Forum Thread

"Thank you. I know you can't trust me, but at least for now I want to keep her safe." Sorrento sighed, running a hand down his face. He was tired but that didn't really show on his face at first glance, just a small wry smile with determined eyes. Those same eyes flickered up to Phenoix and he tipped his head. "Really? It's not all that admirable, honestly. It was a selfish decision more than anything. I just don't want her to die." Shrugging, he glanced at the washroom with concern. This process wasn't new to him, he and Julian had helped Ariel out during her first pregnancy, but this time it was as if he was a new expecting father all over again, new fears crashing against him

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"Oh dear, did I accidentally break you? Honestly, whoever you were with obviously didn't tell you how pretty you are. Yes, you'll have to work a bit on a few points but if I could I would have fallen in love with you." She sighed, resting one hand on her cheek as she ran an appreciative eye over T'val. If anything, T'val's little shadow clones only confirmed that, each afterimage blurring together and hiding the small little imperfections in the other's appearance. "But rest assured, I'm not a home wrecker and falling in love just isn't something I do."

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Salvadore looked at Sorrento. "Is this going to be your first kid?"

Lucky had moved to a different compartment on her own, pulling out a small pair of earbuds as she started listening to a song on her phone.

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Phenix smiled, making a "d-ah" sound as he extended his hand in a friendly manner. "Sorry, I'm Phenix. Phenix Osiris." His ability stirred quietly as he reached out, his grey eyes gaining the yellow tint in the irises as he expected Sorrento to make eye contact. He wouldn't harm the man, and definitely wouldn't send him into the hysteria that most felt from him. He just wanted to take a peek in the man's mind, find out a secret or two.


-=-


"Well.. " T'val curled her hair around a finger, blushing a little. "Jamie always told me how beautiful they thought I was, but I never really believed them. They are quite the flatterer..." She trailed off, seemingly lost in thought over her non-binary partner, their polychromatic eyes sending her heart fluttering every time she saw them.

Echo helped Lifei onto the train, as the two wandered around, passing by a really big group of people with a— pregnant woman being one of them. Strange, isn’t it dangerous for her? Echo thought, as she chewed-gnawed on the lollipop sticks from before. Now there was blood from a Peacekeeper on one, when she nearly poked them in The Eye. It tasted coppery, but sweet. Meanwhile, Lifei was scrutinising everyone, questioning the safety of the food. She passed by Mare, Yurei, and Zahara, and gave them a cheerful wave, before stopping in the compartment Tval was in, and gazing observantly at the after images. She mumbled something incoherent under her breath, biting her long, sharp and uncut nails, supposedly trimming them.

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"With all this chaos, it mind as well be." Sorrento laughed, shaking his head giving just enough information to satisfy the others questions, but not enough for anything to be used against him. This was a death game after all, he had to be wary even of allies. "Ah, its nice to meet you, Mr Osiris. It's a pleasure." And he made the mistake of looking Phenix in the eye, his own rules of etiquette and respect backfiring on him. Even if he didn't know it.

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That far away look was familiar to Narukami as she smiled almost sadly. "What a lucky girl you are. They sounded like a wonderful partner." She prompted, watching how T'val seemed so content to loose herself in the memories of herself and her partner. "How did you two meet?"

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The effect was instant, after a second or so of eye contact. Phenix found himself watching new memories, though they were old to their host. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for: a weakness. Copying the memory to himself, he quickly blinked and backed out of the other's mind, the entire affair lasting but a split second. "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Edelstein."


-=-



T'val almost laughed out loud, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, it's a terrible story," she excused, her voice muffled by her palms. Every part of her wanted to tell the embarrassing story, to let this girl sitting next to her know just how in love she was with Jamie. If the girl prompted again, she would likely spill everything, from their literal running into each other at school, to the sudden move Jamie's parents had made- directly next door to T'val. She wanted to say it all, but she didn't, all at once. Still, she thought. If she pushes for an answer, I'll tell her.

Salvadore nodded, deciding to respect Sorrento's boundary and not press for any more questions. Faith came out with Ariel leaning against her, the latter was pale and sweaty but she looked more comfortable. "Just eat light foods and a bit of water until the nausea passes." Faith gently advised Ariel as she helped the redhead back into the seat with her husband. "Once you start feeling a bit better you can eat a bit heavier foods with more flavor."

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Barking out a laugh, Sorrento's eyes hardened at the name. "Now that's something I haven't been called in a while." He admitted, now wary about this Phenix person. His aggression, however, disappeared as soon as Ariel returned. Pressing a cup of water into his wife's hand, Sorrento gave her a reassuring smile.

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"Oh it can't be worse than me." Narukami snickered, waving a hand flippantly. "I have four separate times to make a good first impression on my mates and somehow I nailed the awkward atmosphere every single time. Terrible stories each one of them, but they also make for a good laugh. But if you don't want to tell, that's fine as well." Honestly her stories were quite the disaster, from tripping over them, being asked out of nowhere to become a muse, being accused of thievery, the list went on and on, it was actually quite hilarious.

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Phenix sat down at a nearby chair, slowly replaying the memory he'd nabbed from Sorrento. Half of his attention was focused on that, the other half being focused on the conversation around him. if he were asked anything, he would respond. But still, he would take a moment to answer. His public face remained as it was, friendly and innocent, as if no harm could come from this group.


-=-


T'val suddenly felt guilty, hearing Narukami say that it was fine if she didn't tell. Leaning back in her seat, she sighed. "Well, I'll be honest, we really just bumped into each other. Quite literally, too. I was trying to read a book while walking, and they were keeping their head low for a reason I hadn't yet known. Two seconds later, I'm looking up into these eyes that just swallowed me whole. One was a rich blue, as if it reflected the purest water in the world, or reflected the soul of whoever was looking at it. And the other was a beautiful hazel, rich and earthy, but soft and inviting. For a long while, I could hardly move, just staring into their eyes. Then I realized that I looked like a dope and let them help me up." She laughed into the air, a light blush scattered across her cheeks. "The next week, their family moved in right next door, and it just sort of..." She trailed off, shrugging with a smile.

Ariel rubbed her eyes and rested her head on Sorrento's shoulder, gently setting the cup of water on the table in front of her. Ariel was reasonably tired. "I don't recall being this fatigued when I was pregnant with the triplets."

Alana was sleeping not far from the others, at the moment she looked like a giant ball of brown fur and fluff.

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"It's probably the stress." Sorrento suggested, one arm wrapping around her frame, giving her shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Take a nap. I'll wake you up when we get to the capital."

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Clapping her hands together, Narukami squealed at how cute the story was. "That is so adorable! Love at first sight, no? Sooo romantic! I wish that happened to me." Even T'val's descriptions of her partner was full of love, describing their eyes in painstaking detail. It was a wonderful thing to be in love.

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Phenix leaned back slightly, adding his tidbit of information that had not been asked for. "Indeed, stress is often a factor in fatigue, and with the situation now..." He trailed off, glancing around the train. "Surrounded by strangers on the way to the Capitol, home of the arena.. It may not be comforting, but it does make sense."


-=-


T'val curled a lock of hair around her finger, fixing her eyes on her lap. "They're amazing in every way, but..." She glanced to her side, watching the images spill off of her form. "It's hard." Her tone grew soft, almost scared. "Even a hug or kiss is the most difficult thing... It's terrifying to even try and cup their face in my hand, because I know that if something goes wrong, if one thing caused them to jolt..." She trailed off again, this time staring at her hand as it left image after image behind it.

Faith shot Phenix a glare. "Hush, it may be true but right now she doesn't need to hear that." It didn't seem to matter much as Ariel had already dozed off in Sorrento's embrace, at the moment, her dreams brought comfort and ease in this taxing time.

Alana poked her head from beneath her tail, her face half awake.

---

Phenix nodded in a slight apology, turning his head to glance around the area. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw movement, which only drew his attention more. What appeared to be a small girl, or perhaps and animal, seemed to be waking up. She looked for human than beast, but it still sparked Phenix's curiosity. Turning to face the little one, he smiled, beckoning her over.

Alana looked up at Phenix in confusion, but very slowly got up off the seat she was on and stretched herself until her limbs were more relaxed. She hesitated for a moment but eventually went over to Phenix, her tail flicking behind her.

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For a moment, Phenix looked taken aback. After a moment, he seemed to utter a name, though it was too quiet for normal ears to understand. Normal ears, which meant present company excluded. "Bella?" It was hardly a whisper, his earlier curiosity replaced by an awestruck sort of admiration.

Alana cocked her head at him in confusion. "My name's not Bella, it's Alana."

---

Phenix shook his head slowly, breaking himself out of his trance. "Sorry, you just remind me of my little sister. I'm Phenix." He put on a smile, extending a hand for a handshake.

The day had started the same as always. When Maci opened her eyes, she felt a sudden shock, as if her body was surprised to be alive, but that feeling disappeared when she turned over to see Jaxon laying next to her. It was nice to see him laying so peacefully. The night before, he stayed up for several hours, pacing the room in an agitated state. He seemed to spend the night brushing his fingers through his hair- a nervous habit. She knew he had been worried about the Hunger Games. She had been worried too, but she had been trying to hide it for his sake. She remembered him sitting at the edge of her bed when he thought she was asleep, his hand had been rested on top of hers, his thumb lightly caressing her hand. She had known without having to see that he was watching her, with eyes filled with nothing but love.
Green eyes had met hers. He stretched before pulling her into his chest. The two had stayed like that for a while, not wanting to leave each other's warm embrace.
"We should get ready, the Reaping will start soon" Maci had whispered.
"Just a bit longer" Jaxon had urged.
Did we think that that would be the last time we would hold each other?...

The two stood amongst the crowd of people. His arms had been wrapped protectingly around her. His breath had quickened, she could feel it brushing her hair. She had felt the same- they were both terrified, both had waited in anticipation for their names to be drawn. The pause between each name had felt like a lifetime. The two had been able to relax when the name wasn't hers, but only for a second because the next name was being drawn. Finally, they had reached the last tribute.
"Maci Lam" the mayor had read. Maci gasped, but couldn't get any more words out. The shock had silenced her.
"I'll volunteer!" Jaxon shouted without hesitation. But he wouldn't be able to take her place, it wasn't allowed. Boys couldn't take a girl's spot. He couldn't even volunteer for another boy because (of the plot) of some unheard of rule. He hadn't allowed Peacekeepers to grab her. He had instead hugged her close. She had felt his frantic heartbeat against her cheek. Even when he was tazed, he had never let her go.
...Did he think that that would be the last time he would hold me?...

The two had been allowed to say goodbye. They had run into each other's arms, tears had been falling down their faces.
"I won't survive out there" Maci had whispered. "You should just let me go." She meant the connection. It was the only reason why she was alive. He had used his power on her. His energy was hers and vice versa. She was still weak, still sick, but his strength gave her life. If she died, then he would die too.
"I won't do that, I won't ever do that" Jaxon had said. He had pulled away, but just enough so that they could look at each other. He had cupped her cheek and had looked at her with a serious look. "You are strong, stronger than you think. On top of that, you are cunning, I know you'll find a way to live." They held each other the whole time. Speaking softly to each other, first planning on how she would live. But that hurt too much, so they shared good memories of each other. Finally, it was time for her to go on the train. She refused to let go, she had to be dragged away from him, forcefully split apart.
...Because I knew this would be the last time I would hold you.

She sits on the train, tears falling down her face as she clutches a ring in her hand. It was a promise ring from their first anniversary. It seemed so long ago. They were younger then, she was stronger then. Now she was weaker, but their relationship had only grown stronger. She sighs, then slips the ring back onto her finger. She wasn't alone, she had to remember that. She could feel Jaxon's energy moving through her, giving her the life she needed. Even with him being so far away, he was still here with her. This thought makes her feel better.

Shiloh had waited until she could stand up again. That was it. Somehow, the dizzying feeling had stripped away her despondency and despair. She wasn't about to just...give up, just because she couldn't do anything. That wouldn't get her back home. That wouldn't get her back to Ian. If she just gave up, she'd be putting him through the same pain that she had been afraid of feeling if Ian had taken her place as a tribute. She needed to make an alliance. At the very least, she needed to make a friend. But that thought alone wilted this sudden bout of courage as quickly as it had come. Making friends had been next to impossible for Shiloh. Ian had been her next-door neighbor, he had been close by. Their parents had been friends, and things were simple. And that had been before the accident. When Shiloh could talk. Sometimes, if she tried hard, Shiloh could remember the sound of her own voice, but every day, the memory slipped away little by little. Shiloh did have one memory. But it wasn't of her voice. It was a memory of her and Ian.

The two of them were sitting on the soft carpet of Uncle Davis's apartment. They had taken two of the threadbare couch cushions and were balancing against them, their backs to the couch. Some might have said that the two of them looked rather ridiculous, but in the tiny apartment, with the rain falling against the slightly dirty windows and the doors shut tight, there was no imaginary audience for the two teens, still barely recovering from the accident that had happened only two years prior to this moment. The bandages wrapped around Shiloh's mouth and jaw looked different, tighter, and there were scars that barely peeked out from underneath them. As Shiloh remembered this, her hand drifted to the spot. Ian had often joked that they looked like tiny snakes, peeking out to say, "Shiloh's special!" From anyone else, that might have hurt. But from Ian, the one that Shiloh knew truly cared, it was just friendly teasing. They were practicing the sign language movements that Uncle Davis had learned, the man explaining that he had learned sign language after his mother went deaf in her old age. "Alright, try this one," Ian said, moving his hand in the sign for eat. Shiloh copied him, and he smiled, that warm, honey smile that made her heart flutter, even when Shiloh hadn't really realized her feelings for him. After a minute, Shiloh glanced down at the chart that her uncle had carefully drawn out for them, and slowly signed, "Ian?" "Yeah?" "Do you remember what my voice sounded like?" His eyes flashed with grief for a minute, before he sat up a bit. "Well, let's see. You.. had a very quiet voice. People always asked you to speak up. You sounded like a little kitten, that had just drunk milk and was falling asleep. I always smiled whenever you spoke, because you always sounded so happy and sweet, even when you were sad." Shiloh raised a hand to her mouth, the sign of a silent giggle..

Shiloh blinked her eyes, as she returned to reality. Her heart broke all over again, as she was brought back from that simple time. The pain had still been fresh and raw, but at least then the only worry she had at that moment was learning the language of the silent, nothing more. Now, she was here, on her way to fight for her life. She didn't hesitate. She looked around the room. Obviously, there was no chance of any of them knowing sign language, so she would have to find some other way to communicate. She could ask a Peacekeeper...there was one, that looked a little kinder than the others. Not one who would sympathize, but maybe one who would listen, at least for a little bit. She carefully approached him, tapped his shoulder, and as he turned his attention to her, quickly mimed asking for a pen. Shiloh didn't know whether it was dumb luck or not, but he smiled, nodded, drew out a pen, and handed it to her. She fished for a napkin from one of the tables, and, clutching both, moved to the first person she saw, Maci. Without thinking much about it, she scribbled on the napkin, "My name is Shiloh, what's yours?" and hesitantly approached her. If she wasn't in this situation, it would be nice to finally have the courage to "talk" to someone. With her mind flashing at all of the ways that this could go wrong, she waited to see if Maci would ignore her, respond, or..what? Shiloh was starting to regret this entire descison.

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