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 Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:26 pm
 Cendre Vol
Cendre was rising in a glass tube into the arena. She was biting her tongue hard in concentration, knowing she would have to disappear as soon as she might be seen, but not too early, for she needed to conserve her energy. As she began to see light once more, she used the last of the shadows in her cylinder to fade from sight, only a pale ghost in the morning sunlight.
Rays slanted over a dark pine forest, which rustled softly in a breeze, off away to her right. In front of her was a tall, jagged mountain, which looked treacherous to say the least. The highest slopes were covered in snow. She turned west to see a frozen wasteland and a lake glittering with ice, stretching into the distance. And, turning in a full circle, there were great craters bubbling with thick, deep-red lava behind her. Turning back towards the Cornucopia, she just caught sight of a section of charred trees by the lava pits. They were all grey and charred, very inhospitable. She filed them away; might make a good place to hide out for a while, as long as she saw which way Ardeur and Rosaline went.
Scanning the pile of supplies in the great Cornucopia before her, searching for anything useful. First, she scanned for a knife, a weapon to use later, but something she could get ahold of easily so no one would realize it had gone missing without anyone visibly picking it up. Glancing to her right, she saw Ardeur eyeing a large scythe, and knew he would make a mad dash for it. Slightly foolish, but he could cut down anyone who came near him once he had it, and then he could escape, probably to the south, where he would have fire to wield. As the glass slid away, Cendre took off at a run, dodging people so no one would notice her, and her eyes lit on a nice, seven-inch knife in a leather sheath. Picking it up, she also spied a flint and steel, and pocketed them, just in case Ardeur went somewhere else to fool anyone who might be after him, and needed a source of flame. She could throw it at him and he would know it was her, but wouldn't give her away. He was smarter than that.
When she'd picked up these two things, Cendre headed for the charred pines, drawing her knife and slicing at someone she didn't have to time to identify as she passed, since they were in her way. Like a ghost, she slipped between the trees, but had to turn and stop, watching to see where her... well, temporarly allies were headed. Everything was temporary in the Games. Nothing was ever certain once you became a tribute.
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Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:43 pm
Rosaline  Rosaline quickly took in her surroundings as she rose into the light from her glass tube. The forest to her left was almost calling to her, it was all she needed to survive. Looking towards the cornucopia, she saw a prize that was meant truly for her, a bag of seeds, near the center of a pile. It was too risky, the seeds, which she felt were poppy, would be useful if she had them, as she could make many medicines and poisons from them, but still not worth it. Seconds before the glass slid up, Rosaline eyed her competitors. The male tribute from District 10 was eyeing everyone in a way that made Rosaline shiver. He was one to watch out for. Then the glass slid up and Rosaline sprang into action. Without even thinking she dashed as quickly as she could towards a nearby pack, which appeared to have two eight inch daggers. When she reached the pack she found she wasn't the only one. Nuage, a small boy from district six had also grabbed the pack. Rosaline's eyes began to water, she didn't want to hurt the small child. Without even thinking she used her strength so cause the poppy seeds in a near pile to grow. She willed them to emit the numbing sensation opium brings on. Rosaline was quick to sweep up Nuage as he fainted as she dashed into the forest with her pack. Nuage was so light that he was easy to carry for some distance into the forest. Rosaline willed the trees to mask their location to prying eyes, and once she felt they were safe, she set him down gently, waiting for him to wake.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 12:32 am
 Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"
As Ardeur rose into the arena, he pivoted quickly on one heel and took in the arena, as well as the faint shadow to his left which he assumed was Cendre, though he did not acknowledge her presence. She needed to remain hidden, he knew.
When the glass slid away, Ardeur went straight for the scythe he'd seen far into the pile. He did not spy the flint and steel that Cendre picked up as she ran by him. No one tried to stop him as he picked up the heavy weapon, since few other people could wield it; it had a thick shaft to support it and a long, well-balanced blade on the end. Whirling at the tribute nearest to him, who was running up the side of the Cornucopia to get away from the carnage--her exit from the area had been blocked. It was the girl from District 8...he couldn't recall her name. She hadn't been important. The blade sliced down, striking her in the upper leg and severing her femeral artery, so blood shot from the wound as she collapsed to the ground. One down.
Several feet away, still on the edge of the ring, the girl's districtmate had found a piece of rope, it seemed, for his toes dangled several inches above the rough grass. Ardeur did not give him a second thought; not only was it pointless to think about the suicidal tribute, but an axe was flying at his head. Ardeur ducked just in time, feeling the air move above his head as the blade whipped by, but stayed down, the sickle held in both hands and ready to swing as soon as possible, for he had seen this kind of a throw before, in training; the spinning axe would come back to its wielder. Indeed, within two seconds it whizzed back over his head, slightly farther to the right that time. The second he was clear, Ardeur shot upright and sprang forwards and the boy from District 7, who was so busy frowning at Ardeur and wondering how he'd managed to duck the blow that he didn't have time to register the scythe which was flying at him until his head was flying across the arena, hewn straight from his shoulders by Ardeur's scythe. As his eyes followed the path of the falling head, he saw a whetstone which he could use to sharpen his blade. Though it was now sticky with the boy's blood, he picked it up and pocketed it, knowing it would be useful later.
However, Ardeur did not have long to celebrate this discovery before he felt the pain of a thousand white-hot needles burning in his eyes. He collapsed forward, screaming, dropping the scythe and grabbing his eyes. Though he did not know it, the girl from District 6, Mors, was invading his mind, creating the pain to torment him. She stood at the edge of the area around the Cornucopia, a knife in her right hand, and strode slowly towards Ardeur, concentrating fiercely on him so he would be unable to resist when she killed him, for the pain would be too great. Then, suddenly the sensation was gone, as the girl recoiled, a knife wound in her side, though there was no sign of her attacker. Ardeur picked up his scythe and wheeled to face the girl, who, from her proximity to him, he presumed must have been the origin of the attack. He beat her hard on the temple with the wood of the scythe, so she fell unconscious and hit her head hard on the earth. Someone else would most likely kill her. Now, he just needed to leave.
His eyes found Rosaline, running into the trees in the east, and he moved to the east, but a ball of water flying at him, slipping between his lips and into his airways, drowning him. The District 4 tributes were cooperating, the girl drawing water from the air, and the boy using it to attack. As he began to cough, his lungs screaming for air, the girl approached, a long, thin sword in her hand. He felt a slice across his upper-left arm and, with a huge effort of will, brought the scythe around so it bit into her before she could get in a killing blow. The boy rushed to the aid of his partner, who lay bleeding, her side deeply wounded, as Ardeur stumbled forward, half-running and half-falling into the trees, still trying to clear his lungs of the water, his left arm bleeding slowly.
Somewhere to his right, concealed eyes watched Ardeur as he passed. Satisfied, they blinked once and faded into the shadows beneath the burnt trees, as Cendre weaved her way to the northeast, still heading away from the Cornucopia, but also on a path where she might intercept her brother.
As the trees enveloped him, Ardeur's eyes searched for Rosaline, hoping she hadn't betrayed him. He could be walking into a trap. Following from this line of thought, he did not call out to her; furthermore, he could hardly have done so if he wished to; he was still coughing up water periodically. When he had run a good fifteen feet into the trees, he slowed slightly, and made a decision, though he still feared he might regret it.
"Rosaline?" The word was a croak, and he didn't know if she would be able to hear it over the anguished screams that were echoing from the Cornucopia, the sounds of many deaths.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:01 am
Rosaline Rosaline heard someone call her name in the forest. They were closer to the blood bath than she, but she was but twenty five feet away from it. 'How could someone have found me,' fear made her heart skip a beat. Someone was out there, she was going to have to at least disarm them if she wanted to be safe. Rosaline glanced over at Nuage, his innocence in sleep was more than when he was awake. Rosaline willed the branches of the pines around her to wrap around him, cradling him safely in their heights. Once Nuage was safe, Rosaline's eyes absorbed the world around her. She saw a flash of a tributes black uniform, from exactly where she heard her name. Silently she climbed into the branches of a nearby tree, looking down to see Phenix below her. A quiet sigh of releif left her body. Still, she couldn't trust him with his weapon, he could be out to get her. Rosaline willed the branches of the trees to swing at the sythe in an attempt to knock it away. 'Those poppy seeds would be extremely helpful right now,' Rosaline thought to herself as she pictured simply drugging everyone at the Cornucopia and winning the games. "Drop your weapon Phenix," Rosaline called down as she made the branch swing at it, she was high enough that she was hidden and our of reach.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:20 am
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"
In his head, Ardeur cursed himself. He should have known he couldn't trust her. He'd barely known the girl for a few days, but had decided he would ally himself with her. Of course he'd been wrong, she would just kill him here and now. His eyes raked the trees but could not penetrate the thick mesh of branches which concealed Rosaline.
For several drawn-out heartbeats, his mind grappled with itself, torn in two. The logical side of him was screaming at him to dodge sideways into the trees and run to the south until he reached the lava, where Rosaline would be at a huge disadvantage. However, the side that had enjoyed Rosaline's company was telling him to do what she said, to gain her trust. Unable to come to terms with either of them, he did something in between.
In one swift movement, Ardeur switched the scythe to his left hand and stepped to his right, so he was shielded by a thick pine tree. He held the weapon firmly, but he was not in a position to attack. Similarly, she could not see him to attack him directly, but Rosaline also had the power to make the pine tree finish him off.
"One question, first," he said, working to keep his voice even, so he wouldn't betray the adrenaline coursing through his vein and the fear that she might not be an ally, that he might be forced to kill her. "Can I trust you?" He was beginning to seriously doubt it, and his fingers flexed on his scythe. He knew that he could react almost instantly if she attacked him, but without his fire, he didn't know if he could beat her--especially in the middle of a forest. 'Fool,' he thought. 'You should know to only trust yourself. Taken in by a pretty face, and now you'll pay with your life.'
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:27 am
Rosaline Rosaline's mouth turned from an apprehensive frown into a grim smirk. Ardeur knew he was at a huge disadvantage in the forest, which was her playground. If dared to attack her here he would find himself buried under a pile of trees. "I don't think you have much choice," Rosaline chuckled. "Yes, you can trust me." Rosaline made the thick pine tree bend to her will, revealing Phenix. Though she didn't show it, the pine tree was very difficult to move, and tired her quite a bit. "Now if you don't want to get murdered, come into the trees with me, or we will be found faster than you can hope for a spark. I found us a soon to be friend... Well at least, he better be friendly." Rosaline nodded towards the clump of trees she had hidden Nuage in. She quickly turned and walked into them, waiting for Phenix to follow.
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Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:39 am
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"Instantly, the tension left Ardeur's muscles, and his face relaxed into a weary smile. "Quite right," he said, and then he ran quickly forward into the trees, his scythe back in his right hand so he could use it at short notice. Mentally, he was shaking himself for doubting the girl. And yet, he still knew that it would probably end badly. Everything always did in the Games. Mentally, he shook himself. So what if it did? He still had a chance at surviving for a while. Though he couldn't win. It wasn't that he wasn't capable of doing so, but the thought of killing Cendre or Rosaline was just too much. Regretting wandering down that mental alley, he quickly turned his thoughts in another direction.
"So, who is this kid? Is he useful?" Ardeur looked to where Rosaline had indicated their tentative ally. He could not see the tribute, but he could guess at who she had saved. 'Probably one of the younger, weaker tributes. Just like her, to help the ones that are almostly certainly going to die in here,' he thought.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:22 pm
Rosaline Rosaline hesitated for a moment. "Lets just keep moving." She made the trees reveal Nuage. Rosaline had to stop a tear when she saw him. He reminded her so much of home. Carefully picking him up, she flung him over her shoulder gently and began to walk east, which happened to be the direction with a downhill slope. Rosaline was careful to keep an eye on the surrounding area, and on the ground. There were signs of small animals, but not one was in sight. There were a few plants that she knew, including foxgolve, which was a very useful poison. Rosaline carefully picked some up, and made it grow around her wrist like a bracelet. As she continued walking she spoke. "We need to find water, and then we can discuss our plans," her voice was quiet, barely a sound at all. She didn't want to draw attention and be killed. Nuage smelled flowers. Surly this was a dream. Had he died on the field of the games? No, he could feel warmth. He was moving, and he was safe. Nuage felt sleep creeping over him once more, and he succumbed to it, living in peacful dreams and the sent of flowers.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:38 pm
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"Ardeur nodded, acknowledging the need for stealth and silence. He took care not to step on any of twigs from the pines, which littered the forest floor. A loud crack would reverberate through the arena and reveal their location. The needles helped to muffle the sound of their tread, which would make it more difficult to track them. Footprints were also less discernable on the carpet of soft brown.
When Rosaline picked up the foxglove plant, Ardeur smiled slightly. He knew the plant from time spent in the forest outside District 12. 'That should make things fun when we become the hunters,' he thought. Then he amended the thought. 'IF we become the hunters. There's nothing to say we'll even live through the night.' Once more, the grim thoughts were invading his mind. It didn't do much for one's morale. But that's the way the Hunger Games were designed; they were supposed to push the tributes to the point of breaking, as well as to punish the districts and torture 24 children every year for the enjoyment of the Capitol citizens watching. He felt sick. The whole thing was just horrible.
They had been walking in silence for a while, still heading somewhat down hill, when the trees began to thin. More light was illuminating their path, and he could, very distantly, hear the sound flowing water. In front of him, the forest became more open still, and sloped down to where he guessed a stream was running. Ardeur stopped.
"I don't like this. Too inviting. Too open. It's not natural. I wouldn't trust it." His eyes found Rosaline's, which glowed in the semi-darkness of the forest. A slight frown creased his forehead at the convenience of the situation. There had to be something wrong. It was the Games, after all.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:00 pm
Rosaline Rosaline looked into Phenix's eyes. It was clear he was uneasy about whatever water may be near. Rosaline couldn't help but smirk a little. The forest was her kingdom, and she was its queen. She wouldn't be easily beaten here. "I'm sure we can handle anyone who comes this way for one night. The Careers will probably want to set up a camp later today. It's not yet ten," Rosaline sighed a little as she realized how much longer they had until the cover of night was upon them. Her eyes wandered the forest, combing it for details that would be helpful. A tree with sharp limbs here, a root sticking out of the ground there. An escape route was already forming in Rosaline's mind. "I say we go to the stream, and make our camp near it." She had no qualms with being near the stream, as long as there was some form of cover them. Food was also going to be an issue. Hopefully there would be some fish in the stream, or something that they could eat.
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Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2011 9:15 pm
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"Ardeur paused, but let himself trust Rosaline. He had to. "If you say so. Just be careful." The second sentence carried a veiled meaning, but he didn't know if she realized it, so he simply strode out into the light, his eyes narrowing slightly as his eyes protested the shock, not looking at her. Ardeur scanned the area for possible cover, and found that there was little naturally arranged which would disguise them. However, he did not doubt that Rosaline could create a sanctuary for the three of them before nightfall. He would have to trust her abilities, her judgement. If he couldn't trust Rosaline, he couldn't trust anyone in the arena.Cendre Vol Cendre had been walking for some time when she came to a small stream which ran through the pines. Water was a necessity, and though Ardeur wouldn't love it, she guessed that he and Rosaline would most likely have stopped there to rest, if not to make camp for the rest of the day. It seemed early to do so, but then again, no one knew where another water source would be found. Besides the frozen lake, and the snow on the mountain, there might not be any fresh water at all in the arena. Considering this, she walked into the stream, since the land by the bank was softer and would leave an obvious trail of footprints, and began to walk up the stream towards her brother. She was a good distance downstream of them, however, and she knew it would take some time to reach him.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 9:35 am
Rosaline Rosaline followed Phenix into the clearing near the stream. There was hardly any natural cover in there area. A closer look at the ground revealed small honeysuckle bushes sprouting up. Rosaline smiled as she carefully set Nuage down near the river, making sure he was still deep in sleep. "Give me a moment and I'll have a good shelter for us," Rosaline spoke to Phenix quietly. Bending her knees now she crouched next to the honeysuckle bush and willed it to grow. When its volume was about thirty cubic feet she stopped, winded. Rosaline took a few deep breaths and moved on the the next small plant. After repeating this process six times, Rosaline was done. A dizzy spell had found her, but now they had shelter, and it had only taken her about an hour. She had lost track of what Phenix and Nuage had done in that hour, but they weren't far away the last time she checked.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:29 am
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"When Rosaline began work on their shelter, Ardeur wandered to the bank of the stream. He picked up several of the stones he found there and tried glancing them along his blade as quietly as he could, watching for the tiny sparks that would give away a piece of flint. He found a few pale white rocks that might have been flint on the inside, but he did not dare to crack them in half. The noise was not worth it. Giving up the search, he sat back on a larger stone with his scythe across his knees. It was then that he spied their tracks leading every which way across the soft, sandy earth by the creek.
"Rosaline," he said, his voice on the verge of a whisper, "we need to get rid of these tracks. And we should make it look like they go straight across the river and into the forest beyond. Just not near here; farther along the stream is safer, so they don't pass near us. I don't want them examining that flowery foretress closely." He turned and examined Rosaline's work, which seemed to be completed. Admittedly, it was rather impressive. A beautiful piece of art, but also a defensive structure that would protect them in the Games. As long as the Gamemakers hadn't made the scent of the flowers a poisonous gas or something crazy like that, they'd be fine for a while.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:26 pm
Rosaline Hearing Phenix's words, Rosaline's eyes widened. They could be easily attacked if they were caught. Without a word Rosaline moved Nuage into one of the bushes, hiding him well. The sent of the flowers would hide any sent of him, and would keep him calm, hopefully in a state of sleep for longer. "Well then lets go," Rosaline spoke softly as she turned to face Phenix. She took the two knives from her bag and held them firmly. She willed the foxgolve on her wrist to grow and lace itself around the knives. Rosaline was ready to take anyone out who attacked her, with the single slash of a blade she could bleed an enemy out now.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2011 12:33 pm
Ardeur Esprit || "Phénix Coeur"Ardeur shifted his scythe to his left hand and walked several paces into the forest, where the pine needles would hide his tracks, then moved upstream. He walked quickly for ten minutes, then turned east once more. The land was nice and soft there, so their tracks would be obvious. He walked hurriedly across the sandy earth, splashed across the stream and then regretted the noise, and emerged on the other side. When he'd reached the cover of the trees once more, he slipped off his shoes. "No reason to let them follow the wet ground. My pants are dripping a bit, but it's too late to fix that. We can head downstream again, cover our tracks as we cross the stream again, then erase all the tracks on the bank with the camp. It should throw them off the scent." 'I hope.'
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