ARENA 09 - THE MUSEUM

[etcircenses]

The Tributes are woken up early for this Arena, and switched from whatever sleeping attire they're currently in to a set of pajamas, each designed for the individual in questions. Women wear onesies, and most of the men wear two-pieces, but other than that any similarities are at random - the outfits are in all sorts of colors and patterns.

The floor of the helicopter taking them to their Arena location, and of the underground entrance to the tubes that hoist them to the surface, will feel cold under their bare feet.

Rather than bringing them to sunlight, like the tubes have in the past, instead the Tributes are presented to a dark concrete ceiling in a badly-lit parking lot. Fluorescent lights do little to illuminate the cavernous space.

The countdown begins, announced as if from far away.

20

19

18…

The Cornucopia, a ghastly thing carved from stone and concrete, sits at the center of a pattern of white and yellow lines reminiscent of spots for parked cars. The painted lines create a sort of spoked wheel, providing lanes for the Tributes leading to the prizes at the center. Some of the more unfortunate Tributes will find the concrete architecture has placed pillars in their lanes.

8

7

6…

Six parked cars lie around the outskirts of the huge lot, barely visible in the dim lighting. Glowing exit signs on two opposite sides of the chamber announce where Tributes should go to escape the bloodbath. Elevator doors are perched beneath them.

3

2

1

The gong rings out, and the countdown's voice announces "the Arena is now open". The Games have begun.

Comments

SIXTH FLOOR AND ROOF

[etcircenses]

Lindsey OTA

[hartless_cowboy]

The first time Lindsey saw a wax figure standing there, he nearly smashed its waxen head off with the club that he lifted from the display below. He had just turned the corner and Neeshka's figure was right there, too close for comfort and eerily lifelike.

Lindsey backed up two steps and realized that not only his long gone district mate was there, but others too. Lorne, Chris... People he knew, people he killed. Those who were gone and vanished several arenas ago were all here, immortalized in their wax figures. Some of them have already been ransacked, clothing taken or weapons removed, but it would seem that they bore a likeness even beneath the clothes. Soon Lindsey was walking among them carefully, keeping one eye for enemies and another for whatever was left to lift.

"You still owe me a drink," he said, stopping in front of Chris. He turned and right next to him was Dean. "You too. Should've gotten my payment before I killed you."

[casaerotica13]

The sound of a voice wasn't that great of a thing to hear, honestly. However, it was a voice he recognized. Gabriel wasn't entirely sure what Lindsey's policy was on meeting up in arenas, but the angel was sure damn curious about who the guy was talking to when he heard no other footsteps.

So, he slunk out of hiding and realized he was talking to a wax figure... of Dean Winchester. "Dude," he said, announcing his presence from far enough away that he could run if Linds decided to just fight it out. Yet, his eyes stayed on his brother's vessel. "Is this the Twilight Zone?"

[hartless_cowboy]

Lindsey spun at the voice, on guard and ready for action when his eyes picked out the figure of the angel. He relaxed marginally, lowering his stolen club just enough to show he wouldn't use it but still wary of attacks.

"You'd be surprised." After a moment of pause, "Sure feels that way sometimes." He took two steps towards Gabriel then opened up his arms like he was welcoming the angel in. If anything, Gabriel appeared as if he was ready to bolt. "What are you looking at me like that for. I'm not going to attack you."

[casaerotica13]

Gabriel smirked before walking a little closer to Lindsey. "Guy gets his wings clipped. He can't be too careful. 'Sides," he stops short and raises an eyebrow, showing his empty arms aside from the bag over his shoulder, "you're the one with the club."

[hartless_cowboy]

"Oh, this?" Lindsey lifted his brows then glanced down to the crude weapon of ancient times. "Like you said, a guy can't be too careful in this place." Lindsey's grin was generally friendly even though its edge remained sharp. "But if I was an angel with my wings clipped, I'd stick to someone who's willing to help."

[casaerotica13]

"I just have to ask myself if I want to be seen with someone dressed like that." Finally, he grew a big smile and looked Lindsey up and down with a laugh. "I would have decked someone."

He couldn't really argue with that reasoning, though.

Closed: Perry and Eponine

[justgaveup]

The first thought that Perry had, when he saw the place that the cornucopia was placed in, was that they had built this arena for him. Obviously not completely for him, but for someone like him, maybe. How many times had they gone scavenging in a museum, checking out each exhibit because they could? What was the artist of that painting he and Nora had gotten for Julie?

He may have only made it out of that bloodbath with a knife, but a knife was a hell of a lot better then nothing. It was an easy choice from there to decide where to go; he'd headed to where he knew the stairs would be located. No chance of catching him in an elevator. You didn't know if the power would go out, or who would be standing outside when it opened.

And he wanted to get the lay of the land, which was why he took the stairs as far up as he could go. He'd walk around, and make his way back down, before he picked the spot where he'd settle for a little bit. It wouldn't be here among the figures, though. He didn't recognize almost any of them, but found himself reading the plaques and staring into faces longer then he should.

Re: Closed: Perry and Eponine

[gardienne]

At the end of the row, Perry might find a dummy who is not quite the same as the rest. This dummy was dressed in a pink gown, a little short about the ankles, and perhaps a touch wide on her skeletal frame, but Eponine wasn't complaining. A gown was by far better than that horrible onesie she had been forced into. When she had heard footsteps, she had hurried back to the waxworks, hiding in plain sight.

She liked it up here, on the sixth floor. Already, she had decided that this was where she was staying if she could help it, amongst the dummies. They didn't scare her, the models. She had hit the Javert one: that had made her smile. She had stolen the gown from Lottie's dummy. She hoped Lottie wouldn't mind. She had always been so kind to Eponine when Eponine had known her.

She stood now, amongst the waxworks, towards the end of the line, face frozen, trying to quell her breathing as much as possible. Oh who was it? Friend or foe? Friend or foe? Eponine clutched the shard of glass she had broken from one of the display cases, ready to fight for her life.

Friend or foe?

Re: Closed: Perry and Eponine

[justgaveup]

It was when he got to the one two dummies down from her, that he started to think that something wasn't right. He hadn't heard anyone since he got here, but he wasn't taking any chances. With his knife at the ready, it crossed his mind that maybe he really should have gone down and gotten another weapon first.

The knife would have to do for now, and he stopped and looked at one of them. He wasn't paying attention to it, but more to the dummies to the right and left of him. If he stilled everything, he could hear it. A soft sound. The kind you heard when someone was trying to stand very, very still.

Best to just get this out of the way. "If you come out now, I won't hurt you." He paused. "If you stay where you are, I'll start sticking my knife into each dummy and hope I find a live one."

Re: Closed: Perry and Eponine

[gardienne]

And that was when Eponine lunged, broken glass in outstretched hand.

It wasn't that she didn't recognise Perry's voice: she did. She recognised it as a voice she dimly knew from the Capitol, but whose it was was beyond her. And what Perry would see was a rather straggly looking Princess in messy pigtails and a slightly too-big dress launching at him, not hesitating to stab.

Re: Closed: Perry and Eponine

[justgaveup]

Jesus. He as expecting someone to jump out, but was hoping they would jump out and run in the opposite direction. No such luck, and the vision of Eponine coming at him in that dress, with that hair... he didn't know who it was.

He took a half step back, almost stumbling as he twisted away, just in time to not be skewered. His shirt got a little rip in it, before he went into basic defense mode. He grabbed her hand, the one holding the glass and twisted it, hard, to make her drop it.

Re: Closed: Perry and Eponine

[gardienne]

Eponine grunted out in pain as Perry grabbed her hand. But would she scream? No. Not a chance. She had to drop her piece of glass though, despite trying her best to hold on it. Her fingers were literally squeezed open.

It didn't stop her from fighting, though. She tried her best to pull her hand away from his, before stamping, as hard as she could, on Perry's foot with her own bare ones.

"Let go of me, Monsieur. LET GO!"

Holiday & Eliot | Closed

[doc_holi]

By now, Holiday had already peeked into a few of the floors. The second, third, and fifth actually. They each held different scenes, but she wasn't too worried about all of that. So long as she didn't run into taxidermy displays, that is. Really, she was trying to find somewhere safe to sleep, not that she was tired yet. The Cornucopia was still very fresh and fights were likely still going on down there.

At least she found the top, though, but the wax exhibit wasn't really a welcoming sight. It screamed a trap. Sure, she doubted the manikins were going to come to life, but someone standing among them could easily remain hidden... On the other hand, some of them were wearing pants. Even just a pair of shorts would be nice in this place, but it probably wouldn't gain her much in the way of sponsors.

She was scouting around the exhibit, deciding on her options and looking through some of the faces until she realized some were more familiar than others. Finally, she stepped out of the shadows to examine some of them closer. Chibi-usa's bright hair and AndrAIa's colorful skin stuck out the most. She walked a little further until she nearly came face to face with a replica of Chris and she stopped.

This place was suddenly much creepier, but she was too lost in thought to leave just yet...

Re: Holiday & Eliot | Closed

[retrieverchef]

Eliot had wandered up to the wax exhibit also. Not that he realized what he'd find there. He stopped a couple yards down from Chris' replica, staring at those of Parker and Anna. He tried not to let the guilt he felt show on his face. It'd just give Cruentus and those like her something more to hold over him. But he was fairly certain they were gone because of him. Anna had been the only one to know what was really happening with his dating habits here. She'd threatened Baron over it once. That had to be at least part of why she was gone. And Parker... All he could figure was that he'd done something wrong, offended the wrong person somehow. Other than Lindsey, they'd been his family here.

Finally, he forced himself to move on. One of the other male replicas looked like his pants would fit him. These pathetic pajamas were useless for carrying supplies. He unbuttoned them and slid them down its legs. He debated whether he should bring the shoes or not. If they didn't fit right, they'd be more of a hindrance than a help.

[doc_holi]

Her head quickly turned away from the manikin before her when she heard a noise coming from not too far away. Of course, she was unarmed, defenseless and out in the open. The other party likely hadn't noticed her since a body could fit in so well among the wax displays.

Because of that, she decided to move along slowly to see who it was. Probably a stupid move instead of running away, but she had a lot of friends she figured were still running around this place.

Then she saw Eliot doing the same thing she had considered and froze. They hadn't talked a whole lot, but they helped each other in that one arena way back when. For a moment, she tried considering her options again before taking another step out. Maybe she should just go...

[retrieverchef]

Eliot looked up, hearing the quiet movement. He stood, ready for a fight if need be. But he smiled when he recognized Holiday. "Hey, Doc."

[doc_holi]

She relaxed when he did, but kept her guard up just long enough to get a look at the rest of him... Then she just turned red and looked away. "Sorry."

She had seen some bad ones in this arena, but that one took the cake so far.

[retrieverchef]

"Why?" he asked with a playful grin. Oh, he knew why. Of course he did. But there were cameras everywhere here. "Like what ya see?"

Closed to Nepeta, vents of floor 6

[youbarium]

Carlos was getting used to this whole sneaking-through-the-vents thing. He was actually getting pretty good at it. So, he set out for the floor above the one where he was hiding, just to see what was there, and to see if its cafe had been picked clean yet.

He found himself inside the walls, with an opening to his right that came out about eight feet above the floor. Pausing to look out and down, Carlos stares -- why was there a wax museum here? Who were these people? Who had they been? What did they do to merit wax effigies in this massacre arena? From the look of their clothes, they were from all kinds of different places -- they didn't have that painted, too-bright look he'd observed about local fashion. Old contestants? he thinks. Ones who didn't make it?

Lost in thought, Carlos won't hear anyone approach until they're in sight.

[whoseesbynight]

Even with the elevators offering a relatively easy way between the floors, Nepeta has found that she far prefers the vents. They're a little safer and they feel more comfortable, besides. Of course, it does mean that she's rather expecting to peer out of grate and be looking into a meteor instead of the building that this particular Arena seems to be. But that's a minor inconvenience. Especially given that there's an awful going on to remind her that this isn't exactly the same place.

On the other hand, she hadn't exactly expected to run into someone else in the vents and despite her best intentions she can't help but fall back on what her lusus taught her and so her first comment is less a comment and more a low hiss, much like might hear from a cornered cat.

[youbarium]

Carlos's head whips around when he hears the hiss. He stares at the newcomer, alarmed and cautious and -- curious?

She was a competitor, she had to be, but she was only the second obviously-inhuman person Carlos had seen. Were those things protruding from her head ears, or something else?

He shimmies back a foot or so, hands up and out in front of him in a gesture of peace. They're empty. Carlos has a knife with him, but it's in the pocket of his pants and he's not reaching for it.

"Well, this is awkward," he whispers, not wanting to alert anyone in the room itself to his presence.

[whoseesbynight]

There's a part of her - the trollish part, and the one that still thinks she's going to round a corner and find herself face to face with a murderous highblood - that thinks she should take a preemptive strike against this stranger. Especially now that she's managed to put something at least roughly similar to her usual claw-gloves together. The rest of recognizes this as a bad idea, especially at this point in the arena. It's early enough that a few allies won't go badly amiss and it's pretty clear that whoever this is, they don't mean any immediate harm.

"It could purrobably be worse?" she whispers back, with a half-shrug. Going anywhere might be a little difficult like this, but as long as they remember to be relatively quiet they should manage to keep from disturbing anyone in the room proper.

[youbarium]

"Oh, good, you do speak," Carlos says, barely louder than a breath. He couldn't assume anything with extradimensional beings. He speaks quietly but urgently. "Listen. I mean you no harm. If you let me leave, I won't do anything to hurt you."

He was trying to keep his own inquisitiveness to himself until they had sorted out whether or not either of them would be doing any killing.

[whoseesbynight]

"Of course I do," Nepeta whispers back. She knows she's very much not human, but she's yet to see any Tribute that can't speak, one way or another. Not that she's always been looking, but surely it would have come up? Either way, it doesn't matter much just at the moment. There are other things that are far more important, just at the moment.

"Which way were you going?"