ran away from the pain [garbage fire, day 3]

"Cold steel calls out my name,"

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Coach didn't feel the same guilt as he'd felt after killing the salamander the day before after killing this two-headed rat monstrosity he'd killed today. Perhaps there was some sort of difference between the two. Maybe it was because Syd had killed an actual person, and Coach felt that he had no right to feel guilty over a rat when Syd had ended the life of a real human being. That had to be what it was. Certainly.

Getting away from the fight, Coach and his allies were all still alive. The other team that they had fought was now a trio, and they went a different direction from them. Collecting a canteen of water after the fight, he then looked to his allies.

"I have something to say," he began.

He paused for a moment, making sure he had the attention of each of them.

"I just- he wasn't sure how to word it other than- "Thank you."

He gave a weak smile.

"Thank you all for still being here, and for fighting with me, rather than against me. It means a lot," he explained.

It really did mean a lot to him. As he'd realized earlier, his father probably would've rejected him for who he'd decided to team up with in the arena. As he'd also realized earlier, though, what his father thought didn't matter. He wasn't fighting for the sake of his father.

Then again, even though he was fighting for the sake of his sister, did it really matter what she would've thought, either? As long as he tried his very best to make it home alive, he supposed it didn't matter. The opinions of others weren't his concern. He only had to think about what he thought, and right now, the thoughts of his friends here in the arena.

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[actions in maint]

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"Tempted to give in to the rage."

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