Raoul Keaton of District 10 knew where he was.
He had lost the fight. He had lost his chance at getting back home to his District, his friends and family, his fiddle... He's lost it all. Not that he really had too much to get back to. His distant parents, no brother... He really wished he could have gotten back, to talk to Vera and maybe someday tell her how he felt about her for so long... That was all a distant hope now. There was no going back. If he wanted to see any of his friends or loved ones again, he'd have to wait. Hopefully it would be a long wait, he would hate for his friends to come to him too early.
He knows that his friends and family are thinking about him, and the thought is just as sad as it is comforting. He knows they must be hurting. He'd certainly hurt if he'd lost a loved one. Hell, he had, the second Reuben walked out that door. It was a hard adjustment to make, that was for sure. Losing someone you loved to leaaving was hard enough, let alone to death. There was no hope of reconicliation, no chance that he'd ever come back.
He didn't feel much like crying. He felt kind of numb, not really like doing anything. It was a calm kind of numbness, not a panicky sort, which was at least a relief.
Raoul knew what he really wanted. He wanted to play music.
It didn't take long for the girl from Eleven to appear in the room, and Raoul quickly left. He didn't want to look at her or risk talking to her right now. He got up and briefly stretched out his wings before leaving the temple.
The outside was warm and soft, up high in the clouds. It really was beautiful.
"Raoul!" Edgard slipped out from under Callum's arm and ran to meet him, giving him a big hug, that was quickly returned.
"Hey Edgard," Raoul said quietly. He really was just happy to see the Eleven boy, who had become a good friend as well as an ally.
"You fought really well," the boy from Eleven says quietly.
"It doesn't feel like it."
"That's normal. You'll see in time, though. There's nothing else you could have done."
Raoul didn't believe it, but seeing someone familiar and warm calmed him.
"You placed well, you did your District proud."
"Thank you."
The friends stayed in the embrace for a while before Raoul gave him a pat on the shoulder and they separated.
"Angels play harps, right?" Raoul asked.
"Eh, that's just the stereotype. C'mon, I'll show you around and we can get your hands on a fiddle."
Raoul grinned. "Sure. Sounds great."
~.~.
Martina was beside herself.
The thoughts of her family and friends just depressed her. They felt warm and cozy, but it wasn't really her home. It wasn't the same as having them there, in the flesh. She wanted to be home. She had gone through so much shit and just like that she's lost.
She had so much depending on her, and she let them all down. She couldn't believe she'd done this. How could she? They were all thinking of her. Her father, mother, Tristan, Mariah, Leah, Trey, Marlene... Jackson. Oh, Jackson. She was all he had and now she was gone... She suddenly was worried about him. Was he going to be okay? Would her family take him in? Surely they would. They loved him, they wouldn't let him destroy himself... And without Martina, he certainly would destroy himself.
Tears streamed down her cheeks, pouring out of her eyes. She couldn't help it. She felt so homesick and sad, disappointed, even angry because she had lost it. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. She couldn't do anything to change it, after all.
She stayed there for a while, soft wings wrapped around herself, sobbing quietly, hurting. Soon, the sadness started to fade, replaced by that warm calmness that everyone is going to be alright. They would keep going without her.
She stood up, finally, drying her cheeks and wiping her eyes.
She couldn't do anything to change the fact that she died. She would just have to find a good way to spend the time until her loved ones joined her. And for that, she was ready to wait.
~.~.
District 9's Kade Fields wasn't alone.
Rachel sat with him in the temple, holding his hands. His eyes were slightly glassy, but he knew that he was in a better place. The only person he had down there was Sophia. Leaving her alone hurt Kade, sure. He could feel her thinking about him, and that made him upset. She was probably hurting so much. He fought so hard to make it back to her, and he had made it to third place. God, he was so close to winning...
But there was nothing he could do to change it now.
He stayed in Rachel's arms, hugging her tightly. They hadn't known each other for too long, but she had become a close friend anyways. They just clicked, and he was glad that she was his ally.
"You didn't have to sacrifice yourself for me," he said quietly. All of the images of seeing her silhouette in the Arena came back.
But this Rachel was different. She was soft, warm, she was real. She was the real Rachel, not whatever fake version of her was projected in the Arena.
"I wanted to. I never intended on leaving the Arena alive. I gave my chance for someone who deserved it. And you really made me proud. You made her proud, too. Sophia. And your home. Third place is amazing."
"But it's not first."
"Someone had to get third. It sucks, but you fought hard and did your best."
Kade just sighed quietly as Rachel let him go with a pat on the shoulder.
His sadness didn't last long, though, as soon he saw two little girls running towards him.
His sisters.
Gabby reached him first, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly. Lydia arrived soon after, joining the hug. It was a tight, warm hug, and Kade never wanted to let go.
"God, I missed you," he said quietly, tears pooling in his eyes.
"You did well out there," Lydia said.
Gabby nodded. "We're so proud of you."
Kade managed a small smile. "Thanks. I really just did my best."
The siblings didn't talk after that. They just stayed in the tight, warm hug, and Kade felt like he was home.
It wasn't totally complete, though. Kade let out a small sob when he heard his mother's voice say his name.
His sisters let go so that he could run over to his mother, hugging her tightly.
"You did so well down there," she said, sniffling and wiping her eyes.
"Don't cry," Kade said quietly, biting his lip.
"They're proud tears," she said. "You did everything you could."
"I tried. I wanted to make you proud." He stayed in his mother's arms for a long time before both of his sisters joined the hug again.
They were complete. They were whole. They were a family.
They were together.
Showing posts with label Edgard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Edgard. Show all posts
Monday, May 29, 2017
Sunday, January 29, 2017
84 Afterlife!AU, Part 3
Amari Cooper of District 6 was still stunned. As soon as he woke up and the soft light illuminated the room with a warm glow, however, he knew he was dead. He wasn't sure how he was conscious, but he was dead. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to keep away tears. He felt absolutely horrible. How could he have done this to his friends and family back home? He was going to win for Karima, and for Billie, and... There was so much riding on this.
When he managed to get to his feet, he realized he had wings. They weren't like the fake pieces of PVC pipe he and Kyle used to try and attach to their backs. No, these were real, honest-to-god, warm, soft, feathery wings.
Amari's first thought was, quite simply, I don't deserve to be here. That was the most confusing part of it all. He wasn't sure what he might have done to deserve this... This peace. This calm feeling. This warmth. He didn't know, but he was glad he did it.
Amari walked slowly out of the room. He really wanted to try out the wings, but figured that he would save that until a better day when he wasn't feeling so down. He missed Kyle and Lydia already, even his parents. They were all thinking about him, too, which made the moment even more bittersweet. He saw Billie first, but looked away from her. After everything she had been screaming at him in the Arena, he couldn't face her. Maybe she didn't really think those things. But maybe she did. After all, Amari and Lydia had made fun of her even before the reaping began and they were both shipped off to that mess.
Amari moved his thoughts away from that and to the present. The ground under his feet was soft and he felt no discomfort or pain. He felt light as a feather, like nothing would ever weigh him down again. He wasn't hungry or thirsty, and he wasn't anxious or afraid. Not anymore.
He was startled when he saw a figure dashing towards him, as quick and agile as a bunny. He was surprised when Karima fluttered towards him, practically gliding with her wings, and spun him around in a tight, off-the-ground hug.
"Woah! Hey Karima!" he tried not to sound surprised. After all, they had been allies. He just felt bad for how he treated her through everything, really. He hadn't kept a good enough eye on her and she ended up dying because he wasn't awake when she left. He didn't really want to think about the black and white and moral gray area, so he focused on reuniting with his friend instead.
"Amari," she said quietly, her voice quivering slightly.
"Don't cry," he said quietly. If she was going to he might just cry in sympathy, and he wouldn't want that.
"Sorry," she squeaked quietly, burying her face in his neck.
"I'm sorry. I really wanted to win for you. For everyone."
"I know," she said, trying to keep her voice steady and not succeeding very well. "It's okay. We're here now."
Amari blinked away some tears, but when he heard Karima sobbing into his neck he broke and they started to drip out of his eyes and down his cheeks. The allies, friends, and youngest tributes of the Games stayed there like that for a good while.
Somewhere, deep down, they knew that they had to let out the sorrow and misery before the process of healing could truly begin.
~.~.
District 11's Edgard Lowell kept his eyes closed.
So it really was true. He was the first of his allies to die.
It didn't matter. Well, of course it mattered, but Edgard was used to downplaying what he was feeling. Somehow, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do that any longer.
He didn't want Kendal to think it was his fault. Raoul was more rational and more Games-minded, he would eventually get over it. Well, as much as you could get over it in an Arena like the hell they had lived through, that is.
Kendal, though, would feel sorry. Edgard was sure of it. He didn't want him to be sorry, though. All this time Edgard had been so confused, searching for his purpose in life, trying to find where he fit, and he had found it. Somewhere within the chaos of confronting the Careers, Edgard had decided that maybe his purpose wasn't something he would figure out in a couple years. Maybe his purpose had been laid out before him his entire life, and now was the critical moment. His purpose was to give his allies another chance. And he'd served that purpose in full.
He felt peace more than anything. Sure, Kayla and Mich were missing him, but they had each other. His parents missed him, but they had each other. Kendal and Raoul were one step closer to making it home, and Edgard was rooting for them the entire way.
So, why be sad? Edgard felt free from the chains of his worry about who he was. He had a better idea now, now that he'd sacrificed himself for his friends. He stood up and was about to step into a new world when he heard the whimpering of a boy who had just lost everything he had ever wanted.
~.~.
District 1's Callum Ainsworth hated himself.
Even the anger he felt was subdued. He couldn't be mad. He felt so fragile, like he would break if he was nudged the wrong way, that he would crash into a million pieces.
How could he have been so stupid?
It was the rashest decision he'd ever made. How was he supposed to be peaceful about it? He never should have gone into the Games, and he'd realized it too late. He still wasn't exactly sure who killed him, it was kind of a blur, but he didn't care. He was the first of the Careers pack to die. At least it wasn't in the bloodbath, he tried to convince himself. He would have absolutely been the laughing stock of the District if he'd died in the bloodbath. What a legacy that would have been.
Maybe he should've just let Gravity go into the Games like he was supposed to. Maybe he should have stayed with his friends and grandparents. Even if that's what he should have done, he couldn't change it now. He couldn't change te fact that Amory and Niss were probably mad as hell at him and he couldn't do anything about it. Who would take care of his grandparents? He didn't want them to join him too soon.
They were thinking about him. All of them. It was a bittersweet sensation that was both warming and painful at the same time. He let them down. He let them all down. He would fade away into nothing just like the rest of the mediocre District 1 boys that went into the Games. Gravity was amazing, he would have taken the win for sure. Callum had failed. He wasn't anything great, he wasn't strong like the rest of them, he wasn't like them. He wasn't better than them. He was just so average.
And that stung. It stung a lot. The realization that everything he'd wanted was for absolutely nothing. He couldn't change anything now. He was stuck here, away from them. He was useless.
"Are you okay?"
Callum jumped, shattering as he looked up at the boy from 11, the boy that was killed by Callum's alliance. He stared at him, so Edgard repeated the question.
"We're dead!" Callum said. Tears traced their way down his cheeks. "Can't you see that?"
"Of course I can. But I can't change that now. Why worry about it?"
"Because, we left them!! We left them all!"
"I know. It's hard. But that's the purpose we were meant to serve."
"Purpose?"
"I died to give my allies a second chance."
"I didn't. I was..." Callum thought back. He was in so much pain, fighting to hang onto life when it happened. "I was killed in cold blood."
Edgard sat down next to the 1 boy and wrapped him up in his warm, feathery wings. "But you volunteered for that guy."
"He would have won," Callum said miserably. "He was the selected volunteer."
"Well, now he has a chance to do something else. A second chance. Because of you."
Callum felt much calmer, but still just as upset. He cried quietly into his knees, enjoying the comfort of Edgard, wrapped around him like a blanket.
"He won't take it," Callum sniffled. "I dishonored him."
"Maybe he will. He has to get back up on his feet someday."
Callum didn't know what to say to that and was too tired to retort, so he stayed there, curled up, crying quietly. He expected Edgard to decide it was pointless and leave, but the 11 boy stayed with him patiently.
Callum was quiet for a while before Edgard stood up and brought him slowly to his feet.
"There's a new world out there just waiting for us," Edgard said gentle. "Let's see what it has in store."
Callum swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."
Together, they stepped outside into the great behind, leaving their past sorrows, pain, and confusion behind.
When he managed to get to his feet, he realized he had wings. They weren't like the fake pieces of PVC pipe he and Kyle used to try and attach to their backs. No, these were real, honest-to-god, warm, soft, feathery wings.
Amari's first thought was, quite simply, I don't deserve to be here. That was the most confusing part of it all. He wasn't sure what he might have done to deserve this... This peace. This calm feeling. This warmth. He didn't know, but he was glad he did it.
Amari walked slowly out of the room. He really wanted to try out the wings, but figured that he would save that until a better day when he wasn't feeling so down. He missed Kyle and Lydia already, even his parents. They were all thinking about him, too, which made the moment even more bittersweet. He saw Billie first, but looked away from her. After everything she had been screaming at him in the Arena, he couldn't face her. Maybe she didn't really think those things. But maybe she did. After all, Amari and Lydia had made fun of her even before the reaping began and they were both shipped off to that mess.
Amari moved his thoughts away from that and to the present. The ground under his feet was soft and he felt no discomfort or pain. He felt light as a feather, like nothing would ever weigh him down again. He wasn't hungry or thirsty, and he wasn't anxious or afraid. Not anymore.
He was startled when he saw a figure dashing towards him, as quick and agile as a bunny. He was surprised when Karima fluttered towards him, practically gliding with her wings, and spun him around in a tight, off-the-ground hug.
"Woah! Hey Karima!" he tried not to sound surprised. After all, they had been allies. He just felt bad for how he treated her through everything, really. He hadn't kept a good enough eye on her and she ended up dying because he wasn't awake when she left. He didn't really want to think about the black and white and moral gray area, so he focused on reuniting with his friend instead.
"Amari," she said quietly, her voice quivering slightly.
"Don't cry," he said quietly. If she was going to he might just cry in sympathy, and he wouldn't want that.
"Sorry," she squeaked quietly, burying her face in his neck.
"I'm sorry. I really wanted to win for you. For everyone."
"I know," she said, trying to keep her voice steady and not succeeding very well. "It's okay. We're here now."
Amari blinked away some tears, but when he heard Karima sobbing into his neck he broke and they started to drip out of his eyes and down his cheeks. The allies, friends, and youngest tributes of the Games stayed there like that for a good while.
Somewhere, deep down, they knew that they had to let out the sorrow and misery before the process of healing could truly begin.
~.~.
District 11's Edgard Lowell kept his eyes closed.
So it really was true. He was the first of his allies to die.
It didn't matter. Well, of course it mattered, but Edgard was used to downplaying what he was feeling. Somehow, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do that any longer.
He didn't want Kendal to think it was his fault. Raoul was more rational and more Games-minded, he would eventually get over it. Well, as much as you could get over it in an Arena like the hell they had lived through, that is.
Kendal, though, would feel sorry. Edgard was sure of it. He didn't want him to be sorry, though. All this time Edgard had been so confused, searching for his purpose in life, trying to find where he fit, and he had found it. Somewhere within the chaos of confronting the Careers, Edgard had decided that maybe his purpose wasn't something he would figure out in a couple years. Maybe his purpose had been laid out before him his entire life, and now was the critical moment. His purpose was to give his allies another chance. And he'd served that purpose in full.
He felt peace more than anything. Sure, Kayla and Mich were missing him, but they had each other. His parents missed him, but they had each other. Kendal and Raoul were one step closer to making it home, and Edgard was rooting for them the entire way.
So, why be sad? Edgard felt free from the chains of his worry about who he was. He had a better idea now, now that he'd sacrificed himself for his friends. He stood up and was about to step into a new world when he heard the whimpering of a boy who had just lost everything he had ever wanted.
~.~.
District 1's Callum Ainsworth hated himself.
Even the anger he felt was subdued. He couldn't be mad. He felt so fragile, like he would break if he was nudged the wrong way, that he would crash into a million pieces.
How could he have been so stupid?
It was the rashest decision he'd ever made. How was he supposed to be peaceful about it? He never should have gone into the Games, and he'd realized it too late. He still wasn't exactly sure who killed him, it was kind of a blur, but he didn't care. He was the first of the Careers pack to die. At least it wasn't in the bloodbath, he tried to convince himself. He would have absolutely been the laughing stock of the District if he'd died in the bloodbath. What a legacy that would have been.
Maybe he should've just let Gravity go into the Games like he was supposed to. Maybe he should have stayed with his friends and grandparents. Even if that's what he should have done, he couldn't change it now. He couldn't change te fact that Amory and Niss were probably mad as hell at him and he couldn't do anything about it. Who would take care of his grandparents? He didn't want them to join him too soon.
They were thinking about him. All of them. It was a bittersweet sensation that was both warming and painful at the same time. He let them down. He let them all down. He would fade away into nothing just like the rest of the mediocre District 1 boys that went into the Games. Gravity was amazing, he would have taken the win for sure. Callum had failed. He wasn't anything great, he wasn't strong like the rest of them, he wasn't like them. He wasn't better than them. He was just so average.
And that stung. It stung a lot. The realization that everything he'd wanted was for absolutely nothing. He couldn't change anything now. He was stuck here, away from them. He was useless.
"Are you okay?"
Callum jumped, shattering as he looked up at the boy from 11, the boy that was killed by Callum's alliance. He stared at him, so Edgard repeated the question.
"We're dead!" Callum said. Tears traced their way down his cheeks. "Can't you see that?"
"Of course I can. But I can't change that now. Why worry about it?"
"Because, we left them!! We left them all!"
"I know. It's hard. But that's the purpose we were meant to serve."
"Purpose?"
"I died to give my allies a second chance."
"I didn't. I was..." Callum thought back. He was in so much pain, fighting to hang onto life when it happened. "I was killed in cold blood."
Edgard sat down next to the 1 boy and wrapped him up in his warm, feathery wings. "But you volunteered for that guy."
"He would have won," Callum said miserably. "He was the selected volunteer."
"Well, now he has a chance to do something else. A second chance. Because of you."
Callum felt much calmer, but still just as upset. He cried quietly into his knees, enjoying the comfort of Edgard, wrapped around him like a blanket.
"He won't take it," Callum sniffled. "I dishonored him."
"Maybe he will. He has to get back up on his feet someday."
Callum didn't know what to say to that and was too tired to retort, so he stayed there, curled up, crying quietly. He expected Edgard to decide it was pointless and leave, but the 11 boy stayed with him patiently.
Callum was quiet for a while before Edgard stood up and brought him slowly to his feet.
"There's a new world out there just waiting for us," Edgard said gentle. "Let's see what it has in store."
Callum swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."
Together, they stepped outside into the great behind, leaving their past sorrows, pain, and confusion behind.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Saturday, July 16, 2016
District 11 Chibis!
Female Tribute: Martina Reyés- xxPeppermintxx109
Male Tribute: Edgard Lowell- santiago.poncini20
Escort: Delicia Armand- santiago.poncini20
Female Mentor: Chaff Durant- Suzanne Collins
Male Mentor: Donavan Osten- hopefuldreamer1991
All together! Woo hoo!
Thursday, April 7, 2016
~QUESTION TIME!! Part 1~
From Anonymous via Tumblr: (Sorry, but it looks like you sent previous messages but this is the only one I got...) Nautica: You're evil for killing that innocent girl. I'm guessing you'll feel zero remorse in the arena. Karima: you remind me of Sheldon cooper. Kade: I bet gio is an inspiration to you. I feel super sorry for you :( do you think your story will give you an advantage with sponsors feeling sorry for you? Rachel: think you'd partner with Kade since you have the homeless thing in common? Raoul: love the fiddle, play turkey in the straw Martina: I think you'll remind me of Krissa from the 36th Games. Edgard: who can actually afford to go to a bar in 11?! Wren: pretty name....
~.~.
Nautica: Of course not. You do what you have to do, simple as that.
Karima: Who's Sheldon Cooper? *confused*
Kade: Oh, Gio. Thirty... Sixth Victor, if I remember correctly? I'm not really up to date on my Games history, but I do remember that he was homeless too. So yeah. He said... Oh, I don't remember exactly. But basically told everyone that they could do anything. Which is cool. As for my story... We'll see. Hopefully, but you never know with Capitolites....
Rachel: I'm considering my allies carefully. We'll see...
Raoul: If only... It's going to be a long couple of months without my fiddle there. Music is such an important part of my life and who I am...
Martina: I don't remember much about all the way back then. I've tried to avoid Games history whenever I can.
Edgard: Mostly Peacekeepers, which are important connections to make. A very few number of the higher ups, and Victors occasionally drop by.
Wren: *smiles* Thank you. I like my name, and my whole family is named after birds.
~.~.
Nautica: Of course not. You do what you have to do, simple as that.
Karima: Who's Sheldon Cooper? *confused*
Kade: Oh, Gio. Thirty... Sixth Victor, if I remember correctly? I'm not really up to date on my Games history, but I do remember that he was homeless too. So yeah. He said... Oh, I don't remember exactly. But basically told everyone that they could do anything. Which is cool. As for my story... We'll see. Hopefully, but you never know with Capitolites....
Rachel: I'm considering my allies carefully. We'll see...
Raoul: If only... It's going to be a long couple of months without my fiddle there. Music is such an important part of my life and who I am...
Martina: I don't remember much about all the way back then. I've tried to avoid Games history whenever I can.
Edgard: Mostly Peacekeepers, which are important connections to make. A very few number of the higher ups, and Victors occasionally drop by.
Wren: *smiles* Thank you. I like my name, and my whole family is named after birds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)