Fandom Hunger Games (Closed)

[Soleil]

She shrugged her shoulders lightly. She didn't know why she was showing them how to make the tiny bow but she didn't seem to care. The bow was only really good for hunting smaller prey; it wouldn't even stop a deer. 


River didn't know much about district 12. All she knew was from what she learned from watching the games. Being in school, they were never taught much about the other districts. She did know that 12 was the poorest, and hardest to live in. Even looking at the two in front of her she could see the effects. Coming from a wealthier district, she knew most expected her to be well trained and equipped with the best skills. She was the last person from 4 who should have been picked. 


"It can't even take down a full grown deer, I'm sure I'm fine." She gave the girl a soft smile.

---
​

Gale agreed with Lilly, why was she here showing them how to make a weapon? He had to admit though, homemade bows were always the hardest to make; especially once they get into the games and will have to use whatever they could find. 


Watching the guy from 4 approach Gale gave him a skeptical look.  He didn't trust the victor, and knew he was probably planning on his next victory. The upper districts always seemed to feel more superior over those in 12. While the girl seemed less of a threat, he knew the guy from 4 would be his biggest challenge. He hoped someone else would have to worry about that problem before him. 


He saw as the guy teased her slightly about making weapons. She did seem uncomfortable holding the small bowl in her hands, like she was never trained to hold it the right way. Wasn't everyone from 4 trained from childhood?

 

[ChibiMonkey]

It had been about a week that they were left in the Capitol to train and be publicized. They went through several interviews, some of which Lilly couldn't tell if she was being mocked for being from District 12, or pities. Regardless, she knew these interviews were a bunch of bullshit. But she also knew, as Haymitch's advising, that these were some of the greatest times to publicize themselves in a positive light, or, any light, that would catch sponsors' attention to want to help them throughout the games. Honestly, she hated having to play this monopolized game for the Capitol's and those who were rich enough to live within's entertainment, but she played along, because even if she didn't think she had a chance at winning, she wanted to survive. Even if she knew how unlikely it was, how impossible it would be, she wanted to live. Wasn't that what everyone wanted? When it came down to it, even those poor living in District 12, struggling every day to survive, you had to wonder why they continuously went on struggling every day. Because they wanted to live, as it was a natural human instinct.


During the interviews she had gone ahead and tried the pity story, as Haymitch suggested was a good idea. She didn't bring her father into it though and how he was ill. She refused to rely on him and use him in this game. If she was going to die, she could at least be happy she didn't involve her father in this chaotic mess. So instead she went with how she was a new born orphan, surely left to die on the streets because her biological parents couldn't care for her, but a widowed man ended up taking her in and fathering her. It seemed to catch the interviewer's interest, so hopefully it did the rest of the Capitol too, to gain her some sponsors.


Eventually though, that week had passed all too quickly, and it was time for the games to actually begin. As she was put in the tube-like elevator, she felt her heart racing a mile a minute, as before long all the tributes were in the setting of the Hunger games. Looking around, Lillian gulped, seeing them all in one big circle. In the center, where you had to swim too, there was a patch of land, where supplies and everything were for Tributes to fight in a bloodbath for. As Haymitch advised, Lilly would be staying away from it. Plus, she didn't know how to swim. So she was pleased to see they weren't entirely surrounded by water, but the only other way out was a muddle slope, which looked dangerously painful. With each number that echoed with the countdown, Lillian's heart picked up pace, and before long, it had started, and everyone was in a mad dash - or swim, Lillian, glancing around for Gale, before she turned and headed down the slope.


~


Over the course of the past week Finnick played his usual game he did the last time, trying to win the hearts of all of Panem to swing in his favor and want to sponsor him, through whatever it was, the events, interviews, pictures, he played his usual act of the charming, flirtatious rich lover boy that everyone loved to see in him. He was really getting sick of this act. And especially because of how last time in the games, even when he went back home people still expected that out of him because he was now the face of District 4 as the most recent victor. He hated it, honestly, at this point.


Throughout the week he had also spent a lot of time helping River with her training. He'd helped her in....well, almost everything. Aside from a few survival techniques she knew - which she was honestly quite good at and admired, since it definitely would be helpful, he also helped her in learning how to use some weapons. He particularly focused on the basic ones that they would either find, or be able to make out of the resources, since that made the most sense rather than training her on really weird complex weapons. And by the end of the week, he was proud to say that she had become relatively good at it, certainly enough to hopefully at least protect herself against a weaker opponent.


Finally the day had arrived, and there was no more time for any more training or preparing, either physical or mental. As he was in the shoot that brought him up to the unknown landscape, he looked around to see a very wet, marshy forest along with water everywhere. He instantly smirked, this would be good. Even River was familiar with water landscape so they at least wouldn't be at a disadvantage here. He previously discussed with River how he would go to the circle to grab supplies for them, since he thought he'd be strong enough to get something without getting killed, and for her to go hide and wait for him. When the countdown ended, he watched which direction River headed in, before he dove into the water and towards the small patch of land to grab the nearest supplies.

 

[Soleil]

River felt her world enclose as she entered the small tube. She didn't know what was going to happen, or where the tube was headed. This was it, this was finally the moment she had been dreading for the past two weeks; actually more like her entire life. She could feel herself panicing, she swallowed each breath desperate for the next. 


She felt the floor move, slowly start raising up. She could see the sun peeking through the top of the cylinder, blinding her slightly. She cupped her eyes with one hand looking up, hoping to see anything of the arena. She hoped it was something she could handle and work with. 


The sun completely blinding her as she appeared above the tube. She frantically searched for Finnick as soon as her eyes were adjusted. She was surround by water, everywhere she looked was water. She didn't know whether to panic or be slightly glad that it was water next to her. If there was anything she could do it was swim.


As the timer appeared and started counting down, she started taking slow deep breaths. She glanced one last time looking for Finnick, she prayed he could see her. Striking 1, she leaped from her spot on the rock barrier into the ice cold water.

---
​

Gale felt sick as the tiny tube started to rise. He didn't know what to except, he didn't know how long he had left. He pushed lightly on the walls of the tube, testing the strength of the material. It seemed the only way out was up.


Every hunger games arena was different. Last year's had been in a dense wooded forest; he silently prayed for something similar this year. Gale felt most at home in the forrest, he spent most of his days surrounded by the tall oak trees. Unfortunately there was the chance that the area could be completely open; a few years ago there was one where it was completely covered in dessert. No where to run, no where to hide just all open space.


Coming over the top, he covered his eyes quickly averting them down. He managed to readjust himself before looking up again. That's when he saw it, water. He was surrounded by water, except for the tiny pathway headed to the island full of weapons  and supplies. Haymich told them to avoid the middle, that that's where almost half of the killing can happen. How was he suppose to avoid it when he couldn't even swim? 


He searched, finally his eyes landing on Lilly. He watched her while the clock counted down. He had to make sure to follow in her direction. 

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As the clock counted down and sounded off, Lillian thought she was going to pass out. When it sounded, it took her a split second to gain her senses, glancing around most of the tributes were either running or swimming to the center. Suddenly, her senses snapped in as she quickly looked around, finding where gale was to be sure she didn't lose sight of him. Regardless of if he would end up turning on her in the end to be the victor, the last thing she wanted right now was to be alone. And she at least trusted Gale enough to know he wouldn't kill her right away - right now, they only had each other to rely on. Finding him, she turned and started running on the thin path above the water that lead to the forest.


It partially scared her, on multiple levels, since one, one wrong step and she could fall into the water, but also, the way the paths were designed, as that, paths, and not full land, she and Gale were already separated to begin with, and would have to find each other in the dense rain-forest. She only hoped he had the same idea as her, and would head in the same direction as the other where they each entered the forest.


She wasn't a good swimmer, actually not a swimmer at all, but she was a very fast runner. She tried to pace herself, as to not entirely run out of stamina so fast, but she was sure to go as fast as she could without over exerting herself. She soon hit the rain-forest, instantly shrouded by the trees. She looked back in the direction she came, back at the circle, where even from this distance she could hear the screaming and the bloodbath begin. Moments later, the haunting sound signaling a death already rang out. 


Gulping, she quickly headed in the direction she saw Gale's path enter the forest, running quickly, hoping to meet up with him and head off further into the forest before anyone got to either of them. She ended running right into him, gasping and crying out in both surprise and fear, before relaxing "Oh Gale, thank goodness" she breathed heavily once realizing it was him "lets head deeper in, yeah?" she suggested, before they decided on a momentary plan and carried through with it.

 

[Soleil]

As the clock timed out, Gale leaped from his spot and onto the pathway headed for the woods. He had lost sight of Lilly and hoped she saw the direction he was headed. Even though they were enemies, he still found comfort in the fact that they could almost rely on each other. He hoped she'd make it out of there safely. 


Coming up towards the treeline, he found shelter in the tall looming jungle before him. Thankfully there'd be enough coverage for them to get away. He made sure not to go too far in, before turning around. He couldn't see Lilly at all, in fact he didn't see anyone. He could hear the loud cries coming from the tiny island, horrifying making him feel sick all over again. 


He was about to head back towards the beach when he heard a noise, someone running through the bushes. He ducked down waiting, hopefully they'd move on. About to make a dash farther into the jungle, he saw a ruffle of red hair cutting through the forrest. He almost yelled out to her, but knew it'd be too much of a risk. With that, he ran towards her.

---
​

River swam through the salty water, almost choking her as she went. She didn't stop, she kept swimming until she reached the start of the beach. The sand clung to her, and she gasped for breath swallowing each desperately. She didn't know where Finnick was, she hadn't seen him since this morning. She could only hope he'd find her.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Finnick stood atop his small patch of ground that surrounded him. He was entirely surrounded by water, and looking around at the other tributes, he noticed their surrounding landscape slightly differed, and Finnick smirked. Having been in the games before, he knew how it worked. Seeing the lower districts that likely never had interaction with water, he noticed they had an option out from the circle that didn't include only swimming.


Focusing his eyes back over to River as the countdown got lower, he kept his eyes on her when the number hit 1, and everyone went bolting in their own directions. He watched for where River headed, before he dove into the water swimming quickly to the Circle. He was one of the first to get there, and his eyes grabbed the bag he spotted from afar that he wanted. Again, having played the games before, he could kind of guess with a good chance of getting it right, just what might be in the backs. He grabbed the satchel and the weapon beside it, a trident, which was his particular preference. Blocking an oncoming attack, he currently wasn't focused on killing anyone. He didn't want to get in the middle of a battle with a bunch of new scared and adrenaline-filled tributes. He attacked and blocked those that aimed for him, though it wasn't many, since most were probably too scared to fight him since he'd won before. WIth that, and the others distracted fighting each other, Finnick swung the bag over his shoulder and dove into the water, swimming over quickly to the beach where he saw River heading to.


The beach was a bit further than any other mass of land surrounding the circle, so, while it would be tiring at first, Finnick had to give it to River for being smart. THey were likely the best swimmers, meaning only other good swimmers could chase after them right away. And likely they wouldn't even, since it was the furthest, and it would be quicker and easier to get to any other land. Reaching the beach, Finnick rose to his feet once hitting the sandy shore, hoping River hadn't gone too far. He was pretty quick with getting the bag and trident, so he hoped he really couldn't have been too far behind her as he walked further, looking for River.


As she ran through the brush of the rain-forest, Lillian looked around for Gale. It was hard to hold back the urge to call out his name, since really she just wanted to find him as soon as possible, but she knew it wouldn't be wise, and she didn't want to risk having someone other than Gale come looking for her. Thankfully, it didn't take too much longer before she ran into the said male she was looking for. Quite literally, actually. With a surprised grunt and gasp as she collided into Gale's chest, she quickly stepped back from the object, sighing heavily in relief when she realized it was him.


"Thank goodness, it's just you" she breathed shakily, standing there for a moment to just catch her breath, though during that time, the sounding dong of another dead body resounded through the air, sending a chill down Lilly's spine "Lets go...hopefully there's better cover deeper in" she suggested, before heading deeper into the rain-forest with Gale. As they did so, she was sure to keep an eye out for anything useful, nothing heavy though.


Neither of them had weapons - not that Lilly wanted to hurt anyone, but more so protect herself. They also didn't have food, medical supplies, or really, anything but the clothes they wore. It was a risk that they took by staying away from the circle. She didn't regret it though, since as she heard the dong of the signaling deaths ring out frequently, with the games having only just started minutes ago, she knew it was coming from that center. circle.

 

[Soleil]

River had to thank her district for her swimming, today it's what saved her from being followed. Although tomorrow was a different story. The different tributes, the ones who survived the beginning, would eventually catch up to her. She wasn't too afraid of being sought out, most tributes over looked her anyways. 


She worried about Finnick, after hearing the canons she wondered if any were for him. She knew it was his decision going into the middle, but she wondered if his death was worth the risk. Shaking the thought from her mind, she couldn't think about that. She made sure to keep a safe distance from Finnick the entire two weeks. There was no use in getting attached to someone; but she had to admit, some company would be nice.


Walking through the treeline, she could feel the heat of the jungle. The air was humid, and her outfit was almost dry. Sweat clung to her and she pushed large leaves out of her way, making sure to tread quietly. 


She heard footsteps approaching, and she instinctively quicken her pace. She didn't know who it was, but she wasn't sticking around to find out.

---
​

Gale knew their plan was a risk, but each canon brought him closer and closer to knowing it was the right choice. After running into Lilly, he nodded his head back motioning her to keep going. They had been walking through the hot humid air for some time now, sweat beginning to drip down his face. "At least its not cold." He gave a half hearted smile. He knew the heat was welcomed. If they had been surrounded by snow, they'd be dead before too long. 


With no supplies, he decided the best course of action was to make some. Even homemade tools were better than no tools; even homemade weapons.  


Crunching of leaves haulted him in his tracks. He looked around for the direction of the sound, as he grabbed Lilly's hand pulling her under and abandoned tree that had fallen. Dirt caked into his knees as he crouched out of sight; he put a finger to his lips indicating to keep silent. 


He could barely see, only enough to see tributes from districts 1 and 2 emerging from the undergrowth. They must have teamed up. He thought to himself. They weren't making an effort to quickly get to safety which means they probably had more friends close by. Have to watch our backs. 

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As they headed further into the thick rain-forest, Lilly kept an eye out all around them. It was hard to distinguish where one try ended and another started, or where the ground met the bushes - everything was covered in green and brown foliage, thick brush covering pathways. She thought it was good that they stayed walking, one, to conserve their energy, and two, it would be easier and quicker to hear someone approaching than if they were running.


At Gale's slight jest to the temperature, she let out a small, breathy laugh, though it was still filled with anxiety "Yeah....I guess" she said with a small smile before looking back ahead. She was trying to keep an eye out for animals too, since she knew their only attackers weren't tributes. And especially in a landscape like this, there could be dangerous animals hiding anywhere, be it snakes, boars, or what be it.


As they were walking, Gale heard the approaching footsteps before she did. When he grabbed her hand though, she knew it wasn't to comfort, and there was reason to it. It caught her attention when he grabbed her hand, and that's when she noticed the sound of footsteps not too far. Following Gale's lead, she quickly ducked under the large fallen tree. It was entirely uprooted, and was caught from being fulling flat on the ground by other trees catching it, leaving a few feet of space beneath it. It was like it had been there for a while too, leaves and vines hanging off the side to add cover to them where they hid. There wasn't a whole lot of space, but there was enough. Peaking through the vines, she could see the tributes in the distance. They seemed friendly, and joking. They were joking about who they wanted to kill first. They way they spoke so nonchalantly about it made Lilly sick to her stomach, but she held herself together.


As Finnick made it to the beach, he walked further so he soon was off of it and into the foliage. The beach really wasn't all that big, and it wasn't long until he was thick into the forest. Looking around, Finnick tried to think where River would have gone. It was so hard to see a damn thing too far ahead in this forest. And while it had a lot og hiding spots, that was good and bad. Good, to be able to hide. But also bad, because it could leave so many options for sneak attacks and ambushes from other tributes.


Adjusting the bag over his shoulder, he moved to duck under a tree to at least see what he'd gotten. Some medical supplies, flint, and a dagger. Well, it wasn't much, but the dagger would be better than nothing for River to hold on to. The medical supplies would be very useful, though the flint, not so much. Creating a fire, especially in such a dense forest, could be disastrous, not only causing a forest fire, but also attracting attention from other tributes and giving off their location. But maybe they could use it as a lure....if need be.


Shoving everything back in the bag and swinging it over his shoulder, he continued his search for River, while also being ware of any other noise. He heard soft footsteps nearby, and paused. He crouched, to keep out of easy sight, and looked for where it was coming from. It was one thing moving. An animal? Or a single tribute. Searching a bit more carefully, he recognized River not to far and hurried over to her "River, its just me" he called, not too loudly though, when she had quickened her pace.

 

[Soleil]

Branch after branched smacked River in the face as she continued through the underbrush.  She kept up her pace until she heard the footsteps quicken behind her; they were catching up. Her heart rate sped up, yeah she was panicking. She tripped slightly, almost the entire ground was covered by roots sticking up out of the ground. She was getting further away from the beach, farther in the jungle; she was lost. 


She heard a familiar voice ring out through the brush, stopping her in tracks. She saw her fellow blond haired tribute walking up closely behind her. She released a long sigh, a breath she didn't realized she was holding. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" She hissed, grasping her hand to her heart. 


She raised an eyebrow at the trident he was carrying. He definitely knew how to make a presentation, she'd give him that. "What the hell is that thing?" She smirked at him. How was he possibly going to run around with that thing? 


She started back on her path, going further into the underbrush. She waited for his answer, with a smile plastered on her face. That trident was probably the best thing she had seen today. 

---
​

Gale held his breath as he watched the two tributes continue, leaving Gale and Lilly alone again. "That was close." He whisper from his spot crouched on the ground. Too close. He pushed the vines hanging down away from his face. His muscles ached as he kept his position, he could almost feel his bones scraping together.


It had been a most 20 minutes of hiding, making sure they were truly alone. He could hear the small snapping of branches nearby, knowing it wasn't loud enough to be a person. He knew it was a sign that no one else was coming. Pulling open the vines once again he slowly stretched his body, crawling out from the fallen tree. 


He reached down extending one hand to help Lilly out from behind him. "I think they're gone, but we should get going." He nodded towards the opposite direction, away from the other tributes. He sure as hell didn't want to run into a pack of them somewhere. 

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As he finally caught up to River, Gale couldn't help but chuckle a bit, shaking his head at her expression "Oh relax, I told you I'd be right behind you. What? Did you actually think I'd let myself get killed at the circle?" he joked lightly. Sure he sounded ridiculously cocky and arrogant, but most of it was him just trying to lighten the mood and act normal, to try and get her to relax.


He could see how scared she was, not that he blamed her, and so he was trying to lighten the atmosphere a bit with a smile "We're probably the best swimmers here. And even if the higher districts know how to swim, they likely wouldn't take not only the furthest path into hiding, but also the longer swim to the beach from where we all started. So it probably should save us some time to relax for a bit, to get our bearings and figure a plan out with this terrain" he said as he started to follow along beside her further into the woods.


He smirked as she was joking about his weapon, and he shrugged his shoulders "It was the same weapon I had first game in. I figured it did me well then, so I'd stick with it. Plus, if there's more water around, it's useful in hunting for food too" he said as he followed along beside her, keeping an eye and ear out for anyone who might find them. But as he suspected, it seemed they were a lot further than everyone else since it didn't seem anyone else had gone in the direction of the beach just yet.



"Oh, that reminds me" he said, fishing in the bag and handing her the dagger "It's not much, but it's better than nothing. Just don't go trying to kill me with it, okay?" he joked as he pushed away large vines and branches as they made their own path through the forest.


As she crouched beneath the tree with Gale, she tried to as quietly as possible shift slightly, her hands going numb after a while as she was dying to get out of this position and stretch her muscles. But she knew they needed to be positive that the other tributes were gone, at least enough for them to get some distance between them. She'd rather be in pain like this than face tributes just yet. Not only was she not ready - nor did she think she ever would be - but neither her or Gale had anything but their hands to fight with. And they didn't know how many other tributes had weapons or not.


Eventually, the coast seemed clear enough and she crawled out from under the tree, gratefully taking Gale's hand as she stood up, wincing as she cracked a few muscles in her back and hands "Yeah, too close I'd say" she said with a slight breath of relief, before nodding her head in agreement with his idea of putting some distance between them and heading in another direction.


As they walked, she heard another canon go off, signaling another tribute down. Frowning to herself, she had already lost count "Say, how many do you think that makes that already?" she asked. Guessing, she'd say it was at least five from what she could remember. She supposed she could at least be happy she wasn't the first to go. Right?

 

[Soleil]

She stared down at his open hand offering a small sleek blade. She touched it lightly with the tips of her fingers first, eyeing it carefully. She was unskilled in every way with the tiny weapon, but at least it'd provide her some comfort. She clutched it closely to her, glad to have some sort of weapon to protect her. 


"Thank you." She said shortly, she half expected Finnick to keep everything for himself, even in the games he let his arrogance run through. She was grateful, it was probably more than some had. She remembered most of the tributes running off into the woods, without any supplies. However she knew the others must be well equipped, the ones who survived the middle bloodbath. 


She shuddered at the thought of the screams she heard as she was swimming. Thankfully Finnick wasn't apart of the canons that rang through the sky. She knew he was trained and already experienced with the games, she decided to let him take the lead. "So what first? Shelter or should we keep going?" She knew he reassured her when mentioned they'd be safe for awhile, but the feeling of dread crept in the back of her mind. She definitely preferred the flight circumstance over the fight. If they got far enough away, hopefully their only enemy would be the wildlife. 

---
​

Gale jumped slightly at the sound ringing up from the sky. He glanced up at the direction the canon fire was coming from. He knew they were in some sort of giant arena, but the sky above looked almost real. A soft wind rolled over him, cooling his damp face. He couldn't believe the humidity that was in here, he almost wanted to cut the sleeves off his suit; but he knew that could be dangerous. At night, it could be freezing and he didn't know how the game maker decided to add a twist in the game; because they always did.


He hoped Haymich was out busy getting them sponsors because at the rate they were going, they wouldn't make it a week. Even if they didn't run into another tribute, it'd be hard without tools or supplies. Turning his attention back on Lilly he replied, "Yeah more or less. I think the canons will be farther apart from now on." Then first day was always the worst, and if they could get through that they'd have a better chance at surviving. Everytime that canon rang out it was another step closer to going home.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Hearing her thanks he smiled a bit and just nodded her head "I told you, I want to help you. At least for as long as I can, anyways" he said with a sigh before realizing how that might sound, like he was ready to kill her when needed. "I don't plan on killing you, by the way" he said looking to her to show how genuine his words were, and he meant them. He knew she was probably thinking something along those lines "I really would like to avoid killing someone from my own District. Plus....you seem like a really nice chick" he said with a small shrug of his shoulders, smiling over to her "Makes me kinda wish I talked to you before all this, and not because our lives were on the line" he said.


As they continued walking, he thought about her question "We should probably focus on gathering supplies, including food, while we don't have to worry about fighting off or running from other tributes. Even though the human body can last several days without food, that doesn't mean we should. We'll both be good as dead if we don't have the energy to run or fight when we need it" he commented as he looked up at the sky, though it was hard to see it through the trees "I'd say in about an hour or two we can start worrying about setting up camp for the night."


Finnick hoped he didn't sound to demanding and ordering to her. Granted, she had asked. But while he was the one with the experience, he did want her input to. As arrogant as he could be sometimes, he recognized a fresh pair of eyes could really be useful, especially if his confident mind overlooked something because he was assuming safety since he'd gone through this before, acting as though it would be the same as last time.


As he seemed to agree with her with the amount of tributes gone already, Lilly sighed a bit "I hope so...although at the same time it means this will go on for even longer" she mumbled as she wiped the back of her hand across her forehead where a thin layer of sweat was. The humidity she could really do without. It wasn't that she couldn't handle being dirty, but it was so exhausting already and they'd hardly done anything.


"Maybe we should try and find some fresh water....this humidity is going to kill us before any tribute if we don't stay hydrated" she commented as she looked around for signs of any sort of stream or water. This was a rain-forest, right? So there was likely some fresh water running through it somewhere. Hopefully it wouldn't be too far from them, she could only hope.


With every step Lillian was afraid they would run into more tributes. Every step could be a step away from tributes, yet at the same time closer to others. Just thinking about it terrified her. Plus the fact it was near impossible to keep track of where they were even going, and what direction they'd come from. Everything looked the same in the thick forest, and was impossible to tell which direction from the other.

 

[Soleil]

As long as I can. The words rang through her mind, echoing slightly. She knew he was right. He could only help as long as he could, then they'd be enemies.  She couldn't fully trust the tribute standing next to her. She eyed him skeptically, and wondered when he'd feel the need to turn on her. When she slept? When she began to trust him? I don't think so.


She had to think of a plan, she couldn't let Finnick get the better of her. Even if he wasn't on planning on killing her, she was sure to be sought out now that Finnick was around. He was the popular one right? All she needed to do was set out on her own, possibly even help gather supplies and tools than head off when he fell asleep. 


She glanced in his direction as he brought together a plan for the night ahead. "Okay well, we could search for water. Fresh water, and there's bound to be animals nearby who would need it." She suggested. If they had a couple of hours before dark, they better find it soon. The air only seemed to get hotter, it was wearing her out and she knew she wouldn't make it far without water.

---
​

Gale nodded at her suggestion. It was very clever, they would need water if they wanted to keep their stamina up.  The weight of the air pushed him down as they trudged along. They'd have to save their energy if they wanted to keep moving and not fall behind. "We'll have to be careful around fresh water, most tributes will be on the look out for it." 


Being from his district there was a broken part of the fence he use to go through. Thankfully the capital wasn't too concerned with the upkeep of 12 to fix it. It was his family's only source of food through the winter. It made him good at tracking, and he found the more animals around, the more likely there'd be a source of water nearby. 


He couldn't shake the thought that they should be wary around a large source of water. "Well the water back at the beginning was salt, so there's no point in heading back."

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Finnick sighed a bit with a roll of his eyes "I knew you would take that the wrong way" he mumbled as he hooked the trident over his shoulder so it was strapped to his back "I'm starting to wonder if you know how to smile" he questioned, glancing to her with a slight smirk. He wasn't trying to insult her, more so just jesting to try and lighten the mood, and, maybe get her to smile. Although, he knew he couldn't quite blame her for feeling so uncomfortable and unhappy in such a situation that they were in.


As they started to make up a plan for the night and how they would use every time they could to be useful and not waste it, he nodded his head at her suggestion of finding water "That's a good idea. We'll have to be careful since, in this humidity, I'm sure everyone's trying to find water they can drink. And We'll also have to make sure we make camp somewhere further from any water source, so there's less chance of getting bitten by who knows what kind of bugs, not to mention other animals" he commented as they set out a plan.


As they continued walking for a while the heat and humidity was really starting to get to Finnick, sighing heavily as he slicked his hair back as sweat dripped down his face, his hair slicking back with his own sweat. Thankfully, it wasn't much longer until he heard the sound of a running stream "Be really careful, others could already be here" he spoke a bit more quietly as he grabbed his weapon at the ready, just in case, as he headed in the direction of the water source.


At his warning of being careful for other tributes flocking to water, she nodded her head in agreement. She knew that was a very real possibility. "That's true. At the same time we really can't go without it" she said with a sigh. The fact they'd already had a near encounter with some tributes already scared her, and worried they'd run into more soon. How big was this space they were all in anyways? She knew that it wasn't real, per say, and that it was like one large enclosed arena of death. So no one could keep walking straight forever.


"Maybe...we should try and make some sort of weapons for ourselves, just in case? That way we at least have something..." she suggested. She knew that she sure as hell wouldn't win in a physical fist fight - she had absolutely no strength. Maybe they could make some daggers or sharp weapons of sorts out of the branches? She had practiced on the station where they could train before the games, on what kinds of tools and things that could be made out of natural resources. Some things were hard to make though, of course.


The longer they walked, the more exhausted Lillian became. Her whole body felt covered in sweat, and her red hair stuck to the sides of her face, while she tried brushing the strands out of her face. She had a hair tie that held her long red hair up in a high pony tail, but her bangs and other stray pieces still stuck to her skin from the thin layer of sweat.

 

[Soleil]

River smirked at his comment, of course she knew how to smile; but seriously how could she when death surrounded her. She had to admit she needed Finnick's optimistic attitude, it distracted her from the hell all around her.


She spent some of the time walking braiding up her hair. The ends were slicked back, sticking to her weighing her down. It would definitely be convenient, and also helped past some time while they searched for a source of water. She hoped the other tributes weren't lucky enough to find it before they had, with Finnick's trident they could at least hold they're own against a solo tribute; unless however there were more than one.


Hearing the slow stream of water, she gave a soft gasp. Her mouth was dry, and sweat beaded down her skin - the thought of water was heaven. Before she could head to the sound, Finnick's words halted her in her step. He was right, there's no telling who was around.  She followed his lead - he was the one who had the large weapon anyways.


"Do you see anything?" 

---
​

Gale watched Lilly out of the corner of his eye, as they continued through the jungle. Her posture matched his as he felt slumped and his feet dragging. They had been walking for some time with no sign of fresh water. He couldn't be sure if that was good or bad. Good because that meant they probably weren't near any other tributes. Most of them would probably spend the day trying to put together shelter and supplies. Bad because he felt the weight of the air pushing him down. 


His throat dry, and his body slick with sweat he continued on. "Okay, what should we make first?" Weapons sounds dedicated like a good plan. They could probably craft something while they continued their search. Maybe he could find something to make into a spear of some sort. 


 As he continued walking he kept his eye open for anything he could use, possibly a sharp rock could be fashioned into something. They needed to be thinking about setting up a camp, the sun had past its high point in the sky, he knew they had only a matter of time before nightfall.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

He was at least pleased to see some sort of response out of her to his joking. Even if it wasn't a smile, at least it wasn't like she was ignoring him. As they walked it had probably been about a half hour when they had come across the sound of a stream. As much as his body just wanted to rush forward, dive into the cold refreshing water, and drink it, the smarter part of him knew to be wary and careful, checking their surroundings before approaching the water.


As they slowly neared closer to it, Finnick had put a hand out to River, halting her and warning her they needed to be careful. Thankfully, she didn't seem to argue, as he peered through the bushes and treeline towards the water, where he could see the small stream rushing through. He didn't hear anyone. But that didn't comfort him just yet. Looking around, he couldn't see anyone, and it didn't appear as though anyone had even approached it, meaning there likely wasn't someone hiding nearby waiting for a tribute, or more.


"No...let me go out first. That way, if there is an attack, they won't see you're with me" he said as he grasped his trident and pushed past the bushes into the slight clearing where the stream was. He walked up to the stream, keeping an ear out for any sudden movements. Silence, other than the natural sounds around them. Relaxing a bit, he smiled and turned to where River was, waving for her to come on over and signaling it seemed to be clear enough. With that, he knelt down before the stream, cupping his hands into the cold water and instantly drinking some, before then splashing some over his face and sighing with relief it brought.


As he questioned what they should make first, she thought "Well, a spear is the easiest...we just need something to make it with..." she said, not really knowing what they could use other than a rock. "We need some rocks....branches and twigs wont be hard. Maybe some vines would help too" she said, remembering one tool she learned.


As they walked she kept an eye out, and found some rocks "See if you can get a good looking branch to use. I can use this rocks to make a spear like head out of them..." she said. And then vines, to attach what would hopefully be a sharp rock to a firm branch. As Gale did that with the branch, she found two decently sized rocks. One was already a little sharp. And by using the other rock, she smashed them together strategically to create a sharper, pointed and jagged rock "Well....it'll do for now..." she muttered, figuring it was better than nothing. Vines weren't hard to find either, and once snapping them off, she twined them around the rock and stick Gale had gotten, created a hopefully efficient spear.


Although, her hands hurt and were a bit scratched from smashing the rocks together. No major cuts or bleeding, just some scratches that weren't anything to worry about, other than a little discomfort in her hands. She let gale hold on to it, figuring not only did he have more muscle than her, but he could probably use it better than her. She would in the meantime keep an eye out for other things they could use. While also still desperately looking for some fresh water.

 

[Soleil]

River hid in the bushes, watching as Finnick tested out the water. She agreed quickly to his plan, letting him go out alone. If anyone tried to attack him, she could easily slip away going undetected. 


After getting a reassuring wave she leaped from her hiding spot and towards the water. She felt giddy as she dove her hands into the cold water, letting it cool off her body. She had never been so happy to see water in her entire life. She cupped her hands bring it up to her face. Her knees were caked with mud, but she could only smile as she splashed the water to her face. 


"I can't believe how happy I'd be to see water again." She gasps after swallowing another handfull. The air stung her lungs as she had to catch her breath. 

---
​

Gale searched the area for anything that would work. He gather a couple different types of branches that he thought were sturdy enough. Fully satisfied with the options he tracked his way back over to Lilly. She had found a couple of rocks, and it looked like she tried sharpening one by the scrapes on her hands. "Are you okay?" They weren't very big, but he asked anyways. He reached out grabbing her wrists gently in his. He rubbed his thumb over the tiny scratch knocking the dirt, cleaning it a little. 


"Here, I found a couple different options." He held up the different branch ideas, offering one out to her. He watched as she crafted a spear out of vines she snapped. He held out his hand as she handed the homemade weapon to him. He knew he'd be the best one to handle the spear, even though it was homemade with enough muscle behind it, it could do some damage. 


"Well, at least we this."  He held it out in front of him. "We should get going, it'll be dark soon." 

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Once giving River the okay to come out to the clearing and get some water, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit at her reaction, watching her take in the water eagerly, he smiled a bit at the clearly happy expression on her face. "Wow" he said smirking "So you can smile" he teased, joking as he cupped his hands back into the water and bringing it to his face to drink some more.


As great as this water was, he knew they couldn't stay by it for long "hey" he suddenly said, an idea popping into his head. "We shouldn't sleep near here. But we'll definitely need water again. I saw some bamboo not far back. Give me your dagger so I can go cut it down?" he suggested. "My weapon isn't really good for cutting. I don't know if you know about bamboo, but the way it is formed, depending on the type, it's hollow inside, with natural notches inside. Hopefully, if it's the right type of bamboo we can carry some water in it" he said as he finished refreshing himself with the current supply of the stream. Even if it couldn't hold a whole lot, it would be great to have some if they really needed it before they were able to find the next fresh water source.


He hoped she'd give up the dagger for a bit, so he could use it to grab some bamboo to carry water. He knew it probably made her feel safer, and that she didn't seem to trust him one hundred percent "If it makes you feel better, I'll leave my trident here with you. That way you have a weapon and you know I'll come back" he said with a reassuring smile.


As Gale had come back just about when she had finished sharpening the rock, she smiled a bit seeing the branches he got looked pretty strong and sturdy "Those are good" she said, though, then again, in a forest it really couldn't be hard to find branches, and strong ones as such. As she stood up with the now sharp, spear tipped rock that was certainly sharp enough, she was surprised when he took notice of the small scratches on her hands, asking her if she was okay.


Looking at her hands in his as he looked to the cuts, she just smiled a bit "It's really nothing. It was worth it, anyways" she said, holding up the pointed, jagged rock to show him. she then took the branch that looked like it would work the best and using the thin but strong vines, attached the sharp rock to create a handmade weapon, a spear. Even if it probably wasn't that great due to some weapons that some tributes got from the center, like actual metal blades and such, it was better than nothing.


At his mention of it getting dark soon, she nodded her head in agreement about moving on "Because of all the trees it'll be darker sooner too. We should still try and find water, but also think about where to rest for the night. We should get some sort of shelter over our heads at least, since, being a rainforest, it can start raining at any time really."

 

[Soleil]

River rolled her eyes at his teasing. She brought one last cup full to her mouth before sitting back on her heels. She wiped the corner of her mouth with her sleeve, sighing. She felt so much better after that and was ready to get back to work.


She glanced over to him as she listen to him explain bamboo. She didn't know much about it, seeing that they didn't have any back at 4; but having a way to carry around water would be a great idea. What if they ran into trouble and couldn't come back here? Maybe they could fashioned some sort of bucket or jug. 


She eyed his outstretched hand as he suggested to take her dagger. She was wary of handing over her only weapon, but when he suggested to take the trident she readily agreed. She grabbed his trident holding it close to her while Finnick went to get some bamboo. She hoped he wasn't gone long. She clutched the trident closer as she heard a rustling in the bushes. "Finnick?" She hissed out lowly. She didn't want to risk being too loud. Maybe it was just an animal.

---
​

Gale glanced at the sky overhead, he didn't see many clouds in the sky but that didn't mean it wouldn't start anytime soon. They'd had to keep an eye out for it. "Yeah, doesn't it rain more frequently in the rainforest usually?" He started to worry. A little rain was harmless, a lot of rain could kill you - and it would be just what the game makers would try to pull off. 


"Don't some vines hold water? If we could find the right ones-" He trailed off, he didn't know how they were going to tell the difference between vines. He grasped a nearby vine hanging down, no too small. 


"And as for shelter should we try for higher ground or somewhere hidden?" There were upsides to both and he honestly wanted Lillys opinion. A distinct smelled crossed his nose, making him pause. It was smoke, and as he turned his head towards it he could see the dark clouds floating up into the air. Mistake. He thought to himself. "C'mon let's go this way." He pointed in the opposite direction.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

He noticed how she didn't seem to sure about giving up the dagger, but when he suggested trading their weapons momentarily, he smiled. He wasn't worried that she would run off with his weapon. He didn't think she really knew how to use it well in a fight, let alone carry it for that far. Swapping the items with her, he stood back up "I'll be right back, I don't think it was too far" he said as he stood and headed back through the bushes and trees in the direction he remembered seeing the bamboo. It was probably no more than fifty yardsticks away, and he soon came across a lot of it. It was a little difficult to chop some down with the dagger, but it was easier than if he were to try using the trident, he knew that. Eventually, after about fifteen minutes he cut down some sections of bamboo, deciding to bring a couple to make sure they had at least one that would work, since it was possible some might have holes he couldn't see. It was starting to get darker now, and he knew they'd have to hurry. He rustled through the bushes, hearing River calling out to him.


"Yeah, just me" he said as he pushed back through them, walking back over to her "Hopefully one or two of these will work" he said as he handed her back the dagger while taking his trident back and putting it back strapped against his back. Filling the sticks of bamboo with water, he realized some did have holes, as he expected. But two of them worked, and he supposed that was enough, since it'd be harder to carry much more than that. Filling them up, he handed one to River "We're probably going to get thirsty a lot. But only save it for emergencies" he warned before standing back up.


"Come on, we should get away from here and find a spot to set up to rest for the night" he suggested, holding a hand out to her to help her up, before the both of them were soon back into the thicker depths of the forest, and moving away from water source they had found.


At his suggestion of the vines, she nodded her head "That's right, I had completely forgotten some can" she said, trying to remember what kinds could hold them. Probably the thicker ones? She really didn't know "I don't think the kind I used for the spear would work....do you remember what they look like?" she said, since she was sure there could be a bunch of different types of vines in this rainforest. It was just a matter of finding the right one. Which hopefully they would. That, or they would at least find some other way to hold water.


Thinking about his question of where to go for shelter, she considered their options "Well, ideally both would be great. Because I don't know about you, but I definitely don't know how to swim. So higher ground would be better. But at the same time I feel like some of the other tributes might try and use the first night to find others, while they still have the energy" she mumbled, weighing the ups and downs.


As they were discussing what to do next and where to go for shelter, Lilly smelled it too. Smoke. A fire. Looking behind them, she sat the trail of smoke, actually, really not quite far from them at all, signaling tributes. It wasn't a lot of smoke, meaning it wasn't a forest fire or anything like that, it seemed controlled. What scared her more than realizing how close other tributes were to them was the fact that smoke would attract most likely unwanted attention to whomever created the fire. Attention that would be headed in the same direction they were right now. So when Gale suggested they move in another direction, she nodded her head, quickly agreeing.


As they were trying to distance themselves from whoever created the fire, Lilly was honestly more afraid of who would be heading in their direction. Anyone who approached the fire would obviously be confident in their skills. As they were walking, suddenly the sound of wind being cut flew just past her ear, and in the next instant, an arrow had penetrated the ground not far in front of them.


He heart nearly stopped, realizing how close that had been to hitting her. But more than that, her brain kicked into autopilot "Shit, run!" she quickly said to Gale, knowing that the arrow didn't just randomly fall from the sky. Someone had aimed it, and right at them. She ran with Gale in the direction opposite to which the arrow had come from, grabbing the arrow that had struck the ground while running past it. Even if it was no use to her, she didn't want to leave an extra arrow behind for whoever was shooting them to pick it back up.

 

[Soleil]

River breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Finnick's voice through the underbrush. She relaxed a little as she unclenched the trident for it to rest against the ground - letting her heart rate slow. She hadn't realized she had been holding onto the trident for support, her fingers ached as they had dug into her arms. 


Stretching her arms out a little, she held out the ridiculous weapon to Finnick. Did he actually except her to defend herself with something almost as long as her? She didn't have much faith in herself. She preferred the dagger much better and was glad to have it back in her hands. The weight was right as she balanced it in her hand. 


She watched as Finnick filled two bamboo pipes with water - it wasn't much but it would have to last them. With his comment, she looked up at the sky, the sun was beginning to set - they probably had an hour before dark and that's if the trees don't play some part into it. "Should we find cover or go for up in a tree?"  She looked to him, she knew either there wouldn't be any chance for a fire. Hopefully it stayed warm through out the night.


River flinched as she heard another canon ring throughout the sky.

---
​

Gale heard the sound before seeing the arrow fly pass him almost hitting Lilly. He watched her expression across her face before hearing her words yelling to run. Making sure she was closely behind him, he stared off in a direction that wasn't near the fire or the flying arrows. He didn't know if the tribute would follow, or contiune on towards the fire hoping for an easier target. He very much hoped for the latter. 


He dove through the bushes, trying to move them out of the way so Lilly could keep up. The spear worked as an excellent barrier, knocking the leaves out of the way - but not enough to cut them as to make a path that the tribute might could follow. Mud clung to his boots as he ran, avoiding the above ground roots scattered across the jungle floor.  


"Keep moving!" He yelled back at Lilly, he knew she was a fast runner and hoped she was keeping up. He could hear close footsteps behind him, and he silently prayed they were hers. He couldn't believe how close they had been to another tribute, Lilly almost getting injured by one. He had hoped the fire would district the predators but in fact brought them closer to Lilly and Gale. 

 

[ChibiMonkey]

At her suggestion to hiding up in a tree for the night, it wasn't a bad idea "We can do that. There are some downsides. For instance, if someone finds us, even if we're away, it'll be harder to get away and we may end up being trapped up there" he warned. He wasn't trying to make her uneasy or worried. He was just trying to inform her of the possibilities to be prepared in case she needed to be. And that was just one of the many possibilities. But that wasn't to say it was a bad idea, either.


"Have you slept in a tree before? You'll have to be careful not to fall off, since we don't have anything to help steady our bodies up there. Although if we could find some vines that might work" he suggested as he started walking with her away from the water, wanting to be sure they'd be a good distance away from it so that water bugs of the night and such wouldn't come after them, like mosquitoes or anything. Although, being in a rainforest, that wasn't a guaranteed either. There were still likely bugs and poisonous insects everywhere.


"A tree is a pretty good idea though. It has some downsides, but it should be pretty safe up there if we can find a big one that has sturdy branches up high enough that we can be hidden by branches beneath us. And, since it looks like this is a rainforest, it's likely it could start raining at any point, and being in a tree should hopefully cover us pretty well from rainfall, if it's not too heavy" he suggested as they walked through the forest. While doing so, Finnick kept a look out for a tree that would be big enough for both of them to stay in.


"While I try and find a good tree, you keep a look out for some vines we could use. The ones that'll work will actually be relatively thing, about half the size of a fishing rope, but they'll definitely be strong enough to hold us if we fall, if it's the right vine" He said. The night was approaching pretty quickly, and while he heard the canon go off again, signaling another death, what was kind of sad was the fact that it didn't even phase Finnick anymore, since he'd been through these sick games once before. That wasn't to say he didn't care though, but kinda like he was just numb to it all.


It all seemed to happen so fast, though replaying it in her head like some slow motion film. She hadn't even dared to waste a second looking for the tribute in the direction the arrow had come. Her brain kicked into over drive and before she knew it, she was running with Gale through the forest. She tried to duck out of the way of branches and any other brush that would hit her in their run, but also mostly focusing on her quick footwork. Not only quick to run away, but also to avoid tripping and stumbling over an uprooted branch or tree, or any other overgrowth on the ground.


Even though she was fast, Lilly was already exhausted; from the heat, humidity, the lack of water, and just already having been walking for what seemed like forever. Her legs just wanted to break and collapse to the ground but she knew that wasn't an option, as Gale even said, for them to keep moving. With the noise of their feet crunching on the ground and kicking up debris, she couldn't tell if they were being followed or not. She hoped not. She liked to think that they were pretty fast, despite their exhaustion.


As they ran, Lilly felt a sharp pain slice through her leg, and she gasped out at the pain, a slight cry of surprise leaving her mouth as she was propelled forward, her feet tripping up not only by the pain, but also having gotten caught up and tripping on something she hadn't seen. She was propelled forward, grunting in pain as she fell face first into the ground, wincing. She didn't know what hit her leg, but knew it wasn't an arrow. She figured if an arrow pierced her flesh she'd be in a lot more pain. And even with whatever injury happened to her leg, she didn't bother to stop to look, quickly getting back up and catching back up with Gale, until eventually, they physically couldn't run anymore.


Feeling it was safe enough, and it didn't seem like they were followed, Lilly collapsed to her hands and knees, panting heavily and feeling as though she couldn't breath in enough air from the thick humidity "I think....we're clear..." she panted out between heavy breaths, rolling over so she now sat down, leaning back on her hands as she just tried to catch her breath and slow her heart. She'd nearly forgotten about her leg, which, what happened, had been it had gotten caught by some rather largely thornned vines that caught on her shin and sliced through both the fabric of her pants and her skin, causing it to bleed, and bleed down covering her right shin in more blood than there was wounds, since she had run without stopping to care for it, it had just kept bleeding.

 

[Soleil]

Panic serged through her as she stared at the back of Finnick's head. He was obviously telling her about how they could secure themselves to trees, but it was like a roaring in her ears. She didn't realize being around the same person for so long would effect her - it scared her. 


The golden rays filtered in through the breaks in the trees, lighting up the forest floor in a golden hue. Even though it wasn't real, it sure felt like it right about now as she stared at the sunset. She used this as a distraction, separating her from her fellow tribute leading the way. She contiuned to nod her head at the breaks in his explanation, trying to remember what he had just told her. 


Look out for some vines, sure she could do that. It seemed easy enough, as she scoured the damp floor for vines. She came across a tree that had a thin looking vine wrapped all the way around it. She tugged on it lightly, seems sturdy. She pulled at it with all her weight leaned into it - and it still was unmoving. 


Cutting several long pieces off for her and Finnick to use. When she turned back around, she noticed Finnick was out of sight. A calmness fell over her, as she thought about heading in the opposite direction that she came in. She could be 10 minutes away before he finally noticed her missing; and by that time he wouldn't know which direction she had went. 


Almost taking a step forwards, she heard the familiar footsteps nearby. She'd have to wait for another time.

---
​

Gale rested his hands on his knees swallowing deeps breaths. They had finally stopped running, and even though they hadn't ran far, the lack of water and the humidity of the air drained the life out of him. He wiped his sweaty palms on his legs before standing get back up. He hadn't noticed the scratches coming from Lillys leg until she stopped to look at it.


It was deep, cutting through her suit and skin. Blood dripped down her leg, soaking the already sweaty front of her shin. Shit.  It had gotten her good. He wasn't much of a doctor, so he didn't know if it needed stitches or not. 


He bent down to examine it, careful to not touch the already injured part. She'd have to keep off of it for awhile, which meant they needed a place to hide out for the night. He ripped the bottom part of her right pant leg, just enough so he could wrap it around her leg. At least it could slow down the bleeding. "There." He said looking back down at the homemade wrapped leg. "Can you get up?"

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As he had been talking and instructing her about the pros and cons about sleeping in the trees for the night, he could hear her footsteps behind him, even though she wasn't talking, so he figured she was still there and not going to get lost since it sounded like she was right there. And he was explaining useful things, so he figured she'd want to hear them. Not that he was conceited to think she wanted to hear him talk - even if that was partly it - but what he was saying was really useful info, so he only assumed she'd be paying attention, and not that actually because the fact it was him, he was distracting her from his words in a different way.


Eventually though, he couldn't hear her footsteps anymore, and he paused in his tracks, turning his head. "River?" he questioned, a bit worried she'd gotten lost, or worse, another tribute had snuck up on her or something of the sorts. Walking around a bit he saw her through some leaves, and saw her holding some vines.


"Oh, great" he smiled thinking she'd only gone to get the vines, and hadn't even considered she'd thought about leaving him that moment and separating on her own track. Although, he did figure that she would want to go on her own way eventually, though he didn't expect it to be quite that soon, or even that night. "Those look good, they should work perfectly. Good work" he said with a smile as he pulled on the vines and tested them, they appeared like the right ones.


As she finally caught her breath, panting heavily as she leaned back on her hands to relax and calm down, she realized that she had been a few inches from death, or at least, in a lot of pain. Finally having caught her breath, she relaxed a bit, glad to see it didn't seem like they had been followed. She sat up straighter, to look down at her leg and inspect what actually happened to it. Touching the sides of her leg around the bleeding injury, she winced a bit, before looking up when Gale bent down by her leg to try and help.


"I think there were some thorns or something....I don't even know, I was just so focused on running...." she said as she looked back down at her injured leg. Now with the adrenaline from the near death experience and run slowly starting to wear off. She hardly had realized what happened she'd been so focused on getting away.


She watched silently as he ripped the bottom of her pant leg off and wrapped it around the wound to cut off the bloodflow enough so that it wouldn't keep bleeding, at least as much. The other main thing she was worried about was infection, hopefully they could find water before it started to try and heal so that she could clean it out. She really didn't want to try surviving these games, the nature, the tributes, all while with an infection, especially in her leg. As he wrapped it up, she shifted a bit to get up, wincing through the pain "Yeah....it hurts a little but I'll be fine" she said with a small smile.

 

[Soleil]

"Yeah they seem pretty sturdy." She said testing it out in front of her. The vines was covered in dirt, which caked her hands completely. Wiping her hands against her suit, she smiled softly. If they could get to a well covered tree they'd be good for the night. "Did you find a good tree yet?" She raised an eyebrow up at Finnick.


She tried to keep her face neutral, she didn't want the look of almost betrayal written across her face. Finnick was good at reading expressions - hell he was good at reading her. She kept her face mostly down - she wasn't good at pretending. She had to make sure he didn't catch on, she couldn't have him watching her every move if she planned on ditching as soon as the sun went down. 


She handed the vines over to Finnick, looking everywhere but at him. "Here, let's climb that tree huh."

---
​

Gale sighed as he looked down at her. His poor homemade bandage wouldn't last long, and she'd need to clean it out before it got an infection. He noticed her wince as she tried shifting to get up. He extended a hand offering it for her to take, pulling her up slightly. "You won't be climbing with that leg." 


They'd have to find a new place to hide out for the night. Making sure she was telling the truth, he watched her for a second. "Okay so let's try to find something on the ground we can hide in." He smiled gently before continuing forward. He step weighed him down, the run had wore him put more than he though it would. 


The sun was setting, it was below the treeline rays poking throughout the bases of the large looming trees. Shadows covered the ground making it harder to watch his step, tripping ever few feet. He could only imagine how Lily was holding up. 


He knew she couldn't make it much farther and needed rest. He saw a large rock sticking out from the ground. Long vines hung loosly over the top and onto the ground. "Let's try there." He pointed out, maybe there'd be enough space behind the vines they could crawl underneath it.