you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2]

Danny
District Mayor

[M:-2003]

763 POSTS
last seen Aug 15, 2013 9:11:46 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 16, 2013 13:31:38 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Danny on Feb 16, 2013 13:31:38 GMT -5

I was wrong,
I take it back
Now can we get along
Give up the slack
You know it all could be much easier

When I exit the tomb, the field of grass is replaces with swords poking up towards the sky, they don't hurt me, though, only tickle. I keep waiting for the blood to come through my sides, but they don't. And the familiar chirp of insects lures me to believe they're waiting for some sweet red juice to suck on. I walk like a drunk, like my left foot was replaced with my right one. I try to grab onto one of the silver swords, not worrying about my hand slicing open, but instead, it crumbles like paper and I fall down into the field.

The swords move for me, and now I'm on a bed of iron but it doesn't have the metallic feeling I thought it would. Only this dry, plaster-like coating that tickles my body in a good way.

"C'mon!" I call up to Whateverhisnameis. "Aren't you coming?" And I start to giggle at the double meaning behind those words for a few seconds. I feel blood start to drip down the side of my face, but when I go to feel it, all that's there is salty sweat. It really is hot. My blue shirt and pink pants clash, and so I contemplate removing from my body when I realize the nights could get pretty cold.

Above me, the clouds turn into faces and their mouths are moving but I can't hear a single thing they say.

Don't take your time
Make up your mind
Though it won't change the world
You'll be more inclined
To have a point of view

Deleted

0 POSTS
last seen Apr 19, 2024 3:23:21 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 16, 2013 22:01:27 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2013 22:01:27 GMT -5

•••
But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
•••

He sprinted out into the grass close behind ~~Essence~~ Scout, and watched with wide eyes as she clucked her tongue, muttering all things that seemed to indicate a different state of mind. ~~Elodie and William~~ Bunny and Dizzy had wandered off on their own (to do who knows what

[/color]), while Benat had made it his charge to take care of ~~Essence~~ Scout. He couldn’t help but watch her as they edged along through the long grass. It could’ve been that they’d both made their homes in lower districts, the same ones that farmed and knew what hard times were, that made Benat sympathize with her. They weren’t going to be getting any sponsors—the lower districts had already been weaned down to a select few tributes, and their odds only seemed to get worse each day. And for ~~Essence~~ Scout—blood now curdling from the poison of the gigantic lizards of the tomb the danger was real and time limited.

But the sun hadn’t set on them just yet. [/color] In the recesses of his backpack, Benat had the little vial of antivenom that would have stopped the madness ~~and her death~~. ~~William and Elodie~~ Dizzy and Bunny were in the same boat; all of them poisoned and all of them were sinking slowly. What could he—how could he—decide which of them deserved it most? And the wrinkle that slipped through—now coming to a head as the air grew colder and Benat shivered—hadn’t he earned it[/color]? He narrowed his eyes, thinking back to the moments at the start of the games, when all was fresh and new and the first blood was spilled. He’d been lucky enough to snatch it from the pile during the bloodbath. Didn’t that mean that it was his and his alone for the taking? What if in the days ahead he was poisoned, and the life he was supposed to save was his own?

“What did I ever teach you?” Benat is far and away inside his mind, back in District Eleven. The sun’s red streaks across the sky, and his youngest brother Sampson sits on the edge of the old wooden porch. In his hands are a handful of coins, his face now despondent and eyes cast down at the dirt trail in front of their home. He’s come from the neighbors, having helped them till a field and do some extra chores for one of the older women. She’s given him more than he was owed—if only because not sound of mind and because of her big heart—and Sampson wants to spend it all on sweets and treats for himself. “How do we live here…?”

Sampson crinkles his face into a frown and doesn’t say a word. Benat sits down beside him, hands on his knees. “I don’t know…” Sampson whispers, his voice low. He’s all of nine, and Benat is just fifteen. They are quiet now—Benat not breathing a word to his mother or father about the extra coin for fear of the whipping it could bring. He would have done the same at his age—a fussy, spoiled, and immature older brother, he rarely gave things up that he’d earned.[/color] It was a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of world, wasn’t it?[/color] No sir, not when it came to family. Not when it came to those that one could help.

“You don’t have to give it up or do nothing with it you don’t want to,” Benat said, putting an arm around his brother’s shoulder. “But you got to think, if you buy bread or share it with us, ‘stead of buying yourself candy or treats… it’ll go a lot farther for the rest of us, you know?” Sampson eyed the coins in his hands before moving to give them to Benat. He patted him on the back and smiled as he rubbed the cool metal between his fingers. If it were he, wouldn’t Benat have bought a drink with the extra coin? Or tried to get a flower for one of the girls down the way? Oh, but it was do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do that he practiced and preached, was it not?

Everybody’s gotta learn sometime…
[/center]

“Scout—Essence,” He said, his voice soft as he watched her. She was pretty, with curls and a sweet sort of smile that made his cheeks burn when she flashed it at him. He put his hand behind his head now tongue tied for the first time since they’d started the games. There wasn’t much he could offer to one where poison was filling her veins, and would leave her lifeless before long. But how long could he wait for her to be sponsored before it was too late? And how could he ever forgive himself if she were to die because of his greed? He inched along behind her, laughing a little as she stepped along through the grass. “Wait up for me… you shouldn’t be wondering off on your own.”

As he pressed along, he reached out to grab for her hand, not wanting to tumble himself into the grass. He grasped forward for her, and in another instant, shot his hand back as though it had been burned. He didn’t want to upset her—the last thing that she needed—though he couldn’t help but want to make sure she was all right. Even if he was to want her dead in a few days, couldn’t he hold her hand for the time being? And they could look at the stars—whatever projection they were by the gamemakers—and talk of things other than death and misery. He’d like to hear her laugh again.

William and Elodie had already gotten gifts from sponsors—their mentor no doubt working her best to make sure they were well looked after. He let out a sigh as he looked to her again, his hands then on his backpack. [/color]The hell with this. The hell with the games, or tip-toeing around what’s right and what’s wrong. Or people’s expectations. The hell with what tomorrow might be, or the next day.[/color] Benat took a knee and rummaged through his backpack before retrieving the syringe and vial holding the antivenom.

If I’m going to stand, then I ought to stand on principle. Or I’m not going stand for anything at all.

[/color]

“Take this,” Benat said. “Take it and let me fix you up, okay?”

[Benat gives his antivenom to Essence.]

[/center]

•••
Though it's cold inside
Feel the tide turning
•••

[/justify][/blockquote][/size]

Last Edit: Feb 17, 2013 15:08:55 GMT -5 by Deleted

Danny
District Mayor

[M:-2003]

763 POSTS
last seen Aug 15, 2013 9:11:46 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 17, 2013 18:23:47 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Danny on Feb 17, 2013 18:23:47 GMT -5

I was wrong,
I take it back
Now can we get along
Give up the slack
You know it all could be much easier

I put my head back, unaware of the ticks that could be lingering in this small field of grass. I look up at the sun, my eyes being blinded and remembering a story I once heard. A story of a kid losing his sight from staring at the sun too long. The more I think about it, the more I want that to happen to me. Because seeing is believing and I don't want to believe in this place anymore. Even I'm not sure what place I'm referring to: possibly the arena but possibly Panem all together.

I can already feel my eyes losing their purpose, but as Benat calls for me, I perch up like a dog. "Scout-Essence," he calls. He giggled a cute giggle, one I wished I could keep in a glass jar and just look at it all day. And he smiled a wide smile, one that made his whole face light up (even if his mouth was a little too big). "Wait up for me... you shouldn’t be wondering off on your own." I stared at him wide-eyed, curious as to what he was trying to pull. Above me, the sun was starting to set and I was tempted to chase after it, but I was magnetized to Benat's eyes instead. They were brown, a relatively boring and dull color, but they complimented his skin and as I stared into his pupils I saw a kaleidoscope pattern dance around the edges.

He grabbed for my hand and I didn't see any but I felt a spark between us, one that made him pull back. I frowned. I didn't want to not be good enough for him. I really like him and I don't want to die alone.

"Take this," Benat offers. "Take it and let me fix you up, okay?"

He thrusts a pencil towards me, an odd-shaped one with a long point and thick body. I look at him confused. "Wha- Why would I want a pencil?" I ask, my words slur beyond belief and I'm stuck thinking of the few times I got drunk at parties. This feels different, somehow, like I wasn't only drinking but smoking and I felt light. Lighter than a cloud but for some reason the world didn't agree with me so I was stuck in the air.

"I don't wanna stupid pencil," I inform him with a few giggles.

I rummage through my backpack and find the needle and thread, and somehow, I manage to stitch up my shoulder. I guess it's because I've been doing it my whole life.

Then, I take the bandages left from the kit and throw them at Benat. "And I don't want these, either."

The pencil and bandages now lay at Benat's feet, and I don't know what to say. I pull him towards me which is pretty easy seeing he's balanced on his knees, and pull him next to me. "Hi," I say as a bubbly laugh escapes me lips, my curls bouncing in unison with my mouth.

[Essence takes Benat's antivenom, but is too scared to use it herself so gives it back to him.]
[Uses needle and thread to bring her damage down to 0.]
[Gives the rest of her medical kit to Benat (15ft of bandages).]

Don't take your time
Make up your mind
Though it won't change the world
You'll be more inclined
To have a point of view

Last Edit: Feb 19, 2013 20:40:42 GMT -5 by Danny

Deleted

0 POSTS
last seen Apr 19, 2024 3:23:21 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 20, 2013 1:19:53 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2013 1:19:53 GMT -5

•••
But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
•••

That she didn't take the medicine worried Benat. He chewed on the bottom of his lip in a why-doesn’t-she-understand fashion, now playing Mr. Fix-it to a girl that should have known better. What little he knew of her, she was a healer, ~~pretty~~, and all too friendly for someone that would need to kill him to get out of the arena. The mask he’d put on was fading in the seriousness of the situation. Was it cracked at the sides, tumbling off his face—now hard and concerned, not draped in the usual goofy grin and smile? There he sat, on his knees and heart pitter-pattering faster as she tossed back the antivenom, and then bandages too, saying And I don’t want these either.

[/color] As though the girl would somehow get better through prayer or self-conditioning; she’d be dead before morning if it were left up to that. An easy but painful death, too.

When was the first time anyone had looked at him like that? They were all of sweet sixteen, running out past the bonfire they’d had to mark another reaping come and gone. Kings and queens of the district; they could celebrate their fortune of being alive—and in the heat of a summer sun, take off their clothes dripping with sweat. Because when darkness fell, they would all crowd into the swimming hole and eye who it was that had their hearts skip a beat or two. And he’d seen eyes like those, if only for an instant—a moment, a quick and deafening silence accompanied by a symphony of crickets in the moonlight. They’d peered into and past him, and made his face flush. He’d had his first kiss and kept it; nothing special, but enough to make him realize what it meant to be a man.

Hi[/color], She giggled out, all laughs and no anguish—no sign that she was inching toward death. Benat was slack jawed as she pulled him closer, taken aback by her aggressiveness. He gave another grin as he reached back for the antivenom, knowing he couldn’t let the moment pass. He wrapped an arm around her back and moved the needle up against her left arm, just below her shoulder. He stopped to inspect the work she’d done on her own arm, and was impressed she could sew herself up so quickly—had he done the same the work would’ve been sloppy and half-open.[/color] He cleared his throat. All the bravado from before was lost, and he was soft and quiet.

“I’m going to do it, then,” Benat offered, holding the needle against her skin. “I’m going to do it on three, okay? You can count with me if you want…” Benat was a whisper then—thinking how much he was giving up in a single stroke. He’d never be able to afford another antivenom—his sponsors likely numbering close to nothing, he hoped and prayed it wouldn’t come back to haunt him. But she needed saving,[/color] Benat was reminded. And I’d have done it for any of them.[/color] Because there wasn’t any honor in letting her die. Not if it meant being selfish. He licked his lips and started the count. “One… Two…”

But before he hit three, Benat jabbed in the needle and pressed down hard. The good older brother he’d always been, one knew to make any sort of hurt unexpected and quick. He gave a grin as he finished, letting out a final, “Three.” He laughed and tossed away the syringe before moving to dress the wound. “There… now…” Benat grinned. “How’re you feeling?” He held her in his arms for another minute, still pleased with himself. They were in that moment two kids again—not worried about the death brought by the arena, but out in a warm summer sun and surrounded by the tall grass. For the first time in a while he felt safe, and happy to have not been alone.

[Benat officially uses his antivenom on Essence. He also takes her bandages]

•••
Though it's cold inside
Feel the tide turning

[/color]
•••[/center]
[/justify][/blockquote][/size]

Last Edit: Feb 20, 2013 1:39:00 GMT -5 by Deleted

Danny
District Mayor

[M:-2003]

763 POSTS
last seen Aug 15, 2013 9:11:46 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 21, 2013 21:02:42 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Danny on Feb 21, 2013 21:02:42 GMT -5

I was wrong,
I take it back
Now can we get along
Give up the slack
You know it all could be much easier

"I’m going to do it, then. I’m going to do it on three, okay? You can count with me if you want..." I knew myself I was in no state to count. At that moment, one seemed like an infinite number and zero seemed to extend longer than forever. His words slurred, but I knew it was my own brain slowing them down in attempts to process them. "One... Two..."

I felt a needle poke into my skin and I felt my teeth clench in unison with my fists. "Three." The looniness in my head seemed to drain, like poking my skin let all of the poison out, when, it actuality, I was just putting more things in my veins. "There... now... How're you feeling?"

In all honesty, I wasn't expecting the effects of the poison to wear away so quickly, but in a matter of seconds I was no longer seeing the stars whirl above me, I was grounded and the sky was where it was supposed to be: in a location far above me, far enough to taunt me and make me want to be there.

"I feel..." At that time, I was uncertain of my feelings. They were a mosh pit of things that one could feel, but the one word that came to my mind was "Safe." And I hadn't meant for it to slip, which was why I said it in a whisper and held my hand to my mouth in a matter of seconds, but I didn't regret. Because I ~~knew~~ thought that, as long as I was with Benat, I'd be safe, and everything would be okay.

{ooc: essence is now non poisoned}

Don't take your time
Make up your mind
Though it won't change the world
You'll be more inclined
To have a point of view

Deleted

0 POSTS
last seen Apr 19, 2024 3:23:21 GMT -5

you're not stubborn [benat + essence//day 2] Feb 21, 2013 22:14:40 GMT -5

Quote

Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2013 22:14:40 GMT -5

•••
But you and I now
We can be alright
Just hold on to what we know is true
You and I now
•••

“Safe.”

Benat looked down at her again, his arms still wrapped around her. What did he feel then, his heart beating a little faster in his own chest? Were his cheeks burning a little bit watching the way she seemed to shudder back into existence, awoken from her drunken state? He wasn’t much for eloquence, or even sweet words. In truth, he’d never really known what to say to girls—as quick as he was with his tongue—other than to make fun of them. He took a deep breath and figited, hoping that she was comfortable as they laid there in the tall grass. It was good to feel safe, if even for a little bit.

“Good, I’m glad,” Benat replied. He took another moment to look down at her, though he blushed when he realized that he was staring. He wondered how long it would be before night fell, and they were greeted with the anthem for the day. Maybe it was time to be more serious—though Benat felt out of his skin. He wasn’t much of a protector. He felt like he needed her just as much as she might have needed him. It was luck, wasn’t it? That allowed him to have the antivenom she needed? But feeling safe was better than feeling the dread he had about the arena.

“What’s it like?” Benat said after letting the silence hang for a few moments. The silence made him itch, and he couldn't let it lie. He shifted again in his spot. “District Ten, I mean. Is it a lot of farm stuff? That’s what we have in District Eleven. I always imagined it was a little like what we had…” Benat crinkled his nose. “Sorry if that sounds stupid. I just didn’t think I’d ever meet anyone from another District. You know? I always thought…” He let his voice fade out. He talked too much.