chaotically proportional // cedric vs. nixie
Nov 28, 2021 22:28:24 GMT -5
Post by Python on Nov 28, 2021 22:28:24 GMT -5
Cedric's parents had begged him to open a book, but humans were storybooks of their own. Their eyes traced the lines of a pen, writing stories for people like Cedric who were eager to read the body language that followed. He didn't read books, but he did read people. He understood that others didn't know how to cope with tragedy, so as Zane unleashed his wails to the remnants of Fray's ashen coffin, Cedric waited patiently behind him.
He had a half-chewed mushroom in his cheek when Zane finally acknowledged him. "Well, at least one of us enjoyed that," he said, his exhaustion far from hidden. Cedric could attack him, but Zane was far more interesting alive than dead. "Don't mind me, I was letting you have your moment." He swallowed his snack unabashedly.
"Thanks, I think."
He watched Zane turn his attention away again. He was staring at the flames religiously, as if Bastian's charred corpse would come stumbling out at any moment. But Cedric had heard the cannon, and he doubted it was assigned to somebody else in the arena. He had heard plenty earlier. Sheesh, he would have to figure out how many people were left.
He perched himself at Zane's side to interrupt any further unnecessary introspection. "Didn't know you had a history with Fray," he said, and this was his moment to poke the bear or whatever. Zane didn't seem like much of a bear, but he was prying. Now that the others had scattered, Cedric wanted to spark another conversation. "It started out much like you, actually. He was hot and interested, I wanted to have fun in my last days, you can guess the rest."
True, he could. It was a classic tale.
"Difference is he then tried to kill me, but couldn't follow through. And when shit started to break me a few days ago, well, I thought he'd have the decency to do it quick. Never even considered the possibility that he'd taken this shit even worse than I."
Cedric hummed. It was interesting to see how fragile the careers' mighty reputation truly was. They were trained killers, but they were still human at the end of the day, and fell to their own emotional handicaps. He wondered how that worked. Were they emotionally repressed until the games carved their insides raw? What a concept. "So you two both wanted to die then?" He asked. It was not an accusation.
"I don't know if wanted to die is the right way to describe it for me. Fuck knows that if that was my only goal there were more than enough opportunities for me to just toss my sword down and let fate have her way with me. It's more like I'm realistic. I never expected to get this lucky, yanno, especially without one of those temporary pacts that tributes usually form because of emotional constipation and safety and numbers and all that shit."
Cedric didn't react to his tears. He didn't have anything constructive to say about such things.
"But then I killed a boy and wandered half the arena and nearly died more than once throughout all of that. And I decided that when my death comes I'd like for it to be quick and painless, so of course I kept looking for an opportunity because I was too damn scared to fall on my sword myself. And the last one I could think of, well, he didn't have such reservations of that nature."
Cedric looked him up and down, doubtful of his dreams. "Is a quick and painless death even possible now? You look like you've been run over a few times, no offense."
"Just a few times? You flatter me, Hardin."
And there Zane was, poking his little head out again. Releasing himself from his emotions even if only for a fleeting moment. Cedric grasped onto that familiarity and matched his grin.
"Honestly, I thought a quick and painless death was the best I could ever hope for in this hellhole. But then the Careers couldn't kill me, the mutts couldn't kill me, the elements couldn't kill me, and then when I offered myself up on a silver platter for Fray to claim, he proved that Careers are much more fragile than they look instead. So who fuckin' knows anymore."
He thought about Anarchy, and how he had died as soon as Games started. As a concept, careers were intimidating. Impressive, even. And sometimes they suited the stereotype, but others like Fray and Anarchy lost themselves to - something. Cedric didn't know what that something was. Not failure necessarily, but something.
Cedric decided to speak his mind. "From what I've seen, careers are strong until they're not. It doesn't always take a lot to kill someone's spirit. You might be alive because you're lucky, but you might be alive because you're just better than everything you've faced so far." He shrugged because it was true, and honesty happened to be far more interesting right now.
Zane had surprise written all over him, and it was funny. "Since when did you become a motivational speaker, Hardin?"
Flashbacks to Ty. Damn, he really was out here giving pep talks huh!
He laughed, "Motivational speaker! That's funny. I'm just a fuckin' truth teller. I could lie and say you suck, but that's no fun."
"Who said anything about me sucking being a lie?"
Another chuckle. Cedric raised a subtle eyebrow at his quip. "Good one. Are you avoiding the topic?"
"No."
Sure, kid.
"Cause' we could just get outta here and sit for awhile. I'm bleeding like crazy," he said, gesturing to the pooling bloodstain on his shirt. That damn Nixie and her blasted machete - she got a good one on him, that's for sure. He couldn't be that mad, it just hurt like a bitch.
"Me? Avoiding talking about the sudden discovery of my praise kink? Neverrrrrrr."
If only that had time to explore that little discovery. Oh well.
"But that's a good idea, can't have you bleedin' out on me now so, how bout you get that shirt off, will ya?"
His wish was Cedric's command.
--
And to nobody's surprise, Zane was gone when he awoke. After counting four faces in the sky, Cedric understood that there were less than ten tributes remaining. The stakes were skyrocketing now. Groups would not be clashing with each other like wild packs of dogs anymore. It was every pawn for themselves, and holy shit if Cedric's nerves weren't abuzz. Part of him appreciated the likelihood of Zane not wanting to kill him; that guy was still far more interesting alive than dead, for now.
Could he do it? Yes. But he would go where the wind took him and catch himself an opponent that way. Hopefully Zane would be miles away.
He somehow ended up at the gates near the Cornucopia. He blamed the torrent for blurring his vision; it was hard to fucking see in this pouring rainstorm, and he wondered if that had anything to do with the forcefield mishap. It had been noticeable yesterday - the explosion, the ripple effects in the sky. Cedric desperately wished he could've seen what happened. Probably some insane shit.
He was nearly lost to his daydreams when he spotted her. The fates had chosen her yet again, miss Nixie!
"You again!" he yelled to grab her attention.
"I never got to tell you, but you have a mean swing."
The sharp burn in his chest was a constant reminder of that.
"Call me greedy, but I want to see more. Show me what Four is really made of, cause' the other career kingdoms aren't doing so hot."
[attacks Nixie - machete]
7D4T5hkUFrsword
Shallow Cut on Right Forearm -- 3.5 damage
sword7D4T5hkUFrsword
Shallow Cut on Right Forearm -- 3.5 damage
