etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thearena2014-01-18 02:35 pm

ARENA 09 - THE MUSEUM

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.
friendlyfires: (pic#7218008)

[personal profile] friendlyfires 2014-01-21 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
"Only some, when I could just kill you right now and get the whole thing?" Willow replies, giving the hammer a few idle swings, showing him that she can manage the weight of it just fine instead of being clumsy and encumbered. "I'll tell you this for free, drama boy, if you've only died five times so far I guarantee you don't know all the tricks yet. You guys make an awful lot of fuss for people who haven't been at this for a long time! But go on, I'm listening. Tell me something good or teach me something good and I'll not only let you go with some of your first aid left, I'll tell you exactly where to find the weapons."

She moves, ever so subtly, to block the exit to the store. Even if she'd rather not fight at this stage of the Arena, she'll take any advantage she's given.
iselldrugstothecommunity: (Basic - Oof)

[personal profile] iselldrugstothecommunity 2014-01-21 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
"Except you couldn't, because I don't have it with me," Howard says quickly. "That's why you need me alive and cooperative if you want it."

He's used this song and dance time and time again. Usually it works, if only because people keep him alive long enough to see if he's lying.

"It's not about dying. It's about how they set up the Games. Dying's easy, strategy isn't, you know?" He sees her moving and takes his own step back, to get closer to the counter. It'll at least put something between them.
friendlyfires: (pic#7218011)

[personal profile] friendlyfires 2014-01-21 07:48 am (UTC)(link)
"Abandoning supplies on the first day, before you've explored? You're either stupid or lying. Now are you going to give me something more specific about this stuff or am I just supposed to take your word that you 'know things?' You might be stupid, but I'm not. And I'm getting really tired of you just talking at me without saying anything, so stop dancing around the subject, okay? Stop puffing yourself up and get to the point, you're wasting my time."

She gives him a bright, winning smile. Her patience with this guy is starting to wear a little thin, but at least he had the good sense to barter with her.
iselldrugstothecommunity: (Basic - Mild Paranoia)

[personal profile] iselldrugstothecommunity 2014-01-21 10:44 pm (UTC)(link)
"Who said anything about abandoning? How hard do you think it is to find a decent hiding space?" Howard gives her a winning smile back, but it doesn't reach his eyes, and instead gives him an expression between panicked and scheming.

"I know what tricks the Gamemakers use to herd people into the same place. I know what sorts of storylines they try to put together to get people to send supplies into the Arena. I know who's allied with who and who you can scam and who'll scam you back. I know who's got superpowers that you can't see on the surface."
friendlyfires: (pic#7218009)

[personal profile] friendlyfires 2014-01-21 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
And just like that, Willow smiles and lets the hammer fall to her side, stepping so she's not blocking the entrance.

"Okay, that sounds pretty useful. The weapons are down the hall, there's a whole bunch of models and glass boxes. Some of them are gone already, but there should be plenty still left. There's all kinds of stuff, so you can get whatever you like best. Found any food yet? That's next on my list."
iselldrugstothecommunity: (Default)

[personal profile] iselldrugstothecommunity 2014-01-22 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
"Not yet, but I like the way you think." Food's next on his resource list too. "It's a museum, so there's probably a cafe somewhere."

There is candy in the shape of Garrus and 'Orc-shaped' jawbreakers, but that isn't exactly nutritious. Howard presses his lips together, not getting close enough to Willow for her to swing the hammer even if she lifts it.

"Food won't be a problem this Arena, though. They starved us last time."
friendlyfires: (pic#7218013)

[personal profile] friendlyfires 2014-01-22 07:53 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh. That sounds familiar, but I don't really remember what it is." She shrugs casually. "But you never know. Could be that none of the food will be renewable and it'll all spoil pretty fast. That always sucks. If it's all the same to you, I intend to eat what I can while I can."

Now that things are more cordial, she walks to one of the tables and unzips her backpack to start piling in more stuff.
iselldrugstothecommunity: (Basic - Don't Bet Money)

[personal profile] iselldrugstothecommunity 2014-01-22 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
"It will. That's why we mow through the perishable stuff first. I call dibs on fresh fruits and veggies."

Howard grabs a corkscrew, some keychains and a snowglobe. He weighs it in his hand, imagining throwing it at someone's face.

"You see anything useful in here?"
friendlyfires: (pic#7218014)

[personal profile] friendlyfires 2014-01-22 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Then I get dibs on the meat and spices. If you're nice, maybe I'll let you have some jerky when food starts running low." Willow grins, grabbing a couple hand towels.

She looks around. "Most of this stuff isn't going to be so great, aside from what we've already grabbed" she tells him. "-But, oh." She picks up a thermal lunchbox emblazoned with the Cancer symbol in red. "Don't these things act like portable ice boxes?"
iselldrugstothecommunity: (Basic - Sneaksneaksneak.)

[personal profile] iselldrugstothecommunity 2014-01-23 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
"Sounds legit. I call cans, then." Howard nods and gestures that she should grab a few of those thermoses, suddenly falling silent. There are footsteps somewhere on this floor - he can hear them faintly echoing.

"Let's get out of here," he whispers.