Welcome to the First Quarter Quell!
Replies
The Hunger Games.
Even the name of the Games told the viewers that what was to follow would be anything but fun. They already played with hunger--especially the residents in the high-numbered districts. Those poor souls that resided in the districts knew hunger. Their bone-skinny frames showed was physically proof that anyone outside the Capital was fighting to survive.
Fighting for survival became more literal to the unfortunate tributes selected for the Hunger Games.
And this year, the president of the Capital and the Gamemakers were promising to give all of Panem a show to remember.
For the past twenty-five years, each distract had to sacrifice two children between the age of twelve and eighteen to fight to the death. This was the Capital’s way to ensure power. This was the president’s way of reminding the citizens of Panem that a rebellion was completely useless.
Citizens of Panem were merely game pieces. They didn’t decide their own fate—someone was going to do it for them.
And that was only the beginning.
Every year before, the tributes sacrificed for the Games were drawn from a lottery. Oh the irony. No doubt the people of the Capital thought that “winning the lottery” was lucky. Anyone that lived in the districts knew differently. Having your name drawn almost always meant a painful death.
Twenty-four go in. Only one survives.
Do not be fooled. The odds were never in your favor.
This year was to be different though. After twenty-four years of the same thing, the Gamemakers were looking to bring interest back to their precious games. They had to do something different. They had to do something outrageous. Fortunately for today’s Gamemakers, the Gamemakers before them had a plan. Every twenty-five years, Panem would hold a Quarter Quell.
This year was the twenty-fifth annual Hunger Games. This is the first Quarter Quell.
All of Panem knew there was going to be a special announcement tonight. Viewing was mandatory. Families in every district were gathered around their TV sets or near the town hall where the screening from the Capital was going to be played. Everyone was nervous. No one knew what to expect. Many hoped that the announcement would be a good one; all knew that it wouldn’t be.
As scheduled, the president of Panem appeared on screen promptly at 6 P.M. He looked far too pleased. This was not going to be a good announcement. If possible, his smile only grew when he finally stepped up to the microphone. His voice echoed throughout all of Panem. Not a single citizen missed his announcement as he explained the planned Quarter Quell.
As panic settled over all the people of Panem, the president moved to retrieve a small box. Without hesitation, he reached in and pulled out the first of many little yellow envelopes. The seal was broken and he pulled out a small note card. There was a malicious glint in his eye as he read aloud.
“To remind the districts that they were the ones whose rebellion led to violence and the introduction of the Hunger Games, the tributes will be voted into place by the people of their own district to fight to the death.”
That was when the real panic set in.
The announcement of the Quarter Quell had been two weeks ago. The Games start at the end of the week.
May the odds be ever in your favor.
So, this is going to start in the training arena. That way all the characters have a chance to meet each other and form alliances.
Characters below! && anyone without a skeleton by the time we move to the arena will be offed in the initial blood bath.
District One
Male:
District: 1
Name: Lure Crevasse
Age: 18
Score: 8
Career: Yes
Strengths: Knives, carving, running, hand to hand
Weaknesses: Any throwing weapon, plants and snares.
Emotions about being chosen: He volunteers, so glad I suppose.
Bio: Lure’s small family consists of himself, his mother, and his little sister. There’s not much to say about his family’s history, but that he’s worked in the jewel carving business since he was ten. He has a knack for it, seeing as it’s one of the only things he has the patience for. His nine year old sister is his pride and, while their stubbornness tends to lead to them butting heads, he would do anything for her. Their mother works more often than not, and so Lure is usually home taking care of his sister, as he works less hours than their mother. His sister is bold and daring, and while Lure might’ve mellowed out as he’d grown, they share stark similarities. Their father died when Lure was twelve, passing from an unknown sickness. His mother is gentle and doesn’t understand his training, but his kid sister does. She wants him to win the games, she likes them, in her own way. This makes Lure kind of nervous, and this is where he thinks his slight reluctance stems from – his little sister should not be so passionate about something that involves so much death. But, he wants nothing more than to make her happy, and so he volunteers, wanting to get away from the sad looks his mother gives and wanting to give more to his sister. He’s tired of cutting gems, anyway.
Looks: Tall and lean with bright bleach blonde hair, he is graceful and sleek. Often called feline, he has bright blue eyes and a charming smile. The only thing marring his features are his scars. He has wide hands that are scarred from making and carving jewels, but these are small compared to the side gash on the side of his face that travels down from his temple and down his jaw, and stops just short of his collarbone. Every time someone asks how he got it, he shrugs and tells a different story each time.
Strategy: He is adept at using twin blades of all sizes, and also excels at hand to hand combat. He will use the same strategy he has used all his life: smile big and pretty, then go behind their back and turn the tide. He's not sure, though, whether he's going to be able to go through with it - he's worried he might get soft.
Other: Sorry this is so short and le suck. His bio is poop, I am aware of this.
&& Female:
District: 1
Name: Diamond Light
Age: 15
Score: 8
Career: Yes
Strengths: Her size, she's really quick, and dextrous, being able to wield small weapons in both hands. She also knows how to tinker. She can tie rope, rig traps, and work really well with her hands.
Weaknesses: She can't swim, she's also not very strong, due to her size.
Emotions about being chosen: Not excited, but not as grim as everyone else feels. She wanted this. Maybe not this soon, but she wanted this.
Bio: Diamond is from a decently sized family. She has 2 brothers and 2 sisters. She's the youngest. Her eldest brother was in the games when Diamond was young. And when he never came home, she decided to pick up where he left off, and give their family a victor. She doesn't get along as well with her brothers and sisters as she would like, she's the youngest, and they all pick on her. It seems that sometimes, even her parents don't like her as much as their other children. Her father works as a goldsmith, and their mother disappeared when her brother went into the arena. No one talks about it. Her dad wont say why or if he even knows what happened to her. Diamond thinks it definitely had something to do with the Capitol, and winning would show them that she's better than their stupid "Hunger Games"
She's very arrogant about her skills. She's got the mindset that she is the very best at everything, and can't be beat. She's pretty popular at school and around the city. Everyone knows that she plans to be in the Games when she's 17 or 18. She plans on volunteering, if she hasn't been picked yet. She trains herself almost daily in hand-to-hand combat, and weaponry. Her older brothers make great sparring partners.
Looks: She's definitely got the look of a fifteen year old girl. She's tiny. She's 5" Even, and really thin, a little muscle, but not enough to make a difference in the arena. She's got really pale skin, medium-long blonde hair that she usually keeps in a tight ponytail. Her huge blue eyes give her a sweet, and innocent look.
Strategy: She's fast. Go in, get what she can, get out before the bloodbath. Make alliances with the right people, but don't be afraid to kill them in their sleep when she has to.
Other:
District Two
Male:
District: 2
Name: Sage Kaboi
Age: 17
Score: 9
Career: Yes
Strengths: Sage knows his way around any weapon. He grew up training for the day he becomes a tribute, so he knows his weapons rather well. He prefers to use a sword out of all of the weapons though. Since he’s such a big guy, hand-to-hand combat comes easy to him. He’s incredibly strong as well. He knows the basic survival skills taught in his training, but that’s the extent of his knowledge.
Weaknesses: He’s much to trusting of people. He’s friendly and makes friends easily. He’ll have a hard time realizing when someone’s going to kill him while in the arena. Sage also has a limp that makes him slower than the rest of the tributes. So running away is not an option for him.
Emotions about being chosen: Sage is angry with his Father for volunteering his younger brother thinking that Sage is too weak to ever make it farther than the first day in the games. He volunteered himself in order to prove to his father he can rise to, and above, his expectations.
Bio: Sage grew up in a house full of three boys and a victor for a father. He’s the middle child and the least loved of them all. His older brother was never chosen in the games nor did he volunteer which didn’t please his father, but he didn’t argue or push the fact. His younger brother his exactly like Sage in build and personality. He’s the perfect choice for tribute, unlike Sage. Sage is everything his father despises.
He’s a weakling. He’s a coward. He’s a moron. He’s too friendly. He’s crippled. That’s the biggest factor in his father’s hatred. When Sage was nine years old a building collapsed pinning Sage to the ground. He nearly lost his leg, but was able to keep it a limp his only knowledge of the accident. This makes him worthless in his father’s eyes. Being the son of a victor is nothing to brag about. It just means that he grew up with very high expectations and Sage could never meet them. Not since he gained the limp in his leg.
Before that Sage was well liked in the family. He was the next in line to become a tribute and showed so much potential while training. His father loved him and wanted nothing more than for Sage to volunteer for the games. Then the building collapsed and all love for him disappeared. A weakling did not belong in his house and so Sage was shunned. Even his brothers didn’t want anything to do with him.
When it was announced that the people would choose the tributes of the districts his father volunteered Blaze, Sage’s little brother, for the glory. Sage was horrified that his father would sacrifice his youngest son when Sage was fully capable of attempting the games. Blaze was ready go. He was pumped, but Sage couldn’t allow his thirteen year old brother to venture into the games. So he volunteered himself ready to prove himself to his father; to prove that he could do this; that he wasn’t completely weak; that he could win.
Looks: Sage
Strategy: Win at all costs. He’d find water first and hopefully create an alliance with the other tributes from District One as well as his female tribute. He would work with them until it was time to split up. Then he’d kill the off one by one starting with the males.
Other: N/A
&& Female:
District Three
Male:
District:Three-Electronics
Name:Nathaniel Volta
Age:17
Score: 6
Career:No
Strengths: Nath's long legs allow him to be a powerful sprinter and can be quite accurate when throwing light weapons. Beyond that his main skill is his intelligence, he is a quick learner, mechanically inclined and has an incredible memory. He's good at downplaying his skills and appearing less dangerous than he actually is.
Weaknesses: He's rather awkward in hand-to-hand combat, and certainly not the best with lifting heavy objects, and other strength related trials. He can be overly empathetic to the plights of others, and is unlikely to cope well with the loss of an ally. He's also farsighted.
Emotions about being chosen: Completely blindsided. Upon being chosen, Nath was shocked and horrified that his district was so willing to send him to his death. He was unaware of the number of people who were willing to sacrifice his life for the district.
Bio: Nathaniel lead a relatively comfortable and unexciting life compared to most district members. He was the middle child of three children, with a father who worked in the manufacture of explosives, and a mother who designs televisions. He absolutely adores his family, and hopes for a bright future for all of them.
Nathaniel has always had an immense thirst for knowledge, and spends much of his time either reading, or dismantling and rebuilding devices, taking down careful notes and sketches of the insides. Though not incredibly popular, he has a few close friends, mostly mechanical lovers like himself.
Since childhood, the Hunger Games have been a source of fascination for Nathaniel. While the deaths of tributes saddened him greatly, he found the mechanism of the games themselves highly intriguing. He spent much of his time glued in front of the television trying to see if his predictions about the actions of the tributes, and the arena would come true, and learning from triumphs and mistakes.
Looks: Nathaniel is unusually tall, with a narrow frame, and long, lanky limbs. His hands and feet are lengthy as well, with nimble dextrous digits. He has straight, pale yellow-blonde hair and light green eyes. His skin is pale and ashen. He wears a pair of rectangular, wire rimmed glasses with slightly tinted lenses.
Strategy: Grab the essentials and run like hell. Team up with a useful ally and operate strategically without too much direct conflict.
&& Female:
[spoiler=District Four] Male:
&& Female: District: 4 Name: Mara Rill Age: 14 Score: 7 Career: No Strengths: Living close to the water, Mara has learned to swim and is excellent at it, being able to hold her breath underwater for up to five minutes. This is due to her own practice since she was a child, being a free diver who started to learn the skill at a very young age. Experienced with spear-fishing and net fishing, she is most skilled with those weapons, and her long experience with fishing has given her unwavering patience and a strong tendency towards stealth. Weaknesses: While Mara, being fast and careful, has very few survival skills aside from fishing. She also has no experience with any other weapons, and has never wielded a sword, bow, etc. Her anxiety also makes her tense; being a loner and overall a quiet girl, she also has the communication skills and charisma of a rock. This makes any would-be alliance with the Careers less likely, and with any other tributes, even less so. Emotions about being chosen: Mara, coming from a surprisingly small family, wasn't surprised about being chosen; she always knew there would be a chance, and this year was to be no different than the last, or any other year. A relative unknown, her Reaping was welcomed by the more social circles of District 4 as they focused on saving their own daughters and caring nothing for Mara, a fact that Mara has grown to resent viciously. One of her mother's only surviving children, Mara felt regret and guilt at her Reaping, knowing that unless the arena was built with substantial bodies of water, she would
What about the unclaimed positions? Also, will edit with my intro.
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: "&& anyone without a skeleton by the time we move to the arena will be offed in the initial blood bath." =P
district seven female should already be mine? ^_^; I posted a skelli on the plan should I copy it to here?
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My bad, I thought that meant anyone who has claimed a spot but not made a skeleton yet, not any unclaimed spot. ;p
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, sorry, love. i got you added. no worries. (: , i don't think there is anyone unclaimed... i didn't bother to check, though. :B i'm honest.
Oh ok thanks :)
so pumped :D
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District Ten female? I have an eye on it because I think I originally wanted that, but it was taken and then dropped. ;p
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, sorry. someone claimed her on the other thread. :B i just haven't added her up there yet.
Put up my skelly on the other forum and will edit with my intro very soon c:
I was wondering, I'm not sure if district has permanently been frozen, if she has, is it okay if I get district 2 female? ^_^;
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Ooc: hope its ok for me to ping the group, but there are soooo many names to ping. Also hope its ok that I posted an all. Will edit with my skelly so it is on this board since I'm sure Hogwarts has been busy c:
Rhea Glass Skelly
District: 10 - Livestock
Name: Rhea Glass
Age: Sixteen
Score: 6
Career: No
Strengths: Her background in apothecary and medicines would be considered her greatest asset. She knows what plants are poisonous and dangerous and which have healing capabilities. She also spent the later years of her life with her brother and father, making her more of a tomboy and more accustomed to rough housing. While her brother is stronger than she is, she has more stamina than him and could beat him in a foot race any day.
Weaknesses: Although she has stamina and a knowledge of herbs and plants, Rhea lacks in physical strength and weapon handling. The closest thing to a weapon she ever held was the knife she used to cut up the beef to make her favorite stew; which was so rare that she isn't sure it would even count as experience. She also has a weak stomach, she was never able to bring herself to kill even a cow when her father asked and her families well being was at stake. But when thrown into the arena she feels like she may have to numb herself to it all.
Emotions about being chosen: Rhea volunteered herself, so she is obviously not surprised. What she is surprised by was the obvious dissatisfaction over her volunteering for the girl originally chosen, Violet Pristen. Rhea knew that if Roe lost Violet, it would have been as bad as him going in himself. So she made the ultimate sacrifice for her brother and his happiness. After the reaping before she was taken away to the Capitol, Roe visited her for one last time. Whispering in her ear "I love you more than the moon and the sun," which was something their late mother used to say to them before they went to bed. From then on, she had a new motivation for living as long as she could, to make her sacrifice worth something for those left behind and to try and make those people proud.
Bio: Rhea and her twin brother Roe are the only children to a farmer and his apothecarian wife. After losing her mother to illness, Rhea had to take on the responsibility of carrying on her late mother's work by providing very basic care to her family and anyone in her district that needed it. Although her family owns one of the farms in the district, they still rarely enjoy a hearty meal and both Rhea and Roe find themselves claiming tesseraes as soon as they were able. Rhea would never tell her brother, but she always made him think that he was putting is name in equally by claiming the tesserae, but in actuality she always made sure her name was the one being put into the lottery.
Rhea and her brother were always close, she loved him more than anything so when he started showing more attention to the blonde girl with no parents Rhea noticed. She even caught Roe one night sneaking out with a piece of bread that Rhea baked with the tesserae flour that she had claimed the day before. As time went on, Rhea learned the name of the girl and Violet began to fill any conversations Roe and Rhea had. Jealous of her brother's new fascination with this girl and feeling that Violet was making Roe forget her Rhea began to hate this girl. But when the conversations of who will go into the 25th annual Hunger Games began and the name of Violet Pristen became the one name that most families suggested for the female tribute, Rhea knew what she had to do.
As far as the children in District 10 go Rhea was one of the most liked, which made it much more heart breaking when she stood up and stated those words at the reaping.
"I volunteer as tribute," Rhea said solemnly. She looked back at the pale face of her brother, horrified at not only the possibility of losing his sister, but the fact that she did it for the girl that he knew Rhea felt had taken her place. She nodded, trying to reassure him, but she knew that this would not bring him any peace of mind.
Looks: Rhea is about 5' 7", thin build with a little hint of muscle tone. She has long sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. Her square face and almond eyes were nothing too special in terms of beauty. Her legs are long and slender with a hint of tone in her calves and her arms have no muscle tone to speak of. She is thin like most people in her district due to the fact that they lived in a poorer district and her family would go through periods of time where they had barely enough food to survive; but somehow she manages to keep a glow to her that suggests she gets at least the necessary nutrients from what small rations she does eat.
X X
She obviously doesn't wear the makeup, the pictures are more for the visual of what I was going for in my description.
Strategy: Rhea's strategy was mainly to try and grab the closest bag to her and run as far away from the Cornucopia as her legs will take her. Rhea doesn't think she will survive long, so she just wants to make sure that she is not the first one to die and at least show her father that she was not as worthless as he always thought she was.
Other: Before leaving for the Capitol, Violet the girl she took the place of in the games visits her. Violet took the necklace she wore around her neck off and put it in Rhea's hand.
"This was my mother's, she gave it to me to protect me from evil" Violet looked at Rhea with her big blue eyes that were slowly filling with tears. She removed her hand and walked out the room. The beautiful silver leaf on the chain became Rhea's token.
Bic: Rap, rap rap. Rhea opened her eyes as the noise suddenly filled the empty room she now called home. She just laid there for awhile, almost waiting to see if it was a dream. After the whirlwind of things that had happened up to this point it seemed like it wasn't real, the chariot ride, her remaking, first stepping into the giant building in the middle of the capitol. "Rheeea. Rhea sweetie are you awake in there?" The lively chirp could have only come from the escort assigned to her district Flicka. Rhea hated the fact that Flicka called her sweetie and dear all the time. Flick had pale pink skin, golden orange hair and golden tattoos that decorated her face and arms. She was plump, the look of many Capitol goers, she looked like she never missed a meal in her life. "I'm awake," Rhea responded as she rubbed her still red eyes "I'm gonna shower and be right out." "Ok dear, just remember we have lots to do today!" Rhea could her Flicka's heels as she scuttled off to her next task. Rhea sat in her bed a moment thinking about how her empty room made her miss home even more. She missed the open fields her and Roe used to play in when they were kids and the friends she attended school with in days past and her father's kind smile when he would get a night off and eat dinner with them. Rhea could feel the tears coming again, but quickly composed herself "I have to be strong for everyone. It is bad enough they will have to watch me die, but they can't know that I'm feeling like I've already lost." After showering and putting on her stylist approved training clothes that consisted of a simple grey t-shirt, lightweight black spandex pants, black lace up boots and finished off with a blue zip up sweater with the number 10 on her right shoulder so the gamemakers knew who she was. She looked at herself in the mirror for the first time since she was remade to Capitol standards and noticed that the scar on her eyebrow was gone. She pulled her sandy blonde hair back into a low bun and fastened her banges with a pin. The finishing touch was the silver leaf necklace that was put nicely by her clothes from the reaping that were now folded neatly on the drawer in her room. After finishing her breakfast, she was lead with her district partner Kase Fowler by elevator to the lowest level that contained the training areas and stations that would prepare them for the challenges of the arena. The elevator ride was awkward, but why wouldn't it be? Kase was quiet and imposing and back home he had a reputation with the girls that made it so the thought of talking to him out of the question. But now that Rhea thought about it, the whole experience has been awkward since the reaping. She tried talking to him once while watching the recap of the reapings but Kase didn't even seem to notice that she said anything. Rhea found herslef thinking back to the times before the reaping, when she was 14 and she had a crush on the quiet loner, but when she told Roe he immediately told her to forget about him. Since then she only thought about Kase in passing, remembering her brothers advice to steer clear of him at all costs. The elevator doors opened to reveal the stations that ranged in weaponry, camoflague, and plantlife as well as the obstacle course that was set up behind it all. She walked to the center circle and listened as the head trainer gave her welcome speech and explained the rules of the center, including the one that tributes were not allowed to engage in fights with each other and that all tributes would eat lunch together. Afterwards the tributes dispersed throughout the center going to the different stations. Rhea just stood there as she recognized some of the tributes she saw in the recaps, like the girl from district 9 who volunteered like Rhea had, and the boy who looked like he had just hit his first year being eligible for the reapings from district 5, and lastly the young man from district 6 whose eyes were as cold as ice. But the one tribute that scared Rhea the most was her own district partner, Kase Fowler.
Thanks for the ping Arichu :)
[font=times new roman] The past couple weeks went by with a blur. Plopping down on the bed, she reviewed all the insane thing that had happened. The chariot ride was unforgettable, dressed in our elaborate costumes, not to mention the dramatic transformation she'd gone through, the waxing and scraping almost felt normal now, but her tender skin was still sore and tender from all the rubbing. How she wished she was back in district seven running through the forests.
"How am I ever going to get used to this," Sadie sighed, the room felt eerie with no one else in here. Her district partner was no where to be found, she had seen him before but still she didn't care enough to remember his name, after all, they might end up having to kill each other.
" Darling, are you ever going to come out? Everyone wants to see you and we have loads to get through," came through from outside the door, the high pitched voice could only be coming from Geraldine, their escort assigned to their district. Covered in elaborate markings from head to toe, and with a pale blue tint in her skin, she was definitely from the Capitol.
"Sorry, wait a minute, just let me get ready," I yelled back. Showering as quickly as possible, she french braided her hair messily, and slipped on the training clothes which was a t-shirt, tight, flexible pants, light-weight lace up boots, and a soft blue jacket with her district number on it. Taking a peak in the mirror and shoving her loose hair behind her ears she dashed out to meet Geraldine.
Scarfing down breakfast she took the elevator down to the training room. Not communicating at all with the unfamiliar district partner, she arrived down, took a deep breath and gasped. The enormous room covered in station to help target, camouflage, stamina, and plants/herbs. She looked around at the competition, the careers have obviously been built for this, sigh, Sadie just lost the little confidence she had.[/font]
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The days since the reaping had gone by far too slowly for Kase's liking. He hated being paraded around like a circus animal during the chariot rides, and he detested being made to look "presentable" by the Capitol clowns assigned to him and that other girl from his district. He hadn't spoken a single word since the reaping, and he intended to keep it that way.
He was already awake and dressed in a simple shirt with black pants and heavy black boots by the time the escort came to wake him up. He opened the door at her first knock, nearly making her fail down on top of him. "Good morning, sweetie! Glad to see you're up and ready!" she chirped. He merely glared at her and followed her into the elevator. He glanced over at the other girl from his district. He didn't really bother learning anyone's names since he planned on killing them all, he only knew what district they belonged to. He remembered seeing this girl around his district, and he knew that she volunteered herself. Admirable, but he still had no plans to show her any sort of mercy in the arena.
As they stepped into the training arena, Kase barely listened to what the man doing the introduction was droning on about. He looked carefully around the room at the weapons and strength training stations. Those would be his first stop, as those were his strongest assets. He thought that maybe he would pick up a few new skills too while he was here. He looked at all of the tributes around him. Some of them looked like they could put up a fight, but none of them seemed to be any great threat to him. He could kill them all, just wait and see.
Ooc: so many name!
Bic: Rhea looked to the weaponry stations first thinking she could learn a thing or two about using a weapon, but immediately changed her mind when she remembered her mentor's voice ringing in her head "don't show the others your weaknesses, and lay low." Rhea also remembered her mentor told her to try and make friends with Kase, but that wasn't going to happen, even if she wanted to she could tell he didn't even want to bother with anyone else. Smart tactic she thought, but then again an ally might help for those times she would need to sleep and etc. But then again, the chance that they would have to kill each other came up and she pushed the idea of an ally out of her mind. "Only form alliances if I truly trust the person" she thought. Yea right, like that would happen. All these kids had one goal in mind, being the last one standing. Rhea went to the one station she knew something about, the one explaining the different plantlife and all their properties. If anything she could quietly brush up on her knowledge of plants and herbs. Once she was done, she thought, she would tackle the obstacle course, her speed and agility could help her out. "I won't go to fast though, gotta make them think I'm not a big threat, but not weak enough to pick off first." So many things to think of and startegies to go through when your life is at stake.
pinging myself for reminder, I don't have time now to write
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(( Damn. Could you let me know if there are any openings?
and I'm pretty sure I know you two. Hi! =D))
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I'm super sorry for taking so long, guys. I was in two weeks of finals. It was crazy crap. I'm out for summer. This will catch fire soon. ;D
I'll be honest: I'm not sure right now. I need to go through and see who hasn't posted skeletons and such. I'll let you know in the morning after I run some errands.
Bic:
As usual, Mara woke silently in the morning, the dark outside familiar as the room around her she awoke to, and the unnatural bed she awoke in, was unfamiliar to her. The sheets around her felt awkward, and she had to shake her legs free from the restraining fabric, the feel of her newly waxed and stripped legs sending shivers up her spine. She still remembered everything - her Reaping, the train ride to the Capitol, the stripping and "cleansing" of her body, the stylists, the screaming hordes of Capitol fans at the chariot rides...and more...she thought of her parents, who both wept at her Reaping. Inside, she felt a surge of homesickness, pain, and above all...anger...as she she was also chosen out of selfishness, of the human survival instinct to make sure one's children survived at the expense of others'. Well, even if she ended up dying - which she would prevent for as long as she could, if need be - she wouldn't give them the reassurance of dying in the arena lightly, if she could help it. No...she wouldn't give into the hopelessness that had threatened to bury her since the moment her name was decided upon unanimously by the majority of District 4. Nor would she let the Capitol, who had nearly prevented her existence by making her mother near-infertile, have a willing martyr or weakling to kill off as soon as she entered the arena...were it not for the Capitol, there would be no Games in the first place, and she would be safe at home with her parents.
Swinging her long, thin legs over the side of the bed, she flinched when her feet hit the smooth...odd...carpet under her, stepping in lengthened strides over it as she made her way to the closet and dressed herself. None of the materials the clothes were made of in the Capitol, and specifically tailored or brought for her, seemed to fit her quite right, and whatever material they used was, as Carmelia put it "flexible and absorbent", unlike the cotton and simple woven fabrics that District 4 typically used. Mara didn't bother to shower; back in District 4, there was no such thing as a shower in their house, and most of the time, they bathed in the sea, smelling salty and only using soap for if they were really, truly dirty. The sun and the sea seemed to cleanse them well enough most of the time, and Mara's well tanned, deep brown skin, tinged with a "farmer's tan", was very indicative of an entire life spent outdoors...or, rather, it had been. The Capitol had done something to her skin to make it lighter, which deeply bothered her, especially as she tied her hair up in a ponytail, observing herself in the mirror. Though she'd always been skinny, her slightly protruding, bloated stomach revealed a slight weight gain in the weeks since the Capitol had picked her and her male counterpart up.
Heading out the door, she paced around the main dining table, her boots making rhythmic noises of rubber soles against the tiled floor as she stared at it, moving in circles in deliberate, pace steps...it was amazing, how clean this tiled floor was...and she pondered her strategy for the Games. Should she follow in her district's previous career tributes and join up with the traditional ally districts, or take her own path and ally with other, not-as-career district tributes? Whatever had the best chance of keeping her alive, she supposed...if she was to kill, then she couldn't get attached to any of these kids...not that she had been attached to anyone in District 4. Nevertheless, there was still only to be one winner, meaning if anything, she needed to kill her fellow District 4 tribute...sad to say, but with every death, her chances of survival increased. Perhaps if she allied with the Careers, she could kill them off in their sleep...that might be best, seeing as how they were always the toughest to kill...hmmm....
Her thoughts were interrupted with a shuffling, and looking up, Mara saw the candy-blue hair of Carmelia, District 4's Capitol announcer.
"My, you're up early," the squat, puffy Carmelia sniffed, "How early did you get up?"
"Early enough," Mara replied.
"Oh," Carmelia replied, sneering at Mara's clothes, "You'd better see Cesare. I think he had...something else in mind for you."
(OOC: 'Cesare' is pronounced 'Chez-a-ray'.)
Mara shrugged and paid a visit to Cesare, the District 4 stylist, who dressed her in what appeared to be a very stark uniform, much to Cesare's disapproval...a plain white T-shirt, black elastic pants, what looked to be matching black boots, and a neon-bright tuquoise hoodie with with the word "4"emblazoned on one shoulder. Donning the garments, Mara didn't bother to actively look herself over in the mirror when Cesare voiced his discontent, zipping up her hoddie and shaking her head when Cesare offered her a simple silver necklace with a opal dolphin pendant. Cesare slipped it around her neck anyways, noting its beauty and hoping that it would help her appeal to the judges sense of "aesthetic beauty", as he put it. Unless it could somehow help her in the arena, Mara wasn't too thrilled with wearing it...only for Cesare's sake id she keep it on to breakfast.
After a very silent breakfast, at least to Mara, she headed to the elevator with her fellow male tribute, feeling nothing but numbness as she tried to focus on the task ahead...if she was to kill her fellow tribute in the arena, or if she ha to, she couldn't get too attached. After a minute of staring at the silver doors mutely, they opened, and the two stepped out into a large room where several tributes were already gathered. Moving to where they were clustered around the center, Mara watched and listened silently as the Capitol official in the center welcomed them and gave a quick, short introduction, with Mara taking note of every station he pointed out. Knots and ties, of course, she would be good at, and a particular weapons rack, featuring spears of different makes, shapes, and sizes, caught her eye...though she ought to try camouflage and plant life. She knew somewhat about sea plants, but it would be good to learn about inland plants as well, and which ones especially were safe to eat...she didn't want to end up eating poison and killing herself by accident. That would just be downright stupid.
After they were dismissed, Mara went straight for the knots and ties, an idea forming in her mind. Taking note of all the different kinds of rope, and even some plant leaves that had been included, Mara toyed with a more unfamiliar one, sword-like green leaves that, according to the presenter and video guide, could be twisted together to form a thread.
