ARENA 3

[chloe ; a ghost, bowties are cool.]

You go through the pleasantries with your partner and mentor. Maybe some tears were shed, and maybe you didn’t speak at all. Regardless, you are ushered into the hovercraft, where you sit with half of the tributes you might kill, or you might be killed by. Nobody speaks, nobody even really makes eye contact. You do the same, you keep your head down, and you try to put yourself into the minds of the Gamemakers, try to guess what the Arena will be like before you get there. The woman dressed in all white, covered from head to toe, requests for your arm. “Give me your arm,” she says. Reluctantly, you offer her your arm, after which she jabs the needle into you. You see a small light enter your arm, which glows for a second or two, then disappears. You are informed that this is your tracker.

When the hovercraft lands, you are ushered to the chamber with your stylist. There, you are dressed for what you hope will be success in the arena, although, with these costumes, it might be a little more than difficult. Then, you say goodbye to your stylist, maybe even a hug there. A mechanical, yet female voice announces, “Thirty seconds.” You step into the chamber, cringing at the mechanical hiss it gives when you step on. The glass closes around you, to the point where you know you can’t go back. The metal plate begins to rise, slowly, and when you near the top the light blinds you for a moment. Then, when your eyes adjust, you find that you are sitting in a relatively small clearing, right next to the twenty-four other tributes you will have to kill in order to survive.

The familiar melodic pulse echoes through the arena. You spot the Cornucopia in the middle of the clearing, only a twenty yard dash away from you. You look around wildly for allies, maybe district partners, or maybe you don’t. Maybe you just set your eyes on the Cornucopia.

10, 9, 8. Your muscles tense as you prepare to run, needing a good start in order to get any of the supplies.
7, 6, 5. You take one last glance at your fellow tributes before your mind zeroes in on the Cornucopia.
4, 3, 2, 1. The gong sounds, and the Hunger Games begin.

This arena is a maze, with a clearing in the middle. The clearing is small, much too small to stay in for long. Confrontation would be inevitable. The walls of the maze (as well as the walls that separate the clearing from the maze), are massive and made of stone. There is ivy hanging from them, but the ivy doesn’t reach the top of the walls. Even if it did, there would be a forcefield right there to kill you. So climbing over the walls is impossible, and therefore tributes will have to navigate the maze. The entire arena, including the maze, is circular, with no way out. All of the paths lead to either a dead end, the outer wall, or the clearing.

Inside the maze are several twists and turns. The Cornucopia contains no food or water. Those can only be found in chests, which are located at select dead ends in the maze. (Ammunition for the guns is also found in the chests.) There are not very many chests, only four in the whole of the maze, but these chests will refill after the tribute leaves. A tribute can only open a chest once, as the chest will deadlock for that tribute (it is opened by an iris scanner) after it is opened. They can open each chest only once, so they can open four chests total. In addition, at night, spider-like muttations roam the maze. These mutts are huge, with terrifying faces and eight, mechanical legs. They move quite fast, but can be outrun by a tribute. However, the mutts are difficult to escape, as they can track a tribute by scent. Thankfully, the muttations disappear during the day, so they are only a danger at night. At night, another thing happens in the maze. The walls shift and move, closing off or opening certain passageways to tributes. The maze will change every day, leaving the tributes guessing. If a tribute is caught in between two walls when they close together, well, there’s going to be a cannon.

You are to inform me that your tribute is to open a chest on the sponsors page, and I will post the contents on the arena.

(This arena is modeled off of James Dashner’s The Maze Runner . The differences are:
➸ the walls in the Glade do not close at night
➸ there is no Griever Hole
➸ there are chests inside the maze with supplies for tributes
➸ there is no Box)

The Cornucopia in the center of the clearing will contain the following items:
➸ twelve three guns - these guns can kill a tribute, and stun a muttation temporarily
➸ twelve six backpacks - they are completely empty

Your tribute should not know the following at the start of the arena:
➸ there are muttations in the maze
➸ the maze contains chests
➸ the maze’s walls shift at night
➸ there is a forcefield that touches the top of the stone walls

The tributes are dressed in:
Girls:
(view spoiler)[
The girls will be dressed in long sleeved t-shirts (the color is irrelevant and therefore up to you) and dark colored jeans. They will be wearing combat boots.

(The knife is not included in the costume) (hide spoiler)]

Boys:
(view spoiler)[
The boys will also be dressed in long sleeved t-shirts (again, the color is irrelevant and therefore up to you) and dark colored jeans. They also will be wearing combat boots.

(The armor and weapon are not included in the costume) (hide spoiler)]

Assorted Information:
(view spoiler)[
The muttations look like this:
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]

The clearing closely resembles this, but without the people and the large tree is swapped for the Cornucopia. It is also much smaller:
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]
(hide spoiler)]

[rimskur]

The scowl was present across of his lips nearly as soon as he was pushed inside the tube that would raise him off of the underground chamber and up into the actual arena. He was trembling slightly out of fear of finally confronting the place he held in his nightmares. This place may as well be the area where his dead body would lay still and a hovercraft would come to pick him off of whatever terrain the deranged Gamemakers had decided on this year. His arms were stiff inside of his shirt, finding himself not really complaining about this year's arena clothing. He was dressed for cooler weather with fitted black pants and warm socks tucked into black combat boots with dark colored laces. They weren't quite as stiff around his feet so he was hoping that they wouldn't be an obstacle in running. On his torso, he was dressed in a faded gray colored long-sleeved shirt, a fabric he wasn't regretting to be dressed in. His hand pressed against the tube's glass, surprised to find that his wrists and his forearms were covered with fitted gloves with open finger slots. He hadn't expected the Gamemakers to be nice in leading the tributes in any specific direction. Perhaps this wouldn't be as horrible as he had imagined.

A sudden breeze hit him as soon as he had rose from the underground chamber out into the open ground. His first instinct was to stand stock still as the cool hair brushed across of his face. He shivered, glaring around his specific area, searching the scene before him. The entire arena was incredible! He could clearly see the bright sky, clear as day with fluffy, white clouds spotting here and there. Fresh grass layered the ground, looking as natural out in the forests of District Seven. The countdown began as his eyes traced across the clearing, finding an open meadow area blocked off on all sides by a ivy covered barrier. An about five feet opening was clear across the wall, supposedly leading inside whatever it was that surrounded the meadow. Ian's eyes strained under the sharp lighting of the arena, grimacing a bit as he stared across the grass to shiny structure of the Cornucopia. A sudden gasp flew through his body as he flung himself off of the plate, hearing a gong sound the start of the arena. Blurs surrounded both sides of his eyes, not allowing him to truly see which tributes were besides, in front of, or behind him as he sprinted forward to the Cornucopia.

His entire body shook, almost trembled, as he ran, pushing his legs to the ultimate strain to get to the Cornucopia first. A sharp wind pressed against his face, almost batting at his skin as hard as he ran. His shoulders ached from the rapid movements of his arms, urging himself to complete the distance between his plate and the Corncuopia. His breath sounded like bombs in his ears, echoing loudly as he nearly rolled the last few feet until he reached the Cornucopia. Ian panted as he jabbed forward, snatching up a bag and getting a hold of a gun he had spotted. There didn't appear to be anything else there besides a repetition of the two items. It could be useful to get another gun, so his hand reached forward, stealing another weapon before creating some distance between the actual Cornucopia and the other tributes that forced their way towards him.

[chloe ; a ghost, bowties are cool.]

Tara said nothing the entire morning, her disposition icy and cold. She was focused, and, at that point, this was all just another job to her. As for alliances, based on what had happened the past few days, she assumed she had none. It was all going to plan. She had wanted to be alone in the arena, mostly because she didn't trust anyone else. However, having an ally would also just be annoying for her, because she'd have to interact with them and pretend like she cared. Tara'd had enough of that the past few days, that was for sure. She hadn't bothered with any pleasantries with her mentor or her district partner, who she hadn't bothered getting to know. She honestly didn't even remember his name, but she wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the arena remembered hers. She an amused smile flickered on her face as she stepped into the glass chamber, keeping her eyes trained upwards to catch a glimpse of the arena as soon as possible. She was ready for this, she knew that much.

The arena was large, she could tell from her first glance at the meadow. That bit of it wasn't too big, but it had little cover, which meant easy exposure. The Cornucopia seemed surprisingly barren from what she could see. She was most interested in what lay behind the massive stone walls, because there had to be something. If the entire arena was just this clearing, it would be over within a day at most. She tensed her muscles as the countdown started, preparing to leap from her pedestal and get to the Cornucopia as quickly as she could. The metallic voice echoed through the clearing, causing a flock of birds to abandon their perch. It was nearing the final number, and Tara was taking a deep breath. The countdown reached zero, and Tara was off her pedestal and running in a flash.

She sprinted as quickly as she could to get to the Cornucopia, outpacing the majority of her competition. However, she wasn't the first to arrive, and that meant she had to be quick. She was scanning the pile as soon as it was in sight, but was disappointed by the lack of options. That was it? Just guns and backpacks? She was almost surprised. Usually Cornucopias held a bounty of different items, but this one only provided two. She scooped up a gun and a backpack, and was about to run when she saw another tribute, obviously a Career, pick up an extra gun. Figuring it wouldn't hurt, Tara grabbed another weapon and was on her merry way, stuffing her second gun into the backpack as she ran. She went straight for the massive stone walls, dying to know what lay beyond them, if anything. She was debating whether or not to check for a force field as she approached the opening, her lungs burning from her long sprint. She didn't though, she just kept on running, because there was no way that the Gamemakers could make an arena so small. She burst through the entryway and into the maze, sighing in relief and slowing her pace as she did. She continued on a jog, putting some distance between her and the entryway to the maze.

[Aliya]

Delilah hadn't said anything all day. She'd walked around with a cold, hard look in her eye and a stare that could stop Snow in his track. Avoiding her mentor- she didn't give a damn as of to his advice, she wanted to come out as an original- as well as avoiding her district partner and escort had been part of the final day routine. Obviously she couldn't avoid her stylist, who at Delilah request had done her hair in a purposely wedding style messy bun. Just something that would remind her of her luxurious Capitol and District One lifestyle. Would she miss her mentor, escort, stylist, or anyone else in the Capitol? Well, the stylist maybe because she had had an amazing taste in fashion. Would she miss her family and friends in One? Not her friends, they had only been her friends because of the prestige and respect you got as being Delilah's friend. Her parents, she wouldn't miss either. Unlike many of the Career parents, they hadn't abused her in any way. They had just been fading figures in the light, who had only loved her perfect sister.

The routine of getting the tracker and being put in the tube seemed especially routine to Delilah even though she had never been in the Games before. Knowing she would be going lone wolf in the Arena, she started to make a mental plan. Run for the Cornucopia, grab extra supplies, not hesitate to kill, and run somewhere where there were no other people. Maybe everyone would forget she was even in the Arena, but no, it was impossible- based on her time with Isadora, her betrayal to Tara, argument with Ian and unsteady placement with Silver, Delilah knew she would never completely slip anybody's mind.

When the timer hit zero, she was off in a flash, one of the first people to get to the Cornucopia. Spying Tara and Ian just a bit ahead of her, she watched them gather supplies then run. Stopping for only a few moments to pick up two guns and slide a backpack onto her back, Delilah already knew this Arena would be especially exciting- the GameMakers had put only a few supplies in the Cornucopia for a reason, right? Not wasting a second and barging straight into the Maze, she took a few sharp turns, trying to find a spot that was not a dead end but still relatively hard to find.

[†Emily†]

To say Isadora was afraid was an understatement. She was absolutely terrified. Her hands were raw from clenching them together and having her nails dig into her skin. She had not said a word to anyone since waking up and entering the hovercraft. She let out a little squeak as her tracker was injected into her skin but other than that she had not uttered a word. A cold sweat had broken out on her forehead and back the minute they took off. She clenched her jaw, fighting the urge to cry. Her hands had begun to shake even if they were balled into fists. Her palms were red from her nails digging into her flesh. This distraction mechanism was an old, well used one of Isadora's. The pain from her nails digging into her skin would momentarily help her to forget that she would soon be in an Arena where her death would be inevitable. Her eyes began to fill up from both tears from the pain that she was causing herself but also from the inexplicable terror that she felt within her. Her stomach was in knots and she felt as if she were going to throw up at any moment. She staggered into the room where she would be dressed and sent up into the Arena. Her stylists tried to make her feel better but it didn't work. Their words never reached her anyway. She was too far gone to even understand what was happening. She was coaxed into clothes, the fabric felt foreign and scratchy against her skin. She swallowed hard as she heard the mechanical voice of a woman tell her she had 30 seconds to get on her plate. Hugs were given but she stood ridged in their embrace, her hands still by her sides. She took a step onto her plate and when the tube hissed shut, she whirled around, her eyes wide like a deer caught in a car's headlights. Her bottom lip began to quiver and she crumpled to the floor, her hands sliding down the glass. Loud sobs erupted from her throat as she rose up into the Arena.

The light pierced her eyes and she squeezed them shut to try and pretend she was still in the dimly lit orphanage back home. But as the numbers began to count down, her eyes shot open, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. She slowly got into a standing position and feebly try to get into a running stance. She hardly had time to process anything before the gong went off and she sprung forward. In all honesty, the only reason she had not stayed standing, petrified on her plate was that the gong had frightened her, causing her to jump forward. Once she was in action, she just ran as fast as she could to the Cornucopia. She was gasped, having trouble breathing but she made it to the Cornucopia with the first few tributes. She grabbed a gun, she almost dropped it from the weight and slung a backpack over her shoulders. She spun around, her arms shaking and weighed down by the gun she held out for protection. She didn't know if she even had an alliance. Would Ian ally with her? Or maybe Delilah? When she looked around, Delilah was already gone.

Isa was suddenly trampled by an onslaught of bodies pushing her aside. She was so small she couldn't even fight back. She struggled to shove her way through the tributes, so many just trying to get a gun or backpack. She let out a cry of fear as she fell to her knees just centimeters from the chaos. She looked up to find Ian a few feet away. She was hesitant to call out, afraid he would see her and then kill her without any thought. Isa crawled away from the Cornucopia, trying to understand where she was. She looked like a helpless puppy, her eyes wide and watery. She scrambled to get up, her gun heavy in her hand. She took a couple steps before falling again, her head spinning. She didn't feel so good and the sun seemed to be burning her quickly. She blinked, her vision not focused. She saw a blurry figure running towards her. She tried to get up again but it was no use, she had no sense of anything. Her fear was over riding her process of thinking. She tried to hold up her gun to shoot but it was held limply in her hand, utterly useless. I'm going to die.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

Silver was looking into the mirror beneth the arena, taking in evey last detail of herself. There had never really been a time in her life that she had been interested in her appearance or how she looked. But right now in this moment, it was the most important thing to her. Her rough fingers lightly traced up her arm, brushing over all the imperfections that were hidden beneath her tattoos. She traced her jaw line, feeling the jagged place when it had been broken back when she had been kidnapped. And then her gaze was on her face, all the small imperfections seeming to jump out like animals. She had never been proud of her appearance, especially because it was tattered and worn inside and out. But the realization had hit her that this may be the last time she ever saw herself. It was something she was determined to cherish.

With a heavy sigh, she had turned in her combat boots and stalked towards the glass tube, downing another glass of water along the way. She had brushed off her stying team, refusing their goodbyes and farewells. This was no time for that sappy kind of talk, for it would only turn her away from the real goal. This was the arena, and there would be no people there trying to cuddle and confort her. As the glass tube began to slide closed and she turned from her team, her memory began to bring up scenes from her kidnaping; Cigarettes being burned against her skin daily, being shoved into a cabinet and left for days, and men holding her down to do unspeakable things. And then her thoughts drifted to her years in the training center; A belt being brought down onto her bare wrists, hanging far above the ground by a cliff while trainers yelled at her to 'hold on' for an exercise, and even being electrocuted time and time again to become what they called 'tougher.'

She was never going to be taken advantage of again. This arena was hers, and she was never going to have to look back at her past, one way or another.

And then Silver's blonde hair was blowing in the wind as she emerged above. It was a square room, only grass, trees, and vines hanging upon the ghastly stone walls. Her head wipped around, taking in every nuance of the arena in the small bit of time she was given. It seemed that Ian was across on the other side of tributes, with Tara a few to her left and Isadora directky to her right. But first thing was first: She had to get to the supplies.

As the gong rang, Silver sprang off her platform and tore her way arcoss the ground to the cornucopia. Her feet flew, adrenaline spiking in her veins and giving her speed she didn't know she had. Her hands landed on the supplies at the same moment as Ian, taking two guns and a backpackin less then a few seconds. "Ian!" She called out to him, getting his attention before he took off. She was just about to move to his side when a certain little b*tch named Delilah approached, snached her items, and took off away from the tributes.

Silver was ready to pounce and take out her father's killed when she was shoved to the side by a boy tribute who had been coming in too fast. She rolled, popped back up and pulled out her two guns, taking aim and shooting at the boy who had shoved her. He howled and began to run off, seeming to not have been hit in the right place. She followed in quick persuit, moving past tributes with her sole focus on this boy who was going to pay for what he had done. And then her vision flicked to a small girl on the ground, the person that would soon be in the wounded boys way. She held up the guns, a straight and true shot firing right into the tributes back, then eatched as he face-planted dead as a log to the ground next to the girl. Silver took another step forward, head cocking at the sight of Isa. Her gun then aimed without hesitation, one eye closing as she lined up the easiest shot she would ever take. "I'm sorry about this." Silver murmered, hoping it wouldn't be as hard to pull the trigger because her heart was telling her not to.

[rimskur]

((I'll post in a bit and have Ian kinda tackle Silver maybe and then help Isa? Force the two away somewhere else when another tribute approaches, perhaps a kill off?))

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

((Sounds good to me!!:) Also, is this arena going to include the Homestead? Because it might be a fun place for them to hole up if it is!!))

[chloe ; a ghost, bowties are cool.]

((Sure, it can if you'd like.))

[Aliya]

[ haha that line about delilah this will be a fun arena for her, considering everybody hates her ]

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

((Yay!! Thanks Chloe:) And yeah it will Aliya, I have lots of comments that will soon be directed towards Deliah just dancing off the tip of my tongue!!))

[Aliya]

[ haha :) tbh i can't wait! they should so cross paths ]

[rimskur]

((Argh!!!! :/ My computer completely crashed on me and my phone just died, so I'm using tjis crappy old nook that doesn't work. Very hard to thype on...ugh okay, I'll try to find something else to post.with.))

[rimskur]

((Actually, ugh, I might just have to.post something tomorrow. My laptop.is actual shit. Unbelievable...ugh. I'll get it fixed tomorrow hopefully. ))

[Sami]

(Plz don't kill me off, I'm gonna post in the morning)

[rimskur]

His hand gripped the material of the weightless bag, jerking his head in the direction of where his name had been called out. It had been his immediate intention to go search for his allies, or technically, the one ally he had made, which was Silver. Of course, he wanted to go after Isadora, make sure she was safe and out of sight before going on some hunting party with Silver. Then, there was a completely different conflict in him concerning the two girls. They both could make great assets and he did like both of them as the people they were. But, neither of them were going to work together. Specifically, he knew for a fact that Silver would kill him along with Isadora if he tried to snatch up both of them together. It was obvious that he would have to make some choice here. The selfish choice, of course, was to take on Silver and help him survive much longer. A hollow part of him, however, wanted to go along with Isadora, making sure that none of the vicious tributes he had seen in the training center were able to deceive her into her own death.

The decision, however, was to be made in the next minute. He was forced to. Silver was yelling out at him and when he had turned to find her, the smaller girl under her gun happened to be Isadora. It was perhaps the most stupid thing he could have done in the moment, but every instinct in him knew he could give himself a third option in the two he didn't want to choose from. His mind spun as his body function without the permission and control of his brain, yanking himself forward off of the ground and tackling the other Career until both of them rolled several feet away from Isadora on the grass. Soil and grass stained his shoulders and knees as he pinned Silver down on the ground, panting heavily. "You can't kill her," Ian shook his head, his cheeks glowing red out of the sudden movements. "Just - Just...let's take her somewhere safe, let her live past the bloodbath. Then, we can go, I promise," he tried to compromise with her, remaining weary of their surroundings in case another tribute came after them.

[Sami]

As she said her last goodbyes and her stylist prepared her for her possible death, Terra realized that she was scared. She knew that she was going to have to kill people and that her herself might be killed, but she had pushed all that fear to the back of her brain during her years of training. Now that the moment was finally here, she was shaking. Hopefully she could live through this.
She stepped into the glass tube, shuddering internally as she heard the hiss of the doors closing behind her. Her heart started beating faster and faster as the tube brought her higher up, and was completely taken aback when she saw the arena. Instead of it being the forest setting she expected, all the tributes were in the center of what looked to be a maze. In the middle of the clearing, all she saw was a pile of bookbags and another pile of guns. She didn't know if she had any allies, but she knew she would have to make a break for the guns and a bag, killing anyone that got in her way.
When the gong sounded, signaling the start of the Games, she darted off her podium and ran straight for the supplies. A few tributes made it to the cornucopia before her, but she still managed to grab a gun and a bookbag. She quickly looked around for any familiar faces she knew she was on good terms with, but didn't wanna just stand there and risk getting killed, so after a quick glance she ran for the maze. At one point she almost trampled the girl she recognized from district eight, but instead of stopping she just kept running. She would deal with her later.

[░I░Y░A░N░A░-“ᴰᵒʷᶰ ᶤᶳ ᵘᵖ˒ ᵘᵖ ᶤᶳ ᵈᵒʷᶰˑ ᴳᵒᵒᵈ ᶤᶳ ᵂᶤᶜᵏᵉᵈ˒ ᵂᶤᶜᵏᵉᵈ ᶤᶳ ᴳᵒᵒᵈˑ ᵀʰᵉ ᵗᶤᵐᵉᶳ ᵃʳᵉ ᶜʰᵃᶰᵍᶤᶰᵍˑ ᵀʰᶤᶳ ᶤᶳ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᴼᶻ ʰᵃᶳ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵗᵒˑ”⁻ᴰᵒʳᵒᵗʰʸ ᴹᵘᶳᵗ ᴰᶤᵉ]

Ciara couldn't stop thinking about the fact that today could be her last day. Her mentor was rtalking on and on about tips which she should be listening about but she honestly couldn't focus. She looked at the clothing her designer gave her. She was dressed warmly. She finished off by putting her hair in a high pony tail. The rest of the time before she went into the arena, all she did was stare into space.

Ciara didn't like the glass tube that she was put into. It wasn't really that pleasant. The space was way too tight for her liking and she was clausterphobic. When she finally got up to the arena, she was glad that the tube wad gone. When she looked at the arena, Ciara smiled. She would have to do a lot of running and running was her specialty. She looked at the other tributes then at the cornicopia. She was ready.

As soon as the count down finished, she sprinted as fast as she could to the cornicopia. She saw the backpacks and guns. She didn't want to get caught in the bloodbath so she grabbed a gun and backpack. She saw Tara go in one direction so she went the other way not wanting to get involved with her. Ciara ran without looking back.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

Silver stood there in the chaos, staring down at the quivering tribute beneath the gun. How powerful of a thing it was to have a helpless person at gunpoint. Seeing the fear in their eyes, the pleading radiating off of them, it makes you question everything you had ever stood for. As Silver stood there, staring into the wide iris's of Isadora's eyes, her whole view was turned upside down. Her memory jogged back to the time when they had first met, back when Isa had been nothing but kind and accepting to the harsh girl she had been presented with. And now, Silver was going to dismiss her as nothing more then a lump of trash. Her finger prepared to squeeze around the trigger, but hesitation washed over her in a wave of guilt.

This brief moment of question was what ultimately saved Isadora's life in that moment. It all went down within a moment; Silver was thrown to the ground, a shot from her gun going just right of Isa's figure. She slammed to the ground, fumbling over the figure that had steam-rolled her while her gun went flying from her fingers. It was then that her instincts kicked into the ultimate high gear, wrapping her legs around the figures waist, throwing her weight until she was rolling again, finding herself now on top. Her fingers went straight for the boy's throat now that she had claimed a bit of freedom, pressing her fingertips deep into the recesses of his skin. In the end, it wasn't his voice or his face that caused her to stop, but his smell. The light smell of pine had always been detectable in his presence. "Ian?!" She yelled out, rolling away and snatching up her gun. He was now between herself and Isa, almost in a protecting way. "What the hell are you thinking?!" She raised her gun at his chest, making she he explained himself before he could just assume that they were 'all good.' People blurred past in her vision, frustrated beyond belief that she was having to let them all get away to deal with her idiot of an ally and the pathetic girl on the ground.

[†Emily†]

Isadora shut her eyes when she heard the shot and tried to prepare herself for what it felt like to be shot but all she did was fall back, hoping that maybe she wouldn't get hit. When she heard a thump of someone getting slammed to the ground, Isa's eyes flew open in surprise, relief and fear. Who was that? Her mind was racing as she tried to shuffle away but she couldn't. She was frozen into place as she watched Silver roll around with the boy. She saw a flash of his face and her breath caught in her throat. Ian. He had saved her life. He had saved her weak, pathetic life. She was shocked, her mouth hung open as she gripped her gun, still on the ground as Ian stepped in front of her. Isa knew she shouldn't say anything because at any minute Ian could change his mind but she was beyond relieved to know that maybe he did see her in a way no one else did. Maybe he could see that she wasn't as useless as Silver thought she was.

Isa hadn't noticed before but tears streamed silently down her cheeks from the frightening experience. The way Silver at looked at her as if she was nothing and just a waste of space made Isa shudder. The feeling of safety began to fall away, leaving her feeling terrified and unsure of everything and everyone. She began to back away, shuffling backwards, trying to get away. She couldn't trust anyone but she wanted so badly to trust Ian because he had saved her life and she owed him. She stopped moving and waited to see what would happen. Besides, if she moved anymore away from them, someone would attack her. Isadora didn't speak, and only looked out from behind Ian to see Silver raise her gun at Ian. A squeak escaped Isa and she quickly moved to stay hidden behind Ian's wide frame.

[chloe ; a ghost, bowties are cool.]

((just a heads up, i'm going out of town this weekend so i probably won't reply until monday, maybe even tuesday))

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

((I'm so late I'm so sorry I will post tomorrow then I might not be on much next week but I will post sometime okay thanks))

[rimskur]

It hadn't been his intention to mess around with the alliance he had with Silver. He knew already that it was an alliance that was tentative at best in the training center, having mutual wariness of the two tributes against one another. Their situation was already so precarious and his actions then surely didn't add any efforts in clearing up the specific blur in the mess of their lives. He, unfortunately, didn't seem to be able to think much at that point, drawing every single one of his actions out of pure instinct. His eyes blinked rapidly, bewildered by his own actions as he stared up at the figure before him. Heat rushed across of his skin, his heart beat refusing to slow its pace as he stared up at the frustrated features of his ally. "Silver..." he muttered, his palms pressing down on the grassy dirt, attempting to pull his body up even with her easily pinning him down. Thankfully for the both of them, she had quickly lifted herself off of him, glaring at him in request for an explanation.

However, he couldn't quite find an explanation for what he had done. Why had he tried to save Isadora? Was she really worth losing an alliance with Silver? No, he didn't specifically think she was, but a deep recessive part of him explained that perhaps there was more to the entire concept than he was allowing him to lead off of. His vision blurred as he pushed himself off of the ground, staggering a bit off balanced to his feet. "Just - Just trust me, Silver. Think of her as some pet...or whatever you will. We can talk about this away from here, please!" he frustratedly coerced her, brushing grass and dirt off of his arms and legs. Two minutes in and he was already stained. Albeit, it wasn't blood. That would surely come in no time, however.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

Silver's aim was perfectly lined up at Ian's chest, knowing that his life and his so called 'pet's' life were resting in her hands. Gosh, it would be as easy as shooting fish in a barrel if she so wanted to. Bang, Bang, Bang. She would have three kills less then five minutes into the game, much closer to victory and all the riches it entailed. But as she steadily held the gun out at her ally, she saw Isa's small head behind his.

Her memory suddenly jumped back to a darker time; ((Story, if you want to read->))(view spoiler)[ A dark, cramped room spread about her. Mold and dew lined every surface, chains clinking together around her wrists. The door had opened, making her younger self jump back as she was scared out of her dazed state. Who knew how long she had been there? All that was clear was that her captors were back and ready to do some more damage. Huddling behind the post she was chained to, she saw the silver glint of... A gun. Wait, no. A video camera. That awful weapon was ten times worse then the mercy a gun would have shown her. This weapon was deadly in its own way, because it had the ability to cause her family pain as well. She was told that they had been sent the video, asking for an even larger ranson for her return. And after it was sent, she was forced to watch the damage they had done on a rusty old TV box in that basemet. Forced to watch them beat, burn, scar, and rape her time and time again, making sure that she remembered exactly what they were capable of if she ever got any ideas.
But Silver wasn't one to roll over and let them walk all over her. Oh no... She was a fighter for the first few years, causing them to beat her almost daily. But she always had ro watch that same, stupid video of the first time they beat her, watching herself scream and wail in the agony of being touched for the first time. And that image, that awful image of her face when they had first came in. That was what was burnt into her brain. That scared-to-death-but-unable-to-do-anything-about-it look. And that was exactly what she saw standing behind Ian in that very moment. (hide spoiler)]

This memory made her eventually lower her gun, staring at the pair with only the slightest bit of mercy. Just because her insides had momentarily caved to Isadora didn't mean that she had to on the outside. With a loud growl, she dropped her arm, shoving one of her two guns into her belt loop. "God Ian, you are so damn lucky that I need an ally right now." She stalked forward quickly, nose to nose and spitting in his face with anger. "I may slit your throat before you get a chance to explain yourself. I will never forget this." Brushing roughly past his shoulder, she reached out to Isa, who had been too slow to move. Silver snatched the gun right out of the girl's hands, making sure that Isadora had nothing that she could possibly kill her with. And, just for good measure, she gave Isa a hard shove in the chest, sending her tumbling back to the ground.

"Get your ass up and lets go." Silver called out, head on swivel once more as she went back into defense mode. The cornucopia had begun to clear out, but she wasn't planning on staying around much longer.

[†Emily†]

Isadora listened to them from behind Ian. She was hunched over, shaking from the adrenaline that pulsed through her. Her eyes were wide and she swiped at them angrily as the tears continued to come. God, she was such a wimp. She was useless and unwanted. Ian's words stung. They bore into her like a bullet, tearing her heart open. She bit her lip from hiccuping as she tried to stop crying. So, that's what she was. A pet. She gulped, knowing where she stood now. She was the pet that they would take along with them to be used for whatever and when unwanted would be shot in an instant. It made her feel worthless and empty. Never had she felt like this except for once in her life. It had been a while since she had felt like this. It reminded her of the time she had stood alone in her room, realizing her mother had left her. If her own mother hadn't wanted her then how could she expect for Ian to want her. Even if he had so much in common with her and even if he had seemed nice. Her fingers twitched around her gun. She could do it. She was behind him. She could shoot him if she wanted to. She could even maybe gain the respect of Silver if she shot him.

Isa shifted her gun into her right hand, resting her finger over the trigger. No matter how much she wanted to, no matter how much anger she felt for Ian in that moment, she could not pull the trigger and kill him. She dropped the gun as if being shocked. The arena was already causing her to have her mind become warped with the idea of killing people. Isa had stopped paying attention to Ian and Silver and jumped back at the sudden movement in front of her. Out of instinct, she grabbed her only weapon but it was already snatched out of her hand. Isa put her hands up to the sudden movement Silver made towards her but the other girl was so strong she shoved Isa into the ground. A grunt escaped her as well as another flash of anger. She was then order, just like a pet, to get up. She reluctantly obeyed and brushed herself off, unsure of what to do. She was boiling with anger but didn't want to say anything. She followed quietly behind them.

Every so often, she would glance at Silver. She had watched her interact with Ian and had seen something change in her for a moment and she had lowered her gun. Something had made her not pull the trigger. Isa was burning with curiosity but knew that this time the price of her thirst for knowledge would be death.

[†Emily†]

((I'm posting this on every group I'm in: I'm going on semi-hiatus but will reply on the weekends. School has started and I can't afford to get distracted because this year marks really count so, yeah :( ))

[rimskur]

His eyebrows raised in an expression that could easily resemble amusement, for he really was impressed with the display that Silver had just put on then. He had thought for sure that her instincts would take over and that she would shoot a bullet both in Isadora's skull and chest, but wasting the bullet on him as well. She would be all on her own without him, as the two had only agreed to ally with one another. It left them with no other options, of course, as all the other stronger tributes, they absolutely loathed. It was difficult to ally with someone knowing they had been the one to kill their father, he knew. So, instead of it just being Silver and Ian, it was now Silver, Ian, and Isadora. An unlikely trio, but he had faith that they could last long enough. It had not been his immediate intention to betray Silver in such a way, but he couldn't change the guilt he felt in his chest if he left Isadora behind.

His hands itched at the guns at his hands, miffed at the scene that had just been played out then. People from the Capitol and all twelve districts were watching them then and there was no telling whether they were concerned or not the actions that had taken place. Would sponsors have been more approving if Ian had just turned around and shot Isadora himself? Or if Silver had followed through with her words and shot Ian the moment he had defied their agreement? He couldn't tell and it bothered him as he dusted the dirt off of his clothing, tightening his fingers around the cold metal of his weapons when they started to move away from the Cornucopia. They moved at a constant pace, drawing away from the attention seeker in the arena and away to the stone walls that surrounded them. There remained only one entrance and he was sure that others would be heading in that direction soon enough to spread out to whatever lie behind the blockades that trapped them in the arena. Using longer strides, Ian paced himself to catch up with his troubled ally. "Silver, I'm sorry...I just couldn't leave her behind like that," he explained himself in a lower tone so their new addition couldn't overhear what he was saying.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

Once that freak Isadora had picked herself off the ground and was no longer shaking like a puppy, Silver took off towards the massive door she had seen Tara teave through. Her eyes were finally able to take in the full view of the large space they seemed to be confined in. There seemed to be no other way to go them out the exits and into whatever lay beyond. The possiblities of what lay around the corner frightened her, but she had been taught never to give into these fears, to never let them control you into submission. So she pressed forward with the two tributes on her tail, haulting just inside the entrance to the maze.

It was then that Ian had come up to her, begging her to understand his 'viewpoint' of whatever. All Silver wanted to do was beat him to a pulp for what he did back there. Not only did it make him look weak, but it made her look like a wuss in front of all the sponsors as well. Her chances of being the top sponsered tribute were beginning to dwindle.

At Ian's words Silver stopped, flinging herself around to meet him face to face. Her ally knew her well enough to see the rage boiling under her skin, knew that if it wasn't contained soon then a bullet would be firing off sooner then later. "What the hell happened back there Ian?" Her arms spread wide, not caring if precious old Isadora got her feelings hurt. "I had real respect for you before this. I thought you wanted to win this thing!! Not bring this thing along with you and waste time." She stormed a few steps away, the anger radiating off of her bruised and cut-up skin. "I'm so disappointed in you. And I can't tolerate weakness." This quote was something she had been told time and time again in her past life, speaking like a trainer rather then speaking for herself.

((Sorry for the kinda crappy post... I wont be able to respond to anything else until after Saturday, sorry guys!! Be back soon!!))

[Sami]

(I'm going to catch up on reading the posts and post some time this weekend)

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

((Can Ica bump into someone? I'm finally getting round to posting .-.))

He took in the Arena really quickly. There was a lot of grass and huge walls that looked to be made out of stone. Some sort of vine crawled up them and he wondered if they were poisonous. He'd heard of fruit that if you touched or smelt, you'd die, but not poisonous vines. The countdown was over almost as soon as it had started and he was running across the solid ground, scanning to see if there were any other tributes around him he needed to be wary of. There was no point going to the Cornucopia. He knew he'd be able to get something and maybe kill a few, but he didn't want to waste his energy when he could do that later. Instead, he headed off towards the walls but didn't go inside.

[Aliya]

[ how about delilah? since they were gonna ally anyways? ]

[rimskur]

His hand had only happened to tighten only the slightest bit on the weapons in his hand. He called it a very nice display of the self control he had a hard time keeping track of ever since he had left the district he had been raised in all of his life. Of course, he wasn't some psycho that went around aiming a weapon at whoever was upset with him, shooting them in the head because they happened to be angry with something that he had done. If he had done that with every single person that he had ever been irritated with, most of the people he was familiar with would be dead. He had to use his mind to truly understand the people around him and while it was hard to do, taking a viewpoint of their perspective may as well be easier that just killing everyone.

Now, Silver was entirely different story. Having her be upset with him was a completely different feeling. He almost felt shameful for having done what he had done, opting to bring Isadora along instead of leaving her as a meal for whichever bloodthirsty tribute remained back at the Cornucopia. His act had been out of the goodness of his heart, yet he had felt as if he might have just done the worst thing in the world. Perhaps, at the moment it really may have been. He had committed a horrible thing and that was betraying Silver. His heart bounced around sporadically in his chest as they continued into the damp setting, finding that the stone walls around them turned into corners and several different directions. It must be a maze of some sort. As his eyes scanned the distance before them, he was abruptly stopped in his steps, forced to face Silver entirely too close for his comfort. A red hue filled his cheeks in utter humiliation, fully knowing that their conversation was being broadcasted to all of Panem.

"Perhaps it's not a weakness. Maybe...maybe it was an act of bravery," he hinted, growing more confident in his words as his spoke on. "I saved someone that didn't deserve to die. You know that. She may be just a thing who might drag us behind, but I know that I would hate myself for not doing what I did once I get out of this arena." A conflicted expression then appeared across of his features. "And don't tell me. I know that if I want to win, she's going to be dead. But, that means you have to be dead too."

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

aliya ;; sᴏɴɢ ᴏғ ᴀᴄʜɪʟʟᴇs ♥ wrote: "[ how about delilah? since they were gonna ally anyways? ]"

((Yeah. Where's Delilah?))

[Aliya]

[ she ran in the maze, looking for a good spot to hide ]

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

((Okay. I'll do something tonight))

[Aliya]

[ okay! ]

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

Ica kept jogging towards the maze, pacing himself so that if anyone pounced on him, he could kill them with his hands. He'd learned that technique from his father before he had left him; they liked to try to break him by doing actions to him, then expecting him to have been paying attention so that he could use it in the future. After a few months of this happening, Ica had kept watch and even knew how to get out of the situation. He was now in the maze, turning corners, then he saw a girl.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

Silver remained silent, calm, and unmoving as he let himself spill in front of her. For the cameras of Panem that were surely watching and wating for her to flip, she appeared to be as steady as a rock. But if you were as close as Ian was to her, could could see the way her entire body was shaking while trying her keep her intense anger under control. With every word that spilled out if his mouth, she became more and more frustrated and prepared to pounce. As his final word sounded, she narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and began to stalk around him. Her eyes never left his as she circled, almost like a lioness hunting gor her prey.

As she got to the space between Ian and Isadora, she took off straight toward Isa with vengence in ther eyes. She knew that as she made this move, Ian would be pulling out his own weapons, and she would have to act fast. Pulling a gun out of her waist band, she took a large fistful Isa Isadora's smooth hair and pressed the gun against her temple. Now Isa's probe form was trembling between herself and Ian, no way for Ian to get to Silver without hurting Isa in the process. "Tell me Ian." She seethed, peering over her captive's shoulder as the girls form shook against her own. "Tell me why I shouldn't just kill her and get rid of both of our problems. Your too attached and I'm too stubborn." She shook her hair, brushing her crazy hair out of her face. "Tell me WHY I shouldn't! And it's not bravery, It's stupidity at this point."

[rimskur]

((Ahh what should he do? I'm out of ideas at this point...))

[†Emily†]

((I'll post in a minute. Maybe I can have Isa fight back against Silver in a burst of rage?))

[†Emily†]

Isadora stumbled back when Silver lunged towards, trying to escape this crazed girl. But she was no match for the trained Career and winced as she was grabbed by her hair and held forward by Silver's grasp. The cold metal of the gun on her temple caused her to shake, trembling in Silver's grasp. Her face twisted into a pained expression, her eyes met Ian's. Suddenly, Isa felt guilty. She was the reason Ian was having such a hard time with Silver. She was the reason all this was happening. Maybe she should have died in the Blood Bath, maybe... Isa cocked her head to the side, trying to pull her skin away from the gun. Her face began to morph into one of rage. Her hands not balled at her sides and her face red with anger. She didn't know if it was the fear or the situation but Isa felt anger well up inside her. This wasn't her fault, she wasn't a thing nor was she a pet. She was a human being that could be useful. She had worth and wasn't about to be treated like a piece of dirt.

"Kill me then." Her voice came out uneven and squeaky. She tried again, "Kill me then!" She barked, her tone surprised even herself. She kicked and struggled against Silver, screaming in frustration. "It's disgusting how you think I am worthless." She cried, glaring at Ian for she had no one else to look at. "What if you were me, huh? And your life was just thrown around like this? Maybe we should kill her, maybe we shouldn't. As if I'm some prey that you caught and now you're deciding what to do with it. What-what if you were thrown into this Arena, no knowledge of weapons or fighting, no family who supports you or to go back to, no friends or anything to live for? I bet you can't even imagine it because you aren't in that situation." Isadora was screaming now, her arms flailing everywhere. "I am not a thing or a pet or a problem. I may be an easy kill but I'm still a human with feelings and I do have worth. I known how to bandage wounds, and certain herbs that are edible! Yeah, I'm not as fast but you can always just leave me behind."

"But, by all means, kill me because I'm nothing, right?" Her scalp stung from Silver's hard grip. Isa kicked back forcefully, making contact with something and felt the grip loosen. She pulled free from the grip and spun around, her eyes wild, almost crazed. They were wide and ablaze as she now glared at Silver. "Like you've never felt like this before. I bet you have! And what did it feel like? To be treated like that! You're no better than the people who did it to you, if it ever did happen to you. I know what those tattoos are for. I'm not stupid." Isa backed away, "Kill me then so I can die before I get nicknamed 'The Pet' back in the Capitol. I bet you anything they're already betting on how long it will take for you guys to kill me. I wonder how many bets are on right now," She let out a laugh, "I dare you to prove them wrong."

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

((Aliya, when is your laptop going to be fixed?))

[Aliya]

[ hey guys!! I am so sorry about abandoning this- I will get back in a day. as if for my laptop, they sent it back without fixing it and now they sent it back again, but it should be back in about three days ]

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

((I know this group is becoming less active but at least try and post once a day.))

[Aliya]

Delilah met Ica's eyes as he turned the corner. She had finally found the perfect spot to "camp out". A section with two exits, and a dead end to trap people in. A section in which you could exit and find twenty good hiding spots if you were running for your life. What was Ica going to do? Steal her territory? Thinking back to the sponsor points and training scores, Delilah remembered the Ica's had been pretty decent. Maybe they could be allies. He certainly had an attitude similar to hers, as she recalled from the training center. "Hello." She said, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her head slightly.

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

He'd found a short route through the maze, one that he intended to memorize, even if he had to run it several times. Ica stopped, aware that there was a girl in front of him. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked slightly protective over this little spot she'd found. It wasn't like it was hers to keep, though. He narrowed his eyes and leaned against the cold wall of the maze. It sent a slight shock through his system. "Yes?" He asked, as if it was him that were being accused.

[Aliya]

Say she offered to be allies with Ica- would he agree? Probably not- they had talked only briefly in the training center and even in that small period of time Delilah knew he did not think very highly of her. But they would be a good team. Arching an eyebrow she smirked. "I want you as my ally. Come along, now, we ought to find a better spot. This one is too easy to stumble upon." Without another word Delilah started walking, not looking over her shoulder to see if Ica was coming after her. A feeling in her gut told her he would be.

[Mel, i have an unhealthy obsession with jesse rutherford]

"Hold on," Ica said, but she was already walking. He had decided not to make allies, but if he got bored of her he could just kill her. "What makes you think that I want to ally with you?" He asked, in this bored voice. After all, he was bored.

[Aliya]

Delilah wasn't used to being questioned- people just usually followed her command because of her influence at home, after all. The ones that didn't always went out of their way never to meet her jade gold eyes again. And so she stopped and turned, hands on her hips and anger in her eyes. "Well I have the best training score and most sponsor points of anyone in this Arena. Me? Think about it. I betrayed Tara, majorly annoying Ian, and then spilled some beans to Silver. I have three well trained tributes aiming to kill me. Am I scared? Hell no. I'm strong, that's why. You should be allies with me because you have no better options in this Arena. And do you really want to go lone wolf in here? I already hate you. Do you really want me to hate you more? Just a few poisoned words to any Career will make them aim for you." Delilah had much more to say but instead spun back around and continued walking.

[~ Sidewalk Flowers ~]

♥†♬პოἶlყ♬†♥ѕυανιтєя ιи мσ∂σ, fσятιтєя ιи яє wrote: "Isadora stumbled back when Silver lunged towards, trying to escape this crazed girl. But she was no match for the trained Career and winced as she was grabbed by her hair and held forward by Silver..."



Silver was no longer human. She felt herself slipping away long ago, and knew that there was no turning back to a decent life. What the hell was she doing? Who was she to think that she could just grab another human, call them worthless and garbage, and threaten to end their life? Her pads of her fingers rubbed the blonde hair between them, the other hand feeling the smooth metal of the gun, the tension behind the cocked trigger. Ian was suddenly displaced from the situation, and the world boiled down to the two girls, the smaller of the pair beginning a rant that would stick with Silver for a very long time.

It was as if Silver began an out-of-body experience when the words began to pour out of Isadora's mouth. Her soul was floating a few feet away, watching it all go down much like how Panem was watching at home. First her gaze fell to Isa's red and raged face, unable to imagine that a girl so small and sweet was capable of such an action. And then she watched the color in her own face slowly drain away, seeing the life in her eyes fade to a dull nothing over the words. 'Worthless. Your nothing. Absolutely Worthless.' The words rang in her ears like old wounds freshly opened to the stinging air. " "Your just a piece of meat lying here, and you will never amount to anything. Worhless. That's all you are." The faceless man stared down from on top of her in the flashback, her exposed and trembling body chained to the headboard above. And then it rotated to a very similar scene, the exact same words coming from her demented trainer's lips as she was strapped-down to the table and they proceded to do 'shock therapy' on her because of her disobedience in the training room.'

The flashback ended, and Silver stood as silently as ever with the girl in one arm and the gun in the other. What was she doing? This was exactly what happened to her once apon a time. She was no better then the men that had made her what she was today. It was then that Isa's kick slammed into her shin, and Silver was still too stunned to do much more thwn let her grip slip and drop the gun. Her eyes fell onto Isadora's shaking form, and something along the lines of guilt filled her being. That awful feeling made her turn away so that the sudden tears springing to her eye's couldn't be seen. "I'm sorry..." She muttered, hardly audible by anyone but herself.

What had she done?