Mad Marionette

Dearly Beloved || Josh & Sparta

Lyra’s attempt to move backwards was sudden, and Sparta wondered what was going through her mind. Raising her hands in the air, Sparta gave her a concerned look “You’re okay, Lyra. You’re okay. It’s just me and J-“ Thud. Eyes wide, Sparta scurried towards Josh. “Josh, Josh what’s wrong?” His eyes were open, almost focused on the sky, and Sparta could not bring his attention towards her. “Josh!” Sparta placed her hand firmly against his cheek, more of a pressuring force than a gentle caress. Taking out her wand, Sparta did the same she’d done with Lyra, but Josh did not wake up. He did not move, he did not look at her. The wand was being useless! Now was a bad time for her magic to ‘stop.’ “Josh!” Sparta now screamed, her fright for what would be inevitable, evident. Shaking him violently, Sparta waited for some form of reaction. She slapped his face with the palms of her hand, again, no reaction. “Josh, please. Don’t go. I’m not going to leave you, Josh.” Beginning to sob, Sparta placed her ear against his chest. She couldn’t hear a single heart beat. “Josh?” she whispered between sobs. “Josh, I don’t want you to go.” Her face against his chest, Sparta’s uncontrollable breathing returned. “Please, please wake up.” Her cheeks moist with tears, Sparta looked directly down at his eyes. They were open, he had to be alive, he had to! “Wake up, god damn it, wake up!” Sparta’s voice was loud, practically screaming in Josh’s face. “Josh, stay with me, pl- plea-.” Her lip quivering, Sparta was unable to finish her sentence and instead broke into a serious of gasps for air. Feeling useless, Sparta covered her mouth with both of her hands, scurrying backwards while on the floor until she hit a tree trunk, sobbing violently and hyperventilating from the lack of oxygen. Not once did her eyes leave Josh. She waited, waited for his chest to rise, waited for him to blink, waited for him to say ‘I love you’ one last time. Nothing happened. 

Lyra watched, frozen in place as Sparta backed up, hands up. What good was the girls reassurance. Careers lied. Sparta could lie too. She wanted to say something, but what? How did she tell the girl that her words were wasted breath. That was when she heard it. A dull thud as something fell. Casting her gaze to where Josh was stood she saw how he'd fallen. As she stayed there, watching Sparta go over, hearing the girls pleas she couldn't help but feel mad at her. It was the girls own fault. Her pride. Her fall. Her loss. Sitting up slowly Lyra kept her eyes on the girl as her pleas turned into sobs. The only sounds came from Sparta. The water, the birds all of it faded away. As though the went when Josh did. The music shutting off along with the musician. Piecing it together didn't take much. Birdie. The girl had betrayed her trust. Lyra was just as guilty. But most of all it was Sparta. Pushing herself up she walked over to the girl, casting a careful glance over at Josh. The longer she heard the sobs the angrier she got. She couldn't take it. Uncurling her fist she slapped Sparta across the cheek, the snap echoing amongst the trees. Sparta was the one to blame for this. So why should she get to cry? "Stop it. Stop it right now. You don't have the pleasure of it. You let it happen. So just Shut. Up."

Dearly Beloved || Josh & Sparta

Smiling, Sparta wiped Josh’s tears with her sleeve. Kissing his lips, she shook her head. “I’ll never leave you.” Sparta slowly loosened her hold against Josh, she felt as though by now she had him asphyxiated, but she was still reluctant in letting go. That’s when Lyra returned to her thoughts. Her sleeping figure wasn’t worrisome, until Sparta caught sight of the half eaten apple in her hand. “Oh, Lyra!” Momentarily letting go of Josh, Sparta knelt next to Lyra to try and shake her awake. “Lyra, Lyra.” Raising her voice, Sparta tried shaking her with greater force, “Lyra!” No reaction. Losing her patience, Sparta slid out her wand and waited for the magic to work. She had to get up, she had to be thanked for protecting Josh. She couldn’t die, no not this way.

All she could guess was that she was sleeping, peacefully, no nightmares, no canons. Just darkness. It didn't scare her. No, what scared her was the jerk and painful brightness. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she tried to understand what was happening. Without warning she was aware of the pain in her head, the sounds of the forest and unnatural strength of the light.Opening her eyes and tried to push herself up, instead only managing to make her head hurt more. Blinking she waited as her eyes focused. That was when she saw the person. But instead of Josh it was Sparta. Still hazy, she tried to remember if the girl had been there before, or if this meant that Talon was near. Lyra tried to push herself away from the girl. Waiting for some kind of attack, a twisted grin or blood stained blade. But for the moment nothing. She just stared, frightened to breathe. For once beginning to understand what it meant to not be the predator, but the prey.

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

Josh laughed as she yawned. “I figured you would be tired by now.” Josh folded his hands behind his head and gave a small yawn of his own. After all, it was contagious. “I miss her a lot,” he said softly more to himself if anything. “It was stupid of me to leave her like that. I’m just… I’m afraid I’ll never see her again. I said things I didn’t mean and… and it’s awful knowing you might not be able to see the woman you love again before you die. It’s terrifying, really.” He sighed then turned toward the sky once more. “I wrote her a song before we left for the arena, though. I called it ‘Bad,’ and it was basically just a really sappy love song, but not really. I guess it pertained to Sparta more than anything. God, I miss her so much.” Mentally, he beat himself up over not even saying goodbye. Didn’t he at least owe her that? When Lyra didn’t answer him, Josh propped himself up on his elbow to examine the situation. Lyra had only eaten half of her apple before falling asleep. Josh chuckled. “Guess I’m taking the watch then.”

As Josh spoke Lyra relaxed again. It was nice being able to be comfortable around him. After their rocky first encounter and time spent in the arena was couldn't be sure just how well they would get along. But the odds were in their favor and now Lyra didn't hesitate to lay down, letting her hands lay on her stomach. As she spoke she looked up, blinking against the bright sunlight. Each time she blinked it seemed the darkness stayed with her for longer. The sound of his voice a light lull in her ear as her focus slipped away. Despite her small effort to stay awake and the distant thought of who would stand watch nagging at her, it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

Josh shrugged and reclined on his back. He stared at the sun and the passing by clouds. Regardless of the terrors that resided in the forest, the place could be extremely relaxing. The gurgling stream not too far away created an almost lulling experience for Josh. He found himself drifting off after only a short moment. No, stay awake. “Uhh so tomorrow morning. I think we should head out to the cornucopia, yeah. She’s probably still with Talon anyways.” As he said Talon’s name, the resentment was clear in his words. He really despised Talon and didn’t want to see him again, but if that was the cost to be near Sparta again, then so be it.

Smiling she carried on taking small bites of the apple as the two sat there, the soft sounds of the water lifted the silence. It was oddly serene and with the sunlight illuminating the spaces between trees she felt more at ease. The sound of Josh's voiced was a tad unexpected. Turning to face him she listened carefully. He was right. The two were likely to stick together. As she swallowed another bite she looked down at the apple, seeing practically half of it gone. " Right. That sounds like a plan." she had gone to smile, instead surprised herself with a yawn. Turning away from josh mumbling a small apology.

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

Josh examined his apple as she spoke about their location. “Are you sure they’re safe?” He frowned at his and rolled it around in his hands. There could be bruises, or they could be old… He sighed just as Lyra took a bite. “Wait! Are you sure they’re okay? Really?” He looked at her with a worried expression. There was no telling what could be wrong with these apples if they were only dropped in the forest… But really, he could just be over reacting. After all, Lyra took a bite and she didn’t spontaneously combust. Josh watched her carefully before deciding to eat his own apple. Maybe he would wait and see how she reacted before taking a bite of his own.

As she swallowed the small bite she heard his words. He was right to be cautious, after all it wasn't unknown for the food in the arena to be unsafe. Many times there had been poisonous berries and other maniacal creations. Lyra simply shook her head. "Well they weren't damaged or that dirty, and they taste fine. I'm sorry, I guess it makes sense to be weary. But I don't think anything is wrong with them." Lyra had no reason to consider them dangerous. Birdie said she had been eating them after all, her friend wouldn't lie to her after all. Taking another bite she chewed it carefully and waited. Nothing felt different, and it still tasted normal. "Nope, not a thing."

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

“Apples!” He exclaimed. Josh traded the water for the apple and smiled. “Yum.” He decided that it was best to save the apple for when he was actually hungry. As of right now, Josh wasn’t very, so he shoved the red fruit into his pockets. “Thanks, Lyra. This is really great thank you.” After a beat he said,” Where did you find these in the woods? Was there an apple tree?”

As he took the apple and thanked her she smiled, this time sincere in her expression. She was glad that he liked the apple. It wasn't much but it was something other than stale bread. Twisting the top off the water she took a small sip. She hadn't realised how thirsty she'd been until now. Taking a few more sips before she put the top back on she  stepped around him and settled herself on the ground. Patting the spot close by she waited for Josh to join. "They uh found me really. I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't see a tree. Maybe another tribute dropped them. Either way, its our gain." It wasn't exactly a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Needing a distraction she took a small bite of the apple she stared at the ground in front of her, waiting for Josh to answer.

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

Instead of pressing on, Josh just nodded. “Not until the morning. You look like you need rest and some water.” He turned and grabbed their last water bottle. For a moment he stared at it. Maybe they should grab some more water while they’re at it, he noted mentally. Feeling a slight pang of desire to ration the water, he put his doubts aside and handed her the water. “Drink it all, please?” Josh smiled at Lyra kindly as he held it out to her.

As he turned, agreeing that they wouldn't go until the morning Lyra couldn't help but feel relieved. Not that she would admit it to Josh, but she was finding it hard enough to stay steady. Sleep had been hard, the fear of being vulnerable in the dark still scaring her into avoiding it. And with the added hunger she was struggling. When he handed her the water she was surprised, she knew it was probably their last. They had to be careful with their food and water. That was when she remembered the fruit. Pulling the apple out of her pocket she placed it in his hand. "I forgot to say, I found two of these. I hope its okay."

Ignorance is Your Own Downfall || Josh & Lyra

As she stepped from between the tree's back into the small clearing their called camp, Lyra tried to hide the confliction she felt. More than anything she wanted Birdie to have stayed, the girl was a sister to her. But that would mean loosing Josh, and after all he had done to help her she couldn't do that. She'd been battling with that thought since she had watched the girls receding form. It was too late now. Josh had seen her, he knew she was back. Her bow hanging loosely in her grip she watched as he stood, slowly walking towards her. He wanted to go after Sparta, to find her and apologise. It made sense, and Lyra wanted to encourage him. But Birdie's word echoed in her mind. 'I know you might not be happy about it, but I want to come back and finish him off later. Please…Please don’t try to stop me when I do.' If they were out walking in the forest, opposite direction or not, she might end up leading them right to the girl. Lyra wasn't going to stop anything. But she couldn't hand Josh over either. As his tone changed her attention snapped back to him, hearing his concern. Shaking her head lightly she tried to force a small smile. "I..nothing. It's fine. I'm just.." trailing off she took a shaky breath before starting again. " I'm just tired. But your idea, it's good. We should go." her words were strained as she tried to force a false tone of comfort. How did she tell him his sister was out to get him? He already knew the girl would hurt or kill him. How would he act if he knew that the girls drive was to see him dead?

I've Got Red Hands || Birdie and Lyra

I've Got Red Hands || Birdie and Lyra

The concern in Lyra’s voice almost broke Birdie’s heart. Thinking of the apples in her pack, half of her mind wanted to forget the whole thing. But this had to happen. Josh had to die and Lyra would have to share that fate if Birdie was going to win. It wasn’t fair. In fact it was downright agonizing but she had to act. “I’m not hurt- not at all,” she answered, a bit confused by Lyra’s obvious compulsion to help. Scrambling for a change of subject, she finally thought of the Fallen. “Hey, I saw that boy from Five died.” Back in the training center, Lyra had claimed Atom Webster as a kill for herself. She’d respected Birdie’s plans for Josh and would hopefully continue to be helpful and supportive in that role. “Did you get him like you wanted to?” She inquired with a friendly smirk. She slid the pack off one shoulder and opened it, feeling inside for the apples but not producing them just yet.

Lyra watched the girl carefully. forcing the friendly expression to remain. The moment Birdie said she was alright, she relaxed. Her concern for her friend lessening. At least the girl wasn't hurt. Before Lyra could say anything Birdie spoke again and what she said made her smile fade. Stumbling back a step, from the girl, she caught herself against a tree. Taking a shaky breath she shook her head and look at the girl. "No... I didn't..." she forced the words otu. as brittle as her voice sounded it was at least an answer. Until now she had forgotten the measures she took in order to keep Atom safe. Now she remembered how she had claimed him as her kill. It wasn't Birdie's fault. Her friend didn't know. Digging her nails into her palm she fought back the tears. She wouldn't cry, not again. When she felt as though they were gone she looked up at her friend a faint smile on her lips.

Lyra had been wandering close to the camp. She was restless. The more she sat down the harder it was to stay awake. They more she stood up the more tired she became. Her conclusion had been to walk around with the excuse of scouting though she doubted anyone would turn up. But as she walked, arrow loosely notched she found herself surprised by a familiar voice. Turning she saw the girl. It took her moment but she realised it was Birdie. Her friend was alive! Hearing the girls worlds made her relax. Of course Birdie wasn't a threat. They were friends. "Birdie, I'm glad to see you." As she spoke she could hear her own exhaustion. Clearing her throat she tried to sound more awake. "I'm fine. How did you get here? How -- You're not hurt are you?" She'd cut herself off as the idea of her friend being hurt came to mind. Lyra was more than happy to see her friend but if she was hurt then there would be no time to waste.

Lights Go Out | Josh & Lyra |

As soon ad Lyra began to lean in, an alarm inside Josh’s head went off. He jumped back and possibly might have screamed, it was unclear. “Lyra!” He exclaimed. “What are you doing?” He glanced around as if someone actually could have saw. Then he remembered: They are alone. “You know I’m… with Sparta. And Atom just died.” He winced. “I was just trying to be nice,” he said now mumbling. “I didn’t mean to lead you on, I’m sorry.” Josh avoided eye contact with Lyra and crossed his arm where he stood. By now it was well into morning.

The sudden shout was enough to make her jump. Blinking it was like someone had flicked a switch. Putting a hand to hear head she looked at Josh, hearing his exclaims of shock. Shaking her head she realised what she'd been doing. "I.. I'm sorry. I don't know why.." she fell silent for a moment, the pain of knowing once more Atom hadn't truly been there hitting her. Looking at him, she stammered out an apology once more. "I..thought. He looked so real and he was here. Right here. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Josh."