gamemakers: (Default)
The Gamemakers ([personal profile] gamemakers) wrote in [community profile] thearena2013-06-22 02:42 pm

Oh my love, I know you are the Candy Man

Although the mood in the Capitol is...taut, once the Tributes are in the transportation craft, things seem to lighten. The peacekeepers almost seem jovial - as jovial as peacekeepers ever seem. About half the Tributes are checked over and given an injection into their tracking device.

In the underground room, the stylists have all their prep teams running busy, dressing up the tributes in bright costumes, chatting with each other, clearly excited to have so much freedom over what their Tributes are wearing in. Each one is dressed in a personalized costume, elaborate, and entirely soft.

Finally the Tributes are placed on their pedestals and sent on up, all gussied up.

25 - 24 - 23

The light is blinding for a moment, before the candy-colored world around them comes into focus. And it's not just candy-colored - it is actually candy. Some Tributes might be reminded of the game Candy Land, if it was something in their home world. Music plays, scarily cute animals roam, and every thing just looks so gosh-darn happy.

20 - 19 - 18 - 17 - 16

The Cornucopia sits, candy-striped itself, and over-flowing with a generous bounty of food, weapons, and supplies. Even these all reflect the nature of the arena, brightly-colored, and cheerful-looking, just begging to be gathered up.

11- 10 - 9 - 8

They've all been warned not to step off their pedestal early. But as the final number ticks off, those Tributes that had their tracking devices adjusted in the transport suddenly feel a sting starting in their arms. A slightly diluted version of what Ariadne was given the day before is dumped in their veins.

The dilution doesn't help them, of course; it just causes the poison to take effect more slowly.

5 - 4

3

2

1

Go.

The burning is starting for half of them, spreading through their body, lighting their nerves on fire. Within 10 minutes it's effecting their motor skills, causing them to stagger, twitch, to move against their will.

Those who are small fall faster, barely lasting 15 minutes in the bloodbath. The stronger and bigger among them might make it 30 minutes at most.

By the time the bloodbath is over, the Cornucopia is surrounded by corpses. Half of the Tributes have fallen without even a single competitor having to touch them.


[OOC: Don't forget the OOC Arena post, especially those of you running for the Cornucopia. Every Tribute must post to this post. There will be a Cornucopia thread, and anyone else feel free to post as you will. Please add a tag with your character's name.

Those who were poisoned are anyone in group 2. You will have a second post up shortly.]
sleeplessinalternia: (30 Cause in this life)

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-06-25 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
Karkat opens the silver shell attached to the parachute. Karkat's not entirely sure what the thing inside is at first, but after twisting the cap off and smelling it, he thinks it might be medicine. There's small writing on the side and after a lot of squinting Karkat reads out loud instructions on how to apply it. So it really is medicine.

There's a note attached written in Human, in fancy, sparkly handwriting. "N...ow ki...ss," he sounds out under his breath.
Edited 2013-06-25 05:50 (UTC)
needsaprince: (Scratch graceful.)

[personal profile] needsaprince 2013-06-25 06:49 am (UTC)(link)
This arena...it took Lottie a moment to adjust to it. The colors, the brightness, and her own costume.

But then the count down triggered off the instinct in her to run. And when it click in, she does run, quickly, glancing back toward the cornucopia, and the battle, watching for someone to come after here.

What she doesn't expect is a dead body in front of her, when literally none of the action has moved this way. With a squeal she goes down, right over Eddie's body, before kicking away from him quickly.

"I'm sorry, so sorry..."

Why was he down? What was going on? No one was near, was there other dangers?
splendid_roman: (Worried)

[personal profile] splendid_roman 2013-06-25 07:14 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't know." He held onto her, even after he was standing. "I'm burning inside."
revvinguptheharley: (fear is a funny thing)

Aw~ friends!!

[personal profile] revvinguptheharley 2013-06-25 08:53 am (UTC)(link)
Harley groaned face down in the dirt "But Mommy, I don't wanna go to school, my everything hurts." She whined weakly.

And despite her dellerious attempt at comedy it was honest. It felt like she was itching from the inside. Like she had the worst case of gas and her belly was swelling. Her tears wouldn't stop as her insides shredded themselves.

A puddle dark wetness began to spread from underneath the oversized pony head.
wantwhatiwant: winchesterway (what are feelings)

[personal profile] wantwhatiwant 2013-06-25 08:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Mickey?" He stumbled again, unable to control his muscles, he practically fell after Mickey when he was pulled away. He tried to force himself to concentrate. "Fuck off Mickey," It's not said angrily, but earnestly. They're both going to end up dead at this rate.

Another jolt of pain, worse than the one's before shot through him and it was all he could do to stay upright.
amourtician: (Default)

Re: argh sorry, typos, I wanted to change some stuff D:

[personal profile] amourtician 2013-06-25 10:48 am (UTC)(link)
Jay is running now, looking straight at the Cornucopia, heart beating in his mouth and his breath catching in his chest. Then, he hears a noise, half-animal. At first, wildly, he thinks it's a cow or something similar. He turns around, smoothly and seeing R, laughs in relief (and out of nerves) and hurries to him. (He has to admit that the Wesker cosplay is easy to move in, far less encumbering than what he's used to wearing. But then again, so is being naked.) He bends down slightly and reaches out to provide R an arm to cling to, concerned and anxious -- R looks a lot worse than he did in the Capitol, much more dead. Jay wonders how the hell he missed this the first time he laid eyes on him. Had he really been so preoccupied? No matter, now -- maybe R had just started to rot when he and Jay met -- survival is more important.

"I'm not sure I can drag you to your feet, darling," he breathes. "But you can at least brace yourself against me. Are you ... are you okay? You look ... you look terrible, darling."

He's speaking so quickly that it's likely R won't quite pick up on what he's saying, but he's nervous and thus prone to gabbling. His mouth runs while his brain idles.
shambler: (066)

Re: argh sorry, typos, I wanted to change some stuff D:

[personal profile] shambler 2013-06-25 11:26 am (UTC)(link)
It's that exact kind of behavior that made paramedics one of the first ones to get infected in R's world: go in to rescue, come out Dead or don't come out at all. The ones who stop to help are the first to get bitten. Suddenly being emergency response became a one-way ticket to an early, very gory retirement. R couldn't even remember the last EMT he snacked on. They're an extinct breed. Survivors don't stop for anyone who looks infected back where he comes from.

Jay does, though.

R stares at Jay and through, the words streaming over him and tangling up before they can click and he thinks on some level he gets what the Tribute's saying. It's English. He knows - knew - English. It's a nice voice, all the same, one he'd have liked sitting there listening to. The words collapse in on each other the next moment, R looking at Jay like they've never met before, as if he's dimly surprised his food talks back. Food's never looked at him like that, either. R's already regretting what he'll do next. He'll still do it, but already his guts are twisting, his mouth twitching down in a frown, the "I'm sorry" he wishes he could say to Jay trapped.

The zombie stares at the extended arm. His own hand comes up shakily, fingers trembling from the poison struggling its way through a dead boy's bloodstream.

R attacks. He moves a lot faster than he looks like he's capable of, his teeth exposed as he lunges forward. R grabs onto the offered arm and pulls his food closer. It's a clumsy grab, even for him, his hands getting tangled up in Jay's sleeve as he tries biting into the meat of his arm.
Edited 2013-06-25 11:27 (UTC)
cutshort: (091)

[personal profile] cutshort 2013-06-25 01:20 pm (UTC)(link)
The brightness and loudness were easier to ignore for him than many others, he assumed, dressed in the exact same clothes his dead brother had worn when Hyperion had taken his life. Even the stains of blood were there, as bright red as they'd been back then, denouncing yet another of Hyperion's past crimes.

His run towards the Cornucopia wasn't as hasty or desperate as one would expect, but concentration was deep and strong in his eyes as he scrounged and picked up whatever he could find. Eventually he came across a familiar face. The girl he'd killed. The girl he'd taught how to kill.

There wasn't a smile on his blood spattered lips - not quite. But it was close.
cutshort: (018)

[personal profile] cutshort 2013-06-25 01:22 pm (UTC)(link)
On the other hand, Hyperion had made it to the Cornucopia and come fully stocked on things that would hopefully last him long enough for a better trial than the one he'd been through last time. Quickly enough, he made his way to its outskirts, eyes darting around his surroundings, bizarre and much too bright and loud for his tastes, but not quite enough to affect his judgment. Not yet, at least.

Catching up with a struggling man wasn't difficult. His familiarity grabbed Hyperion's interest, so he followed, quietly.
itswhoyouare: (oh yeah i know (.arena))

death pile over here? >.>

[personal profile] itswhoyouare 2013-06-25 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
Anna's too busy looking for Eliot, Parker, and Howard in the massive sea of tributes to pay any attention to the countdown. Once the running starts, she steps off of her platform and fidgets with the metal cuff the Capitol has branded her with, as well as straightening her costume; some comic book character named Elektra as portrayed in some movie Adam had her watch one night. Ironic choice by her stylist, considering recent events and the nature of the character herself.

"Candyland. God, it just gets worse every time." She sighs, shaking her head and setting off when she thinks she spots Eliot. Running on the mild heels shouldn't be this difficult and that's when she begins to realize that something isn't right. Her blood is boiling, her head beginning to ache, and her fingers begin to twitch after just ten minutes.

She stumbles over a chunk of candy in the ground and hits the ground hard, not far from a familiar blonde.
gluteus: (bloody neck)

[personal profile] gluteus 2013-06-25 02:25 pm (UTC)(link)
The world was twisting, but Maximus kept his face resolute, impassive. He would not give the Capitol the joy of seeing him writhe in pain, not if he could help it. He couldn't help the staggering, as fire raced through his muscles and suddenly cramped them, sending his knee hard into the candied ground. He didn't make a sound, gritting his teeth against the pain.

He hadn't even noticed Beck approaching. He was so concentrated on staying as resolute as possible that he wasn't even paying attention, so he froze completely when he heard the voice.

And then let out a breath when that voice didn't immediately try to kill him.

Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet, tense as anything as if he could keep the pain away, turning his head to meet Beck.

"Poisoned," He managed to get out, through gritted teeth. There was no way he would be able to fight, the way he was.
knifewithnoname: (quiet fear)

[personal profile] knifewithnoname 2013-06-25 03:26 pm (UTC)(link)
She had a knife by this point, a better knife than last arena. This was a real dagger even if it was shaped like a horn. She kept an eye on him, she had promised to kill him and she would, but she had to pick the right time.
savedbyasong: (pain)

[personal profile] savedbyasong 2013-06-25 03:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Shion heard his name being called and tried to move around towards it, he wasn't the only one in pain it seemed, others were stumbling and falling around him, not everyone but enough. Enough for it not to be a coincidence.

His head felt like it would explode with pain but he knew that voice. "Cindy?" He tried to push himself back to his feet.
tis_allgood: (Default)

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-06-25 04:00 pm (UTC)(link)
For some reason this isn't all that surprising to Cuthbert, but it's only because half of him thinks it's Karkat manipulating the situation to their advantage. After all, Bert can't read the note for himself to know. But he's grateful enough for the medication that he's not even going to question it.

Kissing means he'll have to stop singing, but the dokidokis are still tearing up the one he injured earlier so it's the best opportunity they're going to get. He takes hold of Karkat's face again, trying to be gentle with the injured part and gives him a surprisingly genuine kiss.
saisamour: (it is more than thought could exist)

[personal profile] saisamour 2013-06-25 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
He had witnessed the beginnings of her spasm and his eyes widened—but then his vision turned white as another surge of pain rippled through him and he had to bite hard against his lower lip to keep himself from screaming, her words and anxiousness failing to reach him.

Poison. It was poison that they had given him, and to Eponine too. Still, he needed to get her to safety because maybe there was still a way to save her. Maybe he would not have to watch her die a second time. With all the strength he had left, he hauled her up (it was getting difficult to keep steady) and dragged her farther away from the Cornucopia. (Was he even walking in the right direction?)

He didn't know how far he got, but when he felt another jolt of pain he set her on the ground and staggered a few steps away and collapsed, arms wrapped around himself as he curled into a ball in a desperate attempt to fight off a seizure, black spots forming in his vision.

"Oh God..."

Was this what it felt like? Dying?
sleeplessinalternia: (15 Turning every good thing to rust)

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-06-25 04:22 pm (UTC)(link)
What the--

Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. He'd just been reading-- he hadn't meant--

And it was nice, nice and gentle, a flushed kiss, not a caliginous, shit. He shouldn't be enjoying this. Why was he enjoying this? TEREZI WAS LYING DEAD AND HE WAS ENJOYING BEING FLUSHKISSED BY THE BOY HE HATED THE VERY MOST. Fuck, he was such a worthless piece of trash. Couldn't keep it in one quadrant. Couldn't even flip properly. And it didn't matter that he still hadn't managed to tell Terezi how he felt, he still knew how he felt, and this was a fucking betrayal, good fucking job, Karkat.

He wasn't sure he'd ever hated Cuthbert so much as he did that moment for gently kissing him.

Karkat's lips part slightly, but then he jerks his head back because no, fuck, this is no time for this shit. "Not now. We need to get the fuck out."
tis_allgood: (Default)

He's not out to kill just yet, he just wants to get away

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-06-25 04:41 pm (UTC)(link)
They went down easily, Cuthbert was too startled by everything that happened to keep himself upright. He was surprised at how well that worked, and he panicked a moment, worried that he'd buried the blade too deep and wouldn't be able to get it out again. He yanks it back, probably doing more damage in the process, but he's just glad he can get the weapon back at all.

He should have stopped and killed her, one less person to worry about. But she was young, and he had already done her more damage than he really meant to. He just wanted to find his friends and get a grip on the bizarre situation he'd been dropped into.

"Chase me and I'll finish it. Understand?" He did his best to get back on his feet, hopefully with some semblance of dignity.
and_my_pickaxe: (Whatever they are trying to do)

[personal profile] and_my_pickaxe 2013-06-25 06:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Lin's heart skipped a beat from terror as the boy's focus faded. While Lin could be a rather soulless lady, she knew better than to murder someone who couldn't put up a fight. In fact, deep inside her little black heart, she felt as though she should even do something.

"Hey! Hey, listen to me!"

Lin bends down next to the boy and gives him a sharp slap across the face, shaking him by the shoulders. "Wake up! Talk to me!"
teethofneedles: (Default)

[personal profile] teethofneedles 2013-06-25 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Second time. here she was again - of course, they'd seen fit to shove her into a completely ridiculous outfit. They'd squeezed her into a nurse's uniform of some sort, complete with stockings, heels and a little cap. But it was already worn-out, spattered with... something or other. So in a way it matched her, even if she hated the skirt. She took a breath as she waited for the count-down to end, fists clenching and unclenching as she tried to decide who she was going to take out first, where she was going to go - decisions, decisions.

Then they said "go" and she was off like a shot, heading straight into the swirling melee. She wanted a weapon. Badly.
thefemaleson: (Default)

[personal profile] thefemaleson 2013-06-25 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
The stylists have put her in a skirt and done her hair and makeup so she looked like some sort of china doll despite her arguments to the contrary. In fact, Oscar was beginning to wonder if they were deaf or something, so complete was their ignoring of her protests. She was herded onto the platform and the countdown began as she rose into the Arena.

Whatever she'd though it would be like, even having watched the tapes of the previous arenas, she was not expecting the crazy candy land. "Matches my outfit" she muttered, feeling her heart pound as the numbers counted down. She tried to focus on the Cornucopia, not moving for it yet - they'd warned her about that - but trying to figure the best angle of attack.

11-10-9-8

She's focused on the Cornucopia enough that she doesn't notice the prick.

5-4

3

Her heart is beating faster now, muscles tensing to run.

2

1

Go.

Oscar pushed off the platform, intending to dive into the bloodbath, but immediately felt something wrong and stopped. She felt wrong. Too sluggish. Legs and arms not responding like they should. She can't fight compromised like that, so she turned, eyes scanning for a hiding place to figure out what was wrong, even as the sluggishness grew into burning pain.
tis_allgood: (Default)

[personal profile] tis_allgood 2013-06-25 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not yet, not with you still bleeding. You saw how those thing turned on the other at the first sign of blood. We need to fix you up then we can go. Agreed?"

He doesn't really wait for Karkat agree before he takes the medicine and helps him remove the impromptu dressing for his eye. He wants to make quick work of it so they can dispose of the rags and keep moving.

As he starts working he starts singing again, just in case. It's slow and deliberate, he wants Karkat to stay as calm as possible while he works.
marcato: (to their mouths)

Re: R'll keep trying to get him but he'd be pretty easy to lose

[personal profile] marcato 2013-06-25 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
He took the head start. There was no shame in running -- there was only shame in not surviving. But something fundamentally wrong was happening, something inside him was giving out, and as he turned from R and began to run, his joints ached and whined as though he were running through cement.

Malaise shattered his skull like a hammer. He remembered Grey pinning him against a wall in that tight cavern and squeezing his throat shut like it was a piece of wet newspaper. He remembered bleeding out at Wesker's feet. He remembered the feeling of his rib shifting and spiking through his lung, his blood on the library books, his mother with her fair hair, his father with his chipped tooth, darkness and chains and collapsing elevator shafts.

(First, she had said, it strips away the parts of the brain that take the oomph out of bad memories.)

Poison was the answer -- an obvious, terrifying answer -- and was enough to make him forsake his head start. He stopped, turned, and threw yet another punch at the poor boy's head.

"Stop," he hissed through his teeth, his limbs trembling, his jaw clenched with the building agony. "Wake up!"

They couldn't take every victory away from him. He would not allow it.
ps_you_look_hot: (Default)

[personal profile] ps_you_look_hot 2013-06-25 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
It was exhausting. Even without the poison, Nikola wasn't used to physical exertion as a...human. (He was disgusted by the thought as much as he would have been saying it out loud.) All he wanted was to get the trees, such as they were, and have a moment to consider what was happening to him.

(It was obvious, really. The same symptoms of that girl they'd killed. The Capitol intended to make a statement in this Arena. He idly wondered how many of the others who'd been poisoned also wore bracelets.)

He hardly notices one person following him in the midst of all the others. In his condition, he's certainly no match physically for anyone here, and he has no desire to attempt to outrun them, so when he reaches the trees, he stops, leaning against a candy-cane trunk heavily, barely keeping to his feet.
sleeplessinalternia: (81 And the bones shall never heal)

the bleeding should be stopping after this i think, considering how ridic good capitol medicine is

[personal profile] sleeplessinalternia 2013-06-25 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
"Fine," Karkat grumbles. He lets Cuthbert dress the wound for him. He can't see if the medicine is doing its work yet, but the pain seems to be abating and that's something.

He pulls another scarf out of his leotard to tie around his eyesocket once the wound is dressed, leaving the fake rumble spheres a lot smaller than they were at the start of this.

After a while he starts singing along to the 'na na na' part with Cuthbert, figuring it couldn't hurt.
shambler: (051)

[personal profile] shambler 2013-06-25 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
R was a few stumbling steps behind.

He didn't even try to dodge the punch, he didn't take it like a man, he didn't cry or curse or do anything at all. His head rocked to the side, lolled back, and out came R's gray hands again: always grabbing for something, grasping, trying to latch on and dig in and never able to, not really. Sinking his teeth into someone's brains was only temporary, a lottery to see if he even got anything worth killing over. R couldn't stop. He threw himself back at Aunamee, eyes locked on him like the human had a big target sign slapped on his forehead.

The words slid off R as he gnashed his teeth.

Unfortunately Aunamee didn't have that same heft to his voice someone like Julie did...and the same poison in R was taking a lot longer to work its magic because of his non-existent blood stream.

Gurgling, R's teeth snapped at the man, trying for his neck this time. Or, really, anything he could get his greedy hands on to. Whatever worked. R could be flexible, even if he'd prefer the nose.

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