Ahhh got no time to make this pretty, I’ll try to do some art tomorrow <33 [] ——— [ + ] ——— [] This, to say the least, was not what Briseis had expected. The tribute made a face as her paws sank into the muddy earth, surveying the foggy area with a look of disdain. Bria scoffed. “…You’ve gotta be kidding me.” Raising her eyes to Imperium and the Gamemakers, her judgemental gaze gained an incredulous edge. “Okay, I just want you to know — not happy about this. Eight thirty in the morning? Really? I’m not usually AWAKE by now, let alone playing… god, playing capture the flag on a glorified mud pie. So I’m gonna crush this, and you’re gonna watch, and you’re gonna be VERY impressed. Understood?” There was no reply, but through the fog she almost imagined that Imperium gave her the tiniest nod. Sizing up the hill, Bria shrugged. “…I’ll take that as a yes.” Glorified mud pie may have been an understatement — the hill was massive, what looked like ghostly trees or poles of some kind dotting the upper parts of the slope. And there, at the very peak, sat the flag. She could do this. She hadn’t brought any weapons, but hey, that was kind of the point. Just her and the hill and the dirty red flag. Briseis had always been the athletic sort, though finesse and dexterity had never been her strong suits, nor had balance; a missing tail was partly to blame for that, as was a sheer lack of training in most acrobatics. Martial arts and weightlifting were more her style. Deep breath. You got this. For Brad, right? The small she-cat thrust herself forwards and up the slope, refusing to overthink it. In great bounding leaps, Bria was off to a wonderful start. Her powerful legs did her well for the first stretch, powering on by sheer force, till the slope increased and her paws began sliding in the mud. Oh god, no, she would not fall. Not her. She had one shot at this, and Briseis couldn’t let it go to waste. When the first tree fell it caught her off guard. Her heart beat against her chest like a wild bird inside a cage, as she let out a string of expletives, trying to scramble out of the way till she slid back and flattened herself into the mud. Perhaps not the best idea, but as the tree hit a bump and rolled overtop, she forced herself onwards. She wanted to shout something, some witty line or sarcastic jab, but she was too occupied to even try. Was that mud in her mouth? That was definitely mud in her mouth. And to think of how long she’d spent primping this morning, taking care to look her best. Keep. Moving. Forwards. Do it for Brad. Another tree came tumbling down, and this time Bria leapt to avoid it. Without thinking she launched herself forwards and up, landing with a roll. she let out a whoop and a laugh as she scrambled to her paws, trying desperately to regain her footing. And then, though her muscles ached with effort, Briseis finally lunged to the top. She flinched as another tree went rolling down the hill. “Okay, uh, little late for that one. Gotta work on your timing, man.” Bria shook some mud from her pelt and grinned at Imperium, trying to control her heavy breathing. She snatched the flag from the ground. “I’ll take this, thank you very much. I would say it’s been a pleasure, but I feel like being honest — so if you don’t mind, I’m gonna take a shower. Briseis out.” It was with a sharp salute that she walked backwards to the edge of the slope and threw herself down, effortlessly sliding back on the bright red flag with a pompous smirk. Red. A fitting colour, wasn’t it? This time no trees chased her, and the cocky descent felt like the perfect conclusion. She could only hope the Gamemakers would agree. [] ——— [ + ] ——— []
