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.
rocket_raccoon: (focus. stay very focused)

[personal profile] rocket_raccoon 2014-09-14 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
"If I could help you with that, I would. But I got nothin' for you. They got me here, they told me to kill people if I wanted to get outta here, an' that's what all I'm concernin' myself with. I don't come cheap, either, so be ready to cough up some cold hard units if you want me cooperatin' or whatever."

All that having been said, Rocket had to give this guy a curious look of his own. He didn't recognize his kind, which said quite a bit since Rocket had done his fair share of traveling the galaxy. He adjusted his hold on the blade shoe in his hand, readying it to potentially be used as a weapon if it came to that.
googledox: (038)

[personal profile] googledox 2014-09-14 01:35 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't need anyone's cooperation to look at the patterns," he said simply and shrugged. "I'd extend a wish of good luck to you if it didn't mean bad luck for me, but I will say this: your fellow Tributes aren't the only threat. They often create unexpected environmental hazards and sometimes specifically design them to be as innocuous as possible."

He couldn't offer real kindness when he was pretending to be a villain, but there were ways to couch warnings in a way that didn't seem like kindness.

"I say this as a criminal myself but it's really quite tasteless. It's one thing to pit people against one another in a battle to the death for whatever ridiculous political reasons you have. It's another to try to kill people by tricking them into falling down the stairs. What nonsense."

He started to loop around in a loose circle near Rocket, looking as if he was of a mind to start wandering off, a somewhat eerie sight when paired with the blood he was spattered with, given how it was almost a childish gesture.
Edited 2014-09-14 01:37 (UTC)
rocket_raccoon: (you're so shittin' me right now)

[personal profile] rocket_raccoon 2014-09-14 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
Rocket raised his eyebrows, an unimpressed look on his face. "Yeah. Tell me somethin' I couldnt've figured out on my own."

Of course the other people who got roped into the kill or be killed situation weren't the only things to deal with. The real problem was outside of the arena, but the first steps had to be taken. All Rocket really wanted was to leave and return to life as he knew it. He supposed the guy meant well enough. But still.

The declaration of being a criminal is meant with equal amounts of skepticism. "Hold it- You're a murderer? Issat somethin' we get to have in common now and falls into one o' your 'patterns'?"

Honestly, Rocket didn't see it. The guy seemed way too interested in learning about the people in the arena to come across as a criminal. ... Well. Maybe the kind that made counterfeit money and steal from the rich. But definitely not the killing sort.
googledox: (081)

[personal profile] googledox 2014-09-14 06:50 am (UTC)(link)
More information. Interesting. They chose from such a wide variety of backgrounds. He wasn't exactly sure why but he suspected it was because a uniform group would lead to a greater chance of unity and rebellion.

However, even if it would be difficult getting everyone working together, it was already starting to happen and he knew the value of diversity more intimately than some. A larger, more diverse group meant diverse skill sets, senses of morality an temperaments. If they could actually someday coordinate, it meant a suitable individual for every task they might need to stop the Capitol get out of this place.

"I don't particularly enjoy getting my hands dirty," said the guy whose face was currently covered in blood. It wasn't his own but he figured it was creating an interesting image. "I was more often an accessory. My team-mates are the ones that prefer to get their hands dirty. But someone has to hide the bodies, launder the money, and keep the ship in the air."

He gestured around at the arena.

"This, however, is a little distasteful. Assassinations and wet work are one thing, most of our targets had blood on their own hands as politicians are wont to do, and most of our enemies with other criminals, but this whole battle to the death nonsense is...gauche. It is what it is, though. You have to give them credit for the levels of intimidation at least. It's apparently a very effective methods of scaring their political enemies into submission."