May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor // Seneca Crane

[Scarlet Frost]

- - - - - - - - - -
seven devils all around me
THEY WERE THERE WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING
i'll be dead before the day is done
- - - - - - - - - -

THE CRUCIBLE ARENA, WESTCLIFF, EARLY EVENING
Standing in the ante-chamber that served as the preparation room, Scarlet stretched as she prepared herself for the battles up ahead, smiling to herself as she remembered the first time she had entered this place. She had lost track of just how many years ago that had been, but suffice to say she hadn't been victorious in her quest for fame and riches. She'd been younger, less experienced, her head full of romantic notions of how amazing life would be as a Crucible Champion. She'd been alarmingly unprepared for what had been thrown her way. To everyone's surprise she'd managed to get to the second-to-last round. Her next opponents would be massive swarms of Balverines. She'd cursed, loudly; she hated the creatures with every fibre of her being. But she put on a haughty expression and went out there, only to be slashed up and left for dead. She'd had only one health potion left, and no resurrection phials. One more hit and she'd be dead, a prospect she really didn't like the thought of. So she admitted defeat, to the jeers and boos of the crowd.

Their bays for her blood once again rung in her ears, and Scarlet's mouth became a thin line as she thought of that day. She'd show them all. She'd emerge from the arena victorious today and everyone would remember her not only as a deadly assassin, but as a winner. She pulled her hair up into a high ponytail, exposing the red snowflake tattoo that she usually kept hidden unless on assassination missions. She wanted it showing today. It was a matter of pride. Not many knew her by face, but they knew her by that mark, and today she wanted everyone to remember today as the day that the deadly assassin Scarlet Frost became a Crucible Champion.

Her sword hung strapped to her back and her favourite gun rested in its holster. It wasn't likely that she was going to use it, for she knew the crowds enjoyed the up-close sorts of battles, but it was there if things got tough. At her side hung a small leather pouch, full of phials of coloured liquid nestled in cloth to keep from breaking. She'd packed as much as she could carry without it weighing her down significantly, determined there wouldn't be a repeat of last time.

The crowd was cheering, and she couldn't help but grin as she thought of her bandit crew all here to watch her compete, lost in the sea of spectators. Calder had commanded everyone to pack up their caravans and start the arduous journey to Westcliff as soon as Scarlet announced that she was planning on going to the Crucible and compete. He'd smirked when she'd told them, daring to ruffle her hair childishly announcing "that's my girl". She'd punched him in the gut, and hard. Not only so the crew would see what would happen if anyone dared act so brazenly to her, but also because she hated being called his girl. She wasn't his girl. Not any more. She was no one's girl.

Advancing towards the giant oak doors, she jogged on the spot to keep her body from cooling down. As she flexed her fingers, an excited smile came to rest on her lips. She was going to enjoy this, was going to enjoy every last second of this deadly battle.

STATUS``: active quest thread
TAGGED``: seneca crane
OUTFIT``: this but with a maroon top underneath the corset for visibility, and no face covering.
NOTES``: forgive my long rambles xD please don't feel you gotta match my length!
LYRICS``: seven devils by florence and the machine
CREDIT``: made by TAYLYNOSAURUS REX! of caution 2.0. with a zillion and one edits by CALYPSO

[Seneca Crane]

➴ Wᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ...

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ｙｏｕｒ ｆａｔｅ ｉｓ ｍｉｎｅ ｔｏ ｈｏｌｄ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

... ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴅᴅs ʙᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴠᴏʀ ➶

The energy and excitement that could be packed into such a space was remarkable. The place was already buzzing with conversation and anticipation of this evening's contestants, it was bound to be a successful night by the looks of the crowd as well as the contestant line up. Just listening to the numerous voices was enough to put Seneca into a good mood for the evening. He of course had the premium seat in the arena, the best view to watch the events and bloodshed of his planning unfold. Only the wealthiest of spectators shared the space with him and those consisted of quite regular visitors with a lot of gold to blow off and hand good Seneca for the privilege. And he was sure to keep the wealthy regulars spending. It was the gambling sort and those willing to pay the premiums that gave Crane his profits. Unlike the Games of his past, he only got paid however much was spent by the crowd. So while his intention of seating himself in such a space that could look over the entire arena was to keep tabs and do his work, it also served for relations with the important guests. If anyone understood public relations for these types of productions, it was Seneca. Keep the people happy, keep them liking you, and keep them entertained.

The man from Panem, who still managed to maintain the intricate shaving of his beard, had indeed made a name for himself. This world, though void of the technological advances that he had been so accustomed to, was not a complete loss. Sure it was lacking in the broadcast system and mass distribution of the event. His face itself was not as widely known as it had been back home but it was enough. The name got around. Not a champion of the arena by any means, his name was attached to the much loved event by his ownership of it, he was the creator. Without him, this would not exist as it did. He'd tweaked the system and made it his own. None of it would ever live up to his previous work but for the place he lived it was an amazing feat. His name spread with the mention of the arena and maybe mention of his unique appearance. It was the closest to fame and recognition that the thirty-two year old could ask for. If asked, he'd say he was pretty impressed with his abilities to handle the lesser technology and do his job. Although he loved himself enough he'd always say he was impressed with his own work. Nobody could compete with himself for his own pride that was for sure. Nothing was going to get in the way between himself and success.

Currently he stood looking over toward the crowd as final preparations were being made for the next contestant's run. Admiring the gathered group and the set up of his. His icy gaze searched to be sure nothing was going wrong. The man leaned against the set railing for a glance below before he moved back to his place. He picked up the written roster he had for the night, the man was a bit obsessive on organization and liked to see the names of contestants written out nicely, curious who would be opening his event. Seneca had an interest in knowing his contestants. For the Games there had been a week to watch and get to know his tributes. A whole lot better than he'd ever know these people. But it added to the entertainment for him. The slight attachment of knowing a name or some little bits of information. At times it even provided information of ways to throw them off. Add a bit of a challenge. Of course not all of the contestants here could read or write, even the man who worked the entrance couldn't, but he got the information anyways.

Glancing down to find a female at the top of his list an interested smirk crossed his face. There weren't as many females that entered here. it wasn't like the Games were there were twelve females forced into the arena. There was also something about the volunteer nature of this arena that made it. These people came to him for their death games. There was no forcing, no innocent children. The people volunteered at this point and that he could use to justify the slight moral side to himself. Although he wouldn't argue if anyone were forced to come either. The man was quiet though as he slipped out the door behind him. There was no way he wasn't going to go meet this young girl who had signed up. Something said that this would be an excellent run.

Running a hand over his slicked back hair as he walked down the hall, Seneca couldn't help his mind wandering through the possibilities of what was in store for tonight's audience. Why she'd come, what her hopes to gain were... the meeting might determine those things for him. At least he hoped so. The thin man came up to the smaller set of doors that she had entered from earlier, planting a smile on his face before he opened the door in front of him. "Welcome," Seneca started after he moved into the room, moving his hands behind his back and looking to the female competitor across the room. "You seem ready. How long have you been planning this little adventure?" He asked, noticing her already standing by the door. It was intriguing how eager she seemed to be. Although he wasn't aware that she'd been through before he had come. Or what she did for her regular life. Those were things he hoped to know from meeting her now though. He stood up straight as he looked the young female over. She wasn't the type he'd expect but he'd seen enough surprises with competitors not to be so quick to dismiss her ability. He wasn't ready to count her out.

Tᴀɢɢᴇᴅ➴ Scarlet Frost
Nᴏᴛᴇs➴ You thought you rambled. xD Don't bother matching my post size and they should get smaller as they go.
Oᴜᴛғɪᴛ➴ His standard red and black themed outfit he came with. Clean as always, and having had stuff remade/copied.

[Scarlet Frost]

- - - - - - - - - -
seven devils all around me
THEY WERE THERE WHEN I WOKE UP THIS MORNING
i'll be dead before the day is done
- - - - - - - - - -

Her mind began wandering again as she listened to the crowd getting ready for the battle. With every second she waited, her excitement grew and she could feel the tingle of adrenaline running through her body. How long she'd wanted to come back here and fix her mistakes of years past! After that last embarrassing spectacle, she'd thrown herself into her training, training harder than she'd trained before and honing her skills in killing various creatures, her assassin status rising in the process until she'd become an elite. And now, finally, she was ready. Ready to show the world just what she could do.

Her train of thought was broken as she heard someone addressing her, so she quickly turned to face the newcomer. He was different than the last commentator that had been there when she'd competed, but she'd heard through the bandit grapevine that there'd been a shift in power and now there was a new chap ruling the Crucible. She wasn't exactly sure who she'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't this man, whoever he was. Her dark eyes flickered over him, and a hint of a smile curled up the corners of her mouth. The attractive Albion males all seemed to have finally come out of hiding! Every one of them that Scarlet had met lately had been very blessed in the genes department. This one even smelled of soap! Immaculately groomed, too. It was a very pleasant surprise from the toothless sweaty bandits she unfortunately had to deal with on a daily basis. Avo knew she tried to teach them the ways of soap and that being clean could actually help in ambushes because the enemy couldn't smell the stench from your teeth and body, but the crew refused to listen. Stubborn idiots. It wasn't until she'd had enough and threatened them at gunpoint to have a bath that they actually listened. By now it had become a biweekly ritual.

"Ooh now that's a good question. I've sort of lost track. A good few years at least. I lost last time I was here. Decided that it had been long enough and that I'd honed my skills enough to try a rematch. The lure of fame and fortune were too much for a maiden to resist," she joked with the chuckle. "I promise to keep your crowds more than entertained and in about, say, oh, forty minutes you'll be etching Scarlet Frost into the winner's cup," she stated cheekily, eyes sparkling. She brushed away some hair that had fallen into her eyes. "But I fear that I'm at a disadvatage now - you know my name but I know not yours. So to whom do I owe the pleasure of this pre-battle chat?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips as she studied him. He wasn't from here. His manner and style were too exotic for him to come from Albion. He must be one of those displaced strangers that seemed to be appearing all through Albion. She wondered where exactly he had come from then. Somewhere really exotic, judging by his clothes. And a place with a penchant for soap. I might need to send my boys there, she thought with a silent chuckle.

STATUS``: active quest thread
TAGGED``: seneca crane
OUTFIT``: this but with a maroon top underneath the corset for visibility, and no face covering.
NOTES``: ---
LYRICS``: seven devils by florence and the machine
CREDIT``: made by TAYLYNOSAURUS REX! of caution 2.0. with a zillion and one edits by CALYPSO

[Seneca Crane]

➴ Wᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ...

▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ｙｏｕｒ ｆａｔｅ ｉｓ ｍｉｎｅ ｔｏ ｈｏｌｄ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬

... ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴅᴅs ʙᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴀᴠᴏʀ ➶

Seneca looked her over quietly as she examined him. His icy gaze searched the contestant for any bit of a visible weakness. As well as to fill the short silence between the two. He was a clean man for sure. Old habits died hard and well, the man was always the spoiled type. Rich and living in the clean world of the Capitol he never had to worry about the cleanliness of those around him. it was simply expected that he be clean and perfectly groomed and dressed to perfection. Not a hair or piece of clothing out of place. Looking perfect was a major part of Seneca Crane's image. Although it appeared the beard too center stage on that one, he refused to let anything get in the way of looking good. Even in Albion where it seemed that hygiene habits were lacking in many, Seneca made a point of keeping as clean as could be.

The man refrained from laughing a bit when he heard she'd lost previously. Of course that wouldn't happen with him around. Surviving a loss wasn't a possible outcome with his set up. Since he hadn't been here for years, he knew he wouldn't recognize or know of her, and a lot could change in a few years. "Years? Well, then I am sure you will make an interesting run, I look forward to seeing what years of practice can get someone."He commented with a genuine interest, There had been people who spent years preparing for his Games of even more unknowns back home. He was sure with the somewhat predictable styling of this arena she'd have been able to practice much more specifically.  "But I would like to remind you, this time there isn't an easy forfeit. I hope you don't run into that problem though. I had to change the rules a bit, allowing contestants to simply give up was a let down for audiences. Looking at your preparedness and confidence, you learned. Much better than some would have I am sure. And it is my sincerest hope that you find that fame and fortune at the end. I would much rather see a champion walk out than not at all. It's been a bit slow recently..." Seneca glanced around the room as he spoke, but returned his gaze to her when he finished. She was confident, he liked that. But not too cocky as to immediately annoy him either. He was looking for someone capable and salable as a champion... it seemed she came to him.

"I trust you to keep that promise, Ms. Frost." He was the proper sort, they were not on a first name basis immediately unless she asked to be so. He could at the very least give his contestants some respect and dignity before letting things loose to kill them. He hoped she would keep her promise. That she would keep the audience entertained at the very least. When they got bored and rowdy was when he had his problems. The man gave a bit of a chuckle, rubbing a hand along his beard as he thought of a proper introduction for himself. "I'm not sure what advantage my name would give you, but if you feel it will. I am Seneca Crane, I own this place and plan the events. It is a pleasure." Of course it was a pleasure to have her, she would make him money. Meeting her was just a bit of his personal enjoyment of it. Knowing the contestants made them much more interesting. The more interested he was, the more interested the crowd would be.

Tᴀɢɢᴇᴅ➴ Scarlet Frost
Nᴏᴛᴇs➴ Hope this isn't horrible. May come back and fix it tomorrow.
Oᴜᴛғɪᴛ➴ His standard red and black themed outfit he came with. Clean as always, and having had stuff remade/copied.

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