it started like any other reaping day: an annoyance.
iza stared into their closet with an almost bored look on their face, sifting through their clothes. not that. not that. definitely not that. maybe that, that's fine. ty always liked that lacy number, and they'd made plans to grab a quick breakfast with a couple of other friends on the way. they didn't particularly care about looking their best for the cameras or whatever, but they did care about looking just a little better than all of their peers and making sure they all knew it, too.
the sky was brilliant, the air just the right sort of crisp, and they weren't worried about anything at all as they fell into step with their siblings and friends, exchanging little greetings before crossing their arms and largely not paying any attention whatsoever to the escort's smarmy propriety and flowery greeting.
but that first name that was read out to the crowd certainly sent a jolt of electricity through their system.
βi volunteer.β
the words weren't so much blurted as they were spoken with an immediate but very resigned sort of finality, adrenaline and panic warring for dominance within izaβs chest. they blinked. not ty. anyone but ty, with his smarmy, boyish grin, perfectly tamed brown hair, those shoulders that were always held as if he carried the weight of the very world upon them and not just responsibility for an orphaned herd of siblings even wilder than izaβs own.
not ty.
the crowd was a dull roar behind the blood rushing in izaβs ears, hands fisting in their clothes, shoving at themβ a hand curled around tyβs wrist as they passed him, lips ghosting the corner of his mouth for just a pitiful, short second.
a first kiss.
a goodbye.
an iβm sorry, weβve wasted so much fucking timeβ i should have said something sooner- a please donβt forget me, please please please please pleaseβ and then it was over, and iza was gone.
they drew in a breath as they clambered up the platform, swaying with dizziness for a moment and willing their stomach to calm. they didnβt spare a glance to the other tribute who joined them, or to the escort. instead, their eyes found their family. daphne, perfect as ever, her composed face white with shock. ezio, who always tried so very hard not to seem as if he cared about anything at all, crumbling. and further back, papa, struggling in dadβs arms, screaming and reaching for him.
and then Iza lifted their eyes to the sun, willing themself not to see anything at all.
the next time they were aware of anything, the world a mess of formless color and indecipherable sound, they were in a room-- and those people they'd already resigned themself to never seeing again were around them.
right. they'd forgotten this part.
it was all too much, and iza couldn't give any of them an answer they wanted. an answer that made it hurt less. telling ty you're just more important, they wouldn't make it without you went over like a ton of bricks, but what probably hurt the people they loved more than anything was how checked out iza was the entire time, silent, unemotional-- brain kicking in to overdrive, trying to keep a body from crumbling. giving out.
pathetic. can't even make it onto the train. i'm going to fucking die.
it wasn't until papa unclasped the pendant emblazoned with their family crest from his neck and put it around iza's that it all sank in and they broke.
they'd never seen him without it-- not ever in their life. every single memory of him that they had until this moment right now, he was clad in that necklace.
and if that wasn't a goodbye, iza didn't know what was.
later, they'd wish they'd left them all with a better parting image than them boneless and sobbing, apologies unintelligible between wails- but it was too late for that.
it was too late for a lot of things.

















