randomizing | [video / mingle]

Video
[morning of day three. there are clouds out and Allen loves them. he's pretty much given up on shirts and is just grimly bearing with his bright pink sunburn. the video shows him, and what he's working in his hands -- one dark red and exoskeletal -- is some thick grass, weaving several strands together to make a rope. he has a pretty decent amount of it. he's been working on it since the first day]

I feel really strongly that we should make a net so that we can catch more fish. [so that he can starve less. paaaause] But it's taking longer than I'd like. I don't suppose anyone else has any rope to contribute... [he trails off, staring at the water. it looks so cool and blue and inviting. and full of fish]

...You know, never mind. [shoving himself up and steeling his pink-and-red shoulders] Does anyone know how to hand-fish?

Mingle
[It's time for playing in the water!! Whether you're fishing, swimming, sunbathing on the sand, or just goofing off, let's get our beach on!]

[Feel free to respond to Allen's video post here, to make your own comment threads for mingling, or both!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[well, aren't you just the ideal! you are also someone Effie knows is helpful, so she approaches you. her exposed skin (which is pretty much all of it save where she is wearing underwear) covered in drying mud. it's sunscreen, improvised!]

Hello there, Sif! Are you-- you don't burn? How lucky! I saw a tribute cover himself in mud once, and it occurred to me today that it's a good idea. Otherwise, I'll be stuck in the shade all day!

[and being in the shade all day would mean very few people to talk to, and Effie does like talking to people!]

[she straightens up as she sees Effie coming, with a small smile that becomes puzzled quickly. but she admits] That might be a clever idea. I see a lot of people are having trouble with the sun, though it has never been a concern of mine.

[maybe Asgardian skin is just too tough for pesky UV rays! maybe Sif is just too accustomed to a millennia of adventuring to be slowed down by a star millions of miles away. or maybe she's just a genetic lotto win]

Do you think it's working?

[lucky goddess, that's what you are, Sif! another reason Effie thinks you'd be a sure winner in any Games!] It seems to be! It doesn't yet feel hot, but if it does--why, the water is just over there!

[we are making the best of this uncomfortable situation, yes indeed!]

You have such high spirits. [even covered in mud to protect herself from being burned by the sun, and stranded, and helpless... Sif's lips quirk up reluctantly] 'Tis a rare gift, finding the bright side of things.

[it's the only way she gets through year after year of watching perfectly nice but utterly inept tributes get killed, dashing her hopes of a promotion (amon other, far less governmentally-sanctioned dreams]

[shrugging] That's what I do! One mustn't lose sight of the fact that we're alive, right? Our own little alliance! [no matter how useless Effie may be, alas] And we are so lucky to have people like you in it. I only wish there were more that some of the rest of us could do.

This trial will only last for six days. [she squints up at the cloudy midday sky] ...After that, we may find ourselves somewhere else -- or with other tasks, that I may be less suited for.

But this, travel and danger... I have known this all my life.

[possibly it's because "travel" and "danger" occur in very controlled and ultimately life-threatening circumstances in Effie's world, or possibly it's because she remembers thinking Sif would be a sure victor in any Games-- but to hear that this has been Sif's entire life saddens Effie. she imagines Sif on the run from wild beasts out to kill her, betrayed by allies, and narrowly avoiding being struck by very deliberate lightning bolts. well, there goes some of her cheer]

Oh, my. That's... well, you certainly seem stronger for it. [trying. trying so hard not to fawn over Sif like she is a tribute. it would really not help matters that Sif is so much taller. it wouldn't work very well!] And you've been marvelous here. Why, having you around makes me feel very safe indeed!

As you should. No terrestrial threat will harm us so long as I draw breath. [loftily]

[obviously the current situation... concerns her. but she's keeping it well under wraps, trying not to think about the magical power required to nullify and transport and isolate them all; trying to focus on the possibility that Thor, now that he is not here, will manage to rally efforts at home to help her. she is confident in her ability to handle anything that might threaten a human, and most things that might threaten Aesir, so while it is not inconceivable that there will be a threat she can't master, she is confident nonetheless, straightening her shoulders]

[shows of confidence count for a lot, so Effie relaxes a little. surely Sif can handle whatever these... Gamemaker types throw at them] And if there's anything, however small, that I can help you with-- well, that's what I do, attend to the small things so people like you can think about the important things.

I'll keep that in mind. [she leans over her knees again, tilting her head as she watches Effie] What is your work, precisely? [she makes herself sound like a chamberlain, but she seems more like a noble herself. maybe the lady of a household in her society manages her own affairs!]

I am an escort for the Hunger Games. I ensure the tributes from my assiged district make all their appearances, eat and present themselves well, and make a good impression. I work with a team, but I have the most time with them. [it's more work than it sounds like~]

I see. A handler, of sorts. [she's not unfamiliar. it sounds like someone who might work with an ambassador or foreign dignitary. but] What are these "Hunger Games"?

[it's a lot harder to hide sincerity without all her make-up and the accessories and clothes she's used to, but she puts on a smile anyway, automatically] Competitions! Every year, a boy and a girl from each of our twelve districts are brought to an arena to fight to the death to bring honor and a year of extra food for their district. Last year, both of my charges won! That's just unheard of!

[and it makes her glad, because she likes both of them so very much, and she is so, so tired of watching her tributes die. the other children, too, but District Twelve's especially]

[frowning a little, but] That sounds grim. [she's heard worse, but it's somewhat troubling nonetheless] But you must have been very excited to have both of them live. Do they not have to fight their counterpart from their home district?

[nodding! thinking about the positives! not about all those years of losing] Oh, so very excited!

[a bit less-- joyously] Normally, there is only one winner. But this year was an exception! Because-- oh, they are just so lovely! My tributes this year are in love, and they fought so hard to protect one another in the arena that-- oh, they just won everyone over!

I see. [a fleeting smile crosses her face, in spite of herself] That's a very romantic tale! It must have been a fascinating game.

Oh, the best! [sighs dreamily] In six months, they get to tour the whole country in celebration of their victory. It'll be my first tour, too. [assuming, of course, whatever is going on now stops]

[video / mingle]

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