hell was the journey | bad blood v the feylost ; day three

The murky waters were, as expected, not safe. Soon after I helped Xaa through her first bout of injuries and we were settling down to sleep, the cave comes tumbling down around us. I've heard all about collapsing mines, but it's not something I had ever expected to experience. I start to dig through the rubble to pull myself up, my chest tight and my breathing heavy in the dust. The miners always say the first thing to do is to get out and then worry about injuries.

The debris at least does me one favor and pulls Will and Xaa apart. PDA is gross.

Will, Luna, and I avoid the worst of it. Xaa isn't as lucky, a rocky spear plunging into her back. Luckily we still had some supplies for me to stitch over the injury as best as I could after we dragged her to safety. I'm still apprehensive about the snake-tongued girl from one. Our conversation yesterday seems planted, part of her plan to make everyone like her before she needs to bash our heads in with her weapon. I'd prefer to make sure she stays alive for a bit longer, though.

When I diagnose an illness, I take a thorough evaluation of the patient. It's interesting, pulling each symptom apart piece by piece to determine what mystery disease I'm facing. Xaa is no different from my patients. However, instead of an illness, the mystery behind her family is the most interesting part of all of this. So instead of pulling away from our conversation yesterday, I made her a peace offering of snakeskin gloves. Maybe soon she'll finally tell me what "the greater good" actually means for a toy store.

After dragging ourselves out of the sludge, it took us a few moments of catching our breath to notice the sky. The air was no longer muddy with humidity, taking on a nighttime chill. The sky burns an iridescent purple, swirling lavender with darker shades in an ombre lit up by ever-growing lilting laughter in the distance.

Will leads us back the way we came. The forest offered more sanctuary than the open-air and the crumbling bog. When she tells us to stay alert, I respond with a sleepy grunt. The sleep deprivation was already catching up to me- my eyes were starting to droop with every step.

Will stops abruptly and I tumble into Xaa. "Sorry," I say quietly, my eyes widening at the sound of approaching footsteps. Steadying myself, I reach up behind me to grab onto my sickle, drawing it from the bag.

Will takes the first punch, swinging at the guy from ten I don't think I ever met. I do see two familiar faces. I pause, looking between the two. Despite all of Xaa and Luna's orations about the need to kill quickly, I can't bring myself to take a swing at Vallen yet. All the guy wants is some peace and quiet, which is confusing because of who he chose to ally with.

"Hey Quinn," I say, turning my weapon on the boy from six with a grimace, "Any final fun facts you gotta get out?"

[attacks quentin with moon sickle (axe)]
xZIzStq4Shaxe
[Shallow Cut on Forehead -- 4.5 damage]

the night winds down, just for a moment as you realize that you have probably focused way too much on the girl talk that xaa and will had engaged in. it was weird, seeing as you did not really care for it back in two. a lot of the girls used to talk of fellow male careers like they were going pounce on them right then and there. luna did see it from their point of view. most of the boys were at top physical shape, but luna just didnt understand why they might have been worth the distraction.

and to be quite honest, men werent really all that and a bag of chips back home. most of them were full of themselves, and now that most of them had been shoveling shit into furnaces, or whatever "waste management" meant, they felt even more entitled to your attention.

only the best of the best were able to keep their spots at the academy, which meant you left most of them in the dust.

the time passed, and the sounds of the cenote had been relaxing. mostly the water passing through. you had let it calm your nerves, that was until you had realized that there had been a ringing sound that you did not notice quick enough. a tiny explosion happened just feet away from you, but you had been quick enough to only feel tiny pieces of glass hit you. you looked to everyone else for just a moment. "what in the world..." you werent paying attention as your foot caught on one of the tree roots that had extended out of the ground and you banged your knee onto the hard ground. "fuck." you continued as you held your knee close to your chest.

this was just confusing. just when you thought you had a moment of peace, the gamemakers mustve wanted to keep you all on your toes. you thought about flipping off a random tree, because you were sure there was a camrea in there, somewhere. but you didnt.

you just took a long deep breath.

time passed and you watched as the anthem had come on later that night during your watch.

no one showed up.

tomorrow as going to be bloody. you just had a feeling.

the sun came up and everyone had risen around the same time. you did not make eye contact with any of them, because you had a feeling that you might be intruding. instead you stood up and stretched. your knee was sore, but there was nothing you could do about that. nothing like walking it off at this point. you thought about was boss would have told you. no pain, no gain.

you sometimes wished you could have thrown a knife at her, but you didnt. especially not now. the memories of home were the only thing that were motivating you. that and the thought of seeing olivia again.

you havent told any of them about her, and part of you wonder if it was because you wanted to keep the idea of her to yourself. she didnt need any more publicity after all.

you blushed for a moment though.

you covered your face as you guys got out of the area and went straight back into the forest. you felt a little more comfortable, right up until you started hearing footsteps from behind the many trees. "tributes." you did not hesitate to get up close to the trees. "they want blood." you smirked for a moment, realizing that maybe you were a little too into this.

"over there." you point out, but will is already arming herself with a knife. they throw it, and then tommy is already rushing the boy from six.

you remember him from the training center. its all hazy, but tommy told you enough to make you realize that there is good reason to not like him. after all, someone needed to die. they wanted blood, and you were not someone that would shy away from giving into demands.

"i have one tommy if i may." you dont waste time to interject. your spear was brandished. "fun fact..." you look to the boy from six. "youre gonna die here."

you do not even hesitate. you move forward.

so does your spear.

Damn Luna had to open her mouth about the things I said to her about Will in confidence. I avoided her question like the plague and denied the existence of our previous conversation hoping that Will would not bring the matter up.

She didn’t

Yet when the night fell she still laid down behind me, her hand on my hip pulling me closer to her body. A silent agreement to not talk about whatever this was, whatever game we were playing with each other. Labels and feelings had no place when only one would make it out. I knew when it came down to it, I might have to kill her. It would no longer matter what I felt towards the girl from twelve. This was all temporary so why waist our time talking about what could have been. I stroked the new snakeskin gloves on my hands as I let myself fall into a deep slumber.

“Goddamn…Fuck!” I screeched as I was rudely awakened by a sharp rock piercing my back. First I was woken up to snakes trying to kill me and now fucking stones? What was wrong with this fucking place, a girl just wanted to wake up to her…whatever the fuck Will and I were, in peace and enjoy a nice morning together. Was that too much to ask for?

I could see Tommy rolling his eyes already as I approached him with a more than annoyed scowl asking yet again to be stitched up. This time in silence, no questions from him about the toy store and I did not press for answers about his family. It was an awful morning, and no one was in the mood for lighthearted conversation about our loved ones that we might never see again.

After a quick fix up job on my back, we all started to make our way in silence with Will leading the pack. At first I tried to keep up beside her, but the more I got lost in my own forest of thoughts the more I noticed myself slowly slipping behind her. My mind wandered at a pace my feet could only dream to keep up with. Eyes darting around the arena looking out for any signs of danger. More often than not it was as if we were being watched or followed by something in the shadows. Not the cameras that were capturing our every move, but something more, something not outright human.

Ghosts don’t exist, Xaahira. The creatures that go bump in the night are all in your head. This arena is trying to mess with you, but you cannot let it. Remember who you are, the untouchable goddess of sin and desire. You embody the serpent that you oh so admire, just look at yourself, you are far beyond that of any mere human.

I gave myself the pep talk in my mind. Possibly whispering the words under my breath, manifesting the girl I was before the capitol robbed me of my immortality. Surly mother had to know I worked better under the influence, why hasn’t she sponsored me any of my product from back home? I’m sure the viewers at home would love to see just what –

I stop in my tracks as Will comes to a halt and Tommy runs right into me. He apologizes as I shoot him a death glare. My back still in searing pain did not need any more damage to it. Ahead of us were four other tributes, the first ones we have encountered since the bloodbath and just my luck…the know it all from six and the cult member from ten. The weary boy with what seemed like more mommy issues than me was also present. The last one, the blond, she was new.

I watched as Will threw a knife in the direction of Elijah drawing first blood. Time to paint this arena my favorite shade of red.

I slowly snaked my way up behind Will, “Oh Will, you are such a tease! Enough with the foreplay darling, let’s kill them already.” I licked my lips with my serpent tongue as I slowly moved forwards in front of her towards Elijah. My newly present shadow slithering behind me. “Elijah, darling.” I hiss, “You should have chosen to worship me whilst you have the chance. Can’t you see, I’m the closest thing to a god you will ever come across!” I opened my jaw wide and my tongue flickered as I lunged towards the tribute from ten.

filler so I don't hold anyone up!

Sees bloody thigh and is like oof this hurts.

"Geez Vallen, tell your friend to chill out."

(also ooc note for the gms to use the amulet of protection on the last sc)

[attacks quentin with moon sickle (axe)]
Wa4fz47qpZaxe
[Severed Right Calf at Knee -- 9.0 damage]

you are not even phased by the feeling of our spear pushing into the boys neck. it is a twisted and visceral sensation as you can feel the spear go through parts of his skin. you do not look away, you let the blood pool for just a moment.

he tries to swing at you, but you are able to duck out of the way and then twist the spear just enough to let him know that you are in fact, ready and willing to kill him right here. there is no more pleasentries, there is no more time to share stories of home, this is kill or be kill and you were determined to make sure that you, or your friends, were not the ones to die here.

everyone is talking amongst themselves, and you realize that, yet again, you are simply just existing. you arent ignored, it is very clear that everyone else just saw what you did. maybe you arent speaking loud enough. you realize that you dont have too. you just need to let the weapon do all the talking. however, a part of you feels like some quiet words would really rattle the boy from six.

"what? did i puncture your larynx? cant speak?" you arent even going to waste your time trying to be nice to him. "they all told me so many things about you, hell, i even witnessed some of them myself six." you pull back your spear, you can see more blood pooling from the wound. "i know you have your own voice." you arent even paying attention to the boy from ten, whose knife simply grazes your thigh.

"your friends arent going to save you here." you lock eyes and make it very clear that he is going to perish, one less hope for district six this year.

you are villainous.

you are lethal.

and you strike.

I watched Elijah strike Luna after he offered me the blood of my own.

Oh hell fucking no.

Everything about me screamed that I was a creature of habit; the addiction I could not kick, the need for a family unit, my everlasting love for the animals around me. I looked for the patterns in life that made the most sense and I stuck with them. Nothing could scare me if everything was just as it was supposed to be, only in a different environment.

Growing up I would bully my little siblings, especially my sister Gorgina. I was allowed to accuse them of crimes they did not commit, give them a hard time and even shake them down from time to time. It was okay when I did it, but the second anyone else laid a finger on my sister, all bets were off the table. No one messed with my family except for me.

Following my old ways, no one was going to kill my friends except for me, and no one was going to win my loyalty by offering any one of their heads on a platter.

Time for a theology lesson, Elijah darling! I yelled trying to regain his attention after he seemed fixated on making Luna bleed. This is Xaahiraism, I do not, under no circumstances, accept human sacrifice of one of my own! rage was building up in my chest getting ready to explode. There was nothing I despised more than a traitor, someone who cannot stay loyal to their own. I did not believe humanity was any good, but I believed we are capable of loyalty. Nothing else matters.

I turned back around to face Will. Usually, it is never good to play your queen all to early in the game, but this was one of those rare occasions where there was not much else to be done. I blew her kiss and smile as I fueled my every next step with anger and fury.

Bad boy! I taunted Elijah as if he was an ill-bred dog. Don’t you know what happens to dogs that can’t behave? We put them down. Get your filthy paws off of my friends!”

He wants a bitch fight. Fine. I got claws of my own.