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

19

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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6

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

[foundafamily]

Firo tilts his head, wondering if her comment is skepticism. "I'm serious, at least sound like you believe in yourself. You'll never scare people off if that's how you talk."

He's keeping an eye out right along with her; they may have better odds together than alone, but that still doesn't mean things'll be easy.

[didnothing]

What? Luna isn't quite sure where that particular comment came from. "I don't really want to scare people off. Not as long as they aren't trying to hurt anyone. But you have a point, I guess." Obedience aside. "If we were to come across anyone dangerous..." Luna doesn't really want to finish that statement, so she busies herself peering ahead in the desert.

"This place is as large as Phil said it would be." Not that she disbelieved him, but it is one thing to hear the fact and another to see the Arena for herself. "How much time went into building this place?"

[foundafamily]

That intimidating people isn't always a priority for others is something Firo forgets. He takes the concession as a sign that he doesn't need to explain (or lecture) any further. "Exactly."

The sheer size of the Arenas always surprised him as well, no matter how many he's seen before. "There's usually a few months between each Arena, and each time it's totally different... So at least that long. But lookin' at all the crap they put together in here, you'd think it takes longer, right?"

Who knows, maybe they spent years working on a whole bunch of these. Firo wouldn't put it past them.

"It's gonna change a whole lot, too. I don't know how, but they're always throwin' new stuff at us."

Start winding down?

[didnothing]

"Even more than this? It has to take more than a few months, if they build something like this place for every Arena." Working for Sigma and his efforts to create a single game over decades, Luna finds it very difficult to imagine the entire Arena reimagined and reconstructed every few months. Not even with the resources they seemed to have in the Capitol - you could only rush something like this so much, right?

But then again that's hardly the only mystery about how the Capitol operates, and she's not going to get an answer to that out of Firo. "Never mind. Let's keep going." A breeze somewhere blows sand in their direction, and she shields her eyes before squinting into the distance. "Maybe we can find a shelter somewhere."

Sure! Thanks for the thread!

[foundafamily]

Firo, on the other hand, has no idea about this kind of thing. But she sounds assured and seems pretty smart, so he nods. "I guess so. It does kinda seem like a lot, but... hey, who knows how the hell they put this stuff together." He's sure they have no qualms about working their builders like dogs.

Moving is a nicer idea than thinking, especially about the Capitol. "Sounds good to me." Still keeping a vigilant eye open, he'll stick near her side as they keep moving.