floraxfaye

[floraxfaye]

Flora rested her back against Helios' chest. Her head leaned on his shoulder as she tried to relax. Her whole body was trembling from the burning pain. The lumps on her skin began to change colors and swell even more. "I-I must be sweet t-to them or something. Or t-they think I'm super cool." She said with a small laugh which then turned into a wince as even laughing was painful. Slowly she opened her eyes and looked at the tablet that was close to her face. Weakly she lifts her hand up and push his hand away, shaking her head. "I-I'm not taking that. It's not going to help a-and you may need it later on." The girl was delusional but not that delusional. She was in bad shape. Covered in many stings and knew it would take a miracle to fix her back up.

She tried to adjust herself to be more comfortable, but she let out a small painful cry. She couldn't move. Everything hurt. At this point she would only slow Helios down even if she could somehow get up. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his which caused another wince. "I-I can't handle the pain, Helios." Flora started. "Y-you have to kill me. M-make it s-stop, please.."

The wasps seemed to fly off, gradually but surely. Some remained, but not for long, following their swarm back to wherever their hive brain led them - or wherever the Gamemakers told them to go. Perhaps they were satisfied with what had already transpired. The stings on Helios' neck and arms already burned enough to have a sweat break out on his forehead, to have nausea start roiling in his gut, and he'd only been stung by a fraction of what Flora'd had to endure.

Helios fell to the ground, sitting now and holding Flora against his chest. He let out a shaky chuckle, even if it felt watery and less than joyful. He felt his arms twitch ever so slightly, the pain coming in quick, sharp waves. "They probably really loved you," he said, equally shakily. "It's okay," Helios nodded. "You can sit, you can rest." She must have been in so much pain. Her skin was covered in lumps, turning from red to purple, even in the darkness, even in the rain. "Uh," he winced as he moved his hand from around her torso, reaching for one of the pockets on his pants. "I got a- I got a painkiller tablet. You should take it." He somehow got the tiny packet out of his pocket, the water canteen was more difficult to free, but he managed. He ripped open the packet and held the tablet in a shaky palm, protecting it from dissolving in the rain. "Come on." Helios held the tablet up to her face. "Take it."

[floraxfaye]

Flora desperately tried to get the paper wasps away from her. It was sting after sting the next hurt worst the last. Though she tried to remain calm, the girl squealed and whimpered as she tried to get the wasps to stop. The girl began to feel herself blacking out. Dizziness was overcoming her and she was feeling sick. Knowing nothing about these kinds of mutts, she was unsure if it was from the mutts itself or just a reaction to the pain that ran through her body. Feeling herself sway a bit, she was prepared to fall to the floor until she realized Helios' had his hand on her. The next thing she knew, he pulled her backwards out of the swarm.

The wasps seemed satisfied and flew off once Flora was out of the center. Slowly, she lifted her trembling arms and hands to see the damage that was done. Almost every inch of her skin was covered with a painful, swollen lump. Weak, she leaned against Helios, trying to manage the burning pain she had felt all over. "E-either they really l-loved me or they w-were mad at me.. W-what do you think?" She winced and took a deep breath in, doing her best to hide how much pain she was in. She was fine. This would pass. She'd get over it. "I-I need to sit d-down."

Helios made the smallest of displeased sounds as she let go of his hand to skip ahead. She seemed to be excited about whatever idea she had, and that was at least a little bit distracting for Helios. A distraction from the pain that sat so deeply anchored in his chest, barbs hooked into his very bones. "Are you sure?" Helios asked, managing a humorous chuckle. "We're so busy with this baby, how will we possibly deal with a second one?" The doll island was at the very least far away from here, where all he could think about was watching Callisto die in the Oasis's lake, while his own wounds began to heal.

All of a sudden, Flora stopped in her tracks. Helios was about to ask, mouth opening to speak, when a loud buzzing rose just ahead of him, all around her. His brain caught up too slowly, not immediately realizing what it was. But as soon as Flora screamed, he understood. Angel was dropped, head first into the muddy ground, but the doll was the least of his concerns. Helios surged forward, towards a flailing and yelling Flora. He tried to wrap an arm around her waist to pull her out of the cloud of insects, felt some of her hits at the wasps meet his shoulders, his arms, but he merely grunted and pulled her backwards.

Some of the wasps found him as well, his arms and his neck, painfully burning stings coaxing pained sounds from his throat as well.

[floraxfaye]

"Everything's going to be okay.. I promise." Flora smile at him as he squeezed her hand before taking off in a random direction. She was silent for a moment, trying to think of anything to break the awkward silence. It was obvious, but grief and emotions was not something Flora knew how to handle well. Everything was unserious to her.

"Oh! I have an idea!" The girl said letting go of his hand and skipping ahead before turning around to face him, walking backwards. "Let's go back to baby doll island! Surely there's still tons of shelter there. And.. maybe we can adopt another baby while we are there! Now that sounds like a great time, huh? Positive, up lifting, cool times." She held the baby doll in her hands closer before turning back around. The rain was difficult to see through and at this point, she was walking blind. A couple more steps and she felt her foot kick something, causing her to stop in her tracks. For a moment, she was unsure of what it was. Whatever it was, it made a clunking sound as it hit the ground three times. Suddenly, she heard loud buzzing erupt around them. The item she had kicked was a nest filled with paper wasps.

The girl froze for a moment, though it wasn't like it had mattered. It was already too late. The swarm of paper wasps began attacking Flora, stinging her all over her body. The girl screamed and dropped her baby doll, using both hands to try and hit the paper wasps off of her. Though that only caused her hands to also get stung.

Even as her arms wrapped around him, Helios kept his hands in the air for several moments longer. Something in her touch shook him loose, shattered a very carefully built wall that Callisto's death had made so fragile already. Helios squeezed his eyes shut and his arms sank, wrapping around Flora in turn as tears finally welled over and spilled out onto his cheeks. Thank the gods there was rain to hide his grief. Not from Flora, though. She could see it perfectly well. He hugged her tight. For a few moments, he'd take the comfort she offered, even if he knew he didn't deserve it.

She pulled back, and Helios took a few shaky breaths to compose himself. It wasn't that easy, but he would try his hardest. "Yes," he quickly said. Helios took her hand, giving it a soft squeeze. A 'thank you' he couldn't quite bring himself to say out loud. "Let's find some shelter."

[floraxfaye]

Flora couldn't help but let out a small giggle. She wasn't sure if it was just from happiness, excitement or maybe just nerves. Either way, it was all good vibes. Everything around them turned golden, though Flora didn't look around. Her eyes didn't leave Helios' features, still taking them all in.

When their foreheads rested together, she slowly closed her eyes. With her other hand she gripped onto his shirt lightly , keeping him close to her. Finally, his lips met hers and she returned the kiss, feeling her heart beat faster. All this time she had been okay with not having her first kiss. With not having this sort of connection with someone.. Being okay with being alone. Now she realized what had all been kept from her. Though she wondered if she would've wanted to spend this moment with anyone else. This felt special, even with it being in the middle of an arena.. but maybe it was because it was with Helios and not some random kid from school like most peoples' first kiss.

The sun dipped in slow motion, inched closer and closer to where the ocean met the sky. They were bathed in golden light, lovely shadows cast upon her features as Helios looked at her with curiosity. All of a sudden, she seemed shy. And Flora was never shy, that much he'd learned. Perhaps, that was a good sign - and a bit of a personal triumph. She looked down at her feet before looking up at him, searching his eyes for something she obviously found. Because next, she quietly agreed.

Helios' lips split into a faint grin. One of his hands covered the one of hers that rested on his chest. The other, settled at her neck, thumb lightly tracing over the line of her jaw as he shuffled the slightest bit closer. "Alright then," he whispered, leaning in enough to lightly rest his forehead against hers. He gave her a breath's time to pull away, to decide differently.

Then, he pressed his lips to hers.

[floraxfaye]

Flora tried to read his expression in the pouring rain. Though, after he said they couldn't help her, it confirmed her worries. She felt her heart sank at the thought of Calli being dead. "Helios.. I am-- I am so sorry." Flora said as she hugged Helios tight. Calli and her hadn't been that close, but Flora really had enjoyed every time they were around each other. From making flower bracelets on the floor of the training center to almost getting eaten alive by bats in the cave. Also the relationship between Calli and Helios was unknown to Flora, but they were from the same district and they had seemed pretty close. At one point she had even thought they were dating.

Flora looked up at him, rain drops hitting her face. "Should we go find shelter?" She asked him, deciding it was best to change the subject. "As much as I love standing in the rain, I'm really starting to feel and look like a wet dog. Shall we?" She asked with a smile on her face, reaching her hand out for him to take it.

The relief at her being okay pierced even through the gut wrenching numbness that'd taken a hold of him. He'd hoped that Flora would be as easily distracted as she usually was. But the topic circled back, and Helios' expression darkened in grief even more.

Does she need help? We can help her.

Helios squeezed his eyes shut, his hands still hovering above Flora's head, but shaky now. Trembling. "No," he said, the words choked. "No, we can't help her."

[floraxfaye]

Flora was taken by surprise as Helios stood up and pulled her up as well. Though, she smiled up at him when she turned to face him. At first she wasn't exactly sure what he was doing but she was interested for sure. The girl then also looked around them and for a moment, noticing how beautiful the sunset looked over the water. "Well.. maybe if I would've known what a beach looked like I would've envisioned it. And for sure would've imagined you, too, of course." She teased, letting out a small giggle.

As he placed her hand on his chest, she looked at it before looking back up at him. She could feel her heart begin to race suddenly feeling slightly nervous. It was definitely a feeling only Helios could bring out of her. She thought about what he had said. Very quickly she had accepted that she was never going to be a normal teenager. Never having any firsts with another person, never being in a relationship.. and she was okay with that. That was just a life she was never meant to have. But, now that it was right in front of her, she realized how bad she really did want it. She had just convinced herself she didn't because she had no other choice. Flora looked down at her feet shyly for a moment before looking back up at him. Her eyes searched his before nodding her head. "I want to." The smile on her face turned brighter, feeling the nervousness begin to leave. There was no reason to feel nervous around him.

Helios's lips twisted into a smile, gentle. A rare thing for a rare moment. The sun was starting to set around them, and here they were - bloodied, bruised, holding hands. A Career from One and a crazy girl from Seven. "Hm," Helios hummed, dry humor in the tone. Just sitting in my favorite tree with this really handsome person. Not as handsome as you, of course. "Naturally." Cockiness rose to the surface, the smile widening to a lopsided smirk. The sun setting over the treeline around us.. Helios looked back out over the ocean. He was rubbing it in Flora's face, even if unintentionally. But it felt horribly sad to him, missing out on those things. Perhaps... well, perhaps he could help her, even if just the tiniest bit.

Suddenly, he got back onto his feet, wincing at the pain that surged through his leg again but powering through nonetheless. With the hand that still held hers, he tugged Flora to her feet as well. They stood a little apart, even with their fingers entangled between them. Helios looked to the left - palm trees, sand, rocks. Then, he looked to the right - water, water, more water. And the setting sun. "Well, we're not in a tree. This isn't the sun setting over a tree line. I'm not the slightly less handsome guy you envisioned, but..." He tugged on her hand, ever so slightly, and placed it on his chest. "This is something you don't have to miss out on, if you want to."

[floraxfaye]

The more she looked at Helios, the more she was beginning to realize he wasn't okay. Even before he claimed not to be. Things felt different, his energy felt different, and at first she wasn't sure what to make of it. "Calli?" The girl asked, smile dropping off her face. Though he moved onto the next subject. "I'm fine. Literally perfect and still totally cool. Same as you left me. Well, a little more soaked but--" Flora said before cutting herself off, still wondering why he sounded so sad and why he brought up Calli.

"Helios, where is Calli? Is she okay?" She asked, slight panic in her voice. Which was new for her, it was probably the first moment she had been serious in the arena. "Does she need help? We can help her." Calli had to be okay, she was a career, wasn't she? Sure, she was sweet and not scary like they said most careers were but she had to be okay.

Flora approached, reached out and touched and - Helios didn't flinch. Had it been anyone else, he probably would have. Except for Flora, he wasn't sure he would have let anyone touch him in that moment. Bramble, perhaps, but she played on a different team entirely. There was no telling if she would make use of his affection at some point or another. To gouge out his eyes, to strangle him, to do whatever. Helios would have selfishly welcomed blindness now, but the thought of pitch black darkness and seeing only his loss reflected was driving him a little mad. But Flora took his hands and used them to shield herself from the rain while the drops slid down his face and erased all tracks of his tears and he stood still, even if he wanted to hug her now.

He attempted a smile at her giggle but all that escaped him was a choked sound, dangerously close to a faint sob. "I'm not - Calli, she's -"

Dead.

Dead dead dead-

"You're okay? Are you alright?"

[floraxfaye]

Flora had spent the entire time of the storm alone. The time had mostly been spent wandering around looking for any other tributes to battle the rain and wind with. But, it had been pointless. It had gotten to the point where she began to wonder if there was anyone alive. Had she accidentally won the Hunger Games? Had they forgotten to come back and get her out of the arena?

After wandering, she had spent some time in the caves. It was the best place to find shelter and not get poured on. Eventually sitting in the dark alone and freezing cold began to get boring.. She once again she upped and left.

Holding Angel Lillyrose close to her body, she wander around the mountain island more. Her body shivered and teeth chattered as she was entirely soaked. Then, she finally saw someone up ahead. She squinted her eyes to make the figure out through the rain, realizing who it was. "Helios!" The girl called out before quickly walking over to him. "I.. I was really beginning to get worried that you died or something. Thank goodness you're okay." She said with a small smile before quickly grabbing his hands, putting them flat together and lifted them just above her head to block some of the rain drops from landing on her. "Now I have a friend and some shelter, this is great!" She giggled. "Where have you been? Are you okay?" Flora asked through chattering teeth.

Callisto was dead. Calli was dead and Helios was still here. Wounds healed, while she had been lifted out of the Arena. He had watched, had shakily crawled out of the Oasis to cower underneath a tree as the Hovercraft had come. The wind had picked up, rainwater spraying while the claw had lowered down in near slow motion. Calli had been picked up gently, but not gently enough for Helios' taste. She had looked so small, being picked up and taken away. His heart had ached. It still did. He didn't want to never see her again. He wanted her smile, her affronted gasps when he teased her. He wanted to clink his champagne glass against hers and feel her head lean against his shoulder.

Helios wanted another moment with her, even if just to say goodbye properly.

He had moved on, tore his gaze away from the empty pond even as he wished to turn back. Helios walked and walked, started running at some point. He didn't know where he ended up. Just that he slowed at some point. There was another figure up ahead in the rain. A silhouette he knew rather well. His heart clenched, relief. Unbridled happiness that she was still alive. "Flora," he called out, "Hey, Flora-"

@floraxfaye

[floraxfaye]

"Sure." Flora nodded her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I missed out on a lot but I don't just sit around and think about how life could've been.. It wasn't like that and now it never will be. But that's okay, I mean, I really did have a good childhood and a good life, it was just different from most." Then, she laughed. "And maybe if I would've had a 'normal' life I'd be a little too normal for you and you wouldn't like me as much since I wouldn't be strange." She looked at his hand and smiled before softly grabbing it. "Well, I wouldn't realize what it felt like or how much I missed out if you wouldn't rub it in my face, you jerk." She joked, fighting the urge to push him over. "Oh you know, just sitting in my favorite tree with this really handsome person. Not as handsome as you, of course, but pretty close." She teased, smiling at him. "The sun was setting over the treeline around us.. You know, just kind of how they describe it in books. Cheesy and cliche. But super cute."

His brows were furrowed the entire time she was speaking. "So, your parents isolated you?" It sounded horrible to him. To not be allowed to speak to anyone, to not wander off and make experiences for himself. "Don't you wonder what your life would have been like, had you gotten to experience the world a little?" Her shoulder bumped into his, and involuntarily, just because Flora seemed to get it out of him, he chuckled. "You're missing out, I think. There's a... thrill in being close to a person. Someone who shares your warmth, desires, thoughts." He lifted his hand between them, palm upwards as a wordless invitation for her to take it. "You said you've imagined it. How did you imagine it?"

[floraxfaye]

Flora laughed. "I am glad that I am just the right amount of insane." She joked though she took it as a compliment. The girl was different, she knew that, but it seemed like the other tributes enjoyed her strangeness, which she liked. "Of course I have." She started before looking at him. "But then I accepted it was never going to happen and stopped thinking about it. My parents never let me wander off far. I didn't go to school, I went to the reapings but was never allowed to speak or look at anyone while I was there." Then she shook her head. "I didn't like anyone but only because I didn't know anyone. I've never even spoken to anyone other than my parents until I got to the Tower." She thought back to when Helios and her had made flower crowns on the roof of the tower, causing a small laugh. "But it's okay. That just means I get to die as a cool bitch who was never kissed and never loved. Kinda cool, right?" She asked, lightly bumping him with her shoulder.

Helios squeezed Flora's hand as she took his, watched her with amusement as she closed her eyes to likely try and transfer her superpowers over to him. They were quiet for a few moment, but Helios felt his chest squeeze with fondness. Flora was horribly odd, but he found he enjoyed that. "Yeah," he breathed out, grinning lightly, "it worked. No more pain."

"Ah," Helios nodded in agreement. Easy, when this was nothing but light hearted. "Think that's why she attacked us? To take down the best looking people around these parts?"

Snorting, he shook his head. "No. You're insane, but not that insane." He gnawed on the inside of his cheek, looking out over the lapping waves. "No mean jokes," he promised. "I'm just... curious. Have you ever thought about it? Your first kiss? Going out with someone? I mean, there must have been people you liked back in Seven."

[floraxfaye]

"Hm." The girl hummed as she reached out and grabbed Helios hand with her good hand. "I'll try." She said as she held his hand close and closed her eyes. Again, she didn't know what she was doing but she would try her best. Focusing on her superpower and Helios for a moment, she stayed silent. Then, she looked at him hopeful. "Did it work?" She asked, though she couldn't help but let a small laugh escape as she let go of his hand.

"Best? For sure us! I mean, come on, look at us. There's no way anyone looks better than this." She said as she gestured to both of them. As time went on in the arena she felt she was looking a little more rough.. but at the start she thought she had looked good. "Worst? That district eight bitch. She was so obviously jealous of our looks, it was so so sad." She rolled her eyes. "Second worst? That dude from Three. Pirate just wasn't his thing." Not everyone could pull off the look, that was for sure.

Flora then looked at Helios confused for a moment before rolling her eyes again, looking back at the ocean. "Oh yeah, I remember. No hugs, no flirting, no kissing.. Unless you expected me to make out with a tree or something." She hugged trees but kissing was for sure off limits. "Why? Is this leading up to some kind of mean joke? Just making sure so I can prepare myself."

"Please, try," Helios said, slightly dry but with an edge of amusement as he looked at her from the side. How he'd kill for the sort of superpower that could spare him of this particular sort of pain. He could handle a lot, but not everything. "Can't be that hard to transfer, can it?"

Helios laughed, shaking his head to himself as she patted him on the shoulder. "I'll just pretend everything after all those compliments wasn't just said." Not that he was the authority on judging feet, but he thought they were perfectly ordinary. Average. The only part about himself he was fine with being average.

"Don't sound so disappointed," he snorted. Flora's giggle made his smile widen a little. "No more perfections," he waved it off. "But yeah, let's chat shit. Who do you think wore it best, who wore it worst?" Purl had looked a little stupid, but then again, he was slightly biased her. She had, after all, attacked him. His expression grew a little more serious then, mentally flitting through all the topics they could touch on. When he settled on something, his brows furrowed slightly. "You said, back at the party, that you've never been flirted with. Never kissed, yada yada. Do you remember that?"

[floraxfaye]

"I.. don't really know, honestly." She said as she shrugged her shoulders. "My parents had always been super care-free. Reminding me not to care too much about things that I can't personally fix or control. So I've been teaching myself not to since I was really young. I think now, sometimes, I have to actually remind myself to care." It was kind of funny, which caused the girl to let out a laugh. "Are you saying I shouldn't trust you?" She asked curiously, squinting her eyes at him. "I mean, you've had plenty of time and opportunity to kill me but you made fruit salad instead of like, Flora salad. But if you don't want me to trust you.." She put her hands up defensively. "Then I won't trust you and you can totally kill me now."

Slate looked at her with some curiosity as she spoke. "And how do you do that, how do you just... not care? How do you manage it?" He felt like he was feeling everything far more intensely in the Arena than he'd done outside of it. Every moment felt heavier, every choice more important. "And how do you trust me? You don't really even know me."

[floraxfaye]

"Well, you see, I was just born with them. Passed down for many generations. I just basically never feel pain and it's great because who would want to feel something as awful as that?" Flora shrugged her shoulders. "But, I definitely have some to spare! Not quite sure how to transfer them over to you though." She joked with a small laugh.

"You're right, you are perfection. Handsome, beautiful, kind but also kind of mean at the same time.. and all things in between. But, that being said, you could still have some ugly feet that you don't want to show anyone. And that's totally okay, I won't fault you for it. I still think you're perfect." She said as she patted him on the shoulder, a small reassuring smile on her face.

Then, yet another over dramatic sigh escaped her lips. "Fine. No hunting or killing." Flora almost grumbled the words out as she rested back on her hands. She thought the Careers were supposed to be these blood thirsty, cold-hearted, killing machines.. that's what she had been told over and over again, at least. Then she looked at him before nodding her head. "Sure we can talk." Flora said as she giggled when he called her entertaining. "What should we talk about? Continue listing off your perfections?" She joked. "Or we could talk shit about how some of the tributes looked absolutely horrible in their pirate outfit." Flora made a face. "Or you could tell me more about your childhood! Or anything cool."

"I'm pretty sure we'd have a much prettier baby," Helios snapped back, though not unkindly. The doll was creepy and ugly. Killer combination. Nothing like what he'd imagined his potential children to look like. He snorted when she appeared rather elated to be called fucking insane.

"I did not. How do those magic powers work? Got some leftover for me?" He let himself fall down into the sand and pushed out a deep breath once his weight was off the injured foot. He let out a faint laugh. "I'm not embarrassed," he argued, "I've got nothing to be embarrassed about. Look at me, I'm the picture of perfection." Sarcasm dripped from his words, accompanied by a teasing smirk. Apparently, the pain was not enough to rob him of this side of him.

"Uh," he huffed, amused, "let's not. Sitting is great right now. We can talk? You're pretty entertaining."

[floraxfaye]

"It's not just a doll, it's our baby." Flora responded quick, annoyed. But then she perked up as if she had been given the best compliment ever with a smile on her face. "Oh! That's definitely much better."

"No pain." The girl confirmed, nodding her head. "I have magic powers, you didn't know?" She asked before making it back over to her spot on the beach, helping Helios sit down in case he needed it. "Welcome to mi casa!" She happily said, gesturing to the empty beach around them. Flora then sat down. "Fine, if you don't want me to see your feet and toes, then that's fine. There's nothing to be embarrassed about, though, you don't need to make up excuses." She said as she held her hands up defensively. Anything medical was not her forte but having something bleed out in a boot did not sound like a good idea. But that was his choice. Flora then let out an over dramatic sigh. "I'm bored." The sun was getting low though it wasn't quite sunset at this point. "What should we do now?" She asked before looking at Helios. "Hunt someone down and brutally kill them?"

"I don't hate everything," he huffed. "It's just... any name picked for a doll would be stupid." The doll was creepy. Naming it Angel had been a funny jab, but it was still weird. He softened a little at her next words. "I haven't called you stupid," he said. Helios did not think that Flora was stupid. "I think I said you're fucking crazy," he teased then.

Helios grimaced. "Essentially, yes." It had been beyond painful, but he'd hated the idea of walking around without his boots, or with only one boots more than the pain itself. At least now, there was no sand in the amputation. He furrowed his brows. "Are you serious? No pain?" That couldn't have been true. He followed her, limping still with her arm around his waist. Helios grimaced again. "I don't think I want to take off that boot right now and then put it on again. It does hurt like a bitch. But thank you."

[floraxfaye]

MADISON BAILEY for tommy hilfiger

[floraxfaye]

"Wait, you're trusting me?" Flora asked shocked for a moment before gripping the rock in her hand slightly tighter. She was nervous but she didn't let it show. "Listen, I'm no expert on cutting off pinkies but I swear I will do this perfectly. Won't cut off or smash any other fingers and it'll look clean and hardly even noticeable." She held her right hand up as she promised. "It'll look you so good you'll probably even thank me." The girl then held the rock up. "Just tell me when."

Nettle was glad she was facing away as flora spoke. her eyes involuntarily widened, surprise coating her features. Flora was a lot to get behind. excited to cut off a finger was a very unexpected feature. still. Nettle had to get with it too, because flora was the one she was with.

and unfortunately, she was probably right about the pinkie.

"we can do pinkies." Nettle said, turning around to appraise the rock. "It looks good. give me a second." Nettle pulled off her wedding ring, the one from the ship, a bit worried that it would get smashed in the process. "Okay... if I lie my hand flat, will ya do it? jus' don't hit any other fingers, okay? you promise?"

[floraxfaye]

"Sure." Flora said, nodding her head. "I was one of them." She admitted, though she could always argue that it wasn't her fault. That he had attacked first. That she had no choice. That she was a good person.. nonetheless, though, she had still killed. "I'll take that as a yes that you did kill since you didn't say no." She started. "Which I don't think that makes you or I any better than the Careers. But it also doesn't make us bad people. So that's why I choose not to judge them. Plus.. I really just don't even care that much if I'm being honest." She shrugged and laughed before holding her hand out for another piece of fruit. "Word, I hear that. Well, for what it's worth I trust you, fully."

Slate frowned, not knowing that Flora and Nettle had run into one another, and certainly not that Nettle had had a gun. The question about killing came very suddenly, and he was a bit frozen by it, unsure what to say. The truth would make her trust him less; but he was sure that Ezra and Helios had also killed. In the Bloodbath, surely they had. "Lots of people killed in the Bloodbath," he replied. "And I don't fully trust anyone, never have."