Forum Thread

"Well, I'm not very good at controlling them yet. . ." Alana explained slowly making a small flower form in the palm of her hands, the petals twirled a little. "They're a bit hard to explain."

Ariel looked at Star the Sorrento. "I hear they have a pool on the roof. Shall we go check it out?"

---

"Powers can be hard to control sometimes, especially when there is more than one form. Final question Alana, you were seen interacting with multiple tributes, have you decided on an alliance yet?" Cesar asks

"Not really," Alana admitted. "Though I do like Phenix, he's like the brother I never had."

---

The crowd awws at this. After that, the buzzer goes off, signalling the end of this interview. "Thank you Alana, let's give her a round of applause!" Cesar calls out encouragingly. The crowd eagerly applauds Alana offstage. "That is it for this years interviews! This is Little Cesar's Pizza™ speaking, I bid all of you a great night! All of us shall anxiously await the day of the arena!"

As the interviews came to a close, Narukami let her shoulders sag energy slipping out of her all at once and it felt like she was unraveling at the seams, the sheer humiliation of passing out in public the only thing keeping her together. It was rare of her to drop like this but she figured it was warranted after such a fraught day. Tomorrow would be even more stressful, and Narukami didn't know what to feel for the last night she would be alive. While she wasn't the type to be pessimistic, she still liked to look at life in a realistic light and that realism of hers told her that it was most likely that she would die in the bloodbath tomorrow even with a partner. She was strong, yes, but from the interview today she could tell that the rest of the tributes had powers that they could use to their advantage that would override her physical prowess. Her weather control was rusty and unrefined at best and she evidently hadn't gotten any sponsors from her performance today. It would be difficult to survive with these conditions in place.

---

He nodded, lacing his fingers with Ariel. "As long as you want to." He agreed easily.

---

Ariel, Star, and Sorrento went up and swam to take their minds off tomorrow and what it would bring. Blood, violence, surviving. When they had tired themselves they all headed straight to Sorrento and Ariel's shared room and curled up on the bed and fell asleep in the arms of each other, Ariel in the middle, Star on Ariel's left and Sorrento in his usual place on Ariel's right.

Each tribute was roused by his or her mentor and given part of what they'd be wearing in the arena to change into: A wet suit (the men get the blue ones and the women the rose-colored, just ignore the flora pattern.) and a pair of water shoes.

Once dressed, they were sent to a hover craft, and once seated they had something injected into their arm. Their tracker someone said.

They were then transported to the arena's underground paths that would lead each tribute to their individual chamber, or the Launch Room. They would be the only ones to use this room. Once there, they were met by his or her stylist and were each given a pair of wet gloves.

Now they just had to wait for the call. The call to be put in the worst few moments of their life.

---

Phenix had tried to find Alana before they were isolated and injected with trackers, though with little luck. The wetsuit was tight and slightly restricting, and the accompanying gloves and shoes were awkward to wear. His stylist also offered something else, a charm made of silver. Taking the charm with some amount of regret, he tucked it into his collar for safekeeping. The wetsuit was skintight enough that it would stay, even if he were swimming or running. Then, all that came was the waiting.


---


T'val had been nervous, with the constant movement of the hovercraft and the need for somebody to press a needle through her skin. What would happen if they were caught by an afterimage? Well, T'val knew what would happen. But, there were no glimpses of eyes going dark, or of any harm coming to any of the people in the hovercraft. Upon arrival to the little room below the arena, her stylist presented a bracelet with a small eye charm on it. Applying the jewelry with a bit of hesitation, she suddenly wondered if it would hinder her in the arena. Shaking the thought away, she sat and waited for Launch.

Zahara is quite happy with the color of her wet suit. "I look good in red" she tells her stylist, remembering how she looked last night. She sits in her chamber boredly. She is nervous, but only for Echo and Lifei. She hated to admit it, but she was starting to care for the two, she wouldn't want anything bad to happen to them.
Then there was a much darker side to her. It's teeth were bared and it's eyes were wide and wild. It was like a creature that smelled blood and lusted for the taste of it. She wanted to put on a show for the Capitol, she wanted to show them her true power and what would happen to them if she survived.
....
Maci had gotten both a tracker and- as she expected- a high dose of 'medicine,' almost double of what she usually receives. She finds that it takes almost all of her energy to keep her balance and walk correctly. She falls forward once she steps into her chamber, but luckily, is caught by her stylist.
"I hate to see you like this Maci" her stylist tells her as he helps her to the launch room.
"I'll be fine once this wears off" Maci tells him. She doesn't mention how scared she is, especially to be in this vulnerable state right before the Games will truly start.
"You don't need to wait" her stylist says. "You can fight off this poison- because that's what your 'medicine' basically is, a poison. You've always been able to, whenever you knew it or not. That's why you need to take multiple doses everyday."
"How can you be so certain of that?" Maci asks in disbelief.
"My power is similar to yours. I can sense the strength of the powers around me. Although other than you, I can't manipulate them. I can see the fluctuate in your powers. Your powers are like a chained tiger right now- strong and dangerous, but trapped. Instead of fighting to find your powers, you must break the hold you placed on yourself."
"How?" Maci asks.
"You'll have to find out yourself. I'm sorry I can't be any more help, but you are close to breaking the hold you placed on yourself." the stylist sighs. "One more thing, you have to know this, your cousin, Asher, he isn't dead. But your uncle-"
"I know" Maci tells him. Her stylist sighs in relief. "Thank you, thank you for everything." She offers him a smile. All if this information was dangerous to reveal to her. She can't help but appreciate his bravery.
"Stay strong my little swan." Her stylist pulls her in for a hug before stepping back, knowing that the barrier will close between them, and she'll be lifted into the arena.

Alana was all curled up on the bench that she had been provided, the fur on her tail and ears were on end and the child was easily uneasy. Her stylist gently storked her back, which she found comforting as she waited for the annumcement.

---

Shiloh had stayed by the door, a mess of tears and panic and nearly hyperventilating until a Peacekeeper found her, and moved her to her room, her knees buckling and her shoulders shaking. She collapsed on the bed, holding a pillow tightly to her chest as she rocked back and forth slowly, memories of her uncle and her brother rushing through.

December 24th 30xx 10:00 pm
It had been a long Christmas night. The 14-year-old girl had been working much harder than any teenager should, being the only cook in the restaurant. She could barely hang up her apron, her arms were shaking so badly. But she sat down on the wooden, scratched stool, the decorative pain long faded away, leaving a strange white coat. She ran her hands through her hair, staring at the tile wall. Shiloh knew that things were tough. This wouldn't be a Christmas like before. But she was okay with that. "Knock Knock," a familiar voice said, and she turned to see Ian poking his head through the swinging door, his hands on the frame, his body blocking the door from swinging shut. He had the goofiest grin on his face, as he asked, in a voice that sounded like he was trying not to giggle, "Why the long face? C'mon, I've got a surprise for you!" he said the last part in a sing-song voice. She stood up, curious, and walked towards him. He grabbed her wrist, pulled her close to him, covering her eyes with his hands. She tried to move his hand, but he clicked his tongue. "No no no, that'll ruin the surprise!" He led her further through, and Shiloh relaxed, letting the sound of his voice guide her. Eventually, he moved his hands away, and Shiloh blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the sudden change of lighting. Her uncle sat on the opposite end of a table, laid out with food. He grinned. "Merry Christmas, Shi. It's just like they made it." Shiloh covered her mouth with her hands, tears pooling in her eyes. Ian placed a hand on her shoulder and led her forward. "C'mon, we made this ourselves." As he pulled the chair away from the table, he handed her the notepad and pen he used to take orders. "Tell us what you think!" She took the pen and paper, hesitated, then wrote, "I'll never forget this. It's just like the memories. Also, please don't ever cook without my supervision again, I'm already nervous." This earned laughs from both her uncle and Ian, as they sat down to eat, just like they had before.

...
Shiloh cringed at the sight of the needle, but she held still as the tracker was injected into her arm. She couldn't fight it. She didn't have a choice. Her stylist didn't say much of anything, but she caught his eyes going towards the bandages around her mouth many times. She knew that like a lot of people, he was pitying her. She hated that. Shiloh had worn the bandages to distract from that, but nothing she did would stop it. She stared straight ahead, not making eye contact with anyone. Soon, she would either die or live in the arena. But maybe, with this new knowledge of her ability, she would have a chance after all.

---

Mare stared at her stylist. After getting into the required outfit, she was sitting quietly on the floor. "You'll understand this in due time." her stylist said, placing an odd looking circular thing into her palm. It had grooves along the edges and was small enough for her to slip into her glove. "Th-thank you." she says hesitantly, unsure of what this was supposed to be. "Why?" she asks quietly. Her stylist gives her a hard look. "If you're too make it out alive..." he began hesitantly. "which I do hope you do, as I've taken a liking to you, you'll understand the key to escaping your own head is to find a way out." Mare wrinkles her nose. "What does that mean?"[i] she wonders. "Of course the way to escape something is to find the way out, what is that supposed to mean...?"[/i] she closes her eyes for a moment before standing up. "Thank you." she says, more sure of herself. She slips the thing inside her glove, wincing as it pinches her skin.

---

Narukami was quiet during the trip, thumb gently running over the token that she had been given. It was a necklace, made of pure silver as her designer had claimed, with a matching charm of a Knight chess piece. It was kind of cute, distracting her from how much she viscerally hated the outfit she was given. The tight clothes felt more revealing than anything, encasing her body in a look that was made to show off exactly how odd it was. Sure, she looked more threatening with the muscles she liked to hide on full display but it only made her all the higher on other tributes' kill lists. Looping the necklace around her wrist and rubbing where the tracker had been injected into, Narukami glanced out at the elevator that would carry her towards her demise

---

Sorrento didn't have a plan. Well, he did and that was to keep Ariel safe but apart from that he was a loss for what to do. He did talk to a few other tributes and managed to convince a few to die on their own terms rather than on the capital's terms but what those people would do would be up to them. He could only hope that whatever happened it would be to their benefit.

---

Alana got up from the bench as a kind woman's voice stated that it was time for luanch. She stepped into her tube and the glass shut behind her, sealing her from her stylist, who nodded at her as if to encourage her. Then it started to rise, for about fiffteen seconds Alana was in the dark before she was pushed up and into the arena. She struggled to see for a moment, blinking rapidly, but then she could see.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Claudius Templesmith's voice booms around the tributes through hidden speakers. "Let the Hunger Games begin!" 60 seconds to get a look at the tributes, standing equal distance from the golden horn, the Cornucopia, that was filled supplies that would keep them alive. Stepping a second before the time was up would mean death, as the landmines around the metal plates would go off.

Ariel blinked as she got a look at the arena to the best of her ability. It took her a moment to register the area around her. Water lapped at her plate, it took her a moment to place it as saltwater, maybe the ocean? Next to her was Star who nodded at her in understanding. Everyone else was paired as well. On the island was the golden Cornucopia and inside were weapons and supplies that would give them life in here.

(So everyone has to swim to the island. . .they're about 5 feet from it)

---

Phenix blinked at the light, shading his eyes. Glancing around, he quickly spotted what appeared to be aquatic mines around his plate in the water. Surely, they'd be drawn into the sea floor when the timer went down. Staring at the water, he adjusted his pose for a more efficient leap into the water.


---


T'val quickly looked around for Narukami, spotting her quickly nearby. She wasn't sure if the other Tribute saw her, but a quick wave at the model would either confirm her fears or crush them.



60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55...

Echo twirled around in her wet suit. Red is a bit bright, but at least it’s pretty” she told her stylist, as he pulled her hair into a neat bun. “You know, I met someone like you before. She was slightly weaker than you, but you both possess the same aura, the same powers. Your willpower, determination, stubbornness and wit, alongside your sarcasm...” a tear leaked from his eye. “I’m sorry, you just remind me so much of my sister...she died a few years back, in a nuclear accident. She was a lab subject...” Echo frowned slightly, before creating shadow animals to try and cheer him up. However, he simply sobbed more loudly. “She...she did that for me too.” He mumbled.

Lifei on the other hand, was simply...well, munching on a cookie, wherever it came from. Her stylist was looking at her in shock. She had been munching on it for a very long time

54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48 Oh, a water island. This was slightly different, but oh well. The pair waved to Zahara, as they prepared to swim over. Lifei had impeccable stamina, so she wasn’t too worried. She could swim more than 50 meters in less than a minute, this was merely a joke to her. Though water abilities had advantages too...

---

The first thing that Sorrento noticed when he finally opened his eyes after the blinding brightness was water. A whole stretch of water that reminded him of the days he would go out to sea and spend the day fishing. Beside him was a tribute that he had spoken to before and gave the tribute a warm smile. His eyes then scanned the ring, spotting Ariel and Star not too far from him. With his goal clear in mind, he crouched down into a traditional starter's dive, left foot forward as he readied himself to swim towards the island he could see that seemed to be their arena for the year.

---

She could feel the pressure roaring in her ears, heart beating quickly as the adrenaline rushed through her body. It was an exhilarating and familiar feeling and she almost missed the quick wave given to her. Her eyes darted towards the motion like a shark that had smelt blood but her high strung tension dropped slightly at the sight of T'val and she grinned in return giving her a wave as well. As the clock ticked down to her death, Narukami's hand finger spelled one last message for her mates before she closed her eyes and let her mind sharpen under the thrill of an incoming fight for her life

47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 30

---

As the ground underneath Maci raises into the air she catches movement on the corner of her eye. A flash of light. She turns around just in time to see her stylist dodge a strange flaming ability. He glances up at Maci, winks and disappears. She watches all of this with wide eyes. Was her stylist lying about his powers? That didn't matter, what mattered was that he was safe from the Capitol's assignation attempt. He had truly risked his life for her by revealing all that stuff. Was he even right about that stuff? What if it was fake? She shakes her head at her thoughts. Everything he told her had to be real...
Wind hits her face when she surfaces in the arena. She gasps at the water around her. "No" she whispers. She would never be able to make it to land. Not with her strength! Or more, her lack of it.. she moves her gaze over to Faith, who would need to somehow protect Charlie. To Ariel, who was pregnant, to Shiloh. Would Shiloh be okay? If they could do it, then she could too. She would have to survive this to help protect Shiloh! She takes a deep breath and watches the clock.
39, 38, 37, 36, 35..
.....
Zahara spots Echo and Lifei right away and waves back at them. She smiles at the water, oh it's been so long since she swam. It brought back good memories of the few times she went to the pool when she was just a toddler.
Wait...
Could she even swim!? She glaces back at the pair and waves her arms like crazy. She mimes swimming and shakes her head no, hoping they'll get what she is hinting at. She refused to die this early in the Games. No, nature wouldn't be the death of her! How was she supposed to make it to the other side? She glances at the boy on her left, smiling mischievously when she senses a negative emotion flowing off him- he was watching her too, with the intent to kill. She changes that intent to kill with an intent to help. He would help her reach land, or die trying.
34, 33, 32, 31, 30....

29, 28, 27, 26, 25. Echo doesn’t notice Zahara’s hand waving, but Lifei does. Lifei grins, nodding her head, flashing her a smile, signing that she would help. Glancing at the boy near Zahara, she bared her fangs at him, but it was turned into a smile. Zahara could put her powers to very good use. “:D” she wrote on the glass door thingy, after misting it. “Good luck” she wrote next.This was to all of the tributes, not just Zahara

---

24, 23, 22, 21, 20

Shiloh hadn't expected this. She...didn't know how to swim. She was aware that staying on the platform would mean death in itself, but would she rather drown? No. All she had to do was try to keep her head above the water. That would save her. Despite all that she had said, Shiloh really, really didn't want to die. If she was being truthful, she was afraid of dying. Of never being able to see Ian. Of course, it would mean being with her parents, but not now. She wanted to live the life that she still had. The future that she could have with Ian. So, that meant, she had to do whatever she could to get back to him. The promise on the rooftop. She'd never leave him like that because she had promised to love him forever. She had to do this. Even if it meant using that terrible power again.

---

19, 18, 17, 16, 15,

"Are those... armored bracers?" Mare wondered, narrowing her eyes in an attempt to identify what looks like a pair of gloves lying by the cornucopia. She squints, attempting to make out the shape, but sighing. Judging by the distance, she was sure she could make it to the cornucopia in a minute tops. Well, as long as she went specter under water. But it was harder in the water... Mare looks around, searching for Yurei. Yurei waves and signs something. "Armored bracers!" Mare nods, to show she understands.

---