Reserving at paradisa

[foxlocked]

A game?

[ She looks around nervously. ]

I would rather not participate. I have had enough of games for a lifetime.

Comments

[notelizabeth]

But if you're not in a game, then you're homeless!

You're not saying you'd rather be homeless, are you?

[prettyknives]

You're going there? ... Hmph. The odds may just be in your favor.

[foxlocked]

Where I come from, Games mean something far worse than homelessness. Personally, I prefer it over death.

[foxlocked]

[ Turns out - she's not. Too much of a minor character, sadly.

Allow her to freak out inwardly nonetheless at the mere sight of Clove. She's holding herself at a fair distance, though knowing the other girl's ability to throw knives - when things go down, she'd not have much of a chance. ]

The odds aren't in anyone's favor when playing any kind of game.

[notelizabeth]

Oh....er, I'm sorry.

[foxlocked]

[ She realizes that she's been overly ... well, rough? It wasn't all that set in her head that there were worlds in which 'games' meant nothing more than just that. Playing. ]

I ought to apologize; you couldn't have known.

[brazenblue]

This fate is one that will most assuredly be spared me.

Apparently it is a disappointment to my mundane.

[foxlocked]

I seem to be that lucky as well.

... Mundanes are a cruel group of people.

[brazenblue]

And for much the same reason as me, from what I hear.

They are.

[foxlocked]

I suppose that means, as unsuccessful as I was in the long run, my tactic worked and I got by unnoticed.

[brazenblue]

Your tactic?

[foxlocked]

During the Hunger Games.

The ones where I came from.

It is a long story.

[brazenblue]

I like stories, and have time.

[foxlocked]

[ Brace yourself, a fast spoken history of everything ever is coming. Her voice is clear as she speaks, though she seems a lot more focused on delivering bare facts than anything else. ]

The country I come from, Panem, is split into twelve Districts. Every single one has a special task, something the people living there provide. District 1, for example, supplies luxury items, while District 5, the one I am from, is in charge of supplying power for the entire world. All of the Districts are ruled by the Capitol.

Once, a thirteenth District existed, but it was completely and utterly destroyed by the Capitol for daring to rise up against the leaders. As a punishment and a reminder for the remaining Districts to stay in line, the Hunger Games were created.

Now every year in every District, there is a reaping - a boy and a girl 'tribute' are chosen and brought to the capitol, where they are prepared for the Games as good as possible. Then, all twenty-four tributes are brought to a remote arena, a different one for every year, where they fight each other to death.

Until only a single victor is left.

[brazenblue]

[ And Rowena listens attentively, a frown growing more and more as the story progresses. ]

They make children kille one another?

[foxlocked]

[ She nods. ]

Some kids from the richer Districts, like 1, 2 and 4, volunteer to go there. Usually, the victors come from there.

[brazenblue]

[ Rowena would like to curse some bitches. ]

That is completely unacceptable.

[foxlocked]

[ She flinches. ]

No one will ever stop them.

[brazenblue]

Why in the name of Merlin not?

[foxlocked]

They destroyed an entire District over night. No survivors, nothing but ashes remaining from the hopes of hundreds, or even thousands.

A life or two per year are a better price than that.

[brazenblue]

In a system like that it's never just a life or two a year.

[foxlocked]

It is always the flu. Or an accident in a machine room.

[prettyknives]

[probably for the best. That Game is stranger than anything the arena threw at them]

At least Katniss and her friends wouldn't warn people about you the moment you showed up.

[foxlocked]

[ Most certainly. Though also likely a lot less deadly than Foxface envisions.

Calling Clove 'potentially violent and dangerous' to her face might not be a smart move, so she'll refrain from that.

Somewhat. ]

You have left a particular impression at the arena.

[prettyknives]

What's your point? We all did what we had to in order to survive.

[foxlocked]

It is easy to hate each other for that.

[prettyknives]

Hm. There are much better things to hate than kids just trying to win a game.

[foxlocked]

The ones who made us play, for instance. The ones for whose entertainment we died.

[prettyknives]

Mmhm.

[foxlocked]

[ If Finch Foxface had to list the most terrifying tributes, Clove would definitely hold one of the top ranks.

That look alone was enoug. ]

Do you hate her?

[ Curiosity kills not only cats, apparently. 'Her', in this case, referring to a certain Mockingjay. ]

[notelizabeth]

That's all right, it's fine.

[prettyknives]

No, not really. I don't hate any of you.