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Post by Seryna on Apr 13, 2012 14:38:15 GMT -5
After the first day of training and lunch, the tributes had a few more hours in the training center before they were told to have dinner with their mentor. Tank, Rory and Rowan entered the dining room of their apartment at about the same time. Apple was already making their plates, heaped with turkey legs, chicken pies, roasted potatoes and some sort of green vegetable. She passes a plate to each tribute, refusing to have the plate rebuffed.
"None of you were stabbed by that career yet," She remarked, biting into a turkey leg. Grease dribbled down her chin. "- congratulations on pissing people off so soon."
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Post by Aeon The Phoenix on Apr 15, 2012 3:37:49 GMT -5
"Thank you." Tank said monotonously, his plate already piled high with food as he started tucking in, albeit with more manners shown than by their current host.
"No Conrad?" The broad-shouldered male asked Apple, noting that the youngest of the mentor trio was absent from the setting.
-----
In the apartment each mentor also had a private room on the floor so they could be on hand should their tributes need them. Unlike the over-extravagance of the rooms each tribute occupied at present, Conrad's was surprisingly spartan in nature, lacking anything that was not a basic essential. No decorations, no lavish luxuries, just a bed and a couple of chairs. If Rowan had ever visited her cousin before she left for the Games, she might recognize the layout as being similar to Cypress' own dwellings. Months of running scenarios through his mind trying to work out how he could have saved the district partner he saw as akin to the sister he never had... Conrad was almost trying to bring her back into the world by sheer force of will.
At present, he was sat on the bed, the shiny metal disc he wore around his neck now laid flat on a chair, a holographic image of his former friend rising up from it, turning to smile at him before disappearing as her image dissolved into a thousand motes of light. Wordlessly, Conrad reached out and set the image off again, mulling over the latest path his research had taken him down.
Currently the mutt-ations in the game were genetically bred and kept safe until needed in the Games' arenas which was all very costly and occasionally dangerous when mutts managed to break loose and slaughter their captors. This project someone was proposing looked promising enough that mutts could essentially be created on the spot rather than waiting for nature to do the work. Alright, nobody wanted more Arena mutts in the world, but if it worked for them, might it work for humans instead? The project was far from being viable, but his victor finances would certainly help support the endeavor. He hadn't given up on her yet...
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Post by Seryna on Apr 15, 2012 20:51:36 GMT -5
"Looks like he's busy." Rowan remarked dryly. "So we have a good group." She stated, turning to look at Rory and Tank.
"The careers don't seem to be unified either. Not sure if Knife girl is united with them..."
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on Apr 18, 2012 23:03:24 GMT -5
Rory rolls her eyes. "Well, thank you for that astute summation of our situation, Apple." she said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her words. Mentor? Yeah, right. If Rory had to relay on Apple's advice she might as well blow herself up at the start. She shook her head. Nope, that wasn't going to happen. Take this one day at a time. Right now her goal was make it to day two of the games.
"Knife girl was getting friendly with the Careers. So it's only a matter of time. But you're right, Ro. We do have a good group." Rory said to Rowan before she glanced at Tank. "Tank, Conrad'll be here. He wouldn't let us down."
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Post by Seryna on Apr 21, 2012 18:45:03 GMT -5
"So... we have a good alliance." Rowan agreed, glancing towards Apple. "Do you have any advice for what we should do in Cornucopia?"
"Yes," Apple said quickly. "- run. Most of your group is too small. Run to a water source and keep yourself hidden. I'd advise that you wait out the first day and stay hidden. Rest up. Your group is big enough to post guards - if you trust them." She nearly smirks.
"What are your thoughts for how to survive the night?"
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on Apr 22, 2012 14:40:43 GMT -5
"Sleep in shifts. With a two to three person rotating watch. If we don't get away with any gear, we'll have to huddle for warmth. But if we have some supplies, we'll be able set up a mobile camp." Rory replied.
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Post by Aeon The Phoenix on Apr 24, 2012 7:41:19 GMT -5
"I suggest you avoid pairing up any members from the same District on watch if you can." Conrad added to the conversation, having finally joined the group at last.
Tank eyed his mentor and the grip he had on the disc around his neck, guessing full well what had kept Conrad busy up until now. You didn't help someone out on a daily basis without gaining some insight into their activities and habits.
"Run first, we fight later." Tank offered his opinion for their survival. "Careers strong, but maybe no smart."
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Post by Seryna on Apr 24, 2012 21:54:20 GMT -5
"You have quite a spread of districts." Apple put in. "Do you have any specific questions about the arena? You seem to have a feasible idea for Cornucopia."
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on Apr 27, 2012 19:47:53 GMT -5
At Tank's suggestion, Rory nods. "We're planning to make a dash to the gear and then fleeing. We can't take the Cornucopia. There's a lot of us but most of us have zero weapons training." She looks at Conrad when he speaks and nods once more. "Yes. We were thinking that too. It'll have to go for us as well. We can't have the other tributes in our alliance thinking that we're going to double cross them."
She turns her attention to Apple. Finally she says something useful. "What's the worst you've seen in the arena? I just want an idea of how bad it can get. Also, how do you keep from losing your head when everyone starts dying around you?"
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Post by Seryna on Apr 30, 2012 14:07:09 GMT -5
Apple rocked her head back; in deep thought.
"The worst thing you have yet to see... is what you don't know. You need to drop your expectations. Anything can be engineered to kill you. Its best to embrace a little paranoia."[/b]
The woman paused; not answering the last question. She pointedly glanced towards Conrad and reached for another roll.
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Post by Aeon The Phoenix on May 1, 2012 2:37:03 GMT -5
The question was innocent enough, the memories it stirred up anything but. Almost as if he was back in the arena, Conrad saw again that horrifying moment as the snake bit deep into Cypress' leg, that terrifying panic as hope and reason clashed over the inevitability of her death, the fight for his own life he barely survived, so tired of fighting, being frozen in place by the Gamemakers mere seconds away from reaching Cypress, the struggle in the transport to get back to her before they sedated him...
The words were like a lifeline, and Conrad's battered psyche seized them and pulled himself out of the mental turmoil he was drowning in.
"There was a point where they pretty much threw a shark at our alliance... we didn't see it coming and we lost two of us in the mayhem." Conrad swallowed.
"You don't have a choice when the Games turn sour. The minute you give up in the Games, you're already dead. You find a reason, any reason, to keep going and you worry about dealing with it all later."
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on May 1, 2012 20:49:45 GMT -5
Rory nodded. She wasn't scared, it was written clearly on her face. She understood what both of her mentors were saying. The unknown was the most dangerous accept of the games. And by Conrad's advice, Rory needed a reason to live. Her hand went to the pendant around her neck. Her mother's but before that, her aunt's. She had her dad. But Rory and him already had an understanding. However, Rory had a reason for living. She needed to get Rowan home. In order to do that, she needed to make sure they were the final two.
"But you can't deal with it, can you?" Rory asked. "You just find a way to block it out."
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Post by Seryna on May 2, 2012 4:58:41 GMT -5
"I think thats what we'll have to do. We can't agonize over every decision. We do what we need to survive and get home..."[/b] Rowan stated; her voice lined with emotion. " - then we deal with what we have done. And not before.[/b]
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Post by Aeon The Phoenix on May 8, 2012 13:34:40 GMT -5
"Just do what you can to get through the Games. You'll have the rest of your life to deal with the consequences." Conrad stated, not without a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Tank's round inexpressive eyes regarded the two mentors. Could he afford to care about his district partners if ending up like them was the result? Then again, what were his chances if he didn't look out for Rory and Rowan, and they for him.
"No choice. We win." Tank stated. If only it were that simple.
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on May 8, 2012 18:45:02 GMT -5
Rory smiles but the light doesn't reach her eyes. This could be the beginning of her last days. She shakes her head, remembering her words to Gable. She is still too pretty to die.
Finally, she nods. "No choice at all. We win. Or we don't go home."[/color]
She reaches across the table and places a hand on Rowan's. "One of us is going home, Ro."[/color]
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Post by Seryna on May 8, 2012 18:57:20 GMT -5
Apple shifted in her seat; glancing over towards Conrad. "You seem to have inspired some sort of team spirit here with your play last Games... and only one of them gets to come home. Dicey, Conrad.
"One of us. Rowan agreed; giving Rory's hand a squeeze. "Apple; we're not idiots. We know it isn't a group win situation. But I feel stronger with Rory and Tank at my side."
Rowan gave Rory and Tank a look, a meaningful one. Her tone was serious; but her expression was open; perhaps even optimistic.
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on May 8, 2012 19:25:51 GMT -5
Rory shoots Apple a hard glare. Then she composes herself. "You're forgetting that Rowan and I volunteered. We knew the risks going in."[/color]
She nods to Rowan. "And until there's only just the three of us in the arena, I say there is strength in numbers."[/color] She looks over at Conrad and although her words are directed toward Apple she was staring at Conrad. "Watching the Games last year was tough. But what Conrad and Cypress did... it gave me the strength I needed to volunteer. They both competed in the games but they showed everyone... or at least me that you can compete on your own terms and win or lose on your own terms as well. You say it's dicey. I say it was brilliant."[/color]
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Post by Seryna on May 15, 2012 12:53:16 GMT -5
"Its dicey or stupid. Whichever you prefer... but its your Games."[/color] Apple stated dryly.
"I agree, Rory. We have a strong alliance. Some of them may be young, but they are keeping busy at the training stations. I bet that they'll surprise us."
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on May 15, 2012 17:08:06 GMT -5
"You're right, Apple. It is our games."[/color] Rory says, with a smile. She knows what's at stake. And it isn't her life, although that is on the line. She is still more concern with losing herself. God forbid she actually wins. She doesn't think she can face the real world again. How do you go back to being a normal kid when you had to kill to make it back home? "I know they'll surprise us. And hey, we might even surprise Apple."[/color]
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Post by Aeon The Phoenix on May 17, 2012 4:02:35 GMT -5
Though Apple's words made him frown, the response to them from Rory elicited the only (albeit brief) genuine smile they had seen from Conrad yet. For the first time, some of the weight lifted from Conrad's shoulders.
Tank didn't look like he agreed with Apple's sentiment either. "Together we strong. Better odds." The male fell silent again.
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Post by CuteLikeMurder on May 18, 2012 10:40:46 GMT -5
Rory looks between her two mentors. And smiles, softly when Conrad does. She had seen nothing but guilt until now. Rory doesn't know that she helped, but it is just good to see some life return to Conrad. "You've forgotten what it's like, Apple. You've been ineligible to be reaped for some time. I had three more and then I was done, forever. Free. And the odds of me getting picked were slim. It's just me and my dad.
"I didn't have to come to this Quarter Quell. I could have waited and let a 12 year old girl come and die here instead. And there would have been no probably about it. She would have died, butchered by Silver or some other career kid. I'm not saying that I have much of a better chance of winning a fight with one of them, either. But like Tank says, together we're strong. Together we have a better chance of one of us going home.
"So please, Apple, I understand what you're doing. I get it. But I'm still going to play the games my way. If that means I die, then I die. But I'll die free and with no regrets. Instead of surviving because I sacrificed who I am. I'll kill to survive but I won't kill to entertain some fat cat in the Capitol. I'm not their puppet."[/color]
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