The Ψiioniic / The Helmsman (
biiowiired) wrote in
thearena2014-12-31 07:45 pm
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Entry tags:
My head is warm my feet are cold
Who| The Ψiioniic
biiowiired and The Signless
69problems
What| Put the best friend back in the box!
Where| Safety Bunker
When| last day of the arena
Warnings/Notes| language, death prophecies
There was one place Psii hadn't combed over in search of either food or Signless: the deepest parts of the abandoned areas. Finding food was less important now. Psii knew his time was coming, and it wasn't just his labored breathing, parched throat, or dizzy spells interrupted by more headaches. He'd seen his own death in a vision.
Psii had always thought that when he finally knew, he'd be properly scared and spend his last nights in dread. But instead, he found he couldn't afford the luxury. Psii, like many lowbloods in rough situations, had accepted that he was more likely to die violently. He drew on that impassive store of cold practicality now. He had never died himself, but he'd lived with the voices of ghosts since he was hatched. He knew how it went.
What his vision really meant was that he was running out of time. He had to deliver one last precognition before his usefulness expired. He'd spent most of his life delivering bad news, so it was fitting that his last swan song would be the opposite: Everyone would die, everyone, except Signless. It might be too much to ask that he see his friend one more time before his demise. But if he could give Signless the assurance he wouldn't die in this arena, give him a bit of foresight so he could plan his next move when his allies were either dead or being resuscitated back at the Capitol.... Psii didn't dare presume he'd give him actual hope. Psii was a downer on a good night.
He delved into the dripping dilapidated halls, dark even for his nocturnal vision. He still had his guard up, mental fingers ready to release his psionics if needed. Xenomorphs were more concentrated here. He wouldn't allow himself to die until the proper time. When he heard a sound nearby, he steeled his breath and drew close, nerves coiled in tight wires.
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What| Put the best friend back in the box!
Where| Safety Bunker
When| last day of the arena
Warnings/Notes| language, death prophecies
There was one place Psii hadn't combed over in search of either food or Signless: the deepest parts of the abandoned areas. Finding food was less important now. Psii knew his time was coming, and it wasn't just his labored breathing, parched throat, or dizzy spells interrupted by more headaches. He'd seen his own death in a vision.
Psii had always thought that when he finally knew, he'd be properly scared and spend his last nights in dread. But instead, he found he couldn't afford the luxury. Psii, like many lowbloods in rough situations, had accepted that he was more likely to die violently. He drew on that impassive store of cold practicality now. He had never died himself, but he'd lived with the voices of ghosts since he was hatched. He knew how it went.
What his vision really meant was that he was running out of time. He had to deliver one last precognition before his usefulness expired. He'd spent most of his life delivering bad news, so it was fitting that his last swan song would be the opposite: Everyone would die, everyone, except Signless. It might be too much to ask that he see his friend one more time before his demise. But if he could give Signless the assurance he wouldn't die in this arena, give him a bit of foresight so he could plan his next move when his allies were either dead or being resuscitated back at the Capitol.... Psii didn't dare presume he'd give him actual hope. Psii was a downer on a good night.
He delved into the dripping dilapidated halls, dark even for his nocturnal vision. He still had his guard up, mental fingers ready to release his psionics if needed. Xenomorphs were more concentrated here. He wouldn't allow himself to die until the proper time. When he heard a sound nearby, he steeled his breath and drew close, nerves coiled in tight wires.
no subject
He peered around a turn in the hallway, not wanting to be caught unaware by something down the corridor, and caught sight of a familiar yellow jumpsuit.
"Psii?" he loud-whispered, stepping more fully around the corner.
no subject
"SS, you--" There was no time to snap at him for scaring him. Hell, if Psii wasn't so on edge in the first place, he wouldn't have jumped two metaphorical feet in the air. "We don't have much time. There'th a room, kind of like a bunker, thomewhere down here. Ath far ath I know, it'th the only one of itth kind. We need to find it fatht, but I've never been thith far down."
We as in you, but Psii didn't share that detail. He needed to get Signless down there sooner than later, and dropping a bomb like his best friend dying on him might not help. He'd rather Signless get there on his own two feet rather than having to resort to carrying him against his will. If his psionics were stronger, there wouldn't be so much worry over the effort that would take if the route down was lengthy.
no subject
And he did mean the both of them. Whatever the Psiioniic thought, Signless didn't intend to let him die if he could help it -- and with the key to the bunker, he could provided they got there in time.
He didn't yet know it was only big enough for one.
"Come on."
no subject
"I'd fly uth there, but I don't want to attract too much attention with my lightshow."
Hoofing it the old-fashioned way it was. Psii was mostly quiet, unusual in itself, but he didn't want to attract attention with sound either. They passed dark corridors and empty storage spaces.
Unfortunately, some of the more spacious halls were perfect xenomorph nesting grounds. Psii stopped short when he realized where they were. Sleeping pods littered the floor nearby like land mines. Psii guessed that the humans, who couldn't see well in the dark, would bump right into them. Psii glanced at Signless, hoping he knew a better way around this area, and hoping these eggs didn't have the equivalent of jadeblood attendants.
no subject
Or perhaps he was just being paranoid. He tilted his head toward a slim fissure in the wall that (hopefully) lead into another hallway, trying to wordlessly communicate that it might be easier than going through the minefield of eggs.
no subject
The fissure turned out to be one of the smaller entrances used by xenomorphs, if the trail of blood where they dragged in victims was anything to go by. Psii motioned to hurry, lest they encounter one on its way in. He scanned the brooding cavern once more before entering first at a crabwalk. If something dangerous was on the other side, Psii would be the one to deal with it first. The opening was narrow, but so was Psii. Clearly he needed to eat more tacos when he got back to the Capitol. If he got back.
He peeked into the new hall, awash in darkness and a few lonely flickering lights. So far, so good. He stepped out and motioned Signless to follow.
no subject
"Which way...?" he murmured. It was half an actual question and half just talking to himself. So long as they kept heading down deeper into the station he had a feeling they'd find what they were after eventually. With that in mind he set off down the hall in the direction that had comparatively more working lights, hoping that they would do at least a little to keep the xenomorphs away.
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"Don't wathte any time," he forced his voice level and blank, clipped and to-the-point. "Open it and get in."
Psii turned his back to him and planted his feet, keeping watch while he did so. He didn't release his power, afraid of attracting attention with its light, but he let it simmer just below the surface. His hair stood up a little from it, and his fingers twitched nervously.
Of course, he had no intention of following Signless in. He waited for the inevitable call of his friend, steeling himself for turning around and doing whatever it took to keep him inside until everyone else was dead.
no subject
"You're getting in with me, Mituna," he said with as much authority in his voice as he could muster. The countdown continued in the background, ticking closer and closer to whatever was coming. He ignored it.
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"Oh my globe-thweating fuck, Kankri, jutht get your thtupid fathe growthth inthide the bunker! I'm right behind you, I jutht—jutht want to make thure nothing followth you in! You're wathting time!"
There was no time for existential thoughts and worries about possibly not coming back from death when Signless was being the biggest bulge-sucking idiot this side of paradox space. Psii pulled at his shoulders, trying to steer Signless towards the door with the strength of a reedy nerd. All the while he attempted to keep himself bodily between Signless and the hallway, shooting worried glances at it. Death was coming, and Psii's powers were limited. He had enough strength to restrain Signless or incinerate enemies, but he wasn't sure he could do both.
no subject
"Several feet away is not right behind me." He narrowed his eyes. "You don't plan to get in, do you."
It was a question but he didn't say it like one.
no subject
"Pleathe, Kankri. I'm going to die. Everyone'th going to die. Ok, I know I thay that all the time, but I'm theriouth, I can thtill hear the voitheth even now. And I couldn't tell you before, becauthe I knew you'd be a fucking nookmunch about it." He gripped his shoulders, suddenly too frustrated to plead properly. "Like now! For onthe in your goddamn timelineth, you're the only one who ithn't going to die, and you're being thtupid about it!"
no subject
I'm going to die. Everyone's going to die.
Except him. Except him? That couldn't be right. This was his eighth arena. This was going to be his eighth death. He wasn't supposed to win! He wasn't a warrior or a strategist or a celebrity, he was a broken man clinging to pacifist ideals he'd already violated once because that's all he had left of himself.
"Are you very sure?" he asked, voice low and serious.
no subject
He still gripped his shoulders, but his hands shook. His lips paled and pressed into a thin line around his fangs. He knew shoving wouldn't help, but he was hesitant to use his powers. The light attracted too much attention and could very well damn them both.
"Get in. Don't make me pick you up with my brain."
Did he really want what could be his last moments with his best friend to consist of fighting against him? No. Well—maybe, if it was absolutely necessary. Kankri could be a little shit sometimes.
no subject
He steadfastly ignored how stupid of an idea that was -- if everyone died but the two of them, the Gamemakers would just find a way to off the spare. Force them to fight to the death, probably. He wouldn't mind dying one more time on top of all of his other deaths if it got his friend out of the arenas. The Psiioniic would probably even make it quick, almost painless... it wouldn't be so bad.
no subject
"They're not my voitheth, dumbath. You think I thit around making them up for fun? Fuck you. I knew you wouldn't underthtand."
Though, it didn't help that back home, Psii was always harping about future deaths. No wonder people didn't take him seriously. Not only were terrible fates difficult to accept, but Psii just wouldn't shut up about them.
"Obviouthly if I'm dying thoon, there'th a good reathon why I can't jutht cram both our atheth in the bunker. You couldn't jutht make thingth eathy for onthe? You couldn't jutht do the thmart thing and thay, 'Ok Psii, thure, I'll leave the liminality logithticth to thomeone who'th actually exthperienthed with inevitable vithionth of doom and get my thtupid nubth in the fucking boxth.'"
Psii took on that special plodding tone he used sometimes, a poor imitation of Signless's voice that made the great rebel orator sound imbecilic.
no subject
"Understanding is not the same thing as agreeing," he hissed, letting his stress and worry morph into anger because it was easiest (and some detached part of him knew this was a far better show than just meekly stepping into the bunker would be. It might get the Psiioniic at least one more chance, if it was dramatic enough).
"Fuck destiny. Destiny has never done anything for me and I've already stepped outside of it here. Either you follow me in or you force me."
no subject
He could have just feigned acquiescence, walked with Signless to the door, and pushed him in. That would be the smart thing. Psii wasn't worried about making dramatics, he'd already done his fill of that with Initiate earlier. But Signless's idiocy was catching, and misdirection didn't cross Psii's mind. Instead Psii egged him on with brief pushes at his chest, hesitant to start a fight but ok with pushing Signless's buttons. Psii was where he was before, shoving at a square rock and hissing through gritted fangs.
"I'm not uthing my pthi, the light will draw too much attention, ath if your noithy bitching wathn't enough."
Psii was being equally noisy, but details. He gave a particularly forceful shove, then a ham-handed attempt at tangling up one of Signless's planted feet with his own.
no subject
He kicked at the Psiioniic's approaching foot, took a step back (but only one). Then he planted his feet even more firmly and crossed his arms. Some way or another he was going to wind up where the Psiioniic had known he would go, but he wasn't going to do it himself.
no subject
"Tho why do you have to make my job harder?! I might die and not come back like everyone talkth about, thith could be the latht time I thee you, and you're thtill being a pain in my ath!" he hissed.
He should say something meaningful, something heartfelt, perhaps even sentimental. But he was always afraid of being close to the ones in his visions, salting the wounds of imminent loss. Also Signless was being king of the assholes, and Psii felt it his duty to knock him down a peg, like a true friend.
"Fine. Fucking fine! You're a nooklicker, and I alwayth thought your fathe growthth looked thtupid."
He glared at Signless's feet as he clutched his own. He had enough. Sparks around his forehead heralded the psionic grab he aimed at Signless's ankles. This arena's future victor was going into the bunker whether he liked it or not. Psii threw caution to the winds and was going to carry him upside-down to it. He lost his chance to walk into it willingly with some semblance of dignity and grace.
no subject
He fell when those invisible hands grabbed his ankles and yanked them into the air (his head made a satisfying whonk on the floor), but he gave only the barest of struggles.
"My growths are unique and give my face personality," he said calmly from where he hung upside-down, his hair barely brushing the floor.
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"Enjoy your unique perthonality thtubble within the thafe confineth of the bunker, you raving douche. Now you're jutht pushing my buttonth for the hell of it, I can tell. Not that it'd do anything, thinthe I can pick you up with my mind. You better hope thith light doethn't attract attention too thoon."
He continued his diatribe as he marched the floating savior to the open door. He was prepared to slam it shut after depositing Signless. But as soon as his burden crossed the threshold, the bunker sensed someone inside it and shut automatically. Psii cut his psionic hold in surprise, and he felt distinctly as if he'd accidentally dropped a sack of mutant potatoes.
"Shit! Are you ok? It'th not a trap, ith it? It jutht clothed on it'th own...." He pressed against the door.
no subject
Well, no, it was how it was supposed to go because it's what the Psiioniic had said would happen, but there was still something sinister about that door slamming shut. It hit him all in a moment of clarity: of course the bunker was only intended for one. There was no drama unless someone was left panicking on the other side of the door, and there was no Games without a definitive victor.
"I'm fine," he said, sitting up (and ignoring the dull ache from where he'd fallen). "But I think I'm locked in. Or at the very least, you're locked out."
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"Maketh thenthe, thinthe you have the key. Well, I'm not going to athk you to try the door or thomething elthe equally thtupid. You're where you're thuppothed to be, and.... tho am I."
He shifted to lean his back against the door, keeping an eye on the hallway. He'd try to muster up something meaningful to say, but he was constantly aware of the Capitol's cameras and Panem watching him. He'd bequeath all his possessions to Signless, except he didn't have any.
"You and your fathe hairth jutht thit tight. It'll be over thoon."
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"What's going to happen. Mituna, what's going to--"
BOOM! The bunker shook around him. He could hear the shriek of metal tearing, the crack of concrete and plaster, the sheer deafening burst of sound that came with an explosion the size of an entire arena.
Well. That answered that question. No one could possibly have survived that. He'd won. He'd won and he didn't feel relieved or elated or proud so much as sick to his stomach.