even the shadows are pernicious {day 3 | prettys v. mutts}

Four thousand years ago,
I came back to my senses
Jumped on a laser ray
and blew into a new dimension

And like that their first encounter outside of the Bloodbath ended. Kassandra's heart roared in her ears and he looked down to see her skin of her hand bubbling and bruising. She clung to it but her heart sank through her ribs anyway. Her dominant hand rendered useless the second day of the Hunger Games.

Her cards on Reaping day called back to her, but just because she knew it was coming didn't make it taste any sweeter. Kass swung her blaster into her bag, and set her mind on something useful. She grabbed a thermos from the kitchen cabinet and filled it from water from the still functioning sink. The liquid bubbled up over the facet before running down to the ceiling, unsure of its path in this unfamiliar upside down world.

Dio started through the hallways and Kass followed and, oddly enough, Ike followed as well. They never said anything, but he seemed content to tag along for the time being. It wasn't like Kass could tell him to leave, nor did she want to. They were supposed to be a trio, and the presence of a third man soothed her fears.

But her mind still wandered back to Blair's eyes and all the blood spiraling out of her skull.

They made camp in one of the darkest areas of this section of the Arena. It had flaking glow in the dark paint on nearly everything advertising a game she only vaguely knew of. Something Capitolites talked about on Games coverage, laughing at their jokes that the citizens of Panem could never fully understand. She recognized the word golf but not any of the rules.

She takes first watch and spends most of it knocking the glowing balls across the floor with her boot.

She grabbed one of the balls, slathered in yellow-green glowing paint, and held it in the palm of her good hand. It was small, dimpled, and shined among the darkness like a star.

Kass chunked it into the farthest reaches of the room, watching it blink out of range but listening to it clatter against metal.

At least she had touched a star.

___

The next morning they packed up their belongings and began their trek through the Arena again. They passed under archways made from blankets and photo albums, and her eyes linger on statues made of old key cards and spoons.

Dio found a case full of powders and pencils and insisted they stop. She sat perfectly still, aching swollen hand laid gently in her lap just in case Ike wandered to close and stepped on it. Dio's finger held her chin steady and she watched him focus in on his work. His fingers pressed gently against her eyelids, smearing sparkles and color across them. Her eyes watered as he ran the pencil against the edge of the lid, all her protests choked back except the occasional sniffle when the pain became too much.

As Dio worked the same magic on Ike, she looked at her reflection in the chrome walls of the corridor. Black rimmed her eyes, purple covering the lid nearly to her eyebrows. She looked different, but fierce. The soft browns and beiges of District Eleven hidden under stark blacks and sparkling violets.

She returned to the boys, kneeling beside Dio her hands itching to help paint.

___

She presses the wrist of her wounded hand to the reader the door slides open. Glass twisted in every way litters the tables, shards of it on the floor. The low rumble of the air vents is done. No creaking doors or falling piles of lost stuff, only silence.

Except for a hum.

Kass saw the tip of a tail slice through the dim, flickering lights of the lab and went for her blaster. A creature appears out of the darkness, its teeth sinking into Ike's leg. The peace of the morning is shattered. Dio slams his fire extinguisher into the creature but it isn't frightened away.

A moist tendril of something reaches for her face and Kassandra has just enough time to scuttle back to miss it's caress. The air snaps as it reaches out, the sound filling every inch of the room. She pulls her blaster out, first aiming at humming before turning and firing at the creature gnawing on Ike's calf.


[Attacks Monty with blaster (throwing knives)]
kNkUWWCsH0throwing knife
[Deep Gash on Chest -- 9.5 damage]

This vertical line,
I watch it go by

---

atlus | table by ryan | Lyrics from Lazerray by TV on the Radio

Chop down your master plan
in nanoseconds, man
I hope you understand that nothing living lasts forever

The blast of energy sears and crackles against the creature's skin, vaporizing a chunk and crisping the edges to a dark shade of black. The smell chokes the room. Ike swings an arm, throwing a mutt across the floor. Her finger trembles on the trigger, trying to decide which mutt was the biggest threat, but they chose for her.

The creature munching on Ike's leg sprung at her face. Kass turned her head to the side, shielding her face as its teeth sank into her shoulder. A spasm ran through her fingertips and her blaster fell from her grasp, clattering against the floor out of reach as the other mutt flew from Ike's fist to Dio's skull.

The teeth scrape at the bone underneath, a sizzling searing through her veins. Her fingers try to grab at the creature but slip of its slimy, slick scales. Her shoulder throbs, the creature wrapping around her arm and keeping her good hand from reaching for help.

Kassandra closes her eyes and grits her teeth. She pushes her broken right hand into her bag, swollen sluggish fingers reaching around until pain hits cold metal. Purple joints scream out as she tightens her grasp around the weapon and rips it out, cutting a gouge in the edge of her bag, and bringing the blade into the creature chewing on her neck.


[Attacks Monty [Mutt30] with Radial Glass Boomerang[Knife]]
46oELKgXngknife
[Miss -- 0.0 damage]

[oh yeah accuracy]
knife
[Shallow Cut on Right Thigh -- 3.5 damage]

This vertical line,
I watch it go by

---

atlus | table by ryan | Lyrics from Lazerray by TV on the Radio

Kass' blade grazed the creature, it's body still wriggling around her shoulder. Its claws dug into her skin, ripping her purple robes and spilling more blood down her chest. Air was hard to come by, her mind fogging with the pain blooming in her fingers and scratching into her neck.

"Kass, you told me I'd survive this whole thing."

She looked up at Ike. Big dumb Ike. It was harmless fun, she thought he would have forgotten about it by now. Her heart thumped in her chest. How could she tell him it was all a lie?

"I think you lied to me."

"Ike-" Guilt crushed her chest but was interrupted by teeth sinking into her scalp. She was screaming, but could not hear the sound. Tears trailed down her cheeks, her useless hands trying to grab at the creature too quick to stop as it tore out her skin with its teeth.

This is what dying feels like.

Tower. Death. Ten of Swords.

This was her end.

Dio went to smack the creature clawing into her skull but missed. Kass flailed wildly, trying to hit stab the monster draining her blood.


But when it matters most, she misses.