24 Tributes, 24 Tragedies, A Hunger Games Roleplay

[Shadsie]

Okay, I've decided to start it, while the sign up remains open. http://zeldadungeon.net/forum/showthread.php?t=48732

The beginning will just be preliminary stuff, character-introductions, set up, and such... (And meant to go SLOWLY, so that those who were reserving spots but hadn't come up with characterization can have some time, also because, when rps go really super fast, I tend not to keep and an abandon them). The SU will remain open, as I figure, maybe the first parts of the rp itself will inspire more people to join it.

Anyway,here is the

GRAND ROSTER OF CHARACTERS AND FATES
(Check here regularly to see which limited slots are taken, who is alive and who has died).


Tributes:

District 1
Male (Keith) Manius Shiitric - Alive
Female (Dr. Horrible) Erin Stillen - Alive

District 2
Male - (PKForce) Klaus Caldwell - Alive
Female

District 3
Male
Female

District 4
Male
Female

District 5
Male - (Kirito) Volts Valentin - Alive
Female

District 6
Male (blue-eyes) Jordan Weston - Alive
Female - (TatlTails) Madi Black - Alive

District 7
Male (Little Gumball) Trevor Oak - Alive
Female - (Doctor Horrible) Ashlynn Parell - Alive

District 8
Male
Female - (Little Gumball) - *Cotton Endersen* - Alive

District 9
Male
Female

District 10
Male (TatlTails) Luke O'Hare - Alive
Female - (Shadsie) Vashe Martinez - Alive

District 11
Male
Female

District 12
Male (blackkirby) - Jay Fuego - Alive
Female



Mentors:

(Imogen) - Jon Zacharais, District 9 Victor. - Alive.

(Dr. Horrible) - Oden Gorman - District 2 Victor. - Alive

(Shadsie) - Pitcarin Woolworth - District 8 Victor. - Alive

Others:

Shadsie's characters:

Shadow Felix - Head Gamemaker (aka, "me," mentioned, perhaps, but not slated to be played as a character). Alive, and slated to torment.

Icaria Lockheed - Aircraft / Hovercraft maintainer, dual-citizenship in District 6 and the Capitol. - Alive.


Tatl's characters:

"Bangs" - Capitol citizen - Stylist: District 6

Atticus' Characters:

Nora Scakowski - Capitol citizen - secreatary

PKForce's characters:

Bobby Hill - Capitol citizen - Someone with a bada*s skyward watermelon sword?

Dr. Horrible's Characters

Lollys Gold - Capitol Citizen / Stylist: District 10

-----------------------------


The Alive/Dead status applies to everyone, even the non-Tributes, just because we don't knnow what will happen. I think it would be neat if a character went missing or went into limbo so I can have a brief period of listing their status as "Cat in a Box" - hahah.

I'll be posting an opening from the perspective of one of my characters later. I want to get this big set-up post solidified, because, whew, that was a lot of markup.

 

[Shadsie]

Starter post:


The young Miss Martinez had killed before.

Of course, stunning cattle and sticking them at her father's slaughterhouse or even sliding a good, sharp knife across the throat of a goat for the sake of feeding her neighborhood wasn't the same as killing a fellow human. Vashe stood upon the platform overlooking the square, the summer sun glaring down. She looked at the boy beside her and then looked down. There was no hope of getting out of it now. This was the final set of Reapings for District 10.

The liason pressed her and the boy's hands together and raised them up, illiciting an uncomfortable cheer from the crowd. They did not want to cheer. No one in District 10 bought into the "heroic" claptrap of the Games. They cheered because they had to - because cameras and Capitol peacekeepers were watching.

Vashe Martinez remembered her family. Her older brother, Nick, lived on his own and took care of himself now. Her mother and father - They were brave. They told her that if she was ever Reaped, that she should follow her heart and do whatever she thought was right - even if it potentially put them in danger.

No, now was not the time to raise her voice. Later.

 

[pkfroce]

"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" yelled Klaus. A look of relief spread across the young boy's face who had just been chosen for the Games. Klaus had volunteered for 2 reasons. First off, he didn't want to see that young boy get slaughtered. Klaus was kindhearted and hated seeing young, inexperienced people die off in the games. It made him feel sick. Secondly, he wanted to show his District that you don't have to be a savage killing beast to win the Games. Klaus' arm was raised along with the Female Tribute and they were whisked off.

 

[Ganondork]

A crowd gathered around the elevated platform of District 1. It was the day of the Reaping, and the adolescents of the Capitol district had already clustered around the dais, silently hoping that they would be the one chosen to participate. They were all prepared for such an event, and had trained for years for this moment.

Standing in the back was Manius. His dirty blonde hair hung in his eyes as he feigned disinterest in the affair. He knew he would be picked; his entire life led up to this. He only wondered who would join him into the arena. Above all else, he fantasized of snapping her neck before finally winning it all.

On the dais were former victors of the Hunger Games – many of which were his former mentors – and the district’s representative that was calling out the names. He held his breath in anticipation, all signs of disinterest now lost to the heat of the moment.

“Manius Shiitric,” the representative said into the microphone. It was no surprise to anyone. They all turned and looked at him; his only reply was the smirk that crept across his face. He gave high fives to those who he passed by as he sauntered over to the platform.

He ascended the steps, joining his former mentors. He said to himself as he addressed the crowd, “Showtime, baby.”

 

[LittleGumball]

She was thinking about the clouds when it happened. As usual, she was zoning out, staring into the sky as the Reaping happened, and then she heard the people of her District begin to whisper. The girl next to her nudged her. "Cotton!" the girl hissed.

Cotton looked over, trying to not stare blankly at the girl. "What?"

The girl motioned up to the stage, so Cotton looked. "Cotton Endersen?" the lady on stage repeated. Everyone was looking at her. Wait, was she...? She got picked? No. That wasn't possible. She didn't put in any extra slips for her name and there were so many people that she knew added in at least seven extra slips. How could she of all people get picked? The odds were in her favor. No one was going to volunteer? Nobody? No one was going to save her...? She slowly rose from her seat, eyes round. No, this... this wasn't real. It couldn't be. She dragged her feet up to the stage and stared the lady in the face. Weird-looking lady. Everything about her was orange. Very weird.

She stared around blankly at the crowd. Everyone was looking at her. Or the lady doing the Reaping, Cotton couldn't really tell. Either way... She was done for. There was no way Cotton could win the Games. She was useless and lazy. She pressed her lips together and blew a sigh through her nostrils. Great. She was leaving her mother all alone. The poor woman. She didn't know if her mother would be able to take it.

Oh well. Life is life.

Suddenly her hand was pushed into someone else's and their arms were thrust into the air. Half-hearted cheers came from the people she knew. Awesome. Time to embrace her death.

 

[Doc]

Ashlynn solemnly stared at the ground, her red hair falling over her face. She always though of her brother during the Reapings and watching children kill children in the games. She tried not to, but it was always difficult. It was the last year his name would have been in the jar. His last reaping and his name was called.

The announcer read the name of some boy she had never met before. A few girls in the crowd began to tear up. Ashlynn figured they were his friends. The rest began to tense up as the Capitol woman reached into the female bin. A pair in front of Ashlynn held hands tightly, until their knuckles were white. The woman slowly opened the paper she pulled, making sure to make as dramatic an effect she could muster.

"Ashlynn Parell," the woman called.

Ashlynn's body went numb as the name was read. Her eyes quickly looked to her parents, where her mother was already crying out in pain. Her father pulled her in close as she began to scream, "Not again! This can't be happening again!"

Ashlynn tried to ignore it as she was escorted to the stage by Peacekeepers.

 

[Shadsie]

Icaria Lockheed fired up the engines, running a test. The crane-craft was docked for a general tuneup in her District 6, even in her home-city. She knew the Reapings were today - here as well. The Tributes would be conveyed to the Capitol by one of the mag-lev trains. They'd only get to fly in her beautiful craft when they were being transported to the arena and when being picked up from it - alive or dead.

"Yep, Scott!" she shouted to one of other mechanics. "Lookin' good!"

Her white hair-tails fluttered in the wind as she looked out over the air-strip. She hopped in an open-top ground-transport to the Reaping grounds. The liason and officials expected her to be there for some reason. She was also curious about this year's victims. Last year's poor saps had left such a mess in the crane bay. Icaria had woven a few white feathers into her hair. Over the top was Capitol-style. She was as much their pet as she was a District 6 native. She made it a point never to actually get to know any of the teenagers in her hometown anymore. Cleaning up their blood would just be too hard that way, so she'd responded by going cold - like metal, like her machines.

 

[TatlTails]

Madi was praying, praying as hard as she could. She couldn't watch the stage, couldn't gawk at the strangely-dressed Capitol representative. Her eyes were closed, and her head down. She'd gone through this before, just last year. There was now two slips of paper with her name in that bowl. It doubled her chances, but hopefully she had her brother's luck. He was nineteen, he'd made it through all six years without being called. Now all she had to do was make it with him...

"Madeline Black."

...No. No, she must've heard that wrong. That couldn't be her. It had to have been someone else's name...

"Madeline Black?"

A yell came from behind her, where the adults all waited. She teared up at the sound, and didn't look. She knew it was her brother, she could already hear the scuffle of him trying to fight off Peacekeepers. She only stood to keep them from treating him worse. Two more Peacekeepers came up to her and took her to the stage. Her eyes stayed on the ground until the boy was called, since she knew it wouldn't be good to let all of Panem see her cry. She lifted her head as her hand was raised high, and her eyes scanned the crowd for that one hint of red that would fight for her.

She spotted him in moments. He'd stopped fighting the Peacekeepers, but he was still front and center, looking on the scene with an expression of heartbroken rage. It wasn't fair, and both of them knew it. But there was nothing they could do...

 

[Doc]

Erin watched as the boy Manius proudly walked on stage. He high fived many as he passed. Erin had seen him before, but never talked to him much. She figured she would be able to kill him if she had to. The Capitol woman read the next name as the applause stopped for Manius.

"Taena Strong" the card read. A meek 12 year old girl gasped as she heard the words. Before the girl could move towards the stage, Erin quickly shouted "I volunteer," without any emotion. The girl looked at Erin in relief as she strutted down towards the stage to take her place beside Manius. As tradition, they would be allies.

 

[Shadsie]

Vashe sat in an overly-cushioned seat on the train, watching the world go by. It was her world that was going by - fields of cattle grazing in the sun, fields of horses... The ones they raised for slaughter were different than the ones they raised for riding or for pulling the chariots. She refused to look at the boy who was with her, or their mentor, or the liason. The last one... such an idiot... made some comments about Vashe's "anti-social" manner.

Of course she didn't want to look in the eyes of people who were going to watch her die. Yep, that was what was going to happen. This was just a luxurious cattle-car and she was just a young heifer. She'd resigned herself to it, but, strangely enough, not in a depressed way, without confidence in her strength. She knew she was strong enough to take on a physical survival-challenge and probably come out if it.

Nah, she had her death planned out. On the first day of the games, she was going to stand. She was going to stand, look straight up at the areal cameras, open her arms out wide and shout to the sky how wrong the Games were. "This is wrong! This is wrong! THIS IS WRONG!" Maybe she'd flip the bird twice at those same cameras. Oh, sure, she knew that the other Tributes would just take advantage of the situation to be rid of one of their number who was practically begging for it. She wondered if one of the kids from a stronger district would end it quickly by running a sword or knife through her heart or if she'd suffer, hacked to death... or if the Gamemakers might actually do something about the disturbance in the system she planned to cause...

The girl remembered hearing stories of others who'd done similar things in past Games - shows of defiance, refusal to fight or to run... bad things typically happened to her families. Vashe was assured by her father that he was as crazy as she was. He and Mom would fight back... Nick would probably join in too, even if they all died - or worse. The family had talked of this before - if one of the kids were Reaped, what would happen.

Vashe Martinez resolved herself. Once she'd come to terms with it, it felt like the sun was shining on her shoulders after a hard winter. She smiled at the boy and their mentor. She gave their liason the biggest grin. "I'd like some toast with jam now, please," she said, content with the secret she would keep the entire trip.

If she only had a week to live, she was going to make it count.

 

[Kirito]

"Vincent Valentin." A voice called. Volts didn't even register the sound. He was in the midst of tinkering with a small bundle of wires and circuits. Besides if they really needed him they would use the name he chose not the name he was givin. "Vincent Valentin." The voice called once more.

"Yo volts she's callin you dude." His friend bolts said as he nudged him ,pulling the boy back from his circuit board. Volts looked up to find everyone was staring at him. He began his walk up to the platform.

 

[Shadsie]

Vashe's attention while on the train-car turned to some of the meat dishes on the table. Despite living in District 10 with a family that worked a slaughterhouse for large animals, the family and community was too poor to afford to eat much of what they'd slaughtered. All of the best cuts and most of the whole cattle carcasses when to the Capitol. It was mostly the less-desirable organ meats and tough tendon bits that were left to Vashe's town. She could make a mean marrow-rich beef-bone soup and oxtail and beans, but an actual steak or roast was something that only happened on her father's birthday, and then the family would share only a small amount between them.

It was dinnertime and she was getting an entire medium-rare hunk of prime rib placed before her. She stared for a moment, not really sure where to start. She knew if she ate too quickly of food that was richer than she was used to, she'd just heave it all up. However, this preparation-week for the Hunger Games was going to be her last week of life, she'd decided, so she might as well live it up.

She passed a plate to the boy she was sharing her fate with. "Hey," she said gently. This was the first time she got a good look at his face. He looked...rather innocent. "You should eat up," she suggested. "Get yourself strong." When she saw their liason duck into another car of the train to speak with their attending mentor, she whispered to the kid, just to ease his fear. "I'm only eating for pleasure," she confessed. "If you want, maybe I can help you win."

 

[TatlTails]

The boy, Luke was his name, merely looked at Vashe and her offer with a look of awe on his face. He hadn't said anything at the Reaping, he had merely looked confused. During the whole train ride, he had merely gawked silently at all the fancy Capitol things around him. But now he spoke, with some kind of soft country accent on his lips. "Thank ya." He smiled, taking some of the yummy-smelling meat and putting it on his own plate. "'n I kin 'elps you too!" He offered afterwards, seeming to not understand exactly how the Games worked. But alliances were good in the Games, right? And this girl, uhm, Vashy, was it? She looked strong. She'd be a good ally, right?

 

[LittleGumball]

She couldn't remember the train ride. Cotton stared out the window blankly and watched the world fly by her for the whole ride.

Her life was over. There was no turning back. She was not the kind to win the Games. Her mother... would probably waste away from depression. Her friends, even people she barely knew, came in before to give her encouraging words, a couple handed her gifts. She would wear the silk bird patch, of course. She'd sneak it into the Games as her token. Cotton always liked birds. They were free. They could live their dreams. They could fly away and escape whenever they wanted.

The only things she remembered from the train ride were the sight of the landscape rushing past and the crushing weight of her loneliness.

---

Trevor clenched his teeth and braced himself as the Capitol scum reached into the pool of male names. Someone was getting picked. The question was who.

"Trevor Oak!"

He stiffened. Of course it was him. There was no luck for him, was there? He turned, kissed his mother on the cheek, hugged each of his family members quickly, muttered "Keep your nose clean" to his youngest brother, and made his way up to the platform. He stared stoically at his friends in the audience, the guys looking distraught but trying to be strong for him and the girls crying. He watched some girl he'd never met, Ashley or something, also get chosen, saw her mother freak out, tried to not look at his own for fear of seeing them in such distress. The two of them were forced to hold hands and raise their arms.

Leaving was a blur. Everyone came in to wish him well, his family came in to cry on him and give him things to remember them by, some people tried to give him advice, then he was whisked away to the train, where he sat there staring at the table he was seated at, not knowing what to do now. Maybe he should make friends with the girl who was going in with him. He didn't know whether or not they would be allies, but he at least didn't want to sit there awkwardly the whole ride. He looked over at her. "Hey," he said to get her attention. "What's your plan when you get in there?"

 

[TatlTails]

((...Just because boredom and fastness and mleh, I'mma get Madi to the train.))


Madi was shaking from the moment she stepped off that stage, barely able to stay on her feet as Peacekeepers ushered her off. She was left in that family-visiting room, and the visiting period went by way too fast. She hugged her brother as much as she dared, him frantically rambling on about fighting strategies and ways to get sponsors and hunting tips, as much advice as he could get in. She just listened as well as she could, and tried not to cry too hard. She knew that if she broke down, he would too...

She was pulled out of his arms too soon, him slipping his favorite gloves in her hands at the last moment. Her hands were just big enough for them to fit, they'd be her token. Their first job was to dry her tears as she lost sight of her brother, for the last time...

((OK, just to be clear. Dagger usually fights with clawed gloves. These are not clawed. They're just made of stury material, and will help her climb and hold weapons and basically hurt her hands less. So yeah. Practical token, blah.))