Emerson Linelin - R12 Gamemakers

Instructions

Emerson "Em" Linelin - District 9 --- Em sat among the other tributes, fidgeting with the string of pasta around her neck. She tried to be gentle with it, knowing how fragile it was, and how it was the only thing she had left from home. Other than herself and the other District 9 tributes, of course. But that wasn't the same. Em knew she was up next, and the possibilities of what might be inside those doors terrified her. The temperature of the waiting area didn't help, putting her even more on edge. She wanted to ask if they could turn the temperature up, but she doubted anyone actually would, and didn't want to be a pain. When they eventually called her name, she let go of her necklace and took in a deep breath. She padded towards the door, and was startled by the cold burst of air that greeted her. She stood there for a moment, blinking, but eventually stepped into the room. She knew at once that she wanted out of there. It was even more awful than she could have imagined. The darkness, the freezing temperature... She wondered if this was what death felt like. Instinctively, she wrapped her legs and tail around herself in an attempt to stay warm. She wished she had her coat from the parade with her now. Looking up, Em caught a glimpse of the Gamemakers in a flash of light. She wished she could show them a confident smile, but all her expression held was dread. What was she meant to do here? She had planned to show them something related to her speed or knowledge of edible plants, but it didn't seem like she could do either of those well here. Maybe her speed or agility, but she could barely see anything here, and she didn't want to run into any walls. Well. This wasn't her first experience with the cold, as much as she wished it was, and she'd spent hours practicing and reading about various environments she could experience in the arena. She didn't have any layers to put on, or any shelter that she could see, so the best thing she could do was get moving. Apprehensively, she untwisted herself and started to walk around the room. It only made her feel colder at first, but she knew it was better than just standing around. Making a loop around the room, she didn't sense much nearby. Not anything she could use to show her best skills, which she supposed she should have expected. There were a few racks of weapons that she could make out, but she had hardly mastered any of those. A shame, but it also meant she had enough space to do a couple of laps. Em began to run around the room in a few loops, at first simply running, but eventually adding leaps and slides. She was light on her feet, having enjoyed running back in her district and practiced even more now. Then, feeling that wasn't enough, she quickly listed what else she could do to keep herself warm, hoping the Gamemakers cared enough to listen. "If I was in a forest, I would try to find some sort of shelter. A cave or a bush to hide under. I could even make one by stacking branches together. Then I would try to make myself a fire. That would be easy enough with wood around. There's multiple ways to make one, such as quickly spinning a thin object back and forth on a baseboard to create friction or using flint as a striker." Em sucked in a breath of air and finished by saying, "Of course, it would be best if I could get my paws on something to keep warm, winter clothes. In an environment like this, especially if you have no trees, that would be crucial to survival." She paused for a moment before saying, teeth chattering, "T-that's all. A moment later, a voice echoed through the empty room. "Thank you. You are dismissed." Em murmured a thank you in response before sprinting towards the exit. She left feeling relieved that the experience was over, but terrified about what it might imply about the actual arena.