Gentleman's Game [Yuki/Delroy]

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

The plants station reminded him of home. Even if they’d laid out a space where mint and onion came up against asparagus, or potatoes next to cucumbers, Delroy could still appreciate that little space of the training center he could run his hands through the dirt and pull out something he knew. It helped too that he did well identifying all manner of flora growing there. Agricultural studies were included as a student at Iris Gate, and he’d always thought that even if he’d stayed on as a professor or a teacher somewhere, he’d still have a little plot of land of his own.

All of that felt far away then as he knelt in the soil, the day almost over. He’d been brushing up on poisonous plants and herbs that might have been useful to collect (those that sate hunger, or helped with burns). While the others took to the wrestling mats and some taking up traps, he thought it best to start with the easy stuff before working his way to the most difficult. That, and it helped to reinforce his strengths with as little time he had left before setting foot in the arena.

Still, as he brushed the dirt off his windbreaker pants and stood, Delroy couldn’t help but eye the competition. They were all friendly enough now – at least, he hadn’t crossed paths with anyone too terrible yet – but in a matter of days they’d have to contend with crushing each other’s skulls to get back home. Delroy still grappled with what it meant to take part in all of it. Did he revolt against the system that’d been built on the back of people like his great uncle, or did he step off the podium and refuse to participate?

The question felt a bit bigger than himself, and he decided that it was best left for those moments right before bed when he was about to fall asleep.

Instead, he started to meander along the training floor, drawn closer to the sound of something whizzing through the air.

He came upon the kid from three at the knives station standing in front of the bull’s eye targets. Except while the table nearby sat full of throwing daggers, his companion seemed to have an assortment of darts to toss. Delroy smiled and shuffled closer.

“Hey man,” He pointed to the targets and then to the boy, “Not sure I ever saw them used in a games before… or are you just felt like practicing your aim?”

[k!ah]

Y U K I

The instructor had directed him to the knives as he arrived, but with a shake of the head he had walked past, hand resting on the small case of darts by his side. Maybe he should take the chance to perfect his skill with the knife, but as the days continued he could feel the anxiety of the situation he was in, craving the comfort of the small weapon between his fingers.

It was different to the game he was playing on the outside. In so many ways they were alike, yet in so many ways different. Just like the game from home he had no choice but to participate, his life on the line. Just like home he was expected to commit murder to fight for a reward that would require every other participant to be knocking on wood. Unlike the game at home he was under time restriction, he was forced to familiarise himself with the faces of those he would face.

Despite himself he had begun to miss Yuno's craziness. Her intense presence, her tight leash. But he knew that even if he did make it home he had buried her in the past, discarding her to the side. Something that he knew would untimely benefit him for the future. She was dangerous, unpredictable, obsessed.

Flicking open the case he pulls out a dart, running his fingers over it with a small smile. It felt familiar, comfortable. Like he was at home almost. With a huff he turns towards the board, drawing his arm he prepares the throw, squinting one eye he narrows in on the board.

Biting his lower lip he twos, eyes never once leaving the centre of the board. The dart whistles through the air, fast and accurate, it slams into the wood, right in the center with a small thud. Smiling in satisfaction he eyes the board. Perfect-

“Hey man,” a voice causing his eyes to be dragged away from the dart and towards a boy. “Not sure I ever saw them used in a games before… or are you just felt like practicing your aim?” A smile on his lips he gestures towards the knives then towards Yuki's darts. Yuki doesn't quite return the smile as his eyes follow the gesture, landing on the dart buried into the board.

"Darts feel more..." He doesn't finish the sentence struggling to find the right word to describe why he would opt for darts instead of knives. It almost seemed to personal. Tilting his head to the side as he turns to face the boy once again. "You play?"

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

Watching the dart find its mark on the board a good distance from them, Delroy looked to the fins sticking out of the bullseye, and then back to Yuki. Okay, so this kid’s got aim. That would be filed behind the fact that he clearly wasn’t much a wordsmith, though Delroy imagined he could do enough talking for the both of them. He whistled with his hands on his hips at the sight.

“Okay, are you going to teach me how to do that? Man.” Delroy laughed. Shy had yet to give him much of a lesson in hand to hand, and he wouldn’t mind having some sort of lesson on how to aim. The best he’d known back home was playing games with a slingshot, and he wasn’t as good a marksman as his younger brothers. They’d take turns putting glass bottles out on the wall at the edge of the road and try to smash them to bits with rocks.

“What’s your name? Delroy. Eleven. You know, all that nonsense,” He waved his hand in front of his face. It felt perfunctory to have to explain who he was every single time they met with his name and district, as though there weren’t a hundred more things interesting. Then again some people changed their opinions just based on the little number that followed his name. Which was their loss, truth be told.

“I wouldn’t mind playing a bit with this with you, if you’d show me?” It’s not like he had anything better to do, other than run up to take a shower in the apartment. He hadn’t decided how he felt being in the apartment with the rest of his mentors. His mind kept going back to the fact that each of them had been through all of this and decided the best course of action was to train more of them to do the same.

“What do you say?”

[k!ah]

Y U K I

His name is Delroy, he was from eleven. Yuki didn't quite like that the boy had told him his name, it felt too personal considering in a matter of days they would have to attempt to kill each other. He didn't like that he talked so much, that he seemed too peppy in light of their situation. He had looked through the boys room, he had looked through all of them, and just like the rest his draws had been empty. A sad reminder of their temporary existence in the Capitol.

“I wouldn’t mind playing a bit with this with you, if you’d show me?” Yuki wasn't much of a teacher, but the game of darts was quite simple. Nodding he picks up a dart, handing one to the boy- Delroy. "Pretty simple. Dart," he points to Delroy's hand, "is thrown at the target." He remembers the first time he had picked up a dart, a gift from his mother at a young age. He had fallen in love instantly, loved that a game that was so simple required talent and practice to strike the perfect shot.

He loved that it was a game he could play on his own, no pressure, just himself challenging himself to attack at different angles to see just how talented he is. "Usually the aim would be to hit the bullseye. But as we are in, um, unusual circumstances. We have these human like dummies." He points at the mannequins beside the plain target. He would make things more interesting. "A dart to the heart, eyes or throat: kill shot."

A dart to the eye had taken the life of the first person he had killed. The perfect strike he had died a moment before Yuno's foot had connected with his chest and he had flown off the edge of the building. Yuno had told him that the fall had killed him, to try and lessen the pain, but Yuki had seen his eyes, watch the life fade from them

"You hit one of the kill shots and I'll give you my name and one secret." Maybe he was too confident.

dice: 1-9

1- heart
2- miss
3- miss
4- eye
5- miss
6- miss
7- throat
8- miss
9- miss

[marguerite harvard d2a (zori)]

The kid from three reminded Delroy of one of the boys that roomed at Iris Gate. A little bit off, in a way that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but probably was all right. The type of guy that he could spend an afternoon shooting shit with at least, even if in a few days he might’ve been at his throat. But maybe he might put that off for a bit if he built up a rapport with the boy from three. Stranger things had come out of the training center, and Delroy was prepared to let his guard down for now.

As the boy explained the game, he pointed out that they’d be aiming to kill the dummies stationed near them. Delroy reckoned he probably should’ve been horrified, but there was something about how grotesque it all was that had him crack a smile and start to laugh. Of course they would be aiming to kill the dummies in front of them with darts. The neck, the heart, and other vital points would do the most damage to anyone that was struck.

“You’re pretty sick you know that?” Delroy offered a smile again. “I love it.”

He hadn’t given Delroy his name, but offered it up if he managed to land a good shot. Which felt like a pretty good incentive to Delroy, who was too lazy to ask one of the trainers what the kid’s name was. He wasn’t sure how the rest of them had all their names memorized, but Delroy had looked at the list and forgotten them all almost immediately. He had shortened Neysa’s name to Ney so he didn’t have to remember the second half.

“All right, you’re on. And if you land a shot I’ll give you a secret about me.” He wasn’t sure exactly what that would be, since most of his secrets were mundane or on the lighter side of embarrassing. But it’s the best he could offer, given the circumstances.

“You always so secretive, or is it just the fact we have to kill each other at some point?” He took a dart and launched it.

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1-9

[k!ah]

Y U K I

“You’re pretty sick you know that?” Pretty sick, huh? Maybe he was, maybe he was twisted and broken and fucked up. Maybe that was who he was destined to be, a fucked up killer. If only Delroy really knew just how sick he was, he was sure that he wouldn't be standing here next to him, smiling the words I love it falling from his lips. He would be running, putting as much distance between the two of them as he could.

He seemed satisfied with the deal, accepting the dart Yuki offered him. Yuki was pretty sure that his first hit would fall flat, that his secret would be safe for one round. Though he wasn't quite sure he wanted his secret to stay hidden, eager to see the reaction of Elevens face as he let slip that something deep and twisted. He wanted the boy to know the darkness that haunted him. He wanted the boy to dig deeper, to know the secrets that caressed him.

Maybe he would tell the boy how his parents were buried in his yard. Maybe he would tell them how his stalker and himself had tracked down and murdered three people. Maybe he would tell him how he craved the feeling of ripping out the throat of his mothers murderer. How he desired the feeling of the Creators heart in his hands, squeezing it tight as it explodes in his fingers.

Maybe he would let slip that he did not feel remorse at the thought of killing 23 other in order to end the game. In order to make it home crowned a king, only too morph into a god.

Then he would find Seven, he would find the Creator and he would kill them both.

Preparing his body Delroy takes aim, “you always so secretive, or is it just the fact we have to kill each other at some point?” He throws, the dart sailing past the dummy. Quietly disappointed Yuki picked up his own dart, quiet for a moment. "Why get to know someone who will be dead in a few days?" He takes a deep breath, aiming the dart towards one of the three vital points.

"You missed. If I make the shot you tell me a secret, Mr Delroy of Eleven." His eyes dart to the boy for one second before he releases the dart.

daCU|_FKbg1-9
[ heart ]

dice: 1-8

1- heart
2- miss
3- miss
4- eye
5- miss
6- miss
7- throat
8- miss

1-9