(i hyped this one up way too much n just never ended up finishing it but um c!oxeye centric thing based off non canon rp stuff)
She wouldn't of put a bet on it if she didn't think it would happen. Obviously it would, everybody thought it would. Even Bird knew. They never tried to deny it, they knew it as well as everyone else.
Maybe the part she wasn't expecting was for it to happen so soon.
She could joke about it, because of how distant the day seemed. As real as it had been. She thought she would have more time than she did.
She put a bet on it, because of the thought of anyone dying, so soon, after every time the Clearing has managed to escape death, over and over. Just, the idea of people dying, without any grand gesture or send off or sacrifice or anything, it didn't seem right.
Maybe in the real world, but not here.
It shouldn't have felt as unexpected as it was. Bird died, just like she said they would. Just like everyone else said they would.
She won the bet, so did everyone else.
She stops Faded as he walks by, Aspen is with him. There were things being bet on here, and she wouldn't go back on her word just because she was right. She gets a split of the prize, and shoves it into his hands.
He carefully assesses it. Hesitantly, Aspen looks too. "What's this?"
She pauses, she feels a little bad, bringing it up around Aspen. Who was far more upset over it all then Faded was. But it was fine, everyone's upset about it, no need to dance around it for one person.
"There was a bet, a few months ago. I asked who would die first." She pauses, staring at the ground. "You said Bird, and you won. That's the prize."
She looks up. Faded's still staring at the prize. Aspen is pointedly looking away from it and Oxeye. She sees their hands shaking as they grab onto their sleeves in an attempt to stop them. Faded's still assessing the thing in his hands, as if expecting it to be some kind of trap.
He pauses, seemingly about to say something, but stopping himself. He looks at Aspen, and then back at Oxeye.
"I don't need this. But thanks. Bye."
He doesn't move, so she assumes its her cue to leave, she doesn't need to be told twice. As she goes, she can hear Faded muttering something to Aspen. There's no point in trying to overhear what he's saying, so she just keeps walking.
That didn't go as bad as it could've, especially with Aspen there. So that's a plus.
