#espi.ritu

Ruggie: As a college student, my favourite words are "Cancelled," and "Free." Neph/Leona: Free pizza is cancelled. Ruggie: Why would you even say something like that? 

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Neph, during the Prologue: If you are here, speak to us! The Ghosts: JUST A CITY BOYE, BORN AND RAISED IN SOU-

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Neph, singing: So no one told you life was- Yume: GONNA BE THIS GAAAAAY~!!! Yume and Neph: *aggressive lesbian and panromantic ace clapping*

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Neph: goodnight moon Neph: goodnight tree Neph: goodnight ghosts that only i can see

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Yume: Nephtali. Neph: oh no Neph: 'nephtali' in b-flat Neph: you're disappointed

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Neph/Epel: *stubs their toe* S H I T Vil: Mind your language! Neph/Epel: Oh, I'm sorry, what am I supposed to say? "Woe is I"??? Vil: Neph/Epel: You're gonna have to accept that swearing is necessary sometimes.

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Neph: what the fuck is wrong with you Overblotters: could've started with good morning Neph: good morning Neph: what the fuck is wrong with you

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*if they avoided the black carriage* Yume's mom, driving Yume and Neph: So how was your day? Yume: We almost got surprise-adopted! Yume's mom: What? Neph: We almost got kidnapped. Yume's mom: Oh, okay. Yume's mom: Yume's mom: *slams on the breaks* WAIT WHAT

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Neph: my life is in the hands of an idiot Grim, pointing to Crowley (or Adeuce): no, no, two idiots

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Jade: *taps table* Neph: *taps back* Floyd: what are they doing Azul: morse code Jade: *taps table* Neph, kicking the table: YOU TAKE THAT BACK

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*that one Traitor Ace theory* Neph: Tonight, one of you will betray me. Deuce: Is it me, Nephtali? Neph: No, it's not you. Grim: Is it me, Henchman? Neph: It's not you either. Ace: Is it me, Neph? Neph: Neph, mockingly: Is IT mE, nEPh?

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Crowley, filling out legal paperwork: So, are you all AMAB or AFAB? Grim: bold of you to assume i was born at all Neph: i personally was created in a lab Yume: i just straight up spawned lol

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Anyone: Why are Nephtali and Yumeko sitting with their backs to each other? Grim: They had a fight. Anyone: Then why are they holding hands? Grim: They get sad when they fight.

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Neph: -aaaaaa, call an ambulance- call an ambulance! Neph, menacingly: but not for me Anyone: *PANIC*

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Neph: I CAN'T DO IT! Yume: I CAN'T EITHER! Neph: I CANT FUCKING DO IT ANYMORE! Yume, being motivational: WELL I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, YOU CAN EITHER GIVE UP NOW, OR YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT. BECAUSE I CERTAINLY CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOU, AND WE KNOW YOU CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT ME. Neph: Neph: Yume-chan, I appreciate it... Neph: BUT LOOK WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH Yume: Nephi- Neph: YOU GOTTA DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE Yume: Nephi we gotta- Neph: YOU GOTTA DRAW A FUCKING LINE IN THE SAND. YOU GOTTA MAKE A STATEMENT. Neph: YOU GOTTA LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF AND SAY 'What am I willing to put up with today?' Neph, motioning to Twisted Wonderland: NOT FUCKING THIS

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*@twisted-wonderland-shenanigans monster AU, go check it out!!!* Neph: Centaurs have six limbs and are therefore insects. Discuss. Jamil: Deuce: Oh this. I don’t like this. I don't like this at all.

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Neph: You think I really give a fuck? I can’t even read anymore

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Neph: i’ve come to a point in my life where i need a stronger word than fuck

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Yume: English is a difficult language. Yume: It can be understood through tough thorough thought, though. Neph: please go to sleep

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*if Eliza was a Ramshackle ghost* Eliza: I'm kind of crushing on someone, but I'm worried about telling you two who it is because you're not gonna like it. Yume: Just rip the bandage off. Eliza: It's Idia Neph: put the bandage back on

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Yume, in a high voice, holding Barbie: Hey Ken! I was thinking about going back to school and starting a career! Neph, in a deep voice, holding Ken: Nonsense, Barbie. You’re staying home and having my kids. Grim: what the hell are you guys doing Yume: playing systemic oppression

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*Chapter 3 or a hiking trip, probably* Yume: Are you sure this is the right direction? Jade: Certainly. I'm as sure as I am honest. Neph: in that case, we're definitely lost

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Neph: On a scale from “damn Daniel” to “fre sha vaca do”, how are you feeling? Yume: In between “it’s an avocado, thanks” and “how did you defeat Captain America”, but as a solid answer I would say “I don’t need a degree to be a clothing hanger”. How about you, Nephi? Neph: Probably “road work ahead”. Any of the teachers: I speak many languages, and this is not one of them.

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Neph: Bye Yume-chan! Bye Ace. Bye Deuce. Bye Grim. Bye Yume-chan! Ace: You said ‘bye Yume-chan’ twice. Neph: I like Yume-chan.

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Yume: You really put aside everything and came all this way for me? Yume: How did you even get here so fast? Ace: Several traffic violations. Deuce: Three counts of resisting arrest. Neph: Roughly thirteen cans of energy drinks. Grim: Also, that’s not our car. Yume:

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Ace: I was arrested for being too cool. Neph: The charges were dropped due to a lack of supporting evidence.

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Trein: Rivke, could you read no. 23 for the class? Neph: no i cannot Neph: what up i'm neph i'm 16 Neph: and i never learned how to fuckin read

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Ace: ay how much money ya got Yume: 69 cents Ace: oop Ace: you know what that means Yume and Neph, crying: we don't have enough money for chicken nuggets

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Neph, to Octavinelle: why the fuck you lying Neph: why you always lying Neph: mmmm oh my god Neph: stop fucking lying

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Yume: WELCOME TO BIBLE STUDY WE'RE ALL CHILDREN OF JESUS Neph: *drinking their sorrows away* Grim: *committing arson* The Ghosts: *being general menaces to society* Yume: KUMBAYAH M'LORD-

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The First Years, about Yume and Neph: -and they were roommates! Everyone else: oh my god they were roommates Yume and Neph:

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Neph: I should've left you in that coffin where you were standing. Grim: Grim: but ya didn't

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Yume, probably: *after every Overblot* mothertrucker dude, that hurt like a buttcheek on a stick

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at first, i was kinda shocked because everyone around me was falling in love and dating and all sorts of romantic stuff

and there was me, just kinda there like, “guys guys what’s the big deal man i’m so confused why am i not doing the romance™ or am i just broken”

then someone asked, “hey are you aromantic by any chance”

“am i a what”

few months later there i was, kinda stressing over how i was gonna tell my family i was aroace

If there was any god out there, Nephtali was sure they hated them. 

Why else would they be sent as tribute to be killed in the name of entertainment?

It was a little too late for the fisher to complain however, as they stood before the Cornucopia. Any second now, and the gun would fire. Any second now, and the madness begins.

Any second now, and their fate would be sealed.

-

What did Neph even do to get here? The career tributes might’ve been a better choice. Hell, as far as they know, they probably weren't even on the census. Life in Panem meant a life of strict social castes and a large wealth gap. District 4 was no exception, with Neph being one of the unfortunate many.

Alas, not even poverty could keep them out of the Games. Nor their lack of sight, for that matter.

Their fellow tribute was, to them, one of the middle-class. A tall man with a lanky figure, who called himself 'Sasha'.

A wonderful name, Nephtali thought as they shook hands, defender of mankind.

But they didn't trust him immediately. Just because he was the District's other tribute didn't mean they were friends. What if he had something else to gain from this? Would he betray them for his own reasons? 

Would they get hurt if they trusted him?

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The key to winning this, Neph concluded, was to keep the both of them alive for as long as possible. They were still on uncharted territory when it came to Sasha, but that was a can of worms they would open another time.

Right now, it was time for the sponsors to pick their favored tribute.

All these tributes had their own unique ability. Some of them could even control magic. One of them could turn anything into sand, so they heard. Another could shapeshift into a catfish. Everything was teeming with magic in one way or another. 

Everything, everyone, but them. 

Magic was valuable, highly sought after, a luxury only few could afford and a power less could reliably wield. Of course they wouldn't have any of those, what would they even do with it? 

Sasha was missing. Or, at least, Neph couldn't hear him nearby. Maybe he was finished for the day? But Neph wanted to maximize their chances of winning. If they could get even one sponsor, their chances of winning would increase… not like they were particularly lucky in the first place. But what could they do?

Their greatest asset was probably their hearing. Echolocation works wonders when your eyes are decommissioned. Maybe even their spatial awareness. Quick thinking? Rapid reflexes?

"Oi, herbivore, are you just gonna sit there?" A gruff voice called out to them, stalking its way towards them. "'Cause if you are, then move over."

The voice… it sounded like one of the District 2 tributes. Maybe the lion man, the one who could disintegrate whatever he touched. That made sense; the wealthy District 2 was known for its strength and masonry. 

"Are you even listening, or are you just deaf?" They snapped out of their stupor, lifting their head to where they thought the voice came from.

"Apologies, I was… just thinking about things,” they hastily stood up, dusting off their shirt. “I’m not- I can’t see very well. I didn’t notice you.”

“A blind tribute…?” The lion man chuckled, flopping down where Neph used to be. “Heh, how pitiful.”

“... excuse me?”

“You heard me.” He yawned, rolling over to stare at the fisher, “This is a game to the death. Herbivores like you… well, they don’t last very long.”

There was truth to his words. Truly, he was right… but goddamn, did Neph want to wipe the floor with his ass. “We’ll see about that.”

There was no point in garnering enemies this early on.

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The rest of it went by in a blur. The sponsorships, the training sessions, the tribute interviews… All that really mattered to them was getting out of this shithole alive. See their family again. Run away from Panem… if that was even achievable. Sasha had come up with a plan, apparently, during his small disappearance earlier on.

Keep each other alive for as long as possible. Avoid the others as much as you can. Take only the bare essentials. Don’t ever get separated.

Today was their last training session before the games. Everyone was on high alert, suspicious of anything that even looked their way. The District 4 tributes were in their own corner, building strength and shaking their nerves off as best as they could. Sasha was still discussing their plan, his hushed voice keeping Nephtali tethered to reality.

“-and if we do this right, then we’ll be able to make it to the final day,” he finished, grunting as he completed a pull-up, “So, whaddya say, Neph?”

…

“Neph?”

“How do I know I can trust you?” The fisher blurted out, cross-legged on the floor.

“Huh?”

“How do I know you won’t betray me? String me along for the ride then kill me at the last minute?” They turned to face him, brows furrowed and eyes sharpened. “How do I know I’m not just a pawn in your game of 4D chess?”

The other tribute sighed. “You’re asking a very difficult question, Neph.”

“I’m still waiting on my answer.”

“Okay, okay, fine. How about this,” Sasha leapt down from the bars, hands on his hips, "When it's just the two of us left, we can force the Capitol to elect both of us as winners."

"What? That's impossible, no one's ever heard of two victors."

“We'll be the first,” there's an odd lilt to his tone, like he was planning something. “This is just a gameshow to the Capitol, we’re just here for entertainment. We’re only kept alive if we’re pleasing them, so if we play into their favor and keep away from the others, we’ll be fine.”

“What if they make us fight each other? What then?”