The Homestuck Games

We Are Broken

“How Many Do You Think Are Left?” I asked Karkat as we settled into the night of the woods. He and I ran quite a lot in the past few hours, and we were bushed. But we were probably far away from the others which made our running worth it.

Karkat sat on the ground, crossed his legs, and placed our weapons beside him. I copied the movement and set the backpacks in front of us. “WELL, WE'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.”

As if on cue, the seal of the Capitol hovered up in the air and displayed the tribute's faces who died, while the anthem played.

I saw Feferi Peixes from 4, both tributes from 12, 7, and 9. A girl from 11. Then everything went black, and I would swear my heart started pounding more loudly in my chest.

My unspoken thought was voiced out by Karkat. “I GUESS THE SIBLINGS FROM DISTRICT SIX ARE STILL ALIVE.”

The response shouldn't have fluttered something inside me. Unfortunately, it did.

“Yes. I Suppose.” Focus, Kanaya. Focus.

* * *

Karkat and I stood beside our chariot, a few minutes away from the opening ceremony, as our stylists – Porrim and Meenah – made finishing touches to our clothes. We were dressed head to toe with breathtakingly gorgeous fabrics, because we were supposed to represent our District 8, which was Textiles.

Porrim was my stylist, and I can't help but be in awe. She almost reminded me of my mom, except for the tattoos on her arms and shoulders, plus a lip ring.

“Yo+u two+ lo+o+k abso+lutely amazing,” Porrim announced with satisfaction.

“Yeah,” Karkat's stylist Meenah agreed with a nod. “Fuckin' dope.”

Porrim gave her a look with her use of words, and Meenah just shrugged.

“I c9uldn't agree m9re,” inserted our mentor.

...

I really like Kankri Vantas as our mentor. I really do. But I did not particularly like the fact that he made us show up here first (as if there was an award for being early to your chariot) and all the other tributes were nowhere.

The three of them now started conversing about something, leaving me and Karkat to wait for the ceremony to start.

After about an excruciatingly painful fifteen minutes of waiting, the other tributes slowly started pouring through the massive doors. Each District representative wearing their own costumes that were also stunning.

“OURS ARE STILL MORE GOOD-LOOKING,” Karkat loudly said beside me and I gave him a sharp look.

“WHAT?” he grumbled, “IT'S TRUE.”

I sighed and said he didn't have to be loud about it, then turned to watch the tributes again.

My mouth dropped open.

Beautiful.

That was the first word I conjured up in my mind, the moment she gracefully made her way through the doors to the number 6 chariot.

A blonde tribute girl. She wore a stoic expression while she stared casually at the other tributes as if she did not care. Maybe she didn't.

She was very beautiful. Even allowing for her apathy.

Her golden hair was trimmed a few inches below her chin, and was framed with a black headband. Her lips, colored with black lipstick, were pursed in a sly line that left you wondering if she was secretly smirking or what.