[open]

[buildingreality]

Who| Ariadne and anyone
What| Ariadne needs to get better at this Mentoring business.
Where| District 6's suites; the Training Centre
When| throughout the week
Warnings/Notes| none right now

Though she never made a point of outright ignoring people, Ariadne realised at some point that perhaps she had missed something with her latest crop of Tributes. Cinna's comments to her last they spoke rang in the back of her head, niggling and telling her that she was supposed to feel attached to these people in some regard.

She'd always found that a little bit difficult, all things considered; she wasn't the type to get attached to begin with, and when they rotated every time she blinked, despite it not being quite as often as Cinna recalled, it was even more difficult. Who was to say if the Tribute she liked best would disappear off to God-knew-where after the next Arena or not?

But now she was going to make an effort. She spent more time making herself available for the lot of them, hanging around in more public spaces, and endeavouring to look helpful instead of perhaps standoffish or detached as usual.

Comments

[wantsajetpack]

She'd actually find Pepper, in the district's common area feet up on a table, something in her lap. It's a fashion magazine and she's not sure if she should be laughing or crying at some of the styles... Secretly hoping that her stylists decide not to put her in anything like it.

She's drinking some purple, but not grape flavored bubbly drink that's on the table near her left foot, not even realizing she has someone else in the room with her yet. "Okay yuck, really... that look? I think even Whitney would agree is just bad fashion..." It's a district one designer's idea of a ball gown that's far too busy for taste. "Oh... Hi." The redhead moves her feet from the table, careful not to spill her drink.

[buildingreality]

Ariadne put little faith in the fashion magazines - or any magazines, to be that frank - from the Capitol. The mindset was just bizarre, and since she'd never been that into magazines before, she didn't plan on changing that. Still, it was interesting to see what people liked to do in their free time.

"Hi," she greeted back after a moment of simply lingering on the edge of the room; she moved then to join Pepper, finding an empty seat on the lengthy couch that filled their common area. "Having fun?"

[wantsajetpack]

"I guess, seriously, some of these are worse than Fashion week in New York." She was still giggling a little.

At least she was adjusting a little. "Probably should be in the training center, but needed to step away from all of that a moment." And sorry Ariadne, ramble is her default.

[buildingreality]

"Have you ever seen Paris'? I wouldn't say that's much more plausible, as far as being able to wear any of it goes," she pointed out mildly, finding Pepper considerably easier to talk to so far than most of those she'd met. "You could probably be in the training centre every single day, but if you don't take a break from it, it won't do you much good. It never did much for me."

[wantsajetpack]

"Not yet. I want to go, but Dad can't take the time out of work long enough and really I doubt Tony would be interested in going." Because she would so guilt trip him into it, well the one back home at least. "I just like looking at the outfits I really doubt I'd ever wear any of it."

"I don't like hitting anyone generally, well unless Whitney calls me Tony's pet, then it's on... but really this... I don't know how I'm going to handle it." She slumped into the chair frowning a little. "It's against everything I know."

[tis_allgood]

Cuthbert had been taking advantage of the down time to hone his skills and he could almost always be found in the Training Center when he wasn't busy socializing. And even when he was busy with his own business he could nearly always be bothered to talk to new people.

Today he was busy seeing how fast he could get a fire started. He was far more intensely interested in this than anything else. There was even a glint in his eye as he practiced again and again that might not be entirely healthy. If anyone was going to intervene, now might be a good time, before he started a serious fire.

[buildingreality]

Every now and then, Ariadne still headed down to the Training Centre; it wasn't as though she needed to know everything there any more, but it gave her something to do. It gave her something to focus on. Not to mention she didn't really trust the Capitol so far as she could throw them, and having some way to defend herself made her feel better.

Her eyes were caught on the young man building a fire near her; she watched him thoughtfully as she practiced her throwing with a variety of objects, though her specific focus appeared to be a handful of tiny knives. She hesitated for a moment, as one fire began to lick higher than the last few, and then tossed one of the knives towards him, letting it hit the ground a foot or so away, embedding itself there as a sort of warning.

[tis_allgood]

He looked back at the knife where it landed and then back to his ill advised fire. Bert understood violence when it came directly to him, she would have his full attention if she had actually hit him with one of the knives, or at least grazed him.

"Your aim is terrible." He stoked the fire a little higher. "But then, I cannot fault you for being here to practice."

[buildingreality]

"I wasn't aiming at you," she replied simply. It had worked as well as she wanted it to, and had started up conversation enough for her to be able to slip a comment or two in there. "Nor do I need the practice. And I don't think you will either if they do something to you for burning down the whole building."

[tis_allgood]

"It has never gone that far before, I cannot see it getting there now." But he did take the subtle hint and start to put the fire out with some dirt he'd been keeping at the ready. No sense in starting more trouble than he wanted. He was going to pout that she was right, though.

"And if you need no practice, why come here?"

[akingalways]

Well, in the Training Center was one fellow who held his head up high. He was busy beating a dummy to death. One to two blows generally finished it off, and it did this time, with a loud snap.

It was turning towards the next "victim" that he saw Ariadne.

"Ah. One of the newer Victors!" His voice boomed as he walked over. "Decided to take the initiative? I wish the others were like you."

[buildingreality]

"I'm down here usually once a week," she replied when it became obvious that she was being spoken to. She thought she might have seen him around once or twice, but with so many people to remember, she wasn't sure. Either way, he seemed to recognise her well enough. "But I agree - I think it's a waste that most Victors win, and never come down here again."

That said? There was probably a point at which to stop, and snapping dummies in half might have been it.

[akingalways]

"I find it insulting." At this, Jack crossed his arms. "Us Victors have our part in making sure everything goes well, after all. We are the ones who must train the brave Tributes and ensure the Games are played at their best! If other Victors cannot even bother to try and help theirs win, they are sending a bad message to their Districts."

That being said, he needed to corral his own Tributes down there. He honestly considered asking some Avoxes to escort them to the center, every day, for an hour or so. Get them ready. After all, better ready than sorry!

[buildingreality]

"I suppose it depends on who they are. I can see where the new ones are coming from, at least," Ariadne pointed out, tipping her head slightly to one side. "They don't have any attachment to the Districts. And why should they? We're not from here. We don't get to hear anything about them."

[akingalways]

"Hm."

Jack looked away for a moment, his eyes narrowed. He didn't want to seem...well, ungrateful. Not in front of one of the newcomers. Not at all.

Still, it seemed odd that no one had said anything about the Districts they were supposed to represent. Even he knew more about other Districts.

"You're representing District 6, right?"

[thebestoffense]

This was the one he was supposed to look to for guidance. Volanz had been agonizing over whether or not to speak to her. Obviously, he'd just be a waste of her time because there's no way he could ever amount to anything, right?

But on the other and more selfish grasping appendage, maybe if he asks her questions he can learn something that will help him avoid his next inevitable death for as long as possible.

Dying hurts. He's not eager to repeat the experience.

"Um, hello?" he offers as he approaches Ariadne in the District 6 common area. "I'm Volanz? I'm kind of one of the new tributes, I guess. I was wondering if, well, I could ask you some things? Because you actually won once and I kind of did not. At all."

[buildingreality]

She glanced up from the book she was skimming when she heard his greeting, looking vaguely curious that she was being addressed instead of the other way around. Perhaps this 'putting herself out there' bit might be working to her advantage after all; the book found itself relocated and earmarked, and her attention was on him.

"Hi," Ariadne greeted back, shifting to turn towards him a little. "Right, I saw your name on the list." A pause, as she wondered if she needed to introduce herself back. In the end, she settled for a simple: "Sure. What do you want to know?"

I tagged this entry so I may as well tag with him =D

[polyturtle]

Donatello was in the Training Center at that time. He was training, this time with the bo. His weapon. His second nature. It had been some time since he'd trained with it.

He was, in fact, taking a break from his exercises when he spotted Ariadne. He took a step, but stopped, noting that she was busy. Go forward, or...wait. He wasn't sure.

\o

[buildingreality]

'Busy' was always a relative term when she was in the Training Centre. It wasn't like she really had to be there to begin with; Ariadne just liked to keep herself busy down there. She caught a glimpse of Don from afar while embedding knives into a target from twenty feet; after she ran through the handful she had, she finally moved to take her own break, glancing to him and offering a small wave of invitation.

[polyturtle]

At this, Don gave her a small smile, walking towards her. He quietly deposited the throwing knives back on their rack as he did.

"Hey there." He finally sat next to her. "How are you?"

[buildingreality]

"Not bad," she replied when Don was within range, offering him a smile in return. "So what brings you down here? I'd have thought after being here so long, you wouldn't need much training."

[andproper]

Prim wanted to help people, too. She wanted to make the tributes feel better - maybe help them in the arena, if she could find a way to do so... She didn't really know how. Just that she wanted it to happen, somehow, and that maybe the training center was a place to make it happen...

When she saw the friendly looking woman, she moved closer. "Hello." Was she a tribute? A mentor?

[buildingreality]

She wasn't usually known as 'friendly-looking', but neither did she really think the opposite either; she'd been working on that, anyway. Ariadne tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear as she glanced over to Prim, pausing in what idle training she'd been working on and stepping back to let someone else have a go. "Hi," she replied simply, glancing over her shoulder briefly, "Did you need this?"

[andproper]

Prim would like to consider herself a good judge of characters... Though, really, she preferred to assume that everyone was good.

When asked, she shook her head - she didn't need the station. "Are you a tribute?" she asked, instead.

[buildingreality]

There was nothing wrong with believing everyone had good in them. Perhaps if you were blind to their faults, but Prim was young enough.

She looked vaguely surprised that Prim didn't need the station, and that she was just greeting her without any real reason. But then again, no one really needed a reason around there to get to know other people. "No," Ariadne returned, "I'm a Victor. It's close."