#eventideevent03

It's the same dream.

Peeta is running through the woods stumbling over branches. Peeta! It's his name, shrieked in Katniss' voice, just like he remembers it after the announcement during the 74th games. He's coming... he'll get to her. Peeta!

He falls to the ground after tripping on a branch and there's an uncharacteristic amount of blood for such a small thing. He tries to get up - Peeta! - but he cries out in pain, falling to the side as he stands. Horrifyingly, he looks down and... his leg is gone. There is nothing to it but a bloody stump, the rest of it blasted away somewhere.

No - not blasted... Peeta! He hears his name again, but it's no longer in her voice. It's a growl and he turns to the side to see a mutt. The dog-like one from his Games, but transformed. It's not just the eyes that belong to Cato, but the voice too. The mutt is speaking to him, calling his name in his old ally's voice. Peeta! It's Cato. Peeta! Isla. Then Glimmer and Clove.

Finally, the eyes shift and he sees Chandler's gaze staring back. His soft voice speaking out Peeta's name, over and over again. Peeta, Peeta, Peeta.

Peeta gasps awake.

He blinks rapidly, trying to get his bearings. He's in the Tribute Center, up in his room, and he can feel Katniss next to him. Like always after his nightmares, he can't move. He can't speak or scream out for help. And he knows he'll see the last thing he did before waking, can sense it in the room with them.

As soon as he thinks it, it's there. The Chandler-mutt. Right on the bed with them, sitting at the edge. He can almost feel the weight on his good leg and his heart beats wildly. It's not real, he tells himself, but can't tear his eyes away from the beast that is ready to tear him up once more. He'd gotten Chandler killed, after all. Turned him into this.

How many deaths can someone bring before they deserve it, too?

Who: Portia and open

It was rather disappointing that her tribute had died so early this year. Last year she hadn't dreamt of her tribute getting this far. But Peeta had won. And well, she supposed it had spoiled her. In her first year she'd gotten a victor. And it was going to be hard to beat that. She'd not gone into the games expecting to end up friends with the tributes that she styled. But Peeta had wormed his way into her heart, and she actually quite genuinely liked him. Which, was why she felt a little sad too that Chandler had died. District 12 felt more like a family. It also meant that she had some more free time now, since she was going to have to create any further designs.

That was why she found herself in the public viewing area, a fancy purple cocktail in her hand. Was she enjoying the games? Maybe. She wasn't sure. A quell was always exciting, even though this was technically the first one she remembered. She was only 3 when the first Quell had happened. To be honest, it felt a little boring right now. Not a lot was going on.

She turned towards the person who was nearest to her, a somewhat frown on her face. "Is it just me or has the pace slowed down today?"

who: anyone who isn't currently in the arena.

this isn't the first time annie has been within these four walls. seat is comfortable enough, she might make this her temporary residence while the seventy-fifth hunger games is underway. sure, she could watch within the comfort of her hotel room, but the bustle of other life here might be a welcomed distraction compared to the silence of her lodging. her main focus is fletcher, who seems to be linked with the career pack. during her own games, the district four tributes were not in alliance with one and two. that should buy him some time. but his score is higher than what annie's was and he has academy training ... maybe he'll make it out.

mind wanders elsewhere too. hazelle is katniss everdeen's aunt. chandler is friends with peeta's brother. ezra is a dear friend of thea's though annie suspected it was more. lavender had been kind to her ; every caesar interview made it so evidently clear that people had someone waiting for them at home. while annie does believe that the yearly slaughter of children is worse than an entirely adult arena kids are innocent of the doings of those before them it doesn't prevent the situation from being terrible and morbid.

but thought is broken as ambrosia from two strikes down zephyr and wendy. it's one right after the other. knives fly through the air with such precision. it's a span of like a minute. the holographics make it seem like you're watching it all just a short distance from the true acts. it's bloody and cannons boom. eyes shut for a few moments as she bites the inside of her cheek. the woman from two looked so proud. once she opens her eyes again, she simply acknowledges, " that was brutal. " guess the odds weren't in five's favor.

the previous night had turned into several twists and she hasn't been able to process them entirely. of course she had been the one in charge of the last one — the tape of the second quarter quell. whatever she had imagined of it, her imagination was wrong; most of all, she had never been able to imagine haymitch abernathy as a tribute. it's irrational because everyone has to be young one day, but everytime she thought of abernathy as a young victor, she couldn't not see the mentor struck by age and decades of vice.

the eighteen year old on the screen had been nothing of the type. she doesn't think she can see that green boy on the man that sits next to her now. yes, there are the loose curls here and there (they're partially gray now, instead of pitch black), the curve of his nose, the annoying flinty look in his eye, similar to her own yet entirely his because no matter how they do look alike, haymitch's strengths and quick mind pull him apart of her.

and his poker face. none of which she is able to maintain now, as he catches her staring at him with lips pursed in thought. at once, the façade breaks, and katniss blinks, clears her throat. the anger she felt about him has dissipated throughout the night, replaced by curiosity, awe, concern. katniss everdeen hadn't struck the match. haymitch abernathy did. and she's supposed to pretend she doesn't know that she carried on the most dangerous legacy ever forged by someone from twelve? no. she wants to know more.

"i watched maysilee donner's games last night." not his. maysilee's. she has managed to shake off surprise and pity from her gaze, only blankness remaining, the usual spark in her eyes as she refuses to look away from him now. "was that the first time twelve lasted enough to hold an alliance?"

Cecelia couldn't wait to get to the hotel to spend a few hours with her kids before returning back to the tribute center after she helped get the kids to sleep. It was hard to manage spending time with her family while also focusing on her tributes...or well, tribute. But she was grateful for her partner, who had insisted that she go see her family and take a break.

Stepping out of the elevator onto the District Eight floor, Cecelia could instantly tell something was off. The floor just felt...unsettled and not just because the tributes had been sent off to the Games. It felt like something was wrong. She paused in the doorway of the elevator and then spotted him. One of Snow's men. He was here and that was never a good sign. She closed her eyes momentarily, trying to wipe the exhaustion from her face. It wouldn't do to show weakness in front of the President. Not when she had no idea why he was visiting her.

"Is he in the dining room?" Cecelia asked.

"Yes, Ms. Whitvale," the man confirmed, ushering her to the dining room.

Sitting at the dining room table was President Snow. She could smell the familiar reek of roses from her spot in the doorway. Why was he here? What did he want? Cecelia tried to wrack her mind for any particular reason for this visit but she kept coming up blank. Cecelia tried to do everything to keep the man happy, although she suspected that he wasn't happy unless he was causing pain.

"President Snow, I'm so glad to see you. I hope you weren't waiting for too long," Cecelia smiled and made her way over to the table, not sitting down quite yet. She was hoping this could be a quick chat. "If I had known that you were going to come for a visit I would have come up much sooner."

there's commotion outside. previously slack-jawed over the fiery scenes that had just played out across the screen of her holo, enobaria's on high alert now. something was deeply wrong and worst of all, she's isolated from the rest of her team. once a lone wolf, always a lone wolf — so it seemed. heavy footfall is what draws the victor away from her hotel room. a pair of knives concealed in each sleeve of her blouse, their hilts cradled in her palms. the sight of a squadron of peacekeepers storming the lobby is cause for blood to run cold. she might have been able to think nothing of it... had they not unsheathed batons and what looked to be electric prods upon spotting her there. they call her name, an emotionless warning. urging her to comply and come quietly. "we'd just like to ask you some questions, enobaria." they claim. scoffing soundlessly, her gaze darkens at the implication. they think she had something to do with all this, don’t they? years of loyalty squandered. it's as she'd feared from the very beginning. only it wasn't thea and ezra’s relationship that’d implicated district two after all… it was ezra’s "heroic" stunt in the arena and now, they were all going to pay the price for his treachery. the group of helmets move closer still, gaining on her as enobaria stands her ground. perfectly poised in the very same way she'd been while facing off against the boy from district ten exactly a decade ago now. before she'd torn his throat out with her teeth. enobaria’s fight from that monumental day remains in tact. it always has and the capitol only has itself to blame for that. former embers stoked to new flames as the peacekeepers come to stand before her. two suits deciding they'll take the lead as enobaria just smiles at them. it's entirely forced but wide enough to flash both rows of sharpened enamel. one last glimpse at the monster they'd made of her.

within an instant, it starts. she lunges at the first, throwing her body around his with characteristic agility, landing square on his shoulders, legs dangling from his front like a child’s might during a piggyback. only exceptionally deadlier as enobaria’s never been one to pull punches. swift to strike, she plunges one of her knives into his throat, the other soon finds itself lodged in his companion’s shoulder — flying from her grasp, ever the extension of her. aim focused upon the cracks in their armour. thighs tighten around the wounded area. it's remorseless. choking the life from him as blood begins to splutter everywhere. gradually, he'll sink to his knees in pain, trying desperately in a reddened haze to grab at her throat as he does so but his aim is off. missing her neck entirely, hand smacks her in the face instead and the way in which her jaw immediately clamps down around it is nothing short of instinctual. the feeling of fangs meeting flesh through the fabric of peacekeeper gloves, drawing blood into her mouth is one defined by visceral familiarity. eager to put distance between between them, she rolls off his back with ease, taking half his hand and several of his fingers along with her. the vibrant red seeping from parted lips as she spits the human remnants to the ground. eyes wild and uncaring. she's resolved to fighting her way out of this, burying hopelessness as more approach. they thrust at her, batons raised whilst she swipes and kicks and screams. a pool of blood framing the carnage. a truly hellish scene for bystanders but they had just seen their precious games go up in flames! this must pale in comparison. surely.

or perhaps this is the finale they were robbed of. blood, guts and all. a fitting end for the victor, on this — the tenth anniversary of her win. only it's abruptly cut short. a sharp, long-drawn sting of electricity finally taking her down. bringing enobaria to the ground with a resounding thud as the shock and burning set her nerves on fire, nullifying her intrinsic violence in an instant. it doesn't stop however. the electrocution. they persist in subduing her, with not just one prod but several... jabbing her with them relentlessly, all at once until the pain grows so unbearable that darkness clouds her vision. it's inevitable. the storm fading from her eyes and with it, her consciousness.

Huffing, she snapped her notebook closed and glared at the display, staring it down as if staring might give Ambrosia the fight she needed to survive. But her stare was proven futile when moments later a canon sounded. "A fucking wave, seriously?" She muttered with a roll of her eyes.

Where: District 2 apartment, Tribute Centre

Who: Brutus and Cadence ( @subsiist )

It had all happened so fast. First Brutus and herself had just been watching the games. They'd done this a couple of times over the course of these games. She'd actually ended up watching more of it with Brutus than Thea this year. That was not a surprise though. She'd have been more shocked if Thea had been out of the mentor Lounge. She'd watched games with Brutus before though, so it felt quite normal. What wasn't normal was the screen suddenly going blank.

"What.... that's weird...." She murmured, standing to her feet as she looks at the blacked out screen in front of her. and before she was really able to process any further Thea had appeared. Before she could talk though Thea was, and Cadie was just staring at her. "Uh....." was all she said, her mind still trying to process the arena screening going black, yet alone what her mother was saying to her.

It's only when Thea is talking to Brutus that it clicks in her mind. This black out, the screen going dead wasn't a glitch. Something was happening. Thea didn't know what, but Cadence did. It was the rebellion. And well, that meant she, they, needed to get out of there. To get to safety. "Promise me you'll meet us there?" She asked, her eyes big as she looked up at her mother. "Mo....Thea.... promise me."

And then she and Brutus were out the door. They needed to act quick. Before peacekeepers were on them. Cadence looked up at her former trainer. "I..... You have to trust me Brut. I know where we need to go. I'll explain when we get there..... but we need to hurry."