Shai Kingston, 18
District One Male
"So, you're joining us today?" Shai asked as he lounged against the wall, stretching his arms up over his head before bringing them down to tug at his ponytail. "I figured the stars of the show were too busy for us common folk."
Even though it was early, Shai enjoyed testing the boundaries of what he could do with his current allies. He'd figured out that Kano was easy enough to rile up, and he was hoping to get him worked up enough that he'd choke, giving Shai an extra boost to make it in the top three for private sessions. He'd seen no indication so far that Makani or Justus would be much of a threat, but Kano certainly had enough skill to put up a fight.
As for Justus, who didn't appear to react to Shai's words, Shai just wanted to see what he was like when the two lovebirds looked around and remembered the rest of them were there as well. Justus seemed to internalize most things, but Shai was already getting a vision of him and Phaedra ditching the pack a few days into the Games. For now, all Shai could do was see exactly what Justus was capable of.
Cocking his head to the side, Justus just gave him an odd look of confusion. "I just figured mixing groups a little more would help when we all need to team up together."
It figured that his barb would just go over Justus's head, but it didn't seem to matter much. Shai didn't need to tear Justus apart when he already got the sense that Justus was doing that himself.
With a sigh, Shai abandoned his spot at the wall and brushed past Justus, stepping up next to Kano at the hand to hand combat station. Justus didn't seem to pay him any mind as he merely moved up to a trainer and started chatting quietly, leaving Shai to partner up with Kano to train.
"You look well rested," Shai said pleasantly, offering Kano an innocent smile. "Need a partner to spar?"
Of course, it's not like Kano had another choice at the moment, so he just nodded. He appeared to be a lot more… chill than he had over the past couple of days, and Shai had yet to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Either way, he could figure out how to use it to his advantage.
"I'm not sure if I'm the best choice for a sparring partner," Kano responded lightly, continuing to go through a few basic stretches. "With all due respect, I'm not sure you could keep up with me."
As if on cue, Shai felt a twinge of pain in his left forearm, cruelly reminding him of his own limits. He certainly wasn't the best at direct hand to hand combat, as demonstrated by the way his arm had so easily been snapped only a few years ago, but Shai always found a way to make things work. He prided himself on it, in fact. And maybe this could just be another step in his plan, a way to play it cool before overcoming Kano later.
"I'm sure I could find a way," Shai said coolly. "Besides, I had an offer for you."
He didn't miss the way Kano's eyes lit up at his words, his curiosity too much to immediately turn Shai down. "I'm listening."
"Private sessions are tomorrow, as I'm sure you know." Shai watched Kano's movements, mimicking his stretches as he warmed up.
Kano rolled his eyes as he noticed what Shai was doing, but he didn't comment on it, which made Shai grin to himself. This change in temperament wasn't expected, but that would make things so much more fun when Shai surpassed him tomorrow.
"Obviously. What's your point?"
"I think we should make a bet."
That caught Kano's attention even more as he turned to full face Shai, putting his hands on his hips as he took a break from stretching. "Oh? A bet for what?"
"A… favor, of sorts," Shai proposed. "Not in the arena, if that's what you're worried about. Whoever gets the higher score wins, of course."
"What if we get the same score?" Kano asked, wrinkling his nose despite looking more and more intrigued by the minute.
Luckily for him, Shai had already thought this through. "We go off of the new predicted placements, then."
A smug smile crawled its way onto Kano's face. "I have the higher predicted placement as of now," he taunted.
"Only for now," Shai shot back, easily getting back into his groove. "Spar with me now, show me what you've got."
There, Kano's ego was finally starting to show itself. His smile turned into more of a cocky smirk as he stepped into the ring, raising an eyebrow as he waited for Shai to join him.
Of course, Shai was aware that he'd caught at least a bit of attention from his allies. Even now, he could feel Justus's eyes on him, likely marking him to see how this fight would really turn out. With the amount of survival stations Shai and Kano had rotated through, no one had seen much of his fighting yet, so he wanted to keep his true strengths under wraps. And while he'd garnered attention, he didn't figure anyone saw him as much more than an annoyance, especially with the way he kept targeting Kano in particular.
To put it simply, Shai was feeling good. This simple spar wouldn't do anything to damage Shai's reputation in the long run, and it would probably help him more than anything. In the end, Kano would be his own undoing, and Shai would merely be a bystander.
From his earlier observations, Kano was quick on his feet when fighting, and he was stronger than he looked. Shai fully expected to lose the first few rounds, but he also expected to learn a few tricks for later. Just in case, of course.
"I'll try not to hurt your pretty face too bad, since we are here in training," Kano said, and Shai could've sworn he flashed him a wink.
"As if I'd give you the chance," Shai shot back, setting into his stance, ready to put up a fight.
It turned out that Kano did have the chance, he just didn't take it. Shai was on his back fast enough that his head spun, taken completely by surprise even though he knew what was coming. It took him a few seconds to regain his bearings before slowly sitting up, rubbing the back of his head. One of the trainers was staring at him, waiting for a sign to rush in if necessary. Shai just waved him off, letting out a chuckle as he glanced at Kano. "You're better than I gave you credit for."
"I'd say thanks if I didn't think that was a backhanded compliment," Kano laughed, reaching out to take Shai's hand and help him up. "Either way, you want to keep going? I can still let you off easy now."
Shai shrugged as he stood up with Kano's help. "I think you'll find I don't give up easily."
"It's all the same to me," Kano said with a wide grin. "But I'd say it's looking like you'll owe me a favor after we find out our scores."
"You're getting a little overconfident now." Shai laughed and nudged Kano with his elbow. "Careful, or I'll cut you down when you least expect it."
Despite his somewhat lighthearted threat, Kano didn't flinch or seem to pay any mind at all. "I'd like to see you try," he shot back.
God, Shai really was going to have fun with this. How could he not? His games would only continue as the real Games began, and no one would perceive him as the true threat he was.
He'd make sure of it.
Jude Caterham, 18
District Six Male
"Do you know how to do this?" Kyra asked, offering up her flint to any of the others that might help her. "Jude?"
Jude glanced up from his own flint, striking it and watching sparks fly as he kept trying to get his fire to start. "Try doing it harder and faster," he instructed lightly. "It's all about friction, so you just have to keep going. Like… this."
His own fire finally started, and Kyra made a small noise of surprise as she saw it come to life. He ducked his head to gently blow on it a few times, letting his breath fan the flames so it could grow a little more, enough to where he knew it could sustain itself. Then, before it could get much bigger, he poured water over it, noticing the looks of warning a trainer was giving him.
"You're good at this," she said shyly.
With a light shrug, Jude just tilted his head and gave her a smile. "Not really," he said, brushing off her words. "Just good at following instructions. You'll be able to do it too, I know it," he encouraged.
She offered him a smile in thanks and ducked her head to continue with it, following his instructions. His allies were so easily entertained, willing to go along with whatever they thought might help their chances in the long run. That was the appeal of him and Imperia creating as big of an alliance as they could get. Bigger alliances were supposed to grant its participants the illusion of safety, and it was working. Kyra and Teagan and Liam each felt that they were safe inside of this larger group, content despite their blissful unawareness that they were being controlled the whole time.
They were weak. That's what it all came down to. Jude and Imperia's carefully placed trap would only lure in those that had no other option, the ones that were desperate and would seek warmth and comfort and safety wherever it was easily handed to them.
Weak minds would stay that way forever: that's what Jude's parents always taught him. Even though they ran a pharmaceutical business, Jude was taught from a young age that drugs, in the end, did nothing for a person. A weak mind was a plague, and there was only one way to heal it.
Jude couldn't even remember how old he was when he'd seen his first lobotomy, peeking in on his parents as they snuck down to the basement one night. His curiosity had always been overwhelming, and now it had gotten him into trouble as they scolded him for eavesdropping and getting out of bed and spying on them. Adults were inclined to having privacy, and Jude was just a child, a very nosy one at that.
The next day, he'd told Imperia all about it, but she didn't believe him. She just told him to quit making up stories, doing that delicate sniff that all Bachmann did. He made sure to tug on one of her braids hard for that one, snickering as she scolded him, whining about her sensitive scalp again.
But even then, the sight of it never left his mind.
He had to fight down the sudden bout of bile rising up his throat, looking over to his other alliance members. Teagan was prattling on again about some childhood friend named Mary. It was as if she kept feeling the urge to dump her entire life story on Liam, who certainly took it better than Jude would've. It bothered Jude that even Teagan, as annoying as she was, had someone waiting for her back home. Jude had come here with the only person he tolerated from Six, and they were staying out of each other's way for the most part to keep from looking too suspicious, too put together. One way or another, whether he wanted to or not, he was going to lose Imperia Bachmann, and there would be no one at home to miss him.
It wasn't fair. He'd been taken from his life, just like all these others, but at least they had something. He hadn't even had the chance, as the only thing he had at home was two fathers who half the time couldn't be bothered to spend time with the son they'd chosen to adopt. God, it wasn't fucking fair.
He'd always played by their rules. When they told him lobotomies were the only way to fix a person, he believed them! Maybe Jude was too much of a coward to attempt one on himself, but he helped others so they wouldn't fall victim to the lies of drugs like the ones his fathers sold. And what did he get from it? Nothing. Only this deep, dark pit of self loathing that ate at him every day, ready to consume him the moment he let his guard down.
Jude wished that he was back home, avoiding one of the parties he threw by staying up in his room with Imperia. He wanted to look for her now, to seek some comfort as he spiralled in the middle of training - weak, he was utterly weak without her it seemed - but he had to stay focused. He had to do it himself.
He was tired of relying on her. When would Jude Caterham be able to stand alone?
Blinking, Jude finally snapped out of his trance, taking a few slow breaths as he calmed his racing heart rate. He silently cursed himself for so easily slipping away in the middle of this room full of people.
"You okay?" Kyra asked, making him jump.
He hated the hint of worry in her voice, automatically cringing away from it as if it was insincere. "Fine," he said, his voice coming out a little harsher than he meant it to. Desperate to change the subject, he asked, "Hey, where did Imperia go?"
Looking around the room, Kyra hummed quietly until her eyes snagged on a familiar figure. "Over there. Talking with the Twelve girl at the trapping station."
Right. Jude didn't know how he forgot. They had planned to split up today and talk to the girls from Eight and Twelve, since they were both strong loners that looked like they'd be interesting to have in the mix if they were willing to join an alliance. Eight hadn't responded to Jude at all; his conversation with her was entirely one-sided. She was even more of a lone wolf than they originally thought, but it was good to scout out the competition either way.
"I wonder how that's going," Jude muttered absentmindedly. He was making sure to appear aloof and unattached when it came to Imperia, as if they were merely District Partners that met on the train, not… well, whatever they were.
Kyra seemed to take him literally, stretching her body to the left and right a few times to get a better visual. "Twelve keeps talking back, actually. Not much, but enough for Imperia to carry on a conversation. But… oh, she just shook her head."
As Kyra kept narrating, she was paying less and less attention to the fire she was supposed to be starting. Jude glanced around at Liam and Teagan, who were turned towards each other and not paying either of them any mind. After only a moment of hesitation, Jude grabbed one of the lighters they'd been given and flicked it on, using it to start Kyra's fire for her.
It only took a few moments for a bit of heat to lick at her hand, and Kyra let out a soft squeal of surprise. By the time she turned back to Jude, a pleased grin on her face, he had already tossed the lighter aside.
"Oh, did I do that?" Kyra gasped, waving her hands excitedly. "I must have! Thanks Jude, it's all thanks to your help!"
Yeah, it sure was. It wasn't the kind of experimental mind games that Imperia had suggested to him back on the train, but it was enough to keep Jude entertained. Kyra needed the ego boost that came from finally completing one of the survival stations "on her own," and Jude needed a way to keep her dependent on them.
This larger alliance was merely insulation for Jude and Imperia, not that they needed it in the end. It was one final game, one that they could finish together.
Jude just hoped they'd get the chance.
Crush Xing, 17
District Twelve Female
It began how it always did for Crush Xing.
First, it was merely an itch. Once she'd set her eyes set on a muse, it stayed in the back of her mind until she could bear it no longer. She could feel it crawl around in her head, taking up room as if it was some kind of freeloader. But she had to wait. Perfection took time, and this time especially, she could afford to let the thoughts simmer.
But after the barely-there stage it progressed to something more. It was overpowering, the way Crush's head would swim with the little information she'd collected from her muses. She always wondered if maybe that was why her sculptures never ended up perfect. They didn't hold the spark of life that real people did, sure, but maybe she just didn't know enough. Some days she could deal with her lack of information, but now, as she wondered about her final project, she couldn't help but try to get closer to the girl she'd set her eyes on, try to discover every little secret she could.
Makani Allard. The name was practically branded in her mind now, along with the rest of the muses that Crush had over the years. But Makani already felt different, as if she was a cut above the rest. Instead of Crush trying to carve stone from stone, she was trying to carve water, trying to imitate the vivacity that Makani was filled to the brim with.
If this was Crush's final project, she had to learn how to truly challenge herself. There was no other way.
That's how she found herself moving throughout the different survival stations. She could easily get into the groove of each one, only working where no one else was. So far, she'd figured out that traps were somehow far more intricate than she'd originally anticipated, but steady hands and a penchant for perfection were enough to get her set on this station for a while.
The medical and plant identification stations weren't enough to keep her attention, so when she went there, she just ended up hunching over a scrap piece of paper she'd snatched and scratching away at it with a pencil. The stations she visited were never a coincidence; after all, she had a job to do.
Her study period of having a muse was always filled with time spent drawing her current fixation, but this particular instance felt… different. In theory, there was no difference between Makani Allard and her former muses besides the whole water vs stone thing, but somehow Makani was something completely different than the rest. Crush had shredded her chariot outfit as soon as she got back to her room, leaving it in a heap on her floor for someone to stumble across later, but the ribbon she got from Makani stayed with her as much as it could. Was that allowed? Well, no, but Crush quite frankly didn't fucking care.
This was more than everything that came before. Crush was wholly consumed by Makani, seeking out ways to learn everything about her. She could catch snatches of conversation and invent whole stories about the girl she couldn't get off her mind.
Even now, as Crush drew Makani's nose for the fifth time in an attempt to perfect the exact way it curved - as only the most perfect curve would suffice - she couldn't help but mull over everything she'd learned so far. The unfortunate thing about keeping her ears open for every bit of news she could possibly hear was that she was stuck with useless information like the way the Three boy had latched onto Five and Nine, clearly impressed by their strength, and that the Sixes knew each other but were pretending not to, rather successfully in the eyes of everyone but Crush.
As for Makani… she only appeared to be half as trained as the other Careers, something that made Crush worried. She could surely hold her own against some of the competitors, like the weak child from Ten or the girl from Five, but others, like the Nines, would stand a chance of taking her out. Crush couldn't lose her muse, not before she had the chance to capture Makani in stone and flesh.
"Well that doesn't look like a finished trap, huh."
Crush barely flinched at the sudden intrusion, calmly raising her head enough to register that, right, she was at the traps station and instead of going back to the blueprints to figure out where she went wrong, she had been drawn back to her sketch. She felt like she couldn't do anything without wondering about Makani - How would her smaller hands manage to tie these knots together? Does she know how knot tying works from her background in Four? How would her face look with the light from a sunset reflected on it? - and it was starting to muddle her brain.
Even though Crush didn't offer anything in response, her unwelcome company decided to make herself at home, settling across from Crush so it would be harder to ignore her. Reluctantly, she lifted her eyes and had to hold back a sigh at the girl she saw sitting across from him.
"I won't keep you for too long," the Six girl said, her training outfit making her look less like part of a biker gang and more like a real person that… for some reason was over here bothering Crush.
She didn't remember the girl's name. All things considered, Crush really didn't care. This girl hadn't been deemed worthy of being Crush's muse, and that's all that mattered.
"That's the Four girl, isn't it?" Six asked, her tone casual as she leaned in closer. "What's her name… Makani?"
It felt so wrong for Makani's name to come out of Six's mouth that Crush shuddered and shoved the paper into her pocket without letting Six look much closer. Crush felt like one of her stone statues, being examined and picked apart in search of flaws that would deem her worthless in Six's eyes. Maybe the girl was only looking for allies, but something told Crush that wasn't the case.
She only hoped that Six hadn't already gotten what she was looking for. Something told Crush to stay guarded around Six, or else she'd pay for it later.
"Why are you asking me?" Crush forced out, the sound all but a grunt as she tried to emphasize how much she didn't want company. At least Six wasn't annoying; she was just a minor nuisance. Like a gnat. Though Crush normally squashed those without a second thought as soon as they started buzzing around her when she worked on sculptures back home. "Don't you already know everyone's names?"
A slow smile curled up the edges of Six's lips. Crush barely paid attention to the girl, going back to the trap she'd abandoned at least half an hour ago in exchange for watching Makani from a distance. She tried to keep her head down now, focusing on the trap so she wouldn't start to silently seethe at the way the One and Two girls stayed close to Makani the whole day. One seemed especially close with her, and while this kind of fraternization with her muses hadn't bothered her before, it drove Crush insane now.
"Crush Xing, huh," Six said in a way that wasn't a question at all. "And you're right, I do. You're clever."
The compliment fell on deaf ears, instantly rolling off of Crush as she tied a knot tight enough that she'd probably need to get a trainer to cut it apart later. Flattery wasn't anything that got to her unless it was from someone she was interested in, and Six hadn't exactly done anything to pique her interest.
"I was originally coming to see if you were interested in joining our alliance, but I didn't figure you would join anyway."
Then why'd you come?
The unspoken words hung between them as Crush tested her trap by tossing a bean bag in the center and watching as it was snatched up, hopefully the same way a small animal would. Crush would prefer to go after them on her own, but the intricacy of traps resembled her own sculptures in a way, and she was beginning to respect them.
"I've been intrigued by you ever since the Chariots, and since my District Partner suggested we split up to recruit the last two people we were interested in recruiting, I wanted to come test my theory."
Instead of rising to the bait, Crush focused in on another part of her comment, saying, "Doesn't make sense to call him your District Partner if you already knew him."
For the first time since Six sat down, Crush felt as if she'd gained the upper hand somehow. Six was perfectly content to try and pick her apart, but Crush was more perceptive than she seemed.
"You're more clever than I pegged you for," Imperia muttered after a long moment of silence. "I suppose I do know Jude."
Crush didn't respond to that, barely giving any sign that she was even listening as she pulled out the book detailing all of the traps again. She frowned down at it, hoping to learn at least another one before training ended for the day.
"I'm impressed, I really thought I'd get frozen out just like Jude did when he talked to Eight earlier. At least I can come back and tell him you told me you were uninterested - you are, right?"
Managing a faint nod in response, Crush squinted down at another trap for animals, one that would instantly kill them instead of just preventing them from escaping. Her hands traced over the page, and she briefly wished that Clamor was here. Traps he made would be much easier to copy off of than the drawings in these silly books.
"It's been a pleasure chatting, Crush. If you're at any point interested, you know where we'll be."
As Six got to her feet, Crush heard her pause and silently sighed, preparing herself for one last comment from the girl.
"I'd recommend something a little… bigger for your next one, Crush. Seems to me like you'd handle it just fine."
And then she was gone, giving Crush another window to glance at Makani and nearly lose her breath at the sight of her fighting, as smooth as if she was born out of the water herself like some sort of goddess. Crush felt calmer looking at her, wondering if this is what people that lived by the ocean felt like when they saw the vast expanse of water that seemingly never ended.
But… maybe Six was right. Crush did enjoy reaching for those unattainable stars, and maybe it was time to push herself a little more.
Lilith Beherit, 17
District Nine Female
Panting quietly, Lilith stretched her arm as far as it could go, nearly missing the handhold before gripping it tightly and using her momentum to swing herself on top of the climbing wall. From here, she could see the entire training center, including several feet away where Nash was encouraging Merix to keep going. They were only about halfway up the wall, despite the fact that their lane had significantly more handholds to use than the lane Lilith climbed up.
The lights were hot when they were this close, so Lilith took a moment to close her eyes and pretend like she was out in the sun again. She was beginning to get restless after being cooped up indoors for so long, but she figured the real issue was that she was surrounded by so many people.
Her spine tingled as Lilith felt eyes on her, and she whipped her head around to catch the eye of the Six girl, who just smiled and offered a wave. Lilith frowned at that and pointedly ignored her, instead choosing to climb back down the wall without the assistance of the trainer on the side, who kept trying to get her attention. She'd never needed any help back home, preferring to stay on her own, and she certainly didn't need any now.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she heard her name get called again, this time by Nash as he and Merix made their way down. From where they were now, it looked like they hadn't made it all the way up, but Merix looked tired enough that it was probably for the best that they stop for a bit. Lilith had never seen someone so… small, but she had to admire the way he kept pushing himself, even when it seemed impossible for him to compare to the significantly stronger people around him.
His actions couldn't compare, but his heart could. An odd thing for Lilith to commend someone on, but she was trying to learn as well.
"Where do you want to go next?" Nash asked her, his voice low.
Glancing around the room, Lilith thought for a moment. "Something survival for sure. As a break."
Lilith certainly didn't need a break, but she figured Merix did and was more than willing to accommodate him. Besides, she could always use a bit of brushing up on her survival skills.
"We can figure it out when we get over there, then," Nash said lightly, stretching his arms over his head for a moment. "Lead the way."
Before she could take more than a few steps, she heard Nash speak again behind her, stopping and turning in confusion. "Are you okay?" Nash asked, staring directly at Merix, who froze with his hand on one of his legs, a faint grimace of pain lingering on his face.
"Yeah!" Merix cheered, forcing a smile on his face. "It's no big deal, really. Don't worry about it."
His words were obviously tinged with lies, and Lilith recalled that she'd seen him trying to hide some sort of limp occasionally, especially after he did some kind of exercise during training the day before. Nash could tell as well, according to the frown on his face, but he didn't speak up just yet.
"You don't have to worry about being perceived as weak around us," Lilith muttered. "Whatever it is, we'll stick with you no matter what."
She didn't even realize she'd used the word "we" until she caught the way Nash beamed at her, clearly thrilled that she was finally coming around and accepting them as her allies. Instead of responding to his bright smile with one of her own, she felt her cheeks grow hot and looked away.
"Lilith is right!" She heard Nash take a step towards Merix as he spoke. "We just want to help you, and… and we need to know how."
Merix looked like he'd been caught doing something wrong, his eyes wide and nearly panicked as he glanced between them. Lilith crossed her arms and stared down at the ugly beige of her shirt. Part of her wanted to help more, to be… friendly in that way Nash kept preaching about, but she didn't know how. Friendship was a foreign concept to her - after all, who helped each other solely out of the goodness of their heart? That wasn't in the nature of people, who were only after things that could benefit them in the long run.
But… somehow, Lilith had found herself in the company of the two nicest people she'd ever met. They didn't seem to have a shred of insincerity between them, which made her scowl deepen. If they lived in Nine, they'd be eaten alive, but… well, Lilith didn't want to see that happen to them anymore. Over the course of only a couple days, she'd grown soft. Completely, hopelessly soft.
And she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I um… had an encounter with a kid at school," Merix mumbled, his shoe scuffing against the ground. "He broke my leg with a weight. It still hurts when I overexert it, and it's all because I was so pathetically weak."
"I don't think you're weak," Nash said honestly, his voice kind and sincere.
Merix made a face, crossing his arms to mimic Lilith's defensive position. "You're just saying that."
"No, I mean it!" Nash insisted, taking a step closer to the boy he towered over. "You've already stepped outside of your comfort zone, and no weakling could do that! Besides, I don't make friends with weaklings, so that makes you and Lilith two of the strongest people I know."
Something inside of Lilith's chest fluttered at that, as she bit her lip and searched for a way to chip in. She wasn't very good at this whole "comfort" thing, but she wanted to give it her best shot, as it had probably taken a lot for Merix to open up enough to tell them about one of his weakest moments.
Moving towards Merix, Lilith calmly put a hand on his shoulder and met his gaze with a fierce look. "I will kill him for you," she deadpanned, "and I will avenge you."
Merix made a high pitched squeaking noise as his eyes widened. "That's really not necessary!" he insisted, holding his hands out in front of him as if to ward off her offer. "No one needs to die!"
Nash made a humming noise behind them before joining in to say, "That's really uh… nice of you, Lilith, but I think I have a better idea of how to handle this. Well, an idea without any death."
Trying not to let herself be bummed by their quick dismissal of her idea, Lilith just shrugged and moved back. That was probably on her for forgetting that they weren't accustomed to as much death as she was.
"Well, what's your idea?" Lilith asked as she glanced up at Nash.
"Training!" he cheered, loud enough to make Lilith and Merix cringe at the noise.
"We're already doing training," Lilith muttered. "Dumbass…"
Rolling his eyes goodnaturedly, Nash sighed as if it was Lilith's fault she couldn't read his mind. "Not this training, more training later tonight. We can meet on the roof for it, without anyone else watching or bothering us."
With a quiet hum, Lilith mulled it over. She still didn't fully get it, but Nash seemed to think it was a good idea, and she'd told him she'd give this whole alliance/friendship thing a real shot. Whatever he had up his sleeve now probably counted.
"I think it sounds like a good idea," Merix said shyly, tucking a strand of long red hair behind his ear. "As long as you think it'll help…"
Nash gave them both a grin and a thumbs up. "Of course I do! I've got your back, no matter what! After all, we're friends now!"
Looking between the two of them, Lilith couldn't help but get lost in her own thoughts again. Something twisted deep in the pit of her stomach as she watched them, making her swallow hard. Whatever she was feeling right now, it was something she hadn't felt in a long, long time. It was the same sick sense of worry that had consumed her when Annie went missing. She… she was starting to really care about the two of them, and it scared the shit out of her.
"You're coming too, right?" Merix grabbed Lilith's attention, his eyes looking up at her pleadingly.
"It'll be fun!" Nash joined in, grinning excitedly.
Fun… what an odd thing to be having here, now, when their lives would be on the line in a matter of days. Lilith didn't understand it at all, but she at least wanted to give it a try.
After so many years of fighting and being alone, she was only just beginning to realize that none of that was truly what living was about.
"Of course I'm coming," she said, feeling her face heat up as they both cheered quietly. "What would you two do without me?"
The longer this alliance went on, the more Lilith thought it was the opposite. Somehow, she was the one that needed them.