Arena 15: In The Eye Of The Capitol

[etcircenses]

For the majority of you, this has become a familiar morning routine. Escorts come to pick up their Tributes and Stylists quickly see to setting them up with the bland and thin grey suits, much to most of their dismay. You'll not hear a word said in complaint though. The staff has gotten the threat to them loud and clear. Only the daring will be willing to offer even a mere "good luck". Peacekeepers quickly collect Tributes to send them off into the launch tubes. If you're from the Districts, it may be one of the last things you ever see.

20

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18

What everyone rises up to is not much better a sight. It's a war zone out here in every sense. Those native to Panem will recognize the sight before them, having seen it every year in a propaganda tape. The wreckage of District thirteen. The Cornucopia sits at the very center. Offworlders might recognize some of the weapons there, and if not, then they'll certainly be able to spot some familiar scenes far on the outer edges of the arena, perhaps even a beast or two they know well from their worlds.

8

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It's muddy and damp and there's plenty of wreckage to cut one's self upon no matter where it is Tributes run. The Cornucopia tempts the Tributes in for its bloodbath. Districter and Offworlder alike, there will only be one winner.

3

2

1

The gong rings out and a voice announces; “The Arena is now open”. The Tributes are free to make their choice; to run or to fight. The Games have begun.

~~~

By the end of the night, one child from each District will have their face shone up into the sky, the first twelve killed at the Cornucopia. Only twelve to go...

Comments

[didnothing]

"But--" Luna looks to Sansa, then back in the direction of the Cornucopia. She still wants to see if there's anyone left that she can help, but Sansa's presence here changes things. Luna doesn't care much if (when) she dies here, but she has more hope for Sansa. There's a moment of calculation, an unknown number of people she might be able to help versus one she's sure she can, and she takes a quick step towards Sansa in compliance - if still with a hint of hesitation. "You're right, I'm sorry. We should get going."

[porcelainandsteel]

Sansa's hand closes on Luna's and she gives it a little squeeze, as much comfort as she can find a way to give. "There's nothing we can do back there," she says quietly, meeting Luna's eyes. "We wouldn't get anything, and we wouldn't help anybody. We'd only die as well, and then our District would have lost half its chance at winning." From her tone, it's clear she's had the same thought about going back - it's just that in her case, she analysed those thoughts back in the safety of the Capitol, a week or more ago. Still, she looks pale, and avoids looking in the direction of the Cornucopia.

[didnothing]

Luna can see Sansa's clearly bothered by the dilemma too, and it is almost comforting to know someone feels similarly. But if they're not going back she has to make sure they stay safe (or at least Sansa ought to) and so Luna tugs on her hand lightly, more of a reminder than a lead. "Let's go. We should find somewhere that's safer than this." Her voice is carefully measured and directed, her best "obedient servant" mask narrowing down the world to just them and the desert ahead.

[porcelainandsteel]

"We should. Of course we should." Sansa nods, taking a deep breath, and takes a step out into the desert. "Gods be good, I hope there's water here somewhere." But there isn't time to worry about that, and they can't turn back, so she starts to walk, still holding on to Luna's hand, setting a brisk pace but not breaking into a run. Every so often, she'll look back over her shoulder, just in case they're being followed.

[didnothing]

And it's here as they start making their way through the sand and heat that Luna realizes how blind she is now compared to her time in the Nonary Game, without the extra eyes provided by hidden camera feeds and a mind that could move between them when she needed. It's expected, but it still makes her feel small as they trudge through sand and keep alert searching for potential threats. Luna keeps a firm grip on Sansa's hand, staying quiet until she spots something in the distance and points forward with her free hand.

"Look up ahead. You see something there too, right?" They're still a good distance away, but indeed a herd of horses should be in sight.

[porcelainandsteel]

Sansa shades her eyes, squinting in the distance. "I think so..." she says dubiously, then, more certainly, "Yes! Yes, I do! Do you think we should go toward it, or not risk it, in case they're dangerous?" Personally, she's not altering her course until they're close enough to see for sure what the animals are, but she thinks it's only fair for Luna to have a say in things, while they're sticking together.

[didnothing]

"I don't know." It's not Luna's place to make decisions for others, and nobody's ever asked her for input either (just the opposite, really). She hedges rather than give a firm answer, feeling that it's more appropriate to let Sansa lead when the choices could go either way. "I don't know. They must be here for a reason, but there's no telling whether that reason is good or bad. What do you think?" To be truthful she is a little curious, but with no idea of what to expect from the Arena it makes just as much sense to avoid trouble while they can.

[porcelainandsteel]

Sansa is quiet for a moment, considering. She isn't used to making decisions either, not really; before coming here, the best she's been able to do is manipulate other people's decisions. Where she goes, what she does, even who she is has been at the whim of other people for too long. So taking command feels like drowning, and at the same time, a heady kind of freedom.

"We'll go and see," she decides, and squeezes Luna's hand. "It's not like we can just run away from everything, is it?" And she starts towards the distant herd, trying to look more confident than she feels.

[didnothing]

Frankly Luna will run from anything if it'll keep Sansa safe, but right now going forward still seems as good a path as any. She does make sure not to let go of Sansa's hand, looking back behind them before starting to follow. She remains just behind Sansa as they head towards the herd, still turning this way and that every few seconds to make sure they're not being followed. After all, it wouldn't do to take this jump and get ambushed.

Their approach is relatively uneventful for a little while, though, and with some time the herd comes closer on the horizon - and accordingly, its members become more visible. "Horses," she reports, squinting in the distance. "How much do you know about them, Sansa? I've never seen one for real before."

[porcelainandsteel]

"You haven't?" Sansa's surprise is genuine. They're so ubiquitous in her world that the idea of never seeing a horse is bizarre to her. "I... I mean, I've never seen wild horses before." She chews on her lip, thinking. Having a horse to ride could be a lifesaver, if it comes to a chase, or if the resources are sparse in this Arena. But then, she's never tamed a horse before, and wouldn't know where to start. She's a competent enough rider, but she's used to tamed palfreys and mares, not herds of wild horses. And with the knowledge of riding comes the knowledge of just how big a horse is, how hard it can bite or kick, and how much she doesn't want to be on the bad side of a herd of them.

She presses her lips together, and makes a decision. "We can't do anything with them." Turning on her heel, she changes direction enough to give the herd a wide berth. "If we had a knife, maybe we could get meat. But we don't. And they're probably too wild to ride."

[didnothing]

"Really? ...Oh." Luna sounds a little disappointed. It's true, she only knows horses by description and appearance so she's interested in getting a closer look. But there are more important things than satisfying her curiosity right now, like staying alive, and with exactly no experience with animals Luna trusts Sansa's judgement over her own. "I'm sure you're right. Let's go."

She follows Sansa away from the herd, remembering as she does to look around for anything more that might be of interest in the desert. Back to business, then.

Do you want to fade out of this soon?

[porcelainandsteel]

Sansa feels a little stab of guilt at that, but she pushes it aside. Guilt and doubt will only get them hurt, she thinks, and speeds up her pace.

"We have to keep an eye out for my sister," she tells Luna, as she walks. "She'll have tried for the weapons at the start, and she might have gotten hurt, but I know she'll find us. We have to be ready to help her, in case she's injured."

Yeah, around now or in a bit seems like a good time!

[didnothing]

"Your sister?" Luna takes a second to consider that - sister, weapons, potential injury. Handily enough she does still retain a familiarity with medicine even if she doesn't have anything but her own jumpsuit and the environment. But with the Cornucopia still weighing on her conscience, if there's someone she can help right now...well, that decides it. She nods. "Okay. I have some medical training, so if she's hurt then I'll see what we can do. Can you tell me who to look for?"