Hi here’s emery’s lore tracker where we explore your phycological and murduerous tendencies and fix— okay enough no therapy for you The GUIDE: uhm instructions are before the games and n&c is during the games. if emery manages to live we’ll find. a place for that okay let’s do this. ——— Emery Zaylic, born and raised in the livestock district, District 10, learned how to hunt at an early age. His mothers taught them how to stalk his prey, how to fire a bow, how to be the forest’s fighter. He would always come back, yearning for the trees to whisper at him, and the sky to lead him to the birds, mice, rabbits, and other game he would hunt. His father though, who was a gruff and disliked cat outside the hidden borders the greenery gave, came alive in the depths of the forest. Far outside of the District’s Center, the cattle fields were kept mostly open, with a wooden fence to warn predators. The Capitol had mutts dodging around to hunt for them, but they were “as useless as a newborn squirrel,” Em’s mother said. She usually handled the predators. There was a peacekeeper there that had been from District 8, who let his family hunt in the woods, and also taught him to conceal himself, being from the district of textiles. Emery’s father taught him to use his fangs, his claws, to be wild. And one day that wild is what got them all k-lled. When Emery was a little more than ten years of age, they slipped from the cattle fields, although Rive was nowhere to be seen. Rive was the name of the peacekeeper that always covered for the cats, but today, zey must have been sick. So they all went in. It was… tense, in there. As Emery can recall, it was like the ghosts of the woods held their breaths, and drew the cats deeper into its soothing world. But there was something off. They cats tried to ignore it. Emery’s older sister even made jokes about the ridged atmosphere. From the shadows that Em so loved stalked three Capitol peacekeepers. They had been sent. Somecat knew. Had known. And now? Their lives were at stake. No hesitation. No guilt. No remorse of second thought. Just the trigger and the cats in front of them. The cats that needed to d-e. Silence shattered, horrid echoing. Four shots, ringing in Emery’s ears. He was ten. Ten! “No use… it’s not worth it… teach ‘im a good lesson…” Emery couldn’t make out most of it. Then flashing claws and burning pain. Below his eye, a mark of this day was carved from his flesh, dotting bl—d on his face. It had been a year. Emery had changed. At eleven years old, they were fighting for themself, hunting, selling. The peacekeepers let them off with a warning. Emery had changed, changed the way they acted, the way they spoke… they changed their pronouns to acknowledge the change. Emery went by they/them now, one of the most well-known hunters. And then Bumblebee happened. (eek this is longer than i thought it would be yikes) A nomadic family was stopped by the eleven-year-old child, on the same day that their family had been k-lled. Emery warned them about Panem, and the leader of the large family, who called herself Ackecia, told young Em that that was exactly why they were there. They had a child, one that could not be taken care of by the family. They were sick, and the group didn’t have anything to help. Emery would t let them pass, telling them to find someplace else. They’d seen people *d-e* trying to leave Panem. Then they made the best choice of their life. “I can care for them.” Ackecia nodded gravely, having no other option. “This is Bumblebee. We tend to name your young after wild things, even if they look nothing alike.” The five-year-old child gazed up in wonder at Emery, desperation gleaming in his little eyes. Bumblebee was an orange tabby, small little black ticks littered his lower paws. “It’ll be okay, my little hornet,” they whispered at twelve years old, going for the first time into the reaping. Bumblebee, in short, had confidence issues. To help, Emery, who now loved Bee like their own child, called him their “little hornet” to make him feel brave. “It’ll be over. When it is, I’ve been saving! Do you want to get some ice cream, my little hornet?” At thirteen, he was getting used to caring for Bumblebee. “Soon, I’ll be right back here. It won’t take too long, my little hornet. Be brave.” Fourteen, Emery was getting more and more slips in that retched glass bowl. But that same year, they both bought a matching glass diamond on a black string, tiny little black engravings said the other’s name. It was Bumblebee’s idea. “So that I never forget you, and you never forget me. Life is cruel, but memory can be stronger.” “My little hornet, it’ll be okay. Don’t cry, hornet. I’ll be back soon, just like every other year. We can talk about what you want to do when we get free from this!” And fifteen was the faithful year. “May the odds be ever in your favor!” “And for District Ten, we have… Emery Zaylic!”continued in n&c
continued from instructions “No! Emery! Please, you’re wrong! You’re wrong, you’re wrong, you’re wrong! Emery, please!” Bumblebee’s voice rang through the air, piercing the heart of the shock-immobilized Emery. Them. They had been reaped. They were going to d-e. Emery, numb and cold, let themself be dragged away. But as they cast a final look over their shoulder, they made the worst decision of their life. The made eye-contact with Bumblebee. Screaming and sobbing, Bumblebee broke through the arms of those holding him back. Racing to Emery’s side, Bee pounded on the peacekeepers dragging Em away, screeching to let themself go. And Bumblebee made the worst mistake of his life. He unsheathed his claws, and raised it, crashing down on one peacekeeper’s eye, causing them to caterwaul in pain. The peacekeepers had just been upset, if not mildly annoyed. Now they were furious. Bumblebee raised his claws again, teeth bared in a wild display of desperation, hissing and drawing a savaged breath. It was Bumblebee’s last. The shot rang through Emery’s heart, and they crumpled to the ground as Bumblebee stilled, eyes frozen in that final-second horror. Bumblebee was de-d. And Emery would be soon too…