Mini Arena 2

[etcircenses]

Tributes are woken early, and the hovercraft ride is a long one. Not the longest some have experienced, but they are clearly going far.

25 - 24 - 23

They land on the deck of the boat, and are ushered underneath, to the lower levels, quickly. Their stylists go from cabin to cabin, decking them out in over the top finery, before loading them into the pods installed into the corners of the rooms.

20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16

The platforms lift them up, and they are all ringed around a grand buffet table, loaded with a grand feast looking ready to sag down from the weight. Among the food are supplies, plenty of them, all for the taking.

11- 10 - 9 - 8

They've all been warned, don't step off your pedestal early. They have also been warned to put on a good show. That's all this is about, a good show. None of them have been told that there can be multiple winners this time around.

5 - 4

3

2

The sound of the gong plays crystal clear across the opening. The games have begun.

Comments

[shenunigans]

Good thing it ain't a joke then. [His voice is growing more and more urgent.] We aren't going to make it to the stairs if you don't fucking hurry up.

[Even with how serious his voice is, he doesn't think Bro will believe him, so he tries to make him turn around using his weight on his shoulders.] That's a fucking fin and I don't think it's a goddamn dolphin. Scout's honor, Bro. Please just take a frigging gander.

[plushaeusrumpified]

I'm hurrying up, godda-

[He nearly loses his balance as Dave uses his weight to try and get him to turn down, and they nearly go under because of it. Goddamn it, Dave.]

Holy shit, if it'll get you to stop making this difficult, fine.

[Bro twists around irritably. He's waterlogged and freezing and he doesn't have time for your bullshit, Dave-]

Oh. That sure is a shark, isn't it.

[It's not even a question. Fuck his life. Fuck his actual hot life because of course there would be a shark. It's as if karma is literally trying to eat him for what he did to Dave earlier. Most people get punched in the face by karma. Bro, on the other hand? Gets the karma shark.

The kama sutra is much more preferable over the karma sharka.

All he can think is that if he doesn't do something, Dave is gonna get eaten by a shark and it'll be all his goddamn fault. There's enough debris and even door frames around that he doesn't think twice about pushing Dave off of himself quite suddenly, as his fight or flight instincts kick in. He always picks fights.

In the immortal words of Brolly Weasley, Not my brother, you bitch.

Then, he dives under the water and disappears.]

[shenunigans]

There you go, Sherlock. Right on fucking time yet agAUGH- [His rambles are cut off when he's pushed off into the water and he struggles to force himself above the water. He flounders as quickly as he can, not wanting to attract the attention of the shark before he's felt his way toward a door frame and started to haul his ass up it.

In the darkness, it's hard to see what's going on, which makes it all the more awful for everyone involved. His eyes are darting around, trying to find where Bro went and where that fucking fin went. With nobody else to see, he has absolutely no shame in looking horrified about this entire situation. This might be the last time, again. If Bro dies he'll be stuck here until he can't hold on and he'll have to wake up wondering if they decided to keep him around or send him home. Calling out to Bro ain't gonna do shit, so he's just going to have to hang tight and hope he knows what the fuck he's doing.

To be fair, he generally does, Dave just wishes he was in on whatever it is Bro is thinking most of the time.]

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Bro has no way of knowing whether or not Dave is able to make it to one of the door frames, but he can goddamn hope, because otherwise this whole thing will be in vain. In the back of his mind, he's afraid this is going to be it. That he's gonna die. Again. But he's doing it for Dave, because it's either do this, or Dave gets eaten by a shark. At least this way, they both have a chance to survive. Even if it's really tiny.

What happens when Bro disappears underwater is a blur. He knows what he's doing in a vague sense of the word- you punch sharks in the nose, right?

Somewhere during it all, he does exactly that. It doesn't help as much as he expected, but it disorients the damn thing long enough for him to stab it with his knife. And then again. It's all he can do not to choke on the water as he holds onto the shark, trying not to let it get into a position where it can eat his face.

All in all, this is a little harder than slicing that meteor in half. At least the meteor wasn't attempting to eat him and this shark is aggressive even by shark standards. It's hard to maneuver in the water so that it can't get to him, but he manages to cling to it's underside so that it can't get him. His eyes sting with the salt in the water and the blood from the shark makes it impossible to see, but soon enough he can feel the shark squirming less and less as he stabs and cuts at it, and the splashing finally subsides.

It'll take a long moment for Bro to actually surface though- he has to push the dead shark off of him. But finally, mercifully, he pushes out of the water, choking and gasping for breath.

When he finally gets himself together, he turns to Dave, not looking particularly impressed.]

Well. That happened.

[He swims over to wear Dave is clinging, and backs up to him so Dave can re-cling. You'd think he would be cocky after killing a goddamn shark single handedly, but he seems pretty damn somber. That was just a bit too close of a shave for his liking.]

[shenunigans]

[Dave is watching for what feels like forever, and he can barely see what he has his eyes trained on. He can see the ripples and splashes of a scuffle, he has no idea what he expects from it until he sees the worst thing. Blood. He can't say for sure who it belongs to, either, but it's driving him crazy being so useless.

The only thing he has are some goggles which will probably not hurt much even if he slingshots them into the abyss. He's shifting his weight impatiently on the frame, as if changing angles slightly will give him a much better view. He doesn't need to do that long, it turns out, because Bro is popping out of the water like some blood drenched daisy. Dave can hardly look at him, its too cool. He's like the sun of cool right now, so bright and full of irony that looking directly at him will make Dave go blind.

That and there's a little residual feeling of shame that he's pretending not to feel as he drapes himself back on top of Bro's shoulders.]

Sure did. [He echoes the somber tone, falling silent for a long moment before adding:] You made it happen.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Bro doesn't particularly feel that cool right now, but it would be nice to know that Dave is seeing him as such. He mostly just feels cold, irritable, and a little freaked out from the encounter. His adrenaline is still pumping from the encounter, which is keeping him going though. Well, that and getting Dave to safety and surviving.]

I sure as shit did.

[He's starting to sound normal now that he's calming down, at least, and he has it him to hold up his fist and tilt it towards Dave for a fistbump.]

That blood's probably gonna attract more, though, so let's get the fuck outta here.

[Suddenly being in the water feels infinitely more unsafe, and it's with renewed speed that he swims through the water. It's not long after that, gloriously, he spots the stairs that lead up to the deck.

He's never seen a more beautiful sight.]

Dibs on kissing them first, bitch. [He's gonna do it, he's gonna kiss those fucking stairs for being so fucking beautiful. He's already swimming over to them, and when he can he lets Dave off and proceeds to dramatically press his cheek against the stairs and shiver violently, because now that he's out of the water the cold is really fucking setting in.]

[shenunigans]

[The fist doesn't go untapped, the gesture even earns Bro a tiny smile that he can't see, which becomes a little bigger when Dave remembers to keep his stage presence. He'll keep up his guard duties diligently when Bro starts to move again, looking carefully and suspiciously for more of those fins.

He has similar feelings of affection for the stairs, but he's got jelly legs the moment he hits them. He almost falls backward, he's so disorientated, but he pulls himself to scrabble up them eagerly. He makes his way onto the deck, letting out a squawk of disapproval as the breeze nips at his drenched face, whipping his fringe across it so much that it stings.]

This is Texan abuse of the highest frigging order.

[He shouts down to Bro, making sure he's okay before he heads out properly.

The first order of business is to make his way to the bow. He's never been on a ship like this, feels really goddamn dramatic, but he's worried he'll freeze his nips off if he spreads his arms. Instead, he's peering down to see if he can find any life boats along the sides. If there are and there's rope, maybe they can navigate their way out.]

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Bro remains on the stairs for a long moment. It's his way of getting himself together and taking a breather while looking like he doesn't give a fuck. But after piggy backing your bro through a fuckton of water and then killing a shark, you kind of need a goddamn moment.]

Tap your heels together a few times and maybe you'll go home, Daveothy.

[It's the wrong movie, but he doesn't give a fuck. It's not long after that he heaves himself up off the stairs- and damn if he doesn't catch sight of another fin swimming his way through the water. Yeah, that's his cue to get the fuck up on deck with Dave.

And he wasn't kidding when he mentioned abuse, because goddamn the wind is a bitch. There are several parts of his body that feel like they're about to chip off, but he's trying to ignore it as he looks around to see where Dave got off to- then he spots him.

He spots him in the position to make the best goddamn ironic reference ever, this time for the right movie. Ignoring the wind entirely, Bro ninja's up behind Dave, though like hell he could even hear him over the wind if he wanted to.

Bro wraps his arms around Dave and leans in so he can say,]

You better trust me, because- [He hoists Dave up into the air so that he can properly feel the wind whipping at him, as if he couldn't before.] - You're flyin' Rose. Holy shit!

[shenunigans]

[It's not like the reference doesn't occur to Dave, but he's a little maxed out for really weird touchy feely brother moments. Or at least, he thinks he is. Fuck social expectations, it's not every day you survive a shark attack long enough to make an almost perfect ironic reference in a perfect setting. Bonus points, it's on camera.

That said, he still squirms a little at the hands on him, because that could have been anyone you jackass. Luckily, he doesn't know many people unfortunate enough to be wearing such an ugly goddamn suit.]

I'M FLYING. [He yells into the wind, too frigging amused for someone in his position. He lets his arms spread for a moment but they're wrapping back around him fast and tight.] I'll never let go, Jack! But FUCK it's cold. [He snaps, hoping Bro gets that he's done now.] I don't see any life boats. [He calls behind him, craning his neck as best he can.]

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Bro is goddamn thrilled when Dave doesn't freak out and demand to be put down. A part of him had figured Dave wouldn't be up to making this as hammy and ironic as possible just like in the movie. But nope, he goes for it and nails it all in one. Bro's wearing the biggest fucking grin he can possibly wear as Dave recites the line.

When the moment ends, he feels a little empty inside. Kind of like when you're a kid and go to Chuck E Cheese and then have to leave. Like that, but in a more ironic sort of way. Such is the feeling when all good references come to an end.]

I'm sorry, but I'm lettin' go, Rose.

[But yeah, he turns and plops Dave back down, trying not to look like a shivering mess once Dave can see him.]

See any icebergs, at least? [Har.] Do you really expect there to be any life boats though? They want everybody to die.

[shenunigans]

[Dave freaks out on the inside, but the Capitol has seen him squirm and squawk enough today. From here on out, it's clear sailing. He and Bro could kick the asses of anyone on this boat and they can win together. He's sure it's happened before, right?

Whatever, it's a good feeling. He feels the best kind of untouchable and immortal now that he's come out of that rough spot, even if he can see John's stupid blue font telling him he needs to step out of the shadows eventually. Maybe that's why he thinks it's a good idea when he considers splitting up to cover more ground.]

Nah, just you. [Because you're cool or whatever, but he's pulling a face like he's disappointed to see Bro.] Someone has to survive, right? You'd think there'd be one they'd make us fight over. Maybe some asshole already got it and he's hightailing it out of here. [He shrugs and glances around.] Maybe we should check if anyone we know made it up here. We'll get through it faster if we each pick a side and roll with it. Bet I can beat you to the other end.

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Dave looks disappointed and Bro just gives him a light shrug as payback. He's already fucked with him enough, that's all he really has it in him t odo.

He also doesn't have the heart to burst Dave's bubble by trying to convince him that there probably are no life boats on the damn ship. It's probably one of those last man standing type deals, if anything. They're not gonna let anyone off until they have a winner.

Bro's about to open his mouth and object to splitting up, when Dave utters those last couple of words and makes it into a challenge. Dave knows he can't back down from a challenge. And fine, maybe Dave's right. Maybe they could find somebody, or hell- some supplies that could come in handy later.]

You and I both know splitting up is the stupidest goddamn thing we could possibly do. [A beat.] So let's do it.

[He's about to turn away and get it over with before he can change his mind, before he has a thought. He holds the knife out for Dave.] You need this more than I do.

[shenunigans]

If you want to do things the slow way be my guest, Grandma. [He lets out the manly sound of 'tchh' so that Bro knows that this is on and that Dave is absolutely serious.

He shrugs in lieu of waving, but Bro turns back to him before he can leave himself. He raises both hands in surrender when the knife is offered, looking as indignant as he can about it before he begrudgingly takes it.]

Could've wiped the shark blood off it first, A-hole. [Now he's moving away himself to get a head start.] Don't slip or anything, remember the safety word is big cheese. Make friends, eat your lunch, don't do anything I would do. [He starts to jog, waving the knife enthusiastically at Bro.]

[plushaeusrumpified]

[Yeah, you better take it, asshole. He's glad Dave doesn't object, but he rolls his eyes at the comment- excuse him, he's having war flashbacks to something that happened five minutes ago. It's going to stay with him for a long time.]

It makes the knife look fucking cool, get over it.

[He's turning away and moving to head off, shaking his head at Dave's rambles. Still a better sound than the wind blowing around them.]

I'll be sure to keep all that in mind, mommy.

[He calls, but then Dave is out of earshot and once more he's alone.

This is swell.

With a heavy sigh, he sets about looking for useful shit and heading to the other end where, all goes well, he'll meet back up with Dave.]