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

[aboveangrybees]

Steve almost wants to laugh when she asks him to take off his shirt. Last arena, this arena - is him being half naked during an arena going to be a thing now?

Still, he nods as he works to unbotton his vest and shirt one handed.

"Might need help getting the sleeve over the wound," that's going to hurt like mad, even with his incredible pain tolerance.

[formersurgeon]

"We can do that."

She reaches out to help him with the buttons. There's nothing flirtatious about it at all. He's bleeding heavily, and undoing the buttons with one hand would take too long.

The vest is gone in five seconds. Once the shirt is unbuttoned, she moves behind him, helps him get the shirt off one arm.

"Okay," she says, preparing to peel the shirt away from the wound. "This is going to hurt. You ready?"

[aboveangrybees]

"Thanks," it's mumbled when she starts to help him undo the buttons. He doesn't feel weird about it, but Steve also has been on a battle field where you do on the spot dressing of wounds.

"Yep," he closes his eyes and nods, ready for the sharp sudden pain that's sure to follow his confirmation. Right now he focuses on his breathing as he waits the short second before she peels the cloth away.

[formersurgeon]

She puts her hand on his shoulder and takes the edge of the cloth tightly in her other hand. She watches him inhale, then at the apex of his breath she yanks the shirt down his arm like ripping off a band-aid.

[aboveangrybees]

His eyes squeeze shut and his teeth clench as the sharp pain laces up his arm and through his body. It punches the air from his lungs and when the ability to breathe comes back, he hisses through his teeth, but was otherwise silent.

If his pain tolerance was any less, he probably would have made more noise.

After a moment, he nods as he breathes heavy. "Well, I'm awake," it's a weak response, but who could blame him.

[formersurgeon]

"You're awake," she says, tearing the shirt into strips, "you're upright, and you're breathing. Now let's see if we can get you not bleeding."

She takes another close look at the wound, then starts to bind it tightly.

[aboveangrybees]

"Yeah, that's a good next step," Steve huffs an amused sound while he catches his breath. Wincing when she starts to bind it, but otherwise makes no noise of complaint.

"Thank you," Steve doesn't watch her work, but he's grateful that she thought to stop and help him.

[formersurgeon]

"It's what I do." She glances at him with a small smile, her hands still busy wrapping the strips of cloth around his arm. "Maybe next time you can punch some punks for me."

[aboveangrybees]

Steve breathes out a small laugh, "I'd be happy to. Maybe next time they won't bite back when I do."

[formersurgeon]

"Considering where we are, I'd give that a fifty fifty likelihood. We've even got Tributes that will bite you."

She finished wrapping, then surveyed the bandages. There were a couple places still weeping blood, but there wasn't much to do for it. He needed stitches, badly, but this would at least keep him together for as long as it matters.

"How does it feel?"

[aboveangrybees]

He looks down at his now wrapped arm. At this point, he knows he's going to die in this arena, this is just stopping the inevitable, but it gives him the chance to still help others. That's worth delaying it.

"Yeah- yeah it does," he gives her a grateful look.

[formersurgeon]

"Good. It should hold." She looks up at the roof. "Probably longer than this thing will."

[aboveangrybees]

Steve looks up too, "We need to get on deck if we want to last longer than it."

With that he finally pushes off the wall with his good hand, bending at the knees to garb his jacket and vest. He knows better than to bend at the waist after the bloodloss he's suffered.

[formersurgeon]

She keeps a hand on his shoulder, to steady him if he needs it.

"I'm going to go further down. See if I can help anyone get out."

Joan has no illusions whatsoever. She knows she's going to die below decks. But she has to try.

[aboveangrybees]

Steve gives her an understanding look. He could have been on deck hours ago, easy, but he's down here still to look for people, help anyone he can. Thus how he got attacked by a shark of all things.

Still, there's one person Steve has been hoping to find again after getting separated.

"If you can do me another favor, there's a young girl, Clementine - yellow dress, real stand-out eyes - if you see her just send her above deck," Steve is genuinely worried about her. More than anyone else, he was hoping to see Clem survive this.