as he pushed forward in the direction of his allies. The sound of a single cannon going off fills his ears. One death. Twenty Two more to go. Part of him hopes it's Zenia Siella, as he was in pain because of her and reliving the past he shoves down to the depths of his mind. It's a bitter one that he lets himself stew in, until he stops running. Catching his breath and finally caught up with his allies.

Meredith has a matching black eye to his own, just as vibrant as his own. Lysander is worse for wear; bleeding lip and the broken arm looks seriously painful. Arabella has a cut on her stomach, red, but not as bad as it could have been. A sigh comes from his lips as his eyes and nose throb with pain. The adrenaline of Bloodbath fading away to the ache of bruised arms and a messed up face. "Oh my, Cyro, your face!" A pretty face now littered with bruises and brokenness; it was no wonder Arabella seemed concerned. He felt like he's been through another fight from his time in school. "I don't have anything in here," She pokes around in her bag as he just breathes calmly. "for it. How does it feel...?" His voices escapes from his lips with a teasing tone.

"Not great, but I've suffered worse before."

Cyro Krane's been through much worse from fist fights with other teenagers when he was in school. His stubborn mindset tending to get him in trouble, especially when he didn't put up with privileged kids who didn't have to suffer through as much as himself. Words from their lips leading to fist fights and broken bones on occasion. Never one to back down from a challenge, he used to get in trouble a lot. Gritting his teeth through the throbbing pain of his broken nose, he turns to look around the area finally.

Gems. They were everywhere in front of him. Glittering with a purpose and it's almost frightening how pretty it is. The capitol sure knew how to throw their wealth in his face, prove that he would never give his son the security that he so deserved, but instead the capitol throws their wealth to an arena to show them they were worthless. A distaste for the whole area fills his lips as he picks up an emerald gem to look at for a second. "I've- I've never seen anything like this, not even in my dreams," None of them have seen this. Gems as far as the eyes can see. A chill runs down his spine as he drops the emerald back onto the pile nearby, hoping that they hadn't run into a trap.

"This is just a bit shit," Eyes glancing to the career in their alliance. "I thought I'd finally escaped luxury, to you know, die." The desire to tell her to not think like that fills his mind, but he stays quiet. In the end, all of them would have to die in order for him to get back to Xander. "I think they're real." Real gems just making a sea of glittering jewels. Out of everything, he felt annoyed at the flaunted wealth and beauty, but he had to stay calm and focus on the goal. Surviving in the arena was going to be harder than before, especially when Meredith voices the same thought that came across his own mind.

"there's no cover, no protection."

No protection from anything.

Checking his pack now, he finds only an urn and a loaf of rye. Nothing of use for healing. A sigh echoes from his throat as Meredith is looking up to him. "Fuck, Cryo, protect the face man, number one rule." He knew that. He had tried to protect his face with his arms, but Zenia seemed small enough to just get her arms around his blocks. The question is aired out as he looks back to Meredith who asks. "Do you guys have anything to help that?" A shake of his head as he shrugs back to the career. He can hear Meredith asking Lysander for the crossbow as an apology for the vomit he had seen. A grimace as he turns away for a moment looking to Arabella as he speaks.

"Are you okay? That wound doesn't look too bad. Does it hurt?"

Eyes glancing back to the other two, he looks to Meredith as he gives a faint smile letting the only question slip from his lips. She was a career. She had to know to do what he was going to ask of her. The pain was already there and if he wanted to be back to normal again, someone was going to have to do it. Confidently, he speaks with his arms crossed, trying to remain calm despite knowing there was gonna be some pain to this.

"Hey, Meredith? Mind resetting my nose for me?"

The fire in his stomach burned as the throbbing in his nose ached.

"Figured you might know how to do it."

(Picks up Geode Morning Star (spiked blunt), Flint, Right Vambrace; other actions in trib maintenance)

[gamemaker sloane ♕ kaяi ♕]

L Y S A N D E R M A E ;

The world was spinning.

And Lysander prayed that it would not come crashing down.

It is hard to determine if it is the excruciating pain radiating throughout her arm or the alcohol burning in her stomach. She's not entirely sure, but every time Meredith pulls her another step the sky is where the ground should be and the very little breakfast she ate threatens to make a reappearance. Mer's hand was wrapped tightly around her good arm, but she still stumbled as they left the bloody battlefield behind.

And she didn't need a mirror to know that some of the blood that now stains the graveyard is hers.

Once the group deemed themselves a safe distance from the Cornucopia she traveled a few more steps forward to make sure none of the others were in the splash zone this time. When she was finally done heaving she noticed the beauty of her surroundings. The gems sparkled every which way as the sun lit up the field of colors. Every time she blinked a new color appeared before her eyes, she never knew what to expect next. The field seemed to be an endless abyss of beauty. It was stunning, it was surreal, it was somewhere her parents would kill to be.

The irony.

"I think they're real."

After wandering back to the group, Lysander scooped a gem up from the ground. She placed it in her hand and bit down hard. The crystal clanged against her teeth. She was not sure what she had expected it to taste like, but most certainly not like that.

"They're real."

She was not certain if what she did had any type of validity, but it seemed convincing enough.

Her three allies continued to mingle and things became slightly steadier, so she was finally able to get a good look at everyone. They were all beat up in their own way. Meredith and Arabella were relatively well off, but Cyro was unrecognizable. His face was swollen and appeared as if someone painted two black circles around his eyes. Even without looking, Lys knew she was in bad shape. Her arm hung from her side at an awkward angle and her lip felt much bigger than normal. Multiple spots on her body were painful, but she was thankful for the alcohol in her system and the numbing affect it provided.

She did not need a mirror to tell she was worse for well.

"Can I have that crossbow, little miss drunk? As an apology for spewing all over me?"

"First...of...all..." The words slurred as the escaped her lips and they took more effort to form than they should have. "I'm not," Hiccup. "Drunk." She forced herself to stand a little taller and open her eyes a little wider, just to make sure Meredith understood how sober she was. She looked at the small vomit stains on Meredith's cloak and cringed. "Yeah, sorry about that." She said with a slight giggle, even though it was not funny at all. "You can have it if you tell me...I'm still pretty."

The few minutes of clarity she had seemed to be over as her surroundings started to move even though she was still. Without another word she tossed her bag to Meredith and then slowly lowered herself to the ground. The cool gems calmed her pounding head. She shut her eyes and basked in the sunlight.

Now there lay a broken girl.

And maybe if she was lucky she would become lost in this field of beauty.

( does lots of things to be mentioned in maint! )

[k!ah]

a r a b e l l a. 

* * *

"Are you okay? That wound doesn't look too bad. Does it hurt?" Cyro asks, the kindness in his voice wrapping her in a warm embrace. She wasn't used to people addressing her with such warmth, the people of her past resourcing too snarls and whispered secrets that weren't shared. She was used to harsh gazes, and smirks that were there to remind her of her inferiority. A smile forms on her lips, and she shakes her head, signalling that she was fine.

Meredith, throwing a handful of the shiny gems, curses about the lack of protection, the expanse of wealth not providing the small group any shelter. Any hiding places from unwanted eyes. Before she turns to Lysander, the girl struggling to maintain balance as the worst of her intoxication took over. She notes her arm, asking us for assistance. Arabella didn't have anything in her bag to help her, but she had this ridiculous cape. An idea was forming in her mind as she begun to tear at the base of it, ripping off a thick band.

Walking over to the girl who was now on the ground, she smiled kindly down at her. Arabella was used to dealing with naughty children. Lysander reminded her of those children in a way. She knew that they could be stubborn, and that if things didn't go their way that a tantrum that would make her ear drums ache could follow. Maybe a drunk was different. "Hey, Lys, how you feeling?" She asks, taking a seat down beside her. To be honest, Arabella didn't know if she felt pity for the girl, or if the pang that pounded the back of her head was frustration that the girl risked all of their lives in her condition. But whatever she felt, she tried to mask it, "you don't look too good, if I'm being honest. You smell pretty foul too," she says, her nose creasing as vomited scented air was carried her way on an incoming breeze.

"But if you sit up I can help you with that arm." She shows the girl the ribbon, "if we sling it up securely, it could help reduce the pain. Take away from pressure and help support it to avoid further injury." She didn't know if the girl was even listening to her, so far gone.

Looking away for a moment, she turns to see Cyro approach Meredith asking her to set his nose. She cringed at the thought, she had seen noses being reset and it was never pretty. Once, Matthew had fallen from a tree, his nose smashing into a branch as he feel. He had come into the home, blood escaping between his fingers leaking onto his shirt. She had watched as Ellen had worked quickly, grabbing the nose and pushing it back into place without hesitation. Matthew had grunted in pain, curing as he nurtured his injury.

Arabella found herself looking away, not wanting to watch, having seen enough blood and pain to last her a lifetime, but not enough according to the Capitol. She knew that this morning was only a taster of what she was in for. Most of what they had experienced had been based on fists alone. What would she see in the days to come when fists weren't their only option? What sort of nightmare would she behold the moment blues and steel were the main contributor? Tomorrow would be she whole? Or would a part of her be abandoned in the arena somewhere, apart of who she was, lost forever.

[cass]

m e r e d i t h .

Darker times will come and go
Times you need to see her smile
And mothers' hands are warm and mild

She snorted, giving Lysander her best scowl as she folded her arms. She was a mess, a messy drunk who Meredith hoped would be of some use the next time they ran into another alliance or a mutt. Meredith had chosen to align herself with Lysander, so she'd just have to get over it and fast. She ran a hand through her hair, letting the air in her lungs escape as a tired sigh.

She had no intention of going home, she had already decided that she was going to die in this Arena, she just wasn't quite ready to let go just yet. She needed more time, and her allies were her best chance of holding onto her fading life a little bit longer.

"You're the prettiest drunk in this entire field of gems," she said, giving Lysander her sweetest smile. Octavia had told her how to fake it with such genuineness that it was quite terrifying. "Now can I have the crossbow?" she opened her hand up as Lysander reached around to give her the weapon. "Thank you, beautiful."

"Hey, Meredith? Mind resetting my nose for me?"

Meredith turned to face Cryo again, raising her eyebrow as she looked at his face. Well, he wasn't wrong that Meredith had reset her fair share of noses. Hell, she'd had to reset her own only a few weeks ago following Isabelle's headbutt to the face. That had not been fun, she'd been stuck in her room bent over a shaking hand on her throbbing nose. Two, three deep breathes and then she had done it, howling out in pain as her eyes watered and the nose slipped back into its place.

"Yeah, of course, I can do that for you!" Meredith slung the crossbow onto her back, moving away from Lysander to stand in front of Cryo. "Let's sit, it'll make it easier," she indicated a spot on the ground. Shuffling to the side she started kicking away as many gems as she could to make a clean space. As she went to sit down she grabbed one last gem, a sharp pain making her curse out loud. She dropped the gem, watching as blood dripped from a small cut on her hand.

"That's just fucking great," she snapped, dropping to her knees angrily. Of fucking course she had managed to cut her hand. She was gonna die by shallow cuts, lacerated to death by a teenager who had never held a weapon before. Fuck, she hoped it would be quick, it was all she wanted.

Cryo had sat down and she moved closer to him until she was standing on her knees directly in front of him. She could actually reach his nose now.

"I'm sure you're aware that this is gonna hurt a lot, try not to scream too loudly," she gave him a dry grin, before reaching forwards and grabbing his nose. She waited for a heartbeat, hoping he'd think she was going to count down before she pulled it sharply to the side. It made an unpleasant sound, but the cartilage shifted back into place and more blood bang to flow from Cryo's nose seconds later.

"Easy peasy." Meredith sat back, admiring her handiwork with a stiff nod.

[Tom]

A shake of Arabella's head makes him calm down a bit more.

Knowing that she wasn't as hurt as him, was a nice thought to run through his veins. Eyes glance back to Meredith who now was responding with a tone that kind of scared him if he was being honest with himself. "Yeah, of course, I can do that for you!" Slowly, he watches her as she continues. "Let's sit, it'll make it easier," As she goes to sit, he follows, watching her kick away gems and giving them some sort of spot to sit down in. Her hand grabs one of the last one and he can see the injury before it happens, a quick moment of pain as blood drips from the wound. The instinct in his heart hammers as he almost gets ready to hover over her, but instead he ignores the feeling remembering that he was not a father here, but a tribute.

"That's just fucking great," He watches her sink down to her knees and he follows, crossing his legs and focusing on the area behind Meredith. Gems of all sorts lingering in the distance and all he can do is remember the way they had cut his ally. A career who was getting cut by something so miniscule that it could mean life or death. An idea begins forming in his head, but he would need some supplies for it to work. Eyes glancing about for a moment until he stares back to Meredith who is speaking once more in front of him.

"I'm sure you're aware that this is gonna hurt a lot, try not to scream too loudly,"

A pause as he swears she's about to countdown the moment. He's not sure he's ready for this, but he needed to breath again. A broken nose was not something he wanted and for all it was worth, he prayed Wilson had the nerve to pull away Xander from the screen at this moment. The sudden movement hurt, not like the hurt where he could feel it throbbing through his body and it was bearable, but the kind that sent a sharp pain through his nostrils and he lets out a single word as blood flows from it. The sight was disgusting.

"FUCK!"

Meredith sits back admiring the work with a simple, easy phrase.

"Easy peasy."

The throb was still there, but he felt better in the way where his nose was still burning, but he could breathe easier now. A glare is sent down to her, the same one he would use on his son for laughing about something he messed up on. Knowing Meredith, he figured she would laugh back at him just like Xander would have. A huff under his breath flows out as he speaks comfortably now, with a little fake annoyance in his tone.

"Easy for you. I had to suffer."

The sound of a parachute comes and he almost wants to scream at Katelyn for sending him supplies, but he doesn't. Once he's opening the package, he realizes it's all items he can use for his idea. A moment of realization flashes through his mind as he shoves items into his bag and stares up at the other three. A moment of silence as he rubs softly at the edge of his nose, easing the pain that still lingers slightly there, wiping away the bit of blood that was now drying. A moment of standing there, he just turns and speaks, letting his voice hang in the air for a moment.

"Okay. Feeling much better now. I'll take first watch tonight."

Night was coming.

Part of him was glad.

It would mean he gets another day to live.

(Gets sponsored some items, grabs some gems, more in tribute Maintenance)