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[arsen-thebull]

Arsen limped as quietly as he could through the woods, knife in hand and eternally cautious. The snowy forest wasn't a place for him. And, although the cold wasn't a major problem for him anymore (for the most part), he was still wounded from his encounter with that wolf pack on the first night. He had left his den to go hunt; hopefully find some useful plants to help heal his injuries...not that it would've mattered. If he did come across something that could've helped, he wouldn't have known. Instead he focused his efforts on trying to find something to eat.

It was at that moment that he heard a noise from behind one of the larger trees. Thinking it was an animal, Arsen crouched down in position to strike and carefully rounded the tree. But instead, what he found was Andreas falling face first into the snow. Cocking a brow in confusion and standing up straight, he wondered what could be said in a situation like this.

"....Andy?"

               As soon as he’d got into the arena, he’d done what Gavin said: grab a pack and run. Andy was always good when it came to speed, and when a career that he didn’t actually see the face off tried to chase him up a tree, Andreas decided to stick to the treetops for the first day and night, he wasn’t risking that. But as the day broke and the second day dawned, Andreas thought to actually climb down to see if he could gather something to eat for breakfast seeing as before his eyes were open? A loud, disgusting growl came from his stomach. Making his way down the tree, the tribute tried to be as graceful as he could but ended up breaking a branch half way down and falling the rest of the way. His body hit branch after branch, pine needles lodged themselves into his hair as he collided with every bit of wood on his way down only stopping when his body hit the white pillow of snow at the ground face first. God, he hoped no one was around to see that.

[arsen-thebull]

Arsen stood still, the hatchet gripped loosely in his hand and ready to make a move as he noticed the movement within the bushes. He didn't take a single step forward, or a single step back. Instead he waited for whoever was hidden to make the first move. For all he knew it probably wasn't even a person, it could be another wild animal. He knew well enough there were plenty of those around.

He squinted and opened his mouth as if to say something when he recognized the familiar voice and caught glimpse of the familiar face. "Isa? Isadora?" He remembered Isadora well from their time before the arena. Arsen could recall one of the earliest conversations he had, with the boy from Isa's district...Klokus. Klokus, the innocent child, son of the mayor of District Six, whom had promised to do his best to help him if Arsen did his best to help him back. Now a pang of guilt shot through him at the recollection. He hadn't looked out for Klokus during the bloodbath...he silently hoped the boy was still okay. The guilt burned within him as he watched Isadora, completely alone and in hiding. He had to do his best to hold up his end of the bargain. He was a man of his word. 

"Isa, come, quickly." He looked around, making sure there was no one watching them...as was a habit of his. "Are you hurt? Where's Klokus?"

Isadora had been huddled under a gathering of bushes for hours, quivering in the cold. She hadn’t seen Klokus since the Games began. Whether or not he was dead remained a mystery to her, but she tried to push the thoughts from her mind. It was incredible how self centered one became when plunged into an arena like this one. 

At first, her heart had dropped at the sight of a wolf seemingly standing on it’s hind legs. Sadly, the absurdity of it would not have surprised her, for it seemed likely of the Capitol to manufacture such a creature. When she realized that it was not a wolf but in fact a boy wearing one, Isadora did not know whether to feel relief or panic at the situation. She knew that she couldn’t just lie there. It was better to be standing, in case they showed any hostility, for at least she would be ready to defend herself. Slowly rising from the snowy ground, she faced the wolf-man cautiously and shot him her most intimidating glare. For a moment all was silent. Then her scornful features molded into that of realization, “Arsen?”

[arsen-thebull]

Arsen sat on a wooden stump beside the frozen stream at the base of the mountain. His body was clad in dark furs and over the top of his scalp rested the head of the largest wolf he had killed, it's dead eyes gazing off into oblivion. Beside him were a few dead squirrels and other small woodland creatures he had managed to trap with great difficulty, even then a small bounty for such hard work. But at least it was better than wolf meat. He whistled a light tune as he sat and sharpened the blade of his hatchet, not really caring if he was found at this point. Beside him burned a tiny fire he had brought down from the larger flame up in his cave. This was a good temporary camp, at least till night would fall and he'd have to go up again. 

Across the frozen river he suddenly heard a rustling in the bushes. His ears perked up, now on full alert. Arsen looked towards the bushes, and stopped his whistling. After a period of stillness, he dropped the stone he had been sharpening his weapon with, and begrudgingly stood up.

"I'm not a big fan of hide and seek."

[arsen-thebull]

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger || Self Para

Ten seconds till show time and Arsen was ready. Ready as he’d ever be at least. Though back home he never really did mind the cold, this wasn’t “cold”, this was a frozen hell on earth. He wasn’t used to dealing with such extreme climate, but he did know one thing…time was of the essence here. More than in any other arena they could have picked out. They probably wanted them to kill each other off quickly, since the majority of these people would most likely be dead of hypothermia within the first couple of days. And time was of the essence now. As the countdown reached five seconds, Arsen got into running position. He didn’t bother to look at the other tributes around him, instead he tried to focus, eyes on the prize. Thankfully he hadn’t been placed too far from the cornucopia, so it would probably be possible for him to go in, grab what he needed, then be on his way without much issue. If he was quick enough.

Arsen squinted and quietly cursed his terrible vision. He could see into the airship, but wasn’t sure if anything he needed was close by. He did happen to spot something on the wall of the cornucopia. It glimmered like steel and it’s round reflection captured the image of all the tributes in their starting positions…a shield on the wall. It was Arsen’s best shot at this point.

The timer struck zero, and the boy from District Ten was already off. 

He raced directly towards his target in a straight path, not caring if anyone got in his way. Like a runaway train or a rogue bull, Arsen sprinted through the snow. Those unfortunate enough to be standing between him and the airship were batted away, tackled and flung through the air or simply grabbed and tossed aside. His main goal was to get to the supplies.

He vaulted into the cornucopia, looking around quickly as he panted and realized that he was one of the first few to get in. Arsen reached for the closest knapsack and slipped it over his back as he strode to the wall where the shield was mounted. Grabbing it quickly and sliding it over one shoulder, above the bag, he was already on his way out when he spotted something in the corner of his eye. On one of the tables nearby was an open metal case. Inside were several assorted blades and knives, as well as a hatchet…and his threshing weapon of choice, the flail. The thing looked heavy and imposing, chrome steel with a dark wooden handle. Before he could have a chance to make a move, another tribute was already rummaging through it. In one move, Arsen materialized next to his opponent, closing the entire case down on the other’s hand and yanking it away…bashing the tribute’s face in with the metal case itself and knocking them back several feet before he had turned and was gone. 

It all happened at once, so quickly that it was difficult for Arsen to really grasp the fact that it was all over once he found himself in the relative cover of the woods. He dropped the bloody metal case he was holding under his arm, letting it fall into the snow. He followed shortly after, falling on his ass and slowly trying to catch his breath. Arsen buried his face in his hands, slowing his breathing as the adrenaline kept pumping. He was in the thick of it now. And this right here would be the only moment he’d allow himself to feel anything. He let the emotions rush, meditating silently, alone in the woods.

But when he lowered his hands and stood slowly, something in Arsen was different. He dropped his bag and his shield, picking up the weapons case and snapping it open. He emptied it out, hooking the armaments in different parts of his body, mainly around his belt, before tossing aside the empty case. He slipped on his backpack again, tightening it around his torso, then made sure to properly secure the shield behind the bag as well. Arsen took a deep breath and reviewed his plan in his head once more.

From the moment he took in sight of the arena, he knew there were few options for him. He could’ve stayed and held his ground at the cornucopia, but staying so far out in the open (and alone) was probably not the wisest idea. He could take to the woods and try his best to find shelter there like most of the other tributes would probably do…but that was barely an option for him. His size became his handicap. It would’ve been unrealistic for Arsen to think he could effectively hide among the bushes or on the treetops with stealth and without being detected. There was only one other option for him, and he was heading towards it now.

At the edge of the woods stood a vast, snowy mountain…formidable and ominous looking off in the distance. There, he would find sanctuary. It was his best bet, and it was crazy enough to work. The mountain was several miles away. Arsen would have to do his best to cover as much ground as possible…and fast.

In the end, it took him most of the day to finally reach his destination. And by the time the sun was setting in the horizon, Arsen found himself scaling halfway up the treacherous landmark. He was in a cold sweat, clinging to the side of the mountain by just his fingertips and toes pretty much. The wind blew violently, and he was now trembling ever so slightly. Night was descending quickly. Arsen looked over his shoulder, gazing down at the major fall…if he slipped up at this height he’d be done without a doubt. He wasn’t even sure where he was going…but he had to find someplace to settle, even if it was at the side of some jagged mountain. In one quick movement, Arsen steadied himself, tucking his body in close against the rock and reaching for two throwing knives from his belt. His hand nearly slipped, but he recovered quickly and found a way to grip the throwing knives…using them as makeshift picks to make his climb somewhat easier.

He made it several feet higher before reaching something he hadn’t expected. It was a precipice…a cliff near the higher end of the summit. Arsen pulled himself up with every ounce of strength, rolling onto his back when he was finally on flat ground again…well, sort of. It was a small clearing that led to a sizable aperture right up on the side of the mountain. A cave.

After a few minutes of pulling himself back together, Arsen forced himself to stand and stare into the dark cave. And the abyss seemed to stare back into him. By now night had fallen, and so had his visibility. He didn’t notice the cave was already occupied until it was too late. 

He stepped in and walked a few feet before realizing he wasn’t alone. Over a dozen dark forms, and a dozen set of yellow eyes watched him. The wolves stirred, waken from their slumber and ready for the night’s hunt. Except tonight, the hungry canines wouldn’t have to go very far to find their potential prey. Arsen realized he was in deep trouble now. Each beast was massive, bigger than any normal wolf, and they all seemed about twice as hungry as any animal he had ever encountered in the past.

Arsen took a few steps back, but the beasts were all around him, blocking the exit. They were all on their feet now, circling him slowly or simply watching…waiting for him to make a move. Arsen only had a few moments to react. He knew it wouldn’t be smart to try and fight these creatures with heavy weapons, if fighting is what it would come down to. The wolves would be fast, he had to be faster.

He slowly lowered his things but drew a third throwing knife out of his belt, as well as the hatchet. He closed his left hand into a fist, holding the knives between his knuckles and tearing a piece of cloth from the sleeve of his coat, tying it around his fist to make sure the hand stayed closed no matter what. In his right hand he picked up the hatchet, gripping it tightly. Bringing both hands up defensively and closing his eyes, Arsen winced and breathed deep. He was tired from the climb, tired from the walk over here, tired from the bloodbath, and tired of this cold. But it was now a matter of time before he’d be literally fighting for his life.

The wolves still didn’t make a move, but there was one long howl from what would’ve seemed to be the pack’s Alpha. Immediately afterwards followed a long silence…Arsen waited, then opened his eyes and looked around. It was time, he could feel them slowly getting closer…

“Ah, fuck it.”

As if on cue, the creatures pounced. They came at him with full force, some charging to attack his legs, others leaping surprisingly high. Arsen reacted quickly, swinging the hatchet back and forth fluidly in two quick motions and hacking away two of the first wolves that attacked. But he wasn’t quick enough to swat them all away, and as he stepped back all the others were already on him. He bellowed in pain, and was pretty sure his voice could’ve been heard through the entire arena as he felt the sharp fangs sink into his skin. With a staggering blow, Arsen buried his fist into one wolf, hearing it whimper as it was pierced by the knives and dropped dead right off his body. He was chopping and hacking and slashing, punching and throwing them around, anything to get the ravenous animals off of him. The creatures were strong, but Arsen knew how to put up a fight. He used his size to his advantage, pulverizing skulls and chopping bodies clean in half. He was fighting with everything; hands, elbows, knees, feet. He slammed his body into the walls of the cave, crushing several of them and knocking others off only to be punted away or trampled under his feet.

For over an hour, Arsen was fighting for his life. But when silence once again overtook the dark cave, he sat among the piles of massacred animal carcasses. The creatures were violent, to the point where they all had to be killed…down to the Alpha, or else they wouldn’t have stopped. Arsen was covered in bites, lacerations, cuts, bruises, among other injuries. He was bleeding from several places and though nothing seemed fatal, he would have to treat the wounds as best he could. Yet considering what had just happened, Arsen emerged relatively unscathed. He fell asleep right there on the snow.

On the second day in the arena, he didn’t feel much better. He was lightheaded, but did his best to focus on what needed to be done. Day two was all about housekeeping. Arsen did what he could to build a fire, using up nearly all his matches in the attempt but finally succeeding. He tossed into the fire scraps of his clothing, wolf fur, and anything else he could find in his backpack which he knew he wouldn’t use, as well as anything in the cave that could help the fire grow. Anything that could burn, did burn. He used the flame to painfully cauterize the bigger lacerations, and did as best he could to treat the other wounds as well with ice, makeshift bandages, and other tricks he had learned at the tribute center.

But more than anything, he needed food. Arsen saw no other choice than to skin the wolves and butcher them. They had plenty of meat, and would serve as a steady and fairly plentiful food supply if he rationed it all correctly. It was at this moment that Arsen thanked his father and thanked his years working at the butcher’s shop. Every part of the animals were used, and the meat that he didn’t separate to be eaten that day was carefully stored among the ice to keep it fairly well preserved. The longest and most tedious process came in the form of making their hides into a coat. Arsen had seen his father do it before many years ago, and did his best to remember the technique. By the time night fell again, he had a much more fearsome looking, and infinitely warmer form of insulation than the flimsy uniforms they’d been provided with. That night he filled his belly, and quenched his thirst by melting the snow and ice that surrounded him. The wolf meat wasn’t exactly a delicacy, but it was nourishment, and he made do with what he had. 

As he rolled up into his sleeping back, kept warm by his coat and the fire that crackled nearby, Arsen considered the past two days. In all, he figured they ended successfully. A promising start. 

Perhaps the odds could be in his favor after all.

[arsen-thebull]

District Ten Scores

[arsen-thebull]

It's not exactly like she asked for this.

Once we're in the arena. Things will get real hectic real fast. I wanted some way to keep in touch with you guys. Just in case.

Isn’t dealing with this stuff her job? She wants to help you, Arsen.

What is it?

[arsen-thebull]

I don't want to bother Roberta. She has enough to deal with as it is. 

There's something else I wanted to show you.

From what I can tell. I talked to Gavin about it. Did you talk to your mentor?

[arsen-thebull]

The alliance stuff...it's all been sorted out yeah?

Uh, yeah. I will. You do the same, alright?

[arsen-thebull]

Whatever happens, happens. Just worry about keeping yourself alive.

That’s just it. We won’t. One winner, twenty-three losers.

[arsen-thebull]

"I'm not even going to ask how you came to that conclusion."

"I don’t know why, but I’ve got a feeling there are going to be huge spiders in the Arena."

[arsen-thebull]

Breathe Tessa. And focus. We'll get through this.

I get what you mean, but I’m the exact opposite. The closer we get to the damn arena, the more nervous I get about this whole thing.

[arsen-thebull]

Statistics are probably the last thing I want to be hearing right now, ma'am.

99% of all tributes enter the arena intoxicated. 100% of the victors are intoxicated, sense a trend here kid?

[arsen-thebull]

That's the spirit.

I’m not suppose to be drinking anything but i will drink everything. 

[arsen-thebull]

*He considers the question for a moment* I think I'm far past that stage. Haven't felt nervous for anything in a long time.

I suppose so. Yeah, I know. You nervous?

[arsen-thebull]

............

Same. Hand me a bottle.

I’m not suppose to be drinking anything but i will drink everything. 

[arsen-thebull]

Arsen nodded slowly, he hoped he wouldn't have to run into the other boy in the arena. And even if he did, Arsen probably wouldn't have the heart to hurt Ace, on the contrary. There were few people here who showed sympathy and had spent time to speak with him regularly, as well as sustain an actual conversation. Arsen had never exactly been the best at socializing. "Just lay low. And don't be walking into a deathmatch with that kind of mindset."

Ace brows perked up curiously- he hadn’t heard someone not minding him winning. “Same to you- thought I wouldn’t be there to see it.” Arsen wasn’t Ace’s first pick for a winner, but he was at least far from last. 

[arsen-thebull]

Why are you drinking?

Ah, yes, Launching day. Pass me the liquor please?