oh what a world;

Lyra Kolb | D2 | Tribute of the 137th Games

[seer-cressida]

They'd been separated. It wasn't hard to get caught up in the chaos, lost in the thrum and commotion of everything happening at once. Ty had watched a flash of yellow hair disappear behind a stone, but he wasn't sure where Sable had gone -- into the tunnels, or up above, or maybe she was simply gone. If she was dead, he'd pretend to cry during that night's display. No use ingratiating himself now.

He moved with a slick coolness, purposeful but arrogant, sauntering toward the center where the supplies were stored. "Pictured you with a sword," he commented, seeing Lyra toying with a dagger, something easy to sheath, to keep close. "That's more my style, if you want to toss that over."

@lyra-kolb

[lyra-kolb]

"I'll take that as a compliment," she decided, shifting off the jagged rock that had hidden her dagger from sight onto more even ground. "But I don't feel the need to overcompensate with the big weapons. A dagger is just fine." And it was. A dagger was a perfectly practical weapon with just the right amount of showmanship. "I promise, if you really know what you're doing, a dagger moves just as beautifully as a sword. It's not the size of the weapon but how you use it— as they say." She smiled coyly, but there was a simmering annoyance just under the surface. Tiberius was wasting her time, and by extension, his own. He knew perfectly well she had no intention of handing him a weapon, and it was just like a man to pretend it was a reasonable expectation. "I'll be holding on to this, but I'm sure you can find something else worth keeping. I think I saw a nice club around here somewhere. Help yourself."

[notverybrighton]

Sable picked her way down the stands in the setting sun, pausing every so often to squat behind chairs and observe her surroundings. She didn't want any more surprises. But the sun moved faster than Sable had anticipated, and the dark was setting in quickly. She had to find the entrance to the tunnels. It was her only real chance at a spot to hide, to rest.

She had nearly reached the bottom of the stands when she heard the slithering. She whipped her head to toward the sound, and saw a dark green, rope-like creature, contrasted against the light rock of the ruins, squiggle its way along the dusty stands, far enough away but headed directly toward her. It was a snake. A muttation, certainly, but what kind of muttation? Could she fight it? Did she have to run?

A new sound came from behind her, and she turned again, trying to keep her eyes on the snake at the same time as she watched the tribute to her other side, seemingly equidistant from the mutt. It was Lyra. Oh Snow, this was how she died. A choice between death by tribute, or death by whatever this snake was capable of. But the known was better than the unknown, and Sable found herself running toward the vicious Career, away from the snake.

"Mutt!" she called out, in warning, or explanation, or a desperate plea to maybe not kill her, but help instead?

@lyra-kolb

[lyra-kolb]

The arena was everything Lyra hoped it'd be. It was exhilarating and unrestrained. It was the high of pure adrenaline and the low of the crash. It was danger, and it was freedom. It was glory and honor, and it was human nature at its most raw, most pure. Lyra moved with all the trained stealth of a predator on the prowl. In the arena there was only predators and their prey, and Lyra had cemented herself in her preferred category. She was a vision of mud— smeared in patches over her cheeks and her knuckles— and blood— still caked under her fingernails. Her hard-won dagger was clutched tightly in her fist at her side.

In time, she would return to the cornucopia, but this arena was small. It felt a shame not to venture out and deliver the show she'd promised. Lyra spotted Brighton first, as she moved through the stands. She had no intention of picking a fight with the other career. There were easier tributes to handle first, and besides, she didn't know where Tiberius was now, and without that information, it made no sense to go after his wife. Injured as he might have been, Lyra still didn't want to end up going against both of them together.

Mutt! Lyra's eyes met Brighton's before flashing to the creature picking up speed behind her. She sprang into motion, moving in a parallel to Sable. "Do you have a weapon?" She asked, and for once, it wasn't to assess her own advantage. No, it was a question of knowing how equipped they were as a unit against the muttation in pursuit.

[indigo-levis]

"Rocks, cops, and murderers." The words were out of Indigo's mouth long before she could think about catching them. "So much to be proud of there." She quickly averted her eyes, which had shot up in a glare only a moment before.

How bold, she wanted to say. My sisters are still in the factories because we can't afford for them not to be. There was so much to be said to Lyra, but maybe it was better if she didn't. Maybe. But still, despite it all, she couldn't bite back: "What a sacrifice he made."

[lyra-kolb]

Lyra smiled tightly at Indigo's commentary. She wasn't sure if she felt offended or amused. "I guess so," she chuckled finally. "But they're as vital to Panem as the exports of any other district," she pointed out. “Our stone is the foundation of the country, just as important as coal, or meat, or clothing.” It was all part of a greater good. “And as for tributes and peacekeepers, well, we’ve seen first hand now how important a sense of order is, haven’t we? Snow knew it, and Cacus knows it now too.” It was hardly a neutral statement, but it was masked as one. “Order, justice, peace, right? That’s what she said? Well, those are our unofficial exports right there.”

She knew, of course, that Indigo was being sarcastic in her mention of sacrifice, but it was a sacrifice, was it not? "He would've much rather been at the tribute Academy," she confessed. "But we go where we're needed. They ask us to put our lives on the line, and we do, because it's what our country needs. Everyone plays their part."

[faithraines]

“Versatile and not overly complicated—sounds like a good place to start.” She began looping the rope methodically, her hands moving with practised ease. “This is a fairly basic starting point,” she explained, demonstrating how the strands interwove. “It’s simple but strong, and you can use it for a lot of things - catching fish, tripping someone...Of course, the more rope the better but this can get you out of scrapes if used well.”

Her pace slowed, giving the tribute a chance to follow. “The trick is to keep the tension consistent, see? Too tight, and it’ll snap under pressure; too loose, and it won’t hold anything.” She glanced at Lyra’s bundle, tilting her head with an encouraging smile. “Your turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

[lyra-kolb]

Lyra watched, mimicking the movements as Merielle demonstrated them. "Simple and strong is perfect," she answered. There was no need to waste time trying to learn something fancy, when something practical would do. Lyra was better off learning one basic knot that she could use in various circumstances than learning several more intricate knots that would rarely serve her. "Consistent tension," she echoed, committing the note to memory. Lyra finished the last few motions as she'd been instructed before lifting the knot to reveal her work. "Do you think this would hold?"

[seer-cressida]

"You'll have to contend with her regardless," Ty mused, appreciative of the notion. He quite enjoyed seeing Brighton set loose. At her question, though, he chuckled, shaking his head, movements limited and slow. "Are you hoping that's the case? That we're at each other's throats? You'll be disappointed. Allies until the finale--" An arched brow, inquiring, "isn't that how the best pairings go?"

"What about you? What can we expect from the two from Two?"

[lyra-kolb]

"Of course, I am," she answered matter-of-factly. "That would be a dream come true, but don't worry, I wasn't counting on it." It was a case of hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. In the best case scenario, District One would turn on each other and there would be killing and maiming that would put Lyra at an advantage. In the worst case, they'd be a united front. "Allies until the finale," she echoed curiously. "And then what?"

"Things in District Two are much less interesting," she confessed, although it wasn't entirely the truth. Her district partner was everything she hated about Two. He was a typical District Two Career meathead, and Lyra did not respect him in the least. She wouldn't be telling Tiberius that, though, of course. "We're not friends, and we're not enemies. It's all business, just as it should be."

[juno-dearborn]

"So why did you?" Morbid curiosity was all that was keeping her from turning and walking away from this girl at this point, because every other instinct in her raised alarm bells. Or, perhaps, this was her survival instinct, what had her sister called the third type of danger response? Fawn? "Why would you want to be here?"

[lyra-kolb]

"Because it could be my last chance," Lyra answered plainly. She knew it wouldn't make since to someone who hadn't grown up under the roof of an Academy. "The Games are an honor," she expanded. "I've been training for them my whole life, because the country needs them. People like the Vox take over, and it's... chaos." War, famine, confusion. It was a mess. "Cacus said it herself. The Games restore order, and obviously we need them, or we wouldn't all be here. What I'm doing is an honor. Not everyone is strong or capable enough, but I am."

[linkcache]

"I'm allergic to plums." Link shared, a smile on her face. "All stone fruit. and strawberries." Still, she understood the sentiment. She could appreciate the pain that this had caused, the hunger and the disruption. "I'm sorry. I'll see if I can source some for your victory tour at least." Not that Lyra was likely to get there, but she was about as likely as link would be able to get plums, so if one happened, why not the other?

"I miss three." She admitted, softly. there was a wistfullness in her voice that she couldn't quite mask. "I'm sure it's bad there. But It's my home, always has been. The vox won't let me go back."

[lyra-kolb]

"Oh no," Lyra sympathized. It wasn't that she thought being allergic to stone fruits was the worst fate a person could have, but Lyra enjoyed them so much that it was hard to imagine that someone else might not get to. "That would be so thoughtful," she cooed, and in truth, she meant it. She wasn't sure that a mentor for Three would have the sway to get plums for a District Two Victory Tour, but the intent was there regardless.

Lyra's brows furrowed, cheeks tinging red with the thought the Vox would keep Link from her home. "That's awful!" She barked, more loudly than she meant. "It's your home! How could they?" But of course they would; it was the Vox. "How arbitrarily punitive," she nearly whined.

[faithraines]

Merielle blinked, a little surprised by the request, but quickly recovered, a genuine smile creeping onto her face. "I could probably show you the basics." she said, her tone light as she stepped toward the nearest training station, gesturing for Lyra to follow. "It’s not as glamorous as weapons training," she added, glancing back at her, "but a good net can do a lot more than just catch fish. Trip someone, trap them, disarm them if you’re clever enough."

Pausing, she picked up a length of rope from a pile of supplies and began threading it through her fingers. "It’s all about patience and precision - two things you might not have time for in the arena, but hey, maybe it’ll come in handy." She offered Lyra a teasing smile and nodded towards another bundle of rope. "Let’s see if you’ve got the knack for knots."

[lyra-kolb]

"That's okay," Lyra assured her. "Glamor winning Games is for District One. I prefer hard work," she smiled, poking fun at tributes who weren't even around to be a part of the joke. "That would be perfect, thank you." Lyra could appreciate the practically that came from Four. It was a bit like Two in that sense, and Lyra always saw them as sort of kindred spirits. Water and earth: a balance without needing to be entirely opposite. "Patience and precision," she repeated with a nod, watching as Merielle worked.

Lyra reached for the second bundle, cradling it almost delicately in her hands. "Maybe we start with something versatile... and not entirely complicated?"

[indigo-levis]

Indigo cast her eyes downward. She was instantly embarrassed. This was not the way she thought she'd be - she was supposed to be strong and defiant until the end. But one conversation with one Career, and there was icy terror in her chest? Fuck.

"I am," she said carefully, not wanting to reveal too much. Though what benefit could Two possibly get from this? "Pretty much everyone in Eight is from a big city. We don't really have any towns around the District. I was on my way towards foreman of one of the factories there. Worked on the line." She glanced up, unable to hide the queasy look on her face. "And you? I just assume everyone in Two grows up in the Academy."

[lyra-kolb]

"Foreman, that's impressive," Lyra noted, or at least she assumed it was impressive. Why else would Indigo have mentioned it specifically? Lyra wasn't quite sure she knew what being a foreman entailed, but it was clearly a higher position than what was average. Maybe Indie was a respected leader, a hard-worker, a rule follower? But did that make her ally or enemy? Lyra couldn't say.

"Not everyone," Lyra corrected. "I was raised in the Academy, as were my brothers." For a time, anyway. "Our district is clearly very proud of our Academy, but it takes all kinds to keep a district running. We have quarry miners, stone workers, peacekeepers... and actually, my brother, Aquila, left the Games Academy to train with the peacekeepers." Because violence that proved too brutal for even the Games could still be celebrated among the peacekeepers.

[faithraines]

Merielle arched an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Fishing? I guess that's a pretty standard stereotype." she replied, her tone light but carrying a hint of humour. She shifted slightly, leaning back as she considered Lyra’s question more seriously.

"Not exactly my thing," she added after a beat, keeping her voice casual. "I'm much better at throwing a spear or making a net than I am at actually fishing." She shrugged dismissively before her gaze landed back on Lyra, curiosity sparking in her eyes. "Are you particularly skilled in anything? Or are you using this time to learn a new skill?"

[lyra-kolb]

Lyra blushed, feeling a little guilty for the incorrect assumption. "Oh, a net!" She chirped excitedly, recovering from her social stumble. Lyra was good at many things, but knots and nets weren't second nature. "I've trained with several weapons," she explained, not divulging specifics. She wanted to keep a few cards close to the vest. "So, I'm using my time to... clean up a few skills, let's say." She wasn't wasting her time on anything brand new, but there were a few things that could use refreshing. "Would you mind showing me some net making?"

[juno-dearborn]

She hadn't given much thought to Bloodbath rules, not beyond... don't get involved. She couldn't remember a single time someone from Five had managed to engage with the Bloodbath and make it out alive. It hadn't even been a question for her.

"I suppose so," she agreed, if only to stay on Lyra's good side. She got the sense that was a good idea. "You really think you'll stick to your code in there?" Few Careers did. Or, maybe, never intended to, only held up the idea of rules or code for the sake of wooing other tributes and audiences into liking them.

[lyra-kolb]

"I do," she nodded confidently. "I can understand why you wouldn't take my word for it, but yes, I really think so." She could understand why Juno would be distrusting. Lyra was a career, and she wasn't so blind to the dynamic of their country that she couldn't see how that would divide them. "I believe in the Games. I think they can be a powerful force for good, and I think we should be proud of them," she continued. "But it doesn't mean everyone who participates willingly has to be a monster. It's not why I volunteered, anyway."

[linkcache]

"It's a good goal." Link said, trying to sound neutral. In honesty, any tribute would have a rough go of turning themselves into a victor, but Link couldn't bring herself to fault the attitude of deciding to work towards it. particuarly from a career. They'd grown up thinking that was their way. Didn't mean she was going to root for lyra over three, but still. "It was... a strange night. I was one of Snow's favorite victors, so the Vox are not my biggest fans, go figure." There was more to it, but that was simple. "I miss when food was easier to come by."

[lyra-kolb]

"Oh wow," Lyra breathed, stretching out the vowel in amazement. "That must have been terrifying." The sentiment was earnest. Lyra couldn't imagine the gripping fear of being in the Tower as a loyalist on the day it was taken by the Vox. It was a wonder Link escaped with her life. "Things in Two were just abysmal for quite some time," she nodded in understanding. "They're not much better now, really, but they're more... settled." Still, resources were scarce compared to how they'd been before the war, and now with the new war on the border, improvement was difficult. "I miss just about everything, but you know what I miss the most?" She asked, but it was rhetorical, and she did not wait for an answer. "Plums. I haven't had a plum in years." Not since the lock downs began in Eleven. It was the beginning of an end, but of course, they hadn't known that then. "They were my favorite when I was little."

[indigo-levis]

A deep distrust bubbled in Indie's stomach. This was a Career. A trained killer. Someone who loved the Games, and probably hated the Vox and everything they stood for. Someone who would revel and dance at each face projected into the sky.

So why was she being so... nice?

Indigo slowly chewed her salad. "It's... yes." She tried to form a sentence around her hesitation. "I don't know that I had a real expectation of it, though. So it was always going to be different, if that makes sense. Never thought I'd be here, so never really thought about it."

[lyra-kolb]

"Totally," Lyra nodded, even if she was doubtful. Sure, Indigo probably never thought about actually being in the Capitol, but surely, she would've imagined it. Indie had never spent long days toiling away in a district like Eight and never imagined living in luxury? She never went home at the end of a long day, looked down at her blistered hands, and conjured images of Capitolites lazing around in the fine linens her own district exported? Maybe because Lyra had seen the Capitol in her dreams every night since she was a child, but it was unfathomable to her that someone wouldn't build some kind of expectation.

But Lyra's face remained perfectly, pleasantly neutral. "I guess you're used to growing up in a big city, right?" She asked, gesturing to the Eight on the other tribute's sleeve. "What did you do back in Eight?"

[linkcache]

"They always seem to." In fact, sometimes change was so slow, nobody could stick around to see it through. That was how the games came back, wasn't it? because the people couldn't hold off on another games for long enough for the country to adapt to life without them? This was the easy way out, the coward's way out. "Think about it this way. you win, you'll get to see it go back to normal." That would be comforting to a career, someone who wished she'd seen the former glory of this. Link tried to provide comfort to everyone, even if she was rooting against them. The games were desolate enough.

[lyra-kolb]

"That is the plan," Lyra answered Link. "I volunteered to be a victor, and I certainly intend on holding myself to that." And she would be a proper victor, one with all the spoils she'd earned. This somber drip of a Games was certainly not what she'd always dreamed of, but if it really was the last, she'd make do. "I can't even imagine what it must have been like being here last year. One day you wake up in the most beautiful city in the world, and the next day it's being burnt before your eyes. What a tragedy."

[juno-dearborn]

"Well... they are alive." It wasn't necessarily what Juno supported, of course. But she wasn't stupid, she did see that 'at all costs' tended to increase the chances of a tribute winning. Juno just wasn't sure she had 'all costs' in her. "So... what, you won't sneak up on people or something? Or fight someone who's unarmed? That sort of thing?" That would be a small reassurance to know, but reassurance nonetheless.

[lyra-kolb]

"They're alive, and it goes to their head," she chuckled. "I think it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. Brutish boys are favored to win, so they get support. They have support, so they win. They're favored to win, so they get support," she reasoned. "Mostly, yes," she agreed, although she wasn't necessarily eager to unveil every aspect of her strategy. "Bloodbath rules are different, though, of course, because there are no rules in the bloodbath. The goal is to protect yourself first and foremost. I'm sure that's what's expected of me, and I'd expect the same from you."

[indigo-levis]

Perhaps she should have spent more time in the training room. But there were only so many times she could get tossed to the ground by a Trainer before she had to pack it in. In her defense, she had gotten one good swing in, so that felt like progress, but overall, it had been a rather demoralizing experience.

Her eyes darted up as a Tribute she didn't recognize joined her. She shrugged. "It's a free country," she replied, toxic irony dripping from her tongue. Indigo's breath froze in her lungs, though, when she caught sight of the "2" on the other's shoulder. A Career.

Indigo averted her eyes as quickly as she could, shoveling stale salad into her mouth. What could a Career possibly want with her right now?

[lyra-kolb]

"A free country," Lyra smiled. She nearly even laughed, but she kept it contained. A free country? Certainly not to those who had been jailed for their loyalism to Snow, or those living in the Capitol during the lock downs, and absolutely not to those being fear mongered into fighting the Vox's war. No, it was no more free now than it was under Snow, and if you asked Lyra, things were worse now. Still, she wasn't here to talk politics. "Thank you," she offered instead as she took the seat across from Indigo. "So, what do you think of the Capitol? Is it any different than you expected?"

[seer-cressida]

She was toying, taunting, teasing him into some sort of response. Tiberius peered down, brow arching, smiling politely without teeth. "Sure," he replied, scarce in his response. The Academy had chosen him because he was the most likely to succeed, regardless of arena. Not because he was tall, but because he was hungry. Thirsty. In control. There was no chance of distraction, no likelihood of sacrificing himself so someone else could go home. "And what if it's a tunnel system? A series of shrinking rooms?" Ty scoffed, amusement peeking through. "Then, the advantage would go to you."

[lyra-kolb]

"Do the rooms shrink until we're all crushed or just enough to have to crouch? Because in that case, you're right," she agreed airily. "In the one scenario we're in increasingly shrinking spaces, I'll have the advantage," Lyra conceded. "Unfortunately, I'd still have to contend with your wife," she pointed out. "It seems District One has covered their bases between the two of you," she teased. "How did you both end up in the arena together? You might've saved yourself the trouble and simply gotten divorced."