Lotus Blossom

"I don't think I have the power to make that decision."

Junior grit his teeth as he fell to the cracking ice, swinging at Jock. "I don't want to kill you, Jock. I wouldn't do that to Aria- she deserve that honor. But I need that ship." There were two ships... They could defeat others if they worked together to take the ships. But no. That would require working together. Negotiation. Trust. Why would Junior be a wingman to someone like Jock? He pressed his fingers into his palm, making himself bleed as he thought, ideas flying at rapid pace... Quicker than the ice itself could crack. @SmilingPanda19

"Revenge on whom? I've taken my own life. Unless you suggest revenge on myself, though that is far too difficult for you to offer."

Junior ensured that each step he took as he ran would crack the ice where his foot stepped and had the effect all the way back behind him, where the other tributes were. Inadvertently, he was cracking their ice, hopefully causing them to fall in or at least slow them down to the ships. Whenever he launched himself forward, he would land on non-cracked ice, of course, but his weight would begin to split it.

"It is. Gaslighting and persuasion through charisma won't help you with me. I admit, it used to... But I've desensitized to it all." Amyra shifted her gazed downward in bitter remembrance.

Junior struggled his way up and cursed under his breath. "Crack your own ice, you monster," he muttered, "I'm not going down with you." Junior lifted his foot and came down hard, stomping on both Jock's hand and the ice with incredible force. The already splitting ice all of a sudden started cracking more, at a rapid pace. Jock's hand was in terrible shape... bleeding and bruised at the least. As soon as Junior stomped on the ice, he jumped away as far as possible, landing on ice that was quickly splitting from the effect of the initial crack. He ran, half skipping half sprinting, trying to race the natural cracks as he raced towards the ship, ice cracking beneath him as he prayed not to slip and fall.

"Perhaps. But that's no justification for what you did."

Junior smiles bitterly. All I need is my mind, my strength, and half a chance. The Hunger Games gave him more than anything else could've. He didn't struggle when they took hold of him. Why would he? He watched Len's death first hand. He knew what would happen to him. What happened to his mother. He knew. Of course. Two ships. They gave me a risk. They gave me a chance. Junior bent over slowly, pressing his hand against the ice. It froze against his touch. Frost creeped onto the tips of his ivory mechanic fingers. I need to leave. I need to survive. I need to kill. I need to try. The ice here was no different from the winters in Dictrict 4. The frozen lakes over the fish. It was thick enough where he stood. Junior held his ear near the ice sheets. He heard the rush of the water. The ice grew thinner to the left. But it was thick enough to hold the two ships. Junior nodded and stood back up slowly. He calculated his safest route to the ship. From him to the nearest poco was still a long way. There was an element of risk. Element of unknown. The ice could break midway. Thats why I'm here. He began to run. He was safe until about a mile in. So he raced. It was almost as exhilarating as flying through the air.

"The questions isn't what but how. Everything is inherently wrong. Wrong is simply the absence of good. So what you should ask instead is, what is goodness?"

"Isn't that equally as wrong?" Amyra asked slowly.

"There will be no need for that," Junior said through gritted teeth, ripping his arms away and up by his head.

Junior scowled, after having been knocked to the floor, but stood back up again. "I didn't realize I was tresspassing on confidential private property, considering we're in a large, public mess hall with acoustics." He had been used to this. But he never was able to snap back with a remark. "And my question still stands." He turned to Sharp'i.

Junior stood up. He had overheard, or perhaps was eavesdropping, the conversation. "You've won the Hunger Games?" He said sternly, in a louder, still voice.

Junior idly pressed his pointer finger to his thumb, seeming preoccupied but completely aware of his surroundings.

The drawings would come out today. This was his only chance. His brother found his whereabouts.

Junior made the turn into the mess hall and sat down on a bench shoved in the darker corner.

"You shouldn't apologize until you mean it." Amyra spoke in a sterner, serious tone.

Amyra nodded slowly, with an almost nostalgic smile, "Yes. Yes, it was."

It was still very early in the morning, and many other cadets were asleep. Junior silently climbed out of his bunk, where it had appeared Len crashed. After swinging his satchel over his shoulder, slipping on his brown overcoat, and putting on his shoes, he walked out of the dorm rooms and into the empty, dark hall. Everything... Everyone... Was so.... quiet.

Amyra turned to face Eddie, with a light smile. "It was terrible, you know," She spoke calmly, "What you did."

i lost. three times. today. @SymphonianBookworm