#The 49th Killing Game | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dovveri · 4 months ago

Text

matching wounds

synopsis: 2 victors are brought back as mentors for the 58th hunger games. you don’t understand how your fellow victor nayeon seems so okay after everything that happened in the arena.

warnings: angst! sleep issues, trauma, death, killings, blood, weapons, mentions of sex trafficking, suggestive at times, all the trigger warnings that come w the hunger games ig…

w/c: 13.3k

a/n: got this idea post conan concert listening to the exit and being thrown back to this one hunger games edit to the exit and this was born! its mostly just them dealing w their trauma and talking and being there for each other </3

»┼)➝

the train ride to the capitol is it's usual flamboyant, boastful lie. you scowl, looking out the window as you pass the countryside at rapid speed. a year was not nearly enough to recover from the trauma of winning the infamous hunger games. you still remember very clearly, the absolute dread you felt sitting on this train a year ago, praying to all the deities and gods you had never bothered learning the names of in your limited education in district 9.

your attention is drawn over to the carriage door when it slides open. your accompaniment, the only other victor alive in district 9, walks in briskly. she doesn't seem to take notice of you slinking around in the corner of the carriage. im nayeon was something else. she was your mentor when you were in the games last year. she had won her games not too long before you, reaped at the very young age of 14 for the 49th hunger games. you guessed you could consider yourself lucky in that sense. your name was picked out last year when you were already 18, so you already had the build and experience from working out in the fields all day to help you win. nayeon's games didn't make too big of a splash because the next year was the quarter quell and haymitch abernathy from district 12 stole the win to the surprise of much of the capitol and the districts. he was all everyone could talk about and people easily forgot the winner of the games the year before his.

you don't remember watching her games on television either, you were only 10 at the time, and your family was too poor to afford something as luxurious as a screen. you saw no sense in watching the games when you could be out working the fields to bring home food for your family instead, that was the first year you were trusted with heavier tasks after all.

as a mentor, nayeon was surprisingly bright and enthusiastic. she was a little awkward when she first met you, but when she found out you actually had potential, she poured her all into preparing you for your games. and with that bright charm she enticed capitol citizens easily, getting you sponsors left and right despite coming from such a poor district. your male counterpart was a little less lucky, he was killed in the initial bloodbath at the cornucopia, it was a shame but everyone expected it. you think he was one of the ones in your district that was worse off, he looked skinny as a stick, and when you sparred during training you had him flat on his face within seconds.

you'll never forget the face nayeon made when you came out of that arena, bloodied and barely conscious after killing the other final contestant, but nayeon was the first face you recognised. she hovered over you, eyebrows creased, hand over her mouth, tears falling uncontrollably, dripping onto your face.

you were the only other victor district 9 produced. it must have meant a lot to her that you survived after she sent kids off each year knowing they'll most likely die. it was the first time you had seen her break, the first time she wasn't putting on a mask for the kids she lead to their deaths.

because your district didn't have a male victor, you were asked to come back as a mentor this year instead. the kids reaped were scrawnier than ever, you had asked the staff to instruct them to take a shower first before meeting you and nayeon. you remember when you were escorted onto the lavish train for the first time you felt so disgusted with your grime and dust you felt too bad to eat all of the food that would be laid out, thinking you were much less than presentable, especially in front of nayeon.

you continue sulking in your chair, watching nayeon move around the room effortlessly. although you had moved yourself and your whole family into the victor's village, you still didn't see much of the older woman despite practically being neighbours.

you got to know her mom and her sister a little better but found out her dad was killed in a small uprising when she was only a little girl. not long after, her younger sister was born and she had to practically raise her while her mom was out trying to find as much work as she could to support all of them. nayeon grew up to be strong-willed and caring, winning her games with her cunning and natural ability to draw people into her and make them trust her. back home though, she spent most of her time away from home, no one, not even her family knows where she goes.

the carriage door slides open a second time, and this time the tributes for this year walk in shyly.

nayeon turns immediately with a smile, the same one she presented to you when you first walked in.

"hi! come in! please help yourself to all of the food here. it's a fairly long train ride into the capitol so it's important to bulk you guys up as much as we can before the games start."

the contestants flinch at the reminder of the games, looking at each other in uncertainty.

you step up then, "it's okay. everything's safe to eat. i had the same worry last year because i heard the story of that boy winning one of the early games by poisoning everyone on the train on the way to the capitol so all the other tributes were already dead or weakened by the time they stepped into the arena. security has upped considerably since the early games so it's safe to eat. you should eat, it'll help you get strong before you go in."

nayeon's gaze flicks over to you when you step out of the shadows, a curious look settling over her face.

the male contestant lurches forward at the reassurance, immediately stuffing his face with all he can reach, never having seen this much food in his life.

the girl also steps forward watching her counterpart, gingerly picking up a scone and biting in, her eyes light up at the texture.

you smile, moving towards them, "here. add this, it's called jam. it'll make it taste even better." you grab a scone for yourself and show her how to apply the jam, watching her take a bite and grin, mumbling her thanks around a mouthful of food.

nayeon slides in next to you, sitting across from the contestants with a kind smile.

"good right? after only eating plain bread and wheat for so long it's almost otherworldly."

the contestants hum and nod, still more focused on the food than the two of you.

"what were your names again?"

the boy finishes his mouthful of scrambled eggs, "julian. my family mainly works in transportation of wheat. so i've had a little experience hauling heavy things and lugging them around."

nayeon nods, "that can come in useful. there are always weapons that are included for heavyweights like you." she turns to the girl next, prompting her to reply.

"adeline. i don't have a lot of experience doing much of anything." she replies shyly.

you speak up, "that's okay! i'm sure we'll be able to find something once training starts."

you don't ask any further questions, nayeon and you in mutual silent agreement to let them eat until they were full. you send them off to explore the rest of the train and have a look outside, getting accustomed to the rapid change of pace from grueling farming work under the hot sun everyday, to air-conditioned velvet cushions and endless food and drink.

nayeon excuses herself as well, saying she was going to ask the train conductors exactly how long it would take to get there.

you wave goodbye, the permanent smile etched onto her face unnerved you.

when she was your mentor, you just thought she was encouraging. but now… now you know how she feels to be the last one standing in the arena. and you don’t understand how she can possibly smile or act as if everything was okay, not when the people you killed and betrayed haunt you in your nightmares every night, not when your senses are constantly on alert, terrified someone would jump out from around a corner to try and kill you, not when you felt like you had never left the arena.

it felt like you and nayeon had matching wounds, but yours were still black and bruised, and hers were perfectly fine. leaving the arena and trying to live life after the trauma it put on you, and being forcefully reminded of it every year afterwards, it was like you buried something that never died. how could she live with herself?

you spend the rest of the day moping around, wallowing in despair and wondering just how you were going to survive the next few weeks.

»┼)➝

a jolt of the train wakes you up. not that you could ever sleep well anyway. the first few nights after the arena you barely slept an hour a day. if you weren’t paranoid someone would attack you in your sleep, you’d be woken by the voices of the ones you killed.

you sigh, sliding out of bed and stepping outside your room. you wouldn’t be able to sleep for any longer so may as well rise early.

you pad down the hallways lightly, rubbing your eyes and wandering around aimlessly. you had gotten used to waking up at ungodly hours and usually chose to be productive when you were awake, cleaning, gardening, knitting, learning whatever you couldn't learn when you were living in poverty and didn't have the opportunity to learn. anything to get your mind off the ghosts that haunted you.

you find yourself at the back of the train, in the last carriage where half the carriage's ceiling and back wall is practically clear, allowing you to see the terrain the train was passing through.

what you don't expect is another figure, curled up at the end of the carriage sitting on the ledge and looking out at the landscape. nayeon.

she's got one knee up on the ledge, the other stretched out dangling over the edge, arms perched on her knee, head rested on her arms. you approach slowly, unsure if she was awake or not.

it seems her senses never really dulled at all either though. she noticed you when she walked into the food carriage earlier in the day, she just chose to let you think and brood, she noticed you now as you tread towards her slowly. this time she turns her head to not scare you, letting you know she was awake. her eyes are crinkled in a softer smile, heavy and tired.

"hey y/n."

you reach her quietly, she gestures for you to sit opposite her on the ledge, shuffling around so you have the space to sit up and lean back against the window.

"hi... did you sleep?"

nayeon hums, "a little."

it's silent for a few minutes, the churn of the train and the soft breaths the two of you let out are the only sounds you can hear. you look out towards the horizon as well, the fields and forests the train rapidly passes blur into mixes of brown and dark green. it's getting brighter, slowly but surely, the sun was lazily making its way up, signifying another day you were alive.

your eyes eventually drift over to nayeon. (they always do.) she was like a mystery someone would dedicate their life to uncovering. you trace over the lines on her face, noticing the little mole under her left eyebrow for the first time, the small array of freckles that dotted her cheeks and the bridge of her nose, her heart-shaped lips full and-

you catch yourself, eyes flicking up to hers again to make sure she wasn't watching you. you breathe out a sigh of relief, she was still entranced by the slowly rising sun.

"are you always up this early?" she speaks up at last, breaking the silence that settled over you calmly, although it wasn't an unwelcome break, like a raindrop disturbing the peace of a still lake.

"sometimes. i haven't really slept well ever since i left the arena." you realise this is the first time you're speaking about your experience in the arena with her. the first time speaking about your experience period. you had closed the memories off, pushing them down deep inside you so they could only haunt you in your unguarded sleep. and your family knew better than to ask, they saw what you went through on the big screens, there was no need to remind you of the trauma more than you already were reminded of it everyday.

nayeon lets out a dry chuckle, "that never changes."

your eyebrow raises, you knew close to nothing about the older woman. she never talked about herself or her games, when she was your mentor she was solely focused on helping you survive. and you had never asked.

"... you always seem so... fine though. i don't know how you do it to be honest."

she looks at you then, a sarcastic sort of glint in her eye, "is that what you think of me?"

you gulp, suddenly nervous for whatever reason, "i think that's what most people think of you. i didn't think much of it until i stepped out of that arena too. most people think we can just leave it all behind, enjoy the riches, bringing our families out of poverty, not having to live on scraps of grain everyday, they'd think we'd all look like you. but i'm not."

"i'm not either y'know. i have to put on this face. so that my family doesn't ask how i am. so that the kids i send to die every year think they have a chance of getting out and being as happy as i look."

"even faking it though... it must take so much. i can barely look at the kids without being thrown right back into that arena."

"you never get used to it. y'know the first year after i won, i was so optimistic. i thought, if i could do it, there's no reason anyone else can't do it from our district. and i thought that year they had better chances than me. i was only 15 y'know, when i first started mentoring, not to mention it was the quarter quell so there were twice the tributes i was in charge of. the tributes that year were all 16 or 17, i thought they were older than me, fitter than me, they could win, they really stood a chance. and then i watched them all be cut down in the first few seconds of the cornucopia bloodbath. four people. just like that. dead."

"...i'm sorry."

"don't be. that's just the world we live in right? the only way to survive is to think like the people in the capitol. when you view them as objects, as items of entertainment instead of real, tangible lives, it's a hell of a lot easier to watch them die." there's a somber pause, your mind racing, sorting all this new information you're getting out of her, "not you though." and then your mind's quiet, senses hyperfocused on what nayeon says next.

she sighs, looking back out at the soft orange and yellow hues that start to fill the early morning sky, "i couldn't do it. i couldn't look at you like that. no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't- i don't know. you were different. eight years sending 18 kids to die, but you came back."

"i couldn't have done it without you."

her lips turn upwards, just a little, but you catch it, "no. you brought it out of me. turns out when you actually care about who's in the arena instead of treating them like your next poker piece, you work a little harder to make sure they survive."

"but then what if they don't?"

her smile drops again, "i think you'll answer that for yourself after this year's games."

she sighs, standing up, about to leave, but you catch her hand, not even sure what compelled you to grab it. the contact makes both your eyes widen, looking down at where you're touching.

"wait..."

she waits. cocks her head, hand closing around yours in reciprocation.

you struggle to form the thoughts in your mind, too much information for your cognitive load to handle, but eventually one thing comes to the forefront.

"i care about you too."

nayeon smiles, a real smile this time, you can tell because her eyes crinkle, her nose scrunches, cheeks blush, perfect teeth show. you suddenly pull a memory from the depths of your brain, the first time you saw her, when her name was called out at her reaping. she was a small little thing, obviously young and frail, but her smile was just as practiced. except back then she had two large front teeth, it gave the appearance of a freshly born rabbit. you don't question where they've gone, her time in the capitol right before her games likely had her stylists 'fix' her teeth so she was objectively prettier and would attract more sponsors on screen. like cleaning the pigs before sending them to the slaughterhouse. what a broken world you lived in.

»┼)➝

you spend the next few days on the train leading up to the capitol getting to know julian and adeline better, trying to tease out parts of their personality that could be used to appeal to the public, as well as putting them on a basic exercise and meal regime to get them fitter and healthier for the games.

you also spent a lot more time with nayeon, working together to come up with the best plans and routines to put the tributes into, staying up late and studying all you can know about the other contestants that would be in the games, coming up with strategies that could be used once they were in the arena.

the outlandish extravagance of the capitol will never cease to amaze you. and judging by the look on nayeon’s face as you pull in, it seems no matter how many times you return, you will always be reminded of their power and riches over the districts.

you’ve been getting to learn nayeon’s expressions. right now, she’s sporting her fakest, most exaggerated smile for the capitol viewers. you know better though, the anger and disgust in her eyes only able to be interpreted by someone who came from the districts.

she turns to you then, and you blush, feeling caught staring, but she doesn't comment on it, instead brushing her hand past yours lightly, behind the peacekeepers stationed out front for your protection (or to keep you in line), and interlock your fingers where no one else can see. she squeezes gently in reassurance, leaning in to whisper into your ear, "smile y/n. you're the most recent victor, the one they'll remember best, the one they'll be most curious about since her games ended, their attention on you can help bring attention to our tributes who would never normally get this much of a crowd."

she was right. you didn't have time to wallow in the self-pity and hate you held for the capitol when you remember your two mentees from back home, likely terrified and completely overstimulated from their first sight of the capitol, the people coming to welcome them not even looking like they belonged to the same species, all dressed up in absurd colours and materials people in the districts probably slaved days away to manufacture.

you squeeze her hand in return, looking out to the crowd and smiling.

"look for the red dots. those are signs that cameras are currently recording for the rest of the capitol to see."

you follow nayeon's instructions, spotting the small blinking dots and smiling directly at them, waving and trying your best to remove yourself from your body, going into autopilot to not feel the utter abhorrence at being paraded around like a circus monkey.

the crowd becomes impossibly louder at your actions. when you can tell everyone's eyes are on you, you point to your tributes who are standing next to you, looking like newborn foals learning to walk, redirecting their attention.

nayeon gives you a little nod of approval, her hand not leaving yours while you slowly step off the train and follow the peacekeepers towards your transport to the training facilities while making your way through the welcome crowd.

by the time you finally arrive, it's already sundown and you can feel the exhaustion of having put on a face for so long. the tributes are taken away from you to meet their stylists for the first time. you're too tired to offer them any advice but nayeon steps in, still as energetic as she was when the day started.

"do everything the stylists tell you to do. it's gonna feel weird at first and they may even want you to do some things that you won't be comfortable with, but it's all gonna be for your benefit. just remember that they're on your side. they want to make you look like the best version of yourself for the rest of the capitol, and beauty sells. trust me i know."

they nod, thanking you both and being led off by peacekeepers.

you and nayeon are led to your floor where you'll be staying for the remainder of the games. as soon as you're inside you slump down onto the couch, waving off the avoxes that look at each other a little concerned.

"she's okay. just tired. you guys can leave us, we'll call you if we need anything." nayeon offers a polite smile, sitting down much more elegantly next to you.

the avoxes nod their acknowledgement and wander off. poor things.

when you hear that they're gone, you roll over to look at nayeon who's finally taken off her smile, folding her jacket neatly and placing it off to the side.

"you're really good at that."

she looks at you, tilts her head in question.

"you fooled me too. the whole happy polite princess thing you have going on. and you know you're way around. this is my first time back to the capitol since the games. i never thought i'd be back here."

something comes over her eyes, but she brushes it off, smiling at you, a little pained, but before she can reply, one of the avoxes comes back and whispers something into nayeon's ear. her face darkens, and she nods, standing back up.

"i have to go y/n. rest well." it's curt, she doesn't even look you in the eyes, and then she's gone.

you’re left blinking after her, confused at what just happened. did you say something wrong?

»┼)➝

nayeon isn't back even by dinner time. neither are your tributes, although they probably wouldn't be back until the next day, or even the day after. you remember the amount of procedures you'd gone through when you'd arrived. the preparations for the opening ceremony were extremely important for first impressions and they didn't have that much time to fix all the issues you'd grown up with. major plastic surgery was normally the way to go.

so you push the abundance of food around on your plate, thinking about how at home the amount of food you're eating could feed a family of 10. it sickens you. it's the first time since you'd left home that you were really alone. not counting the avoxes positioned behind you that had to attend to your every need. it was almost like you missed nayeon. she was always able to brighten your moods, playing around, even when things were serious she'd make sure nothing ever got too overwhelming for you or for the tributes. she was a veteran.

you sigh, pushing your food away, apetite gone. with nothing else to do, you retire to bed after a shower. maybe the soft mattresses and expensive fabrics designed particularly for sleep would finally grant you a night of good sleep.

it did the exact opposite. the fabric rubs your skin the wrong way, and you're tossing and turning in bed, playing around with the different settings of the window, shuffling your pillows around. you just couldn't find peace.

you yawn, giving up and sliding out of bed. you pad outside your room, intending to get some fresh air. on the train you didn't have that luxury, but you could still see the countryside while it passed. at least now you had a balcony in the main living room. it was caged off in case any of the tributes tried to commit suicide before the actual games, but it was still fresh air.

the cool tiles of the floor feel foreign on the skin of your feet. before you make it to the balcony door, you hear the front door clicking open.

your heart stops, sweat immediately building up on your brow, your body being thrown back into the arena, terrified someone was here to kill you.

your movements are quick, crouching and scrambling towards the couch in silence, grabbing the closest thing you can, the couch blanket. you'd learnt anything can be fashioned into a weapon with the right mindset. the blanket could be used to choke the intruder if it really came to it.

you peek to the side of the couch, holding your breath as soft footsteps pad towards the living room, the only light available is the one in the entry way, overcasting a shadow moving its way closer and closer.

but as soon as it's about to turn the corner, it stops.

you curse internally. did they notice you?

you don't get to form a second thought before a pin is whizzing your way, impaling itself into the couch. you barely have enough time to scramble backwards, the cushion of the couch saving you, but the person is leaping forwards, pushing you down into the floor. you react automatically, struggling against the figure, using the blanket you're clutching onto to latch onto a leg, yanking so they lose their balance, toppling over. you take the opportunity to quickly clamber over them, pulling the blanket to wrap around their neck.

their hands come up immediately, trying to create space between the fabric pulled tight at their throat, gasping in effort.

you finally can assess the intruder. she's wearing a short dress, pale skin exposed, hair pinned up in a clean updo with the same pins that she must have used to throw at you once she noticed your presence. and then suddenly, with horror you realise it's nayeon.

you quickly let her go, scrambling back until your back hits the couch, staring at her as she coughs, trying to catch her breath.

"nayeon!"

she groans, turning, eyes adjusting to the dark, "y/n?"

"oh fuck i'm so sorry i didn't- i thought there was an intruder-"

she massages her throat, letting out a little chuckle when she realises what's happened, "it's okay y/n. i thought the same. sorry for almost impaling you with a hairpin."

you stare at her, still in shock. "what- where have you been- jesus i almost killed you-"

"don't get cocky now. i could've gotten out of that."

you roll your eyes, "i'm serious nayeon. what are you wearing? i'm sorry too." your words are flying out, too many thoughts coming up too fast, but mainly, you're just glad it wasn't some assassin sent to kill you.

she looks down at herself, like she was just remembering she was dressed up. "ugh never mind that. are you okay? you're not hurt are you?"

you shake your head, "you?"

"i'm good don't worry your pretty little self. anyway i'm gonna go take a shower. you should go back to sleep y/n."

you tilt your head, standing up when she does, "but where have you been?"

she starts towards the bedrooms, turning on the hallway light so you can finally see each other, "out." she doesn't look at you when she replies, pulling her dress down so it covers more of herself. you catch a glimpse of the scar on her right thigh right before she covers it, the one she got in her games when someone had slashed her leg. her face is made up, but you notice the mascara running down her face in tear streaks. it's such a surprise it stops you in your tracks. you hadn't seen nayeon cry since that time you were barely conscious and just out of the arena.

"nayeon..."

she pauses, but doesn't turn back to look at you, "what is it?"

"i... you... are you okay?"

nayeon lets out a dry laugh, "i'm fine y/n. you aren't that strong. i just feel really gross and i need to shower. i'll see you in the morning."

before you can stop her she's stepping into her room and closing the door. you frown, she was obviously lying, something had happened while she was out and she wasn't telling you. it was fine if she didn't want to tell you, you just... you cared about her. you owe your life to her. you want to do anything you can to repay her.

so you sit outside her room, it's not like you were going to be able to get any sleep anyway, you'd wait for her to finish her shower and talk to you.

»┼)➝

it's almost an hour before she leaves her room. you sit fiddling your thumbs, thinking up scenarios of what could have possibly happened. nayeon was too good at hiding herself. you wished she'd open herself up. if not to her family, to you, someone who understood what it feels like to be in her position. you were one of a kind, there weren't going to be many district 9 victors after you, there certainly weren't any before her.

when she finally opens her door you scramble up.

she looks down at you surprised, her hands wringing out her hair in a towel, face bare. you're reminded of just how young she was. despite her experience and knowledge of everything, you remember she was just a girl.

she smiles. you're practiced enough that you can tell it's fake.

"what are you doing here y/n?"

"waiting for you."

"i told you to go to sleep."

"i couldn't sleep anyway."

her smile stays as she steps past you, you follow quietly. she turns the kitchen lights on, rummaging around in the fridge for something to eat.

"have you not eaten yet?"

her hands stop moving for a second, "no. not yet."

"where were you?"

she sighs, taking out a takeaway box and moving to the microwave. "i was out y/n. i told you. please stop asking me."

"but why can't you tell me?"

"it's classified."

"what?"

"i can't tell anyone."

"but why?"

"i can't tell you that."

the microwave rings.

"do you not trust me?"

"it's not that."

"then why?"

she sighs again, ripping off the lid of her takeaway box a little roughly, "i just can't tell you y/n. you'll probably find out after this year's games end anyway."

"what is that supposed to mean?"

she whips around then, eyes red, eyebrows furrowed, she's raw and genuine for the first time, too tired to keep concealing herself. "you're not stupid y/n. you're an attractive victor. what do you think happens to attractive victors? where do you think i go when we're back home and i have to leave? i'm certainly not out farming or doing all the regular jobs people back home do."

that takes you back, the pure hurt in her eyes, the way she cowers into herself in just her thin sleeping clothes and bare face. she's so much younger, so much more human without all the flashy smiles and outfits she wears for the capitol.

"i- i don't- i just thought-"

"no. you weren't thinking. you're naïve y/n. you think we have to live with just our traumas from the games. you think there's an end to it all. that once you get over what happened in the arena you'll be able to live a normal life. the life. the life they promised us when they said we'd win the games. well i'm sure living it!" she chuckles darkly, arms flailing out and raising her voice to the ceiling.

"it never ends y/n. all they do is take and take until we're as bare and barren as the farms we take care of."

you blink stupidly, the reality of what she's saying settling in.

"you admire me for how well i lie." she spits the word out, mouth dripping venom and eyes furious, "i lie to survive. everyone does. the capitol lies to us, promising us riches and glory for winning the games. that's why districts like 1 and 2 exist right? why careers fight to volunteer to kill other kids in the arena? i wonder if they'd go back in time and do the same thing once they realise what winning actually means. we're not real to them y/n. we're not humans. we're products. expensive, dolled up, murderers they have on a leash."

she sighs heavily, both hands coming to rake her hair backwards. "i'm sorry. i was meant to be your mentor. i was meant to prepare you for all of this." her voice cracks, you stare at her, mouth agape, processing all this new information, "but i couldn't. i just couldn't. i was so happy when you won. i thought i could protect you from it all."

"w-what do you mean protect me?"

she slumps, her posture giving out, you've never seen her so broken. "they wanted to start you off last year. because you were already 18 when you won." she scoffs, "not that it stopped them from starting me when i was 15. i convinced them to give you a year. i wanted you to know what it felt like to win. to be free of it all, to have your belly full, to be with your family, to be able to live without the fear of not waking up the next day."

you gawk at her in horror, "what did you do nayeon?"

she chuckles darkly again, "i said i'd take your customers. until your year was over."

"you- what?!"

she wipes at her eyes angrily, picking up a spoon and stabbing it into her food, "it's fine y/n. it's not a big deal."

"wha- nayeon- it is a big deal! this- you can't- i'll kill-"

suddenly she's got a hand clamped over your mouth, so close you can see the redness of her eyes, the small freckles that dot her skin. "don't say something you'll regret. they have ears everywhere."

you gulp, nodding, wide-eyed as she lets you go.

"w-what about what you said?"

"i didn't say anything explicit. and you were going to find out soon anyway. your year is almost up."

"what- why haven't you fought back? why have you gone along with this for so long?"

she laughs thickly, "careful. that's rebellion you're talking about."

"but it's not fair! the deal was once we won we won! the only thing we should have to do is become mentors! and even doing that is cruel enough being forced to relive the games each year!"

"there are no limits to how cruel humans can be y/n."

"i- but- but still!"

"i have family. so do you. what do you think happens to them if you say no?"

that makes you pause, thinking back to your parents who worked so hard to bring you and your siblings up. who kept you alive until you were 18. lots of kids weren't that fortunate. many died from starvation, or of the unhygienic circumstances back home.

you collect yourself, taking a breath, nayeon was still inches away from you, studying your reactions. "do they know?" you ask softly.

she sighs, shaking her head, "my mother went through enough when my dad died. even more when i was reaped for the games. she thinks my trips away are just meeting people in the capitol for business ventures or whatever. it makes sense because i always bring back large sums of money. and my sister... i never want her to find out how cruel this world is. it's enough she still has to be entered into the reapings at least once a year, but that'll stop soon when she turns 18. and then i hope to just give her a normal life. she'll never have to worry over me again."

"nayeon..."

she sniffles, "it's fine y/n. worry about yourself. i can't look after you anymore. i'm sorry."

"are you kidding?! nayeon please... i don't- do you not understand what you mean to me? i owe you my life. and now i find out you've been doing this for me for the past year. you don't have to protect me. i can protect myself. i won my games didn't i?" you try for a smile, she gives you a teary one back.

"i just- i never knew nayeon i'm sorry. i'm sorry i didn't know you were going through all this on your own. i wished you'd told me. i wished you wouldn't shoulder all this on your own. we know you're strong. we all saw your games, we know you're capable of survivng. you don't have to keep proving that. you can rely on others every once in a while."

"others like you?" she jokes, smiling up at you.

"yeah. like me. i'm the only other one that can relate. that can understand. i want to be there for you. i told you, i owe you my life, my family's lives. that's a debt i'll never be able to repay. i want to do as much as i can in this lifetime to be there for you."

"you don't have to do that y/n-"

"yes. yes i do. you've been there for me this entire time, without me even knowing. when will you let me do the same for you?"

that gives her pause, she hides under wisps of hair that have fallen down over her forehead.

you ache to brush them away, to cup her cheeks, to see those eyes again.

your wish is granted when she looks up after a second, pupils glassy. and then without another word she's burying herself in the crevice of your neck, arms coming up to wrap around you, taking a shaky inhale. you react just like you had when she had thrown that pin at you, immediately reciprocating, pushing your cheek against hers and circling your arms around her waist.

you stay there for an immeasurable amount of time. unsaid words drifting between you, sharing emotions, pain. nayeon finally feels like she's not alone for the first time since she'd won her games 9 years ago. and you finally feel at peace in her arms, the ghosts that haunted you gone for the moment.

the both of you wound up in nayeon's bed that night. it wasn't awkward, the complete opposite. you naturally gravitated towards her after she finishes eating, and she lets you cling to her. when you fall asleep, limbs entangled and hearts beating in tandem, you'll realise in the morning, it's the first time the both of you will have had a full night's rest without any of your regrets invading your dreams.

»┼)➝

the horn sounds. you grip nayeon's hand as the competitors rush forwards, you try taking in as much of the arena as you could, as if you were standing on the platforms in the arena for the first time again. you were lucky in your games to have been granted fields of tall grass. it obstructed all of the other competitors’ vision and would prove very difficult to hide in, but you were practiced in moving around between blades of wheat that grew up to 2m tall back home without making a sound. this year it seems they took a more traditional approach, the cornucopia is in the middle of the arena as always, plain desert and beating sun the only thing visible. you can make out sand dunes on the far right of the arena. it would be hard to find a water source. your eyes lock onto your tributes, praying they make it through the initial bloodbath. they're not placed in a position they can see each other, in this scenario, you and nayeon had instructed them to run for it. don't bother with the initial bloodbath, the first thing they'd need to find was water.

you breathe a sigh of relief when you see adeline do exactly that. she makes for the dunes you spotted earlier, leaving behind the chaos of the first few minutes. but then the camera pans to julian, seemingly frozen on his platform, completely petrified as he watches the girl from district 8 fall to her knees after someone launches a javelin at her.

"move!" you're extremely tense watching the scene, trying to maintain your composure as you knew you were still in public, the opening of the games was always a big spectacle, all the mentors were situated up in viewing boxes while the capitol watched along on massive screens.

nayeon grips your hand tighter, a warning not to be too loud, to keep on that mask.

you spare a glance at her, her features are tight in concentration, eyes glued to the little figures on the screen.

your head whips back when the crowd suddenly howls. it seems the career pack has formed and has just taken down both the tributes from district 12. it disgusts you how these people can cheer over the deaths of children.

julian has finally started moving though. he leaps off the platform and runs forward.

no. no no no. he needs to run away from the cornucopia. you grit your teeth, he must have seen the deaths of the district 12 tributes and thought the careers would be distracted.

the camera follows as he crouches and dips past ongoing fights, he manages to grab a sword, but that's where his luck ends. the girl from district four is wielding a nasty trident, charging straight for him. he tries to fend her off with his sword, catching it in one of the prongs of the trident, but then with horror, his feet catch on the sand. he hasn't gotten used to the terrain yet. he must have known running on sand was much more difficult than running on regular ground or the concrete of the training grounds. the girl takes the opportunity to yank her trident back, and then jabs it straight into him, all three prongs go through his chest and out the other side. you can see him cough up blood in shock, hands coming up to rest on the handle of the trident, she pushes him down and steps on his stomach to yank her weapon back out, already on the lookout for her next victim.

you can't believe what just happened. you had knew him. you had spoken to him. you had just seen and touched him this morning before he was flown off to the arena. it's completely unreal. the crowd roars with glee.

your mind can't keep up with your eyes. there's no way he was dead. the sounds, senses of the crowd drown out, you stare blankly at the main screen, watching other kids be cut down left and right, kids smaller than your youngest siblings, all while people dressed up in nauseating colours and patterns placed bets and had their children play fight with toy swords and weapons imitating real life people that died for their entertainment.

"y/n- y/n... y/n!" nayeon's shaking you out of your stupor, you blink, looking down at your intertwined hands, her concerned look that's quickly masked with a smile.

"the announcer was just asking you for some comments about the opening." you can see straight through her smile, you've spent much more time together over the past couple weeks while you were preparing your tributes for the games. you didn't explicitly talk about it, but you'd always end up in her bed each night, cuddled up and talking about everything and nothing until you both fell asleep. it was the only way you could sleep these days, and you knew it was the same for her.

you look past her shoulder to see a short man with bright green hair and a matching moustache. he smiles expectantly, teeth all white and glowing, holding out a microphone to you.

nayeon squeezes your hand again, hidden under the tresses of your gowns.

you clear your throat, awkwardly leaning forward and looking into the camera panned towards you, "r-right. um well it's pretty standard from what we can see. my arena last year must have made it difficult to see all the... fighting so it seems they've gone with something a lot more open this year." you try for a joke, earning a boisterous laugh from the man with green hair and from some in the audience who were looking on where your face was projected on one of the smaller screens next to the main livestream.

"we can definitely see all the juicy bits more clearly can't we!"

juicy bits?! is he trying to remind us of the bloody insides of all the kids being slashed open?! what kind of sick joke is it to use those words?! nayeon saves you the outburst, speaking up with a smile and a voice you know she's only ever used when talking to capitol media.

"definitely! and i must say wilbur your moustache is fantastic this year!"

he blushes, twirling the green hair on his upper lip, "thank you nayeon. you're as beautiful as always. and i'm glad to see you're finally accompanied by another victor your age! it must have been very lonely these last few years on your own."

nayeon's hand tightens against you. you want to punch this man in the face.

"yes i'm very glad to have y/n here. we make a fine team don't you think?" she grins. you notice the angrier she is, the more absurd her acting is, almost as if she's testing the limits of just how far she can go before people finally realise she's been sarcastic the entire time.

"of course! 2 fine ladies such as yourselves, you're both a hit in the capitol! i'm sure lots of fellas in the crowd tonight would love to see you two team up another time."

there's an uproar in the crowd, obviously male voices hollering and agreeing with laughter.

you're absolutely revolted at the implication. so you can't stop yourself when the next words fall out of your mouth, "i'm sure you'd know a lot about teaming up wouldn't you wilbur? how many fellas do you have twirled around that moustache of yours?"

nayeon is barely able to conceal a scoff, hiding it as a cough into your shoulder. you smile daringly, all teeth as wilbur stares at you aghast.

he clears his throat, "i'm not quite sure i know what you mean by that y/n."

"oh nothing. just wondering how many balls you have to play with when you do that team sport out here... i don't quite recall the name, it must be something that is only really fashionable out here in the capitol."

"r-right. sports. ahaha! you must have gotten me mixed up with someone else y/n! yes that must be it. everyone here will know i'm not really one for sports." he tries to steer the subject off, his face burning up bright red, with his green hair he looks like a mishappen christmas tree. he moves on quickly after that, going to interview less problematic mentors.

"you shouldn't always let them get away with shit like that nayeon." you frown when the attention is off you again, whispering into her ear.

she shakes her head, "sometimes it's better to let it go than to bring it up. more trouble than it's worth. you did very well though. are you okay? you zoned out a bit back there."

you sigh, running your thumb over hers gently, "yeah. just... wasn't prepared i guess. adeline is still in it though, she's got a decent chance if she manages to find water."

"you can never prepare for this. i'm sorry."

"there's nothing to apologise for. you warned me on the train, about what it's like. nothing compares to the real thing though."

"i know. i'm here for you though okay? i couldn't physically help you in the arena but i can now."

"stop that nayeon. you did more than enough for me in the arena. i told you. i owe you my life."

she smiles. you're taken aback by the genuinity of it. the slightly dimmed lighting, her makeup not too over the top like some of the people you've seen walking around the capitol, but accentuating her already flawless features even better. you knew she was attractive, you'd have to be blind not to. and you'd be lying if you said you hadn't thought of nayeon as something more. you pushed it down though. people like you and nayeon didn't have the luxury of feelings like love.

you quickly break away from her gaze and those perfectly heart-shaped lips, looking back to the aftermath of the opening minutes. but even the grim bloodied bodies littering the floor that you can barely comprehend are real, do little for the blush that dusts your cheeks and the fluttering in your stomach.

»┼)➝

you can tell from the way she's breathing nayeon’s not asleep yet either. one of her arms is draped over your midriff, her breaths lightly hitting the back of your neck, legs entangled with your own.

"you're still awake." you whisper out into the quiet of her bedroom walls.

"so are you."

you don't dare turn to face her, knowing your faces would be centimetres apart, breaths hitting each other's lips, noses almost touching.

"i can't get it out my head. the way the trident just went through him. like he was made of clay."

her voice is soft, careful, "i’ll never forget any of them. not any of my kills.”

“he wasn’t your kill nayeon. the tributes you mentored aren’t your kills.”

“they may as well be. as a mentor, surely i can do something. but every year is the same. i don’t learn. i can’t do anything for them.”

“you helped me survive.”

she sighs, breath tickling the back of your neck, her arms wrap around you just a little tighter. “i told you. you’re different.”

“how?”

“you just are. i don’t know how to explain it.”

“you don’t have to. i… nevermind. still, i don’t think you should think of the tributes we mentor as people we’ve killed. it’s the capitol, everything’s them, that’s the big enemy remember?” your voice is hushed, paranoid they’re listening in somehow but also desperate to soothe nayeon’s worries.

“it doesn’t change what i did. all victors are murderers. we lost our innocence the day our names were pulled out of that bowl.”

“you’re right. we have to live with that. but at least we’re not alone now.” you decide to risk it, turning and shuffling around the bed until your nose to nose. you can feel the blush creeping up your cheeks already, wisps of her hair tickling your face, her eyes shining in the dark.

she stares at you for a little, eyes darting around your face. "you're right. we're not alone now." she speaks in a whisper, breath gently kissing your lips with her words.

you can't help but look down at her slightly parted, heart-shaped lips, her breaths coming in and out softly, luring you in. you're magnetised. the tension between you two is undeniable, thick enough to make you feel almost drowsy, eyes drooping and lidded, only focused on tracing the shape of her lips.

nayeon's the one to break it.

she leans in closer, hand tightening around your waist, closing her eyes and pressing your lips together. it's not sparks or lightning, it's just two mouths moving against one another, finding comfort in one another, it's soft and pure and everything the capitol robbed the two of you of when they turned you into murderers.

but then it's not. there's a salty tinge to her, the taste of tears. you open your eyes slowly, breaking away from her, she takes the opportunity to inhale shakily.

"nayeon?" you frown, immediately concerned you've overstepped.

she hides her face in your neck, squeezing herself against you.

"hey... what happened? what's wrong?"

"we- w-we can't." her voice is wobbly, there are still tears dripping down her face.

your heart sinks, "we can't?"

"i'm- i can't- i'm a product y/n. you'll become one too. i can't- i can't lose you too."

"but- you won't lose me."

"you don't know that y/n. you don't know what the capitol is capable of. if they find out we're- if they find out we care for each other like that they'll tear us apart. we can never have what normal people have."

"but that won't stop me from caring for you! and i know that's not going to stop you either."

"but when- i don’t- when they start selling you off i don’t know how i’ll be able to- to not kill them all."

you bring a hand up to her cheek, forcing her to look at you, thumb swiping across the skin under her eye, wiping off her tears, "i know. i don't know how i'll be able to do it either. but you're worth it. i haven't felt- i haven't felt this understood, i've spent so long thinking i'm alone, that i'll have to spend the rest of my life like this, but you make me feel happy. after all we've been through don't you think we deserve that?"

"but- but- they can't know y/n- they can't take you away from me."

"and they won't. i promise. do you trust me?"

nayeon stares up at you, her eyes shining, lip wobbly. she bites down into it after a second, breathing out a small "yes."

"i trust you too. anything they throw at us, we'll take it together. okay?"

she sighs, nodding, bringing a shaky hand up to feel you, just to make sure you were real, that she wasn't conjuring all this up to cope with her trauma. you lean into her touch, hand coming up to grip her wrist and squeeze, leaning in and touching your nose against hers, feeling safer than you've ever felt in your entire life.

»┼)➝

the next day is more of the same. at least this time you're not in a display box so you can have genuine reactions and you can be close to nayeon in the privacy of your own floor, finding comfort in her arms and words.

you spend the morning cuddled up, choosing to eat breakfast on the couch while the livestream of the arena plays. when there's nothing interesting going on they have live coverage of news anchors and commentators reacting to replays and talking about what happened during the night that the audience may have missed while they were asleep. adeline hasn't been seen on screen much but you know she's still alive and has found a small alcove in the desert with cacti that she can cut open to drink water from. still, you know it won't last her and nayeon and you plan on going out during lunch when most of the capitol citizens will be out and about to start finding sponsors to send water or food to adeline in the arena.

by the time you're in the city you come to realise just how good nayeon is at networking. you trail behind her like a lost puppy while she greets extravagantly overdressed citizens of the upper circle with a bright smile, compliments, and sparkling eyes. she seems to understand that you're much newer at this so she brings you along as a prop of sorts, convincing new and old sponsors to sponsor district 9 once again, after all, the most recent victor did come from district 9, and adeline was tutored by you with the most recent experience winning which made her someone to look out for in the later days of the games.

there are lots more people that recognise than you think, colours and materials you've never seen or felt before invading your senses, fake voices and compliments trying to get on your good side, you can simply smile and try your best to keep up.

eventually, you're seperated from nayeon when a short man engages you in a conversation about hair products and how you got yours to be so shiny and natural, you only nod along while he talks your ear off about different products and chemicals he's tried on his orange mess of a flat top, you can only provide clueless agreements and your simple hair routine back home. but you manage to steer the conversation back to the games and actually manage to get him to donate something as long as he gets the name of the random shampoo brand you use back home.

once you wave him off, you excitedly look around for nayeon, eager to tell her about your first donation that you managed all on your own. but as you scan the square, you can’t seem to catch sight of her.

you frown, wandering around a little until you spot her, hidden away in the shadows behind a few pillars. your eyes light up, almost skipping over to her until you realise she’s with someone else.

“stop- no i don’t want to-“

“c’mon you want sponsors don’t you? i’ll give you double what your highest donation is if you come now-“

“no! i’m not rostered on right now you can’t just- you can’t approach me in public like this-“

“no one saw us sweetheart c’monnn if we go now we can leave quietly. besides i saw your other victor and she’s doing alright on her own, she won’t even notice you’re gone.”

the man she’s with is gripping nayeon’s forearm harshly, when he starts pulling her away you step in, clearing your throat, eyes flaring up. “i did notice she was gone actually.”

nayeon whips her head around to you, but you can barely see her, your gaze is fixed on the way he still has his fingers wrapped around her, squeezing so tight her skin is white around his fingers.

your eyes trail up to his face when he laughs, not letting go of nayeon, “oh! y/n right? don’t worry nayeon and i are good friends. i’m just gonna borrow her for a bit yeah?”

you step forward, an arm sliding around nayeon’s waist protectively, glaring up into his blue eyes and perfectly sculpted nose, “is that true nayeon?” you don’t back down from his sleazy gaze while you direct the question to the older woman.

his eyes flick over to her, a warning in his eyes.

“i-it’s okay y/n i can handle this just go back to the square.”

you frown, unwilling to let her go, “no.”

the man raises an eyebrow, “you two a package deal now or something?”

nayeon bristles then, yanking her arm away from him, “don’t fucking touch her.”

the man backs up, surprised, “woah! calm down bunny i was just joking around.”

nayeon flushes at the nickname, “whatever josh. i told you i’m not rostered right now. book me in for when i’m actually available.”

“and her?” he smirks, nodding his head to you.

she grits her teeth, “take it up with your agent. don’t contact me outside again or i’ll make sure you won’t be able to buy any one of us.”

she doesn’t wait for him to respond, pulling you away and back into the main area.

you’re quiet, processing the information you just learnt. she doesn’t look at you, eyebrows furrowed, hand tight against yours.

“… was that one of your customers?”

she sighs, “yeah. one of my pushier ones.”

“i’m sorry.”

“what for? he pays well.” she spits out, storming back to your accommodation, deciding socialising for the day is done, she had collected enough donations today.

“i’m sorry you have to deal with him.”

“it’s not your fault.” she says simply, pulling you into the elevator and punching in your floor number.

you ascend silently, fiddling with your fingers, unsure of what else to say.

when you arrive, your fingers are still interlaced with hers, but she relaxes as soon as you step in, letting her mask drop.

“you did really well today.”

she smiles at you then, “thank you. i saw you grab that last donation too. adeline will be happy.”

you step closer to her, tentative and shy, her eyes crinkle at the sight. “thank you.”

“what for?”

you step closer again, swinging your intertwined hands slightly, “protecting me all that time.”

her hand tightens against yours.

“can you actually do that? stop him from using your… services?”

she snorts, “no. but he doesn’t know that. all he thinks about is his dick anyway, any danger to that and he’ll back off.”

“do they ever hurt you?”

her eyes soften, looking into yours, searching. “sometimes. sometimes it gives them pleasure. other times they like to take out their anger on us. maybe they’ve had a bad day or they’ve had a fight with their spouse at home or whatever else. they don’t need an excuse to treat us however they like.”

“that’s terrible.”

“it’s the world we live in.”

“what if we… what if we were a package deal?”

she raises an eyebrow, “what do you mean?”

“if they had to book us together. it’d make me feel better, if i could protect you somehow while we’re in there. that you have someone else there in case anything extreme happens. and…” you blush, thinking over your next words, “i know i have to… share you, but at least this way i can see what others do to you, so i still have some semblance of control over the situation.”

nayeon hums, pulling you in by the waist so you're no longer awkwardly hovering around her trying to think of how to get closer to her, "i can ask. that's a good idea y/n. and i'm sure lots of people would love to see two pretty girls getting it on." she jokes.

you blush, looping your arms around her neck loosely, playing with the hair at the back of her neck that has come out of her updo, "i don't- i've never- y'know..."

there's a hint of a smirk on her face, you're avoiding her gaze, "you've never...?"

you whine, knowing she's teasing you on purpose, pushing her away from you but she laughs, pulling you back into her and pecking you gently, "do you want to? there's no rush. i'm worried we may be taking things a bit fast but as long as you're comfortable i'm okay with whatever."

you look at her determinedly, "i don't think we can move too fast. i think we should take whatever we can get while things are good before the capitol tries to break us apart. i want to be with you, all of you, for as long as you'll let me."

nayeon smiles, leaning her forehead against yours, "i want to be with you for as long as you'll let me as well."

you reciprocate her smile, leaning in and pressing your lips against hers, hesitant, but loving. she responds immediately, one hand remaining at your waist and another coming up to rest on the crevice of your neck. you move easily against each other, it's comfortable, safe, you're both on the same wavelength, and nayeon treats you with utmost respect and adoration, ensuring you felt just as loved as she felt, keeping you grounded and at-home in her arms.

»┼)➝

it's another few days before something big happens. nayeon and you spend every minute wrapped up in one another, basking in the comfort and excitement of something new yet reminiscent of innocent, purer times.

that shatters completely when it gets to day 6 of the games.

adeline has managed to survive this long without coming into real contact with any of the other surviving tributes. nayeon has done most of the brunt work in receiving sponsorships and donations which you use strategically to lead adeline towards water sources or away from enemy tributes that may be nearing her location.

however, it seems the gamemakers had had enough of her cat and mouse game by the time there are only 5 tributes left, adeline, the boy from district 1, the two from district 2, and the girl from district 11 who managed to create her own water and food source in the barely repairable soil, turning it into her own farm using knowledge from her home district.

it was nearing the finale, and everyone in the audience knew it. the anticipation would put pressure on the gamemakers to bring out their final tricks, to lure all the tributes into one location to fight it out to the end.

that trick turned out to be a sandstorm in the night, blinding all the tributes, throwing off coordinates, destroying the girl from 11's farm, and forcing all the contestants to stumble blindly in the dark while the storm whipped around them harshly, sand cutting into skin and drying up lips while the cold chill of the desert night only made it even more difficult to find one's senses.

the girl from district 2 was smart, she used the sandstorm and her teammates' confusion to her advantage, taking the chance to stab the boy from 1, making him think it was the boy from 2, and letting them fight it out while she ran off, abandoning the career alliance that was inevitably going to break down towards the end of the games anyway. the boy from 2 ends up being able to defend himself well enough to deliver the finishing blow on the boy from 1, but he sustained fatal injuries in the process and died slowly and painfully in the storm while the sand lapped at his open wounds and his mouth gasped for water through mouthfuls of sand, wishing he was the one who was killed first.

when the storm finally dies down, the audience can see the carnage it has wrecked on the arena, three girls left, all within a 20 minute radius of one another. if it wasn't clear this was the endgame, it was definitely clear now.

the entire topography has been shifted, everything is now covered in sand. there would be no food, no water, the girls would either starve or thirst to death first in which case it would be a test of endurance, or find each other first and win the games to end their own form of suffering in living in this unlivable arena.

the girl from 11 seemed to want to take the former approach, burrowing herself under dunes of sand, digging for her farm and hoping the desert heat and lack of water would mirage her location into regular sand dunes while she hid until the final 2. the girl from 2 is set on the latter, going on the prowl immediately to find the remaining two contestants and claim her victory.

unfortunately for adeline, because the girl from 11 hid herself so well, it meant she came into contact with the girl from 2 first.

she puts up a good fight. everyone in the capitol is on the edge of their seats. as soon as the storm had cleared, nayeon and you had immediately sent adeline some supplies, water, a basic first-aid kit to tend to the wounds she had received earlier in the games, anything to let her know you were both still watching and keeping an eye on her, that she wasn't alone despite the immense loneliness and hopelessness she must have felt living in the desert for the last 6 days.

but even that wasn't enough to deal with the mental pressure of being in that situation for so long, thinking you actually have a chance of winning, of going home, she let her guard down, openly gulping down water while the girl from 2 crept up behind her.

adeline reacts just in time, throwing her bottle away and picking up the sword she had retrieved off a dead tribute's body earlier on in the game, swiping blindly in order to create some distance.

she manages to find her footing, standing on both legs, eyes zeroing in on her opponent who has already started lunging forward with her next attack. her weapon is longer, able to reach further, but adeline is tall and gifted with long limbs, able to maneuver herself out of the way before getting impaled by the pointy end of a spear, whipping around quickly to slice a deep cut in the girl's arm while it's still outstretched holding the spear.

the girl yelps out in pain, but quickly recovers, switching the spear to her non-dominant hand, jabbing forward without missing a beat, gritting her teeth in effort.

the crowd in the captiol is cheering, throwing popcorn, placing last minute bets, rowdier than ever after they couldn't clearly see the fight between the boys from districts 1 and 2 because the sandstorm had lowered visibility on the cameras. now, they could see every parry, every stab, every drop of blood that’s splattered onto hot, golden sand. the pure bloodlust is nonsensical.

adeline manages to block off each advance, but there's simply nowhere left to run or hide, everything that could be used has been covered by sand, there's only acres and acres of desert. so it makes sense when she loses her footing on the loose grains, falling onto her back and losing grip of her sword. the girl from 2 is quick to kick it away and out of reach, and adeline is tired, thirsty, and near delusional from being in the heat and arena for so long, that the ripping squelch that sounds out on speakers across the country as the girl from 2 shoves the end of her spear into adeline's chest, comes almost as a blessing, ending her pain at last.

the gamemakers are able to lure the girl from two to the girl from 11's hiding spot after that, and the final battle ensues, the girl from 2 rising up on top, bloodied and battered but grinning with the glee and pride only those in the career districts could have after killing and coming out on top over 23 other children.

you barely have time to mourn adeline's death, you and nayeon are both thrusted into interviews immediately, forced to watch replays and close-ups of the killing, to watch the life drain out of adeline’s eyes over and over again, asked for comments and messages to send back home, to congratulate the winner on becoming one of you, a murderer.

and even worse, when the day’s finally over and you can retire to your safe space in your apartment for your last night there, nayeon is called out for a premium customer, someone paying triple the normal fare to spend one more night with her before she goes back to her district. so you're left alone, watching repeated news coverage of the hunger games from start to finish, dolled up 'scientists' and gamemakers being brought on for interviews and time to analyse kills and strategies the tributes used, milking every drop of profit and entertainment out of the deaths of children not their own.

you'd watch something else but every channel on capitol television is talking about the end of the games, you switch every time your face, or your post-games interview comes up, cringing at the way you looked and spoke, feeling as if you betrayed your district for dishonouring adeline and julian's deaths by dragging them out for the enjoyment of people who never cared for them, wanting desperately to go home and find their parents and offer your condolences, and maybe sneak some of your victor rations to their families so they at least didn't have to worry about another death. you were determined to take care of all of your mentee's families, you know it's what you would've wanted if you had died in that arena.

by the time nayeon comes back, you've already settled in her bed, cuddled up on her side and taking in the scent she's left behind, the tv still playing in her room at a low volume.

you sit up immediately when you hear her come into the room, closing the door softly behind her. she looks at you and smiles defeatedly. "you look cute."

you blush, burrowing into her sheets more which only serves to widen the smile on her face, "are you okay?" you ask.

"i need a shower."

she doesn't say anything else. you remember the last time she came home this late, not having eaten anything and only wanting to get rid of the feeling of another person's hands on her body off of her. you nod, shy, letting her walk around collecting clothes and heading into the bathroom.

she doesn't bother closing the door. you appreciate the gesture. it's a dramatic change from the first time she had locked you outside her room unknowingly, to think she trusts you enough to leave the door unlocked in her most vulnerable state warms your heart. you hate the capitol for what they've done to her, what they'll continue to do to her. at least this was the last time she would have to do it alone, she had talked to higher ups in the capitol and gotten president snow himself to agree to your proposition, you'd hope your presence would at least ease some of the tension she felt during those sessions.

you hear the shower turn on, and you hesitate, thinking over your next moves carefully.

after some deliberation, you quietly move off her bed, padding to the bathroom and stripping off the pyjamas you had already put on when you were getting ready for bed.

you stand outside the fogged up door for a second, admiring her silhouette, but soon grow cold, opening the door gently and announcing your presence to not frighten her.

she turns, surprised, bar of soap in her hand, hair wet and squinting at you without her glasses or contacts on. she's adorable.

"y/n?"

"hi... is it okay if i join you?" your arms bracket your chest, suddenly shy even though she's seen all of you already.

she smiles, pulling you in under the stream of hot water, "of course. i'm sorry i'm not really feeling up to doing anything today-"

"no! i didn't- no i didn't come in with that intention i just... wanted to help you get clean."

she blinks up at you, water still running over her face and hair, and then she pulls you down into a wet kiss, arms still holding onto yours as you kiss her back sweetly.

you break away first, smiling and nudging your nose against hers, "turn around, i'll do your back first."

she follows, bending her neck down so the water doesn't get in her eyes, handing you the bar of soap she was holding.

you lather her back up, caressing the small scars and moles you had memorised. you had asked the story of each one, and nayeon had told you. your heart broke with each scar, most of them from her games, but some of them from rougher times with clients, others from when she was even younger, working the fields and factories back home. there were more from when she was young, but most of them were surgically removed or fixed when she was first fitted for her games, her stylists wanted her to look as young and as pure as her age suggested, hoping to entice sponsors either out of pity or admiration.

you rub her shoulders, work the knots in her back while you wash her, feel her relax under your touch.

when you get to her right thigh, you're extremely careful, and nayeon takes notice.

"it's okay. it doesn't hurt anymore."

you frown, rubbing gently over the largest scar on her body, the one she covered up most often and got in her finale fight in the games. "i know. i still want to be careful though."

she smiles, pecking your cheek while you concentrate on cleaning her to the best of your ability. she had opened up about how disgusted she would feel in her own body after she would come back from sessions with her clients, often spending an hour or more scrubbing away at her skin until it was red and irritated and hurt to continue before she finally felt clean. you were determined to make her feel loved, feel safe in her own skin, and do so without hurting her.

when you finally come out of the shower, you're quick to wrap her up in a towel first, patting the rest of her down dry and sitting her down on a stool, grabbing the hair dryer and brush.

she scolds you in the process, telling you you'll catch a cold if you don't dry yourself off first. you pout but do as she says, quickly drying yourself off and slipping into your pyjamas again.

then your hands are back at her hair, combing through gently with your fingers first, before turning on the hair dryer.

she watches you with a smile, her eyes crinkling upwards at the way your eyebrows furrow in concentration, drying each part of her head with meticulous attention.

when it's just slightly damp you turn it off, placing it back down and start to brush through her hair, wincing and apologising with each knot you work through. nayeon giggles, constantly reassuring you it was fine with each apology, but her reassurances do little to quell your concern.

it's quiet, peaceful in the bathroom, just the two of you.

"my mother used to do this for me when i was young."

"mine too."

"it feels nice."

"i'm glad."

"are you ready to go back?"

"as long as i have you."

"you'll always have me."

you meet her eyes in the mirror, "will your mother be okay with this?"

"you brushing my hair?" she jokes.

you whine, "you know what i meant. us."

she smiles, "yes. both my mother and my sister only want to see me happy. they know how much the games affected me, they're just glad i'm still alive."

"mine too." you repeat.

"…even if they weren't, you know i wouldn't stop wanting to be with you right?"

you blush again, easily affected by her, "i know."

she nods, satisfied, the both of you falling into an easy silence again.

you think this isn't too bad. living out the rest of your life with nayeon like this. she helped you forget all the bad stuff, but also reminded you of all the things you've been through together, you healed each other. in no other universe, no other situation, no other time, would you be able to find this kind of love with nayeon, and that little special thing the both of you share, it makes everything you've gone through and will go through a little more bearable.

#nayeon #im nayeon #twice nayeon #nayeon x reader #twice nayeon x reader #im nayeon x reader #nayeon angst #twice x reader #twice imagines #nayeon imagines #dovveri

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a-student-out-of-time · 1 year ago

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ASOOT Timeline: February 2013 (A Dilemma of the Highest Moral Order)

Hey, guys, remember me? Well I’m back with most of the Price of Fate arc (all except the last day, because that is not done yet). Please enjoy!–Timeline Anon

February 4:

At 6 AM, Umeko takes all of her time travel research out of her lab at Hope’s Peak. Some is transferred to her house, and the rest is trashed.

The news is out to the public regarding the Harumi-Emina class swap. Now, the Steering Committee is getting injunctions from the police department, and they debate whether or not to allow an investigation on campus. Their collective freakout is interrupted by Masa and Koichi, and Koichi delivers Jin’s decision: all future Hope’s Peak attendees will be approved by Jin and Koichi, the Steering Committee will no longer have any say in that, all current and upcoming attendees will be examined to see why they were chosen, the mass investigation will happen, and the Steering Committee will transfer executive power to Jin. Eventually, the Steering Committee does agree to this in an effort to save the school’s reputation. The investigation will begin after school. After Mass and Koichi leave, the Steering Committee reassure themselves that the school will be fine, as even if the Diet freezes their assets, they have benefactors overseas. There are also hints that they might be planning something regarding Masa.

Masa updates Chiaki, Suzuko, and Taro about the morning’s events. As the investigation is set to begin, it’s mentioned that criminal talents are most likely going to be expelled and barred from attending for the most part. Chiaki vouches for Mondo, and Koichi says that he’ll probably be all right to attend, but Fuyuhiko and Peko’s future at Hope’s Peak is in jeopardy because of this investigation. Suzuko and Taro will inform the rest of the Student Council, who will in turn inform everyone else. Chiaki advises Masa to take care of herself.

The original Ultimate Lucky Student is revealed to be a girl by the name of Umi Domoto, who is lucky but also quite unlucky and has been in the hospital often.

Masa briefly meets with Estu in Conference Room 37. Estu is revealed to have swiped the Izuru Kamukura Project Personnel File, containing the names and profiles of everyone associated with the project, from the Steering Committee while Masa distracted them. She doesn’t feel safe at school anymore, so she’s going to stay with Mayumi for a while.

In the afternoon, the Quantum Crew meets in the Void Warehouse. Hajime’s finally ungrounded. Nikei’s mad at Umeko for sharing her time travel research with the world, as that caused Yasuke and Masa to figure them out. Umeko assures him that the information never left Hope’s Peak. Then, they all reconnect with the 2030 crew, and Sunako finally explains exactly what she’s been keeping from them. It goes as follows:

A ship called the HMCS Apothegem, formerly of the Canadian military before being sold to a private buyer in Italy, became the personal lifeboat of the Preservation Project. The ship left Naples on New Years’ Day of 2025 and sank in the North Atlantic on December 9 of that same year. Only six survivors made it to nearby Greenland on the 14th, five days later: Sei Konno, Kanon Ota, Missy Vesper, Lyle D. Termina, Gaea Espere, and Echo Pine. Those six were the only survivors of a series of 50 killing games run aboard the ship by the Preservation Project, during which 445 Ultimates died.

The Preservation Project was hoping to cultivate someone who would display a special ability as a result of these games. They did find such a person in Echo Pine, who awakened precog powers not unlike Mikako’s during their game. It’s because of Echo that the Kisaragi Foundation was able to create their time machine in this future.

As Gaea Espere explains to the group, she was the one who sank the Apothegem after winning the 49th game and being forced to watch the 50th, and Echo proved vital to saving the few people they were able to save. After everyone escaped the ship, they hid out in Nuuk, Greenland for a while, where they were almost recaptured by the Preservation Project, but they were thankfully rescued by Mayumi, Masa, and the Kisaragi Foundation. They’ve had to stay in Japan under witness protection ever since. 2030’s Nikei is currently investigating the Apothegem’s wreckage to find out more information about the incident.

Takeharu Mizuta and Tsumugi Shirogane, as it turns out, were two of the biggest sponsors of the Preservation Project. The worst part is, in January of 2030, Tsumugi kidnapped Echo.

According to Mikako’s visions, Tsumugi will go on to produce 53 seasons of a killing game television show, starting with smaller shows but growing into bigger broadcasts by the 40s. Emma’s son Whit will end up in one of these games. Because she’s got Echo, Tsumugi will always see the Kisaragi Foundation coming, and she will keep copy-pasting her mind into many bodies across the world, so that the killing games become an international affair.

It won’t be until the fall of 2070 that the games will eventually end thanks to the cast of the 53rd season, which is entirely composed of the Quantum Crew’s descendants. These include Hajime and Hibiki’s granddaughter and Sayuri’s daughter Kaede (who’s also Natsumi’s granddaughter on her father Haruto’s side), Nikei and Taira’s granddaughter and Etsuya’s daughter Kirumi, Masa’s granddaughter Maki, and Sunako’s own grandson Kaito. It’s also mentioned that Kokichi Ouma is the grandson of Komaru (who marries Kasumi’s son Hirota), Korekiyo Shinguji is the grandson of Kikue and also Maki’s real boyfriend, Angie Yonaga is the granddaughter of Mio, Miu Iruma is the granddaughter of Miwa and Fumio (who both died in a car accident when she was young, possibly due to Ayumu’s bad luck), Ryoma Hoshi is the grandson of Kojikoji, and Tenko Chabashira is the granddaughter of Estu and Mayumi. All will be brainwashed with new identities that are purposeful insults to their ancestors.

After Nikei demands actual answers on why they should trust the 76 Squad, Sunako breaks down and tearfully reveals that Masa will be the only one to survive the war against Tsumugi. This is because of Hajime’s no-killing rule, which Tsumugi will take advantage of and circumvent at every turn, resulting in the deaths of every other member of the Quantum Crew. Masa will spend decades of her life fighting Tsumugi from the shadows, operating under a cover story involving her own “death” at the hands of the HSS, and she will lose everything and everyone else in her life in the process. Sayuri will also live, but only because she will cut ties with her family and go into hiding, partly because of resentment due to Kanade and partly because Hajime won’t kill Tsumugi. Her twin daughters, Kaede and Erika, will live in safety for a while before Tsumugi will find them too. In a surprise twist, they will grab Erika thinking that she’s Kaede, and it will be she who dies in Season 53. The real Kaede will live, but will never be the same.

There is no practical means to stop Tsumugi, according to Sunako. Not while she has Echo and her body-snatching ability. Their only chance is for the Quantum Crew to stop her in 2012…and Sunako says that she and Takeharu must be stopped, even if it means killing them. On the bright side, they have two extra days for the Takeharu mission, so there’s that.

As the 2030 crew logs off with the reminder that it wasn’t Hajime’s fault, Nikei is filled with regret for pressing Sunako on this, while Hajime remains desperately insistent that there must be another way to stop Tsumugi and Takeharu. Taira, Emma, and Nikei all angrily insist that the two Despairs must be killed for the sake of their families. Mikan and Yoruko manage to defuse the situation by suggesting that they all take some time to decompress. Hajime swears to use that time to think of a better way, and Yoruko drives him and Hibiki home. Kyoji will keep working on methods to counter Tsumugi’s technology. Sonia tells Nikei to think hard about whether or not he can really kill.

Hajime and Hibiki come home to his parents in tears. Yoruko tells Hiroshi and Keiko what happened and advises them to give them some space to think. Keiko says that her father, a private investigator named Daisuke Sato, is coming tomorrow to help with the mass investigation. Hajime is apprehensive, but glad that his Aunt Setsuna isn’t coming.

Late at night, Hajime cuddles with Hibiki and confides to her that he knew his no-killing rule would come into question at some point. He wants to know what Sunako meant when she said that this happened because of his actions, and when Hibiki asks why he’s never even considered the idea of murder, he admits that he’s still haunted by the Tragedy and wants to create a different world where they don’t have to rely on murder as a solution. He hopes that maybe if he finds out why the Despairs follow Junko, he can get them to turn on her. Either way, he doesn’t want to take life and death into his own hands, and he feels like if he kills even once, he can’t pretend to be a good person anymore. Tomorrow, he plans to do some research and ask around on the question. Hibiki comforts him; she’s also making plans to talk with Sayuri.

That night, Hajime has a terrible nightmare where specters of Apothegem survivors and casualties alike, along with Whit and Izuru, berate him for putting his no-killing rule above their lives. He sees Echo trapped in Tsumugi’s cage, begging for help, and wakes up screaming.

It’s Haruto and Jubei’s birthday. They turn 1.

February 5:

Hajime wakes up at 6:20, rather upset over the nightmare. He gets a surprise 2030 check-in from Sunako, who has been able to trace back the ancestry of 13 out of the 16 V3 participants. In addition to the ones already stated, Shuichi Saihara is the great-grandson of Yuka and the grandson of Tato, Tsubasa, Eito, and Tomoe, while Gonta is the grandson of Akane’s youngest sister Teruko. K1-B0 was originally a therapy robot created by an engineering company founded by Kazuichi, Chihiro, and Ayumi, but will be hijacked by Team Danganronpa (his head will manage to survive that final explosion at the end, though, so he won’t really die). The only three that they haven’t been able to trace so far are Rantaro Amami, Kiko Omigawa (the blue-haired girl who served as Tsumugi’s final vessel), and Himiko Yumeno. Sunako is curious as to their connection to the Quantum Crew and theorizes that they might not have met their ancestors yet.

It’s also mentioned that Kaori’s husband and Kikue’s husband will both be toxic assholes, and that Kaori will die of a postpartum hemorrhage giving birth to Kaito, while Kikue’s granddaughter (and Korekiyo’s sister) will die of an illness.

Because of self-consistency, the only way to stop the Preservation Project, Tsumugi’s killing game show, the Holy Salvation Society, etc. is to stop the circumstances leading up to them. What’s more, Sunako still isn’t sure what effect the current investigation will have on things. Hajime plans to talk to everyone who he knows have descendants in the V3 cast in hopes that he can get their perspective on things. Sunako says that she’ll be happy if he finds another solution, but also reminds him that they’re fighting to save thousands of lives and that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for the hardest choice if worst comes to worst.

Hajime gets Hibiki’s input on his list. She tells him that he probably shouldn’t talk to 2-year-old Teruko or 11-year-old Sunako, and also mentions that he should check on Miwa, as some of the comments the latter made during their ski trip makes Hibiki think that something bad happened to her.

Daisuke Sato arrives at the Hinata house, carrying a refrigerator with his bare hands. He’ll be staying for about a week or so, depending on how long the investigation takes. As Hajime assures his family that he’ll be all right, Chiaki and Nikei see the fridge incident from the bus stop. All three of them go with Daisuke to help with the investigation. The school is crawling with police and investigators right now, but Harumi is taking the lead.

Hajime briefs his friends on what he learned from Sunako, and he and Nikei have a quick debate about whether or not to kill Takeharu and Tsumugi. Nikei says that he has no problem dealing with this himself, but Hajime can’t ask him or anyone else to get involved. He asks for only two days, or at least until Nikei finds Takeharu. When asked about it, Nikei says that he thinks the Despairs should be killed, while Chiaki doesn’t know and wants a bit more time to think about it.

Mayumi indicates that she wants to talk to Hajime about something.

It seems that Class 77-B is under investigation right now. Teruteru is in trouble for the sexy soup incident, Hajime’s wanted for questioning in regards to the Twilight Syndrome incident, and Fuyuhiko and Peko are coming to terms with the fact that they’ll probably be expelled for their Yakuza connections. As Daisuke questions Teruteru, Hiyoko shows up and takes responsibility for putting the aphrodisiac in the soup. Hajime asks her if she’s sure about this, but Hiyoko tells him not to try and fix this for her, as it’s not his responsibility and he doesn’t have to fix everything, especially when it’s not even his fault. Hajime accepts her request, comforts her, and tells her to be careful.

Hajime tells Fuyuhiko about what happened last night and asks for his advice. Fuyuhiko advises him not to do anything that he’s not prepared to deal with and to ask for help if he needs it. He reassures him that he’s a good guy, thanks him again for saving his sister, and reminds him that he can’t save everyone.

Next, Hajime talks to Akane and Kazuichi. Akane, who’s used to violence from her childhood, wants to kill the Despairs herself, but advises Hajime to talk to her brother Hinata. Kazuchi reminds him that there isn’t always a third option, especially given how easy Tsumugi’s technology is to make.

Kyoji pulls Hajime into an empty classroom and begs for help. He asked Miaya to print off the records for his group therapy sessions, and now he needs to grab them, lest the police possibly find Kanade. What’s more, Eito and Tomoe are in the hallway getting asked questions about Eito’s mother. Kyoji asks Hajime to keep them busy while he grabs the papers.

Hajime goes to distract Eito and Tomoe, and Eito bemoans the fact that he still has no answers about what happened to his mom. He tells the story to Hajime and the cops, and Hajime immediately recognizes it as the Kamakura Project’s doing and mentally curses Kyoji for running away from Eito when he was asked about it. Eito just wants answers and doesn’t blame Kyoji, but would like to talk to him.

Meanwhile, Kyoji sneaks into the office and grabs all the printouts he needs. Just as he’s about to leave, he overhears Mai Shingetsu looking for Estu, and he immediately goes and confronts her. Hajime, Tomoe, and Eito hear the commotion and arrive in time to see Kyoji threaten to spill Mai’s secrets to the police if she doesn’t leave Estu alone. Even when she screams at him, he refuses to tell her, and Tomoe even gets some sass in before Mai storms off. Afterwards, Eito once again asks Kyoji about his mom, while Hajime encourages him to talk. Kyoji says that now is a bad time and that he needs to find Estu first, but gives Eito his number so that they can talk later.

Tomoe tells Hajime that he and Hope’s Peak were probably good for Hiyoko. Then, when Hajime asks her and Eito about murder, Tomoe says that she’d let the courts decide, and Eito agrees, saying that the death penalty exists for a reason. An overwhelmed and panicking Hajime goes to get some water and runs into Nikei. After he calms down a bit, they go to see Mayumi, and she asks for help.

Hajime, Nikei, and Kyoji meet with Masa, Mayumi, and Estu in the biology lab. Masa declares that she knows that one of the three boys is Kasugano, based on the evidence she has collected over the past several months. While Nikei accuses her of working with Hope’s Peak, Hajime has a breakdown, admits he’s Kasugano, and sobs that he only wanted to fix things but feels like he’s ruined everything. Mayumi comforts him and tells him that the investigation is Hope’s Peak’s fault, not his, and that he can be the symbol of hope that Japan really needs. The 76 Squad, as it turns out, wants to work together with the Quantum Crew to help get Estu out of the school, as the fact that she’s stolen the Kamakura File has put her at major risk, so she’s dropping out and running away. She has nowhere to go and asks if the Quantum Crew knows someplace off the grid. It takes some convincing, but Nikei agrees to let her stay at the Void Warehouse as long as she keeps out of their affairs, and they all agree to help Estu with her plan to escape the school. Estu once again suggests that Kyoji gets therapy, and the 76 Squad will answer Hajime’s questions after Estu’s escape.

Miwa has locked herself in a storage closet in the nurse’s office and is refusing to come out, despite Mikan and Fumio’s best efforts. Hajime shows up and manages to use his understanding kindness to coax her out of her hiding spot. It turns out that Miwa is very uncomfortable because the whole situation reminds her of her past: she was sexually assaulted by her former skating coach, fell pregnant as a result, and ended up giving the baby up for adoption. Now, she’s scared that her secret child could be discovered by the investigators, which would negatively impact her career. She hasn’t told the police yet, but Hajime convinces her to give the man’s name (Yasuo Furutani) to Harumi, who promises to catch him after the current investigation is over. Thankfully, Miwa is okay now, especially since she has her family, Nekomaru, and Fumio to support her. She also says that she doesn’t want to talk about death or punishment and just wants Yasuo to face justice.

Keiko picks Hibiki up from work, and Hibiki asks for advice about what to do about Sayuri resenting her due to Kanade. When Keiko asks why she would even still want Kanade in her life, Hibiki tearfully replies that she couldn’t let her go because she’s still her family and she was all she had for the longest time, plus she still feels guilty for the way she treated her due to being jealous of her. Keiko admits that she’s had similar issues with her own younger sister, Setsuna, who she was jealous of, and while Setsuna has grown up to be a massive bitch who is cruel to both Keiko and Hajime, Keiko still regrets her own cruelty to her in their childhoods. For now, Keiko’s advice to Hibiki regarding Sayuri is to just listen to her. She offers her more support and advice regarding her future marriage and pregnancy as well.

When Keiko and Hibiki get home, they find that Hiroshi is already home; turns out hundreds of businesses are being investigated due to their connections to Hope’s Peak, and Hiroshi’s work was shut down due to one such investigation. Worst case scenario is that he could lose his job. Keiko is angry about this, and mentions that Daisuke has beef with Hope’s Peak as one of his friends went there and it didn’t end well. Everyone stresses about how to tell this to Hajime without him blaming himself.

Hibiki talks to Sayuri, with Keiko there as backup. It turns out that Sayuri is upset that Hibiki even let Kanade back into her life at all, never mind making Sayuri go see her once a year. She hates Kanade because of what she did to Hibiki and wishes that Hibiki had just let her go. Hibiki apologizes, admits that she and Kanade were nothing but bad influences on each other and that trying to “fix” her has only made things worse. Sayuri says that she doesn’t have to feel guilty all the time and that it’s okay for her to move on and be happy. With Keiko and Sayuri’s encouragement, Hibiki decides that she’ll tell Kanade the truth, and also face her in court if necessary.

Sayuri’s friendship with Haruto is going well. She suggests that he would be happier if Natsumi distanced herself from the yakuza life.

When Hibiki mentions that her parents abandoned her, Sayuri is confused, as she heard from Yoruko that Hibiki cut them off and didn’t respond to their attempts to get back in touch with her. Hibiki and Keiko are incredibly confused by this and will talk to Yoruko about it tomorrow. Sayuri signs off while declaring her love for her mom, and Hibiki and Keiko go make sundaes.

Hajime, Kyoji, and Masa meet outside Hope’s Peak to sneak Estu out of the school. They’re confident in their plan, as Kyoji has tested it twice with a watermelon. Harumi and Daisuke distract Mai by demanding answers about the drugs students are allowed to access at school, forcing her to show them her labs. Once the coast is clear, Mayumi and Nikei sneak Estu into a trash bag wrapped in bubble wrap and sealed in a cardboard box, then throw her out the window into the dumpster. She’s fine. To sneak her out the rest of the way, Kyoji dresses in a hazmat suit and claims that he’s transporting dangerous chemicals. With that, Estu’s free (and still has the files with her), and the group takes her on a bus back to the Void Warehouse.

On the bus ride back, Kyoji makes it known that he doesn’t think the others actually consider him a friend and isn’t used to having friends in general. Estu, still wishing he’d get therapy, suggests he talk to Ai Ibarazaki, one of his former classmates, who he’s worked with a few times and had a decent relationship with. Apparently, she was sad when Kyoji left. Kyoji says he’ll get in touch with her tomorrow.

Hajime asks the 76 Squad how they feel about the whole killing thing. Estu says that revenge is just karma but that you should treat the dead with respect. Mayumi says that justice is what’s necessary, not revenge, that killing is wrong, and that karma will ensure that bad people get theirs eventually. Masa says that killing can sometimes be done with good intentions, such as the case of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, and that it doesn’t prove anything about who you truly are if you do it because you have no other choice. Even with their encouragement, Hajime still wants to find another way.

When the group gets to the Void Warehouse, Nikei shows Estu around, while Maku, Emma, and Sora reveal that they’ve found Takeharu’s location: the main office at the branch of MUFG Bank in Tokyo. He has 800 yen to his name, but always turns down promotions, he’s in the process of moving, and he hasn’t claimed any dependents. Nikei immediately starts railing for them to kill him right away, as he’s too paranoid about his family’s safety to wait around. Hajime and the others try to talk sense into him, since they barely even know what Takeharu’s deal is, but Nikei is convinced that he deserves to die for working with Junko. He suggests that they have the 76 Squad kill Takeharu and TSumugi instead, as they’re not part of the Quantum Crew and don’t have as many hangups regarding killing. An argument ensues, with Nikei and Hajime still at odds over the possibility of killing, and it ends with Nikei storming off while the other Voids promise to talk to him (they’re also planning to call Erina tomorrow).

The 76 Squad hears all the yelling and offers to do more investigation if necessary. Hajime asks them to help investigate Takeharu, and fortunately, Estu just so happens to need a new bank account, so they agree to do so. Masa suggests that Hajime start writing down ideas.

Hajime talks to Kyoji; Kyoji agrees that killing is wrong, discusses his existentialist views and how he thinks that we are the ones who assign meaning to life, and encourages Hajime to stick to his beliefs if he so chooses, since they have meaning to him. Hajime thanks him and reminds him that what happened in the Tragedy timeline with him becoming Izuru wasn’t Kyoji’s fault.

Mayumi thanks Hajime for everything he’s done as Kasunago. He encourages her to stay by Estu’s side and tell her how she feels.

When Hajime gets home, he finds his parents, Daisuke, and Hibiki eating sundaes made by Hibiki and Keiko, and he takes one too. Hibiki and Keiko are planning to talk to Yoruko tomorrow. Meanwhile, it seems that all of the dangerous chemicals have been cleaned out of Hope’s Peak, but Hiyoko and Teruteru are going to be expelled for the soup incident.

Hajime and Hibiki fill each other in on the day’s events. Hajime’s still bothered by a feeling of hopelessness from everything falling apart all at once. Hibiki reminds him not to blame himself and to focus on the good that could come from this. They end up having sex to help each other feel better.

Mayumi and Emma talk about their families, and Emma gives Mayumi permission to stay the night at the Void Warehouse. She assures her that Nikei says a lot of things he doesn’t mean, that he’s only like this because he cares, and that he can get better. Mayumi offers her help if necessary. When Emma asks her how she became friends with Estu in the first place, Mayumi says that Estu’s been through a lot, that she was the first person to really get to know her, and that she’ll make sure that nothing hurts her. Emma is glad that the two of them met. Mayumi also mentions that Yoruko seems very tired lately and that the Voids should probably talk to Nikei about why he doesn’t like Masa.

It’s Kiriko’s birthday. She turns 18.

It’s Makoto’s birthday. He turns 17.

February 6:

Hajime, Hibiki, and Keiko all accompany Daisuke on another day of investigations. Hajime still has people he needs to talk to, while Hibiki and Keiko need to talk to Yoruko about Hibiki’s parents.

Hibiki, Keiko, and Harumi meet with Yoruko and ask for answers. Yoruko denies lying about the Otonokoji parents calling her. Sora checks the phone records to clear things up, and it turns out that Maria and Sosuke Otonokoji called Yoruko twice. The first time ended in a misunderstanding, and Yoruko missed the second call (on the twins’ birthday), in which the Otonokojis apologized for their previous call and asked once again for information on Hibiki. Hibiki breaks down in tears, and Yoruko realizes how badly she messed up. Harumi figures that Yoruko genuinely remembered it all wrong because she suffers from compassion fatigue. Yoruko breaks down and admits that she’s been so busy helping everyone that she hasn’t had a break in a very long time. Hibiki, Harumi, and Sora encourage her to take time off to rest, which Yoruko agrees to do, and Hibiki and Keiko apologize for suspecting her of lying. Yoruko heads home with Sora. Hibiki decides to take some time to think before she contacts her parents.

Kyoji and Hibiki meet on the fifth floor, with Kyoji hoping to see Ai. Hibiki encourages him to say hi. They go to the greenhouse, where they see the plants and the chickens, and Ai Ibarazaki shows up, surprising them by walking on her hands. She’s very excited and happy to see Kyoji again. He apologizes for leaving without saying anything, and they hug. Ai mentions that she used to be scared of bugs, but conquered her fear in middle school and found her talent as a result. Now, she wants to go into forensic entomology. After she assures Kyoji that she’s not mad at him and will still be there for him no matter what, he promises that he’ll still be around for her too. They rekindle their friendship, and Ai becomes friends with Hibiki as well.

After Ai leaves, Kyoji confides to Hibiki that the fact that people still like him and forgive him makes him feel worse because he can’t internalize it due to his own self-loathing. He’s torn on whether or not he wants to see the file Estu took. Hibiki reiterates that it’s the Steering Committee’s fault, not his, and when he brings up his bleak-looking future, she even suggests that maybe they can change things so that he will not have to go to jail. She also tells him to see a therapist. When asked if he wants to have a family someday, Kyoji admits that he doesn’t know if he can be a good dad, or if he can even have kids. He’s keeping open the possibility of adoption, however. He also encourages Hibiki to take the chance to talk to her parents again. Hibiki decides that she will reach out to her parents and that she will do whatever it takes to keep Kyoji out of jail.

Kikue, fresh off investigators questioning whether or not she’s actually killed people, finds Gundham in the dining hall. He’s upset over what’s happening to his classmates, and no one has seen Sonia in quite some time, as she’s been holed up in her room. Gundham feels powerless to help them. Several of Kikue’s classmates are being investigated too, most notably Yasuke. To help Gundham feel better, Kikue decides to eat lunch with him, and they make lunch for Sonia as well. They talk about books, and when Gundham makes tea for Sonia, Kikue calls him cute. She tells him to focus on what he can do, and offers to talk anytime.

Thankfully, Sonia comes out of her room when Gundham and Kikue bring her tea. She’s been crying for two days because her family is concerned about her safety at Hope’s Peak. But she’s staying at school for now, and she won’t back down from helping her friends. Gundham and Kikue will support her. Kikue calls Sonia cool and hugs Gundham.

At the Void Warehouse, Nikei is practicing what he will say when he confronts Takeharu. He’s preparing for the worst. Maku and Emma are worried for him and know that this is not a good route for him to go down, so they’ve called in Erina to hold an intervention of sorts for their friend. They talk, he tells her about the current dilemma, and he insists that killing both Takeharu and Tsumugi is the only way for the Quantum Crew to protect themselves and their families, as he doesn’t believe that the world will give them a third option to take. Erina questions if he can really kill someone, tells the story of Nekomaru’s heart condition and the boy he met in the hospital, and says that while she wants to protect him, she knows that she has to let him live his own life. She asks if Nikei’s future family would want him to kill, and if Nikei himself truly wants to kill. After Nikei rants about his hatred of the wealthy elite and his incredulity that Hajime could ever think he’d end up just as bad by killing them, Erina asks him why he’s so sure that people like that can’t be trusted, and Nikei breaks down and tells her about his past. (This is also where we find out that his original last name was Arisaka and that his parents were local politicians.) Erina hugs him and apologizes that he ever had to go through that, while Nikei cries as he wonders why he still feels terrible for what he did. Erina wants to help him so that he doesn’t have to hide all this anymore, and she offers to come with him on the Mizuta mission and vouch for him if the truth ever comes out about what he did. Nikei thanks her, and at her and the other Voids’ urging, goes to get some sleep. He does, however, wonder how Masa survived Tsumugi’s rampage, and what it might’ve cost her.

The 76 Squad stakes out the MUFG Bank, waiting for Takeharu. Estu is ready to set up her new bank account, having engaged in slight fraud to obtain the legal documents she needs; the fake name she will use is Hikari Tano. She wants to change her appearance as well when she gets the chance, and she will get Kyoji to help change her dental records and DNA profile. She hopes to move to the Netherlands eventually.

Estu goes in with Mayumi to set up the bank account, while Masa waits outside in case Takeharu comes out. While they wait in line, Mayumi asks Estu if she’s doing okay and says that she will miss her, and Estu half-jokingly suggests she come with her. Mayumi, who’s grown to be a lot more comfortable with her sexuality thanks to Yoruko, promises to stay with her.

Masa spots Takeharu leaving the bank, sees that he’s writing a list, and follows him to a supermarket in Minato City. There, she watches him make a deal for an unknown formula with lysozyme and lactoferrin in it. Meanwhile, Estu overhears some bank workers talking about Takeharu: apparently, he’s on leave because he’s moving, and his wife died of an unknown medical complication back in June.

It’s evening, and Daisuke is still interviewing people, much to Hajime’s consternation. While he waits for him to finish up, he gets a text from Masa setting up a meeting at the Void Warehouse for 8 PM. He still has no non-lethal solution to the Takeharu-Tsumugi problem, and he’s freaking out about it. Distraught, he calls Ouma Mental Health Counseling and speaks to Hirota Ouma, Kasumi’s son. He asks him what he thinks about everything that happened. Hirota expresses his disgust at Emina and Hope’s Peak, mentioning that he himself turned down a spot at the school as the Ultimate Therapist, and says that it’s a good thing Kasunago turned up. He also tells Hajime that he and Kasumi can make time to talk if he needs it. After that, Hajime calls Mio, who is meeting with Ernesto to go over all the crimes Emina committed at Hope’s Peak. She tells him that the art world is changing for the better because of Kasugano’s actions. He asks her what’s the best way to figure out if he’s doing the right thing, and she tells him to take a deep breath and remember that dark times will pass and that it’s not his fault. She also offers to pray for him.

As Hajime continues to ponder the “to kill or not to kill” question and berates himself for people getting hurt as an indirect result of Kasugano’s actions, he runs into Taro and Tsubasa, who are discussing how Hope’s Peak is sweeping the Elementary Division under the rug. Tsubasa is determined to investigate it herself, and Taro offers to help her. Before he can talk to them, Hajime gets a flashback to their deaths in the Student Council Killing Game, and he flees the scene in tears. Then he reunites with Daisuke, finds out from him that Natsumi is once again in trouble for bullying girls around Tokyo, freaks out at the notion that once again something he did got people hurt, and screams at Daisuke to leave him alone and let him think before storming off.

Hajime runs into the Reserve Course building in full meltdown mode, still insisting to himself that he’ll find a way not to kill. In the library, he runs into Honami, now in a different outfit that she made herself. Her life has been going well: she’s improved her relationship with her parents, has new friends outside of school, got a refill on her prescription, and is even learning to sew. Her relationship with Mahiru is also going well. Apparently, Natsumi was forced by her mother (who also slapped her across the face) to apologize to the girls she bullied. Hajime vents to Honami about the current situation, and when Honami asks why Hajime is still friends with killers and attempted killers such as herself, Hajime admits that he is just personally uncomfortable with being a murderer because he hates himself and blames himself for everything. He breaks down crying, and Honami hugs him and tells him that it’s not his responsibility to fix everything and that he has to let others make their own choices too. Hajime acknowledges that she’s right and thanks her. Honami also says that the Reserve Course will probably shut down soon due to the investigation, which improves Hajime’s mood.

Hajime goes home and apologizes to Daisuke. It turns out that Keiko and Hibiki have already told Daisuke the truth about Kasugano, time travel, etc. Now that he’s in the know, Daisuke is quick to reassure Hajime that Hope’s Peak are the ones to blame for Izuru. He tells Hajime the story of his childhood best friend, Masato Shimabukuro, the former Ultimate Surgeon, who was coerced into helping with the Kamakura Project via giving proto-lobotiomes to inmates from various prisons. This had a really bad effect on his mental health to the point where Izumi, his upperclassman, started getting suspicious. Masato eventually ended up committing suicide due to the guilt, blaming Hope’s Peak in his suicide note. Daisuke never told Hajime before because he knew how much he admired Hope’s Peak and didn’t want to break his heart. The suicide note can’t be used to expose Hope’s Peak at the moment, as it’s Masato’s word against the school, plus one of the Steering Committee members was in the same class as Daisuke and Masato. But the Kamakura Project has been slowed down, and everyone’s planning on tracking whatever new methods they use. Hajime, exhausted, tells his family and Hibiki that he loves them before turning in for the night.

Estu gives Kyoji the Kamakura File, which contains all the information about Masato stated above, proving that Kyoji was not the first to be used by the Project. Kyoji breaks down in tears, and the girls assure him that Hope’s Peak is the one to blame, that they will take the school down, and that they forgive him. But Kyoji still thinks he has no future to look forward to; he’s looked into where he is in 2030, and he’s alone, with no family and no friends. This attitude angers Estu, who demands to know why he’s so obsessed with his own misery and keeps sabotaging every chance he has at happiness; she screams at him that she envies him, because at least people care about him and he can still be himself. She tells him her own story: she grew up in a small village, but she was blamed by the townspeople for her mother’s death by childbirth, and when she was 12 they blamed her for another child’s death and set fire to her house, which ended up burning the whole village down. Her father sacrificed himself to save her, and she was the sole survivor. Now, she hates her talent, and very few people want to associate with her because they see her as creepy, not to mention how she was forced to help with the Kamakura Project. She even used to self-harm. Mayumi is her first real friend, and she’s in therapy now, but she’s getting ready to leave her old identity behind completely. She tells Kyoji that she doesn’t blame him and that all she’s ever wanted from him is an apology, and so he apologizes, and she accepts his apology. Mayumi advises that if he apologizes to the deceased’s families, he might avoid jail time. They all agree to be friends.

Estu’s long-term goals are quitting her mortician work and becoming a baker, while Mayumi wants to be an athlete. Kyoji asks them if they want kids, and while neither of them are interested in giving birth, they’d be cool with adoption. Kyoji shows them a video of them together with their baby in the future. This makes Estu feel a lot better. Mayumi gets flustered, and Kyoji privately advises her to go ahead and confess her feelings to her. With that in mind, Mayumi talks to Estu, affirms her support for her no matter what, and confesses her feelings. Estu immediately kisses her. While they can’t truly be together until the current situation with Estu is over, Mayumi promises to wait for her. They spend the night together.

It’s 10:30, and Hajime is still no closer to coming up with a non-lethal solution to deal with the Despairs. He vents about it to Keiko, who suggests that he write a list of the pros and cons of killing them (she also reminds him that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for others’ decisions). Hajime makes the list, but ultimately comes up with more pros than cons. Distraught, he goes to bed. Keiko comes in while he’s sleeping and discovers that the last item on the con list is “You’re not a murderer,” which has been crossed out. Hajime then has another nightmare.

//And so the timelining begins again

#submission #mod talks #a student out of time #timeline anon

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