etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thearena2014-08-18 09:38 pm

ARENA 11-PaneMall

It’s pre-dawn when the Tributes are roused from their beds and sent to their tubes. Those who’d been imprisoned for the past few weeks had their heads covered before transport to the staging area, and there’s an air of confusion surrounding just about everything that’s happening until the stylists and managers arrive on the scene and try to calm everyone down. The reunions may be happy, but they're sadly very temporary.

The first clue that something strange is happening comes from their clothing: figure skating costumes with bright colors and sequins and ice skates strapped to their feet. Some may even find it difficult to stand with the blades on their feet, but as they're placed into the arena, all becomes clear. The mall skating rink seems quiet and quaint, especially after weeks of uncertainty and stress. Too bad the peace and quiet can’t last.

20

19

18...


Above the ice rink (which houses all 100+ Tributes) there are floors with shops looking over them. Large, bright fluorescent lights dot the multi-storied ceiling and create a warm, nostalgic glow to the place. Benign music is piped in from various hidden speakers to compliment the intended mood of fun and commerce.

17

16

15…


The countdown continues and the Tributes, some of whom haven’t seen each other in weeks, stare at one another helplessly. That is, until one of them boldly decides to speak.

"We're expected to fight here today," Steve's voice suddenly cuts through the tension in the room. It commands attention without demanding it, a conviction of truth in his tone.

14

13

12...



"To turn on each other through fear and self preservation. And we could give them what they want. A bloodbath," here he pauses longer, lets the reality of his statements sink in. Let people realize what he's saying, that this is a choice.

"Or we can choose not to fight. To instead work together," an option so many seem not to even realize they have. "No one here has to die by our hands today," he knows his speaking won't be without consequence, but he does want to believe he'll be the only one to pay for this.

"This is a risk. One many of you are hesitant to trust, let alone take. But everything we do here is a risk to ourselves and those around us," nothing in the arena comes without putting your life on the line.

"I, for one, am willing to take this risk, to choose not to fight," Steve looks around the room, making eye contact with a few people as he does. He's not telling anyone what to do, this is for them to decides for themselves; their freedom of choice.

But he's got faith in the his fellow tributes. "And I've got a feeling I'm not alone.”

… 3

2

1…


After the countdown ends, there’s a moment of utter still and silence. Then...

BOOOOOOOOOOOM


The room seems to erupt with noise and concussive force. The explosions are so violent that the muzak is paused in its tracks and shakes some of the Tributes off of their pedestals, and after the ice fog and smoke clears, it becomes apparent that fifteen of the Tribute pedestals and exploded there on the ice rink. Fifteen corpses lie mangled on the bloody ice: Deanna Winchester, Danny Fenton, Fili, Kili, Kain Highwind, Perry Kelvin, Julian Bashir, Clint Barton, Karkat Vantas, Sirius Black, Rahm Kota, Cinderella, Bunnymund, Robin, Rock Lee, and Rokk Krin.

The center of the ice rink remains completely intact and stocked with a few dozen keys of varying shapes and sizes. This is the Cornucopia and the Gamemakers are compelling the Tributes to skate for it.

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

[personal profile] oopsright 2014-08-24 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks for answering for her, Joel. Because she wasn't capable of doing that for herself.

Tess frowns at him but stays where she is and waits until he's done helping Ellie with her skates. It's better to not crowd the kid, not after what happened, give her some breathing room. Something that Joel's not exactly doing. Fretting over her like a father would with his own kid.

She looks down at the key in her hand and then out around at the other level overhead. What exactly could this key be used for? What kinds of stores could she get into with it.
onlyimmune: (listening)

[personal profile] onlyimmune 2014-08-25 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
She's well used to Joel's fretting by now - the weirder thing is to have Tess there for it. It feels more real, somehow, here. The arena always did feel more like home than the Capitol. What difference did it make, really, getting torn apart by dinosaurs instead of Infected?

She practically rips at the skates to get them off, but doesn't abandon them - the blades will come in useful later, she knows.

"Yeah. Yeah, clothes. Some fucking food. Did you guys get anything before the place went boom?" She asked, glancing first at Joel and then at Tess - catching sight of something in the woman's palm. She didn't ask about it - she didn't need to. Either it was something useful, and they'd tell her, or it was a token, in which case she didn't need to know.
aintyourdad: (Default)

[personal profile] aintyourdad 2014-08-25 05:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Tess got a key, we're not sure what it opens yet," Joel says. "Figure we'll find someplace out of the way to set up and take stock. There oughta be plenty of things to use in these stores, they don't even look abandoned or looted."

And Joel knows the look of abandoned and looted stores.

[personal profile] oopsright 2014-08-25 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's if someone else hasn't gotten to them before us," she adds as she leans against the edge. No way is she stepping out onto that ice again. She's perfectly good where she is, turning the key over and over in her palm and feeling the edges scrape the skin there.

"I'll worry about the key later. Let's just get out of here and find a spot." Tess turns away and begins to move, gritting her teeth against the limp and ache. Honestly, she just wants to find a place where they can sit and get off her feet for a few minutes, even if they should find somewhere to go first, scout the area and push onward no matter the injury.