thearena | (no subject)

Who| Everyone in the arena
What| Even more reasons to hate the Capitol.
Where| Everywhere.
When| 4 am.
Warnings/Notes| Any group is being targeted to be separated. Everyone should be tagging someone they are not with, as well as those they are, as the Gamemakers are driving them apart. (You can feel free to search for, and possibly find your buddies later)

Once upon a time, when this place was a much happier place, fireworks would light up the sky, delighting children and leaving everyone with a magical feeling in their hearts.

This will not leave anyone with a magical feeling.

It was much later than a fireworks show would have ever gone. Closer to dawn then not, when anyone who could rest, even those far from it, would have finally managed to drift off.

It started with a strange, warbling music. For those familiar with this place it feels wrong, close to something they would connect with this show, but wrong. Distorted. Stumbling through a few bars, it starts to peter out just in time for a high pitches whistling.

And then the first firework explodes into the ground in a shower of bright colors, lighting up the castle. There is a moment of silence as the sparks fade.

And then all hell breaks loose.

Whoever is controlling the fireworks obviously have goals in mind. The strikes are tight, controlled. They are herding. Targeting the groups, the pairs, driving them apart.

The fireworks aren't made to kill (although a direct hit may), but they burn flesh, and leave anyone who looks at them too close momentarily blinded. Ever one is a shrieker, loud, louder then the shrillest fourth of July fireworks, screaming toward their targets. The arena is suddenly a shrill battleground, full of blindingly bright colors.

Th whole attack doesn't last longer than 20 minutes, petering off as the divisions have been deemed enough. A few squeal through the night here and there and then finally, blissfully silent.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She kept you there because she's controlling and abusive, Tim bites back. He can understand the need to protect someone with an ability like this - there were people who would want to use it for their own gains, but permanent lockdown was not the solution.

Tim stares at her as she explains the obscene length of her hair. That it will change color is immaterial; this is not the time for vanity. But losing a healing ability like that in a battleground isn't a good option - isn't any option, really, because it's the only advantage Rapunzel has. It's a pity that it's all tied up in her worst liability.

Tied up. Henh. Tim shoves Rapunzel's hair into her arms. "Okay, I've got an idea. What if we just ball it up into some cloth and tie it up? You'd still be dragging it out behind you, but it wouldn't be fanning out like a veil. I have a knife that we can use, if you want to try it."

Rapunzel eyes him uncertainly as her hair is shoved into her hands.

"A... knife...?" But he wasn't suggesting she cut her hair - or, at least, she didn't think he was. "I've just carried it when I've needed to run. Or... most of it, at least."

Wincing at her reaction, Tim wished that it was easier to get people to trust him. He's been spoiled somewhat by Gotham, and he never thought that was possible. To the civilian there, there was only good and bad. Everyone had handy color coded gear. They were on the news. No one confused Robin with the Joker. If you're innocent, they're here to save you.

Not so, at present. Revealing you have a knife carries weight, because it means that you can kill them. Don't get weird about the knife, he wants to say, because I know exactly where to hit you with feet and hands to kill you, too. Because I've spent years learning how not to do crippling damage. I don't need the blade. You should be worried about me.

He doesn't voice it. He doesn't want to frighten her more. "I'm not going to use the knife if you don't want me too. I only thought that it'd be easier on you if it was more constrained. I thought we could bundle it up in strips of cloth."

No, that wouldn't have comforted her. It wouldn't have comforted her at all. Tim had saved Rapunzel, he knew her greatest secret, and she was well on her way to trusting him, but that all could still be shattered very quickly. She shouldn't forget what they were here to do, and his expression makes her remember that.

"If my hair is tied up, it will be harder to use it."

"You could untie it, if you needed it. I just don't want to let people use it against you," Tim said as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He didn't want to make it harder to heal herself, but the logical part of his brain was against this.

He sighed. "Okay, fine. We won't tie it up, but we carry it until we split up. I don't like having it drag out behind us like a trail of bread crumbs."

Tim looked around, trying to figure out where and how he'd feel safe leaving Rapunzel behind. "Where have you been hiding until now?"

She just looked at him, confused, maybe because she hadn't realized that he hadn't realized how much she relied on it for things other than healing. To climb it, to grab things, to hang from herself if necessary. Obviously he wouldn't do something of the kind, most people wouldn't, but that was only because their hair wasn't long enough.

"I, um..."

Rapunzel tried to turn, to see a familiar landmark, but things were lost.

"That way? I think? I... Some."

She'd briefly forgotten about him, or assumed he'd be all right. But what if he wasn't?

He had absolutely no idea the skill that she had with her hair; he only knew that it healed what it touched - and glowed like a lighthouse in the fog. If he saw her in action with it, he would never question it again. As he'd only seen it limply following her, well, Tim let the subject rest, but he still thought she was being stupid about it.

"Some?" Tim immediately questioned this truncated statement. Somewhere? Some what? Rapunzel had said it with an emphasis that attached heavy significance to the word, but the word 'some' on its own had no importance at all without context. "Something's coming?"

He's been listening and hasn't heard anything that might signal danger, but she had better eyesight.

"No, my friend, his name is Some, he- he's-"

She turned, trying to orient herself, but being half flashblind in the dark was bewildering.

"I don't even know if he'll be in the same place." Her voice was very quiet as she wrapped her arms around herself. He'd been all right, right? That had to mean something. He'd told her he'd find her. He'd told her to run and it would be all right. Rapunzel bit her tongue to distract herself and tried to tell herself it would be fine.