This is an entry for Aria of District Eleven! One of these days, I will make a project that actually has art in it again. This is even more frustrating because I actually did draw something for it that didn't import. I think the writing for this one is a lot better than the parade, except maybe the ending being rushed- it was just getting really long. --- "Aria, District Eleven." Aria's ears flattened in a nonverbal sigh as she stood to accept the challenge offered to her. At least they hadn't used her full name. Maybe she should try and be proud of her name, but it was hard to feel happy about her strongest connection to her sister. It was too easy to fear that it would be all the sponsors would think of her: the echo of a girl who had just given up and died. Today was her biggest chance to change that, and she didn't want to mess it up. Ari padded past the other tributes waiting. By this time almost all of them had left the room, never to return- no, she shouldn't phrase it like that! There was nothing so terrible about the room itself; when they all inevitably died this room would not be what killed them. This room was perfectly safe to enter. She caught the eye of a few other flame chasers and smiled. She would see them all again soon, and maybe finally make some new friends among the group! She had made note of all of them now, after that stunt with the golden blood at the parade. It was so many more than Ari had realized, almost a quarter of the tributes! Plenty of possible friendships there, with no risk of betrayal. Well, a lower risk of betrayal, anyway. Ari wanted to look back but instead forced herself to straighten up further- which there was nothing wrong with doing! She was just straightening her posture and focusing! It didn't mean she couldn't have friends! She sighed out loud this time. She sounded ridiculous now. She was going to such lengths to justify her desire to survive to herself. It wasn't a moral failing to want to survive- every tribute wanted that. But the rest of the flame chasers had been able to set themselves aside and join something bigger... why couldn't Ari be more like them? They were going to make the world a better place. Ari walked into the room. A yelp escaped her as it was flooded with blindingly bright lights, and she clapped a paw over her mouth as everything went black. Oh, she hoped nobody had heard that! Heart pounding, Aria waited for the lights to turn back on. When they didn't, she forced herself to step forward toward the Gamemakers' window. She had already let herself look weak by crying out. Acting like a scared kitten in the dark wouldn't help anything. The cold only hit her once she started moving, but it crashed over her like a wave, and she shivered but didn't stop moving forward. She and her stylist had been experimenting with different types of clothing after the parade, and he had given her a hoodie she had chosen to wear today. At the time it had seemed like too much- it was bulky and covered so much of her fur, nothing like the light dresses she preferred. Now it was most definitely not enough. Ari only wished it was as heavy as it had felt to her when she tried it on. Now that the cold artificial winds of the evaluation room were sweeping over her, it was painfully obvious that the hoodie had only been designed for cosmetic use. The lights flickered again, and Ari blinked. They were really starting to hurt her eyes. Was this what the arena was going to be like? Lighting and icy cold wind? That wasn't good- Ari's main useful skill for the arena was being able to use plants. On the brighter side, though, there weren't likely to be any reptiles, and maybe any large bodies of water would be frozen over. Aria took a deep breath. She was smart. She knew she could make this work for her. Still, she wished she had thought of a plan before coming in here. Another chill ran through her. She wasn't used to cold like this- at home, she had always been able to cover herself in hay for warmth or lay down with cows at the very least. How would she handle cold in the arena? There probably wouldn't be any plants thick enough to cover her- at these temperatures, she was certain that there would be snow, and then all the plants would be cold and wet. "If I was cold in the arena, I would huddle together with my teammates, the flame chasers! We're going to survive the games together, and bring a new era to Panem!"
(continued from above) Ohh, she was sure that she had come on too strong with that one. Besides, all of the others might have said something similar. She knew she wasn't as dedicated as the rest of them- deep down inside, she just wanted to live, and they were going to change the world once she was gone. "I'm sure that I can be a useful part of this group, and even if I don't- make it to the end- I can bring honor to my family and my district with my performance in these games!" Stars and feathers, she had almost choked up there. She shouldn't let herself do that. Ari had been hoping for plants, but there didn't seem to be any in here. Instead, her eyes fell on a weapons rack in the corner. That would work just fine. Aria skipped over to it, satisfied now that she had a plan. She waited for another flash of light and locked eyes on a target across the room. Taking a slingshot from the rack, she aimed it at where she thought the target was... and heard it connect! Perfect! She hadn't been able to see any more ammo that would be within reach for her now, so instead she grabbed a crossbow. Ari fired a few bolts from that without stopping to listen, but she thought she heard most of them hit the target. She hoped they had hit near the center. For the finale, Ari grabbed a throwing axe and chucked it with all her might, getting a bullseye. Not daring to push her luck and hope for miracle like that twice, Ari rushed back over to the gamemaker's window, throwing in a cartwheel as she went. "I only know how to throw axes from a flame chaser. We can share our talents and our resources. Working together, we'll be unstoppable!" She walked out holding her head high. She wasn't sure she had performed well in the evaluation, but whatever happened next, Ari resolved not to be embarrassed by her Games.
