Part of the Machine

Rhys Rosier-Archer District 3 | Mentor | Victor of the 64th Hunger Games Hunger Games Au Roleplay Blog for Ultima Volatus

[rhys-rosierarcher]

HUDSON

He nearly warned Rhys’s of removing his shoulder from the sling, his heart quickening momentarily before he figured that perhaps his father knew a bit more about himself than his 14-year-old did. He pressed his lips together, eyeing the older man warily upon noticing the displeased twitch in his mouth. Though, really, Hudson didn’t have room to criticize, he was sure come morning that he would make several attempts to ‘stretch’ his injured leg and in turn risk his ankle’s full recovery. 

“Really? You think you could?” Hudson wondered eagerly. Those legendary king-sized candies would be worth the blow he took, even if he didn’t get to retrieve them himself. However, he wasn’t sure when exactly either of his fathers would be willing to travel to the Capitol. Rhys seemed more open to the idea than Valor, per usual, but would they make it in time to collect the leftovers? “I’d clean the entire house for free on my one good leg just for one huge Twix.” he promised.

For thirty-two years, Rhys had dealt with his shoulder. It had never healed properly after he had been stabbed by the boy from District Two in his Games. And he knew better than to trust The Capitol with any sort of surgery, having seen what they could do to anyone that was under the knife. There was medication he had for it, mostly muscle relaxers, but when it got extreme, he did have a syringe or two of morphling. He hated the feeling it gave him, made him feel drowsy and slowed him down drastically. It reminded him of being drunk in some ways. But the pain in that moment wasn’t that intense. 

“Sure,” he replied. It hadn’t been Hudson or Rosie’s fault that they didn’t make it to The Capitol, and honestly, Rhys was a little relieved they didn’t make it outside the Village gates. He was already worried about giving them the okay to go out into The Capitol, even if it wasn’t far. But he also knew he couldn’t hover and let his anxieties get the better of him. So he figured it would have been good to pick up some extra goodies on his next trip out for them. Valor might not have approved, but Rhys wanted to do something a little extra for the kids.

He laughed at Hud’s offer, “Well, since you’re offering...” he teased, then gave a nod toward his ankle, “We’ll figure something out while you’re out of commission. In the meantime, might be good to wrap your ankle when we get upstairs. I’ll get Dad to help you up when you’re ready to head up.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VISTA

“Good, because I do just fine on my own.” Vista pointed out though, perhaps, one day she would find someone she could get married too. For now, Vista was content to just fly solo outside her connections with her family. “Yes, but it’s different for you. For my sister. You’re Victors. People want you around and to contribute to their life here. We’re just the pests that come with them.” It wasn’t anything Vista would tell her sister, but it was true sometimes. How many of Victor’s families were just entertainment? The Capitol loved to pluck their kids and send them back in the arena and see what would happen. Look at the family from One, Glitter’s family. Her child was barely a teenager and people were clamoring to send her into the games.

“I hope a lot of things…” She told Rhys honestly. “Things will get better though because statistically, things can’t go wrong all the time.”

Rhys frowned. He knew the only reason family was able to come along to the Victor’s Village had solely been because of the Victors themselves. They weren’t even spared from the Reapings if they were still younger or if the Victors decided to have children. “Meanwhile we’re just The Capitol’s play things. There for them to do whatever they want until the new one comes around, or until we become obsolete. It’s not fair for either the Victors or their families.”

“That’s true. Can’t be worst case scenario all the time. But oh does The Capitol love to rise to the challenge.” It was dangerous to speak so openly about his disdain for The Capitol, but Rhys knew better than to blurt it out to anyone at any time. There were barely any Peacekeepers out on their street at the time, and most of the people walking by were too distracted watching their kids or going to the haunted walk set up not too far away.

“I hope for a lot, too. Kind of fizzled out in light of recent events, but... I’m trying to hang in there.”

[henrysfox]

[rhys-rosierarcher]

BIRCH

Birch laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “It seems that my candy will have no chance at being preserved past tonight,” he joked. That was the life in a house that was full to the brim of people. It’s not like he would have it any other way though. He loved that his and Oakley’s house was full, at least almost. There could’ve been another kid, but it was hard to think about that during this turbulent time. 

“You would be surprised how often my intel on the kids is wrong.” Those kids liked to change their minds on a dime. He nodded, knowing the Capitol was still on the lookout for something to go wrong. “I can keep an eye out for your kids while we’re out if you want. I think we will probably hit a couple of places near the Gates and then head home. I can’t say no to them, but I can reduce the Capitol time.”

He huffed out a sigh. “Crazy times we live in, eh?”

“I can sneak you a couple pieces if you want to head back with me toward the house,” he offered with a hint of a smile. Rhys understood the struggle, especially with his sweet tooth. The kids always managed to find whatever treats were in the house and one way or another, unless he hid them in his workshop, the treats or candy would be gone within the day. 

While he did trust Hudson with Rosie and those instructions, he didn’t trust people in The Capitol, or even the rebels that had sparked the attack in The Capitol. So when Birch had offered to keep an eye on them, his expression softened to one of gratitude. “That would be great, thanks.” 

His gaze dropped to his arm in the sling and he tipped his head toward Birch, “You’re telling me. I don’t think any of us have had a moment to breathe since the graffiti happened.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

HUDSON

The warm, melting chocolate in his mouth definitely provided Hudson the relief he was itching for the rest of the evening. He almost felt protective of the candy bag once his Pop began to collect some for himself. Of course, he was taught not to be greedy, but when gravity had already been so greedy itself by taking out his ankle as punishment for walking fast, it was hard to resist the temptation of snatching the bag and hiding in his room until morning.

“That’s where Rosie gets it, then,” he sighed. But no matter how irritable she had been or how unjustified her reasons for tormenting him, Hudson never took his little sister for granted. He knew better, especially in the world they lived in. 

He gave a shrug that mirrored Rhys’s to an eerie extent. “Sort of. Mostly just older kids carting around younger kids, but they didn’t get any candy. I couldn’t even imagine.” He shivered dramatically at the thought. A frown tugged on his lips when his father mentioned the Capitol, and he crammed another candy in to sate the pain. “No, I lost my ankle before we could. We were on our way though.”

Hudson’s quips had Rhys smiling and giving a small shake of his head. It was funny how much he reminded him of himself, how he even had little similarities to Valor that he would notice. It was sweet to think about and it made him have a new appreciation for his family. “Hey, when someone’s taller than you, you gotta aim to bring them down to your level.” 

Since he had been sitting comfortably at the dining room table, Rhys hooked his fingers along the strap of his sling and ducked his head to shrug off the sling. He only really had to wear it to make sure his shoulder had healed completely, or as much as it could since it had been worse for wear long before the attack on The Capitol. He lifted his arm from the sling with a small downward twitch of his lip and he set the sling aside to free his arm completely.

“The horror,” he murmured, tearing open the wrapper of one of the candies to eat. But he noted the frown on Hud’s face and he nodded slowly, his gaze on Hud’s propped up foot on the pillow and chair. “Maybe Dad and I can grab something for you guys from The Capitol next time we’re there.” For the time being, he had a feeling anytime Rhys would want to take a trip to The Capitol, Valor would want to be there with him. Not that Rhys minded that; any chance he had to be around Valor, he would take, especially now that he was trying to make amends for how he had treated him through all of the rebel activity.

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VALOR

@rhys-rosierarcher​

Valor couldn’t believe it had been eighteen years since their wedding.

Granted, they had been together for over twenty-two years, but that wasn’t the date in mind. Four years of dating, one month of engagement, and then the next eighteen years of his life was spent with the man that he loved more than anything. 

Things had gotten easier. Far easier, if Valor was being honest. He could tell Rhys was trying to be more open and honest and include him in a lot more conversations. Rosie wasn’t being nearly as clingy toward Rhys has he had seen her before, even though it was obvious that she preferred Rhys. He didn’t mind that too much in the long run considering Hudson had an affinity toward him when he was her age. She’d grow out of it one day. 

Still, they decided that a day out with the two of them was necessary to celebrate their milestone. Two years until two decades and Valor was still processing that. They went out for lunch, talked for a while in one of the cafes the two of them frequented and enjoyed. Afterward, they went to see a movie in the later afternoon before they decided on going to dinner afterward, considering their lunch wasn’t that big. The ate the filling dinner before deciding that a snowy walk in the park was a good idea. 

Valor loved the cold. The summers were always dreadful for him as he had bad memories of warm weather and being driven to his limits by his father. The winter was always a little bit more of an easier time for him. So they took a walk around the park trail as other people seemed to have the same thing. It was bitter, but the two of them were bundled up as well as anybody else who passed them. Valor slipped his arm around Rhys’s waist to hold him close as they walked in step with one another. 

“I think this has been a fulfilling day,” Valor told him with a smile as he glanced at his husband. “Don’t you?”

Rhys and Valor had been together for twenty plus years, but this was their eighteenth wedding anniversary. With everything that had happened earlier with the rebels and the whirlwind of chaos, Rhys wanted to do something nice for Valor. To go out of his way to do something extra special for his husband to show that he was taking his promise to him seriously. And he had been making that effort back home, being more attentive to Valor and affectionate with him. 

For their anniversary, Rhys wanted to have a day for just the two of them. They had gone out together for most of the day, doing all sorts of different things together. He had offered up a few suggestions for them, but let Valor pick or decide on a few things while he picked out a few things, balancing out their day to do whatever they wanted. It was nice, a good change of pace from a month prior. 

While Valor was a fan of the cold, Rhys wasn’t. Even when winter came through District Three, it was cold and bitter and he hated it. The one thing it provided was an excuse for him to push up against Valor’s side for warmth. Valor’s arm was already around his waist, pulling him to his side. Rhys had his arm around Valor’s back, a smile stuck on his face as they walked side by side through the park. 

“I think so, too,” he agreed, leaning up to press a kiss along Valor’s jawline. “Happy anniversary, baby.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VISTA

Vista nodded. “I like the lights for the holidays.” It was probably the one thing Vista actually liked about the holidays. There was nothing quite like taking a stroll through the elaborate parks and streets of the Capitol all done up in lights. “Wouldn’t it be nice to walk through a visual light show? We could probably even make it look like home.”

Vista was quiet for a long moment. “I don’t think I’m ever going to adjust.” She told him before going quiet again. It wasn’t like they hadn’t been there for a little while now. Pixel had won her games almost five years ago. Vista had spent a lot of her teenage years there already. Her sister had been Reaped her first Reaping and now, next year would be her last. “Things probably will get worse before they get better, won’t they?”

Even though there was no one back home for him to go back to, Rhys had found himself missing District Three. While he did get to go every year for the Reapings, it was never longer than a day’s stay. Even if Three had gotten lucky and brought a Victor home, the Victory Tour didn’t let them stay much longer. Eventually he built his own home in his family. Valor, the kids, Delilah-- they were home. It took time, but he found himself not missing Three as much as he used to.

“I never thought I would, either,” he admitted, “took me a long time to adjust and find some semblance of a home here. Being with Valor helped a lot. Not saying you have to rush and fall in love or anything. But there’s a lot of different places-- even people-- that folks can find home in. Just takes time to get there.”

Rhys tipped his head to the side slightly, “In some cases, yes,” he replied slowly. “Can be hard not to think of the worst during the down times, too. But there’s always another side, something better, down the line. Hope’s the best thing you can have in that instance. Hold onto it as long as you can.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VALOR

Valor wanted to think that he held a much more valuable position in their family. He had been the youngest of three in his family that he grew up in, having a better relationship with his older sister than he did with his brother. His father only wanted him for glory and nothing more. It wasn’t until much later that he had gotten a better relationship with his mother. Through all of his worst times, Valor never thought to contact her in fear that she would get caught by their father and things would get much worse for the old woman. Still, Valor had wished in moments of clarity that he had the option to call and talk to his mother about these things. After all, Valor felt like he had no one else other than his husband and his children, and the last thing he’d do was talk to his children about what bothered him.

Still, he could feel and see the remorse in Rhys’s demeanor. As he slowly looked up and angled his head more to look at him, Valor could feel the discomfort radiating from his husband. Perhaps the statement had been a little too much, as Valor had always feared his illness could sometimes get, so he angled his head so his cheek was against the edge of Rhys’s shoulder, his body feeling heavier.

Until the other man spoke and tried to reason his words. Valor blinked a couple of times, feeling the burn return to his eyes as if he were to start crying again. He could tell that Rhys was remorseful, because he had known him for so long that he could tell the signs in his husband. He closed his eyes for a moment, Valor’s lower lip trembling as the words sank in. Rhys cupped the back of his hand and pressed it into his chest, as if to silently send him a message that Valor should have known all along and had forgotten. 

This is yours, he said. and you’ve taken such good care of it.

Valor wanted to think, what about his own heart? It wasn’t being taken care of, but in a way, it was now. Rhys was trying to put it on the mend. It was his attempt at trying when he had fallen out of touch with their relationship. Valor took a shaken breath as he met Rhys’s eyes, his words sinking in deep and staying there, sticking hard in the recesses of his mind to where Valor could only hope they remained. 

Valor couldn’t say anything after that. He arched his head up to look at Rhys more, seeing the way his eyes glossed and a stray tear left them. He didn’t ever want to see the other man cry. It felt like he was losing a battle when it happened like that. No matter how heartbroken Valor got, he never wanted Rhys to ever feel like he was less than what he was. He was the man who saved his life. He was the second father to his children. He was his husband. He was the love of his life. His home. His everything. 

So Valor said nothing, and let his lips meeting his in a sweet, lingering kiss, and speak all of those words he couldn’t say.

He wanted Valor to see that he belonged. That he was needed more than he realized. Rhys felt terrible for having a part in making him feel otherwise, that he was being cast aside. Forgotten. He knew that was how his family had treated him, especially his father. Trained him to be a killer in The Games and when he didn’t perform to his liking, he was cast out. Rhys never wanted to be the one to put Valor back in that spot, the very spot that Rhys himself had been in before. But at least Rhys had Delilah to pull him back from it. So, he could be the person to bring Valor back. 

And he knew he needed to take better care of Valor. To help put the pieces of his heart back together. To make him feel like he belonged. The hand on top of Valor’s reached out to rest against Valor’s chest to feel his husband’s heart beating. But he never tore his gaze away from Valor’s, offering him a small smile. He knew he had messed up, but he was trying to line the pieces back up, to fix it. Just like he always tried to do.

His mouth opened to speak, but his throat had closed up on him, words failing him. But Valor had leaned forward to meet him in a kiss. Rhys drew in a slow breath through his nose and leaned into the kiss. While this was nowhere near making amends for how horrible he had made Valor feel, Rhys knew this was a start. 

After letting the kiss linger for a moment longer, Rhys leaned his forehead against Valor’s once more. “I love you.” 

//END

[rhys-rosierarcher]

BIRCH

Birch smiled. “There is no where I can hide in this house. Four kids and two dogs? I don’t think there’s a place where a nose doesn’t venture. I couldn’t even bury it in my garden. Sunny would get into it. That pup has the craziest nose.” It was the reason Sunny had failed service dog school, he was always getting side-tracked. So, Birch had convinced Sunny to come be their delightful family dog. They had had several dogs over the years, not including the service dogs that Oakley had or the ones that they had trained for the service dog school. 

“Oakley, Summer, and Clem are around here somewhere with Pebble tagging along with Oaks. Paisley decided to stay home and hand out candy with Sunny and I’m not sure where Ollie ran off to. Sometimes its quite the feat keeping track of everyone and every dog.” Thankfully at the moment they weren’t training any service dogs. The house could get quite chaotic. 

He nodded. “Those sisters could probably scare me pretty good. I might be staying away. I think the girls want to go into the Capitol at some point. Not sure I want to, but damn if I can’t say no to them.”

“Well, as much as I’d love to help, pretty sure if I tried hiding any of your candy stashes, I’d just have them for myself.” The Pembrookes had been a pretty large family, especially with the two dogs added to the mix. Rhys felt like he had his hands full with just Hudson and Rosie as it was. But Birch and Oakley were great parents and adored their kids. One of the few in the Village that managed to find their pocket of happiness despite what they endured to get there. 

“At least you have a general idea of where they all are,” he replied with an amused chuckle. “I told Hudson to stick near the Village gates. Pretty sure they have certain streets closed off yet, and Peacekeepers everywhere, but I still want them close.” 

While Hudson was growing up and feeling more independent, Rhys also knew with everything that happened recently, he couldn’t help but feel a little overprotective. Especially given that he had been caught up in one of the collapsed buildings from the explosion. Rhys was still a little anxious without the kids in sight, but he tried not to let himself be overbearing or too worried. Hudson was responsible, he would look out for Rosie. 

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VALOR

Valor laid in silence for a long while, letting his husband’s words float through his ears and stay there, rattling around in his brain. He understood his stance and why he did it, but he didn’t agree with the people he was supporting, if they were even on their side to begin with, or if they were trying to cause unceremonious chaos. He agreed that he never wanted to see what it was like to lose one of his children to the Hunger Games. It was why Hudson was registered in District One. He had to be chosen by the Academy and it was hard to manipulate a panel like that, when there were plenty of kids in the District who wanted their hand in glory. He wasn’t expecting Hudson to become a tribute. Rosie, on the other hand, was a valid concern. Because of her District of adoption, they couldn’t change her District to One from Three. 

If there was any concern, it would be Rosie. 

Rhys attempted to soothe his concerns with what he did with his family, but what use was he when all he could do as teach his son how to run and fight and comfort Rosie the same way Rhys could? It didn’t seem like he was offering much, if anything. It made his eyes a little sadder at the thought, but he said nothing to it. At least not yet. Valor felt the need to be of use, to be of worth, when his entire childhood had been nothing but his father pushing him to his limits, training him to be a lethal killer at fifteen, only to cast him aside for a moment of weakness. To make the rest of the District loathe that he even represented them. He was a forgotten man even then, in the shadow of the girls he helped get through the Games.

“I have,” Valor mumbled. “but not like this, Rhys. Not when the price is too high. Whoever these people are… they don’t have our best interests in mind. That isn’t something you should align yourself with, no matter how desperate we become.” 

He said nothing more as he kept his head against his husband’s. While sleep had finally made him feel a little better, there was still his own worst enemy that hadn’t been tamed in over a week, which Valor had unintentionally allowed it to speak on his behalf.

“If I can do everything you can do and all I can do is teach Hudson how to fight, what good is that?” Valor murmured quietly. “What kind of purpose is that?”

Rhys had always been worried about Hudson and Rosie going into The Games. Even with the failsafe they had for Hudson, he still wondered when the rug would be ripped out from under them and he would still end up in The Games, anyway. To have Valor mentor their son and have to watch him struggle through The Games to survive. To have to help him on the other side as a Victor, or worse... And there was still Rosie. They couldn't even put her in District One like they could with Hudson. She would be a District Three kid, left entirely up to chance based on whether her name would be pulled from the Reaping bowl or not. The only thing in her favor was not having to take tesserae each year and add her name in the bowl more than once.

Not to mention his own personal experience in his Arena. Of having to be a mentor and sending kids into the Arena year after year, ripping apart families and having a hand in watching someone's son or daughter, brother or sister, boyfriend or girlfriend-- someone's best friend die in the Arena and potentially ruin their lives with the death of their loved one. Or to have them emerge as a Victor and have to help them deal with the trauma of their Games. It had been so many years for Rhys and he still had nightmares of his own Games. Valor, too. Ultimately, there were no winners of The Games in the end.

And he knew Valor understood that, and would do anything he could to make sure their family was safe. He meant so much more than he knew to Rhys, to the kids-- Rhys just wished he could see it. But with the demons that plagued Valor's mind, it wasn't as easy as that. Not with everything he had gone through in life and what he still dealt with to this day. But he was still right, Rhys knew it as much as he had hoped this would have been their chance. If The rebels had been so willing to attack The Capitol, even if it meant the Victors getting caught in the crossfire, they didn't have their best interests in mind. They would have to prove otherwise for any of The Victors to lend an ear to their cause now.

He remained silent while Valor spoke, fingers trailing along Valor's jawline and down his neck, smoothing around to the back of his head to gently scratch his fingers through the shorter hairs along his hairline. But at his question, Rhys shook his head, dropping his gaze in thought to try again.

"It's not so much what you do, baby," he murmured softly, "you do everything you can to help Hudson and Rosie because you love them. That's never been a question, never been anything to doubt. You adore those two and they love you, too. Even in their terrible twos or through their teenage years. If you weren't here... I don't think we would be able to keep ourselves together. I know I wouldn't."

It had been why Rhys had felt compelled to confess his love for Valor all those years ago, when he had confided in Rhys of the darkness swirling in his mind. Rhys couldn't fathom the idea of a life without Valor in it, even to this day. After all of the years they had been married, he couldn't bring himself to even consider it. It had always been him and Valor, and as far as he was concerned, that was what it always would be.

Rhys gave the hand on his chest a squeeze, letting Valor keep his palm pressed right in the middle of his chest. He was quiet a moment, still so the only thing Valor could feel was the beating of his heart under his palm. "This is yours," he whispered softly, "and you've taken such good care of it, of all of us. I wouldn't trust anyone else with this but you. If you were gone, I'd be lost." Again, he felt his throat close up, blinking away the tears that blurred in his vision from his confession. “You’re my home, Valor Rosier-Archer. You’re everything.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

HUDSON

While Hudson wasn’t particularly thankful for the amount of attention being given to him, he wasn’t completely opposed to the concept either. It was a semi-welcome occasion nowadays, considering he was a teenager resistant to dependency. Sometimes it wasn’t as degrading in his eyes. Like when his ankle felt as if it was on the brink of combustion and he would’ve risked anything to be rid of the feeling.

“Thanks…” A small sigh of relief left his lips in between shoveling the candy into his mouth. It wasn’t a permanent fix, but he couldn’t have cared less, it smothered his need to constantly whine in response to the pain, which would’ve been endlessly embarrassing.

Hudson chuckled under his breath. “Should know that by now, like when Rosie kicked my shin for stealing a cookie that she had ‘dibs’ on.” It was his own fault, really, he introduced the idea of dibs to her in the first place. “Oh, God, you’re right… I think I’ll stick with what candy I’ve got in that case.”

Rhys reached for the bag of candy once Hudson had picked his own pieces. He ripped open one of the bars and took a bite of the chocolate, leaning back in his seat. It had been a little while since he got to sit down and talk with Hud, even if the injury had kind of held Hudson in one spot. But he also had anticipated they would be sharing some candy, anyway, otherwise, he wouldn’t have bought that extra bag of candy for them in the first place.

He chuckled at the memory, shaking his head, “Dibs is sacred, Hud,” he teased. “I remember Aunt Del and I calling dibs on everything when we were kids. I got a few shin kicks back then from her, too.” The only thing he offered was a small shrug at that and a sheepish grin to match. 

“Were there a lot of the other kids out this year?” he asked. He knew with it having been after the attack on The Capitol, there was a chance trick or treating would have been off the table for some of the families. But at the same time, there was that need for a sense of normalcy, which was why Valor and Rhys had been fine with sending the kids out, but not without a few ground rules. And aside from a hurt ankle, they both came home safe. “Did you hit up a few of the houses in The Capitol?”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

ANDROMEDA

her house had always felt like a stranger’s home. at most, it was a temporary stop on the way to someone else’s bed, someone else’s heart andromeda would try to find her home in instead. andie couldn’t stand the empty hallways and rooms, couldn’t be left alone with her thoughts. she needed people around her, admirers, anyone to distract her from her scars and lack of self confidence. her only comfort was her brother, but he couldn’t always be there, nor would andromeda want him to think she needed him there in the first place. there hadn’t been much left of andie after her games, but her stubborn attitude towards her brother had remained unchanged.

she’d had to make the house work for her for the past few weeks. andie had almost been bedbound - if not by sickness, it would be because of her inability to follow through on her usual distractions. she couldn’t go dancing, couldn’t drink, couldn’t smoke, or fuck around, or not give a shit. and her house, that already gave her chills at the best of times, was the prison confirming her condition. she was scared, antsy – paced up and down the halls in an attempt to make the place more familiar ( maybe if she saw the mirror in the front hall often enough.. ).

it didn’t work. and at last, a weak attempt was made at finding some new comfort, finding a new way to cope. she sat, wrapped up in a blanket at the edge of her porch. she looked ill, her eyes hollow and skin dull - weeks of isolation and morning sickness taking its toll. next to her, there were a tea pot and a couple cups ( like she’d been expecting company ).

“hey—-” andie called out to the first person she saw, only barely able to make out their figure, they were quite far away still ( and most likely hadn’t planned to go up to andie at all, really.. ) “do you want a cup of tea ??”

there was something desperate about the offer. a need for company.

Things in the Rosier-Archer household had been getting better since the later end of October. Rhys had fully recovered from his injuries after the explosion in The Capitol and he was gradually falling back into his usual routine. Save for his involvement with trying to reach out to the rebels. In his determination to try and reach out to the rebels, he had failed to be there for his husband when he needed him the most. Valor had been targeted particularly when graffiti had been found on their home, and he had not been the same since then. It didn’t help that Rhys’ focus had fallen elsewhere, too.

But now, he had been making amends for it, trying to be more involved with his family, with his husband. Despite his oversight with Valor, he had his family in his heart when it came to talking with the rebels. But after the explosion, he stepped back. It was one thing to defy The Capitol and show their disdain for Snow’s rule, but it was another thing to target and kill innocent people. And Rhys was not on board with that, especially in the manner of the attack on The Capitol.

His recovery had him going back on his walks around The Village. Sometimes he went with Valor, other times he went with Hudson or Rosie. But that day, he went on his own. Mostly to clear his head of buzzing thoughts, and to get himself out and about instead of being cooped up in the mansion. He had been passing one of the District One homes on his way back home, when he heard a voice.

Rhys’ steps slowed and he looked over to see Andromeda seated on her porch with some tea. It was an out of the blue offer, but the poor girl looked tired and exhausted. Almost desperate in her tone. Rhys spared a glance down the road toward home before he gave a small nod toward the young woman. 

“Sure,” he replied, making his way up toward the steps of her porch. He didn’t really notice until he had stopped walking that it had gotten a bit cooler outside. Rhys nodded toward her, hands shoved in his pockets. She had been one of Valor’s Tributes, at least from the same District. So there was a bit more of an inclination to join her and check up on her. “How’re you doing?”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

HUDSON

He was relieved that his injury wasn’t attracting too much overbearing attention. Maybe it hadn’t been as severe as it felt. That, and he’d made a skill out of having non-fatal wounds appear somewhat benign. It was useful considering all of the athletic traits he’d inherited from Valor, which would inevitably end in mangled ankles or grass burnt kneecaps on occasion. He’d lost a bit of his head recently, what with the constant stir of rebellion. This was simply the awakening of that fact. “Oh, it was amazing.” said Hudson, the sarcasm palpable.

Hudson examined his ankle. Could he lift it? He’d done a sub par job of escorting his sister home, even though his whole leg felt as if it’d been skinned, dipped in a hot spring, and forced back into the suit of flesh. “Sure,” he said without thinking for another second, lifting his foot and concealing the searing that rapidly spread from the quick movement. The pillow was a nice comfort, though. Sort of worth feeling like he was undergoing an amputation.

“I would’ve gotten one for you, but there was a line of desperate five year olds at my feet.” he teased. Also, the old Blood man was intimidating, staring everyone down with his ancient beady eyes, as if it was a sin to accept the food he was offering. “I could probably make it on my own. Could be a fun challenge. Plus if I break anything, I just get more candy from the hospital.”

The quip from his son earned a chuckle from Rhys. Even though the fall had caused Hudson to get hurt, he was still alive. Aside from the pain and obvious discomfort, he seemed to be all right, and that was what mattered most. His ankle would heal as long as he didn’t walk too much on it and kept it propped up. There was no need to make a huge fuss from it, not that Rhys could see; if Valor had a look at it, then they would get a better gauge of the damage. 

Once Hudson lifted his leg, Rhys made quick work to slip the pillow beneath his foot so there was something to elevate it and for added comfort. “There, that’ll be better for you for now,” he replied, moving to have a seat in the adjacent spot next to his son. 

“You’re forgiven. Five year olds can be vicious, especially when candy and caramel apples are involved.” Rhys watched Hud examine his ankle, frowning slightly. If it was bothering him that much, maybe he should go get Valor soon. But then Hud offered another joke-- he hoped it was a joke-- and Rhys shook his head, “Might not want to chance it. Last thing I need is Dad lecturing us both while he’s carrying you upstairs with two twisted ankles instead of one.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VISTA

“Maybe you can test out our holiday one here once the snow starts falling?” Vista had a couple ideas on what she wanted to do for lights and whatnot, but they still had a couple months before the holiday season was really upon them. Halloween was a bigger deal when your sister was Pixel, but Vista liked the beauty and serenity that came with winter. The Capitol was more mountainous than District Three, but she didn’t mind. There was a beauty to it, which was why winter was her favorite season.

Vista shrugged. “Still alive,” she pointed out. Wasn’t that the best they could ask for? It was more than some people could say considering the blast. Again, Vista had to shrug at his question. “Still alive too.” She said softly. The pain didn’t bother her, it reminded her she was still alive. “Going out in public again is hard sometimes…” Not that she felt safe at home considering her sister had been murdered not far from there either. “Sometimes I wish we were still in District Three.”

“You’re doing a holiday walk, too?” They family seemed to find all sorts of ways to keep themselves busy. But that seemed to be the norm back in District Three; there was always something to do. And it didn’t help when there were families that had been starving, forcing most of them, even the older kids, to work to bring food to the table. And even though they were in the Capitol with almost anything they wanted at their fingertips, Rhys still found himself keeping busy throughout the year. Mostly it was Capitol projects, but sometimes there was some fun to be had with his own ideas for upgrades or modifications to some of the tech.

Most of the Victors and their families had been lucky. The worst in their case had been that there were a handful of them that had injuries that rendered them hospitalized. There were people in The Capitol that hadn’t been as lucky. So Vista’s response was all they could ask for. Rhys nodded his head, glancing over at the girl as she continued. “Yeah, it can be,” he murmured softly. Though at mention of being back home, Rhys dropped his gaze a moment. “I used to wish that, too. Go back home to where things were more simple. It’s hard trying to adjust, especially with everything that’s gone on.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VALOR

Valor laid completely still as Rhys began to speak. He didn’t want to look at him in fear of what he might do. He was all out of tears at this point. While he felt a little better after sleeping, his pill regimen was still out of sorts and he wasn’t feeling the best mentally. He had been doing so well for so long only to fall off the wagon because of these people who thought they were rebels. Valor hated them more than he hated the Capitol at this point, because in his own mind, they were compromising his marriage and his family far more than the Capitol was. 

For Valor Rosier to side with the Capitol on anything was rather shocking to begin with.

Still, Valor couldn’t hold his gaze away from his husband for long as they slowly lifted to meet his. His hand was gently stroking his cheek, giving him all the more reason to look at him as he tried to explain himself. Valor’s heart twisted in his chest, his throat burning and his eyes feeling too big for his skull.

“You didn’t let me down,” Valor said with a soft tone, swallowing his own lump in his throat as his hand smoothed up his chest to gently rub across the area where he could feel his heart beating – a gesture they used to do to each other before they were married, thus what sparked the idea for their wedding rings. “I think you just…”

He paused. No matter what he said here, he was going to sound like an asshole, but if he was to get this righted, he needed to be honest with how Rhys had made him feel. “…forgot.” He let his head lob onto his husband’s arm, looking at him more as he blinked awake. “The kids… Rosie is her own person and I get that. She’s in that stage. It’s just… I feel like Hudson’s pulling away from me, too. I don’t know what I provide to this family or to the people around me of worth when all it takes is a few bumps in the road to put me in the dirt, and that’s on me.” 

He shifted a little until he was snuggled closer to his husband, placing his forehead against his and closing his eyes again for a moment. Valor didn’t want Rhys to overthink anything. The last thing he wanted was for Rhys to be put in the same place he was now, their roles reversed. All Valor wanted was for Rhys to see that his agenda was leaving him behind, that his children were being drawn to something about Rhys that Valor couldn’t quite get. He wanted his family to be normal again. He wanted his life to return to the way it was before the Games had begun. The rebels were a part of that, but so were the Capitol, Rhys, and even Valor himself.

He kept his gaze locked with Valor’s, listening intently. Though what he told Rhys made him feel worse about what he had done than before. To think that he would have forgotten Valor or forgot to look after his husband shattered his heart. He wondered, with Valor’s hand on his chest, if he felt his heart break. While he had the best intentions for wanting to act and reach out to the rebels at first, Rhys knew he was also pouring a lot of his focus into how to approach them without drawing further attention to themselves, to start offering his help and make a change to protect his family. 

Valor continued, explaining his stance when it came to the family, or seemingly lack there of. Feeling lost in his own home, to his own family, was terrible. Because Rhys had been there before. His father never liked him from the start, his mother disowned him shortly after his own Games. All he had was Del for the longest time. But at least Rhys was in the Victor’s Village and wasn’t stuck under the same roof as his parents. Valor was on the outside looking in and he had to face that reminder every single day.

“You’ve done so much to help keep this family together,” he murmured, “if you hadn’t been there for me all those years ago, we wouldn’t even have Hudson or Rosie to begin with. And you’re so good with them both, you are. You help Hudson with track and you’re there for Rosie just as much as I am. You mean so much more to this family than you think, Valor.”

He shifted to let Valor scoot closer and Rhys closed his eyes for a moment. Just feeling their foreheads pressed together. He moved his hand up to rest against the top of Valor’s on his chest, fingers lacing together. “All I wanted was to try and help make a change in this world to keep us all safe. Because the way things are now, with The Games and the Capitol always being a threat to us, to our kids-- I thought this was our chance. It’s been ninety-six years since The Games started, that this country’s been living through its people losing their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters... and I don’t... I don’t want to lose Hudson or Rosie, Valor. Not like that. I’ve seen what it does to families, Valor. I know you have, too.”

Rhys’ throat closed up, forcing him to draw in a shaky breath. “And you all mean the world to me. If anything happened to you, and I felt like I just sat back and let it happen, or.. or had any part in it? I’d never forgive myself.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

BIRCH

Oakley had went ahead with the girls while he crouched on the ground to tie his boot. Thankfully, there had only been teasing by Oakley to get him to wear light green tights over the tan pants he had opted for. He did though don the hat of Peter Pan, not wanting anyone to mistake who he was. 

He heard a familiar voice call out to him and he looked up to see Rhys making his way closer to him. Birch was glad to see his friend was up and about after seeing him in the hospital. He moved up from kneeling and walked over to Rhys, clapping him lightly on the shoulder. “I don’t know if I could ever hide candy from my children. I think if I ever got any candy it would just be added to their piles,” he chuckled lightly. 

“What about you? Going back home with anything for Valor? He’s home or is he out with the kids?” 

He almost didn’t recognize Birch with the costume on and with his head down. Especially with the green tights and hat. His brow quirked when he had looked up, confirming his assumption that he was indeed calling out to his friend. Rhys smiled on his approach, stopping next to him and nodding in greeting after the pat to his shoulder.

“Pretty sure the same thing would happen back home,” he replied, “Valor’s staying home, might be handing out candy still. But I’ve got an extra stash hidden away for Hud and I.” Because if Rosie got hold of it, the bag would have been gone in the hour. Or until she had a tummy ache. While Hudson and Rhys had a case of the sweet tooth, they knew their limits. 

“I was just coming back from the Delaroux house. They have a haunted Halloween walk set up this year. Haven’t gone in since I’m technically still out of commission.” He lifted his arm with the sling slightly for good measure. He only wore it now for the final leg of his recovery for good measure. “Hudson’s out with Rosie. Pretty sure they’re planning on hitting up The Capitol for the ‘good stuff’.”

[rhys-rosierarcher]

VISTA

Vista reached for her candy stashed under her chair. “Suppose I shouldn’t toss this at you.” It wouldn’t be very nice considering Rhys had his arm in a sling. Instead, she handed it to him. He looked like he needed it just as much as she did. “You get a pass on this one. Next one you have to actually earn by walking through our haunted walk.” Part of her wanted to do a haunted house, but there was no way she was encouraging people to head into their home. No, they were getting a walk.

“Pixel is around here somewhere if you’re looking for her,” Vista told him figuring that was why he was there. “Or you can take her seat and wait for her to come back.” Vista would often to go find her sister, but walking was a little hard when you had a cast on your leg. “Together we make kind of a set, yeah?” She pointed out pointing to his arm and her leg.

“Thank you,” he replied, reaching out to take up the candy she offered him. “Next year, I promise I’ll do the walk. And you and Pixel can have all the fun watching me get the crap scared out of me.” Pixel and Vista did do a really good job with the haunted walkways on Halloween. They always seemed to have something special going on for the holiday, but it just showed how bright and creative they were. Rhys felt bad for missing out that year.

He glanced around the yard, “I was just stopping by to check out the Halloween walk. And maybe see how all of you are doing.” But he wouldn’t pass up the offer of a chair. He had walked over to the house and he was still a little tired from his recovery, so the seat was appreciated. Once he took the seat, he nodded, “Yeah, we are. How have you been doing?”