#location:sector five

[caroleyre]

A silver parachute drifts slowly to the ground. A small box is attached with a note from mentor Glitter Rosseau and stylist Satin Bliss. Inside is coagulation medication. The note reads: “Take or die. Internal bleeding.”

He noticed, taking his shirt off for a short, insignificant moment of intense heat, the bruises, and he knew that the blood he was spitting, more and more, and darker and darker by the minute, didn’t belong to his opponents, but something in him screamed that he could take it. He knew that, out of every threat in the arena, his health was the least offensive one and that, if it happened inside him, it could be controlled and suppressed until later on. The sight of the parachute flattered him, as always, but he welcomed it with a straight face. Glad to eat again, feeling his guts dance together in hunger, he opened it without even looking at the note - for the first time eager and desperate - it had been more than ten hours since he last ate, after all. When he saw medicine instead of chicken, something in him flinched. Was it the wound? Did it know?

The first thought was that Glitter accidentally sent him what she should have sent Briar, and that he had to find his district’s other tribute to hand it to her - not that he would have, after all - but a lucky glance at the note made him not throw away the strange looking pills. Gasping dramatically, as unlikely for him as it was, Lucius didn’t think twice - didn’t even overanalyze the note with his usual detachment and hidden curiosity - and swallowed the gift. He didn’t know the symptoms and effects of an internal bleeding, even though the Academy taught him it wasn’t a light type of wound - not that the name implied otherwise - but the note was clear enough. Taking a seat on the floor, he started thinking about the exact moment his internal bleeding started - he could barely remember everything that happened in the arena and suddenly, in spite of the pills, in spite of his state improving, he felt like the arena was spinning with him and that his head was exploding.  

[caroleyre]

A silver parachute drifts slowly to the ground. A medium sized box is attached with a note from mentor Glitter Rosseau. Inside is a large meal. The note reads: “Be careful who you trust.”

The parachute falling slowly at his feet made him smile with joy for the first time in the arena, flattered and suddenly fascinated by the gifting process. He stood like that, assimilating the moment, for an extra second before picking up the silver box and the note. He didn’t hurry to open it and read the writing first, smiling enigmatically at the sky. It’s a good thing I don’t trust anybody then. He knew it was probably a hint at his partnership with Amphora, but she was honestly such a light worry that though he didn’t trust her at all, he did count on her not to be unpredictable and go behind his back. Maybe Glitter saw something he hadn’t on the screen. Maybe she knew what she was talking about. He wasn’t big on listening to other people, and his mentor’s advice was always ignored to this point, but he knew he couldn’t afford to ignore it now. The meal was very welcome, as his last visit to the cafeteria didn’t bring him any food. He saved two thirds of it for later, but knew it wouldn’t last long and that he had to finish it soon. Hiding the note for future reference in his backpack, he went further in the arena, hoping nobody saw the parachute land in his location.