hydration [lucien v sunscorched snakeroot | day 3]

Lucien can see the extraterrestrial lights from a collapsed hole in the ceiling. After a brief interaction with Orville that ended in, well, not death, he wandered off, frightened by the premise that good things like peace and safety are not a guarantee for long, especially in the Hunger Games, where peace and safety for one will mean the endangerment of another. He spends his evening curled in one of the decaying rooms, where the heavy footsteps leave a clawing trail outside. He's careful to breathe too loudly. These are hand-crafted monsters, and if the Game Makers want them to find Lucien, they'll find him.

Morning brings no new deaths, just the three that they had started with the day before. He hates that he's spent two days with no more water than the drips of water coming from ceilings. Who knows if it is been contaminated by rust or germs. The world around him is meant to decay before his eyes. As for food, it's been next to nonexistent. Lucien expected there to be at least some remnants of it at the Cornucopia, but the only things abandoned by the suit were customizable options for its smaller versions. Lucien threw them all away: how could someone focus on a creative vision in times like this. He loves to dream and imagine, but it has taken a back seat to haunting images of towering giraffes with translucent and iridescent crowns preparing to kill him.

Lucien walks in the morning, using the rocket that he'd acquired in the sponsorship to push himself along in the mech suit a bit quicker. It's a strong time saver given how taxing the maneuvers around the arena can seem. He swings himself around corners, hugging the walls in some sort of stealth.

He comes to a place with a bit more life than the rest of the arena. The place feels relatively open: trees grow and roots take place. It smells fresh in comparison to every other square foot of the arena. Lucien pulls himself forward to a pool of well water. It smells rancid, certainly filled with germs at the very least, but Lucien takes his bottle out from his trunk hatch. His hand dives into the water and he feels the empty canteen get heavier and heavier in his hand.

But it's weighted down by something, no, dragged. His hand sinks into the pool and a wrap of snakes fly upward and bite into his hand. Almost immediately, Lucien equips his new weapon upgrade, a sword that he'd found in the Den, and swings in his own defense.

[lucien grey attacks the viper knot (TRI Force Cutter)]

bEdS3BFr0|sword
[1012 -- Deep Gash on Back of Head -- 9.0 damage]

Just as Lucien pulls the blade back from the knot of snakes, he stumbles and falls to the ground. A knockout punch collapses atop him as he thuds the ground. Shrapnel detonates from the ground and the explosion sends shards of a knife through the thin holes of the suit and into his forearm. It stings, and pressure points source from his arm to his belly and to his feet. And just as Lucien tries to pull his body upwards, his hand pulls on a vine only to reveal a second trap upon him. A block of wood outfitted by spikes falls on his head.

He's dizzy for a moment as the sphere of snakes appears to float through the well and onto the ground in a chase. Lucien backs up, his throat letting out a panicked whimper as they get closer. He's on the ground, just like yesterday and just like last year. He feels defenseless as the small creatures' fangs clutch his pant leg and sink their teeth in. The mech suits appeared to protect him well at first, but through general wear and tear, it has proven to be unreliable.

Lucien swings with his sword again, trying to sling the pile of snakes off of him to gather his bearings. But he wants to go for the kill. He wants the water so he can drink in a little bit of peace.

[lucien grey attacks the viper knot (TRI Force Cutter)]

YM0TaglQkssword
[1083 -- Shallow Cut on Neck -- 4.0 damage]

The venom travels through Lucien's veins as he takes another jab toward the snakes. Every instinctual muscle in his body wants to collapse and clutch his arm and leg. He knows there is some antibacterial and antidote medication in his bag; he recalls picking them up on the first day. He's pushed up against a gumdrop tree, waiting in fear while the snakes hiss and promise another chance at his neck. Although jumbled together, they pounce and move as one, taking to Lucien's body. But they are off target, and he swats at a stray snake that detaches from the cluster and sends them aside.

Open wounds on his forearm are marked by sharp wooden chips and metal. His body dangles, a little helpless as the snakes retake their form together and slide toward him once more. Terror is top of mind, but Lucien's face shows a blank stare. He wants to cry and not be in the arena anymore. His countenance tells a different story: one nonchalant in nature. You're not scared, Lucien. His sword hacks at the bulk again. Keep up the good lie.

[lucien grey attacks the viper knot (TRI Force Cutter)]

Fad|sXY4_ysword
[1128 -- Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage]