Forum Thread

Natsume's second mentor was pretty impressed with how Natsume carried himself, his air of mystery but polite smile worked through years of customer service proving useful with his current task. Some pointers were given, mostly in relation to how his accent hampered his speech and voice lessons were attempted. It was odd, learning to speak in a way that he wasn't used to, putting the stress on the correct word, and using diction that the capital favoured, but Natsume bore through it with begrudging acceptance. By the time he was dismissed, Natsume could barely speak anymore without correcting himself midway

By now, the instructors had more or less learned that Kanata wouldn't do anything that they asked of him, and instead just got him to smile without looking like he was forcing it. His own odd slow and lilting speech wasn't changed, as everyone could tell that Kanata wouldn't submit to any changes made to his personality. Perhaps that was a charm point in of itself, the ability to stay true to himself without compromise even in such a situation. Though the one consistent problem through out the session was how Kanata would present himself even while dripping wet. Eventually they just gave up and focused on the other male tribute from 4 and called it a day

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Eve looked up at Lilith and shrugged. "I guess. I'm a little nervous though. What if they dont like me or I dont get sponsored?"

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Shiloh relaxes at Derek's assurance. "Alright sure" she stands up. "Let's go then"
...
"That shouldn't even need to be your concern. They'll love you" Lilith tells Eve. "Just take it easy for now and try to relax"

Derek removed his hand from his mask, then beckoned her to follow. He was headed for his room. The smoke had cleared out, but it was still a complete mess. He led her slowly, as if his mind were at war with itself over the topic. He kept muttering strange words, the phrase "Rationem Mali" being spoken more than once.

Eve looked up at Lilth, she looked upset. "I'm home sick, can we go home?"

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Shiloh follows behind him slowly, trying to figure him out. She wanted to help him out somehow, but she had a feeling that, that wasn't possible right now. So she silently follows him.
...
Lilith's heart breaks at Eve's words. Her face softening. "Oh no. Honey unfortunately we can't go home yet" she steps into the room and wraps Eve in for a hug. "But I promise, I'll do whatever it takes. We will go home!"

Eve nodded and rubbed her eyes with the the back of her wrist trying to stop the tears. After her father had commited sucide she had been taken to live with her mother and step-father, but it felt a bit weird, like her mother didn't actually love her for some reason.

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Derek stopped at the door to his room. Casting a quick glance over his shoulder at her, he pushed the door open, the door frame mauled from being slammed so many times. What lay beyond seemed like something out of a tragedy: the walls were charbroiled and filled with holes, the floor blackened, the furniture either smashed or turned to piles of ash. He stepped inside, spreading his arms wide. "And all that's behind it?" He removed his mask, his unnaturally colored eyes lighting up in the darkness of the room. A scar stretched from below his left eye to just above his chin, crossing over his mouth without mercy. One hand pushed into his side at his stomach, indenting his clothing a good inch until it stopped abruptly. "I hope you don't mind if I show you the happenings of this?" He pulled at the bottom of his shirt, exposing something beyond technology. His hips were on a pivot, his midsection made of machinery, although it seemed there was still blood in his body. There were more than a few flexible pipes laced up and down at his "stomach", some of them seemingly patched up. Dropping his shirt again, he watched her for a moment, waiting for a response. Something like a scream, maybe running and staying away from him.

Fulminare finally made it through the examination from her mentor; who was more than delighted when she discovered that Fulminare had, indeed, some charm beneath her icy, intimidating demeanor. And while Fulminare was a deathly intimidating warrior with horrifying stiffness, she knew how to drop an audience to her knees; and knew damn well. While her mentor was patient enough, there were a few things to be learned; namely, how to walk in heels. It would be necessary; heels were like anything a mark of sophistication; wealth. The Capital would only pay for someone they deemed to be their level.

This was extremely uncomfortable, and it was only several hours of hard coaxing and patient coaching that Fulminare was able to walk as confidently as she was now. In heels, she was off-kilter, and each step echoed with an impact that she swore she heard in her bones. Not to mention that the dress was so long it constantly tripped the Career up, forcing her to lean down and hitch up the damn thing with a hand. How inconvenient. She would rather not trip over herself like a fool in front of thousands of people and told her mentor as much. She did not need this training; and need was far from how she was feeling. However, she managed to keep her pressing disdain for the Capital - for all of them - hidden. She kept herself in the shadows of her own self when she could. Slamming a door in their faces, figuratively, of course, was not something she had done in a very long time. But she had never fully opened it, either.

Only Kardia, daringly, taken the first steps past the threshold, into her lover's most guarded sanctum, wreathed in night and guarded with blood. Likely she would be the only one that ever tried to.

Shiloh frightened expression vanishes as she realizes how vulnerable Derek was making himself. She had to admit, he looked horrifying. The old her would've ran away without hesitation, heck, even the new her was tempted to flee. Yet she remains in her place, her expression unreadable. After a long pause she softly asks: "What happened to you?" A sad expression appearing on her face. This wasn't natural, somebody did this to him. She couldn't imagine the emotional and physical toll it had on Derek.

Eve looked at Lilith and she could see the child's tears in her eyes, "I dont want to be here anymore, I dont want to hurt anyone, and I dont want anyone to get hurt."

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Derek tucked in his shirt, then glanced around the room. Holding up his hands, he asked her, "Would you believe that these-" The fingertips and knuckles lit up."-Did all this damage? Or that my single foot-" He cooled his hands down, then gestured to shattered piles of rubble in the corner of the room, the furniture that had blocked his door for a few minutes. "-Could do that?" He looked sorrowful, almost. "The Seraph blessed me with terrible power and speed, along with relentless, undying energy, so that, in my conquest, I would never tire, and never back away from my battle, my rage fueling all, powering me until I may bring down He who Reaps the souls of the innocent." He pointed to the holes and slashes by the door, then gestured around the room. "It's all Snow's face to me. It's all the man who caused..." He passed a hand through his side again, emphasizing the lack of tissue. "This. I'm not human, by any means. Not anymore. You asked if I was alright, earlier. Well, that's a good question." He looked around the room again, seemingly ignoring her question. At least, partially.

Lilith holds Eve tighter against her. As if this could somehow change anything. "Stay with me and you'll be safe. I promise... Nobody will get hurt" that last part is a lie. Lilith will kill anyone that dares harm Eve. Admittedly, she'd rather not harm anyone, but she would if needed.
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"Well-" Shiloh struggles for something to say. Anything to better the situation. "I'd say you are pretty human to me. You have the ability to show compassion. That's pretty human to me" she turns her head slightly, still looking confused by the beginning part. "Why? Why would anyone do that to you?"

Derek shook his head slowly. "Asked the Angel to the Devil, 'Who is it that cursed you so?'" He looked her in the eyes, then asked her, "Do you want the full story? Or the one that won't tarnish your purity?" He seemed to be searching her eyes, peering into her mind. It was clear he could see something nobody else could. Well, Milo might see it too. "Your purity is your strength, your power over all others here. Milo saw it. I see it. Did anybody else realize it?"

"Am I really that easy to read?" Shiloh asks with a smile. "It is my strength... But not for long. I am prepared to have it be destroyed by the horrors of the arena" she sits down on the floor, trying to get comfortable. "The decision is ultimately up to you. If you wanna share the full story then you should... Maybe it'll feel good to share it with another person rather than box it up"

Eve rested her head on Lilith before the tears started falling, quiet sobs coming from the child. It was really hard to be strong, it was wearing down on Eve and a part of her wasn't ready for what would be coming after tomorrow night. Could she really survive? "Lilith? I'm. . .I'm scared." Eve whimpered.

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"Don't be" Lilith tells Eve fiercely. "I'll protect you, and not just me. There are countless other people who'll help. You are going to be fine. I swear on my life" she doesn't mention that she doesn't trust the others. This'll be something she'll concern herself with, Eve can stay out of it.

Lilith held Eve in her arms until the small child fell asleep after crying herself out. With a gentle smile Lilith tucked Eve into bed and put the cat plush next to her. For the longest moment all she could do was watch Eve sleep.

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Derek watched as she sat down. "You're going to be covered in ash." He bent over, sweeping the area around his feet with his hand, then sat down. Sighing, he began:

"I was born without any abilities. Nothing special about me, aside from the fact I nearly died.." He counted on his fingers. "Seven times. Brought back from the dead each time by no machinery, something unknown beyond even the doctor's understanding. It wasn't logical. Still, my father frowned upon my abnormality, the fact that I hadn't gained as powerful an ability as his. He hated me for a good eight years. He despised everything I did. My mother grew a hatred for me as well. My older brother was the only one who protected me from them. When I was nine years old, he was Reaped, and killed in the arena. The next year, my father told me the only way to prove to him my worth was to survive the Games. Every time I told him I was going to the Reaping, however, he blocked me, claiming I would die before the games even started. I believed him, and stayed home. When I was twelve, I found a strange man waiting at my home for me upon returning from school. My father told me that that man could give me an ability, something unlike any others ever seen. I believed him, then found I was lied to." Pulling up one of his pants legs, he exposed his calf and lower thigh, pointing out a few things that seemed off, besides the strange color. "They strapped me down to a table, then sedated me. The last thing I heard was 'He will be a god, immortal and all powerful'. When I woke up, my legs were grey, absent of any true blood, and filled with machines that had bonded themselves to my flesh. I was in a blank white room, bigger than any room in this building. My legs were too fast, too strong for the rest of my body. I could jump halfway up the wall, and sprint from one side to the other in less than five seconds. When put to the test, I, as a twelve year old, shattered quite a few records for speed and distance. Unfortunately, I was never released to the public. At fourteen, they stole my stomach, along with that, the need for food." He pushed his pants leg back down. "They replaced my entire torso, attached my hips to ball bearings, and gave the machines in my legs an infinite power source. They put it in my spine, running from the base of my skull to my tailbone. At fifteen, the replaced my eyes, upgraded them to something without definition. I could see the hidden light waves, and for a good few miles if I focused. I started my training then. Sixteen, the people filled my arms with their horrendous science, but it didn't bond as well. It doesn't give my arms the same strength as my legs, but.." He trailed off. Clearing his throat, he continued. "But, I can still lift nearly ten times my own body. Now, I'm here, telling you all this. I've become something beyond safe. After an escape attempt at fourteen, I was called a 'Cyber Demon'. I'll leave you to decide what to do with this knowledge." He got up, then dusted off his pants. Tapping the wall beside the door absentmindedly, he left the room, leaving the door wide open for Shiloh.

As the night slowly wnet on, the tirbutes slowly trickled to their rooms and went to sleep. Eventually came the night everyone was dreading: Their interviews.

Eve's dress
Aurora's dress
Roxy's dress

Everyone was standing back stage as they waited for it to start.

Eve was holding her cat plush, there had been some debate but eventually they gave the cat a matching outfit so that it looked like the cat was suposed to be with her even though it wasn't. The child was incredbly nervous.

Roxy stood next to Shiloh and fiddled with a lost hair from the shower of ringletts falling down her back.

Aurora crossed her arms in front of her chest, wishing that dress wasn't as revealing in the bust.

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