Fire With Fire (Cinder)

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 2, 2010 21:00:23 GMT -5

Post by cinder on Jun 2, 2010 21:00:23 GMT -5

So whats up? asked a small, meek voice in the back of Arcadia's fried brain. Cady heard another voice answer. Oh, same old, same old. Tonight I snuck into the gym because I knew my greatest enemy and only the second or first, best Career in District Two was training here. I cut him up while he attempted to gut me like a fish. Nero--that's the guy I was 'hanging out with.' Well he calls a truce and I find myself in a medical closet making out with him.

And here Arcadia London was now, one hand held against the guys face and one sliding around his neck as she pulled herself closer. Like the two could get much closer. Ha! The Fates were playing tricks on Cady, the fearsome Career they loved to hate more than anything. She broke away from Nero finally, ripping herself away. Cady wiped the back of her hand against her lips and smiled at Nero. She hesitantly came back, boosted herself up next to him, pressing up against his side. She didn't know what to say. The snappy utterings of this cheeky, teenage girl seemed to have finally ran out and here was a speechless shell of the clever-killer.

She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I guess I liked it too," Cady finally announced softly, her fingers entwining with those of the hand at his side. She looked at him from the corners of her eyes, unsure what to make of the past night. Cady half wished he'd just pick her up and toss her out of the room. Hopefully she'd hit her head hard enough for everything to be forgotten. No, no she did not want these memories to disappear. Cady had not been lying when she told him she liked it. She had loved it--it was like living for the first time, this being a teenage girl. She wanted to keep this night with her forever, but perhaps hit her head hard enough for Cady to think it all a dream.

For this could only end in sorrow. Nero was not a human, and Cady was only just grasping at the girl inside of her. She wasn't really a person either, at least not yet but this midnight encounter may have helped her along--curse Nero for weakening her. He could easily erase the feelings they had mutually felt this night. It had come as a surprise to Arcadia, but then again, it hadn't. Who had been her best enemy all these years? Nero. Who had she watched for countless hours, days, and weeks in an attempt to make herself more worthy for her Father? Nero. Nero was the only constant variable in her life, strangely enough. They even lived near enough to each other that when the boy snuck out to go do some solo training, Arcadia would sometimes watch him for a little while, half-awake and bitter. Now she was more awake than she had ever been, no exaggeration (she didn't know if this made her life pathetic, or this night just nine kinds of amazing, an unusual occurrence)

But Cady found her breath being taken away as they kissed again. She compared this one to the last one, and found that kisses like most things in life were more rewarding with practice and the right timing. It broke though, the two parted, and Arcadia was overcome by thoughts of a far more permanent parting. She had to leave the District soon, Father would be coming to the gym soon to inspect the young Careers and brood over his granddaughters ab sense. But if he found her... "What now, Nero? I-I have to leave, Father will be none too happy with me." There was more she wanted to say, but Cady feared Nero as much as she found she liked him now. He was inconstant and slightly insane.

Still the possible tag-ons she could now say stuck in her mind. Or you could come with me. Or I could just stay and forget everything. Or we could both forget this, and fight to the death. Right now, Arcadia was leaning toward the second choice. She didn't want to speak again though, and ruin a moment. There were so few precious ones in the girls life, stealing this one away from herself was a stupid idea. It was a fleeting, wild moment, but Arcadia could see futures stretching out before her. If all else failed, she had just one herself a new Allie against the world.

And Cady needed one now, because the sound of purposeful footsteps rang clear in her head. Father. Well, it seemed Cady could not ruin the moment now, for somebody else was walking toward them, and with every step he took toward the closet, with the door wide open and the two Careers huddled against each other, brought Arcadia's death closer, and closer.

ooc- ehem. here's a long post for you, bravo Mr. Quintness. Nero is a great contrast to the new, human-like Cady, but they're also alike. Its hilarious.

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 9, 2010 17:49:11 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jun 9, 2010 17:49:11 GMT -5

Nero

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Nero hadn’t expected to end the night exchanging body heat with someone who was supposed to be his enemy. He had gone there to train. The Games would be coming up soon. He had hoped the spot would be his. He deserved it. But now that he had something to return to, victory would be reached with even greater determination. Arcadia London. He held her closer, stroking her back and smelling her hair as his cold lips pressed against her hot.

He felt despair fill him as he broke away from him, but he couldn’t help but be aroused by the lascivious girl as she wiped her hand against her mouth. He pursed his lips, licking away whatever salivation had remained. She jumped up on the counter and reclined against him. He was much taller than her, yet she won him over by almost 2 years. It would be a bit awkward if he had actually thought about it. But he was enjoying the moment too much to actually interrupt it with something not very significant if they had actually taken the time to register it. Age was just a number. Strength was what mattered in the long run.

Smiling as she leaned her head against his shoulder, he dropped his head over hers and played with her hair. He took a moment to lick his lips again as she remarked satisfaction. ”Well,” he said as he held her tighter and wrapped his arm around her. ”We’ve got all night...” She said nothing, instead lacing her fingers around his. Her hands were unbelievably subtle, soft to the touch. He caught her glances at him; perhaps she was uncomfortable. About what, though? That they had just made out in the medical closet. That they were raised from the beginning, being told that one day, they would have to, sooner or later, kill the other. They had been used. They had been trained like machines.

His eyes fell down to the floor, trying to look through the ground and down at the fiery evil place where his destiny lay. That’s where I’m going... Surely enough, he would. He had done so much in the life. So much bad and now he would pay. The greatest thing he would love would be ripped away from soon. Unfortunately, he would have to ultimately decided whether that greatest thing be the Games or Arcadia London. He loved both so much. He wanted to be with both forever. Both gave him a sort of unexplainable rush that made him want to run on and on and on, and just well, keep going.

Nero, without warning, went forward and kissed her again, this time holding her closer. About as close as they could get. To the point where he could feel her heart beat pound against his. Though, if she was to actually feel his chest and listen, there was possibility that maybe, just maybe, she would find silence; nothing; an absence. "What now, Nero? I-I have to leave, Father will be none too happy with me." And very much like the kiss, without warning, he panicked. F-Father... Nero had almost forgotten about the evil old man. He had trained Arcadia, enough that she could actually be worthy of being compared to his strength. And that, was quite an honor. It had been rather hard as to whether he respected, feared, or hated the man. He had been the only one to create a product that matched his value. To create a product that had weakened him so.

This, from the beginning, had been a fight between Nero and no, not Arcadia, but Father. They had only interacted once. 4 years ago, when he had beaten what was thought to be an impossibly invincible Career to the pulp. The opponent had been traumatized from then on, mentally paralyzed at his defeat, almost considered a medical vegetable, to the point of his true defeat when he had committed suicide off of one of the taller buildings placed in the Town Square dedicated to the Careers. None the matter, it was then, that Father London had brushed passed bloody Nero, giving him a nod of consent and a slight blossoming of respect. Though, from that day, Nero had known that Father would produce something to defeat him. He had warned him that day. All with one nod.

The clapping sounds echoed in the gym, and Nero had immediately known who had entered. His first instinct would be to grab his knife, but when he reached for the completely essential weapon, he wrapped his checkered hand around nothing, instead finding air and the absence of a sharp useful object. He had forgotten back at the gym. Or some could say he had forgotten his knife in the hand of Father London, but nooo, the old ratfink had to go on and pick it up for himself.

Nero jumped immediately, keeping the last bit of scrutiny he had with him focused towards the intruder. The majority of his attention was still grasped with Arcadia. He wanted more. He want to touch her lips again. He loved the taste of her mouth and the warmth of her breathing. Now, who knew whether he’d make it out alive. There had been myths between all the guys back in training where Father had once been a Career at one time. Though not just a Career, but the best Career. Very much like himself. He was now facing his best competition. His strongest competition. And very much likely, his final competition.

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Last Edit: Jun 9, 2010 17:49:59 GMT -5 by Quint

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 15, 2010 23:27:56 GMT -5

Post by cinder on Jun 15, 2010 23:27:56 GMT -5

ooc- I'm going to powerplay the situation a bit, of course keeping to Career standards....

Arcadia jumped to her feet right about the same time as Nero. The two still clung to each other, but Cady knew Nero was in a more offensive position. If Cady had been a tad taller and a guy, or if Nero had been shorter and girlish they would have looked like a pair of Siamese twins. Each was crouched like a wild animal ready to attack, each seemed ripped between just clinging to each other and watching the incoming threat. Of course in Arcadia, granddaughter of Fathers mind, watching the threat seemed like a much more important task. He was a dangerous man without looking all that dangerous.

The clacking of shoes paused for a moment, then picked up at that same rate. It was the steady rate of a relaxed persons heart, a few beats slower than Cady's own frantic heart beat. She tried to stop the adrenaline and fear that was fighting its way into her very core, but Father... Not many people knew about Jack Jackson (now you see why he goes by Father, being named Jack Jackson--ridiculous, really) At first glance, he did not appear to look like a homicidal lunatic. He had Arcadia's blue eyes, a tad squintier though, and in the right lighting they burned and glowed with darker tones of the devil himself. His hair had been dyed black, but there was some grey running through the sleek black, which he simply did not seem able to get rid of. The man was a charmer, his voice was silky smooth and detached. Just like little Cady-Birds.

It made his taunting her all the more chilling, like having your ears assaulted by the coaxing, demanding tones and softness that did not fit his personality. Father walked toward him and the glint of moonlight on metal clued Cady in to the knife he wielded. Was it just her, or was that Nero's blade? Cady instinctively reached for her own sheathed weapon, but still being as close as possible to her fellow Career made it hard to reach the weapon. Her fingers finally found the sheath to be empty, much to her surprise. Eyes rolled around in her head and they darted across the small room in search of shining silver, Arcadia finally found her knife in the place she did not expect to see it. Ever.

Nero had somehow pick-pocketed her. Clever-boy, she had to give him props for that. Cady focused completely on Father though, no need to get into a squabble, he could do better with the blade than she of the bandaged up stomach. Fathers voice cut the silence that followed, cutting through the night and sending shivers up her spine. More lethal than any wound-by-blade Nero Banks could have inflicted, that's for sure. "Nero Banks," he murmured as her Father realized who Cady was with. She felt it like a slap to the face: Father always adressed the most important person in the room first, then worked his way down. There could be ten thousand other Careers in the room and Cady would probably not even get mentioned because her trainer despised her so much for failing him. Oh well, not being on that mans radar was fine with rebellious-Cady.

"With Arcadia? Ha! Good job, Cady-Bird, you creep into this empty gym figuring that if you got knocked up by the best Career around, I wouldn't get rid of you. Props to you, granddaughter," he turned his attention back to Nero, not concerned with his injured, failed attempt to produce a Hunger Games winner. "And you boy, what are you thinking? If you wanted her, you could have just asked. The girl is cheap trash, not like you," Father said in his slow, slick voice. He raised his eyebrows, testing how commit ed Nero was to Cady. Father would like nothing more than to have the Banks Career in his back pocket. Having the boy do away with his granddaughter or beat some sense back into her would please him.

Cady's eyes pleaded with the side of Nero's head, silently, as the man threw the insult at her. She pecked Nero's cheek. Suddenly it wasn't about Father catching to kids having a good time, it was more about Cady's future all over again. This was a test designed to help Father size up the two teens mentally and physically. It was a fight to the death and all Arcadia could do was feel the comfort of having a partner against the devil himself, even as doubts and uneasy thoughts crawled around beneath the surface of her mind. She did not love Nero, he could not love her. They were not made that way, a few moments of passion could not have possibly changed that. What if he betrayed her?

Last Edit: Jun 15, 2010 23:29:04 GMT -5 by cinder

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 16, 2010 21:18:54 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jun 16, 2010 21:18:54 GMT -5

Sweet communist
The communist daughter
Standing in the seaweed water
Semen stains the mountaintops
Semen stains the mountaintops

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Nero

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Father was a strong man. No matter whatever his age was. He and Nero had never had time to get to know each other. Nero was simply the Career and Father, the observer. He’d spent hours watching him, just as Arcadia did. Except that Father was admiring and Cady, spying. There was a difference. Part of Nero had always known that Father admired him more than Arcadia. But it didn’t matter. He vowed to never give in to some greased up old man. Nero had worked solo. And he would always work solo.

Nero couldn’t help but notice how much Father resembled Cady. He had the eyes. Both of them had the blue eyes. Beautiful eyes... He didn’t want to give too much credit to the old man, though. Nero had beautiful eyes too. They had surgically enhanced them when he was a child. They used to be baby brown, but now...they were just dark, almost maroon. Nobody knew anyhow, but eyes didn’t matter at the moment. So why bother even thinking about them? There was a killer standing in front of him and Cady, and Nero had other things on his mind. He saw Arcadia reach for her knife as Father came closer, already knowing what she would find. Nothing. He had stolen the knife. He needed it in order to kill the man. And in Cady’s condition, she was in no shape to be battling it out with someone as strong as him. So yes, he had pick pocketed her. But only for reasons she would understand later. ”Nero Banks.” He shrank back, holding back the shivers. He didn’t like hearing his name called out. There was only one instance that he had prepared to listen for his name and that was at the Reaping. Nothing else. But hear Father was, calling him out as if he was some sort of valuable prize.

"With Arcadia? Ha! Good job, Cady-Bird, you creep into this empty gym figuring that if you got knocked up by the best Career around, I wouldn't get rid of you. Props to you, granddaughter." The way he addressed her was stranger. He showed no love. Whereas Nero’s parents, when they were around, at least tried to show some affection. Nonetheless, their love was always ignored. He had no time for love. But then what was that he had just given to Arcadia London. Friend time? A simple reward? Praise? "And you boy, what are you thinking? If you wanted her, you could have just asked. The girl is cheap trash, not like you."

Nero snuck a glance at the girl. The words must’ve been hurting her. The only person who was ever around to raise her was turning her down. Rejected for something Father thought was better. ”I don’t...deal...with knaves...” he had managed to breath. It was true. He didn’t want anything but to kill this man. But it seemed that he was offering his training. His mentorship. He was offering a second chance back at the gold. After Archer Fields had perished last year, Nero hadn’t worked as hard as usual. He was losing each year, faster and faster. Eventually, he might lose everything the day he turned 19.

Now, was the real choice. The Games or Cady? The Games or Cady? The Games or Cady? He stepped forward and smiled; something very rare in Nero’s case, mind you. With Nero here, Father didn’t have a chance. And Father would need all the help he can get. ”But I guess...this time...I’ll make...an exception...” he muttered as he stepped up beside Father, now his new mentor, and silently twirled the knife in his hands.
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When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 16, 2010 22:41:05 GMT -5

Post by cinder on Jun 16, 2010 22:41:05 GMT -5

Arcadia London hadn't been born Arcadia London. That was a name Father had insisted Cady's mom give her. Hadn't her first name been something pretty and feminine? Dianna, Dianne? Maybe even Dian. No matter, Dianna had been her mothers dear child, her daughter born in a world that still shined and sparkled with secret love and sadness over the death of her one true love. Oh the romance, the love, the passion. Dianna London had lived for only a few minutes before Father stormed in and crushed the girl. Her name is too weak, Arcadia--thats a family name, he had announced gruffly and walked out.

In that one moment Cady's mother had realized her precious daughter was going to be raised a killer. Dianna did not exist, never would because Arcadia had murdered any last hope. There had been moments in her life when Cady had felt the presence of the dead girl, like when Dianna had discovered her mom's dead body, when she had cried after her first kill. Then there were the happier moments when she was just as vulnerable. Now. Cady felt a sharp feeling in her gut, unrelated to her battle injury.

Hot red clouded her vision as Nero the Career struggled with his words. He had seemed calmer, more sure of himself when they had been alone, but suddenly he was stoic and serious again. Oops. Cady had let her guard down and now she was standing absolutely alone once again, without even her companion the knife for comfort. Arcadia leaned against the counter and pondered her life. It had been a terrible one, it had sucked for her. Was she missing anything? Would it be silly of her to go out with a bang when she maybe, might, possibly could get away with just a severe beat down after grovelling to her Father. After all, if Nero died in the next Games, Cady would once again be the Districts best chance at a win. She would be eighteen by then, the last hope of the dwindling family she came from. (A lot of them ended up dead by thirty. That saying about violent delights leading to violent ends came to the girls mind)

Once again Arcadia London had a choice. She could die now, or die later. With not much time left to decide, Cady went with her gut feeling. She paused, looked around for some sharp needles filled with strong pain-killers, found them and voila, she had a plan. Father was whispering sweet nothings to his brand new favorite in that silky voice he used to convince people just how right he always is, and how wrong they are. "Father," Cady purred in an equally slippery voice, rudely interrupting him, "Father, Father, Father are you going to make your move or have the boy do it for you?" she questioned innocently. "You're going to need to get rid of me soon," she froze, tripping over her very own self-imposed death sentence, "Or I'll do it myself." Her eyes threatened the two excuses for human beings before her, daring them to make a move. There was no escape plan that would work besides the most permanent one of all. Yes, a ghost in her mind coaxed. That Dianna girl, the one that could have been, maybe Nero will end you with your own knife. If not, you could get to the door in time to slam it. There are enough pain meds here to leave you dead by the time they take that door down.

She felt drunk off of her latest plan. This was it.

ooc- Cady, Cady, Cady... I'm a tad confused? Whats with Nero's knife twirling? XD forgive me for being blonde-brained. I might need a line by line explanation. BTW, Cadys not really going to die. I'd rather her like dig a hole through the med-cabin wall and run away than die XD

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 17, 2010 22:03:25 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jun 17, 2010 22:03:25 GMT -5

Nero

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Nero hadn’t been born the Nero he was today. When he was born, he was happy-go-lucky boy, ready to make new friends and grow up to be a fancy shmancy doctor. But no, the slightest sign of interest in the Games had led to a series of numerous, unimaginably painful surgeries performed by the best surgeons in the District. Making him who he was had come with the largest of prices, but to his parents, and to every Career-loving maniac out there, it was all well worth it.

At first, Nero didn’t know what was happening. He was taken to the doctor, to what was believed to be his monthly check up. Then a bunch of men in white pick him up like some sort of trash and strip off his clothes as he is screaming in protest. They strap him down and and stab the needle into his chest. He fell into a dark slumber and awoke to find his light brown hair, now black, and his once pale skin, now tanned, was all tweaked to perfection.

And now this perfection had just betrayed the girl who he had just made out with not but 3 minutes ago. He had left her for her mentor. He could help Nero be the best...again. He’d guarantee victory. They both knew it. With Father, he’d be unstoppable. And now, with Father, he could get rid of Arcadia London. "Father, Father, Father are you going to make your move or have the boy do it for you? You’re going to need to get rid of me soon" Cady raised a needle to her own self.

Nero stepped forward. ”Dont...do it...” Father chuckled, polishing Nero’s knife, the one he stole, with his shirt. The laugh was disgusting. One that was too relaxed. Too confident in such a place where he shouldn’t have been.

”Go on, boy. Don’t let her do it. Do it yourself,” he laughed. He licked his lips and eyed Arcadia. ”Oh, and feel free to have some fun with her before you kill her...” Nero went forth, but hesitated, not sure what to do next. ”Do it!” Father barked. ”Do it! Or I’ll do it myself...” The boy made no movement. He only stood still, staring into the eyes of Cady London. ”God damn it boy. I said do it! If you don’t, you’ll regret it! Just kill her and it’ll all be--”

At this point, some would say Father never got to finish his sentence. But no. He had some time to finish his last words. Father was one of the few who was strong enough to gurgle for a few more minutes after his throat was slashed. It all had been produced in one swift movement. Just a shifting of the legs, and one perfectly timed swing of the slice-happy arm. Blood splattered on Nero’s face. He felt the droplets spray near his eyes and cheeks. He wiped away Father’s blood and ran it through his hair. Oh, the deja vu.

”Over.” And that said, Father fell to the ground of the gym, clutching his neck, trying to stop the flooding of his blood. Every time he coughed, more spewed out onto the floor. At last, he slipped and his knees gave in. Nero could hear his heavy breathing defeating any other sound in the room as he walked towards Arcadia.

He grabbed a towel near the towel and wiped his face. ”Now...where...were we?”

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When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 17, 2010 22:59:10 GMT -5

Post by cinder on Jun 17, 2010 22:59:10 GMT -5

Cady felt the needle puncture skin as Father sternly commanded, then yelled in a panicky voice at Nero. The two were obviously content to talk the night away, so she could take her leave. Right now. Cady's shaking fingers pressed her liquid-death into her arm just as Nero's own arm spazzed out and landed Arcadia's dagger in her Fathers neck. In that moment, two things simultaneously happened in the world of Cady London. One was that she ripped the needle out of her arm in a flash, and the second was the thought that Nero's arm had to have just experienced some sort of muscle spasm. He had just killed the greatest trainer the District had to offer, it had to have been an accident.

She shrank away as blood spattered the gym. Of course she was not close enough to get any on her, but the thought of it scared Cady to the point that she found her fingers curling around the needle she had removed from her arm in a defensive stance against the loathsome, poisonous red. Nero stood there for a few moments and watched the man die before his very eyes. Cady let her grip on reality slip away for a few moments, or maybe, possibly minutes. Nero was suddenly walking toward her with Arcadia's bloodied knife, every inch of him seemingly coated in the same substance on her weapon of choice.

He spoke nonsense words, words that dismissed everything that had happened in the recent past. Arcadia recoiled as he neared her. With her reflective, blue eyes shining in the night like saucers, and the stance of a bristling animal, Cady reckoned she looked like an intimidated cat huddling in a corner, hiding from the enemy. She gripped the medication till her knuckles were white. "Get aw away f-f-from me," she uttered in a low tone that failed to disguise her tangible fear. The stutter only fueled her panicked fire, "Give me my-Give me the knife and le-leave," she told him. It was not the dead body on the floor that disturbed her--alright, the opened, glassy blue eyes that looks so much like her own pair was terrifying--anyways, it was Nero that frightened Arcadia London, toughest Career in the world. Or so she had thought--maybe she could claim the title of Worlds Toughest Female Career to Neros Worlds Toughest Male Career, but Cady was not designed to withstand such trauma. She now understood why her Father had kept all his wheeling and dealing about her imminent marriage to a Career guy completely separate from Arcadia. Cady was too innocent, she got her hopes up every time somebody smiled at her, she could never be the Toughest anything.

The Career turned away from Nero and found herself almost bonking her head against a wall, Cady turned back around with wild eyes that were already inclined to believe Nero was just about ready to kill her. She shivered as memories attacked her mind, and decided the floor was a much more comfortable spot to huddle in. She got down low and hugged her knees to her chest, regarding Nero's feet which did not bear the mental imprint of her kins blood. Much better, she was alright now. "No wait, stay. Just don't say, don't say..." she gulped and wiped furiously at her eyes. Tears were weak, Father had taught her that. She clasped her other hand over her mouth to keep any noise or words from exploding out from inside. Shut up, Girl! she heard in her mind, the voice of her dead mentor. He could betray you, just like he did me, that slimy street-rat. Get up, face him, vengeance, Cady-Bird, vengeance.

Cady agreed with the shutting up, but the rest of it was too much for her to handle. The girl stared blankly into nothingness and contemplated her almost death, her Fathers death, and how somehow her greatest rival was connected to everything.

Last Edit: Jun 17, 2010 23:00:38 GMT -5 by cinder

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Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 17, 2010 23:27:51 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jun 17, 2010 23:27:51 GMT -5

Sweet communist
The communist daughter
Standing in the seaweed water
Semen stains the mountaintops
Semen stains the mountaintops

[/i][/size]

Nero

[/font]

Nero was scared. Not that he had just killed someone. It hadn’t been his first murder. It felt no different than the others he had inflicted on some of the citizens of Panem. But he scared that he just lost Arcadia London. ”Get aw away f-f-rom me,” she sheered. ”Give me my-Give me the knife and le-leave.” The words hurt him. It felt..bad. It was odd. How Nero had surpassed almost every brutal test imaginable. He had gone through so much; had fought the best; had just killed what might be the strongest man in District 2. Yet her words; they hurt him.

He didn’t cry. His eyes was almost as dry as his throat. He had tears. He had no words. Period. He bit his lip as Arcadia huddle down on the ground and curled up. L-like a child. Nero Banks, had managed to strike so much fear into his strongest rival that she had been dwindled to almost nothing. She was so...scared. No wait, stay. Just don’t say, don’t say...” He said nothing, just as he was told. Instead, he nodded, sat down, and huddled next to her.

”Don’t be afraid, Arcadia...Sometimes I hear them too...”
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I dream of a reality where my dreams may come true - 23 y/o in 2020 logging in and laughing

Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jun 18, 2010 0:01:38 GMT -5

Post by cinder on Jun 18, 2010 0:01:38 GMT -5

How did you know that? She would have asked suspiciously if there was any suspicion left in Arcadia. No, the sad truth was that she knew how he had come to the conclusion that Cady was hearing voices. It was simply, honestly because Nero and Arcadia were made of the same substances at times in their lives. When Cady wasn't trying to act tough and exchanging witty remarks with just about all of her opponents, and when Nero wasn't being so, being so damned scary. That was when the two of them seemed to be on the same wave-length, come to think of it, even before tonight Arcadia had noticed moments where both of them would stiffen and turn to face an enemy at the same exact moment, or give the same nod to their mentors that meant, I hate you, I do not respect you. I have surpassed you and you can't continue to act like you have anything left to teach me.

So Cady-Bird did not ask her suspicious minds question, because she was a clever girl who already knew the answer. Frowning, Cady loosened her grip on her liquid-deaths container. It slipped through shaking fingers and bounced on the hard floor, once, twice, before shattering into a bunch of tiny, little pieces. Cady hoped somebody awful came in here and found those shards of glass digging into bear feet. Aha! You haven't grown soft yet, Cady. Still hope for you. Father whispered mischievously in her ear. Arcadia inched closer to Nero before successfully throwing herself at his side and clutching to the arm that had not killed her Father. She buried her face between against the wall, pressing the cool metal against her red cheeks.

"I'm better now," she told him with almost enough conviction to pull off the lie. Sitting here was only temporary relief. In a few hours she would be back in the woods, alone, when somebody discovered the Trainers bloody body. They'd launch an investigation and somehow find one of her long dark-blonde hairs caught on some equipment. Then the dogs and all experienced Careers would go hunting for her, restless and blood-thirsty. They would not believe she had been capable of killing him, which was a truth of life, but they would hunt her relentlessly in order to bring peace of mind to her family. The black sheep would be put down.

Cady squeezed her eyes shut and opened them, still watery, but nowhere near as close to tears as they had been moments before. Her lips still trembled a bit, but how was she supposed to stop that? Her arms were wrapped around Nero's whole side and rebelliously, they refused to let go for even a second. She breathed in and out as her heart-soul-core, or the fragment of what once had been her spirit convinced the rest of Cady that Nero was dangerous, but not a threat to Arcadia per say. He was more likely to make her spontaneously combust than stick another knife in her belly. In a world where death and destruction are commonplace, that was all a soulless fiend like Cady could hope to get out of life.

And she was content with her lot in that shaking, trembling moment, strange as it may seem.

Last Edit: Jun 18, 2010 0:07:52 GMT -5 by cinder

Arcadia, Illiana, Kade, Thea, Jezebel, Cassedy, Marina, Ronan, Karina

Quint
Retired Staff

[M:4320]

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q u i n t

Fire With Fire (Cinder) Jul 6, 2010 15:39:46 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jul 6, 2010 15:39:46 GMT -5

Sweet communist
The communist daughter
Standing in the seaweed water
Semen stains the mountaintops
Semen stains the mountaintops

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Nero

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To say that they were very much alike would be wrong. Perhaps one would misinterpret both of their actions or the way they fought. But no matter how much someone thought they were comparable, they would always be wrong. Yes, they did fight alike. They acted alike. But it was different. Their actions were influenced not by who they are, but what they are. Careers all had a universal motive. They were all beastly, cruel, and completely willing to lay down a very very very deplorable ending to your sad, pitiful life. Nero and Arcadia were only brought together by what they were. If Nero hadn’t been ripped away from his ordinary life, he doubted he would’ve spoken to the girl. He’d simply be a spectator and he’d have no reason to enter that thrice damned Arena. Nero was silent. He didn’t have time to talk. Nor the strength. All of his energy was to be used for training, not for something as pointless as speech. Show, don’t tell. Whereas Arcadia, as strong and hard as she trained, was brought up to talk trash. To intimidate the enemy. Twist their words into something that crush them like a bug. Weaken them until they are nothing but another ex-Career squealing home, traumatized in fear.

She pressed herself against him and he felt her skin touch his. He let his head drop against hers and sighed, wispy cold air slithering out of his mouth. His cheekbone plastered against her hair, he bit his lip. Blood. She questioned him not. She knew. She knew that Nero heard voices too. It happened every time someone died. When he killed Haywire Patoshik back in District 12 and Dittany Grey from District 1, he heard the voices. They scolded him. Cursed him. But only Haywire laughed. The mentally sick man had shot himself under guidance of the boy. Mistook the pistol for an M&M dispenser. Common mistake, really. And Ms. Grey. Nero had took her when she had been at the climax of her relationship with her lover. He gotten her, chopper into little pieces he did. No guilt. Without remorse. Nonetheless, the voices persisted. At first they bothered him, but after a while, he grew to like them. They were the only things that kept him company and willing to talk to him. All the other people (the live, breathing ones) would avoid him. But after he killed them, only then would they talk.

”I don’t...believe you,” he breathed, shifting a bit. Arcadia London was awful quiet now. She talked before. For a moment, she had seemed to fallen in love with him. But now she wasn’t talking. He had hurt her and perhaps this time, the damage would beyond repair. He had broken her before. But then he had managed to fix her up with bandages. Though he had a feeling that this time, it would take more than a couple packs of bandages to fix her. If anything could help her, it’d be his words. His seldom used words. ”Once...upon...a time...I fell...in love...with you...” He didn’t look at her. He didn’t need to. All he needed to do was keep talking. And so he did. He rambled on and on, touching sensitive topics like his parents and different stories regarding his training. Even the time where he had first looked at her. And then, he talked about who he used to be. He rarely talked about the once upon a time he was happy boy. He felt like he was talking about someone else. And in truth, he was. Nero Banks was not the person he once was. He talked on and on about how he grown from weak to strong and stupid to smart and cute to beautiful (that one brought up a slight smile) and how he had changed. From a small boy to a strong man. And lastly, about how good it felt to touch her and be in her presence.

She slipped closer to him, closer than ever before, and wrapped her arms around him. His ribs tightened a bit and he coughed, struggling to manage a breath. He tried hard not to have her notice. She needed sometime to cling to right now, something to hold her back in reality and let her know that all this was true and not some sort of hellish nightmare. He brushed her hair and let Arcadia lean her head on his shoulder. He was aware of the inevitable future. She would have to leave again. Back into the woods or wherever she had escaped to before. Perhaps another District or maybe even the Capitol. He didn’t want her to. And he couldn’t go with her either. Could he? What would they do? Where would they go? They’d be certainly be fugitives on the run if they did. Some many questions. And so many answers that unfortunately could only be given by first hand experience. As Arcadia closed her wet eyes and buried herself against his chest, he let her fall in slumber against him. He didn’t want to hurt her anymore. He didn’t want to scare her. Those were the reasons he didn’t wake her when he waited and confirmed that Father London had shifted in his sleep again. But he let him live. Nero would save him for another day. No deaths tonight. It would definitely take more than a knife in the throat to kill the man. Much much more.

.End of Thread.

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Last Edit: Jul 6, 2010 15:41:31 GMT -5 by Quint

When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.

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Post by cinder on Jun 2, 2010 21:00:23 GMT -5

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Post by cinder on Jun 18, 2010 0:01:38 GMT -5

Post by Quint on Jul 6, 2010 15:39:46 GMT -5