Forum Thread

Tayla is quick to act intimated. She takes a step back from Ibaraki and raises up her hands in surrender. "Wait! Wait! Don't hurt me please!" She tells Ibaraki while widening her eyes. "I promise I wasn't trying to hurt your friend. Right Cree?" She shoots Cree a look that says help me out here will you?

Cree nodded at Tayla's question, then set a hand on Ibaraki's head, trying to settle the younger Tribute and drawing him a little closer. Pointing at Tayla, Cree spoke one word. "Hhhhhhh.... Explain." It wasn't a request. Cree's hoarse voice had gained an edge of fondness when the smaller boy arrived, as if this Tribute were something irreplaceable. In Cree's mind, he was. Ibaraki was one of the first who had actually approached the twisted creature of Cree, much less to talk to him instead of just wanting to get a "closer look."

Tayla's features soften at the sudden change in Cree's demeanor. It was obvious that he cared for the young boy. This only confirmed her suspicions. There were no bad people here, only victims of circumstance. This was going to make things rather difficult. "I was simply requesting an alliance with Cree and my team. You see, I need some help protecting my friend over there-" again, she pauses to point to Charlie. "I was hoping that you and Cree could help me protect her. Would that be alright with you?"

As the parade got started, the tributes were ushered into their chariots and got ready. Finally once the anthem started they rolled out and headed towards the President's mansion. Akane and Jeremy were together, much to their relief. Charlie and Moona were paired together.

They circled the mansion twice before finally stopping in front where President Snow himself was on the balcony, his amber eyes held their gaze upon the tributes, though they held onto Moona with intent of some sort for a few moments.

---

Even with the reassurance, Ibaraki didn't seem quite convinced. But at least the growling stopped as the child finally spoke. "Y-you are not going to bully Cree right, ma'am? If you do, you are going to regret it and I will commit def- de- I will un-window you if you do ma'am!" Defenestration. That was the word Ibaraki was looking for but the rush of adrenaline made finding accurate vocabulary to express the threat properly quite difficult. It didn't help that Ibaraki insisted on calling Tayla "ma'am", the added layer of formality almost comedic amongst the threats. The angry look that was given really didn't help as Ibaraki's eyes flickered over to Charlie. That was the other kid Ibaraki's age and a scowl flickered for a moment. Before anything more could be said, however, the group was ushered into chariots. Resolving to keep a close eye on Tayla and Charlie, Ibaraki was herded into a chariot. It was kind of scary to be riding in it and Ibaraki kept a white knuckled grip on the edge of the cart, not that one could tell with the sleeves covering said hands. The presidents speech didn't quite register in the child's mind, the boring words going through one ear and exiting out the other.

---

Tayla didn't even get a chance to assure Ibaraki that she wasn't going to bully Cree because they were forced to move onto the chariots. Tayla didn't really pay much attention to who was riding next to her, she was more focused on keeping an eye on Charlie, Ibaraki and Cree... And keeping an eye peeled for Ashely. Tayla grumbles something about tearing her own brain apart under her breath and pinches the bridge of her nose in obvious irritation.

The cloak does nothing to warm her arms whenever they ride against the wind. Instead it flaps uselessly behind her in the wind, showing off her fake revolvers. Tayla is once again reminded of the accuracy of her stylist's vision, this was yet another mystery she would later have to solve.

Because she was so consumed in her own thoughts, Tayla doesn't even notice President Snow's presence. Although if she were being honest, she would've ignored him anyway. While she hated Snow, she didn't think that he was worthy of her attention.

As the chariots finally made their way back the tributes were ushered up to their combined rooms for where they'd be staying up into the arena. Charlie and Moona found themselves roomed up with Tayla. Charlie almost right away ran towards her bed and jumped onto it, almost sinking into the pillows and comforter upon impact.

Akane and Jeremy were roomed with each other and Ibaraki. Akane and Jeremy were the first ones to arrive and Akane went to shower off the makeup. Jeremy sat on his bed and laid back on it, sighing as he waited for Akane to finished.

(have fun guys! Everyone room with another person, either NPC or not!)

---

Unsurprisingly, Tayla hadn't even noticed that the chariot ride had ended until a few other tributes stepped off their chariots, the sudden new movement quickly caught Tayla's attention. She was quick to tear off her cloak and leave it behind on the chariot, but not before retrieving the photograph from the pocket.

The first thing Tayla does is wander the halls for as far as she can possibly go before being shooed back. It was clear that they didn't have free roam of the whole building, which was to be expected. Still, Tayla was quite dissatisfied with how small the area seemed. How was she supposed to track down Ashley in this small area?

But lady luck was with her. Because that's when she notices a few girls dressed like servants moving down towards what looked like a cafeteria. One girl sticks out amongst the rest. She practically matched the description from the photo. Short brown hair and green eyes, amongst other less distinct facial features. Tayla refused to get her hopes up, it was pretty unlikely that the Capitol would allow Ashley to look the same. This could just be a coincidence. The girl passes a tray over to an older girl. Strangely enough, the two barely acknowledge each other. They simply stare at each other for a few seconds and then nod at each other. Tayla starts to speedwalk after the younger girl and quickly catches up with her. "Ashley!?" She shouts out.

The girl, presumably Ashley, tenses up suddenly. When she glances back to look at Tayla, there is pure terror in her eyes. She releases a sound that sounds like a choked gasp and suddenly races away from Tayla. But Tayla was faster and had managed to grab her arm before she could flee. "Wait- just calm down I'm not-" Tayla is silenced by Ashely once again making what sounds like a choking sound, although this time it was louder, was she screaming? Ashley starts to hit Tayla in a desperate attempt to free herself. Tayla catches her other hand and shouts: "Your mother sent me!"

Ashley suddenly stops fighting but stares at Tayla with both a venomous and suspicious glare. "Here is proof, this belonged to your mother!" Tayla releases one of Ashley's hands to show her the photo. Tayla is silently thankful that they hadn't been allowed to say goodbye to anyone before entering the train. Otherwise, she would've returned the photo to the mother. Ashley cautiously takes the photo from Tayla's hand and stares at it. Tears were quickly filling her eyes when she realized that the photo was authentic. "She sent me here to save you." Ashley's eyes snap up to stare at Tayla, there was disbelief in her gaze. "I don't know how I'll do it just yet," Tayla admits, which causes Ashley's shoulders to sag down in disappointment. "But I'll figure it out, I promise. I swear on my life, you will leave this place alive." Ashley opens and closes her mouth before shaking her head. It was obvious that Ashley didn't believe Tayla. She offers Tayla an obviously forced thankful smile before pocketing the photo and continuing down the hallway.

This time, Tayla doesn't bother chasing her down. Tayla had expected many different scenarios, expecting both the positive and negative, but this interaction was still unexpected. She had no idea whenever or not to call this progress. No, this wasn't progress! She should've been prepared! Should've had a plan! She was being sloppy. Being sloppy could get you killed. Think Tayla think Tayla scolds herself as she walks to her shared room.

Faith sighs, after hearing Mayor Snow’s stupid stupid speech about peace and poverty or something about that. She was paired with Natalia, obviously, and the pair walked into the room. Faith immediately left for a walk, admiring the place as much as she could without smashing it. Natalia wandered off, trying to find a library. She had her book confiscated from her earlier on, having used it to smack a Peacekeeper. Faith realised after a while, that she had left her mother’s special necklace— of a werewolf, back in her room. She briskly walked over to a door, and tried to open it. Faith was puzzled. She didn’t lock the door, and why would Natalia want to lock it? She gave three sharp knocks, before silently mumbling “Alohmora”, unlocking the door by herself. “Huh, What are you doing here?” She asked Moona, still thinking that this was her room

---

Moona looked up at Faith in confusion. "But. . .this room is mine, Charlie, and Tayla's?" Her voice had dipped up in confusion, a quick glance at the small name holder next to the door revealed that Moona was right. This wasn't Faith's. "Maybe yours is nearby."

From behind, Charlie sat up on her bed and looked over at the two in conversation with confusion.

---

Hopping down from the chariot, Ibaraki stumbled and fell as shaking knees failed the child. The heavy fabric and rattling motions had done more than enough to make the child nauseated and it didn't help that the capital workers didn't pay the child much mind. Resolutely getting back up, Ibaraki waved away any attempts at help. it would be okay, Ibaraki wouldn't cry. It didn't hurt that much. Or at least that was what the child repeated as stumbling steps carried Ibaraki towards the rooms. All the child wanted was just to sleep, too tired to keep up appearances by covering up the grotesque exposed flesh. At least Ibaraki remembered to bid Cree goodnight, totting over to give one spindly arm a firm hug. "Goodnight, Cree. Rest well. Tomorrow, let us do our best." With that earnest wish out of the way, Ibaraki quickly skittered away to find the assigned room, already feeling heavy eyelids drooping.

Here lay the problem, however. Ibaraki didn't know how to read. Yes, Dad gave lots and lots of cool lessons on lots of stuff but reading lessons were never part of the home curriculum. So instead Ibaraki had to meekly ask another capital worker to show the child the assigned room. Imagine Ibaraki's shock, however, when the room was already occupied with a weird looking man with a mop of brown hair. Golden eyes widened in surprise and with a squeaked out apology, Ibaraki quickly closed the door. Leaning against the wood with heavy panting breaths, the child looked around wildly. Did the servant get the room wrong? Gnawing on a lip, Ibaraki cautiously stepped away from the door, eyes still scanning the hallway for anyone who could possibly help in this unprecedented situation.

---

Faith frowns, mumbling “Aparecium”. She frowns again, before looking at Charlie and Moona, before mumbling, glazedly “I must be dreaming. EXPECTO PATRONUM” she mumbles, before stroking something huge and cat like. “go find Natalia, all right? Make sure she doesn’t kill the Peacekeepers. Knowing her, she certainly will if she can.” She then blushes at using so much magic in front of the pair, hurriedly turning on the spot and disappearing.

---

Jeremy sat up at the sudden apology as if it had upset him, even though he wasn't, if anything it had taken him by surprise.

Akane had gotten out of the shower and was dressed in a modest faded blue nightgown. "Jere? What was that?"

"One of the kids here might've mistaken our room for his," Jeremy explained.

Akane nodded. "Shower's open if you want it." Jeremy nodded and headed that way. Once he had gone she walked to the door and opened it, where Ibaraki was still trying to find someone to help him. Akane squatted so that she was his height, "hey kiddo, are you lost?" Akane's tone was calm and friendly, she offered a small kind smile, but she stayed in her spot not wanting to intimidate him in any way.

---

The moment the door creaked open, Ibaraki hastily covered ghastly cheeks with oversized sleeves, keeping the unsavory parts away from sight. Shrinking away from Akane, Ibaraki seemed to asses the situation. The lady seemed nice enough and wasn't as weird as the man from before but on the other hand, Ibaraki was very firmly convinced that this was the wrong room. So a firm shake of the head was given. Ibaraki was absolutely not lost, just given incorrect information. With that misunderstanding out of the way, the child glared at the unfamiliar woman and slowly shuffled away putting more space between them. While Akane looked nice enough, there was simply no knowing other people's intentions. That's what Dad said.

---

Stepping off the charriot, Molly let out a yawn and sauntered through the hallways. His room was close enough thankfully and opened the door to his room. There didn't seem to be anyone in his room yet and though there were other names inscribed along with his, Molly didn't stop for long enough to read who it was. Ducking into the shower was perhaps the best part of the day as through his mind formulas and medicine ran through his mind. Things that could be made from all matter of ingredients, plants, animals, even unorthodox ingredients such as stones were reviewed as he lathered shampoo through thick pastel locks. But when it was all said and done, Molly exiting the shower feeling quite refreshed, there was still worry gnawing away at the boy's heart. What if the arena turned out to have an environment that no medicine could be crafted from? What if he died during the bloodbath and couldn't save anyone? These worries raged on in his mind as he got ready for bed.

---

Akane watched Ibarki shuffle on his way then shut the door deciding to leave him be. With that taken care of her mind wandered to back home. What were Rue and Leaf doing? Were they crying over them or were they trying to be strong for their sake? Akane sighed as she sat on the bed, pulling her knees to her chest.

Jeremy came out a short while later wrapped up in a green robe. "Was he lost?"

"He insisted no with a shake of his head, but honestly I didn't pry too much into it," Akane admitted as Jeremy sat next to her.


One of the few peacekeepers saw Ibaraki wandering around and fixed him with a glare. "Why aren't you in your room?" His voice wasn't kind and he wasn't even trying to be, his hand hovered over a baton in case he needed to use it, though he doubted it.

---

There was a moment where Ibaraki simply froze, confronted by a higher authority figure. Shrinking into a small ball, less of a target for the peacekeeper to hit, Ibaraki mumbled something slowly stepping back to put distance again. That didn't exactly go over very well as the Peacekeeper only growled, eliciting a yip of surprise from the child. "I-i can't read!" Ibaraki quickly confessed, wincing at the admission of weakness. "So uh... I do not know which room is my own.... sir..." Ibaraki didn't dare mention anything else, having lifted small hands up to cover the horn like growths as well, the dangling sleeves long enough to hide the mangled cheeks as well. Golden eyes were also squeezed shut, as if Ibaraki was doing everything to hide all the weird parts that came with the curse running through young veins.

---

(Last post from me then I need to head to bed, I'm up too late as it is and I need to work at 6:30-)

There was a huff before he pulled out a tablet-like device and tapped on it a few times. "Ibaraki?" When the child nodded the Peacekeeper somewhat annoyed escorted the child to the same room he'd been shown to before. Putting the back of his glove the door opened. Jeremy and Akane looked up but didn't move from their spot, clearly taken aback by the sudden interruption.

"This is your room. You've been paired up with tribute Akane and tribute Jeremy. If you get lost, find one of them, I'm sure they'll be kind enough to help you find your way." Giving the child a pat on the shoulder he left the three alone.

---

Oh so it wasn't a mistake after all. Face coloring with embarrassment, Ibaraki kept small hands up to hide away the unpleasant oddities as the child shank away from the stares. "... 'm sorry for all the trouble." Came the mumble as golden eyes surveyed the room. It was much different from anything Ibaraki was used to. There were beds everywhere and as someone who was used to sleeping on a pull out couch bed, this was already a luxury. Quickly to avoid any more staring and to discourage any questions, Ibaraki ducked into the bathroom. There wasn't any intention of actually washing up, it was just to buy some time, but Ibaraki did kick off the too tight shoes in favor of walking around bare foot. The towels provided could be a very comfortable blanket and pillow if used wisely but first Ibaraki quickly washed off the weird paints the adults had applied on pale skin. It felt weird and the child didn't want to be sleeping with it on. With all that done, Ibaraki gathered up a face towel and a regular one, the load almost threatening to topple as Ibaraki carefully opened the door and buried the scarred face into the soft towels.

Scampering out of the bathroom, Ibaraki ignored the beds and instead picked out a corner of the room where two walls meet, giving a sense of safety. With the spot picked out, Ibaraki set to work folding up the face towel into a nice square before sitting down. This was a much nicer bed than what Ibaraki had at home but it was just comfortable enough that the child could easily sleep. The perfect combination. With the sleeping situation all sorted out, oversized sleeves reached up to start untying the braids that had been woven into fluffy hair.

---

Akane looked down at Ibaraki. "Are you sure you'll be okay sleeping down there? There is a spare bed if you want it." Her voice though concerned was still kind to the child.

---

Cree had been fairly annoyed during the slow, bumpy chariot ride. Every bounce and leap of the carriage made his want to tear away his mask and slaughter whoever had built the area. Though, the aura of malice that settled over the creature's shoulders made him wish to do so even more. A single man filled the entire area around them with so much spite that it only enraged Cree more. The handholds that his talons held suddenly crumpled under a brutal grasp, his loose jaw working a little as he struggled inside his mind. His head hurt, his legs hurt, his ears hurt as well. He wanted to be gone from here, and quickly. Though, he was gone quickly. It was unexpected, but Cree realized he might have passed out in the struggling position, only to wake up behind his Infamy in a whole new place, the carriages lurching to sudden halts before dumping their Tributes away. Cree had started making his way towards the building, slowly turning his head in search of Ibaraki, only to have the child hug his arm and scamper away, wishing the pair well for the coming day. It was an odd occurrence, though not unwelcome in any way. Soon, Cree was wandering the halls rather avidly, having already passed the room assigned to him. It seemed a bit different than the other rooms, the door made of metal and a more industrial-looking card reader affixed to the wall next to it. Cree knew he was being watched, through both cameras and living eyes behind him. The pair of Peacekeepers though they were quiet, of course, only to realize they weren't when they found the monster looming over them around a corner. A haunting sound echoed through the hallways, a series of deep, slow clicks. Cree started forward, lumbering towards the two soldiers with seemingly malicious intent. Of course, they scampered away like mice. Turning again, the Tribute started towards his unknown destination once more, another Peacekeeper shouldering past him. Cree had met no resistance yet, though he had the feeling a sudden platoon of Capitol soldiers was waiting for him soon.

---

Tyler quickly shut himself in his room, removing his torn fabrics and passionately rubbing the paint away from his face, cussing silently as the anxious impulses in his mind stopped. Simply pulling on a pair of shorts, the infected Tribute flexed his clawed hand in agitation. Silently, he muttered a single word. "Stop..." The anger slowly faded, though it still simmered under his conscious mind. A silent whisper blocked out the sound of the door opening and closing again, muttering to the host. 'You will need wrath for the arena.. Build it now, and become unstoppable there. Then you shall win, yes yes...' Tyler let out a growl. "I don't need to be angry to win in the arena." A voice chimed up from behind him.
"What?" Turning quickly, the two Tributes examined one another carefully, though the other was mostly staring at the purple flesh and brutal spikes on Tyler's arm.
"Is there a problem?"
"Err, no.. I was just-"
"Staring at what makes me different from you, I know. Tch, jacka**." The silenced the other quickly, aside from a silent mutter of apology. Without bothering to put on a shirt or anything for his feet, Tyler started for the door, hardly noticing how his claws had dug into the bedsheets and how the wall near his quarters was slowly changing color.

---

Ace had hardly stepped away from his chariot before he quickly crumpled on the ground, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around his midsection, falling sideways. His vision went black, the mimic finding himself in some kind of black void, for the third time in his life. Before him, several million eyes all slowly opened, focusing on the mimic and glaring. A voice like a speaking planet shook the area. 'Why do you dare to come before me again?' Aceph'lar fished slowly for words, soon speaking them from a more familiar mouth.
"They have denied me any access to what truly satisfies this Creature, Great One.."
'Then kill them and use them for the purpose of what they have denied you.'
"Yes, Great One. I will do as you suggest."
'Good. Return to the mimic of them, now. Feed quickly, and soon.'
"Yes, Great One. Farewell." The blackness faded into a ceiling, a Peacekeeper leaning over the Tribute and shining a light in his many eyes. Wincing at the sudden blindness, Ace covered his inhuman face and tried to push the light away. A gruff voice harrumphed, grabbing the Tribute rather roughly by the chest of his exotic outfit.
"The hell is wrong with you, kid?! F'you die, you'll ruin everything! Damn it, every single soldier here would be replaced!" Ace stayed silent, feeling the man's fist pressing rather intrusively into Ace's chest. After a moment of silence, the Peacekeeper shook the Tribute. "Well?!" Ace's eyes all flashed to crimson, their pupils turning lime green as the jaws in his chest tore the robes off of him, swallowing the fist of the Peacekeeper and severing his arm in a split second. Before the man had a chance to scream, Ace was on him, devouring the entire body of the soldier quickly and hungrily, every drop of blood floating an inch off the carpet and drifting towards the dark void in Ace's chest, vanishing into it as the Peacekeeper soon did. Without a witness, the scene would go unknown to anybody. It was simply twisted savagery combined with the need to feed that drove Ace into the brutal state, his eyes returning to their many colors as the meal ended.