The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT

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The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT Aug 29, 2015 20:39:31 GMT -5

Post by Arrows on Aug 29, 2015 20:39:31 GMT -5

kirito

victor of the 70th hunger games

Thoughts of Abel and of Simon loom over Kirito's head like the heavily guarded gates of District Ten over the train he now rode on. Visions of blood and of sadness mix with the feelings of confusion and helplessness. Sounds of canons recherche constantly across the barriers of his brain as his fingers dig into the leather seat he sat in. Everyone second was a reminder of the twenty three chains locked to his soul. He was their's and they were his. Forever.

Footsteps bounced through the room as Kirito's styling team along with Finter entered the train car. Each of their faces was illuminated with happiness and excitement. Each of them not carrying the burden of victory. Each of them were part of the people who threw them all into the arena. They were all disposable yet also loyal to him. It was just another notification to the kingdom of horror and lies in which he ruled.

Minutes ticked away as his body became their body and his appearance a trade mark of Zell's. Kirito was just another puppet star being prepped for his next performance. He could already hear Caesar Flickerman commenting on Kirito's outfit and how brilliant it was. In truth all Kirito saw was a nicer version of himself in a steel grey suit and coal black trim.

Breaks wailed like the screams of banshee's through the air as the train slowed to a stop. White surrounded Kirito as the Peace Keepers wasted no time. In fact it felt like only seconds later Kirito was waiting behind the doors of the Justice Building. Without even needing them to open Kirito could feel the lives of District Ten waiting to see their new Victor, Oh how he knew they truly weren't happy but ashamed and angry instead. Oh well, Kirito thought as his name was announced, fuck them anyway.

Every clap Kirito heard just made his stomach flip more as he stood in front of them all. He was a beaming little boy from District Eleven who to them never should have won. Yet he was standing here today alive all the same. Not all the morphine or alcohol in the world could deal the pain of the dagger glares Kirito felt driving into his chest. However still he smiled as he spoke clearly into the microphone.

"Greetins' to all of y'all and thank ya for havin' meh here today." even though they didn't have the choice. "Many before meh have tried to apologize for each District's loses, howeva I shall not. It is not cause I just don' wanna an' cause I think they don' deserve it but cause I know y'all don' wanna hear it. Not even a billion I'm sorries will fix what has happened. Y'all's tributes are dead an' I am the one still alive. A crime in which I cannot eva' fix. All I will say to y'all though is a promise. A promise that I will go on livin' everyday rememberin' y'all's tributes and livin' my life the best I can for them. Thank ya."

Although the speech was short and to the point Kirito still strongly believed it made everything he wished to say clear. Yet once he had returned to the Justice Building he found a new challenge all together. Standing and what appeared to be waiting for Kirito was no other than the Victor of the fifty ninth Hunger Games, Mace Emberstatt.

Katelyn had told Kirito a bit about Mace before their arrival in Ten. According to her he was a big man as Kirito could now see, but a very kind one. He was a good father with many adopted children and one actual son, all of which appeared to be off somewhere else. Then Kirito also knew he was married to the sixtieth quell Victor, or well, was apparently the two had encountered some situations.

Still though after Kirito had met Arbor he was more than ready to meet another person who actually understood him besides Katelyn. Another person who always would carry twenty three lives along with their own. So with a weak smile Kirito walked up to the man and dipped his head slightly. A slight prick of fear tickled Kirito's spine as his words filled the silent air. "Greetins' Mace, I'm Kirito. It's a pleasure to meet ya." Then carefully Kirito reached out a hand to shake. A small gesture he hoped wouldn't be too much.

There is a Key to every gate and every exit,
yet every Key has its own cost.

table by anzie

Graphic by the Breathtakingly Talented Stare

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The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT Sept 2, 2015 13:08:03 GMT -5

Post by Baby Wessex d9b [earthling] on Sept 2, 2015 13:08:03 GMT -5

a note from the desk of

Mace Emberstatt

of District Ten

when you never thought that it could ever get this tough,
that's when you feel my kind of love

A gulf has opened in his chest, an empty cavity just beginning to crystallize with ice. He goes where they tell him to go. Reggie says he must sit and seat, the children demand that he must sit and play, the Peacekeepers direct him to stand and listen. His blank grey eyes reflect the gulf. He is filled with nothing.

Kirito's words echo in the gulf. They are splashes of blood against the ice, tainting it, but not enough to thaw. Distantly, he's aware of the proceedings, of the Karnes and MacLaren's huddled close together. As though from a fog, he lifts his head and finds that it is daylight, he is upon a podium, and there is a new Victor.

When the ceremony ends, he doesn't look for Saffron ~~as of late, he's not even sure how~~. He looks for Katelyn Persimmon, who fed him once, who rebuked him when he leaned too close to the edge. He's turning away from the crowd, knowing that she must be nearby, more proof that he's been wrong about so many things. But it's not Katelyn's blonde hair and seaglass eyes that he finds, but a young man with a shadow the size of an arena.

Mace wraps his palm around Kirito's before he's even heard what the boy has to say. He huffs, the edges of the ice in his chest tearing into his words, making his voice rough. "Kirito. Helluva name." He forces his fingers into a stronger grip, borrowing strength from the newest Victor to straighten his own spine. Mace opens up his other hand to the double doors behind them. "Library." That's all he offers, his grey gaze flickering over the glittering cameras. For a split second, the gulf shudders. He wonders if Julian will see him shaking hands with Kirito. He wonders if he'll feel jealous or anxious or grief or love or nothing at all.

The ice shards cut him in a thousand different ways as he drops Kirito's hand. The library's books musk the room, disguise the victors from the prying lenses. Mace tucks his hands behind his back to hide the tremors. He doesn't know Kirito, any more than he knows Patricia or Colgate or Klaus. "Ten ain't much but I reckon you're used to not much either."

He forces himself to really look Kirito over, to notice the new scars and the false appendages. A younger Mace might have smiled and offered a critique or a joke. This Mace, lacking the steadying influence of his husband, says only, "did Katelyn tell you I thought you were a dead man?"

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credit ✨ zozo.

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The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT Sept 7, 2015 16:01:11 GMT -5

Post by Arrows on Sept 7, 2015 16:01:11 GMT -5

kirito

victor of the 70th hunger games

Even within the sweltering heat of the blazing sun Kirito could feel the ice that was sewn into Mace's existence. Krito could see and smell the blood the surely covered every inch of Mace's body. Kirito could see all twenty three of Mace's fellow tributes trapped beneath the shallow concave of his rustic eyes. Kirito wondered though if Mace could see the same within him. If he could see all the blood that dripped from his hands and the souls that had their chains anchored to Kirito's body. Kirito was dying to know if other victors always saw the others sins.

However there was an odd sensation Kirito could not explain as he looked at the large man, both in height and weight. Kirito was not horrified or terrified of the horrid things Mace had done. In fact Kirito felt as though he understood and accepted them. Did all survivors of the games' wickedness feel this way? Would they ever forgive Kirito for the monstrous things he had done? Or would he remain a sickly monster to all but his own District.

Mace's rough touch from the hand shake drew Kirito away from the other Victor's darkened eyes. Kirito felt his body shift as their hands touched. Something clear and obvious stood out to Kirito by just their initial hand shake. Mace's hand was course and rough, a kind of feeling only created by years of hardships and struggles. It was in this moment Kirito made a clear connection with the man from Ten. They had both come from the same beginnings, both never destined for fame or fortune. It was a mark that could never be erased.

Kirito felt himself laugh as his body released much of the tension he didn't even realize he was holding. For some reason Kirito felt more calm in Mace's presence now than he had in anyone else's, besides Katelyn's. So when Mace led them to a nice library Kirito followed closely behind. In all truth Kirito couldn't mind in the slightest to get out of the constant attention from the cameras of the Capitol.

As the doors shut Kirito let out a sigh and grinned slightly towards Mace. "I'm not gonna lie but it feels really nice to know I am not being broadcasted all over the damn country." Kirito felt his body relax even more as he leaned up gently against a nearby wall. Kirito felt his gaze scanning through row after row of books wondering what tales each of them held within their bindings.

The strong voice of Mace brought Kirito's attention back to him as he commented on the similarities between their districts and Kirito couldn't help but find himself nodding. "You would be quite correct on that part. Eleven isn't much of a highlighted wanna go to destination. At least not the part I was raised in." As Kirito listened to Mace talk again he felt a smirk creeping up and across his cheeks. "Actually she never mentioned it but I wouldn't blame you. Nobody would have thought the small boy from Eleven would win. Well everyone other than Katelyn that is." With a brief pause Kirito decided to push the conversation just slightly further, "Just as I am sure not many imagined a boy from District Ten would win, but I could be wrong."

There is a Key to every gate and every exit,
yet every Key has its own cost.

table by anzie

Graphic by the Breathtakingly Talented Stare

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The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT Sept 11, 2015 13:42:05 GMT -5

Post by Baby Wessex d9b [earthling] on Sept 11, 2015 13:42:05 GMT -5

a note from the desk of

Mace Emberstatt

of District Ten

when you never thought that it could ever get this tough,
that's when you feel my kind of love

Lucky for him, Kirito has a helluva lot more tact. He doesn't spurn or reprimand Mace. If anything, he looks amused. Mace lets out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. As Kirito talks, he makes a circuit around a pair of armchairs and finally settles into one, flopping onto the cushion, stretching out his legs. Other than the edges of his fingers and toes, he came through his arena unscathed. He isn't the most fit of the Victors, by far, but there's also no hesitation in his movements. He doesn't favor one leg, doesn't tuck one arm. When he throws himself into the armchair, it is with abandon.

He meets Kirito's gaze again when he mentions Katelyn. She's a better mentor than Mace has ever been - but then, pretty much everyone is. To bring someone back on your first try... And she had tried. He'd watched her, counseled her, warned her. But she's believed. Kirito was living, breathing proof that it could be done, even if you weren't Arbor and Aranica. It wasn't a fluke. If they could, he could do better.

"Just as I am sure not many imagined a boy from District Ten would win, but I could be wrong."

In response to that, Mace extended his hand. He tipped it side to side, balancing and unbalancing the scales. "Yes and no. If you look at the betting lists from the Fifty-Ninth, there were a fair few who thought I could. Not that I knew that at the time. Back then, suppose I would've bet on Charas Harp. She got a Twelve in Training, you know?" His lips curved as he fell into the memory of long legs pressed against the back of an elevator.

He shook his head, releasing the ghost and welcoming the ice. "I didn't exactly defy the odds, but it sure felt like it, by the end." He unconsciously moved his hands over his knees, for a second gripping the hilt of a longsword that wasn't there. "'Course there're some who'd say this ain't winning at all. That we lost more than anyone else in our arenas. You believe that, Kirito? You think we won or we lost?"

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credit ✨ zozo.

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The Shadows That We Cast // Kirito + Mace {Kay} VT Sept 11, 2015 15:02:39 GMT -5

Post by Arrows on Sept 11, 2015 15:02:39 GMT -5

kirito

victor of the 70th hunger games

As time continued to span on Kirito began to realize more and more that their was actually the warmth of a flickering soul beneath the frozen crust of Mace Emberstatt. For some odd reason Kirito could not comprehend when the frozen arenas produced the most warmhearted victors. Both Mace and Katelyn were practically angels, besides the blood the drips from their murderous hands. Kirito thought perhaps it was because they had to do so much to stay warm in their ass freezing arenas that it all just sort of stayed bottled up within them after they left. Either way Kirito was more than grateful for a sign that kindness can still exist after drinking from the grail of pure evil.

Mace's footsteps drew back Kirito's attention as he watched him find his way to a dusty sofa chair. Although Kirito would never say it aloud Katelyn sure wasn't kidding when she said Mace loved his foods. According to her if he could eat pie all the time he would. Kirito couldn't even begin to imagine how much larger he would be. However at least even at his current slight over weight stature it wasn't clearly apparent.

Kirito found himself shaking his head to clear out his odd thoughts about Mace's weight as his own body lightly pushed off the wall. Slowly Kirito walked over and joined Mace sitting in a chair directly across from him. Kirito could feel himself trying to stop from looking and observing but he couldn't. Only Katelyn, she was the only other victor he had known and she wore her scars proudly. However Kirito needed to know how others carried their own. He wanted to know how Mace Emberstatt carried the souls of the other twenty three on his shoulders.

Another thought stuck Kirito as he once again found himself deep within the gates of Mace's eyes. Kirito could easily understand how Mace was a father. Yet he couldn't put together why he and his husband were breaking apart after such a long time. Was there another side to Mace hidden beneath his rolls of "sunshine" or perhaps his career lover was just too violent for him to handle. All of it confused and quite frankly scared Kirito. It made him wonder whether love could be tether to a person dipped in the blood of others.

Silence that had been surrounding the room was finally lifted once more as Mace asked Kirito a rather peculiar question. Kirito could feel his mind searching for answers and Kiri whispering darkened tones from his cell. However Kirito didn't need to look for the answer. He had discovered after his victory for himself just what the answer to Mace's question was. So letting out a long sigh Kirito sat back into the chair as hi voice broke into the room.

"You know Mace, I believe we do win. However what we win is becoming lost within the shroud of misery. A shroud that becomes our next challenge in life. We must find a way to overcome the veil and to live with the burdens we carry. What we win is no fortune or fame but instead a trial of true strength. That is what I believe."

As Kirito's words set in he watched Mace's face for any kind of reaction. Kirito knew that in the moments to follow he would find out just what kind of man Mace Emberstatt was. Therefore to achieve this Kirito lifted his voice in a question to Mace in return. "So now you tell me, do you still feel the ice of their lives frozen against your soul? How do you deal with it? How do you carry on?" Kirito's voice wavered a bit in desperation, Kirito knew that the question he was asking was not just for Mace but for himself as well. Kirito needed to learn how to cope, he needed advice from someone that back in Eleven could not produce other than Katelyn and himself. For once in his life Kirito felt as a child asking his parent for help, for once he actually felt like he needed someone's help.

There is a Key to every gate and every exit,
yet every Key has its own cost.

table by anzie

Graphic by the Breathtakingly Talented Stare