Bend or Break // Hail & Lullaby

[Arrow]

Hail Winterselle

    It's like cancer, the Maze. The moment it infects and infests a healthy host cell the others are subject to invasion as well. One sibling stolen from safety with another swiftly behind him. In one fell swoop down from heaven two angels died. Beneath waters waging with waves of blood and broken bones my siblings sang their final swan songs. As Gods and Goddesses they entertained the Capitol into absolute adoration. The world devoured their lives in a feast of flesh, and they liked the taste. My siblings were the first healthy cells the cancer corrupted and killed. Now only two years later the disease has deemed me its next subject to suffering. The Maze is like cancer, and families like ours' are the people who die fighting it.

    The training center is like the ICU, the final resting place before the disease drowns you in death. The walls are white, cold with a lack of any known compassion. The servants are silent, on lookers and aides to the process of preparing us for demise. The Maze Makers are confident, doctors believing their strategies will produce a truly strong surviving patient. Us Runners, we are merely the subjects to their experimentation. We are the patients soon to be deemed dead with no chance of resuscitation. 

    In the center of all the cacophonous chaos, I draw closer to the station filled with stunning steel swords. Several bodies of districts known for killing stand gathered together. My attention angles towards the blonde ring leader of the rowdy gang. Her words are heavy with self praise and pathetic confidence, the standard settings of a career. My ears can only handle so much bile flowing from her lips before my own voice stops her constant stream. I can tell before even speaking I've stepped on the tail of a dragon whose been waiting to breathe fire.

    "You really are one overly confident bitch aren't you? Ever care to think that no one really gives a shit about what you say?" I smirk slightly at the anger igniting behind her brilliantly blue eyes. "No you probably haven't. Isn't that right princess?"

[cameo]

Lullaby Luther
District One Female

Trainers and Runners encircle this corner upon the outskirts of the center of training alike. Knives curl within flexing palms, pausing from their frequent hurdles towards both moving and still targets. Ears remain fluttered open in interest to my words of experience, grasping them as if seeking to craft them into their own memories that’ll enhance their skills. It started with simply two sets of ears interested in the tale, to transfer to a handful of listeners easing in. A smile remains plastered to my cheeks, unsurprised by the fascination caused by the depth of my history.

“Seriously, just a couple of minutes for my Sister and I to knock all of them out unconscious.” Is shared with a load of pride, while certain facts are left to secrecy. There was no need in delving into the boys’ true intentions, nor that it was my foster brothers - or that my sister did not share the same blood as my own. The harassment from them even continued until the day the Capitol took me, though never enhanced to such extremities of that post-partying night had. Ruth and I at least crafted are untouchable legacy, labeling ourselves as orphaned careers to not be messed with.

Apparently not all received the message however, as another approaches myself and my group of listeners. Undeserved, yet expected, hatred coils from her lips in disgrace to my story of strength. Lips pierce upon my features, amused by the brave approach. Least she has the courtesy to sarcastically label me as a princess.

Eyes peer to the others listening, observing the result of the Stranger’s attempt to destroy my natural demeanor. “How odd, I don’t remember forcing people to listen to me. Please, if I’m boring any of you there’s no obligation to remain.” None respond to my offer however, nor do they depart. Vision transfers back over to the new Winterselle. “Guess they haven’t, probably don’t even feel that way either - shocking.” Lashes back at her in a subtle manner of sarcasm.

Gently my head tilts to the side in wicked wonder, before another whip aims to strike. “Clearly no one has told you that your sister died from a career such as myself. Perhaps you should be a little more cautious on who you try to insult?” Is warned, with eyebrows raising in curiosity if she’ll sink deeper into this kindle of a war or pick her battles wisely and exit early.

[Arrow]

Hail Winterselle

    See there's something special about cancer though, once it's terminal the body begins to stop caring about the drastic dangers it gets itself into. My eyes are beyond capable of noticing the dangerous pack patrolling the queen career's side. My instincts are strong enough to signal that the best route to go now is to disengage. Yet despite all this, the only truly tempting way I crave to go about handling another over confident career is by seeing anger explode across her stupid pretty little face. Especially when this career looks so much like a barbie doll, and with her name being as ridiculous as Lullaby. Talk about a girl in need of checking. 

    Laughter lifts from my tongue further giving into my terrible temptations. "Oh god, listen to yourself!" More bursting bubbles of euphoric laughs leap from my lips as I stand counter to potentially one of the most dangerous Runners in this Maze. "Take your head out of your ass for a second and remember that your district aside from last Maze hasn't done shit. You are the bitches of the careers." Now the adrenaline is pulsing through my skin as I take a challenging single step forward towards the blonde haired she devil. "And trust me I am well aware of how my sister died. But I don't think I need to worry about insulting a weak doll of a girl like yourself."

    Sometimes temptations are just too much to say no to.

[cameo]

Lullaby Luther
District One Female

The warning is refuted in consideration, but rather tested daringly in a twist of mockery. A bite is claimed by a mere bark, with absolutely no footing to back it. And despite the annoyance fluttering through my veins, a grin curves the corners of my lips in amusement - in an acceptance of this forced game. Perhaps she’s not worried currently, but that doesn’t mean I wont have fear pulsing through her veins before we’re even faced in the maze. And to illustrate the lack of power her home prison pertains, my words take not a moment to lash back in response. “Right, and how many victors does your District have?” Is questioned with eyebrows raised in curiosity.

But does the likes of a shared district even truly resemble a runner’s ability? The twins from three conquered the 45th, while solely pathetic redhead’s followed them in the years there after. A leader from seven was destroyed in that very game, while her wimpy younger Brother achieved triumph in the next. Evidently a district doesn’t fully predict the ones to come from it, though many believe not. There was purely one way to prove oneself, and that was by themselves. “Why don’t you move your cockiness from your words to a physical skill, and challenge me at something?” Is offered without a hint of hesitation. “I’ll even let you pick your poison.” Because it’s my foster house that labels me with my skill - the mandatory skill to be good at everything.