Forum Thread

She was a little haggard, wrist stinging from when she had punched the wall out of frustration. The gloves she had been given were purely decoration and provided no support at the wrist, leading it to actually hurt. Hearing someone clap, she raised her head and did her best to smile when she saw that it was T'val. sorry she signed, thumb and forefinger curled together in a circle and touched against her forehead before the hand was brought down in a bow-like motion with her entire hand flat. Gently touching her nose with her pointer, she then brought both pointer fingers together, hesitatingly pointing to T'val before pointing to her again with one finger this time. Finally she made a sign as if pulling something away from her chin in revulsion. There was an awkward silence before Narukami sighed as if she just remembered that not everyone knew sign. "Sorry." She finally articulated, voice audibly tired and a bit defeated. "Talking's.... hard. I didn't scare you too much?"

---

He quirked an eyebrow, smirk on his lips as he observed the two girls and their interactions. Star was bold, he'd give her that. It was somewhat sweet, reminding him a lot of his own childhood friendship turned romance with Julian and he only felt happiness swell up within him at the adorable expression on his wife's face. This was the right decision. "Of course. Ariel's happiness means almost everything to me and trust me when I say that our husband is more than willing to give you a chance." He assured before smiling warmly to placate the other's worries. "Ariel has told us a lot about you."

---

Phenix looked over to Alana, feeling her shift next to him. "Sleep well?" He couldn't help but think that she did look like a cat when she stretched. The ears and tail added to the comparison. His kind smile returned, genuine and honest, even after the scowl he'd had on stage.



---


"Scare? Scare? That was amazing!" T'val's voice had shot up an octave or so, her admiration very clear. "I'm not sure what you did to shake the walls- that was you, right?- But that was awe-inspiring!"



(Ack, double-short)

Star smiled and embraced Ariel and Sorrento in a hug, it would be a very new and scary terrain for her to face, but she was also excited and willing. Ariel murmured lovingly to the both of them as she snuck another kiss on Sorrento, this time his lips. She was bursting through the seams with joy at finally having Star with them, it almost seemed like her heart was dancing.

Alana nodded and rubbed her eyes, smudging some of her makeup, Phinx was sure that somewhere in the crowd her stylist was screaming obscenities because of the smudged make ups

---

Quickly reaching for something that didn't seem to be there, Phenix tapped his left thigh in a split moment of confusion, Glancing down, he sighed. He usually carried a cloth in his pocket, though it had been removed for an idea of organization. Instead, he settled for taking a bit of his sleeve and cleaning up Alana as best he could. The smudging was almost forgettable. Almost.

Naturally, the child was very confused as to why he was suddenly cleaning her face, and due to that Alana scrunched up her face as he tried to clean her up.

---

Scratching her cheek, Narukami laughed embarrassed. "I got angry." She admitted, hesitating before elaborating a bit. "Hated how they laughed... He spent so much time learning- teaching- showing us to speak with him." Her shrug was a bit helpless but her smile was softer, less strained. She hesitated for a moment before asking a bit softer. "Your interview- said- had alliance. With me. You... still want to be allies?"

---

Happily returning the kiss, Sorrento had to draw back when his name was called by Caeser. "I'm really happy for you." He managed to whisper before he straightened out his outfit and walked out onto the stage, steeling himself for the interview to come.

"Sorrento, what a pleasure. If I remember correctly, your score on the evaluation was quite high! A 10. Mind sharing with the audience your tricks?" Caeser asked, and if Sorrento looked hard enough, he could see that the other was shaking slightly, no doubt exhausted and apprehensive after the barrage of criticism from the other tributes.

Deciding to play nice for now, Sorrento inclined his head with a sweet smile. "Why of course. I'm a fishermen so I know all types of knots, ones that are impossible to unite without cutting it, ones that will only tighten the harder one struggles, ones to break bones. Combined with my powers of echolocation, I can quickly chase anyone down and finish them off with anything that can be tied. Vines, seaweed, tree bark, whatever can be found I will use. I believe its this unique set of skills that the game makers saw in me and graciously gave me a high mark." The words tasted like ash on his tongue but he forced them out anyways, knowing that the sucking up to the president would pay off later on. If it was to protect Ariel and her newfound happiness he would do anything, even become hated among the tributes.

There was cheering from the crowds as Caesar let out an amused bark of laughter and Sorrento could see the moment the emcee relaxed as he perceived him as less of a threat than the other tributes. "Well I do hope that you don't disappoint within the arena." Caesar winked patting Sorrento's knee in a sickening attempt at comradary. "Now as we all know, you volunteered in place of someone. A very special someone. Could you tell us a bit about him?"

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, Caesar. I could go on and on about him for years." Sorrento joked, sending a ripple of awwww across the stadium. "That was my husband. We've known each other since childhood and as cheesy as it sounds we are made for each other. He... he's the sun, the moon, and the stars. He's the Poseidon to my Nerites. I would die for him and I would live for him. The only other people that comes close to comparing to him would be my wife and children but they are their own people and have their own aspects that I adore." If he wasn't already married to Julian, it would have been disgusting how fondly he spoke of him. It was clear to anyone that Sorrento loved his husband deeply, a soft look passing over his face as he spoke full of love and adoration.

"A wife?" Caesar asked, leaning forward a bit. "Is it hard then to trust your spouses then? After all, what is to say that they won't find another?"

There was a moment of heavy silence before Sorrento sighed. "Caesar you really must learn how to be more tactful." He sighed, lacing his hands together. "Relationships are odd. You have to work to make sure that you both are happy and the relationship is mutually beneficial. This goes double when you have more than one partner. I trust that both of them will talk to me about things, and I trust that the three of us will sit down and talk it over like the adults we are. My partner's happiness is important to me and I know that we all love each other no matter what. After all, they always had so much love to give, it was impossible to just contain it to one person."

The buzzer sounded and in the end the atmosphere was both tense but soft at the same time, the crowd undeniably invested in Sorrento yet still reeling from the more unconventional relationship he had.

---

Phenix chuckled, wiping off a little more of the makeup before saying, "There." After a moment, he sighed, leaning back against the seat. "Now you're presentable again," he said towards the ceiling. His smile didn't leave, though. Despite how tired he looked, the kind grin never dared to even flicker.



---

T'val laughed, but only after nodding in a sort of attempt at comfort. She knew what it was like to know, even love somebody who wanted laughed at. "I'd love to stay allies. After all, you're the only friend that I really have here." After a moment, she continued. "And you yelled at me to quit with the nervous nail biting, so I'd hate to be your enemy," she joked.

"Up next is Faith!" Cesar calls. Applauds spills through the crowd. Everyone was eager to meet Faith and see baby Charlie again.

Faith sighed and disentangled herself from her husband before walking on stage with baby charlie in her arms. Giving him a polite nod Faith seated herself.

"You did great hun," Ariel purred at him once he had come back, she then frowned a bit. "It's unfair that they're making Faith's baby go into the arena."

---

"So Faith, I'm sure we are all dying to know. Who is this?" Cesar asks, nodding his head down towards Charlie.

Faith lightly laughed at Cesar's humor. "Charlie. Her name is Charlie."

---

A few people aww at this. "Charlie is very adorable" Cesar comments politely. "Tell us Faith, are you nervous for going to the arena with baby Charlie?"

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Faith admits truthfully. "Any good parent would be terrified of losing their child to these games, but then to thrown into the arena with your child does make things much more complicated."

---

Sympathetic awws ripple through the crowd. Even Cesar gives her a pitied look. "Final question Faith, what are your plans for after the arena?"

"Go home and tend to my family." Faith says. The buzzer sounds and Faith heads off after a final round of applause.

Another tribute was called up and at first, things were fine. It wasn't until Cesar made the mistake of asking about the male tribute's talent did tribute sing...and by sing, it was more of a screechy cat and a very out-of-tune violin playing at the same time. The audience reasonably got mad, many "boo"ing and several even throwing items on the stage. One managed to hit the tribute in the face with a bottle which shattered upon contact with the boy's face. He ran off stage clutching his face just as the buzzer went off.

Cesar struggled to calm the crowd as he called Alana's name and the child poked her head out from behind the curtains, a bottle flew past her head missing her by inches. Forcing herself to calm her quiet voice cut through the crowd like a knife, silencing them.

"I maybe normal, but I'm no average girl. . .
There's no one like me in this Pokemon world. . .
So choose me, baby. Come on, give me a whirl.
I'll be your. . .Heart! Your Soul, your Diamond, and Pearl!"

She walked out as if by second nature she allowed herself to be lost within the song as she performed for the crowd. When the song had finished she sat in the chair, her feet not even touching the ground, her tail from behind her flicking about, clearly proud of herself.

(*Her song~ Obviously it'll be tweaked because she's still a kid so. . . She actually "learned" it from her mother.)

---

Friend. She still wanted to be friends with her. The idea of that made Narukami tear up slightly before it was quickly blinked away to make way for a beaming smile. When was the last time someone had been friends with her and hadn't been repulsed when the seemingly delicate princess turned out to be a knight who had a mean punch honed through years of school yard fights. Regardless, she did shake her head gently patting T'val's hands making sure to not touch any of her afterimages. "Even if not allies, never enemies." She assured, talking slowly becoming easier as her mind and body slowly easing out of the stressful situation through the occasional looks still had pinpricks running down her back

---

"I agree... But the alternative is that they hold her child over her and make Faith do whatever the Capital wants." He sighed, feeling much too old for this.

---

T'val's grin only widened, the hope that, even if they weren't allies, they could never be enemies, ringing in her head like the tolling of a mighty bell.


---


Cesar gaped for a moment, before grinning at the crowd. "Well how about that? Alana, before we begin, where did you learn that.. Wonderful song?"

Lifei lets out a giggle, before going to find Zahara “Your interview, was just amazing, darlin’. Oh, the look on their faces. Priceless.” Lifei sang out, a chorus of praise. Echo, too went to find her along with Lifei. “You were amazing out there” Echo said, smiling. “What do you think of all the other opponents here? Do you think we can get information from them? How about possible threats?” Echo asked, rapidly firing questions. She was curious, and had her own opinions, but she also wanted to know what Zahara thought

---

"Well, I learned it from my mothers." Alana looked like she was proud of herself. "They sing it a lot to other people sometimes."

---

Zahara's eyes gleam with pride. "To be honest, I was just releasing my built up tension... And doing what I wanted you two to do." Her eyes widen slightly when Echo mentions opponents. "Er, I wasn't really listening" she replies honestly. "I'm sure we'll be okay, if anybody wants to kill us, I'll be the first to know."
.....
Maci had quietly been listening to the tributes from her own little corner. To her astonishment, she hasn't been spotted by Peacekeepers yet. Still, she knew she couldn't avoid them forever. They were definitely going to give her a high dose of medicine in the arena and possibly target her. She lowers her head into her lap, automatically fearing for Shiloh. What will happen to her? Hopefully she'll be able to talk to Shiloh before the arena starts... When she hears Shiloh's name she raises her head up and silently cheers for her.
.....
"Your mother was a very talented person then" Cesar says with a smile. "Tell us Alana, you have a very wide variety of powers. How do they work exactly?"