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Artur, Bloodhound’s raven, was circling overhead. “These trees here, they’re recent, isn’t that right Bloodhound?” I called out, my voice not reaching the same decibels of a shout, but also probably not that far away from a shout. The three of us, myself, Wattson and Bloodhound, were standing between Capacitor and Labs; an area that used to be known as the Nesting Grounds but has since had activity from the Mercenary Syndicate, planting trees here in an effort to mix up the combat.
I was watched as Bloodhound’s tentative gaze briefly shifted away from their raven and towards where I was idly standing. “Indeed Wraith, the Gods had wished for growth here.” Soon after speaking, their piercing gaze went back to watching Artur.
I can never tell what going on with Bloodhound, they're…extremely secretive, and the mask helps a lot. But it’s nice to see them come along and spend time with us outside of the games. Perhaps they're using it as an excuse to spread Artur’s wings.
“How I pine for more coniferous trees here. Get it?” I heard Natalie’s footsteps approach me as she spoke, if she was trying to be sneaky, she wasn’t very good at it, even the intonation in her voice was giving it away. She had a sweet teasing tone, and maybe I’d have considered her pun like treacle or honey, if it wasn’t for that godawful pun. Her footsteps crushing the pine needles on the ground were getting louder. I spun around. “Huh. How’d you know?” Her face was wracked with disappointment and confusion.
“Nat, I can hear you. I’m not deaf.” I try to accompany what I said with an endearing smile, but for all I know it might have looked horrifying. “Also those.” I point and gesture at her electricians boots’.
“Mon amour. Are you suggesting I take my boots off?” She teases back. I roll my eyes and give her an indignant shake of my head.
“Come, sit here with me.” I beckon to the grassy knoll beneath our feet.
“Oui, oui.” She responds.
I slowly crouch half down before gracelessly falling down and then tucking my legs under eachother, neatly crossing my legs. I gently glide my right hand through the grass, before reaching a dandelion, it fell into the V between my first and middle finger, by pinching them together in a scissoring motion, I plucked it from the earth, twirling it gently between said fingers.
“We’ve come a long way since entering the games, don’t you think?” She mumbled as she watched the flower spin between my fingers. “I’ve learnt a lot from, well from all of you. Especially recently.” She must have been on about Loba’s treasure hunt.
I nodded, she wasn’t wrong. A lot had changed since the games started. And a lot more was bound to change as the games continued on. Places where Nat must’ve grown up and explore when she was younger, some of those places simply don’t exist anymore. Places like Bridges, Skulltown and Thunderdome. “Do you ever miss places like Skull Town and Bridges?” I asked her.
Her eyebrows tautened and her face became pensive. This wasn’t an easy question I was sure of that, and this was only compounded by the slight “Hmm.” That comically escaped her lips. “I think I miss them, but they’re memories now.” She gazed up at the tall walls of Capacitor. “Like how Dad is a memory. But there’s more structure to memories of places.” Her gaze returns to me and a cheeky smile adorns her face, another pun.
I pull the Dandelion up to my face. And blow gently, the spores (miniature seed carriers) flying off into the air, matched with a small spin so that I manage to blow as many away as possible. “I’m sure the games will continue to grow.” I look towards her. “Just as we will.” I smile at her, before being interrupted by the squawk of Artur. We both giggle.