xoxo // [ blitz ]

[d10f ekta ram // [earthling]]

ARGONITE SHORE

The days had become tedious, one after the other. He could handle the routine of school > training > eat > party > sleep at home. But here, it had a shadow. A promise of a monster, stalking the tributes all the way to the arena. He hated the darkness it cast, reminding them of their mortality. Except they weren't. That was a lie. The blood and gore would be real, to be sure. But they wouldn't die. No one ever did. Not even her.

Not even Emerald Shore, who haunted him more effectively than the thread of the arena.

But he refused to succumb to the dark. To anything but smile and laugh and breathe. He entered the training center each day with a skewed grin, greeting the tributes he knew by name, introducing himself to the others until he had made the rounds. It was cursory; many of them had never cared about him, would never. But there were some. And his conversations with Opal rolled over and over in his head. He knew she'd pick a different path, one more arrow straight. But he was not Opal, and he could not ally with people he admired.

He wanted to ally with people he liked. So, he started with a compromise. For the morning's exercises, he followed Cheska around like a puppy dog, laughing and smiling and complimenting. The more eye rolls he counted, the better he considered his chances. He was drenched in sweat and confidence by the time the fifteen minute bell to lunch rang. He leaned on his spear, tipping his hat forward. "So what do you think? To the victor goes the spoils?" He opened up his calloused palm, promising an interesting end, nothing more.

He jerked his head towards the tributes, scattered over the floor. Hannah was not far, her brown hair luxurious, her gaze intense. "She's got some unfinished business, somewhere. Might not be bad to have on our side." And a Career, to boot. That ought to make Opal happy, but he knew he wouldn't. At least it wouldn't infuriate her, the way it did when he watched Magenta's reaping over and over. He tried not to look at her, tried not to admire the arch of her back, the swell of her body as she lunged. "So many good options..." he murmured, even though there was only one.

[Spesh]

hannah mcewen

I swear to Ripred that boy will be mine. He doesn't even have a choice about it now, but it wasn't like he ever had one. When I want something, I get it. There are no ifs ands or buts. The fact that he is just ignoring me just like my father does makes it even worse. And he's doing so despite my absolutely obvious attempts to get with him. Which is absolutely positively bullshit. There isn't a chance he's going to win this.

So instead of yelling, I take my anger out on a dummy. The work really isn't much, it's actually far less difficult than any of the training I did back home in District Two. I hack, slash, and stab with my sword, but none of it takes serious effort. And, in reality, I'm not even giving it my all. I don't want to get sweaty because then I'd just look like shit. And by shit I mean less amazing, because I always look amazing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Argo, that cutie, taking a gander at me. So he does want it. At least that much is obvious now. But I have to figure out how I'm going to get over there. I swing the sword once more and take off the dummy's head before I saunter over to him. But by the time I'm there, he's already looking at another girl. I follow his gaze and see that it's that dumb ass girl who tried to kiss him earlier. Magenta was her name, or some idiotic color like that.

But I have to act quickly. I grab one of the bows nearby, my plan finally materializing. "Hey Argo?" I say, in the most innocent voice I can muster, "I never was good at archery back home in District Two. Could you help me out?" As I pose the question, I put on my best puppy dog eyes, hoping they'll suck him in for the kill.

[dars]

magenta ryker

She was vaguely aware of the boy behind her, and she couldn't help wondering if his stares were for pleasure or for pain. She could have chosen anyone to kiss the night before, but the boy from One ended up being the one her finger found first. (Wasn't that why all of them were here? They were all just the first name the Capitol found, and now they were all being dragged to hell side by side.) She side-stepped and jabbed the knife in her right hand into the chest of a dummy, and found some sort of self-sickening pleasure as it pierced the chest with ease. She wondered if she would ever see what it actually felt like, and quickly realized she was going to.

Perhaps more than once.

She turned on her heels, glancing at the boy who still watched her like a hawk as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Seriously, she needed a new ponytail holder. She almost walked over to him, struck up a conversation, just to do it. She almost let herself have one friend here, just one other person that she could trust, at least for now, but the same girl that appeared between them the night before from thin air worked her magic again and dangled at his side. She walked right past the duo, huffing out a small laugh and raising her chin to the girl. If Magenta wanted the boy, she could have him. The sooner this girl realized it the better. Throwing herself at him didn't seem to be working, (what a shame,) so, of course she was going to be jealous of the reason why it wasn't working, and that happened to be Magenta. She stopped dead in her tracks.

This was all a game, right?

"Hey, handsome," She called, and turned back to him.

Then Magenta was going to start playing it.

TABLE CREDIT TO ZOE!

[Deleted]

Francesca Levroux

[presto]

The days are slowly counting down, hour by hour, minute by minute, and second by second before they’re thrown into the fire that is the Game maker’s creation. Before they’re thrown into their own personal hell with no guarantee out alive. Francesca wants to enjoy what little time that she has left and hanging out with Argo is making it a shit ton easier. The way he makes her laugh and the way he just seems to enjoy even the tiniest moments of life are starting to boost even her own genuine happiness. She usually enjoys everything but he just added to that sunlight and fire that she contains. He tried so hard and she just could help roll her eyes after she threw axe after axe. She only wishes that they met on other circumstances.

When the bell rings he offers his hand towards her; calloused by the Training that they went through and the current training they’re in. “So what do you think? To the victor goes the spoils?” he asked as he jerked hat holding head towards the other tributes, leaning on his spear. Something about his was just oh so attractive. “Oh my, someone’s forming a little tribute crush!!” Ignatius jests at Frannie, just like many times she watched the Games. With Mason from the 62nd and Xavier from the 64th, though they usually never got far. “Shut up Iggy!” she whispered as she walks hand in hand with Argo towards the others.

They walked around as he mentions the girl from 2, Hannah, will be a good ally as she has some “unfinished business”, whatever that means. She agrees, adding that Careers usually lost a long time, for the most part. And he also can’t keep his eyes off of that girl Magenta from 9, as she proves herself in training to be good with a weapon. Francesca knows that these two ladies will make great allies, if only they would stop throwing themselves on Argo. She watches in disgust, with a twinge of jealousy as they flirt with him, which is almost pointless she feels. “Hey ladies, why don’t we talk strategy, and protecting his sorry ass from the others so we can have him later” she says as she playfully nudges Argo in the side, still holding his hand.

[/presto]