no this is the opposite of what i wanted [OPEN]

[theguideless]

Date & Time: 7/5-7/10, typically in the late-late hours
Location: All over
Characters: Martin and many! YOU??
Summary: What a concept RUNNING INTO PEOPLE IN AN URBAN AREA.
Warnings: Martin is a gigantic sinkhole of misery and more misery it might make you want to throw your computer but please COME AT ME BRO




Hiding was a lot easier before the mission came along. It seemed the city was waking up, slowly but surely, to embrace the evening a little more than it did before. Lights from windows gave the streets a dim glow, played tricks with the shadows Martin's eyes were trained to follow and focus on. It was weird and unpleasant. Better for the people, maybe. But that wasn't any of his business. It never was.

He never did the right thing, whether he tried or not. Or maybe he did, but he was just unable to follow through. Either way, things would get worse, someone would get hurt...die...

He'd been training, best he could. Then that mission happened. Then, in that jungle...

It's all my fault.

If he walked fast enough, it would fall to the back of his mind, right? Or ran...

His shape flickered off walls in those glowing squares. Now and then, he saw the beams of lights of a late, late (or early) bus, and he'd skirt away like a frightened cockroach. There were quieter, empty places. Places to hide. And he'd find them, if he kept moving.

Comments

[theguideless]

The critique hit its marks with virtually no protest at all; it was almost reassuring, in that familiar, constant push to train and excel he'd undergone in his homeland. It'd been so sorely lacking, save for the resounding remarks of stop apologizing and you shouldn't be out alone.

"No'm," he uttered to her feet. "Sorry."

It was too daring to glance up and get a more solid look at her, rather than the fast glimpses he'd been taking. She seemed angry underneath the aggravation, and Martin knew better than to hold a tiger by the tail. Still, with the slow, dragging breath he took, he couldn't get much sense of her on sensing alone. That was actually a relief; it made her human. He wouldn't have to fight her on principle.

Which, on the other hand, made it problematic. He shouldn't have been talking to her at all.

He began to shift, pressing his hands into the dirt as he rolled to his knees. "I'll go," he said. "Sorry."

[effective]

The way he acted made her skin crawl. Reminded her of too many people when facing the Peacekeepers, made her feel dirty, unclean. Cruel. "Why are you apologising to me?" She didn't sound angry, or even hurt. Just confused. She didn't feel powerful, or in control, or like she had any kind of authority over this kid that would make him apologise to her like he is.

[theguideless]

Martin's face scrunched and crinkled into a grimace, reluctant to reply. He didn't have a good answer anyhow; apologizing was just what he did. It was really the only consolation he could offer, what with the failure that shadowed his every move. Sorry in advance or beforehand carried the same weight to him.

But it wasn't very clear to anyone but him, he knew.

"It's...polite," he offered feebly, feeling the heat sting his cheeks, encouraging him to move faster. On his feet, he teetered once before he slumped into balance. He kept his eyes to the ground, scanning it for the easiest way around her.

"I'm not supposed to bother anyone, anyhow."

[effective]

She twitched when he teetered, taking a quick step away. Sudden movements of any kind made her nervous, especially in this sort of atmosphere. "It's polite when you screw up. And you're not--" She made a frustrated sound, shoving a hand back through her hair. "Look, my name's Katniss. Katniss Everdeen. I'm not going to hurt you, you don't bother me, I was just - I don't know, around. I don't care what you do. But if you run into trouble in this place--"

Her throat worked, but she couldn't quite make the offer of help come out. Who was she to be offering help to this kid, any way? A broken girl who wouldn't even save her own sister. "Just look after yourself," she mumbled, turning to go. She was exhausted, anyway.

[theguideless]

There was a very familiar feeling to it — to her, the way she reacted and began to withdraw. Martin felt his throat tighten a little, realizing it, feeling the heavy guilt bear down again and crush his lungs.

"D..." He had to swallow hard to find his voice again. "Don't worry. Please. It's fine." Whatever it was. It was hard to say who he was assuring between the two of them — both, perhaps. But he could hardly speak to whatever it was for her. Maybe that it would be fine, too.