[OPEN] And if you're in love, then you are the lucky one

[saisamour]

Who| Marius, Cosette, and OPEN!
What| Making alliances/enemies, food scouting, etc.! Three starters available. :3
Where| Forest; Lab at the Western end of the arena
When| Throughout Week One
Warnings/Notes| Pontmercying; will add as appropriate


Day One; Food Search
Marius had made his run to the Cornucopia as quick as possible earlier in the day, both to avoid the peak of the bloodbath and to reach Cosette's hiding place before the others spot her. Seeing her safe atop a tree branch almost causes him to shed tears of relief, but he forces them back because he had sworn to himself earlier that he would not cry any more. He has to remain strong, for her.

Because his trip to the Cornucopia had been brief, however, his supplies gathered are minimal and he would need to depend on the rainforest for food. Leading the way deeper into the Western end he could hear the varied sounds of forest animals travelling through the thick trees, although he has yet to actually spot one he could hunt down. Regardless, he knows that killing wildlife is not an option now, not when even the death of the smallest animal is enough to engulf Cosette in sadness and melancholy.

So he will have to depend on the plant life for food. With quiver slung over his shoulder and silver bow clasped in one hand, his eyes sweep the various plants and bushes of the forest floor. The sunlight filtering through the leaves creates abstract light patterns on his freckled face as he steps closer to a particular shrub that catches his eye, and although he tries to move as quietly as possible his footsteps still manage to create faint crunching sounds as boots connect with thin, brittle twigs.

The green-leafed shrub is a curious object, with pink stems sprouting black wild berries. He crouches down, brow furrowed and lips pursed, first to quietly observe it—though he did not know what he is to look for, if he is to be completely honest—and then to reach out, tentatively, to pluck off a few of the fruit for later eating.

He certainly hopes they are not poisonous.



Night One; Forest
Normally, Marius looks forward to cool, fragrant nights, with the millions of stars that hung across the dark blue sky appearing to fade before Cosette's light. But where they are is far from the mystical, dilapidated garden that they know, and he is all-too aware of the dangers of letting one's guard down in the arena, especially when the moon rises.

And to add to his worries, Marius's encounter with the snake-like vines on the forest floor earlier had him wary to set up the tent he had acquired from the Cornucopia on plain ground. He tells Cosette to rest on a nearby stump, making sure her feet do not touch the floor for a considerable length of time, as he scouts their nearby location. As he treads through wet soil and soggy leaves to minimize the sounds of his footsteps, he wonders if the vines are capable of accessing people once they are inside the tent. It is something to consider and experiment on, regardless, should his search prove futile.

In any case, here he is, brows drawn together and jaw hardened, as his eyes comb the forest floor in search of safer ground. The pearly moonlight sifting through the leaves above him catches on his silver bow and the arrow nocked against it. He has the weapon pointed to the ground at the moment, but he keeps his posture tense and his eyes and ears alert to any nearby peculiar sounds. If something—or someone, for that matter—makes the wrong move, he will not hesitate to shoot.

There is little he would not do for Cosette's safety, after all.



End of Week One; Abandoned Lab
Marius and Cosette spot the strange, rusted structures late in the afternoon. The setting sun paints the world in bright red and orange hues, making the metal, concrete, and overgrowth appear as if they are on fire. The colorful birds and their songs distract him for a brief moment, only for him to utter a cry of protest when one of them decides to snap him back to attention through plopping white droppings on his shoulder.

After that temporary delay, the pair decide to investigate the ruins, making sure to steer clear of the more dangerous, crumbling fortifications, and their exploration eventually leads them to a door hidden behind a thick curtain of vines. He braves the mouldy hallways and rooms with strange metal chairs and tarnished cage bars fixed to their structure, Cosette's hand clasped in his all throughout, as if he's afraid the dark shadows inside the sinister bunker would snatch her away from him if he did not hold onto her tightly enough.

Eventually they find a room with metal tables and cabinets invaded with rust, and they agree to search the place separately to maximize their time inside. Marius kneels down before the bottom cabinets, and when he swings one of them open a creak that almost resembles a scream scratches against his eardrums, causing him to wince and utter an apology to Cosette. Soon, however, his eyes widen and a smile forms on his face; inside the cabinet, some boxes of something resembling biscuits are stacked up in a dusty corner.

"Cosette!" His excitement is barely containable, as is the volume of his voice, so his words bounce back against the walls and echo across the abandoned room; perhaps they even reach the empty hallways outside the bunker. "I have discovered some food!"

Comments

is it okay if Blaine potentially joins in this party too?

[wantwhatiwant]

"I wouldn't eat them if I were you." Ian is a bit better now that he had met up with Blaine and had a better plan than just run around with rotten apples and hope for the best.

He had spotted Marius and Cosette and came closer to check that it really was them before properly approaching.

yes he may! :3

[saisamour]

Despite his attempts to be alert and observant, Marius still manages to jump when Ian speaks. He whirls around, but the familiarity of the voice causes him to keep his bow down, and he almost releases a cry of relief when he spots Ian.

He glances back at the berries, eyebrows knot together in confusion. "Why?"

yay!

[wantwhatiwant]

Ian smirked, but he was mostly sympathetic. This place was shit. Everyone was jumpy, and for good reason. "I had some before and was in pain for an hour. Probably laced with poison or something."

Another way to kill them off when they were desperate, perfect entertainment...

jumping in because Blaine is with Ian? Hope that's okay!

[mediumdrip]

Blaine had been a little behind Ian when he heard him speaking. He came up from behind his friend and glanced at Marius.

"I still have a potato from the Cornucopia. It's safe, if you want to have it?" It wasn't much, but he had to be careful with what he was doing with his supplies.

totally fine! IT'S A PARTY UP IN HERE

[saisamour]

"Ah."

Marius's eyes widened slightly at that and he drew his hand back; still, his gaze turned a little thoughtful and didn't stray from the berries. If he was successful in keeping Cosette alive until the end of the arena and only one of them were to be the winner, there must be a way for him to die—

But the appearance of someone Marius did not know snapped him out of his thoughts and caused the grip on his bow to tighten. He involuntarily cast the newcomer a wary look and then felt an immediate tinge of guilt afterwards, because if he was with Ian, then surely he would not harm him or Cosette?

He pursed his lips and stared at the ground, shifting awkwardly on his feet. "It would not be right if I take it from you, but..." But he was looking after someone important now, and he could not afford to decline assistance of any kind. "I-I would like to give it to someone else, if that is fine."

Night 1!

[iflipmyhair]

Marius wasn't the only one out. There was another out, quietly sitting in the trees, watching Marius.

Homura was searching for supplies - anything to aid in the healing of a certain someone. She didn't hesitate to volunteer for it. It wasn't just to get supplies, but to see how others fought on the field, and reacted to the various hardships that came along. And so, that was how she ended up here.

Casually, she took up a berry from her pocket - she knew they were poisonous, having had a bite of one to test a theory. It resulting in her having what felt like the beds for a good hour. She knew better now, and was certain as to the reason why the cornucopia had been so plentiful.

She flicked it at Marius' head like a jack to a marble, and watched.

[saisamour]

Now Marius did not have hypersensitive senses, nor was he swift enough to evade a berry flung at him, so the fruit bounced off the back of his dark curls caused him to jump a little. He whirled around and raised his bow and arrow to the trees, the arrowhead pointed almost accurately in Homura's general direction.

As he scanned the branches with narrowed eyes a silhouette appeared, no larger than that of a child, and he bit back a gasp as he sidestepped to get a better view. The moonlight caught in her black hair—a young girl, then—and he found, despite the underlying alarm and cautiousness, that he could not help feeling pity for her and her part in the games and anger towards the Capitol for allowing even children as young as her inside the arena.

Still, she must have been skilled if she managed to reach that far up the tree, and he was not one to take chances. Not now, not when he had to protect Cosette. He kept his bow raised as he demanded, "What do you want of me?"

[iflipmyhair]

If Homura was frightened of the weapon being raised at her, she did not show it. Instead, she simply tossed her hair back with her hand, her eyes not leaving Marius's face the whole time.

"What I was looking for, you already gave it to me." She quietly went to stand up on the tree branch. "Except for what you plan to do now that I am in your sights. I am, after all, unable to counterattack."

Not entirely true. But, then again, she wasn't going to waste her knife by throwing it at this boy, particularly since it was not a throwing knife.

[saisamour]

Marius's brows knotted at the response; what did she mean, he already gave what she was looking for to her? But he decided not to voice his confusion, and instead slowly lowered his weapon—for she was a little girl, after all; what harm could she do?—although the arrow remained nocked.

"I dare not attack a child." There was a sincerity that was almost tangible in his voice.

I assume you meant for me to tag Day One!

[alldeduction]

Sherlock was a bit of a sight to be seen - covered in John's blood and running through the woods at a breakneck pace as he ran back to get their supplies. But even then, he saw Marius - his observant mind immediately picking out his form among the trees.

As he saw what he was collecting.

He probably should have just kept going - ignore the man completely. But something in him forced him to stop and as he scowled to himself he ran up within shouting distance of Marius.

"Stop! Idiot! It's all poisonous!"

yes! :3

[saisamour]

Guess who wasn't sure whether it was acceptable to thank the random stranger who warned him about the poisonous berries because he also called him an idiot? The one named Marius Pontmercy, that was who.

Marius tensed and jerked away from the berries upon hearing Sherlock's warning and whirled to the direction of the voice. His fingers tightened their grip on his bow, eyes grown large in alarm because a man soaked in blood shouting at him at a distance tended to elicit that kind of reaction.

But then Sherlock's words sunk in and bewilderment took the place of fright, and he cast a swift glance back at the berries before turning back to him. Then his brow twitched almost imperceptibly in mild irritation because how rude, calling him an idiot like that.

So it might be understandable how the confusing jumble of feelings left him at quite a loss for words. "I... Ah..."

He is the pinnacle of eloquence.

[alldeduction]

"You-- Ah--" Sherlock repeated, scathingly, and then marched over once he'd decided that Marius wasn't about to pose a threat and knocked a piece of fruit out of Marius' hands.

"You're obviously not deaf so I will reiterate for you. Everything in this arena is poisonous. Everything. None of the plant matter is edible in our systems and if you did eat it, you would fall severely ill, and then die. Understand?"

[saisamour]

A half-surprised, half-disgruntled noise escaped Marius's throat at that, and he could do nothing but stare in bewilderment at Sherlock as he explained to him the dangers of the plant life.

After a moment's pause, he shook himself out of his stupor, pursed his lips, and gave a curt nod. "I understand." But there is little need to be rude, is there? was the thought he dare not speak aloud. It might have been noticeable enough in the hardening of his jaw and the slight twitch of his eye, though.

Day 1

[shambler]

It's either dumb luck or coincidence that R blunders through the brush, loud and oblivious to things like sneaking, and saves Marius the temptation of trying out the berries a little early. There's only a few seconds before he pushes his way out in the open, afternoon sunlight shafting through the gaps in the trees as he turns and levels an almost surprised stare at the human he almost trampled.

Marius! Oh...shit. R can't tell if he wants to explain himself or hold his hands up to show how totally not bloody they are for a change. Should he reach into his pocket and offer the apple he was saving for Julie, wherever she is? Food counts still as a peace offering, right? It worked with Howard, kinda, and he assumes food is just one of those universal things. R pulls up short, his arms flopping in that usual boneless zombie way of his, as he gapes quietly at Marius.

"Hi," R says lamely. He swallows, aware of how their last encounter went. "Crappily" doesn't begin to cover it. "Won't...eat you..."

Better get that out in the open. R stays right where he's stopped, one of the plants he trampled to death oozing juice under his shoes. It's around then he notices the bow and quiver gleaming silver on Marius's back. It reflects the sunlight in a way that's deceptively pretty.

[saisamour]

Marius gasps when he spots R and staggers back, drawing an arrow and pointing it at the zombie with surprising speed, berries completely forgotten in his shock.

R. Marius's heavy, nervous breaths are audible enough as he keeps an eye on the un-dead, hands trembling slightly as he holds his stance. Visions of the night he died in the first arena threaten to rise from his memories but he forces them away by concentrating his thoughts on R's movements.

His movements which surprisingly contains the element of talking. Marius blinks, a hint of confusion seeping in through his general look of horror even as he keeps his bow raised, because he doesn't recall that ever happening in either encounters in the previous arena. He's such a loss at what to do that the meaning behind R's words does not even register until a few more seconds pass.

And what does he say to that? Marius takes another cautious step back, a twig snapping under his weight, before he manages a quivering, "A-All right."

It takes a very concentrated effort to keep his gaze fixed on R and not wander in the direction where Cosette is. He's still fairly certain that the zombie is dangerous, and he would rather not drop a hint as to where she is located and have him target her instead.

[shambler]

This could be a mistake in retrospect. He hasn't even groaned much yet and he can see the immediate reaction from Marius, the way he goes stiff with his eyes on him, barely blinking as if R could really shuffle that distance in that amount of time. It's instinctual, probably.

He tries to ignore the bow that materializes in Marius's hands, an arrow notched and aimed more or less at his face. How good a shot is Marius anyway? The funny thing is R actually doesn't know. He hadn't gotten to that part of his brain. There'd been other more...pressing things in the man's life than what weapons he'd prefer to use against a zombie, after all. R remains where he's trampled the bush to death, determined to keep the peace here while he still can.

"Trying..." R pauses. Compared to his usual pauses, it's fairly short as his mouth thins into a line. "Want...help. Those I...hurt."

Nothing would stop Marius from planting an arrow right through an eye socket, R hoping that he knows that too and while that's not exactly comforting, it's at least something. Leverage? Look, he can't remember what it was like to make deals and strike hard bargains, if he ever did. All he can do is stand there swaying slightly, feeling the heat of the sun on his back and watching the humidity sending a little trail of sweat dribbling down the side of Marius's face.

[saisamour]

Marius does nothing else but hold his now-dubious stare for a moment; his arms are straining and the sweat trickling down his face is distracting but he keeps his bow raised. At this distance it should not be difficult for him to aim directly for R's head. Indeed, he has made a clean shot at even greater distances than this, though it was with pistols instead of arrows. Just a simple release of the arrow and R would be held down, if not defeated, for he does not know whether an arrow to the head was enough to kill a monster. Either way, he would be able to run as far away as he can with Cosette.

But R does seem sincere enough—and loathe as Marius was to admit, it is not the first time he has seen more than a whiff of sincerity in the monster—and that is cause enough for him to say, though not without caution, "Go on."

For Marius and Cosette both!

[celebrityskinned]

Venus stalks through the building with her head tilted high, eyes bouncing from doorways to the upper corners of ceilings, looking for the cameras she's certain must be more obvious against the smooth, if moldy, surfaces of the lab. The walls reveal no secrets. Her footsteps clicking along the floor, the soggy soles of her shoes making an uncomfortably-loud slapping sound, betrays her presence more than she would like.

She tucks a lock of hair behind her ears, preening for the eyes she cannot see. Aware that being photogenic is almost as valuable as being smart in this Arena, and while Venus isn't insecure about her intelligence, she knows that there are at least a handful of geniuses in this round. She knows her strengths - combat, beauty, poise, a sort of confidence that bleeds onto cellulose.

She pauses when she hears a voice, an accent she knows by now is the result of translation rather than language. It's the sound of victory.

Armed with nothing but her fists, she slinks into the doorway behind Marius. Her fists are all she needs if things go south.

[saisamour]

Now it can be said that Marius can be often caught unguarded, even under normal circumstances, and the elation brought about by the discovery of food only serves to dull his observational skills. As such, he fails to hear the thwack-slaps on the hallway, far too concentrated with his task of blowing the dust off old biscuit boxes and gathering them in his arms, before he straightens himself and rushes to Cosette.

In his haste to get to her he trips with a startled cry on a shallow crack on the ground.

[celebrityskinned]

Well, if Marius was looking to impress or intimidate Venus after this, he'll have a much more difficult time of him. Her eyes widen and she takes a step back as he topples over, and though she has no impulse to rush over and help him up, she doesn't think it's sportsmanlike to kill him now

Even if he does have food, and even if her conscientiousness to sportsmanship is all an act for the cameras.

She stays in the doorway. "Have a nice fall?"

[alonelikeme]

Cosette had been down in a different room, looking for whatever might be of use, when she heard Marius cry out that he'd found food... Getting up from where she'd been crouched, she heard another startled cry and--

Well, to be perfectly honest? She panicked. She closed the door to the cupboard with a loud clang and rushed out of the room she was in, calling out his name. She stopped as quickly as she could when she saw the other woman standing a few feet from him, looking back and forth from them quickly. The bright side? She wasn't hurting him, not right now at least.

Day 1 - Still together or meeting up again?

[retrieverchef]

[OOC: Since Eliot met up with Cosette while Marius was making his run...?]

[saisamour]

[ooc; meeting up again is fine! :3]

[retrieverchef]

Eliot didn't notice the other man until he heard a twig snap. He grabbed a short branch as he stood. He relaxed slightly when he recognized his district mate. "Marius."

sorry for the super late tag; i was on hiatus for the longest time! ;;

[saisamour]

In his surprise, Marius had whirled around with a start, one hand reaching behind him for an arrow, the berries temporarily forgotten. He almost screamed in relief when he recognized Eliot, but reduced it successfully to a soft exhale.

"Monsieur." His hand left the quiver and rested at his side, and his stance relaxed. "How... How have you been faring?"