but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz]

WT
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but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 22, 2018 15:38:27 GMT -5

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Post by WT on Nov 22, 2018 15:38:27 GMT -5

A list of lies that wouldn't help:

I didn't mean to. What else does it mean to drive a weapon forward?

Us, too. Even in the sterile serenity of the Training Center, that was posturing. Of course people aren't meat; of course they cry for each other, of course they reach out when—

I wouldn't do it again. But it's done. And if that's what it takes to see home again, if another dozen throats stand between Wander and vis family—Ripred, ve wants vis parents—

---

It's easier than Wander expects to step into the momentum of things. Help patch up Eve, biting vis lip in sympathy at the gap in her hand. Clean the spear—not as easy until ve tilts vis head to look at only the shape, not the color (colors), in vis peripheral vision. Keep fidgeting, reorganizing supplies long after they need it. Keep walking, as they do every day, an uneven but unremitting flight around a cage they can't escape away from competitors they might escape. None of it stops the afternoon replaying again and again, but it keeps ver from wringing vis hands so hard they threaten to crack.

Eventually they need rest and, finding verself out of useful things to do, Wander resorts once more to pacing. On a whim, near enough for the others to see ver in the torchlight but far enough for the gold in the walls to glitter indistinctly out of the darkness like stars, ve takes a picture—tries to take a picture. It takes ver an embarrassingly long time staring at the smear of shadow in vis hands to realize the torches give too little light. The photo will stay black, a void where someone hoped for something beautiful.

Ve slips it behind the rest of the stack without a word.

[Wander does first aid on Eve as per tribmaint, and takes a really bad photo.]

thread title from "Camogli" by Adam Zagajewski, in Eternal Enemies, trans. Clare Cavanagh: but it, the sea, keeps turning landward, / wave after wave, as if wondering / what happened to summer's plans / and our dreams / what has our youth become.

Last Edit: Nov 22, 2018 15:39:21 GMT -5 by WT

'the way we lived' in stylized text, with 'character directory' as a subtitle underneath

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over the moon, where all the wild things are

but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 22, 2018 23:06:32 GMT -5

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Post by ryan on Nov 22, 2018 23:06:32 GMT -5

She was remissed.

Parson Cham was dead, and she had not a single clue what the do with herself.

Her legs felt hollow as she stood there and watched Angel coo to his dying love, and in that moment, she wondered if her Angel did the same thing when they returned his body to the district.

it was hard then, and that sure as hell didnt mean that it would be any easier now.

Death was something that Annie couldnt escape at this point.

Each day, more and more tributes fell, and if Annie had even an inkling of what was going to happen next, she knew that she needed to prepare herself.

However, she was still in shock, and her legs carried her off away from Angel and Hellion, only for a little while.

And she stared into the void for a moment before she finally caught a glimmer of her district partner. She took a deep breath, realizing that ve might have been in just as much shock as she was.

Annie did not blame Wander for ver actions, because at the end of the day, only one of them could return home, however, Annie was lost.

But with a squint, she could tell that ve was not alone, and so she stood off in the distance, trying her best to remain out of sight.

There isnt much for her to do anyway but stand and watch.

She could feel that she was not welcomed, and for once Annie could not blame them.

She wasnt here to talk to any of them anyway, but that did not stop her from lingering.

She took a deep, hearty breath before looking up and seeing a word above her.

Her eyes concentrated for a moment, reaching up into the sky to see if she could catch it.

Anything to distract her from the obvious hell she was in.

[Annie is doing her best to keep her distance]
[Annie tries to catch a word.]
fblzICw8a1-4
[Success!]

1-4

Last Edit: Nov 22, 2018 23:07:09 GMT -5 by ryan

WT
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but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 23, 2018 3:03:18 GMT -5

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Post by WT on Nov 23, 2018 3:03:18 GMT -5

Alerted by footsteps, Wander watches Annie out of the corner of vis eye and frets—where did her allies go, why is she here but not leaving, is she okay—for all of about twenty seconds before sheer awkwardness cracks ver. Maybe she wants to talk and doesn't know how to start; maybe she's a scout sizing them up; maybe she hates Wander now, maybe she doesn't. You have to ask people, ve always told—tells Iovita, not quite rolling vis eyes in frustration at whatever drama they've cooked up for themselves that week, and even after everything else has gone to hell ve stands by that.

Wander tucks the polaroid under one arm as Annie sets her sights on a bird and turns to the others long enough to give them a thumbs up. After a moment of consideration for the distance and dim lighting, ve adds an exaggerated two-armed wave, both hands arcing down from vis shoulders: you can stay, I'm fine. If Annie decides to take a swing—well, Wander won't take it without a fight, but ve won't cry foul, either. (Ve flicks vis eyes back to the bird, now safe in her hands. Fowl. Nate would snort at that.)

Still, once ve gets a wave of acknowledgement—go ahead—ve proceeds with uncharacteristic caution, steps heavy and indelicate but measured over the dusty rails. "Annie?" Ve regrets the familiarity almost instantly, nearly tripping over vis own tongue to add, "I—Anatalia, if you want? Sorry." And, hell, it couldn't change anything before and it certainly can't now, but if ve's going to apologize for that, ve might as well tackle the important one. "I'm sorry about Parson."

Last Edit: Nov 23, 2018 3:08:21 GMT -5 by WT

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over the moon, where all the wild things are

but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 23, 2018 5:22:23 GMT -5

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Post by ryan on Nov 23, 2018 5:22:23 GMT -5

Her mind didnt stop going for a second.

And Annie could understand why. She had just experienced the death of someone she felt the need to protect.

Parson Cham claimed to the heavens that he did not need protecting, but that did not mean that Annie would not do it. Once she made up her mind, that was it, she was set.

But she failed.

Not because she didnt have the conviction to do it, but because she simply did not see it coming.

The hole in his neck would be a constant reminder of just how empty she would feel for days to come, and if she got out of here, she would not let anyone treat her kindly about his death. Especially with the conversation they had hours before that moment.

She had to learn to let it go, but she had a feeling that she wouldnt for a long time.

And then the bird was trapped in her hands, and it did not fight her about it.

Maybe it was because it could sense that Annie felt like she was lost, or maybe it was because she had just held onto Parson's hand for so long that she now smelt of copper and ash. Annie took a deep breath before looking at the bird with soft eyes, something that her father would look down on because that showed weakness.

"Ill call you Parson little guy." Annie said as put the bird on her shoulder and cooed it gently.

Before she knew it, she had company, and it was in fact, one Wander Sibley.

And in that moment, she knew that it would have been right of her to exact some sort of revenge,

But she didnt, and maybe that was because there was enough blood spilt for the day. She had heard another cannon in the distance earlier, but she did not flinch at it, because she was too focused on losing the boy that she made a promise too.

And then Wander spoke.

And Annie didnt know what to say, mostly because she knew better then to think that this was something that they could avoid talking about.

Annie did not hold any ill will to Wander, but she did feel regret. Something that her father probably would have beaten out of her if she was around him right now.

"Shit happens Wander. This is the way of the games." Annie has never been the type to have a calm mouth when it came to things that she lost, but for what it was worth, the words she just spoke were laced with a certain type of care. Regardless of the transgressions that were committed just hours before.

"I just, broke my promise to him. Thats all." Annie was crystal clear in her words. "I needed to get away. I needed to think." Annie was talking a mile a minute. "So i guess my feet brought me here." Annie shrugged for a moment. Trying to speak without her voice cracking.

And as she kept her distance from the rest, she realized that this was the first real moment that she had gotten alone with Wander. A moment where they could actually chat. Of course, she had to stay on guard the whole time, because even though she was ready to trust Wander, that did not mean that she trusted the rest of them. "Im just happy to see that you are alright." Annie said complacently.

By this time last games, one of the tributes from four was already dead, and at the end of the day, Annie could live if one of them got went home, and as much Annie wanted to go home, she had a feeling that Wander deserved it.

But she would never say that out loud.

Last Edit: Nov 23, 2018 5:23:14 GMT -5 by ryan

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but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 23, 2018 17:06:20 GMT -5

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Post by WT on Nov 23, 2018 17:06:20 GMT -5

The pause before Annie replies sets Wander's stomach churning again, but in the end her tone is so much calmer than ve expected that ve doesn't quite know what to make of it as she says, "Shit happens Wander." Accompanied with a knife that might have sounded sarcastic, but as things stand—two voices in the still dust, a bird guided gently to her shoulder, nothing but a camera in Wander's hands—ve decides to take her at face value. "This is the way of the Games."

"I guess." She's not wrong, and from the safety of home Wander never put a lot of stock in the grudges playing out on screen—but it's different, resting a hand on someone's shoulder as he dies and standing in the thick of things with a bloody spear. "Doesn't mean anyone's gotta like it."

"I just, broke my promise to him," she finishes. "That's all."

Wander furrows vis brow. "You can't—" Annie speaks quickly, not finished after all, but Wander has twelve or thirteen years of practice being heard in a house where no one can get a word in edgewise. Ve hangs back, then pounces as she draws a breath, vis voice racing just as quickly. "If it's—what'd you say, the way of the Games? For people to die, then it's gotta be the same about promises." How many declarations have they all seen meeting a gory end, year after year, love and protection and carried tokens and vows of vengeance smashed as violently as wooden hulls against a cliff? "I'm not, like, mad that you're not trying to kill me, but don't be upset at yourself, either." Ve pauses for a breath verself, then continues a little more softly, shaking one ankle as if in demonstration. "I get that, though. Restless brain, restless feet."

"I'm just happy to see that you are alright."

A little tension bleeds out of vis shoulders and ve finally smiles at her, subdued but genuine. "I'm glad you're okay too." Ve jerks head toward her missing hand and touches the sleeve over vis own still-bandaged wound absent-mindedly. "I was scared you'd bleed out, the first day. Those kids from Three know what they're about." Knew, in the one case, ve supposes; Yusei wasn't alone in the sky last night.

Last Edit: Dec 7, 2018 2:11:01 GMT -5 by WT

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over the moon, where all the wild things are

but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 24, 2018 3:57:58 GMT -5

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Post by ryan on Nov 24, 2018 3:57:58 GMT -5

Shes stoic at first, realizing that this is the first time she had a meaningful conversation with someone since the the day she left for the arena.

it might have not been much here, seeing as they were chatting in the wake of her friends death, but Annie could at least appreciate the sentiment.

She wondered what was going through Angel's mind right now, both the one here and the one in the arena. For the most part, Annie hasnt been gutted into since day 2 with those fucking jellyfish abominations, and that has got to mean something? Right?

Well, it does in Annies mind.

But when it came to the Angel in here, she knew that it was probably best for her to give him some space. Annie had never experienced a type of love that he had, and Annie wasnt sure if she was ever going to do so. The sounds though that came from Angel as they both realized that Parson was no longer with them was so intense that she needed to take a moment for herself.

Hellion was probably somewhere else herself, doing things that Annie would never understand.

"Nope. No one has to like them one bit." Annie agreed as she looked up to the night time sky for some sort of reassurance. "Just going to suck seeing him in the sky tonight." Annie said as an afterthought. She didnt mean to keep bringing it up, but it just kept happening and happening. At this point, she was starting to sound like a broken record, but she deserved it.

Just this once.

Promises were the core of what Annie had believed in for a long time. Her father and mother would preach it to her time and time again about how the Morrisens always kept promises, or died trying, but did that mean she needed to rectify her actions in order to pay for one that she broke? No. She never thought about those extremes, and as much as she wanted to make up for what happened to Parson, she knew that was probably something that he didnt want.

And who was she to do something that the dead didnt want?

But that didnt mean she couldnt regret the actions that took place today, and as much as she prayed that they didnt, they did, and here they were, standing in front of each other trying to make sense of what to do now.

Annie was broken, and she had a feeling that Wander could sense that.

As much of a brave face she tried to put on, she couldnt hide all of her faults, that would be too easy. Even worse, she couldnt avoid talking about them either, which made it all the worse, because she was now pointlessly venting her problems to a person who probably care more about their problems then hers.

But here she was, and of course, Wander knew what to say.

"Promises have always been the core of my families values, but I guess here, it doesnt matter. We all want to go home right? Thats why we do things we would never imagine doing outside of this place?" Annie took a deep breath. "Letting go is and will always be the hardest thing to do, and if you can forgive me, and I can forgive you. Well, I guess thats a start." Annie took a moment to smile at Wander, realizing that maybe this is not the time to be sharing such an intimate moment with her district partner, but her mouth was moving faster than her brain could, and for once, she meant what she said.

Ice cold careers had hearts too after all.

The stub on her arm was a constant reminder of the awful day she lost her beloved hand.

However, the fact that she hadnt even thought about it until now was quite impressive. She wondered if it was because they were pumping something into the arena so they wouldnt feel excruciating amounts of pain all at once.

Whatever it was, Annie did not care, because at this point, there was nothing she could do about it.

Instead she simply looked at her arm and placed her hand over her right elbow. She wasnt ashamed of her wounds, and if anything, could probably find beauty in them down the line, but seeing as they were still fresh, she worried what others might think.

It was just another thing to motivate her to win the games, so she could be pieced back together by the capitol.

Well, Physically.

Mentally would always be a whole other story, because she would never be able to recuperate from the tragedies that she had encountered so far.

She was a broken piece of stain glass window that would probably be carried off to someone else's home for the time being, and she could live with that.

"Im holding on Wander. Each day is getting harder though." Annie said confidently, realizing the gravity of her words as she spoke them out loud for the first time in a long time.

"Losing my hand was hard, but I left it where I broke my promises." Annie started, looking back into the gold mine before looking back to Wander. "But we have to lose everything before we can start getting something back in return." Annie spoke a truth that she learned early in life, and as much as it tasted like vinegar coming out of her mouth, she spoke it with her head high.

"Im not worried about the brats from three, I have a feeling they are the least of my worries now, especially after seeing the boy in the anthem yesterday." Annie sighed for a moment before looking to Wander. "I should probably get back..." Annie said rather easily, however, her body did not move.

She just wanted to spend a little more time in this moment, while it was still here for her to enjoy.

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but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 24, 2018 4:53:55 GMT -5

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Post by WT on Nov 24, 2018 4:53:55 GMT -5

"Sounds like a good start to me," Wander says, forcing a smile through the stinging reminder that this moment has to end. To see home—to argue with Teresa while they both hide smiles, to ruffle Nate's hair, to spin Cadenza around and complain that she's getting too heavy and not mean a word of it—Wander needs to hope for Annie's face in the sky, whether ve puts it there or not. "Each day is getting harder" indeed, and they all know it will only get worse until it ends.

But they have a moment to sort things out now, and by Ripred, Wander is going to make sure they have better parting words than me either and please just leave.

The idea of Annie dropping her hand by Parson's body does derail ver, though. Wander opens vis mouth, closes it, and opens it again to say, "Wait, you kept it?"

"Actually, the girl from Seven sent it back to me in a delivery bird."

Wander shakes vis head once, remembering the girl from the end of the Bloodbath shouting after ver and Temple and Eve. Ve doesn't know enough about her to guess whether the hand was a kindness or a taunt—maybe both. "Huh."

"It was time to let it go though."

"I can imagine," ve mutters, then shakes vis head again, more quickly. "Never mind."

It takes a rough life, Wander knows, to mold someone who can so confidently say that nothing good happens without trading it for a horror, who can so calmly write off a girl who cut off their hand. Back home, Careers were like Leon: part of a world Wander never expected to step into, one vis parents deliberately steered their children away from because some things aren't worth fame. Whatever Annie went through to get here, Wander will never know, but—"I don't think that's how the world works," ve says, soft but firm. "Good things happen, and bad things happen. You don't... trade them in, you just get lucky until you don't anymore."

Or maybe, Wander thinks, watching her look back—maybe, once in a while, vice versa.

"I should probably get back," Annie says eventually.

She doesn't move, quiet with reluctance Wander understands all too well, but she's not wrong. Lingering only invites trouble, no matter that none of them have anywhere far enough away to run to. "Yeah," ve says, turning the camera aimlessly in vis hands. "Me too."

For a long moment, safe in this bubble where they understand each other and no one draws weapons, they still don't move.

Finally Wander glances back over vis shoulder at Temple and Eve and Bette, their details swallowed by distance but their shapes still visible in the shimmer of torchlight and vague shadows from where they rest. Ve hesitates only for a moment. They've only found one entrance to this place; they can only have so many plans. Surely it gives nothing away, betrays no one, to want to escape another death today. "Listen, we're pretty much on our way outside. We should be outta the way by the time you meet back up and head out."

She accepts that without a word, a trust Wander knows ve's done nothing to earn, and on impulse ve rushes forward to throw vis arms around her. "Bye, Annie," ve says, not quite managing to steady the rough thing in vis throat ve suddenly has to speak around. "Take care."

Her bird flutters but doesn't flee as she wraps her own arms around ver, voice lighter than Wander's own as she says, "You take care as well Wander." Ve nods, the motion tiny but heartfelt against her shoulder. "I hope to see you again soon."

When she goes Wander watches her bright hair vanish into the dark, never quite finding the heart to call after that ve hopes it's a long time before, one way or another, they see each other's faces again.

yeah wow we super gave up on blitzing this, didn't we

thanks for this friend, I'm glad we finally got them a thread <33

Last Edit: Dec 7, 2018 2:09:18 GMT -5 by WT

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over the moon, where all the wild things are

but it, the sea, keeps turning landward [D4|Day Four|blitz] Nov 24, 2018 8:45:55 GMT -5

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Post by ryan on Nov 24, 2018 8:45:55 GMT -5

I think I am going to follow suit here as well. So here is a filler flee but heres a little dialogue.

"Actually, the girl from seven sent it back to me in a delivery bird." Annie was quick on the trigger for that one. "It was time to let it go though."

Annie accepts the hug and smiles, embracing Wander. "You take care as well Wander. I hope to see you again soon." And she lets go and departs.

Thank you WT for participating in this thread with me! It was so much fun!

[Annie flees]

Last Edit: Nov 24, 2018 8:46:12 GMT -5 by ryan