#136 arena

[tired-gage]

Wiley had nodded off while Gage kept watch, staring over at her every few minutes to make sure that her chest still rose and fell, that she hadn't died. Wiley just needed to hold out for a little longer. If they could hide until they were the last ones left...it was a strategy that rarely worked, Gage knew, but it was possible.

Then the bombs started.

The crashes grew closer, a strange not-quite-warmth, perhaps just a lack of chill, filling the air. Something was coming, and they couldn't hide any longer.

"Wiley," Gage whispered, shaking the girl slightly as to not jostle her too hard lest she rip her very amateur stitches, "Wiley, love, we have to go."

@wileydepot

[denverneumann]

Denver was running. She had left the Tower as quickly as she could, so afraid of it coming down on top of her, but now she had nowhere to go. Was her apartment even safe? The Peacekeepers didn't believe she was loyal to the Capitol. The rebels would never buy that she was one of them. Denver knew how revolutions worked. She needed to hide, especially now that everything was coming to a head.

She hadn't meant to end up at the Capitol Arena, near the Hunger Games Museum. At least, she thought she hadn't. But there it was, the large imposing structure and the ruins inside, and she knew it better than anyone. If there was anywhere she would be able to hide, it was in there. Loathe as she was to disturb historical artifacts, she broke the glass of a nearby display, grabbed a long, needle-pointed dagger, and entered the Arena.

@ennalydonsbee

[notverybrighton]

Damien awoke to what sounded like an avalanche. Well, not that he'd had much experience in what an avalanche sounded like, but he imagined if he had it would sound something like this. He scrambled out of the ice cave he was sleeping in, lest he be buried alive, only to see the entire sky ablaze. What was this?

A chunk of the sky - the force field, Damien presumed - fell not twenty feet from Damien, and then he was running. But he didn't get far before he spotted another red suit, and now he was faced with the choice between sky falling and a potential enemy. More shrapnel made the choice for him, and he ran to the suit.

@kedzie-kensington

[denverneumann]

Denver smiled. She might not know what she was feeling these days, but she knew history. This was a question she could answer.

"I'm guessing it's a yeti," she clarified. "Bigger than a gorilla. Sharper teeth. And I'm sure this one is even more deadly than the one from the legends." It was an Arena muttation, after all. She wondered if Holland had worked on it. She wondered how Holland was doing overall, and if her tributes were okay. A quick inventory of the various screens showed the teacher and the angry girl both alive.

Colt was watching an overview of the arena breaking down the specific areas shortly after the Bloodbath just glad that both of Ten's tributes made it out, when he noticed several campsites that seemed to just be absolutely totaled, by what looked like a massive animal ??? That definitely had sharp claws, and a lot of fur. Furrowing his eyebrows together, he turned to the person next to him, and just rambled out his thoughts.

"I.....I think they have a big angry snow gorilla in the arena?"

[maytheoddshq]

The tributes are launched into an alpine, mountainous zone, covered in hard-packed snow, rock, and ice. Mountains jut out on all sides of the Arena, clouds clinging to their necks. The air up here is thin and sharp, wind cuts at tributes' exposed skin like knives.

At the center of the podiums is a cornucopia constructed of poles and fly, creating a neon orange, massive horn-shaped tent. The huge mouth is zipped open, and supplies spill forth from it. There is a range of the usual food, weapons, and first aid, and mixed in are also environment-specific items, like boot spikes, ice axes, rope, sleeping bags, oxygen tanks, and more.

Scattered among the vast, snowpacked mountains, tributes will discover there are other small camps, tents in bright, neon colors to stand out against the snow. Some are mostly intact and have braved the elements, with supplies scattered inside. Some are shredded; the keen eye might observe something animal, with razor-like claws, has decimated these camps in search of something. It seems far bigger, far smarter, and by the looks of what it left behind, far hairier than any of the wildlife that would be found in the area.

Some of the passes, trails, and glaciers are passable as-is, others require equipment salvaged from the Cornucopia or the camps. The payoff to such risk of reaching the other side is relative safety, and access to some glacial caves for shelter.

Temperatures are inhospitable, cold during the day, and bitter cold at night. While their provided clothing will keep them warm enough to avoid death so long as they are wise, hypothermia and frostbite remains a threat should they sweat too much, not move enough, not take in enough calories, or fail to find adequate shelter at night.

Vicious snow leopard mutts prowl at all altitudes in the dawn and twilight hours. There is a pack of yaks that meander the rocky passes between mountains in the arena as well, trackable and capable of being hunted at relatively low risk by a knowledgable tribute. A lucky tribute may be able to snare a shrew if they recognize a frequented run through the snow. A few, small plants poke up at the lowest elevations, near the Cornucopia, foragable but not much for calories.

It seems that this time, the Gamemakers want to make it quick and brutal.

IC TIME TO NEXT PLOT DROP: 36 hours OOC: As a reminder, this is a special Games and will not be the setting for the full time allotted for the "in-Games" portion of 136; therefore, this Arena is more condensed than usual. Updates and plot drops for the upcoming rebellion plot will be shared coming weeks that will evolve their environment! Please see pinned post on the main for more information.

[jentlemahae]

surely someone can help you with tickets? i’m disabled as well and i just can’t fathom that they don’t help out more

there’s not much to be done unfortunately 🙁 there is a very limited number of wheelchair spaces in every venue and once those are gone they can’t really do anything :( im gonna try at the general sales as well but i am not feeling too positive about it

[tired-gage]

Still curled around Neptune, Gage was awoken by the sound of boots against snow, directly by her head. She thought at first someone was in the tent with them, but then realized they were still outside. How much time had passed? How long had they been asleep? Gage nudged Neptune awake and picked up the duct tape. It wouldn't do much, but there were limited options and at the very least it could give her a running chance.

But when the tent opened, it was Wiley that stood in the doorway.

One arm still tucked against Neptune, the other with the duct tape raised high, Gage stared at the girl she had failed to protect. You're bleeding, she tried to say, but in her shock, those weren't the words that came out.

"This isn't what it looks like."

@neptune-akoya @wileydepot

[tired-gage]

Bentley. Ah, that made sense now. Big family in Six. It was no wonder she'd assumed he was Capitol. She'd never interacted with any Bentley. They would never come to a neighborhood as poor off as Gage and Wiley's. She tried to not to let it influence her response too much.

"I'm not sure. I was lucky enough to have a present mother, and I've no children of my own," Gage replied, not adding that her mother was high for much of that presence. "But I'd love a Manhattan. Haven't had one in ages." She'd had them plenty when she was younger, but Davidson hadn't liked when she drank, and then their money went to his morphling. She'd gotten out of the habit by the time she'd dated anyone who wanted to share a drink with her. And then Carly had preferred her drinks straight, which was easier, and cheaper, so Gage went along with it.

"Yeah. Cade. Bentley." He emphasized the last name-- that tended to get the attention of most people in Six, even if it wasn't always positive. It was force of habit, maybe, he didn't know anything except pride in being a Bentley, despite all of the disgrace he'd brought to the name in past years. "Well, my mom used to drink a fuck ton of Manhattans. Now that I think about it, is that a Six thing, or an absent mom thing?"

[denverneumann]

It had been years since Denver had seen an Arena with snow in it. Most Arenas, if nature-based, tended to feature hot and humid areas. But this...it was a mountain, just like the ones people used to try and climb before the Dark Days. She had to call her father later, and get his reaction. Maybe he'd tell some of his old stories.

And then a gnawing settled in her gut, and Denver looked around, the fairytale excitement fading as the expressions of the others watching the screens didn't match her awe. They were worried instead, and of course they were. So many of those in the Arena this time were friends, were loved ones, were victors who had already sacrificed for the promise of peace. Children and the elderly were expected to fight adult athletes in their prime.

"What do you think?" she asked, quietly, not particularly caring who she was talking to when she was so unsure of every single one of her emotions.

[notverybrighton]

blood upon the snow; a self-para

As he stumbled through the snow, away from the Cornucopia and away from the Bloodbath, Damien tried to refuse to think about what had just happened, but found he couldn't think of anything else.

Damien's vomit froze before it hit the ground. He considered himself lucky that he had managed to pull his balaclava down in time. She'd been just a child, a child, and he had killed her. For all his work over decades of smuggling, he'd never killed anyone. And his first kill was a child.

He fell to his knees.

For all Damien had been involved in smuggling, for the purposes of general crime or rebellion, he had never been in a fight, not a true one. He'd seen them, of course, in Hunger Games of years past, and the aftermath of them, when compatriots came stumbling into the room where Damien was standing over a map. He'd noted, then, while others tended to the injuries, that he'd need to move the routes he sent his trucks.

Then the wind whipped across his face, the only silence in between a metallic countdown, and true fear gripped his heart for the first time in his life. He wasn't being sent into a fight; he was being sent into a battlefield.

And then he'd been stabbed. Damien had been stabbed, and if he didn't retaliate, he was going to die. He was going to die in seconds or minutes. He needed to act and he needed to act now. He'd lost the firewood. He would not lose his life.

When a figure approached from behind, he pulled the dagger out of his flesh and threw his body around, painfully, screaming, and sank the dagger into --

No.

No, no, no.

It was not Kedzie that stood before him, shocked, a cry tangled in his throat. It was Eve Rest. District Three.

Twelve years old.

Her breaths came fast, the only sounds escaping her while her youthful eyes screamed in agony. Damien hadn't thought about it, had lashed out, had twisted the knife in her gut before he knew who it was he was fighting. Blood poured from the wound, and the warmth of it soaked through Damien's glove. It was the first warmth he'd felt since they zipped him into his snow suit.

Damien stared in horror as tears fell from her eyes, crystalizing on the rim of the balaclava. It would be a slow death, bleeding and in pain, this child struggling to breathe, if Damien didn't act.

He didn't want to. To anyone who could possibly hear him, he didn't want to.

He pulled out the dagger and slashed her throat.

Eve's blood splattered onto Damien's face as she slumped to the ground before him.

What had he done?

He had to keep moving, had to get out of there before someone came for revenge, for opportunity, for anything. It was his life or theirs. He had no choice. He had to run.

He stumbled, fell to his knees, pushed himself up, and kept moving.

[ilreleonewikiart]

TDIOBCB challenge - day 22:

Aegon and Daenaera's wedding in 136 AC

"The highly anticipated union between Prince Aegon Targaryen and Lady Daenaera Velaryon was a grand spectacle, unparalleled and captivating the hearts of all fortunate enough to bear witness. The Dragonpit, the sole edifice in the entire capital city capable of accommodating the nearly seventy thousand guests, overflowed with exuberance and anticipation as the two young lovers made their entrance. (…) The clamour was momentarily silenced by the resounding roar of a dragon, signifying the arrival of the bridegroom. The world seemed to hold its breath as Crown Prince Aegon Targaryen, adorned in a simple yet regal ensemble of dark blue velvet and golden filigree, strode into the Dragonpit.(…) Innumerable songs and artworks would emerge in the years that followed, all striving to immortalize that precise instant when every soul, from the foremost to the rearmost, pivoted to behold the entrance of the youthful and graceful bride. Nevertheless, words alone proved feeble in capturing the awe-inspiring spectacle that unfolded within those grand walls on that spring morning. The bride, the only child of the late Lady Laena, with her flawless visage adorned with clear, brilliant blue eyes and a cascade of the purest silver hair, appeared as if plucked from the pages of a tome, her very presence an embodiment of beauty.  (…) But it was the magnificent gown she wore, concealed mostly beneath her house's sigil-adorned cloak, that attracted all the bulk of the attention, stirring deep envy and boundless admiration among many a lady and noblewoman. It was clear to all, even the most unrefined, that the gown was an exemplar of craftsmanship and quality; a far cry from the pedestrian attire donned by noblewomen in the countryside, woven from fabrics procured from merchants of dubious repute, in their delusion of appearing as capital ladies. This exquisite creation was hewn from genuine and precious white silk sourced from the distant isle of Leng, wich under the sun's gaze, gleamed with blue and silver hues, akin to summer sea waves. The fabric, inherently precious, was adorned throughout with intricate undulating silver embroideries, reminiscent of the tranquil ebb and flow of ocean tides, a testament to the artistry of Myrish weavers; even the jewellery was of an exceptional nature, forged from the most precious shells, the whitest mother-of-pearl, and the most delicate corals, all procured from the shores of Driftmark, specially presented by her cousin, the Lord, for this momentous occasion. (…) The prince and his princess looked ethereal, as if they were celestial beings brought down to grace the mortal realm. The splendor of the late morning light, filtered through the large oval opening in the center of the colossal stone dome above them, bathed them in a radiant glow, making them shine like stars in the night sky. The mere sight of the kiss they exchanged sent the whole arena into raptures."

 - from TDIOBCB chp 2

(warning: these illustrations are inspired by an AU Divergence and have nothing to do with canon (book or tv show) events and are not meant to be reposted outside of their contest)

[denverneumann]

"You said nothing," Denver readily agreed. "Zero. Zilch. Nada." She trailed off and looked at the baby in Slate's arms. Kyanite. She hadn't thought she'd get to meet her - the most famous baby in Panem, but what did that even mean? Just like Denver had found the victors to be, the baby was so...human. She was small and had beautiful blue eyes. "How is she?" Denver asked, nodding at Kyanite.

Slate paled slightly, but Denver reacted well enough, and he didn't want to get too anxious lest his mood bring Kya down in some way. So he followed her lead and said, "Yeah, you're telling me," trying to keep it light. "Obviously I officially didn't mean anything. Or I didn't even say anything. Yeah, that's better. I didn't say anything."

[lacerta123]

Just out of curiosity I looked at AO3 to see how many people write fanfic for marvel comics vs the MCU. This is a list of fandoms and the number of five in them because I found it interesting. Date: 10/15/2024

Marvel - 626,081

Marvel Comics-

Marvel - 64,640

Marvel 616 - 54,598

X-Men (Comicverse) - 10532

Avengers - 9186

Young Avengers - 3386

Loki - 2129

Thor - 2099

Deadpool - 1957

Venom - 1745

Marvel Ultimate Universe - 1544

Ultimates - 746

New Mutants - 598

Runaways - 456

Marvel Adventures - 446

X-Factor - 430

Captain Marvel - 407

Marvel Adventures: Avengers - 397

Ghost Rider - 385

X-Force - 367

Marvel Noir - 349

Marvel 2099 - 311

X-Men: First Class - 306

New Avengers - 228

Marvel Secret Wars Battleworlds - 217

Dark Avengers - 200

X-Men (Ultimateverse) - 185

Morbius: The Living Vampire - 173

X-23 - 168

Inhumans - 165

Excalibur - 160

Nova - 154

Champions - 147

Generation X - 142

Silk - 142

Spider-Girl - 141

All New X-Factor - 139

West Coast Avengers - 139

Unbelievable Gwenpool - 136

Thunderbolts - 128

House of M - 124

New Warriors - 123

Gambit - 118

Iron Fist - 103

The Defenders - 89

Avengers Academy - 85

Alpha Flight - 84

Avengers: The Initiative - 77

Secret Avengers - 76

X-Men Legacy - 74

Eternals - 65

Marvel Tsum Tsum - 65

Agents of Altas - 64

Wasp - 54

Marvel 1602 - 51

Mockingbird - 50

Age of Apocalypse - 49

Marvel Adventures: Iron Man - 49

Carnage - 45

Alias - 49

Uncanny Avengers - 44

Heroes For Hire - 43

Cloak & Dagger - 42

Angela - 38

Exiles - 32

Power Pack - 28

Tales of Suspense - 28

Legendary Star-Lord - 27

FF | Future Foundation - 25

X-Treme X-Men - 25

Hellcat - 22

Strange Academy - 18

Adam Warlock - 17

The Marvels - 17

X-Terminators - 16

The Order - 15

Secret Warriors - 14

Young Allies - 13

Avengers Arena - 11

Incredible Hercules - 11

Asgardians of the Galaxy - 10

Silver Surfer - 10

The Vision - 10

Blade - 9

X-Club - 9

Daughters of the Dragon - 9

Nyx - 8

Young X-Men - 8

Earth X - 7

Marvel Boy - 7

Marvel Divas - 6

Nomad - 6

Truth: Red White and Black - 6

The Pulse - 5

All Winners - 4

Fallen Angels - 4

Night Nurse - 4

Strikeforce - 4

Avengers Undercover - 3

It’s Jeff - 3

New Ultimate Universe Created by the Maker - 3

JLA/Avengers - 3

Marvel Her-Oes - 3

America - 2

Dazzler - 2

Nomad: Girl Without a World - 2

Slingers - 2

Sword Master - 2

T.E.S.T Kitchen - 2

Marvel Meow - 2

Ares - 1

District X - 1

Generation Hope - 1

Muties - 1

Operation S.I.N. - 1

Sentinel - 1

X-Men (New Ultimateverse Created by the Maker) - 1

[choco-pudding]

Space Channel 5 Part 2: Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book p. 140-149 (Translations by @lavoszero and myself. Edits and typesetting by myself)

Second part of Report 6.

Imgur link to all of the Sugoku Sugoi Guide Book translations we’ve done thus far.

Plain text below.

p.140 The Space Arena · The Stage

Dancing

Ulala’s Stars: 3 Purge's groove is as venomous as it is unique. His erratic rhythm and glistening costume verge on being a total sensory overload. But the inputs themselves aren’t that complicated. It's a type of dance that you can handle even if you stick to your own pace.

“The dance energy of the audience is charging the Ballistic Groove Gun.”

4.

       Ulala 012 Purge! x        Ulala 013 Puuurge! o o

5.

014 ⮕ ⮕ ⮕ ⬅ ⬅ 015 x ⬇ ⬇ 016 ⬅ ⬅ ⬅ ⮕ ⮕ 017 x o ⬆ 018 ⬆ ⬆ ⬆ ⬇ ⬇ 019 x

-

Groovemaster 2000 135

Up

p.141

“The Ballistic Groove Gun charges ever still!!”

6.

020 ⬇ ⬆ 021 ⬇ ⬆ 022 ⬇ ⬆ 023 ⬆ ⬇ 024 ⬇ ⬇ 025 ⬇ ⬇ 026 ⬇~ ⬆ 027 ⬇ ⬆

“Time for a special guest… President Peace!!”

-

Groovemaster 2000 136

Up Meow

p.142

“Pew!”

“Commence Dance Dimension X!!”

-

Groovemaster 2000 138

Up Meow Meow

p.143

“Bam!”

“Ulala, I needed your dance power, you see. Now we have all the power we need!”

-

Groovemaster 2000 138

Up Meow Meow

p.144 The Space Arena · Dance Dimension X

Shooting

Ulala’s Stars: 4 "Now we have all the dance energy we need." Ulala was Purge's real target all along. Our arrival here was planned and scripted from the start; everything was leading up to this moment…

7.

028 ⮕ ⬅ 029 ⬅ ⮕ 030 ⬆ ⬆ ⬅ ⮕ ⬅ ⮕ x 031 ⬆ ⬆ ⮕ ⬅ ⮕ ⬅ x 032 ⮕ ⬆ ⬅ ⬆ ⮕ ⬅ x 033 ⬅ ⬆ ⮕ ⬆ ⬅ ⮕ x 034 ⬇

“Aaah!”

-

Groovemaster 2000 139

Up Meow Meow Right Left Down

p.145

You won't mind if I pull the plug on your little show?

-

Groovemaster 2000 140

Up Meow Meow Right Left Down Right Left Down

p.146 The Space Arena · Super Ulala Dimension A

Ulala’s Stars: 5 Struck down by Purge, Ulala slipped into the deep darkness of unconsciousness. Yet, somehow, the rhythm of everyone’s clapping managed to reach her ears… After the final secret input, we were all wrapped into the "Super Ulala Dimension," a creation of her reawakening.

“Get up, come on, Ulala. Clap your hands by pressing ⬇ on the directional pad!”

8.

035 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 036 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

“Ha!”

9.

037 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 038 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

-

Groovemaster 2000 141

Up Meow Meow Right Left Down Right Left Down Meow Meow Meow

p.147

“Yo!”

10.

039 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 040 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

“Ho!”

11.

041 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 042 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇ 043 ⬇ ⬇ ⬇

“When have I ever lost…[3] “at dancing!

-

Groovemaster 2000 142

Meow Meow Meow

p.148 The Space Arena · Super Ulala Dimension B

Ulala’s Stars: 5 The Super Ulala Dimension completely eclipsed Dance Dimension X and the rhythm was now in our hands. Outmatched by our moxie, Purge the Great’s power deteriorated and President Peace able to be safely rescued. All that was left… was to finish him off!

12.

044 ⬆ ⮕ ⬅ ⬇ 045 ⬅ ⮕ ⬇ ⬆ 046 o o o o o

“This isn’t what my prompter says!”

-

Groovemaster 2000 143

Meow Meow Meow

13.

047 ⬆ ⮕ 048 ⮕ ⬅ 049 ⬅ ⬆ 050 ⬆ ⮕ x 051 ⬆ ⬅ x 052 ⬇ x 053 ⬆ x

“Ulala Thank you!”

“We've rescued the president!“

-

Groovemaster 2000 144

Meow Meow Meow

[tired-gage]

Gage sprinted when she saw the tents. It was everything she had been looking for. She could get her bearings away from the wind, and then go find Wiley. She could take Wiley back here, and they might be protected enough to sleep.

It was more than she had hoped for when inside the first tent she opened was supplies. Not much - duct tape, an oxygen tank, and a compass, but it was perfect. The wilderness survival textbook she'd read wouldn't help her much in the snowy mountains, but she had refreshed her memory on how to use a compass. She stepped inside reached for it, not even realizing that she had cornered herself in the tent until a shadow crossed her and, weaponless, she turned around.

@neptune-akoya

[tired-gage]

Gage watched Wiley fall asleep with a smile on her face. It was such a stark contrast from the last time she'd seen her with her eyes closed, passed out in the truck on the way out of the Arena. Gage had had to keep checking for her pulse, then. Now a monitor showed it - strong, safe, and sound. After a few moments, Gage got up off the bed, and pulled a blanket over Wiley before ducking out the door. She'd get to see her later, and tomorrow, and after that. Gage wasn't sure what to call herself in relation to Wiley now, but whatever she was, she thought she must surely be the luckiest one alive.

That made her smile. The idea that Carly would've liked her too. that mattered, because Carly would definitely be part of whatever decision to keep her around Gage was making. if Carly was still around. Wiley wished she could be, that she could earn her friendship too.

"The median." She repeated, yawning. she hadn't even realized how much the conversation had tired her out, but her eyes were weighing themselves down. "Don't go. I'm not tired, I just... it's the stupid... I need to close my eyes. You can stay, I still wanna talk." but when she closed her eyes again, and let them rest for a few seconds, before she could really register much else, Wiley had fallen asleep, snoring softly.