[open] Wood and stone will fall away

[voiceinthephone]

Who| Phil Gray and open!
What| Week 2 Catchall with various prompts
Where| Everywhere except the Castle (ha ha no)
When| During Week 2
Warnings/Notes| None at the moment!

A. The Village

Getting Linden's parachute was a godsend, as Phillip unwrapped the package and read the note. He chuckled a little at the "noble angle" snipe, it sure didn't feel like that. That would imply that Gray had done more to prevent the murders instead of just covering them up. Well, better late than never, the former guard sighed out and stuffed what he could into his makeshift bag. He'd seen the mess that comes from getting too close to powered Tributes, a legitimate threat this time around, and he had turned into old instincts to keep off the beaten path. Survived this long to get blasted? No thanks.

But none of that, nor the temporary beauty that came with every sunset gave the Phone Guy any comfort that this was anything but the death match he knew and resigned himself to. Nowhere was this more evident in the way tried to sneak into the Village. He'd heard inklings about ghosts roaming the Castle and catacombs at night...and just maybe...

"No, I won't find them here," Phil assured himself as he made a quick lasso for any emergencies. Who "they" were was known to a select few but for being merely memories, they sure weighed a lot in his mind.

Focus on finding Clementine and Sandy, make sure they're safe, figure out the rest later. Raiding caches was distasteful, yes, but if the Capitol wants to see how far Phillip Gray could go to meet those goals, then he'll do his best to give them a show.

B. The Village Part Deux For Firo

If Gray was good at something, it was keeping a level head through stressful situations, and raiding had to be listed as one of those sorts. But keeping the rats at bay just reminded him of the dumpsters out back from Freddy's. The stink was just as bad anyways but not too unfamiliar. Either way, there was food here and nothing a little brush of the hand couldn't fix so he could store it away. By now though, Phil had no issue with keeping the small folding knife somewhere close, ready to defend himself.

Prochainezo said he was going to help me, he thought as he bit into a piece of the rations he had for himself. The other? Stored away for any young or hungry Tribute he ran into that wouldn't try to kill him. What? It might be his second Arena but he's not about to give up being who he is for the bloodshed.

Even if it kills him.

"Firo?" Phil peeked into an adjacent building, hoping Firo wasn't playing him after all this time.

C. Wild Card! Pick whatever you'd like to do!

Comments

[voiceinthephone]

Phil just crossed his arms and followed the voice towards the cottage. "If that were true, you'd be swimming in sponsors. All of you apparently."

This may be his second Arena but he's learned a few things about the Games themselves. "Tell you what, I can spare some food for one person. You guys decides who needs it the most and meet me outside?"

[cartas]

Lilah purses her lips together, glaring at the approximate spot on the wall that he's behind, rising up and down on the balls of her feet a few times while she figures out whether to take him up on the offer or try to sneak out the back of the house.

"The boys have nominated me to partake of your generous offer. But they're watching. One wrong move..." She steps out of the house, shivering as the cold air hits her - the skimpy knight outfit she'd been forced into before being placed in the Arena really isn't doing her any favours - and looking tired, hungry, and most definitely alone.

[voiceinthephone]

"And I'm deader than dead, I know..." Phil's humor died when he saw the resident of the building. He doesn't go back on his word and offers the extra collection of food to her. "Jeez, you've been through the ringer." Thanks for the insight, Captain Obvious. But the stranger was definitely armed and that merited caution regardless.

"Are you hurt? I know some first aid...I, uh, I don't have much to patch you up if need be but I can try. Are you with a group?" For real this time.

[cartas]

She snatches the food from his hand as soon as it comes close enough for her to do so, stuffing as much in her mouth as she can manage and swallowing it down before responding, though it pains her to hear his observations, to have to admit her vulnerability here. So much for the mighty, infallible Inquisitor.

"All right, you got me. I am alone. And I'm not hurt, just tired and hungry and sick of this place."

[voiceinthephone]

Phil didn't intend to put her on the spot as he did but at least a friendly and neutral face could help, "I-I know...it's a lot, but you're still here, there must be something the Sponsors can send you. You made it this far."

Maybe there was something she could get motivated with, "It's my second one, a-and I wish I could tell you things get easier but they don't. You just get stronger. Where'd you come from before you were reaped? There has to be someone you can join up." Birds of a feather and all that.

[cartas]

Lilah doesn't respond immediately, picking the crumbs from her costume one by one and popping them in her mouth before taking another large bite. "Thedas," she replies, though the word is muffled through a mouthful of food. "The Free Marches, to be more , though more recently of Skyhold, in the Maker-forsaken mountain wilderness in western Ferelden."

[voiceinthephone]

Thedas...Thedas... Phillip searched his mind, he's heard that name before. It clicked to him as soon as he remembered two names associated with the world. "Wait, do you know someone named Dorian Pavus and Adella Lavellan?" Lilah sounded well traveled in her list of locations, and Skyhold had been mentioned in passing. Phil offered those names with a slight quirk of his lips, hoping to find a place for this lady to ride out the Arena.

[cartas]

"Dorian's here?" He wouldn't have been her first choice of her companions to be stuck in a death-arena with, but he was certainly better than being stuck here alone, and Lilah brightens at hearing something familiar for the first time since arriving here.

[voiceinthephone]

"Yeah, I had a drink with him before all this, he talks ed a lot about magic a-and I think he made a run for the Cornucopia," Gray answered to the best of his knowledge before stomping on the ground and spooking away an incoming rat. Those were hazards on good days and Lilah was in no shape to get sick from those diseases.

"Lot of Tributes went into the forest, maybe he's there too? You can find them there, I can escort you over there?"