delilah summers

[neptune-akoya]

part three. /3

She could have been better prepared for the explosion. After all, she knew it was coming in a roundabout sense. Perhaps not exactly this explosion, exactly this timing, but there had been rumors. Murmurs. Whispered conversations behind closed doors and under the guise of nights. She had heard that there was a plan to eventually break the Tributes out of an Arena, but she hadn't known it would be her Arena, this Games.

It shouldn't have been a surprise. It was a long time coming, after all. Neptune had spent decades organizing, working, sabotaging, storing, helping, smuggling - all for this aim. To show the entire country that it didn't have to be like this. These Games didn't have to control their lives. That the Hunger Games didn't represent all of Panem.

But she hadn't thought it would be this one. No, there had still been use to the Games. If she could just win - if she could bring back the spoils of Victory to Four, they'd be that much closer. Six months of feasting for her District. Six months of not scrounging for meals, of worrying if everyone had enough to eat. It would have been such a boon. There were foods she could smuggle across District lines to neighboring spaces, where they, too, could benefit. If she could win, she would help bring the Games that much closer to their end.

So that was why she left Gage and Wiley behind. Wiley wouldn't last long, and if Gage was determined to stay with her, then she would also fall soon enough. It didn't need to be by Neptune's hand. She struck out north, towards the mountains. Perhaps there was more there. Perhaps not. But she was the only dot of red amidst the sea of white that she saw for many, many hours. The mountains loomed large ahead of her, rising out of the snow like waves on the ocean.

They called to her, in a way. She trudged forward, pressing a hand to the duct tape on her snowsuit. Something about the mountains cried, Neptune, I'm here. Neptune... in a soft voice. In the back of her head, she heard it, pressing her forward. Hours upon hours of walking later, she had barely made them any larger, hardly brought them any closer. And still that voice urged her onward. Neptune! Come here.

Hours. Hours. Hours. Neptune hadn't thought to count, as it didn't exactly matter. If she were to run into someone, she would kill them. There hadn't been a single cannon since the Bloodbath, so either everyone was hidden or cooperating. And good for them. They would all fall in time. But the mountains pulled Neptune forward.

It was countless, of course. The deeds, the acts. The actions she had taken over the years that led her here. The foot of a mountain finally drew ahead of her. Finally, a streak of grey contrasted against the blinding white. Finally, a piece of stone amidst the powder. Finally. Neptune broke into a run, as if she could outrun the government, the Games, the past. Neptune, the voice said. You're so close. Keep going.

She put one foot forward, stepping onto the stone. It was as if she was meant to do this very thing, this very summit. One foot, then the other. Then the other. Her run fell into a methodical climb. After hours on the snow, she was ready for this - hours on the mountain. Up. Up. Go, she said. Go on, Neptune.

Neptune grit her teeth as the climb increased. Steeper and steeper the face of the mountain got, but it wouldn't slow her. Whether it was step by step or hand over hand, Neptune knew she'd reach the top. She would see this through. She would summit this mountain. What stood at the top, she couldn't say. But she knew this was her Games. This was her Victory.

Neptune, Tetra whispered. It's going to be okay. Neptune shook her head, surprised to find tears falling. I'm here, Neptune. I always have been.

Hand over hand over hand over hand. Time and distance didn't matter to Neptune, only progress. Only motion. Only up. There was so much mountain to climb yet. There was so much yet to do, so many lives to save, so many moments to earn.

She could have been better prepared for the explosion. If she had known, maybe she would have made different choices. Neptune. Maybe she wouldn't have started climbing the mountain. Maybe she wouldn't have left Gage and Wiley. Maybe she wouldn't have Volunteered at all. Neptune, look up. Neptune, it's beautiful.

She threw a hand up, clutching onto the sheer rock face. Her neck craned up and she saw it happen in real time. A small, silver missile crashed into the sky. It should have continued down, but it struck the forcefield, exploding into a billowing, fiery curtain. Then there was nothing. A moment later, though, the shockwave hit. Thunderous, like when a tsunami collapses against the flat of the ocean. The noise was deafening, but she could still hear: Neptune. You're going to be okay. Neptune, I love you.

The second missile hit lower, closer to the ground. A cacophony of explosions erupted as the forcefield failed and bits of wire and electricity showered around the Arena.

She could have been better prepared for the explosion. But when a third missile hit the mountain she was scaling, it wasn't in her favor. Neptune Akoya had only a moment to call back Tetra! I'm coming! before the fire and the flames ripped her from the mountain and sent her flying, countlessly, to her wife.

[neptune-akoya]

part two. /3

They could have been better prepared for the storm. But they could see where the storm was off in the distance, and Neptune hardly had duties to attend to. The nets were out again, the winds were low, and Tetra was there. All of her attention could turn to her wife. She showed her the mast, the stern, the lower quarters. Neptune showed Tetra the best places on the boat to slink away for privacy, and Tetra showed Neptune the best privacies to slink into.

"What if it was always like this?" Neptune whispered, tucked away in a back corner of the hull of the ship. She interlaced her fingers with Tetra's, pulling her in to trace circles on her cheek.

Tetra laughed, her voice dry and husky. "I could never. I'll never get my sea legs, or whatever you call them."

"No one on the water calls them that."

"Well call me a landlubber, then."

Neptune burst out in a frantic laugh and buried her face in the crook of Tetra's neck. "I would never." Neptune wound her fingers into Tetra's hair and pressed her palm into Tetra's cheek. How incredible it would be, to live just like this, forever. Right here in this moment, on a boat, with the love of each other's lives tangled between them.

It was almost as if, for just a moment, there was no District Four to go home too. There was no Hunger Games (even with the brutality of the third Quarter Quell still burning in their eyelids). There was no brewing rebellion, no Finnick Odair, two-time champion, nothing. It was just the two of them and the boat.

For a moment, Neptune thought it was just an increase in Tetra's heartbeat. She thought the sudden increase of noise was just blood coursing through her wife's body, excited and flushed. But then Tetra pulled away, and the noise remained. She reached for her face, but Tetra's gaze was upward.

"What... what is that?" She asked. Her voice was hushed, as if she was overhearing something she shouldn't. But Neptune knew - it was the hubbub of an approaching storm.

They should have been more prepared. But it kicked up so quickly, so fiercely, so impossibly. Neptune urged Tetra to stay where she was and rushed to the deck. People were shouting, the mast was creaking, and the sea was terrorizing.

In all her time on the sea, Neptune hadn't seen waves that high. They gaped like blankets flying away in the wind. Foamy peaks rose like mountains from the dark ocean. Thunder erupted every time one slammed down.

Neptune's hair was immediately plastered to her face, and she clawed it out of her eyes as her crew mates dashed frantically across the ship. People even just beside her couldn't beat the roar of the storm. How had it kicked up? How had they been so off guard?

Something caught Neptune's attention. She stumbled forward, clawing saltwater out of her eyes. Was that... a boat? on the water? Certainly not. But then she saw it again - black, almost invisible against the ocean. It was the oddest thing - but then it was gone. Maybe it had been a trick of the rain. Maybe. But then again, what would have caused the explosion?

It left her no time to think. There was no way to know later, either, what it had been. Perhaps it was the lightning that everyone claimed it was. Maybe it had been the engine of their ship, finally giving out. Maybe it was a mysterious explosion out on the sea that thudded into the side of their fishing vessel. Maybe - though no one seems to recall that third option.

Whatever it was, the mast shrieked in agony as the explosion hit it. Across the boat, the wench supporting the nets careened up, pulling monstrous fish from the depths. Neptune's eyes darted from one to the other, and then forward. A shock of bright red hair, framed in the doorway leading up from the bellows of the ship. Tetra, her hand outstretched, as some beam or another swept out. Tetra, with Neptune! etched into her lips, hurled overboard.

Neptune didn't have time to react. The mast, finally out of breath, snapped and thundered down, splintering wood and water into foam and sky. The boat was quick behind. It, too, screamed into the abyssal sea, met only with the deafening drone of the storm.

Neptune was in the sea. It was either her body or the water that was thrashing; she wouldn't remember it anyway. Between the lightning strikes, she swore she could see a motorized boat, inconspicuous, gently flashing small explosions of its own into the water.

But maybe she had just hallucinated it.

Her first word upon waking up was Tetra, she was told. Neptune remembered nothing of the rescue, of the coast guard that had been scrambled to their location after one of their crewmates had successfully radioed mayday. She would soon forget the number of crew who had been saved (only a handful). She wouldn't recall how long they searched that area of the ocean for bodies. She would even forget the exact moment that Tetra was declared dead, her body lost to the sea.

But somehow, she was the only person who remembered that small black boat, gunshots firing from it.

It was true that they could have been more prepared for the storm. But the fire it ignited would never fade.

[neptune-akoya]

part one. /3

They could have been better prepared for the storm. It was true; they had been hasty to cast off, not wanting to miss the perfect conditions for catching swordfish. It was a rare occurrence, in their defense. The temperature of the air, combined with the temperature of the sea, combined with, combined with, combined with. And a haul like this could last their entire town for several weeks - not to mention the profit it would bring in.

Neptune, like the rest of her crew, was raring to go. Her voice joined in the whoops and hollers of excitement as their fishing vessel bore down the tumult of the ocean. Tetra, too, for her part, was equally excited. She had never been on such a high-stakes hunt. Tetra had one hand on the railing and one hand wrapped into the loose fabric of Neptune's shirt. Neptune, for her part, used Tetra as an anchor, leaning into the high winds, both of her hands firmly on rope wench that operated the giant nets.

It was a sight to behold. The trowel bore the net up, then with a swing, launched it out over the water, fanning out like a silk dress cast off after a wedding. The whole crew shouted and hallooed, and Neptune couldn't stop the huge smile on her face as Tetra joined them. As the net sank beneath the waves, Neptune turned and grabbed her wife - her wife! - by the shoulders, pulling her in for a kiss amidst the roars of the sea. Spray and foam thrashed around them, and Neptune's hair whipped in messy locks, tangling around Tetra's head as the smell of salt and brine permeated the air.

The whole crew could see the storm, broiling and bubbling in the distance. But it was naught but a small thing, and they had plenty of time to make their catch, haul it in, and get to shore before it hit. And even if it did hit, it wouldn't be that strong. They could tell. But they couldn't tell just how good this haul would be. Just how many large, meaty, expensive fish would be hauled from the ocean. So the storm was of little worry, even as it continued to gather its strength on the horizon.

It wasn't long before the fish started to catch and snag in the nets. The first haul was sensational - more meat than Neptune had seen in years. Tetra similarly lost her mind; the money that her mind added up in that moment was staggering. She gripped Neptune's hand tight. The whole village would be set for a week at least, and then there would be more left over to funnel away. Enough money to hide a stowaway for a bit, or to transport a stash of weaponry. Enough to pay off a Peacekeeper, or to send a meal to someone in hiding. Enough to help the cause. The electricity of the moment surged through Tetra's hand and lit up Neptune's soul.

The radio crackled jauntily, singing songs of celebration back to the crew on the ship. The storm was small and far out. There was enough time for another trawl today. There was enough excitement in the air. There was enough time.

[tired-gage]

Dating. Gage nearly laughed at the assumption, then did in earnest when Neptune sputtered beside her.

"I suppose, in a way, we both chose mercy," she said, offering what explanation she could. "It was cold. Certain agreements were necessary." It was strange, the way her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Had she and Wiley truly grown close enough that she cared so much what her former student thought? Perhaps they had. The second Wiley's name had been called, the moment Gage knew she would die to protect her, everything had changed. It had been so long since Gage had had any family - she hadn't remembered that feeling, until now, until it was too late.

"You're bleeding," she finally found herself able to get out. She extracted her other arm from Neptune's personal space, feeling immediately how much colder she was, even in the snow suit, and reached toward Wiley's wound.

[wileydepot]

Wiley grabbed Gage's hand before it could come for her stomach. She trusted Gage, but she didn't trust anyone to get close to it, not right now. at this particular moment, she was feeling very protective of that part of her body.

"I'm fine." she assured. "it's only a little." But then, she looked at Gage's face, looked into her eyes. steady. worried, a little bit embarrassed still. She wanted to help, and that, Wiley knew. she was also smart enough that she probably could do something. And... Wiley needed help. and wanted it, too. She guided gage's hand, measuredly, towards her sternum. let her poke around. She was helping. someone was helping her. on purpose.

It was strange, and welcome.

"sounds like Ms Royce." she said, speaking again to Neptune as she let gage assess the situation. "She's got to be the nicest lady in Panem. You can't suck if you were nice back. Welcome to the Alliance." She wasn't sure if she was in any position to declare that, dying on the floor. she wasn't even sure if this was an alliance. but she was definitely going to try not to die, and she didn't feel like killing Neptune, and that felt like grounds enough. "I'm Wiley. o-only bleeding a little, and Ms Royce's been picking mercy with me since I was in eighth grade. who're you?" one of the careers, or maybe three. She was always one of the ones who went first. but Wiley couldn't place her name or district.

[neptune-akoya]

Alliance. The word struck hollow in Neptune's chest. That's not what was happening here, right? That's not what was going on. "Neptune," she replied, her head tilted slightly to the side. "And yes, Gage has been..." she indicated her patched suit. "Helpful, to say the least."

Neptune held back a bit, not wanting to advance on Wiley. The girl was in a bad way. If the knife didn't move, she'd last a bit longer, but the instant that came out, she'd need stitches. But this wasn't her place, this wasn't her friend. But... alliance.

"That's not good," she said, nodding towards the wound. "You won't want to move it."

[tired-gage]

Gage swallowed, and winced. Neptune had been kind to her, but she had never hidden who she was - a Career. Older than her, perhaps, but five times the fighter, at least three times the strategist. Gage didn't want to fight. She would lose, and she would never be able to protect Wiley if she was dead.

"Surely there's another tent," Gage said, weakly, her voice shaking with fear, hands still on the duct tape and compass. She'd noticed a handful of tents in the immediate area - this had simply been the first from her vantage point.

Gage needed the compass, but supposed she could leave the duct tape. Gently, she put it down, and moved to pocket the compass, the now free hand of hers in the air.

[neptune-akoya]

Now that Neptune had stopped running, her body started to catch up. A deep, visible shiver ran the course of her body, but she tried to fight it off. There could be no weakness shown. She took a careful step forwards and sideways, making sure Gage was fully in her sight.

"I'm sure there are others," she said gently. Her eyes darted around this one - there looked to be nothing more in it than what Gage had already gathered. Be that as it may, it was still a place to be for the night. It was still better than nothing. "And I'm sure you'll have no problem finding one. Unless you're set on this one." Another chill ran the length of her spine, and she mentally cursed the red suit, which wavered like a flag.

[maverick-montana]

It was Maverick's own fault that he hadn't spent any time getting to know Neptune. He'd tried his best to speak with every tribute to get a sense of them, but ultimately, he'd found himself more occupied with things that had to do with Alder. And so when he saw her use an oxygen tank as a bludgeon, killing Alder's district partner, he knew that he had to get rid of her -- get rid of an unknown. The adrenaline from Ava was still pumping his blood quick. Not only did this woman, who seemed clearly capable, need to be eliminated, but he wanted that oxygen tank. It would serve him and Alder well, which he knew from plenty of mountain trips growing up.

He landed on the woman before he'd even thought it through fully, his brand new knife in his head, his intention to tackle her to the ground, kill her, and take the tank. He was in survival mode; he was in Career mode. He wasn't thinking; just acting.

[neptune-akoya]

Something hit her from behind and suddenly she was face down in the snow. Her sight was whited out; all she knew was base instinct. No - this would not be how she went out. Her elbow flashed out behind her, buying her just enough space to wriggle onto her back.

A blade glinted above her - a sight she knew well. A position they had put her in plenty of times in the Academy. Step one: get something between you and the knife. Unfortunately, all she had was the tank, so the tank would have to do. It was unwieldy, but with as much speed and power as she could, she slammed it up at her attacker.

[tired-gage]

Still curled around Neptune, Gage was awoken by the sound of boots against snow, directly by her head. She thought at first someone was in the tent with them, but then realized they were still outside. How much time had passed? How long had they been asleep? Gage nudged Neptune awake and picked up the duct tape. It wouldn't do much, but there were limited options and at the very least it could give her a running chance.

But when the tent opened, it was Wiley that stood in the doorway.

One arm still tucked against Neptune, the other with the duct tape raised high, Gage stared at the girl she had failed to protect. You're bleeding, she tried to say, but in her shock, those weren't the words that came out.

"This isn't what it looks like."

@neptune-akoya @wileydepot

[wileydepot]

It was so cold.

Wiley was dripping, She knew it. red followed behind her every step down this stupid mountain. Something in her knew it was bad, that the knife lodged into her snowsuit had probably hit something important- or, important enough. it was just past the bloodbath, nobody who got hurt this bad this soon made it. So maybe she should've just curled up somewhere and tried to get warm.

Maybe that was what she was doing, when she stumbled into the tent. She was stumbling, now, tredging slowly. Everything ached and shivered, and she didn't know what she was doing exactly. but When she saw Ms Royce, a smile broke across her face, delighted. The other tribute was a surprise, as was the compromising position. "ha." She laughed, unable to hold it in when she heard the excuse. "B-...bullshit." she wobbled, a little, and sat down. "Sorry, I can't. I'm cold."

"I didn't know you were dating." She offered a smile towards Neptune, trying to be civil. civility at this stage might've been out of character for her, but... well, fuck it. She wasn't exactly in any spot to fight right now.

[neptune-akoya]

Neptune hadn't exactly slept well. The duct taped suit more or less held firm, but there were still small leaks and cuts. The extra heat from another person, though... that helped. Even if just to feel like she had another person looking out for her again.

But as she was nudged awake, fight or flight kicked in. Unfortunately she was in no position - literally - to fight, and Gage's arm was still around her body. But as the scene unfolded, Neptune was able to extricate herself from the tangle a bit, glad that there wasn't an immediate threat.

"That's not - we're not - it's..." She furrowed her brow, annoyed at her own lack of composure. "Gage chose mercy. That's all." She glanced sideways at Gage, and had to stifle a small chuckle at the image of her brandishing the roll of tape with as much menace as she could - which was to say, none.

Neptune hadn't seen this woman's back, but she could tell they were District partners. Her own had fallen hours earlier. And while Six wasn't exactly known for it's fighting abilities, it wasn't a great place to be. Except for the fact that one of them was injured. Neptune held her tongue, letting Gage lead the conversation.

[tired-gage]

Gage sprinted when she saw the tents. It was everything she had been looking for. She could get her bearings away from the wind, and then go find Wiley. She could take Wiley back here, and they might be protected enough to sleep.

It was more than she had hoped for when inside the first tent she opened was supplies. Not much - duct tape, an oxygen tank, and a compass, but it was perfect. The wilderness survival textbook she'd read wouldn't help her much in the snowy mountains, but she had refreshed her memory on how to use a compass. She stepped inside reached for it, not even realizing that she had cornered herself in the tent until a shadow crossed her and, weaponless, she turned around.

@neptune-akoya

[neptune-akoya]

It wasn't so bad, she figured. Neptune had kept moving, which kept her body temperature up, but she could already feel the wind biting through the deep gashes in her snow suit. Maverick hadn't broken skin, but with the way her suit was shedding bits of red fabric, it almost looked like she was leaving a blood trail behind her as she ran.

The decision was almost too easy: finding the tents was a place of shelter. Was it still exposed? Yes - they were visible from so far away. But then again, everything was exposed, and having another layer of protection from the cold was better than nothing. She would fight if need be to have this tent.

So it was with a sense of profound disappointment that she pushed the flap aside to see a bright "6" painted on the back of her victim. The stature told the whole story: this was Gage, the gentle woman from Six who she had met a few times. While Gage was someone Neptune would have rather not had to fight, the fates had put them both here.

"Gage," she said softly, tilting her head. "I'm so sorry it's you." She took a deep inhale. "But I'm afraid this tent will have to be mine tonight. And I will make sure that happens one way or another."

[neptune-akoya]

@maverick-montana

It was cold. That was the overarching feeling she had, the first sensation of her new home away from home for the next however long it took to get back home. Of course, the snow suits were a bit of a giveaway, but it still hit her just how adamant the Gamemakers were: snow.

Neptune had prepared for this moment. The countdown reminded her of drills from the Academy, and sure enough, she sprung from the platform at the exact right millisecond to be one of the first into the supplies. Someone tried to get ahead of her, but it was a simple matter to throw a bag at their feet, tripping them up and allowing her to vault over them to the good stuff in the middle - where she had been taught the true goods were.

It only took a moment to spot her prize: a can of oxygen with shoulder straps. It was a prize for a winner - and win she intended to do. If the Gamemakers were putting it in the Arena, it meant it would be needed, and she knew she wanted it. Unfortunately, so did someone from -

District Seven. The red suit had managed to cut her off from a side vantage, and the bold "7" on his back belied his District. But it was of no matter. Everyone had to fall eventually, and people were already screaming and dying around her. With a growl, she sprung forward like a coiled tiger. Her arms thundered into his back, and the two tumbled over.

Seven screamed in fright, but it didn't matter. Neptune made short work of swinging her elbow down into his jaw, which would have cracked aside if not for the padding of her snow suit. It allowed the boy - for she could now see he couldn't have been much older than twenty - to scurry sideways, his hand clasped around the shoulder strap of the oxygen.

"No!" She snapped, grabbing it herself. The boy looked back for only a moment before Neptune saw his fist lance out. Despite everything, it caught her off guard. The punch connected with her shoulder, but it was largely ineffective. However, it did allow Seven enough time to pull himself to his knees as started to stand.

But no - Neptune needed this, and she knew she deserved it. She seized her own opportunity to grab the canister itself and twist it just so that his hand was entangled in the strap. After that, it was a simple enough motion for her to take to her own feet, slamming the tank up. The sickening pang told her she had made contact, and the boy slumped sideways. It wasn't enough, though, and Neptune knew it. She got fully to her feet and detangled the strap from the boy's hand.

As she stood there a moment, she looked down at him. Red was piercing through the snow around his head. But then he turned his neck to look up at her. His eyes were a deep hazel, made brighter by the contrasting red blood that smeared across his face. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. He raised his hand feebly at her, and Neptune couldn't tell if it was in reverence or aggression - and she couldn't take that risk.

She took the straps in her hand and whipped the tank around, bringing it down squarely on the boy's skull. His hand slumped sideways and ceased moving. It was done. Neptune took a breath, still hearing the screams around her. The Hunger Games had well and truly sta --

FUCK.

[jouleshoover]

Joules shook his head at her question, no the weather never brought down the power in the Capitol or in Five or in One. It was normal for the other outer districts though, his father would often talk about how easy it was for places like Twelve to lose power, but that didn't matter as long as the power stayed on in the Capitol. "No, its designed so that other sources of power kick on if the main generators hit below a certain level of output that's still high enough that you wouldn't even be able to tell anything was wrong. This hasn't happened before.....well..." Except during the Dark Days was his first thought, but he didn't want to say that out loud.

"I have no clue how this could have happened." Were the rebels that close? Were they going to save them? End the games? Joules hoped it was true, but he knew there was no way the Capitol would allow that, not unless Vox managed to seize control of the entire country, and there was no possible way they could have moved that quickly.

[neptune-akoya]

Neptune steadied her heartbeat - it would not do to get excited. Especially if something was happening. No, she needed to remain calm and composed, ready to spring at a moment's notice. As she turned her head, the full contraption of her dress turned annoyingly with her. "So it's possible D5 is still up and running?" she said gently.

"Is it possible that there's just been... an interruption?" Almost as if to confirm what she was saying before Joules could, the lights flickered again. "Do you think this is manmade?"

[jouleshoover]

Joules didn't get his suit, his Stylist tried to explain that jewels glowed in the dark and the different colors were supposed to represent the different sources of power, solar, wind, and hydroelectric. At least it wasn't that ugly, and it actually covered him up, unlike his chariot outfit. He had just wrapped up his interview and was now standing by Neptune watching the rest go on behind stage. Then the lights flickered, ever so subtly. To the tributes who didn't know anything about power, it probably meant nothing, but to Joules who had been raised on listening to his dad rant about his fears of power outages and how it would have looked on Five, he knew exactly what it meant. He was whispering to Neptune,

"We're about to lose powe-" And then down went the lights, before they came back after a moment or two. "That's not supposed to happen in the Capitol. All of our best dams run twenty-four hours a day to power the Capitol."

@neptune-akoya

[neptune-akoya]

It wasn't Four's most original concept - Neptune's dress funneled up into what was being described as an "iridescent water spout" around her head. In a way, Neptune missed the simplicity of her generation's outfits: clean lines and exuding luxury. Nowadays things were so... costumey.

The lights flickered, and her eyes flicked up to assess. Joules spoke behind her, moments before the building plunged into momentary darkness. She turned to him, her eyes alight with hopeful suspicion.

"That's what I thought," she said. "And they don't go down. At least... not that I've ever known them to." She selected her next words carefully, knowing there were microphones all over the room. "Could a... could the weather? Cause that? I thought the dams were built to withstand just about everything nature could throw at them."

Maybe, just maybe... maybe something was happening.

[tired-gage]

Gage's head was in her hands. She'd fled the sixth floor in embarrassment and shame after her training score came up. How could Wiley possibly count on her with a score like that? No, Gage would be no help to anyone. In fact, that was even what her stylist was banking on - when he'd taken measurements for her interview he'd talked about playing into her role as a helpless old lady.

Forty-five wasn't even that old, for crying out loud! Even for District Six standards, which were surely lower than the Capitol, forty-five was a perfectly acceptable age where no one questioned your ability to do anything, so long as you weren't high on morphling.

It was in this sorry state that a shadow crossed her vision, and she looked up, nearly groaning when she saw who it was. Neptune was far more impressive than she was, far more likely to be seen as a threat, to properly defend her allies instead of merely showing up to die.

"Hello," Gage said, weakly, nearly laughing at the way the word felt coming out of her mouth while she was in such a temperament.

@neptune-akoya

[neptune-akoya]

She could have done better, all things considered. An eight wasn't a bad score, to be sure, but Neptune was sure that even a few years earlier she would have hit double digits. But alas, it wasn't a few years earlier, and she had scored what she had scored. It was how it was. The die had been cast, and now it was simply time for her to see where it fell.

But still her mind was awash with thought. She had slipped out quietly from her floor, wanting to see how others in the Tower responded to and received the scores. This was how she found Gage - a gentle woman with a low score. An expectation. And yet, Gage seemed upset - which was understandable on the one hand, but surprising on the other. She had met her expectation; what was there to be upset about?

"Hello," she greeted gently, curiosity in her eyes. "Not the score you were hoping for?" She motioned to the couch beside her, inviting Gage to sit.

[faatedones]

"ah good," mars says with a nod. at least he hadn't been hogging them then.. or maybe he should've. fuck, that's the one thing he really can't get a grip on how to play things-- he doesn't know how to act with the other tributes. should he be hard and fierce or his usual, easy going and outgoing self? it's easy to come up with a persona to put on for the capitol but with everyone else.. not so much.

"yeah i suppose we will, don't have much time left though," he chuckles slightly. "but maybe i'll see you around tomorrow?"

[neptune-akoya]

He was playing things close to his chest. Probably a good strategy. Neptune's eyes narrowed slightly, trying to parse out his intentions and capabilities, but she came up empty. That meant he was a threat - at least somewhat.

"Tomorrow, then," she said with a smile. He was avoiding. That could mean he was threatened. But all Careers were well trained, especially the ones coming into the Arena this round. However, Neptune was more than willing to let the interaction end here. She had gathered what she needed, and the rest would play out as it would.

[alder-reid]

"Nobody rests in Panem," he replied as his eyes followed her work over the fire. It was a given fact of life. Nobody had ever rested in his life, and every time he tried to take up his own Capitol-given space to rest, he felt even more impatient to keep moving than before. "So I can't rest either. This isn't a place that lets people rest. It could be, but it isn't."

[neptune-akoya]

"Well," she started gently. "There are those who are working diligently to make it a place like that." Her eyes met his for a moment. "And if we come across each other in there, I hope you'll know you can rest with me." She struck the flint again, but the fire was adamantly out.

"I can't make promises, of course," she continued. "But there are others in this room who I won't look out for. For as long as I can."

[jouleshoover]

He shook his head at the question, he didn't get much exposure to anything regardless if it was common in Five or not. His parents were always so careful around him with everything. Swords had just seemed the most threatening even if he knew he wouldn't really be that good at them.

"I mean I see knives, but thats for dinner, and I see guns because of the peacekeepers around our house. Not that I ever actually used one." He frowned. "My dad is the Mayor of Five, by the way, not that I grew up in some sort of prison or something." He rubbed the back of his neck, eyes going back to the blades. "People in Four are usually good with tridents right? And nets? Though I've always been curious, why are you good with tridents, I would think that fishing poles would be more common use than tridents. They seem more uhhh practical, I guess."

[neptune-akoya]

Neptune raised her eyebrows in slight amusement as Joules spoke. So he was a politician's family, like Greer from Ten or the Cannons from Two. That rarely translated well in the Arena. But if he was to be woefully unaware of the world, then so be it. Neptune could thank him for his contribution to Four later.

She put a small, innocuous smile on her face as he rattled off cliche after cliche. "You're not wrong," she mused. "Tridents are much more about marketing than actual use. We are all trained on them, of course, but... I prefer knives myself." She steadied the sword in front of her, taking a few graceful practice swings. "Swords are a close second, though, I think. I haven't held one in years. Not since I graduated from the Academy."

[faatedones]

blue eyes flash over the 4 displayed on her uniform. so this is one of the tributes from 4, huh? an older woman, mars could handle that. or at least, he thinks he can. he hadn't seen much of what she could do, too focused on his own training to pay attention to each and every one of the other tributes.

she seems like a nice woman though, and when mars looks at her he sees what could've possibly been a patron of his restaurant.. in another life, perhaps. he has to shake himself out of his own head though, since she is deciding to talk to him. "yeah actually, that and the knives. why, were you tryin' to get in on those? hopefully i wasn't hogging them," he laughs.

maybe he should be more ruthless with the other tributes, but he can't help but to be his usual, easygoing self. hopefully that'll pay off somehow.

[neptune-akoya]

Neptune put a practiced smile on her face. "I had plenty of time with the knives earlier in the day." She briefly thought of Lavender, the mysterious woman from Eight who had a certain fascination with the blades, and of the many other Tributes who approached them with fear. It was always an interesting time to see how various people responded to the various tools.

"Knives where my choice back when I was training properly. We'll have to square up at that station sometime."

[faatedones]

it had been a long day of training. the young man spent most of his time between the throwing knives and the swords, making sure to spend a good amount of time at each. though, he even spent a little time making sure he knows exactly how to start a fire most efficiently. all that fighting would do him no good if he didn't know how to care for himself out there by staying warm and cooking his food.

he's on his way out of the training room, tired and sweaty, when he runs into another. mars is in such a hurry to get out of there and get back to his room to shower that he nearly sends the other person toppling over. "shit!" he exclaims. "that's my bad.. you alright?" he asks, putting his hands out to try and help steady them.

[neptune-akoya]

It was always interesting to watch the final hour of training. Who exited early, who stayed to the bitter end, who left in tears, and who left with heads held high. This crowd, however, was unique. Neptune looked out at the group, amused by the displays. Two was invested, but that made sense. Maverick was a trainer in a previous life, and his partner had won the Games before. Six seemed to already have left, and she hadn't even seen the pair from Ten in the room.

But Neptune had stayed until the end. A few stations, a few workouts, a few moments of grandeur - but a lot of watching. And so it was with a bit of calculation that she stepped in front of the young man from One as he tried to leave. She threw her hands up, indicating no harm had come of the bump.

"Oh, no, no. No harm done." She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, purposefully displaying the 4 on her own. "I saw your work with those swords - was that your specialty at the Academy?"