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kalu-luwa · 2 years

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ever in your favor pt. 3

aka a continuation of this series, inspiration from @tunabesimpin‘s hunger games event, featuring kyuu (@moomoomooing’s oc), cater diamond, laur dafin (@forgwater’s oc), and logan richtline (@lizzileth’s oc)

special mentions go to @simpingseafood (sasha) and @jackplushie (myre)

i’m very sorry if i got their characters wrong! please tell me so i can fix it ;;

also, please tell me if you don’t want to get tagged!

tw/cw: death, OOC for OCs and canon (sorry ;;), light gore (mentions of blood and wounds), violence, swearing, graves and stuff, unreleased OCs, soulmate as a QPR thing, i’ll add more as i go along

(under the cut for dash length)

The undergrowth crackled as the person left their side. The air was cold, but without the biting frost that usually accompanied it. The occasional call of an owl resonated into the night. It would’ve been a pleasant evening if it weren’t for the circumstances surrounding it.

Neph just wanted to go home.

Come morning, Neph found themself sitting next to a warm body. Still alive, if their breathing was anything to go by. They instinctively drew closer to the heat source, wanting to savor the moment.

That is, until they realized who they were next to.

Quickly, they scuttled away from the mystery person. Their face was red, they were sure of it. How did they even end up like that?

The other tribute wakes up with a groan, a grimace in their voice as they stretch their weary bones. “Whew, that was a good nap. G’morning, Nephtali.”

“How do you know my name?” If Neph wasn’t panicking before, they certainly were now. “I don’t remember telling you.”

“You… you did? Last night,” the tribute huffs amusedly, albeit with a nervous undertone. “Did you forget?”

“I don’t recall any of it.”

“Well, you were mumbling in your sleep about a… a Marnya and a Semyon,” the leaves crinkled underfoot as they sat on their heels, “And when I woke you up, you were crying.”

Ah, shit. They saw them in a moment of vulnerability. “I was?”

“Yeah, but after a while you calmed down and we got to talking.” They laughed once more, but this time it was genuine and friendly. “Y’know, you’re a good conversationalist when you want to be. ‘S too bad you can’t remember.”

The tribute sighed, getting up and dusting their pants. “Well, in any case, thanks for letting me stay by you, even if it was just for the night.”

The mystery person was leaving. Neph should’ve been happy, but something in their gut told them to not let them go. Was it because they had dropped their mask for a second, exposing something that could be used as blackmail? Was it because they had a feeling that something was stolen from them? Was it because they may have done something to them in the middle of the night?

Or was it because they were lonely, grieving, in need of another person’s warmth again?

“Wait, wait,” Neph called out, “I never got your name.”

“That’s because I never threw it. And besides, I did tell you. Last night.”

Neph’s face grew hotter, cheeks set ablaze from pure embarrassment. Was their memory really that bad? “Like I said, I don’t remember much… sorry.”

The tribute smiled. Or, at least, they hope they did. “The name’s Kyuu. Nice to meet you for the second time, Neph.”

The water tripped and danced over the smooth rocks, bubbling away as Neph scrubbed their face clean by the riverside. They wished they could wake up from whatever nightmare this place was by splashing the freezing water all over them. In the far recesses of their mind, they wondered what Marnya was getting up to this morning. Was she still in bed, griping and grumbling about waking up early? Was she already awake, in the pantry stuffing her face full with the treats they had collectively saved? Was Semyon with her, carrying one of their younger siblings as he scolded her for not having a healthy breakfast?

Did any of them notice they were gone?

Neph hissed quietly as they cleaned their wounds off, the cold water chilling the soft skin exposed by the lacerations on their feet. It was a miracle it didn’t get infected all this time.

“Really wish I had taken some of that alcohol with me,” they muttered to themself as they bound their feet in makeshift bandages.

They briefly wondered about the other contestants. How were they? Were they doing okay? Have any of them killed each other yet, or have gotten themselves killed? And their families? Are they praying for the survival of their child? Did any of them see their child be killed on national television? What about Sasha’s family?

The memory of the man was still fresh in the fisher’s mind. They thought they heard him in the laughter of the river, calling their name and encouraging them to move forward.

“Shit, I must be going delirious.” When was the last time they ate anything? As they stood up from the waterside, they mumbled a quick prayer for the man and his family.

See you, Sasha. Hope you’re resting okay, wherever you are.

“Oh my god, not again.” The Cater guy was back.

“I promise! I won’t be a bother, I just need someone to stay with until the end of the day, then I’ll be out of your hair!” Cater begged, trailing after Nephtali like a lost puppy as they wandered through the forest. He was really annoying… and somehow quite dense. Did their last encounter not teach him anything?

Nephtali was really close to tearing their hair out. “Last time we met, I promised I would skin you alive and make you eat your lungs. What were you on when you decided to talk to the person who literally threatened to kill you half a day ago?”

“I know you won’t actually go through with it.” At this, Nephtali stopped walking. “You’re a good person, Nephtali, I know it.”

“How do you know that?”

“I just do, I guess,” He answered, a smile evident in his voice. “And I don’t think either of us would like it if you did keep your word.” Cater was right. How he managed to figure it out was unnervingly suspicious, however.

A beat of silence. Cater nervously gulped, watching the fisher’s milky eyes narrow in deep thought. Finally, they sighed. “Alright, fine. But don’t expect me to do anything for you, got that? We’re only together until the sun sets.”

“Aye aye, cap’n,” The taller male saluted playfully, earning an eye roll from the shorter one. “Where are we headed first?”

“My original plan was to forage, but now that you’re here, I’m thinking of lying face-up in a pond Ophelia-style,” they grinned sharply, face scrunched up in annoyance.

That elicited a snort from Cater. “Alright, to a pond we go!”

“So, what’s your family like?”

Nephtali held back a groan. “Why do you need to know?”

Cater shrugged audibly. “Dunno, just wanted to get to know you better.”

“Mr. Cater,” Neph grimaced, “need I remind you that we’re not here to make friends?” A rookie mistake, and now they had to pay for it. “We’re here because some sick bastards thought it’d be a great idea to kill a bunch of people for their own amusement.

“Only one of us will get to go home.” They stood up from where they were crouching, gripping onto the dead rabbit they had speared. “I’m not sure why you came with me, but surely you must know that all of us are competing for that spot, yes?”

“Yeah, I know, but can’t I get to know you more before either of us dies?” Cater interrupted, exasperation clear in his voice. “It really wouldn’t hurt, y’know? Haven’t you ever heard of ‘two can keep a secret if one of them is dead’?”

“I still don’t want to. Please, just drop it,” they fired back, almost snarling.

Cater paused, unmoving from his spot. Is he finally tired of them? Will he leave, just like the others did before?

“Ah, I see.” He stalked closer. “You’re scared. You’re scared of being alone.” With every word, he took another step forward. “You’re scared of letting your guard down and being vulnerable.” Neph stumbled back, but he was only coming closer. “You’re scared of trusting others and giving pieces of yourself away, so you lash out in hopes that no one sees how miserable you are.”

“What?-”

“I know, Neph. Don’t try and deny it.” He’s firm on this, his words boring into their soul. “But you know what? So is everyone else. We’re all in this together, when did you forget about the rest of us?”

“We can still be friends. In fact, I’d rather have loved and lost than never loved at all,” his voice softens considerably, honey dripping from his lips, “... isn’t that better?”

He was right.

“Fine. I’ll…I’ll play along with your delusions, if that makes you happy,” they conceded, sitting down on a rock. “What did you want to know about me?”

Cater cheered, his happy-go-lucky demeanor returning. “Right, um… do you have any siblings?”

“Many,” the fisher smiled fondly, tilting their head back slightly, “I’m the eldest out of five children. What about you?”

“Oh, me? Well, I’m…”

“... and his face, too! Can’t believe he fell for the oyster sauce trick! Even Myre wouldn’t have done that!” The Diamond laughed, the night air ringing with mirth.

“Damn, that’s crazy,” Nephtali wheezed, hands wrapped around their torso. “I imagine it tasted horrible.”

“You bet,” another laugh, and then a sigh. “Y’know, I haven’t laughed this hard in ages. Makes me a bit sad that this’ll be my last night here.”

“Yeah…” they mumbled.

Wait.

“Last- last night?” A sudden chill crept up their spine. “What do you mean ‘last night’?”

“Neph-Neph, you and I both know only one of us will make it out of here. You said so yourself.”

“I know that, but where are you leading with this?-”

“It’s probably not gonna be me,” Cater shook his head, “I would much rather it be someone else. Maybe Myre, or you. Whoever comes out on top.” He laughed, but it didn’t hold the same joy as it did last time.

“Cater, what are you-”

“Neph, please kill me.” At this, the fisher stood up and immediately darted back.

“Cater Diamond, what the fuck are you saying?!” It wasn’t just that they were asked to physically take a life, it was also because it was Cater they were killing, and it was Cater who asked.

“I know you’re not deaf, Neph-Neph,” he inched closer to them, to which they stepped further away from him. “Think of it this way; it’s a mercy kill, a win-win. I won’t die a violent or painful death later on, and you get a better chance of winning now that one tribute’s gone.”

“I-I can’t, Cater! You’re my-” they faltered. Was Cater their friend? After half a day of talking, were they considered friends already?

“Neph, please. I’m begging you.”

“What about your family? Your friends?” Neph was hyperventilating by now. A gaping hole was swallowing their stomach the more they talked. “Did Trey or Riddle mean nothing to you? Are you just gonna leave Ace and Deuce like that? What about your sisters, your parents? And Myre, oh my god, Myre! You’ll- you’ll kill them too, if you die!”

It was one thing to elect a person as tribute in a last-man-standing death game. It was another to elect their soulmate too.

“They’ll understand, I promise,” his voice was strained, like he was holding back tears. “If it’s their anger you’re worried about, I can tell you right now, they’d rather me die peacefully than watch me get ripped to shreds or something.”

“No, Cater, please, please don’t,” it’s hard to breathe. It’s hard to think. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry, I was wrong, please don’t do this. I’m sorry I said all that, I take it back! I promise, I didn’t mean any of it, I-”

“It’s not you, Neph. Really, it’s not. But please,” his hands grasped theirs tightly, clutching onto a wooden stake, “if you’re really my friend, will you do this for me?”

“Cater, I can’t.”

“You can.”

“Cater, let me go, please let me go, I don’t want to do this-”

“Nephtali. I’m begging you. Please, for me?”

“No, wait, Cater!-”

“Hey~ you alive?” a clawed finger pokes at Nephtali’s forehead. They don’t respond, tears still dripping down their bloodied face. “Whew, you look worse for wear- oh. Oh.”

The mound of earth in front of them was decorated with flowers and adorned with a small wooden cross. Neph hadn’t moved in over an hour since they finished the burial.

They killed somebody. They killed someone. They killed Cater.

“Oi. We’re talking to you. You’d better pay attention, now,” A different voice snaps them out of their melancholy. They let out a low hum, not really present, but still listening.

“Bit strange that you’d bury an enemy-” Cater was not an enemy. Far from it. “-but you do you I guess. Say, will you help us with something?”

“Huh? Why?”

“A little birdie told us you had pretty good hearing,” the second voice said, a smirk present in his tone, “We’ve come to make you a deal.”

“If you help us,” the first voice drawled, chuckling a little, “we’ll let you keep a third of the spoils we find. If you don’t…”

“We’ll kill you.”

“Logan, that's not what we- ah whatever. How about it?”

Nephtali should’ve never said yes.

Their job was fairly simple; keep watch. Alert the others of any sounds. Locate any intruders or scavengers. Make sure the target (Liliana, a tribute from the threadspinners of District 8) isn’t aware of what’s going on. Stay silent. Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Stay.

Fairly simple, but their conscience begged them not to go through with it.

You’ve already killed Cater, it cries, Why must you kill another?

They don’t know why they covered the poor girl’s mouth, muffling her screams and curses. They don’t know why they looted her stuff. They don’t know why they buried her in the dead of night, a wreath of flowers placed upon her grave.

They don’t know. They don’t remember.

#twst fic #twst #twisted wonderland #twst cater diamond #twisted wonderland cater diamond #cater diamond #espi.ritu #twst oc #nephtali (on a bright cloud of music shall we fly?)#WHOO BABY TWO CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY

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