has anyone ever given anything to you? / chichi & elvena

"I haven't heard your cannon yet."

You stare down at a dying girl, the last of your sisterhood left, and leaving — but your tone does not waver. When you gaze at Chichi, your cold blue eyes betray none of the emotions hiding deep beneath your skin. Maybe they'll live forever there in your bones, in the dark spaces where you can't see them. When you made your choice to become this person, all those years ago, you set fire to everything that did not align to your one ambition.

But still you crouch by her side, shrouded overhead by those stars shining so far off in the distance, never making a sound. You thought she was beautiful even still, resilient beyond her stature, bleeding scarlet into a grayscale evening. Tiny little bird of paradise, stronger and smarter than she ever had any right being. One of two to be scored the highest in the Ninety-Second training sessions, above even yourself, and a Capitol darling by all means. On paper, a tribute from Eleven should have been an early bloodbath kill for you.

But yet.

She sunk her claws in you; she made it so easy to follow her. Part of you liked the thrill of it, giving in to the bloodthirst that has always been inside of you, and acting as her hound and executioner. You've cleaned the blood of so many people from your skin that you don't flinch when your fingers become slick with hers. You regret nothing, and if any person deserved to stay with you until the point where you would have to walk alone, you're grateful it's her.

And somewhere, within yourself, in the quietness; you're grateful that it's not your blade that had to fell her. "But I can hear your heart beating still. Don't you remember when you opened your veins to me, and you let me drink?" It's all logical to you, rational to a fault. You watch a girl allow herself to die, and you tell yourself then and there that you will never allow this to happen to you. What is death to Elvena Fray?

"What's the difference? Why won't you ask me to make the hunger go away?" You lower yourself to the earth beside her, curling up on your side and gazing at her, peacefully teetering between sleeping and ending. One could almost mistake this for innocent; two girls lying beneath the twilight, hand touching hand, but when you speak your fangs are visible behind your lips. "Tell me, Chichi, and I'll only ask once."

All of the arena hushes to listen; the shadows seem to bow in honor of a fading queen.

"Will you drink my blood?"