etcircenses: (Default)
Panem Events ([personal profile] etcircenses) wrote in [community profile] thearena2014-01-18 02:35 pm

ARENA 09 - THE MUSEUM

The Tributes are woken up early for this Arena, and switched from whatever sleeping attire they're currently in to a set of pajamas, each designed for the individual in questions. Women wear onesies, and most of the men wear two-pieces, but other than that any similarities are at random - the outfits are in all sorts of colors and patterns.

The floor of the helicopter taking them to their Arena location, and of the underground entrance to the tubes that hoist them to the surface, will feel cold under their bare feet.

Rather than bringing them to sunlight, like the tubes have in the past, instead the Tributes are presented to a dark concrete ceiling in a badly-lit parking lot. Fluorescent lights do little to illuminate the cavernous space.

The countdown begins, announced as if from far away.

20

19

18…


The Cornucopia, a ghastly thing carved from stone and concrete, sits at the center of a pattern of white and yellow lines reminiscent of spots for parked cars. The painted lines create a sort of spoked wheel, providing lanes for the Tributes leading to the prizes at the center. Some of the more unfortunate Tributes will find the concrete architecture has placed pillars in their lanes.

8

7

6…


Six parked cars lie around the outskirts of the huge lot, barely visible in the dim lighting. Glowing exit signs on two opposite sides of the chamber announce where Tributes should go to escape the bloodbath. Elevator doors are perched beneath them.

3

2

1


The gong rings out, and the countdown's voice announces "the Arena is now open". The Games have begun.
pointandclickme: (pic#1139877)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-21 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
He tiled his head to one side, then the other, eyes narrowing as he took that in.

"Died five times. Meaning there's a respawn point? With better clothing at it?"

What a weird program. If the machines were giving up on the 90s, this wouldn't have been his first guess for their next try. Immortality wasn't really a human function.
gardienne: (I don't want your money)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-21 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
"Well, I do not know about better clothing. Only once have they allowed me a dress that I wanted - and then they let me wear it only when they gave me a nightmare and put me in prison." She shrugged yet again.

"You do not believe me, Monsieur? You do not look as if you believe me at all."
pointandclickme: (pic#1139881)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-21 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"Weirder things have happened. And that's an understatement. But that's just so...pointless. Battle to the death when no one dies? And you don't even get the fabulous prize behind door number two at the end?"

There had to be something to this. He'd gotten the brief 411 before getting tossed in, but it hadn't made much sense. This added information- while slightly reassuring- wasn't really helping on the but why, god? part of the problem.
gardienne: (jealous reply)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-21 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
"What door, Sir?" Eponine had never heard that allusion before. "There is no door at all, I do not think. Not even one door, Sir."

She shrugged. She thought the whole thing was pointless, but there was no point in trying to object again. Nobody ever listened to her.

"There is nothing to be done though, Sir, so you may as well agree to yourself to get on with it, you know?
pointandclickme: (Default)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-22 02:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Mouse. Just Mouse. Only Mouse. M for short."

Sir this and sir that. The lady was going to give him a complex- or worse, an ego. He skipped over the whole 'door' bit, if she had been wise enough to stay away from bad day time TV as a kid, there was no point in ruining her now.

"And maybe instead of getting on with the whole brutal murder thing we could do..."

He glanced around. Yup. It was still just a parking lot.

"Getting a car? You like cars?"
gardienne: (self-loathing smirk)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-22 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"I've been in a car. A few times, Mons- Mouse. You must forgive me: it is a habit that I have, 'Monsieur this and Mademoiselle that'. It has been a year since I have seen Paris and yet still I have the habits I had there."

She glanced at the cars. She had no idea how to work one. "Can you drive it, Sir? Mouse? I do not know how such a thing can work without a horse, truly. And even with a horse... well, I have never driven one of those either. Eva took me in a car when we were in the Capitol. I like it."
pointandclickme: (Default)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-24 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, I can drive."

Finally, something he could look half cool at doing. Because, really, getting beat up wasn't that high on the list of things a guy could look smooth while doing.

"Got a favorite color? Pick whatever one you like."
gardienne: (shy smile)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-24 10:47 pm (UTC)(link)
A favourite colour? Nobody had ever asked her that before. Eponine looked dumbly around, before nodding, as her eyes landed on a certain car.

"Red. Mouse, I like red best, if you please." A random choice, but it was nice and bright, at least. Eponine started over to it, though when she reached it, she waited for Mouse to get the door. Every other time she had ridden in a car, somebody had held the door open for her to clamber in. She wasn't entirely sure how to open it, and she was not about to make an idiot of herself in front of this boy.

"I have never been in a red car. A black one and a yellow one before. I wonder if it is any different."
pointandclickme: (pic#1139871)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-25 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, yeah. Red is the best color there is. Makes the car go faster."

Red. He had suspected she was a lady of taste (possibly having to due with the french accent. Hard not to sound sophisticated with one of those). He want to dramatically open the door for her-

"Locked. Hold on ooooone sec, my lady."

And there went his chance to look suave. Time to get a rock.
gardienne: (resentful)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-27 11:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"Does it really?" She had never imagined that - that a colour could change the speed of an object.
then again, she'd never thought of a car before two months ago, so...

"Are you going to smash the window? Monsieur, can you really drive?" She was beginning to have doubts - what if it was all a ruse so that this Mouse could just kill her quickly?
pointandclickme: (Default)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-01-28 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
"Could pick it, but that's slightly longer than I'd like to be in this dump- ah."

He hefted a chunk of concrete next to his head, grinning as he displayed his find. That she was still on 'he is going to kill me mode' utterly manages to escape his notice.

"It'll just be the back window. No sweat."
gardienne: (accusing)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-01-28 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
"You know they will not let us drive it out, Sir? We will still be trapped in the arena?"

But still, Eponine moved to help Mouse with the concrete. She might have been skinny and malnourished already, but she was surprisingly strong.
pointandclickme: (pic#1139882)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-02-06 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
"I do not know, in fact. And can't think of a thing wrong with a little trying."

His grin widened with the help, and he gave a quick wink as they reached the car.

"Count of three, okay? One...two...three!"
gardienne: (determined)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-02-06 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
"I'm not supposed to be bad any more. They'll hurt him if I'm bad."

But she followed Mouse anyway, and staggered back with the concrete and heaved when he did.

"Monsieur, for me, I do not care, but if I am bad, they will hurt Eva. Or someone else, perhaps. Monsieur Aunamee, or Orc."

Marius. She shook her head, even as she threw the concrete at the window. "I can't get into trouble."
pointandclickme: (Default)

[personal profile] pointandclickme 2014-02-09 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
"First, we need to define 'bad' when the core of the system is murder. That's some hardcore relativism."

He covered his hand in his sleeve, protecting against the broken glass as he reached in to unlock door.

"And they? The guys who made this mess?"
gardienne: (I don't want your money)

[personal profile] gardienne 2014-02-11 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
"If I don't do as I'm supposed to. If I try to run away... again." She stood watching, chewing on her sleeve.

"You must be careful. My Pa punched 'Zelma's hand through our window at home and didn't she cry forever? She cried all the more when I slapped the silly to shut her up, little good it did. I do not want you crying as well."

She pursed her lips. "They are called Game Makers. They are like the king and his police. It is they who make everything for us here. And these people go with it. They are all stupid, I think, but who ever listens to Eponine anyway?"