thearena | ARENA 10-Placid Hollow

The Tributes are taken early in the morning, most of their support teams seeming in good cheer as they dress them in warm clothes, getting them to their tubes. There is obvious comfort in the familiar for the prep teams, and they chatter with, or in some cases, over the heads of their Tributes as they get them ready and load them up.

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If the Tributes could see the area they are passed up into, they would see a deeply overgrown, dilapidated town green, with a large bandstand rotting away in the middle. The spoils of the cornucopia are not gathered in one spot, instead scattered throughout the thigh high grass and weeds around the town green.

Around the edge of the green, the old business stand a silent sentry, looming out of the fog as it thins and winds into them, providing much desired cover.

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But the Tributes cannot see the ground around them. The fog, thicker even than it will be in the rest of the arena, makes the world small around them. The sound of the count down echoes strangely, the tributes seeming too close as the fog brings sounds of their breath, their coughing, the snap of twigs under their feet right to ears of the other Tributes. But with the fog bringing visibility down to only a few feet, it's hard to tell what is a true danger, and what is only the fog playing tricks on them,.

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

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"As would I, my dear. As would I." It strikes him that, were this another environment, were they not literally in a death match, that a morning stroll with two allies (if not quite friends) arm in arm, might actually be pleasant. He doesn't have anything against the mysterious woman necessarily, even if his interest is piqued by her and the precise way in which she moves, even with the impairments of the Arena.

"Am I correct in assuming that you cannot see through this?" The question is brazen, perhaps. No one likes to admit their deficiencies, less so when doing so could prove fatal. He softens the blow with an addendum: "I can. My species has better eyesight in darkness like this. Try to follow my lead, if you can, and perhaps we can move to higher ground."

With her comfortably on his arm, Garak sets off toward what seem to be small structures. There's no telling what dangers they might hold, of course, but that's a bridge he's quite confident they can cross once they get to it. The important thing for the moment is clearing the Cornucopia and the small skirmishes he can see happening all around them.

To say the same thought struck her wouldn't be inaccurate. When the fog began to settle in around them, making it harder to see where familiar faces were, she knew it was best to retreat. Springing a surprise on any of them would only end poorly for her and who wants to end the fun this early on?

"Not well." Surprisingly honest for the moment as she keeps up with his pace, mindful of her steps. Wouldn't want to trip on a dead body or spring any kind of trap because yes, she's paranoid enough to think they will lace a trap with additional traps. "Is higher ground advisable right now?"

Wouldn't that make the two of them stand out a bit more?

Her eyes glance around the scene before them, trying to take in everything. Possible this is a ground level mist and that once they move higher up, they'll be able to see clearly. Is that his reasoning as well or does he have another reason for escorting her out of here?

For now, she just plays along. No harm in ruining a good thing.

"That depends on how you look at it, I think." His tone took on a peculiar joviality. He was good, generally, at compartmentalization, and the Arena by no means hide that fact. He guided them easily through and around the skirmishes, pausing only once to collect a large shovel. It reminded him vaguely of the time he'd spent on Romulus tending gardens for the public officials he'd later poisoned. While his implements hadn't been quite so blunt then, there was no dying the help the tool could potentially provide for them. For him.

"If you're thinking that higher ground will only make us stick out, I think that's a fairly astute concern. But, my dear Natasha, with you blinded, I have to look out for you and for myself." Which wouldn't be fixed by any shovel. "And though I'm by no means a gambling man, I'd be willing to bet that most of our competitors are in a similar predicament to yourself. We can only stick out to them if they can see us beyond this fog. But, if you have a better suggestion, I am more than willing to consider it with you."

What other suggestions she has in mind are tucked away for later. Exposing that she can think on the same level as himself entirely is a vulnerability she doesn't feel needs to be made known yet, so she nods and speaks out loud to further emphasize on her blindness.

"Right, let's stick to your plan for now. You're doing a favor for me already." Could have gone without the second part, but there's no harm in dishing out sweet honey so long as he's drawn to her. "Quietly."

Just so she can pay attention to what she hears in her surroundings. She's nothing like Matt, but maybe there's something out there that she can pick up that sight couldn't.

"Of course." Silence would help ensure that whatever advantage they had cultivated remained an advantage. After all, and he was loath to admit this even if it were true, humans were adaptable creatures. A few minutes of blindness and their others senses would kick in. They'd start hearing instead of seeing and that wouldn't be good for anyone left near the Cornucopia.

Garak resisted the urge to tsk delicately, as he led her through the field. The tall grass around them bent and crunched, but there was only so much they could do, only so much that would be heard over the fray anyway. In the distance, he spotted a small outcropping of structures. They could head towards that. It might not be safe, but it would at least be away from their obvious assailants for the moment.

Not much is safe here and Natasha wonders to herself if it's really safe to be leaving the sight of many others with someone she's spoken to once before. It isn't an ideal situation, but she's capable of working with surprises.

Provided he doesn't spring them relentlessly onto her.

Her gaze travels down to take in what sights she can. Seeing ahead and through the fog is futile, so maybe there's a way to recognize the greenery. There's not a lot of hard work put behind it as she steps up to his side in an attempt to read what she was most familiar with: his face.

"Doesn't sound as if we're being followed." Real helpful.

His alien features have fixed themselves into something not unlike a poker face. He isn't frowning, but he isn't smiling either. His eyes are set ahead of them because while he isn't blind like everyone else, he also doesn't want to miss something and run headlong into a conflict.

"No," he observed, after a moment of listening around. "It doesn't sound as if there's much happening at all. How odd." Of course that could all have been due to his terrible hearing. There were numerous reasons for him to be avoiding conflict.

Abruptly, a structure came into view in front of them. It looked to be an old fashioned concessions stand, but as nothing like that existed in Cardassian culture, Garak found himself looking at it with an undue amount of suspicion. To him it seemed too innocuous, too convenient. "Easy, my dear. I would rather we didn't walk into a fight if we can avoid it."

"The cronies who work those things couldn't capture a hot dog thief, much less either of us."

A jest, then she remembers quickly he might not know what it is. Funny, he can pinpoint her name's location, but not recognize something like this? Interesting, but not enough to draw attention to it. The most she spares it is a cursory glance for anything useful, but determines that stopping there would be a waste of their time.

"Must be decor for the Arena. Nothing more."

ARENA 10-Placid Hollow

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apologies for the delay, preparing for a move this weekend

no worries! I hope it's going well for you!

it did go well, thank you :] everything's all good now!

Awesome. c:

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