i beg you dont embarrass me mfer [f&fvmutt day2]

i beg you don't embarrass me mf - I

It feels like ages since the three of us left the twisted art exhibit behind, continuing our trek always away from the stage where we started it all. I remember the anthem that came as the first trails of daylight were seeping into the night sky. The mystery of the missing tributes was solved with each face that popped up into the sky. My heart felt a bit heavier as the faces I'd recognized made their way up onto the screen. Portia with her interest in my homemade whip. The unfortunate boy from 5. Poor, sweet little Junie. Dana, who joined me in a cool silent retreat form it all during one lunch. Even the boy from District 10 who had never spoken a word to me. I could still see the dream version of him flexing his muscles. The only place he'll do that now, I suppose.

Thirteen faces had lit up the sky. I couldn't confirm for certain if it was all of the ones who had been missing, but with the number so high it felt that it must be their faces lighting up the sky. I didn't know how to feel about it. I was halfway to returning home after less than a day, I should be thrilled, right? So why was there this sudden lingering feeling of being so tiny in such a barren world? I looked over at Sera and Tide, grateful for their company in this moment. Forcing myself to ignore the inevitable nature of our relationship to each other. With each head in the sky our window of time to ignore it grew smaller and smaller.

We had managed to make it to the outskirts of some ghostly tent city, the tatters of fabric lying partially buried in the dark sands at our feet. The perpetual dry heat continued on here as it had all night, but the first whispers of the sun were already intensifying the discomfort. As sunrise continued the heat kept building, until our trio had no choice but to stop and try to sleep through the hell of the day. There was no way any of the tributes would be out at this time on the hunt, it would surely be their death sentence. Mutts, on the other hand, well… we could only hope they preferred the nighttime as well.

Our early attempts to sleep had been absolute torture. The tatters of fabric and our tiny outfits provided the bare minimum of protection against the rays of the sun, and the hot sands would jolt us awake with screams and pain if it shifted onto any part with bare skin. Minute by agonizing minute we begged for sleep to come. After what felt like a week the sun had finally traversed to the other side of the sky, and the anticipation of night pushed us as hard as possible to get some sleep. Serelis agreed to take the first watch, and I was finally able to nod off into a dreamless sleep.

I don't know if it's Sera's cry that wakes me, or the pain from the fresh cut on my arm. For a split second I am disoriented in the fresh dusk, and then adrenaline wakes me up as the sight of decaying flesh on armoured bone flashes around the three of us. We're under attack, and we're surrounded. There is no choice but to fight.

I grab the gift from my sponsors and call out. After their generosity, the least I can do is give them a show.

"Haven't you ever heard of letting a girl get her beauty sleep?"

it has been far too long for them. the rest had proved to be too deserved at this point. only one of their swords connect, and all of them kind of look at each other with confusion and malice.

if they wanted to find their way back to the land of the living, they were going to have to do better than that.

these creatures were not afraid to fight back. they swing and they hit your bones, but there isnt much pain. not anymore. they had already been through the worst they could. now clover, alex, and sam needed to work together if they wanted to make sure their future plans would come true.

their jaws rattle, they are in sync with each other. their goal is obvious.

they will have what they are owed.

I beg you don't embarrass me mf - II

At first the weapon is heavy in my hands, fatigue baked into my arms in the heat of the day and the restless sleep. It scared me a bit to see how much the elements were already starting to wear down on the girl who came into this arena with a will to fight. The grit of sand that was constantly gritting in my teeth, between my toes, whipping across my face in the blows of hot wind, seemed already to be working its way to wearing me down. How long would it be before it claimed me in its warm depths, transforming me into the grains doomed to dance in the waves and the wind?

This moment of weakness caused the force of my damage to smash into the armour plating the living dead. A hollow clang reverberates through the drum of ribs beneath it. Pull yourself together, girl. I pull my mind into focus, finally fully free of the weak tendrils of sleep. I see a quick opening formed and strike the skeleton again, and this time spike makes contact with the little flesh that still clings to its scaffold. That's more like it, I think with a smile.

The skeleton turns its hollow sockets towards me and repositions itself. I don't think it'll let me have an easy shot like that again. I brace myself for an onslaught, no time to focus on what Tide or Sera were doing. For now I could only hope my allies were able to hold their own.

I see the flash of the blade - swooping low this time. I try to jump it and realize my mistake too late. The sands shift and swirl and I slide more than I leap. Metal makes contact with the back of my right leg. Gratefully it doesn't slice too deep, but the sand already stings the thin wound as my weight rebalances on landing. I glare into those dark circles of the corpse. "Come on, you're going to have to do better than that!"

each one of you has taken a blow that would have killed you two times over now. however, there is so much fight left in you. you want to assume life again, breath air, have lungs.

you are not sure how all of this works, but you all assume that you are going to be owed something at the end of this. a life, a chance to live and breath once again. you are all just biding your time, working together and trying to make everything possible.

you are not afraid to keep fighting until you are dust again.

these creatures mouths are opening, but you do not hear what they say. you have no ears, it is falling on nothing but deafness and deftness. each of you look at each other for just a moment, your bones rattle loudly and there is a certain amount of trust lingering through the air.

there will be blood.

you will have blood.

you are owed it.