Oh my love, I know you are the Candy Man

[gamemakers]

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.]

Comments

Death by poison! (open)

[polyturtle]

The injection was certainly worrisome. He'd never had to have it before. Did this have to do with Ariadne? If it did, why was it others - people he knew weren't Ariadne's friend, including that jerk who called her a...the b-word...getting it.

What was it? Why was it being injected into them? It wasn't...it couldn't be...

His stylists were mostly excited, talking, laughing, but Don himself was silent. He generally was during these moments, but there was a sadness, a tenseness to it, as they dressed him up like a dinosaur. Instead of his bandana, he was given a doll in a pink dress. It looked uncannily like Lottie.

And then he was on the platform. He took several deep breaths as they brought him up, the bright sunshine streaming in as he found himself in...Candyland? What was that singing? Was that-

10 - 9 - 8 - 7

Sting. Don's blood froze when he felt the tracking device inject him intravenously. He felt the shiver, felt his arm pulse. In an instant, he knew.

No.

6 - 5 - 4

He knew exactly what this was. He'd seen the symptoms in Ariadne, when she'd been forcibly injected. He'd been poisoned. Everyone who'd received an injection was going to--

3 - 2

He was going to die. Worse, the poison would trigger something else, too.

He had to get away.

Don had to run.

1

His feet flew off of the pedestal, away from the Cornucopia. But even at that moment, his body was starting to spasm, and his legs didn't go in an entirely straight line. It did not help that, inwardly, he was panicking about what he knew was likely going to happen, even if he stayed and died here.

Shell. Shell. Shell.

He just prayed he didn't run into Lottie.

[blondevigilante]

She has her hands full. Somehow she's made it through the mayhem with supplies and injury free. She needs to run. There's a plan in place with Tim. It's a plan that will help them survive that much longer. It does not include slowing down to help a giant turtle in a hilarious Bowser costume. She was at his side before she could talk herself out of it.

"Hey, hey, you're not hurt. You're okay." Because it was entirely possible the shock of the Arena was getting to him. That should be a good thing leaving her one less opponent. She really was too kind for her own good.

[polyturtle]

He'd managed to get under a tree, a good ways away from the Cornucopia. The idea was that everyone would be busy with the Cornucopia, and hopefully, he'd be far enough away to not put anyone in danger.

Thus, seeing Stephanie was not something he'd wanted to happen. Sh-shell it all-

"No, no, I am." Don grit his teeth. "You...you need to get out of here. The injection...they..."

His arm and thigh began to spasm. His thigh. Already. Shell!

"Th-the injection...diluted execution...formula..."

[blondevigilante]

People were scattering while others fought for the few supplies offered. She frowned as she noticed a number of Tribute looking about as pale as the turtle in front of her.

"What injection? Did someone hit you with something?" There was no time for first aid but she wasn't going to leave him here when something was so obviously wrong. "Hold on, I might have something in one of these..."

[polyturtle]

"Peacekeepers...a bunch of Tributes, b-before..." His tongue began to feel thick, and the spasms cause his arm to tremble. "...before we got here..."

His head began to swim, and he began to feel the pain well up even more in his thigh. If the poison didn't kill him in time, then...

"L-leave me." He took a deep breath. "Go help the others! Th-this...I..."

[blondevigilante]

Cheating. Was this because of that woman? Stephanie thought of Tim and had to push down the desire to search him out.

The bags where useless. "Damn." She reached for the turtle's arm. "I'll come back. Focus, T." She grabbed her gear and looked around to see if anyone was going to take advantage of the downed Tribute. "I promise I'll come back, but you have to stay awake."

She stood up and then offered him what she hoped was an optimistic smile. "I'm Stephanie and I'll be your Princess Charming today. Remember, stay awake, okay?"

[polyturtle]

"I'll try, but...nngh..." The thigh began to spasm more now. "It won't...b-be long. You need to...you need to go..."

[blondevigilante]

Her pink hair flies behind her as she takes off back into the chaos of the Cornucopia. People were dropping and she still couldn't find Tim. In the back of her mind she hopes beyond all hope that the turtle will still be alive after she finds Tim.

[polyturtle]

"GnnnGHAAAARGH!!"

Unfortunately for Don, the 'no pain' part of the poison wasn't kicking in yet. He truly wished it would, so he wouldn't have to go through the transformation once more. Which he knew was happening, whether he liked it or not. The veins in his upper thigh were surging and bulging in response to the lowering of his cellular defenses. It actually left him hoping the poison would just get on with it. Not because of the pain. But. Hopefully. This poor girl wouldn't come back to him wanting to eat her. He slumped to the side, teeth grit, spasming.

Maybe it was best if he didn't focus on the inevitable. Or. Well. The other side. Look for something else. Maybe better times. Maybe Ariadne or Lottie. Or...

...What was in that injection? What poison? Spasms and quick death...the stripping of pain receptors. Anatoxin? Seemed the most likely. How ironic. He was trying not to think about what was happening and the first thing he thought of was-

After a point, he wasn't sure whether he was laughing, spasming, or transforming. Or all three. Well, probably for the best, then. Close to twenty minutes had passed by then.

lets get our pts hehehe

[blondevigilante]

She was a little worse for wear but she was coming back. Breathing heavy she slowed her run when she saw how the turtle was reacting to the poison. What was that stuff?

"H-hey, I'm back." Cautiously she reached a hand out to touch his head. How hot were turtle suppose to be? "I've got water, okay. You're going to be fine." She was lying. Without medical attention he was going to be as dead as those who'd already succumed to the poison. Still, she wasn't going to let him die alone. "Can you talk? What's your name?"

Yes lets

[polyturtle]

"Don." Turtles weren't supposed to be this hot. Nor were their limbs supposed to look swollen like that. "Donatello..."

[blondevigilante]

Stephanie smiled even though there wasn't much to smile about. "Donatello. I like that name." She reached for his hand. "Okay, Donatello, you just hold my hand until the pain fades." Until he died.

[polyturtle]

"I--"

If Stephanie did manage to get a hold of his hand, she would find it spasming rather violently. And then suddenly growing into a giant claw which threatened to crush Stephanie's arm.

Or would have, if Donatello hadn't then suddenly slumped over, a rather harsh gurgle in his throat. It had been twenty three minutes, if anyone had bothered to keep track of time.

[blondevigilante]

She could tolerate the pain, but the sudden transformation of the hand into a claw caught her off guard and she drew back her hand unsure of what was happening. Before she could wrap her head around Donatello's change he was gone. Stephanie swallowed a lump in her throat and stood up. There was no time to mourn the turtle and she could only hope he made it safely back to the Capitol.