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

"Ah," he lifted a hand, pointing across at her for emphasis, as a smile played around his mouth. "There's that word again."

It was true, Wyatt didn't think badly of Momoko, but what the girl actually thought and felt was neither here nor there right at the moment. He just wanted to take Sandy's mind off what going on outside.

Not to mention his own.

His fears over Howard, Julie, and R. Whether they were together, whether they were safe... whether they were even still alive....

"It's just..." She was frustrated sitting up straighter. "Every time I find someone who understands just how crazy this world is I meet like...three people who love it and are totally on board!" And she just couldn't stand it.

"It's starting to make me worry..." She didn't finish the sentence but her thoughts were clear.

Who's the crazy one here?

Wyatt nodded, sympathetic. He knew that feeling. He'd certainly been there.

"The Capitol folks, they've always done this, or they've done it as long as they can remember anyways. They aren't like us that came from places that didn't believe in things like this. Have rules and laws against it."

He shifted slightly, frowning thoughtfully. "The tributes... well, some of them have been here a while and I expect they don't much see any other way to make it stop. Others, well, some folks just aren't good people - weren't right even before they were brought here."

Edited 2013-05-06 11:37 (UTC)

He made sense. She hated that he made sense but didn't have any good solutions. No one really did so there probably weren't any.

"Back home, before they took my Dad away he used to tell me stories of people who would stand up against what was wrong, even when everyone in the world was saying it was right. Heroes you know? But so far all the heroes I've seen around here get killed."

Wyatt couldn't help a soft snort and a gentle smile, his own fond memories welling up.

"My Pa had stories like that too," he admitted, drawling off as he recalled dinners round the table, afternoons in the fields, long rides in and out of town.

"But at least we've got those heroes here," he continued after a long moment. "We've got those folks who keep tryin', even if it means trouble."

"Why?" That was the burning question that had been eating at her since she arrived. "Why is it bad that people are trying to do what's right? Why is everyone else so convinced this stupid games thing is the way people should live? I mean we didn't even sign up for this we're like...slaves or whatever!"

This woulda been hard enough to explain to a child at the best of times, and here the arena, it was that much worse. The Capitol watching and listening... what could he say to help her understand that wouldn't get her killed? Or him? Or Howard or Julie or R?

(If they weren't dead already.)

"We ain't the ones in charge here," he said after a long moment. "Even if we know what we're doin' is right, if they don't like it they can make the arena harder, make dyin' more painful. And just for you'an me, but for those we care about."

She let out a bitter dry laugh.

"Nobody I care about is here. And nobody hear gives a crap about me." She muttered though knowing that wasn't entirely true. There were a couple people who were nice to her. Had shown her kindness and sympathy.

But who were they really? Strangers. Strangers stuck in the same crappy situation.

"So what could they do to me?" She asked daring fate.

Wyatt frowned, not liking the way she talked about herself. As if she didn't matter, as if no one would care if something happened to her. Was she new?

In his experience, even being from different worlds, different times, he'd still found tributes to bond with, men and women he wanted to see safe. Folks that made this place a touch more bearable.

"I'm sure there's someone, even iffen ya don't realize it yet."

[OOC: Do you want if we start to wrap this up? I've got a ton of threads right now and would like to finish up some of these older ones if we can.]

She fell silent studying him carefully and musing over just who that could be. There were a few decent people...but they were dieing left and right and so far only the people she disliked were succeeding.

Well for the time being she was safe. Stuck with a stranger but safe for the moment.

[[OOC: No problem, I know how it gets. Thank you for tagging with me :) ]]