nala

torra

Andi

Nala had prepared to stand up but I quickly pulled her back down. "You can't go anywhere yet." I instructed.

"Excuse me if I don't know what the hell is going on." Nala retorted, clearly upset.

"Let's keep it simple. You fight the Committee. You beat their asses. While you collect the circlets, you get stabbed but don't tell anybody. You cheer, do all this hero shit, but faint, because you got stabbed and didn't tell anybody." Torra briefly explained.

"What kind of hero shit?" Nala interjected.

"You go to the operation room, get operated on-"

"Isn't that why she was in the operating room?" Jordan interrupted.

"I was hoping for a lovely steak dinner." Nala joked.

"After being operated on, you came here, while I took back the compound with the mob." Torra continued.

"Hold up-"

"Then I came here to find you sleep-vomiting." Torra finished.

"You took back the compound with a mob?" Nala asked, in complete shock. Nala separated from me, swiping the braid behind her shoulder. Torra nodded. I stood up to get the doctor, but Nala took a long survey of Torra, her eyes scanning him from head to toe with no effort of being discreet.

Nala shrugged, but her ultimatum was unfazed. "Uh, Andi?" Nala turned over her shoulder and looked to me.

"Yeah?"

"You wouldn't mind showing me to the restroom?" Nala asked, her voice hushed.

"Let's go." I stood up, Nala following.

"She's not supposed to be standing." Torra reminded.

"Well I am." Nala plainly answered.

Nala

I followed Andi out of the infirmary, to the practically full streets. It had to be midnight but everyone was awake. I followed closely to Andi. I needed to find my necklace. I lost it sometime during the fight.

She briefly looked back at me. "How are you holding up?" Andi checked.

"I'm fine." I assured.

Andi turned back in the direction of the restrooms, which were really just stalls with pots. Andi grabbed my wrist and guided me into one. There were sheets on either side of me, which easily pulled off the beams holding them up.

I walked out, carefully timing my steps for when the crowd cheered. I walked ultimately silent, passing through a vendor. There were loads of dresses, any of which would be adequate if I wasn't stabbed four hours. I pulled a red one over my scarf shirt thing and my pants. I tied the back tight, which was secured with string in a cross pattern. I pulled the string out of my hair and instead wrapped it in a bun. I pulled a matching cloak over it, and went out into the street. The crowds had all drank this amber colored drink in goblets from large barrels. Some people seemed normal, while others looked they were about to puke up their liver.

I passed a long table with countless foods. I grabbed a random goblet with a clear liquid, quickly learning that it wasn't water. I dropped the goblet, trying to find my way back to the fight area.

I went back to the area where I beat the Committee, where people danced on the blood stricken street. The bodies had been cleaned out, but the pools of blood hadn't been rerouted. People dance on it like it was a miracle.

I noticed the mounds of people huddled close together, dancing like they wanted to make children, yet their clothes obviously kept them from producing said children. I danced awkwardly to the outside of the circle. An odd man grabbed my hips but I quickly spun around, which was NOT a good idea to do with a fresh stab wound. I yelled, quickly quieting myself. I elbowed the man in the nose and pulled my hood back over my head, walking down a street with almost no one on it.