#ttwopen

But she knew she needed a back up in case she didn’t get an axe in the Arena. Something that would be a good substitute. So she found herself at the hand-to-hand combat station, stretching to warm herself up before she would find a sparring partner or a free trainer. Ashten started to head toward the mat when she spotted someone approaching. “Got any tips for throwing a decent punch?”

@ttwstarters

Maisie Fields might have been reaped, but Aspen Fields had won the Games. “Oh, hello!” She greeted the person that had come to a stop behind her. Aspen hadn’t actually made it into the party yet, there had been too many reporters and interviews to do, but she was heading there now. At least she thought that was where she was supposed to be? Her escort had rattled off her scheduled appointments and important people she needed to meet so fast.

“Please don’t tell anyone I don’t know what I am doing,” she admitted softly with an shy laugh.

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They would be alright.

Adriana on the other hand, needed some air. She hadn’t expected it would be so different on this side of the fence. Instead she kept moving towards the door.

“Could you...?” She motioned to the person blocking her exit from the room a moment hoping they’d let her past. “Please.” She added as an afterthought. All she wanted was for them to move and not start a conversation. “I just need some air quick...”

@ttwstarters​

Joule managed to escape from the chaos, which helped relieve some of the stress that had been coiling up in her gut all morning. She knew her own concerns had stretched beyond this year, went as far back as the 70th Games. Though as a Mentor, she had to watch, even as Gee had gotten killed by the little girl from Twelve.

She had to keep reminding herself that Joule was still alive, that she still needed them to help her get out of the Arena. But the mantra was drowning out of her head with the burn of whiskey running down her throat. She had tried to stay sober through this year, though also made that promise to herself knowing eventually it would cave. She could still hear the cheers and the shouting from behind her and she intentionally kept her back to the screen. She wouldn't look unless something was said about Joule. She didn't need to see the replays of the 'upset' from District Twelve.

The brutality of the Bloodbath was what always made her sick. And though she knew it wasn’t the same way she had lost Soren, she couldn’t help but correlate Gee’s death to his. To this Bloodbath with that one. It was why she had to get up from her spot in the viewing room and walk away, try to drown out the cheers and images of Gee’s death from her mind and get rid of the pain tearing at her heart again. 

Harlow set her glass down and gently nudged it forward in a silent request for a refill. A shadow had cast over the bar top on her right and she glanced over at the person taking a seat next to her. "Couldn't handle the excitement, either?" she asked, turning her attention forward again as the Avox refilled her glass.

@ttwstarters

She reached for her bottle of water to have a drink, feeling an ache in her shoulder. With a small grunt, she set the bottle down and rolled her shoulder, giving a small grimace. The trainer had tried to kick her legs from under her and she attempted to rebound, but her reaction time was off and she put too much weight on that shoulder going down. “Damn,” she hissed, rubbing out the ache in her shoulder.

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“Well?” She asked the person beside her. If they were a tribute she had a lecture prepared. Mentors and other team members needed to be reminded how to look after their tributes and bystanders, well they would wake her side naturally. “Accidentally killing people is supposed to wait until the games start.”

@ttwstarters​

She entered the lobby and saw a vendor selling ice creams just inside the front doors. A few Capitolite children and left with some gorgeously decorated cones, but Thalia just wanted a plain vanilla swirl. Gladly handing over a few dollars, Thalia let out a satisfied noise and turned to see someone looking over at her. “Do you want one? I’m buying!” 

// @ttwstarters

and so, annie cresta had found herself a viewing room in a relatively quiet portion of the tower and locked herself away. she hadn’t told anyone where she had gone, but she couldn’t stand to stay in four’s suite and see the tribute rooms that had just been occupied and were newly vacant only to be filled again the next year. 

she was able to successfully avoid much contact for the first day and found herself sitting in the same chair, with the same pencil in her shaking hand. she didn’t have paper, she knew that attempting wouldn’t help her. the silence was accompanied by the air being quietly pushed around as annie fidgeted with her pencil and took up as little space in her chair as she could. and then it was broken by the sound of an opening door and footsteps.

annie wasn’t sure if the individual had spoken or not because by the time she was able to push her mind out of the small corner she had been sitting in for the past few hours, the footsteps had only just stopped. so, she turned slightly and did her best to smile at whoever had just walked in, not being able to fully register who it was before her soft greeting. “hello, i’m sorry, was this room needed for something?”