Thay Alexander Yukimura, 16
District Nine Male
Legends were raised in the light while myths were cultivated in the dark, passed around until their tales were too hyperbolized to even be considered reality anymore. Legends were told in the light of day while myths were passed around beneath a table, shadows clinging to their very bones. There were only rumors about myths, and though myths were widespread in District Nine, they weren't talked about in public.
See, District Nine was shrouded in more secrets than it needed, enough to choke and bring down the entire District if it ever got to that. Everyone had skeletons in their closet, and they were all willing to do whatever it took to keep them from being discovered. Even Thay Yukimura had his fair share of them, some that he'd had for many years. It was enough to keep him constantly on edge. He'd prefer his back against the wall any day, as that kept him from getting stabbed there. It was either kill or be killed, and Thay refused to die.
Thay had lost everything over the course of his life, from his parents to his twin to his older brother. There was nothing left of them at all, just ash and dust, fading memories and questions he'd never have the answers to. His dreams were filled with the dying embers of a fire and the dark, twisting tunnels under the District. Sometimes he wondered if exploring them more thoroughly would offer him any concrete evidence, more than the vague suspicions that he held now.
Well, he had some answers; Thay was painfully aware of what had happened to his twin. Thee had died in a fire with their parents, too scared of the dark to follow Ymir and Thay into the tunnels that night. So instead of being there to stop their home from getting burned to the ground, Thay was too busy exploring the underground passageways with Ymir, guiding a pair of wanted refugees to the next town so they wouldn't get caught by peacekeepers.
Thay had been there for those refugees, but he wasn't there for his own twin. He sometimes wondered if he would've been able to change anything if he'd been there, or if he would've met the same fate as the rest of his family. At least the choice they'd made had allowed Ymir to stay with him for longer, but he still left all too soon. Thay was sure that he would've been able to stop what happened, but he hated admitting to himself that he wasn't sure what exactly had happened. All Thay could do was point fingers and make guesses as to Ymir's fate, but there was so much that he didn't know.
With a sigh, Thay briefly lamented the fact that he'd hardly gotten any sleep again. Most of the time he didn't need it, finding it easier to push the thoughts out of his head when they weren't haunting his sleeping form. The nightmares enjoyed following him, which Thay found to be rather ironic. He had become something of a nightmare for others, so of course he would be plagued by them as well. The worst of them involved Thee, getting swallowed by the darkness that he had always feared so much; no matter how well Thay knew the darkness, he could never manage to bring Thee back.
He didn't know if Thee dying in the bright blaze of a fire was better or worse than him disappearing into an endless night. He tried not to let himself linger on that for long.
As he surveyed his surroundings, squinting to make out any figures in the dimly lit alley, Thay caught the scent of rain, left over from the previous night's showers. The ground beneath his feet was still dark from the wetness, the bricks beside his head damp with water still trickling down from the rooftops. Thay wasn't just here to sightsee, though; he was supposed to be meeting up with Emilia in a few moments. She was one of the Ospreys, part of the gang that he'd aligned himself with after his connection to the Cardinals had gone south. Before he'd shown up, they were just a bunch of children trying to make a living on the streets. But once Thay took over, they were able to find their footing and become more unified, gleefully picking up whatever tricks he was willing to show them.
Odd that he'd become like Annie. Maybe it was proof that she'd never truly leave him alone.
He pushed the idea of her out of his head, instead lingering on the thought of Ymir once again. He wished he had more answers, but he knew that those were long buried in the past. Without Ymir by his side, he'd been able to make it on his own. Just because he could work well with others didn't mean he needed to.
Thay frowned to himself and leaned his head against the brick wall as two children entered the alley from the street. They were not the kind that Thay typically dealt with, their finer clothing and filled out frames proof that they had money, that they didn't have to live out on the streets like Thay and the Ospreys did. Visiting a dirty alley like this one was more of a game to them than a necessity, but they were interesting enough to study. Sometimes their parents were foolish enough to give them money, an easy sum for Thay to snatch. The missing money could easily be explained away; after all, children were ever so careless with their things. Snippets of their conversation were beginning to reach Thay, so he crossed his arms and listened.
"Better watch yourself, or else Charon will get you," one of the boys snickered, his lighthearted tone showing that he didn't take the threat of Charon very seriously.
The other one scoffed and shook his head. "My mom says he's just a robot manufactured by the Capitol."
Frowning at his friend, the first boy crossed his arms. "That's just silly. Why would there be a robot from the Capitol here?"
"You're one to talk! You're the one that thinks Charon has mystical powers and can control people with his mind!"
It was surreal, having your name thrown around everywhere. The stories were getting more and more ridiculous, so much so that Thay was beginning to believe there was something deeply wrong with most of District Nine. After all, did anyone actually believe that Charon was some giant mystical being that snatched children out of alleyways, never to be seen again? It sounded more like a tale mothers used to scare their children than anything that could be considered real.
Thay just sighed and walked a few steps away so he didn't have to hear the outlandish tales. Would any of them believe the real story, that Charon had been just a boy, using the tunnels under District Nine to lure people into an all-consuming darkness they couldn't escape from? The truth was somehow more unbelievable than most of the things people could come up with, but it's not like Thay could tell anyone about that part of his past. He preferred to keep it buried, having dropped the moniker of Charon some time ago, and so the myth of Charon became part of the tunnels themselves. But the name Charon liked to hang around him anyway, making sure he never forgot.
How could he forget? Charon was the reason he was in this situation in the first place.
"Ymir?"
Thay had finally gotten used to the name, reacting to it as if it was his own and not his brother's. He'd needed something besides his real name to go by when he joined the Ospreys, and Ymir the first name he could come up with. The real Ymir might have been gone, but he could still live on in Thay.
Thay couldn't let the memory die; he was all that was left of the Yukimura family, and he wouldn't let the others be forgotten.
He turned to see Emilia, her dark hair catching the light of the sun as she sidled up next to him. She gave him a sly grin, clearly feeling proud of herself for something. One of her hands was fisted in her jacket, and after she glanced around the alleyway, she pulled out a small wad of money. Thay gave her a slight nod, watching as she shoved it back in her pocket before anyone could notice.
"Nice job," he said, leaning one shoulder against the wall. "Using that pickpocketing technique I taught you? You'll be a force on the streets soon."
Emilia ducked her head to hide a grin, digging her foot into the ground. "I sure hope so! With you around, those rotten Cardinals will be making their way for us soon."
The silence stretched between for them a second too long before Thay forced out a laugh, the sound harsh and grating in his own ears. Emilia looked startled before nervously laughing, taking a slight step back from him. Thay hardly noticed, twisting one of the rings on his fingers as he thought about the Cardinals. They weren't doing so well without Annie, but he knew they were searching for him, and he wouldn't be able to hide forever. Enough people would still be able to recognize his face, so he always had to watch his back.
Even though the Ospreys had welcomed him, he could never be sure that none of them would land a knife in his back for their own gain.
"Did you leave Mayzie to run around on her own again?" Thay asked, opting to change the subject entirely.
Emilia didn't even blink, knowing he was prone to sidestep any conversation he was tired of. "Well yeah, she's another alleyway over. Said Iris was gonna teach her how to gamble or something."
The corner of his lips lifted in a slight smirk, shaking his head as he gazed down the alley. "Iris is shit at gambling and you know it."
The smug smile on Emilia's face proved that she did, in fact, know it, and just wanted to see how things would turn out. "I told them I'd be back before they could lose any money."
"Maybe you should stick around to teach them your tricks next time," Thay suggested.
Emilia just shrugged. "I figured you'd help me figure out how to teach them soon."
Without letting himself think on the future for too long, Thay nodded. "Sure, but you're a natural at it."
Any kind of compliment from Thay would make Emilia brighten like he'd given her all the money in District Nine, and he knew she worked better when she was in a good mood. And yet, she tried to protest: "Well, I don't know, I'm still learning a lot-"
"Just shut up and take the compliment."
"Right."
Silence fell between the two again. Thay nervously ran a hand through his hair; he wasn't sure why, but the alley was starting to feel like it was opening up, giving him the vague sense of being in a wide open area. He knew that no one in the alleyway was looking at him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that somewhere, someone was.
The skin on the back of his neck prickled, overwhelming Thay with a sense of general unease. He was sure now that someone was watching him, but when he glanced around he still couldn't catch sight of anyone looking in their direction.
"Let's go," he muttered, gripping Emilia's wrist and dragging her out of the alley. His eyes flickered around, searching for a sign that he wasn't completely losing it. Only a flash of dark fabric on a roof gave him any indication that someone had been watching him, his eyes narrowing as he blocked out Emilia's protests behind him. He couldn't be sure who it was, but anyone that knew how to stay out of sight like that was probably from the Cardinals, and he'd have hell to pay if they caught up to him anytime soon.
Thay knew that his time was running short, that sooner or later he'd be dragged out into the light. All he could do was make sure it happened on his own terms.
Lilith Beherit, 17
District Nine Female
Breathing in and out slowly, trying not to disturb her aim, Lilith situated her target in the scope of her crossbow, silently flicking the safety off. She watched him for a few more precious seconds, making sure he wouldn't wander out of her sight anytime soon.
He was still completely alone, exactly as she'd hoped for. Based on the schedule she'd practically branded into her mind, he would be alone for another half hour or so, enough time for Lilith to finish the job and get out before his wife came home. It was this kind of planning that made Lilith feel secure; nothing was going to go wrong.
Her finger ghosted over the trigger, Lilith's mind running through a quick mental checklist to make sure she had everything lined up for the perfect show. Crossbow straight, target right where she needed him to be, and…
Lilith pulled the trigger and watched as her bolt struck the man right in the throat. He was unable to utter a cry before his body hit the ground, the wound in his neck gushing blood. Gathering her supplies up, Lilith fiddled with a few things on her crossbow until it was small enough to fit into her bag; she didn't need anyone to catch her walking around with it out. She pulled her hood back up, covering her face and hair from any prying eyes as she got ready to flee the scene.
Most days, Lilith was able to leave without a second look, but something possessed her to turn her head and peer back into the open window, nearly making direct eye contact with a horrified woman that screamed as soon as she saw Lilith. There was no way to explain herself out of this one, so Lilith opted to just duck her head and run. The woman wouldn't be able to call anyone to catch Lilith in time, but she didn't want to test the fates and stick around anyway.
The wind whipped around her, threatening to blow her hood off. Lilith couldn't let her face be seen, not now, so she had to use one hand to keep it covering her head. A few strands of dark hair threatened to leave the tight braid she'd woven for herself, so she just tucked the braid into her hood and stood up. The unfortunate soul Lilith had just taken out was still lingering in her mind, and while she wondered what he'd done to deserve such a death, she also knew that asking questions never got her anywhere. This wasn't the Cardinals anymore; there was no Annie to give her whatever she needed.
Lilith threw the bag over her shoulder and leapt to another rooftop, making sure to bend her knees so she wouldn't break anything upon impact. Most of the rooftops in this area were flat, the result of it being a much more commercial area, so her landing was fairly smooth. Lilith gritted her teeth as she moved towards the more residential area, the roofs under her feet getting more sloped and harder to land on. There was no time for her to slow down; she had to get as much distance between herself and the building as she could, far away from the damage that she'd caused.
"You're a curse," Mal spat, stepping closer when Lilith gave no sign of hearing him. "You're out here just like the rest of us, but disaster is the only thing that follows you."
Lilith's bottom lip curled, her hands clenching her old and tattered shirt. She didn't give any significant outward sign of hearing him, but the slight change was enough for the boy to pick up on. This was District Nine, where they fed on weaklings. Being weak wasn't an option, otherwise Lilith would get crushed and forgotten.
She couldn't let herself get forgotten again.
"That's enough, Mal," Annie said, walking towards the two children. Lilith had already braced herself for a fight, but Mal backed off immediately at the sight of someone with more power and authority than him. "Why don't you run off with the other kids? I have something to show Lilith."
Mal's eyes narrowed with resentment at the thought of Lilith getting something that he wouldn't, but no one dared to mess with the leader of the Cardinals, especially not when she got that look in her eye that screamed danger. He stood still for a moment too long before huffing and stomping away, headed to find one of the other kids in the gang that he always hung around with.
Lilith stayed stoic as she slowly brought her gaze up to meet Annie's, letting out a yelp of surprise as she nearly got hit in the face with a fist, only barely able to duck out of the way. "Teach him not to mess with you," Annie said simply, nearly blindsiding Lilith with a kick that she had to hit the ground to avoid. "And never, ever, let your back hit the ground," she instructed, peering down at Lilith with those unnaturally cold eyes, the icy blue of them enough to freeze anyone right where they stood.
Knowing she had already lost, Lilith sighed and nodded. "Understood."
Annie never smiled, but the casual lift of her eyebrow was enough to let Lilith know that she was pleased. "Get up, then. I'll teach you what you need to know to knock him down next time."
Without waiting for Lilith, Annie began walking away, leaving Lilith to scramble to her feet and follow after the older woman. She took a moment to brush bits of dirt and dust off of her knees, not wanting anything imperfect to cling to her.
"And Lilith?" Annie didn't bother looking over her shoulder, pausing beside a building to let Lilith catch up to her. "You're not a curse. You're a nightmare, and never let anyone forget it."
One of Lilith's feet slipped on a rooftop, slick from the past night's rain. She nearly tumbled to the ground far below, only having an instant to grip the tiles of the roof with her nails, sending sharp, stabbing pain through her hand. Lilith hissed as she recoiled from the pain, cursing herself for getting distracted, lost in times that would never come again.
In her haze, she'd managed to get far enough away from her target to let her guard down slightly. Not all the way, otherwise she might end up just like Annie, but enough to let her take in a few deep breaths. The worst of it was over, so all she had to do was report back. But with the sudden hitch in her plans, Lilith knew she had to get rid of anything that could tie her to what had just happened. Sometimes her missions went sideways, though this one was still going well enough. She knew no one was tailing her; she just had to avoid the fallout of nearly getting caught.
Her movements were sure and steady once again as she jumped a few more rooftops, headed for one that she knew was largely empty. She'd been instructed to dump anything there and hide it if she thought she was about to get caught, something about the mayor having issues with whoever lived in that house. The peacekeepers would search the place if they found her bag, and from the sly grin on the mayor's face as he told her this plan, she figured there was something hiding there that he wanted discovered.
Lilith approached the ledge and shoved her bag under it, trying to hide it as best she could. Even if there was nothing that could tie her to the bag if it was found, she still wanted the chance of getting it back. She didn't want to get caught with a weapon on her, but...
Sighing, Lilith hoped that her crossbow would be safe and hidden for the time being. She'd be able to get another one - of course she would, since the mayor himself was sponsoring her little "missions" - but she'd had this one for a long time and some part of her clung to its sentimental value. She still had a mission to accomplish after all, and she enjoyed the weight of her crossbow reminding her of it.
For the most part, her memories of working with the Cardinals weren't much happier than her memories now. But Annie had been the one to give her that crossbow, back when she figured out that Lilith was much better with long distance weapons than fighting hand to hand, and Lilith didn't want to leave it behind so easily. Annie had disappeared into the tunnels one night and never returned, leaving the Cardinals to scramble in an attempt to keep their power in the District. Some of them had broken away, whether they wanted to or not, but the majority just attempted to regroup and band together around the idea of taking down the person that had nearly ruined them: Thay Yukimura.
After all, there was only one person with Annie that night she'd disappeared, and he hadn't resurfaced since then.
Lilith started to make her way across the rooftops again, knowing she now had to get distance between her and the crossbow as well as her target. She could slow down though, making her way across the rooftops more carefully, as she was getting into a more populated area. As she landed on a roof, she heard voices directly below her. Instinctively, Lilith ducked down where she knew they wouldn't be able to see her, pausing for a moment to make sure she didn't move too soon, in case the voices belonged to peacekeepers that were after her. To her surprise, it sounded more like a couple of kids around her age, and she grinned a bit. She had nothing to fear from that.
A sudden bout of curiosity gripped her; instead of standing to continue her escape, Lilith peeked over the edge of the roof. What she saw was better than anything she could've imagined.
She didn't remember the girl's name, but Lilith knew she was associated with the Ospreys, who had been something of a rival group to the Cardinals despite their small numbers and lack of organized leadership. Remembering that made Lilith's grin widen as she recognized the person she'd been hoping to run into for the past couple of years, his dark hair sticking up as he ran his fingers through it. It was as if Thay Yukimura had been placed there just for her, and she only regretted that her crossbow was several rooftops away now. The threat of peacekeepers was still heavy on her mind, so she didn't want to backtrack, but she knew she had to take this opportunity to do what she could.
And what could she do? Well, she could ruin his life just as he'd ruined hers.
She had gotten so lost in her own thoughts that she only barely caught his head turning, knowing that he'd catch a glimpse of her and flee even if he didn't see exactly who had caught sight of him. Lilith wondered if he would remember her as she remembered him, but he was always more concerned with himself than anyone else. She figured it was better that way though, as she might get the chance to take him out herself one day.
But for now, she'd do the next best thing.
The route back to their base was one that Lilith still knew like the back of her hand, even if she didn't visit it regularly anymore. She was under the control of a different crowd, but she knew the Cardinals were still searching for answers and would be more than happy to hear what she had to say. When she arrived, she almost immediately found the person she was looking for, though Gabriel immediately turned up his nose at the sight of her. He was a bastard if she'd ever met one, but she knew he was the perfect one for this job.
"What, crawling back to the Cardinals? Working with the mayor himself too much for you?" he taunted,
Lilith refused to let him get into her head, simply blinking and looking up at him. "Actually, I found someone I hear you've been looking for."
Gabriel's eyes darkened with interest, his grin widening like he knew exactly where this was going. "Do tell."
"I found Thay Yukimura hiding among the Ospreys, and if you don't move fast, he'll pull his disappearing act again."
Lilith felt a flicker of satisfaction jolt through her at the thought of being able to take down the person that had been her ruination. He'd finally pay, and Lilith would be able to take pride in the fact that she caused his downfall.
It was the least she could do to avenge Annie. Thay would be forced underground, never to return. How ironic it would be if his fate mirrored Annie's at the end... and Lilith deserved to be the catalyst for his downfall. She would be Annie's little nightmare all over again, but this time, she'd do more than that.
Lilith Beherit was more than willing to be Thay Yukimura's curse, plaguing him until he finally fell into the darkness that he embraced so much.
*smirks* can i get a biiig thank you to timesphobic and TheMayflyProject for kindly donating their children i appreciate it very much because WOW have i had fun writing them tonight. and uh while we are on thank yous, thank you to goldie for betaing this chapter in particular (and all the others) because hoo boy you did a lot.
i'm quaking... with this chapter we officially have one chapter of intros left! all we have is teagan and crush, and i hope y'all are ready to meet them to round out the intros because i sure am! boy am i tired, intros sure are a lot. it's been a ton of fun to get into their heads pre-hunger games though, and i hope you've enjoyed meeting them as much as i have! leave me your thoughts or something, i love to hear them!
~de laney is out