Fandom Hunger Games rp (Closed)

[SerenaStark]

Name: Serena Kinsley
Age: 15
District: 8
Appearance: http://0.s3.envato.com/files/39041661/valua_0784 copy.jpg

Serena looked out from her seat on the train to the thousands of adoring fans shouting her's and her counterpart's names. How could they make her go back? How could this happen? They had promised that by winning the Games she would be granted safety and she and her family would be taken care of. But not this. This definitely hadn't been in the cards.

She brushed her blonde braid back behind her shoulder and got to her feet. She followed her male district partner who had won the games about 15 years ago along with their frilly little Capitol escort. Serena had won 3 years ago at the age of 12, and she was definitely not the same little girl she had been the first time she had arrived at the Capitol. She had grown into a young woman: the Beauty of District 8 as the Capitol called her. As she peered around at the others climbing off their own transporters she noted that she knew quite a few of them. Not personally, but she knew their faces from past Games. She knew this was going to be bad. All of them were trained killers and founds themselves victorious in the Arena. Now only one of them could survive and she was sure that the Capitol had quite a few tricks up their sleeve.
~
Gale lumbered off the train as his sharp gaze glanced around the thousands of people that had gathered to watch the past victors arrival. It sickened him. How could people line up like this to watch innocent lives be stolen? And without a shred of guilt no less. It was crazy to think about but that's what was happening. Could there be anything worse? Well there might be one thing: Some of the tributes paraded around like they were happy to be back. Many would argue that this was just a ploy to get sponsors once the games started, but even so the idea of anyone happily prancing back to the Capitol to help them kill people was just unbearable.

He did his best to shrug it off as he walked through the narrow walkway that was surrounded by his biggest "fans" shouting his name as he worked his way by them. He didn't look at any of them. Or at least he tried not to. He didn't want to give into the thrill nor the atmosphere. That wasn't what he was about and wasn't going to change his beliefs just to think that he had a slight chance of walking out of here alive. His female counterpart followed after him. He knew who she was but neither of them spoke to one another. There wasn't much to say. They were walking into an early grave.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Alice Grey
17
Won the games at age 15
District 12



Alice was beyond infuriated. The entire, long train ride from district 12 she sat in simmering silence of anger. Anger for the people, anger for the capital. It all infuriated her beyond belief. The games alone were ridiculous to think of, that any sane people would think up the games, arguing it was for the sake of the capitol and districts. But now, to think they would forcibly drag the people who'd already gone through hell and miraculously survived, back to their deathbeds? It was sickening beyond belief. The promise of a life of luxury and safety away from the games were all a lie. She didn't even care about the spoils of her victory - she just cared that she was done with the games, and never had to deal with them again. But clearly, that would not be true. Nothing in this world was promised or a given anymore. She should have expected such a sly idea to come from the filthy members of the capitol.

Stepping off of the train, she followed Gale, she knew of him, and they may have met once or twice - as obligatory sort of things done by the capitol because they were both victors from the same district - different years, of course. But other than that, they hadn't really talked. While many in their district, and elsewhere probably assumed they'd instantly connect and get alone, having gone through the same torment of the games and both arose victors, to Alice, it was actually because of that exact reason she figured neither of them had spoken to each other really. Because of the fact that they knew what each other had gone through and suffered - and that neither of them wanted to be a part of anything like that again, or have any reason to recall the past of their time in the games, which is why they never associated with each other. In simple terms, too many bad memories it would force back up that they both just wanted to drown out. Not that they ever would. Alice would never be able to forget her time in the games. And having to go through them again certainly wouldn't help.

~

Unlike some of the other tribute victors that would be in the games this year, Cato was more than glad to be back, and representing his district. Anything for his home district, right? Making them proud was what he did best, after all. In his last appearing in the games, he was focused on winning, and gaining the support of not only his district of course, but also all the sponsors that he could get. And he had exemplified such from the moment he was chosen - in fact, even before he was chosen. Because he had chosen himself, and volunteered himself for the games the year of his participation, and the year he had won. That had gained a lot of attention from people, especially sponsors, and throughout the games he was more than eager to participate in fights to the death.

This year would be no different, and he was just as confident as he was last time that he would win again. It didn't matter to him that his enemies this time would be people who had also won before. He was determined he would still emerge victorious - bringing even more fame and glory not only to his name, but to his district as well. He loved the idea of being the first Hunger Games winner against all other tributes who'd won before as well. What could be even greater than that? As they arrived in the Capitol, Cato grinned and waved around at the crowds that would eagerly chant and call out his name as he walked by. He walked ahead of his female counterpart from his district, eagerly and a bit cockily waving out to the people as they cheered for him, ignoring some of the looks that he was receiving probably from a few of the other tributes who were repulsed by the idea of charading along to the Capitol's desires.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena heard a sudden uproar erupt from a few feet away as the District 2 tributes emerged from their trains. They looked ridiculous in her mind. They thought of themselves as heroes when in reality they were murderers. They all were though, even herself. She wouldn't deny that, but she wasn't proud of what the Games had made her. The tributes were ushered to their rooms where they were told to quickly change into their training gear and get down to the training room so they could be looked at by the evaluators. She forgot how much time flew in the Capitol, then again, she would have been more upset if time were to move slower. At least training would keep her mind entertained and away from the threats of death.

She tossed on her all black training uniform that she had been given before quickly fixing her braid and heading back downstairs after her mentor uttered a few words of advice. "Make friends," was all he bothered to say, and honestly she had already figured that was the game plan. It would be near impossible to take on the Careers alone. She would need all the help she could get. When the elevator doors finally opened she stepped out with her male counterpart and made a bee line for the bow and arrows. The training room was newer than the one she had seen a few years ago. In fact, it looked as though it could have been made specifically for these Games. She let herself relax before moving to take a few shots to hopefully start to regain her skill that had won her the games 3 year earlier.
~
Gale made his way inside with Alice, his female counterpart from District 12. He didn't know her that well but he figured that it would be for the best if they stuck together. He remembered her games, and he knew that she was definitely someone who was skilled and could be a worthy ally in the Arena. He definitely didn't want her hunting him to say the least. Before he could really get acquainted with her though, they were rushed upstairs to get changed for training. To him, this was useless. Usually the game makers used this time to assess what each tribute could do and what strengths and weaknesses they possessed. However, they had all been here before, so why did they need to bother scoping out the competition?

He figured it was some kind of ploy. Maybe there would be bets being made about who was going to win and how? That would actually make more sense. But of course he would never get the answers. He would be left in a constant guessing game. He did his best to shake it off as he got changed before heading the elevator with his "teammate". He stepped into the elevator with her and as the doors closed, he looked at her. "This training stuff is just all a game to them," he said with a slight sigh before shaking his head, "But I guess we should try to use it to knock the dust off if we can and potentially make some allies."

 

[ChibiMonkey]

While it may be true she had faced the games before, and somehow won, Alice would be lying if she said she wasn't just as nervous, if not more, than the first time she entered the Capitol to participate in the games. In fact, she certainly was more nervous than the first time. Some may think it should be familiar, and cause a sense of familiarity of relief with it. But that wasn't the case. Alice didn't think people escaped deaths door more than once. And they had all faced death before. One of them would get the ungodly chance to escape death's grasps once more. But the other 23 of them would not. Alice supposed she should be thankful for her age. About half of the tributes were a lot older now, at least late twenties, if not older. A small handful of them were lucky enough to still have youth and age on their side. However, that didn't mean she was about to overestimate the older tributes. As aged as they may be, they had still won before, and they were still killers just the same as she, or any other one of them were.

As eager as ever, the Capitol had a strict schedule for them to keep - all to keep up these foolish appearances for the sake of the game and interested, sick viewers. She sighed a bit as she ran a hand through her hair in her room, pulling it into her training uniform provided, just the same as all the others except for a few things that distinguished and identified her as from District 12. Pulling her red hair up into a high pony tail, her bangs hung across her forehead, tickling the edges of her eyes as she stepped into the elevator with Gale, only glancing to him when he spoke, and a small smirk of amusement at the fact she couldn't agree more "You could say that again" she said as she looked back to the elevator as the doors opened "Id love to see how amused these capitol dogs are when it's them that are in the arena" she said as they arrived at the training room, and she nodded her head in agreement to Gale's comment. They were from the same district, so she figured it was a given they would stick together for a bit "I guess we should play nice for now" she sighed, before they would part ways to train.

~

Cato smirked, just loving hearing the people cheering out his name. It was like music to his ears, honestly, and only fed his inflated ego all the more. He eagerly parading around and waved to his fans and the people cheering out to him and his counterpart tribute, as they headed through the narrow pathway to the building. There was really hardly any time to do anything, and just like Cato remembered, they were being ushered off one place to another. The mentor and caretaker for their team was of course all about him and his counterpart, eagerly greeting them and talking to them as if they were old friends or something of the sorts. Of course, that's the kind of attention the upper districts got wherever they were - specifically the career districts, like his own District 2. His female counterpart was several years older than him, but she was still pretty young, in her early twenties it seemed. Which was good. He didn't need to be having to show fake support for some old hag. Since it automatically would bring negative points to any tributes that instantly abandoned their own fellow district tribute, as viewers and sponsors seemed to love the concept of district camaraderie - or some kind of crap like that.

Of course, Cato usually didn't have a problem siding and preferring to stick to his fellow district member, since naturally, he felt more loyal to those closer to his class, and his 'own kind', for lack of better words. But if the tribute was an old lady or something, it would be hard on him. He didn't need some old and feeble, outdated tribute to drag him down. After they were dressed and ready to train, they all headed to the room, where all the tributes seemed to gather, some eagerly and instantly claiming stations that were best suited to their own skills they were familiar with. Cato glanced over to one tribute, a woman from district 4, was it, who seemed to claim her station by the arrows. He vividly recalled the tribute in the games he was in who used arrows had caused a lot of trouble for him, and he wasn't skilled in long distance fights. While he certainly would make point to gather with the other career tributes, he wanted to use what he learned from his last game and act accordingly. So if he could just get her on his side sooner, that's be better than having to worry about her the entire game.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena shot a few arrows at stationary targets to get herself back in the groove of shooting. She hadn't shot an arrow since her last games. It had just been too painful, but looking back on it, perhaps she should have continued her training. But who knew this was going to happen? Who would have ever thought that the Capitol would go back on their word? No one could have imagined this happening, but it had and now they all had to try to mentally and physically prepare for what was coming next.

She shot one more arrow before she felt a set of eyes on her. She looked behind her and saw the boy from District 2 gracing her with a glance. She knew who Cato was. He was insane, but he was skilled and she knew that he could be a contender to win these games. The only fault that she knew of was that he was cocky as all get out. Maybe he would try to get into something that he couldn't finish. Now that would be a huge weight off her shoulders. She did her best to direct her attention away from him before moving on to shooting moving targets. However, this method used a machine. It was a simulator which was a rather cool idea. She took a few moments to ready herself before springing into action. It took a few shots but eventually she was moving as she had been when she was younger. Faster than that even. Huh maybe she hadn't lost her stuff after all.
~
Gale smiled slightly at his counterparts comments. What he would give to see the Capitol pay for what they had done to them for so many years. No one wanted to see that Capitol suffer more than Gale. It was sheer impossibility. He gave her a slight smirk before the doors opened and let them into the training room. "If we weren't friendly, Haymitch may come down here and kill us himself," he replied. Haymitch was friends with a few of these people and Gale knew the old drunk would flip if they did anything to embarrass him. Then again, Haymitch was pretty good at embarrassing himself on his own with his drunk rampages and all.

He tried to keep his mind clear as they walked onto the training grounds and looked about at the tributes. Many of them were already here and showing off their skills both for the evaluators and for their competitors. He noted one of the girls from District 8 looked as though she knew her way around a bow, but what really caught his eye were the Careers. They were going to be trouble as they were every year; yet, this would be the most lethal group that anyone had ever seen. He could only hope that their cockiness would get to them. That would be the only chance that he had to take him down. Gale let out a deep sigh as he turned his attention to his specialty: Knife wielding. Sure Gale was strong and all but he had hunting skills like no one had ever seen. That's how he had survived his games and that's what he was planning on doing for these as well.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Alice couldn't help but let out a short, single breath laugh at Gale's comment back to Haymitch. Oh that man. He was such a handful, it was really a wonder how he won the games before. In fact....why couldn't it be him that was chosen as the previous victor to compete in these new games with the winning tributes? Of course....it's not like she hated Haymitch, and nor did she wish the games on anyone except maybe high and mighty capitol members. But she'd give about anything not to be in the games again. Of course....she knew that they'd chosen winning tributes based on who was the most recent victors for their districts. And aside from that, even if Haymitch was chosen instead, it would be Gale that got lucky. She would still be stuck here, being the only female victor from District 12. Oh god....she couldn't even imagine if she had to be paired up and fight with Haymitch. Well, she certainly wouldn't be at a loss of entertainment, that was for sure.

As they entered the training grounds Alice glanced around, watching as Gale went off, and Alice did her own as well. Alice wasn't strong. Anyone could tell that, regardless of if they've seen her in the last games or not. She was petite, not a whole lot of muscle mass when it came to strength, specifically in her arms, and only stood at a height of five feet and one inch. She looked like an insect compared to some of the tributes. But that was in part what helped her win the games before. A lot of people underestimated her - not only being from district 12, but her petite size as well. However, it was her skill that made up for her strength. Light and nimble, Alice was incredibly fast - and had the fastest speed of all the tributes in her last round of games. She could outrun anyone, just about, and she had an incredibly stamina, so not only could run faster, but longer as well. She also made up for her lack of strength in crafting. She won her last games by incredibly deceptive and invisible traps that helped to either alert her to nearing tributes, or, would catch them off guard so she could get the upper hand in their fight. When it came to weapons, as expected due to her lack of physical strength, she was better in long distance, usually throwing objects - throwing knifes being her specialty in the last games. For now though, Alice avoided the weapons like many tributes went to instantly. She wanted to focus back on her stamina and running - she kept up with it sort of back home, but not in the same sense of using it for life or death, so she focused on running the track that circled around edges of the entire room.

~

As his eyes watched the girl from District 12, he wondered at first if maybe he was wrong to worry about her. She didn't do too well at first. Better than average, maybe, but nothing he thought would cause him trouble. Who was he thinking that he actually had to worry about someone other than a career? He was considering his choice when he noticed he caught her eyes, and smirked a bit as she looked at him, and gave a nod in her direction. She seemed not that interested in him though, and just focused her attention back on what she was doing. He watched her a few minutes longer, seeing her rapidly improving to how he had remembered. So she hadn't lost her skill. It seemed a lot of tributes would need to brush up a bit, but for the girl from 4, she seemed to fall right back into pace. After letting her shoot a few more arrows, he made his way over to her, deciding for himself that when he had caught her eye, that it gave him permission to talk to her. Well, not that he needed it. Nor did he think he needed anyone's permission for anything.

Approaching her, he stayed a few feet to her side "Hey" he greeted with a smirk just as she shot another arrow, directly hitting the moving target "You look like you might be even better than before. Have you been secretly keeping up training or something? Expecting to kill a few more people?" he spoke casually. To him, death was nothing. Unlike how many tributes were disturbed by the fact they had to kill others, it was nothing to Cato, and it was clear that the thought of killing someone wasn't really even a thought. There was no hesitation or concern whatsoever when it regarded killing someone to better his own chances of survival. After all, who else but someone who enjoyed killing others would volunteer themselves to participate in the Hunger Games? "I'm sure you know who I am....Cato" he introduced, as though arrogance was second nature to him "You are......from District 4, right?" he said, not quite recalling her name.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena shot a few more arrows as she moved swiftly before lowering her bow. She jumped ever so slightly as she heard a voice rang out and when she craned her head back to see him, she found the boy from District 2 standing next to her. She didn't say anything at first as she listened to him before shaking her head slightly. "District 8," she replied, "So I'm not one of your Careers if that's what you're asking about." She climbed out of the little simulator before setting the bow and quiver back down before giving him her full attention.

"I don't want to kill anyone. I'm not a monster like you," she continued simply, "I want to go home." That sounded a bit cowardly but that was the honest truth.. She wanted to go back home and see her older and twin brothers, Hector and Angelo, more than anything in the world, but she knew the odds of seeing them again were slimming by the day. So why was this guy being so persistent? Because he was terrified of her and her bow and she knew it. Serena had seen his Games of course. The only thing that seemed to be able to come close to slowing him down was a girl who possessed some impressive shooting skills. "You have the right to be scared though," she said, trying to make up for what she had said before, "You all should be." Whether she liked it or not, the Capitol liked competitors and she had promised her brothers she would at least compete.
~
Gale threw several knives, hitting the head and neck of the target consistently. It felt good to stretch his arm like that. He felt like he was back in the woods of District 12 again. Oh how he missed the sweet smell of pine and the little footsteps of the animals prancing about. He shook his head as he tried to push those thoughts away. They were dangerous to keep around and he knew it. He let out a sigh before throwing one more knife that hit the head and part of the blade went through it. Not only was he accurate but he possessed pretty incredible strength.

He took a deep breath before noticing a few of the tributes examining his skills, but he wasn't sure if they were afraid of him, or if they were just assessing his work. He shook his head before turning to look around for Alice. She had disappeared on him but that wasn't a shook. She was sneaky and anyone who had seen her Games knew it. The problem he was going to have with her would be fighting what he couldn't see. That was very difficult. He knew that he wouldn't have to hunt her until they were the last two left, but he prayed it never came to that. He didn't want to hurt her. The guilt that would consume him would be too much.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Running around the track, Alice was able to mentally get away a bit from the chaos of these games. She loved running, honestly. Well, maybe not when it came to running for her life. But running in general was her way of de-stressing a bit, and it was a familiar comfort. She ran for a bit primarily to warm her body up and get back used to building her endurance up for the games, but also as a way to mentally calm herself before really associating herself and diving into the world of the games, training weapons again, and talking to people she couldn't trust. She was cut short on her sort of mental absence from the world however when what appeared to be a javelin of shorts fell short in front of her, but she was swift in just jumping right over it before halting her feet to a stop, glancing over at the approaching male who seemed to have 'dropped' it accidentally. Alice knew she had to play nice and make friends...but she wasn't good at that, and she certainly wasn't having it when a tribute deliberately tried tripping her up - which had absolutely failed "If you're that clumsy outside of the games you'll be quick to die" She stated bluntly, obviously not accepting the lie of an excuse that he'd dropped it.

The male tribute, whom Alice did not know the name or district of his origin, just chuckled a bit "Yeah yeah, I guess you're right. But I don't plan on that happening" He said before nodding at the track "I remember you, you're pretty fast. You were the biggest underdog of your games - aside from the fact your from 12" he stated, and Alice couldn't tell what his game-plan was. Was he here for sizing up challenges? Or was he actually trying to be friendly? Perhaps he was trying to target and challenge her before the games started? Either way, Alice remained wary, and shrugged her shoulders "That's nice. Can't say I remember you though" she said before he just smirked "I'll be sure to change that, then. How about a race?"

~

When she said she was from District 8, it didn't phase Cato that he'd gotten it wrong, nor did it hurt his pride. Honestly, he didn't really remember anyone from the lower districts, and typically stuck to the careers - and even then only knew them because he would spend so much time with them in the games. He shrugged his shoulders a bit when she had corrected him "Well, whatever. You're still pretty good with that bow" he commented as he watched her moving to get out of the simulator, and he took another step or two to the side to allow her the room to comfortably get out. Hearing her mentioned not enjoying killing, and then calling him a monster, he just whistled "A little harsh, don't you think?" he said and grinned "But monsters are fearful and strong, so I guess I'll take it as a compliment. Though if anything I think 'God' or 'Hero' would be a more accurate representation" he shrugged his shoulders.

When she seemed to suddenly get a bit more defensive and intimidating in her words than her previous ones, sounding like a small child that just wanted to go home, he smirked a bit at her change in language "I wouldn't say I'm scared. I'll admit, you're good. But I'm not scared of you - or anyone else in this room. If anything you sound like the one that's scared" he commented, referring back to her comment about just wanting to go home. "Anyways" He said as he held out a hand for her to shake "I didn't catch your name, Miss 8" he said, just calling her by her district since he didn't have anything else to go by at the moment "What do you say to tagging along with me? Monster or whatever you want to call me, you know it's a good idea" He spoke confidently not seeing why anyone wouldn't want to be on his team.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena rolled her eyes at his remarks. How did someone get that cocky? He wasn't anything more than she was. They were both pawns in the Capitol's little game. They just let him think he meant more to them than the rest of the tributes but in reality they were the same. Both of them were puppets to the Capitol: no more, no less. Well maybe a lot less but that wasn't important.

Serena scuffed slightly as his remarks and shook her head. "Please don't try to hide your fear with arrogance. You're not really that good at it to begin with so perhaps it would be nice for you to just stop embarrassing yourself," she commented as she moved past him to put her bow and quiver down, "Besides why would you trust me? Or I guess the more important question is why would I trust you? Careers are known to only look out for themselves. How am I supposed to know that someone as sadistic as yourself isn't just trying to play mind games with me?"
~
Gale had been busy with his own routine. He remembered what he had done during his games and he wasn't about to try and change things now. He was conflicted though. When they entered the Arena would he fight for his life and give the Capitol a thrill or would he take their fun away by letting himself die early. It wasn't really a fun thing to think about as he knew this was a lose-lose situation for him. But even still, he found himself lost in that thought.

However, that didn't last too long as he was brought back to reality when a tribute made an attempt on Alice's life. Of course, he was probably trying to play it safe by claiming it to be an accident, but he had seen his intentions and it enraged him. Gale was known for having a pretty bad temper at home. He let things get the best of him even if they were rather small and insignificant. He made a beeline towards the pair and though he couldn't tell what they were saying he could only assume it wasn't good. "Do you have a problem with people from 12?" Gale asked he wedged between the two of them and faced the male tribute with his arms crossed. He wasn't about to let his one and only ally die before she even entered the arena.

(Sorry if this post is short >.< I'm on my phone and I really wanted to reply lol)

 

[ChibiMonkey]

When he asked her for a race, Alice just raised a brow, figuring it out. She was known for her speed and agility, and like how everyone got their own sort of killer names by their 'fans' and the capitol, someone somewhere started calling Alice the shadow killer, and it stuck with the crowd. Mainly because while she didn't initial fights unless necessary, when needed, she was there one second, and gone in the next, which was her strategy to end things quickly, because she knew she likely wouldn't win in a hand to hand combat fight. So, with that, and the fact that she was relatively tiny and dainty looking, yet actually had won the games got her attention. But she could see that this guy was just trying to not only make an even greater name, by challenging her speed and hoping to prevail winner, but also, taking away one of the biggest things that was her skills.

Despite the fact he was challenging her, she wasn't worried, and just smirked "I don't think that'll be beneficial for you" she commented, before Gale had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and seemed to be backing her up. She blinked a bit in surprise, before the guy just smirked a bit "Problem? Not at all. We were actually enjoying ourselves, weren't we?" he said as he looked back to Alice who scoffed "Nothing about these games is enjoyable. And especially not talking to you" she said, before offering Gale a light smile "Thank you though" she said, before walking over to the javelin and tossing it off the track "you wanted a race didn't you?" she said, figuring if anything it might help to gain her more attention from those that could be potential sponsors. She didn't plan on losing.

~

When she just continued to believe he was fearful and telling him it was just embarrassing covering it up with arrogance, he scoffed a bit, crossing his arms and getting a little irritated now at her behavior. He was being nice, wasn't he? He didn't have to befriend her, or offer her a way in with the careers where she would be safer with their protection. And even if she didn't trust them, it was all the more reason to stick close to them, so that she could keep an eye on them. What was that saying, keeping your friends close but enemies closer? After all, that was exactly what Cato was doing by offering her to group with them. Because he wouldn't admit it, and certainly not to her, but he was worried about her ability with a bow and arrow. So keeping her closer would be better to keep an eye on her.

"It's true, everyone knows the careers stick together, that isn't some secret. But the only reason we do that is because were the only ones worth helping out. Everyone else are just morons, or weak. But not you. Or at least I thought so, but maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were, declining my offer. And I'm not giving you a reason to trust me - trust is something that will get anyone killed in an instant, and so I'm not saying that you need to trust me, just as I'm not going to you. It's a naive thought to think you can survive on trust, because in the end, someone will have to break it, because there can only be one victor" he explained before he just rolled his eyes "Whatever, I was being nice but forget it" he said, irritated that she didn't think or see how smart it would be to pair up with him and the other careers.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena crossed her arms as he spoke. She knew that he couldn't trust him. She really couldn't trust anyone around here, but at least some of them were decent human beings. This guy just seemed like a jerk, then again, she probably came off as a jerk to other people too. She let out a sigh before shaking her head as he started to walk away from her. She needed to pair up with them. They weren't good people but they could protect her for now and that's what she needed. "If I do join you, I'm not partaking in killing anyone," she said to him, "I won't give the Capitol what they want. They want to see one of us emerge from that Arena as the best of the best. What good is that going to do? It's not going to change anything for anyone. I will shoot to wound and protect myself, but I will not attempt to kill anyone."

She had honestly had it with the Capitol and their games. Every year two innocent kids from each District would be sent off to either be murdered or to become a murderer themselves. She was a murderer too whether she wanted to admit it to herself or not, but she didn't want to live that way anymore. She would rather die than hurt anymore of her people. They may be from another District but they suffered as she did, and that made them friends in her mind. "I'm sorry if that disappoints you, but I can't kill anyone else," she continued, "I can't become a monster again."
~
By the time Gale got there, he found that Alice had already diffused the situation. She was something else in his mind. How did she keep her anger to herself? Did she just hold it inside herself, or did she actually not feel that way towards other people. He didn't know but she was definitely handling it better than she would have. He took a deep breath as he stepped aside to let them have their race. He knew Alice would win. This poor tribute was just wasting his time.

What would he have to gain anyway? Losing to her would just show weakness, and that was the last thing anyone wanted to do, especially when the Capitol was watching them. Then again, this was one less tribute that he would have to worry about. The Capitol would find a way to eliminate him. "Good luck," Gale said to the male with a shake of his head, "You're going to need it." He stepped back a bit so that they could take their lanes on the track. He remembered watching Alice's games. The scariest part was her speed was only half of her skill; she was also one of the sneakiest people he had ever seen.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As Alice stepped back onto the track, she watched the male follow up right beside her, standing in the land right next to hers, and she frowned "No, you stay in the lane on the other end" she pointed decisively, as the male just scoffed "Can't I chose where I run myself?" he spoke while Alice just looked at him blankly "No, you can't. I don't trust you not to try some bullshit move again and try tripping me up or something" she stated, while the male seemed to pause, taken aback by the accusation, since, well, it seemed like she had hit the nail right on the head. She just waited for him to get ready in the other lane, before they decided it would be a single lap around the track.

As she stood there, she just smirked a bit watching him stretch out as though it were a game "Would you like a run around yourself before we start to warm up? I've already been running a bit" She even offered to the male, who just confidently scoffed and turned it down saying he didn't need it, and that she could use any advantages she could get. She just rolled her eyes, and once the two of them were ready, they started, asking Gale to count for them and tell them when to start. Alice was in the lead to start with, but what surprised her, was how fast that the male actually was. He wasn't nearly as fast as her, but he was decent. She just shook her head a bit to herself and pushed through. He was really fast, but only at the start of it. Halfway around and he was already slowing down. Alice had gotten back to the start/end by the time the male was barely reaching three quarters of the way around the track.

~

If all she was going to do was keep insulting him, he wasn't going to waste another breath on her. As much as her skill was a concern for him, he didn't need her thinking she was all high and mighty compared to him. Turning to walk away, he only got a couple steps before she said she would join up, and he paused in his step, glancing over his shoulder and smirking a bit "Smart choice" he said as he turned back around to face her fully. Even though she was speaking as though it was hypothetical, and using the word 'if', he knew that meant he'd won her over, and she'd be tagging along with the career group. As she emphasized however how she wouldn't be killing anyone unless her life did indeed depend on it, he just smirked a bit at the naive though. Oh, her life would depend on it. That's what these games were about, weren't they? Kill or be killed, there wasn't really an in between.

As she continued going on about referring to him as a monster again and how she couldn't be one anymore, he just rolled his eyes, waving his hand "yeah yeah" he yawned in boredom "Look, I don't need a lecture. You coming with me or not? After all, like you said its not usual for a non-career to team up with us. So unless you want them to target you, you should probably come meet the others" he said with a shrug of his shoulders, not really leaving her all that much of a choice before he turned and started heading over to where the majority of the career's were practicing - as usual, they flocked together, even in practice.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena looked at him for a moment before rolling her eyes. This guy was a bit much for her but she didn't want him hunting her. Or any of the Careers hunting her for that matter. "You're kind of rude, you know that?" she asked as she followed after him, making sure to keep her distance, "And...rather unlikable. It's a wonder the Capitol can stand you." She didn't really want to antagonize the guy but then again he couldn't hurt her. At least not yet. The Capitol wouldn't let him. They had strict rules about training and harsh punishments if any of those rules were broken. She brushed a lock of her hair back as she walked over to meet the other Careers.

Most of them were older. At least in their early 30s, but that didn't make them any less intimidating. She let Cato do the talking though she wasn't sure if they were going to accept her. She was good with a bow and she knew that, but she didn't think that these older tributes would let someone as young as Cato tell them what they were going to do.
~
Gale could tell that the tribute had had a few ideas and tricks up his sleeve. It was clear that he wanted to try something, and he vowed that if the man did try something, he would make him pay for it in the Arena. He watched carefully as the two got into position before taking off around the track. The male was fast at the beginning but he slowly but surely began to fade as Alice seemed to just get faster and faster. He remembered her being quick back in the District but no one really paid it any mind. Speed would only keep you alive so long in the Arena but luckily Alice was smart enough to know that.

Eventually Alice made it back with the male cursing and panting behind her at his loss. Gale couldn't help but grin and shake his head as he looked down at Alice. "You make that look a little too easy," he said with a slight laugh, "I would try to challenge you, but I think you would embarrass me." He turned his attention back to the male tribute before snickering. "Better luck next time," he scoffed.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As Alice slowed to the finish, she just turned around to see where the fool that had challenged her was. Glancing to Gale when he spoke, she couldn't help but smile a bit "Only because I enjoy running. It's hard to do something that you don't enjoy or have an interest in, which is one of the main barriers when it comes to speed" she commented before letting out a slight laugh at his comment of challenging her "We all have are strengths, and weakness" She said, reminding him that even though she was skilled at running, that didn't mean she was invincible. Where she excelled, others failed, but where she failed, others excelled.

Glancing back to the male who was out of breath and finally finished, she just sighed a bit "I suggest only picking battles you know you can win. Not so easy when there's no tricks you can pull, are there?" she commented, it being more rhetorical, but the male just smirked as he caught his breath "I guess it's a good thing tricks are allowed in the arena then" he said, almost implying an underlying threat in wait. She just frowned a bit, and turned away from him, ignoring him "Anyways, you didn't have to come over in the first place. What were you doing before?" she spoke to Gale, walking away from the track and the male.

~

As they were walking and he heard her commenting how he was rude and unlikable, he scoffed a bit, glancing over his side to her "You're wrong about that. I think it's just you. And regardless...I could say the same about you. Acting like your some saint and better than everyone, better than me, and better than the capitol. Well....look where you are. Still stuck in the games that you so despise, and by the capitols doing. So.... you really aren't better than them, are you now" he commented, finding he didn't need to play entirely nice anymore - since she was being rude just the same back to him. She'd already decided to join with him, and whether she liked him or not, he thought she was smart and it was a good decision. After all, he was going to be the winner - who wouldn't want to pair with him?

As the gathered back with the other careers, Cato nodded to them with a greeting, getting their attention. Though, he didn't really have to try to get their attention since having Serena with him by his side was enough to make them curious, and some of them skeptical as they looked to Cato. "What's she doing here?" the female that was from his district asked, looking to the girl with a distasteful expression. Cato calmed her down though before she could get too verbally hostile or anything "Selena's a really good archer. None of us are that good in long distance, and we could use more of that" he explained, not even realizing he had gotten Serena's name wrong, showing a bit how much he cared. While some of them were pretty unsure and skeptical about the idea, they didn't put up too much of a fight for now, since it was true, none of them were good at long distance. However it was clear how some of the older tributes of the group didn't like Cato automatically making decisions on his own for them.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena gave him an annoyed look. "I don't think I'm better than anyone else," she snapped at him as they walked, "I'm not a saint. Trust me I know that, but I'm not proud of what I did either. I hate what the Capitol made me into. What I can stand is when people don't care about the lives they've taken. I see their faces in my sleep. The guilt eats at me every day and you just walk around like you're happy to be back here. Like you want to come here and kill your people. Those monsters who cheered for you aren't your people and the sooner you figure that out the better." She didn't want to lecture him but she knew he was right. These Games were trying to take the people who had won before and beat them down to show the Districts that no one was good enough for the Capitol. Not even the ones who risked their lives to bring honor and food to their homes.

She shut up though when they were within earshot of the other Careers. She didn't need them getting upset with her too. She bit her lip slightly as they looked her over before ordering herself to release it. She couldn't look weak in front of them. She had to show them that they didn't scare her because if all went as she thought it would, they would turn and gang up on her before too much time had passed. She didn't need that. "I'm Serena, you twit," she added sharply to Cato as she crossed her arms.
~
Gale smirked slightly as Alice gave the man a piece of her mind. It was refreshing to see her a bit sassy at times. It made himself feel a bit better to acknowledge that she wasn't always perfect. His smiled dimmed a bit as the male tribute noted something that sounded like a threat. He crossed his arms and eyed him for a moment. He didn't move towards him though. Gale knew that those were just empty threats and that he probably wasn't capable of putting his words into action but it wasn't right that he would make those claims in the first place.

He only moved when Alice did as the pair started to move away from the track. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok," he replied, "I didn't want that guy to think he could walk all over you. Some of the male tributes think that just because you're a girl you aren't capable of beating them." He walked and lead her back to the throwing knives that he had been working on before the male tribute had made a move at her. He picked one up before smiling at her and throwing it into the head of the target.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

As they walked away from the tribute, who Alice ended up figuring out he was from district 7, but otherwise still hadn't quite caught his name. She was sure she would learn it sooner or later, knowing all the interview process and parades they would have to go through before the actual games begun, Which honestly was just a sickening thought. She sighed with a shake of her head, shaking those thoughts from her mind for now as she focused back on Gale and the conversation that they were having. Hearing him comment how he just wanted to make sure she wasn't getting walked all over by male tributes thinking they were superior, she just smirked a bit, tilting her head as she looked to Gale curiously "And you? What do you think?" she asked, referring to his comment about how some male tributes assumed that some girls weren't capable of beating them because they were girls, and basically asking him if he was that type of guy.

She stopped by one of the training stations where he had been practicing, seeing he had been using knifes and smiling a bit, finding they had that in common, since she also preferred knifes. Some people might thing it better to have different skills in a group - which they did still have differences in their abilities, certainly, but even something as small as them both knowing how to work with a knife kind of brought an odd sense of calmness to her, that there was something they had in common. It just kind of helped to remind her that they were still human, no matter what these games threw at them, or made them do.

~

He just sighed with a roll of his eyes "Well, you sure act like it" he commented with a shrug of his shoulders "I"m not saying I don't act it, because I do. But rightfully so. I mean....I am better than just about most of the tributes in this room. If not all of them" he commented arrogantly "Sure, I'm smart enough not to let my guard down around them, but that doesn't mean they really worry me either" he said with a shrug of his shoulders "which is why you made a good choice sticking with us. Not many really challenge us until we challenge them. Things go by our terms, when we want, how we want. So we always win" he said with a confident smirk. As arrogant a gameplay it was....it hardly ever seemed to fail, really.

As she started to go back into lecture mode talking about saintliness of not enjoying killing others, it being wrong, they were their own people, and such on and such forth, Cato just rolled his eyes with an inward groan "God, are you planning on becoming a preacher or something? You'd make a good one. You already know how to bore people to death with lectures" he huffed before they arrived and he introduced her to the group, and while they didn't seem to comfortable with it, Cato was smart in the fact that it would be wise to have a long distance fighter in their group, so they went with it for now. Even if they all didn't approve of Cato taking the lead. They wouldn't let it stay that way though. When Serena had corrected him about her name, Cato just scoffed and rolled his eyes "That's what I said" he huffed, though before long, it seemed training time was over, and the day drawing closer to an end, they were allowed to go back to their suites for the time being and have dinner and relax for the night - if they could relax, anyways.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena rolled her eyes as Cato made his rather annoying comments. "Maybe I will become a preacher after this is over," she muttered, "Once I win and get to go home." She wasn't going to win but she just wanted to stick that in Cato's side. She was right. She knew she was right. She didn't need some know it all kid to try and tell her that she wasn't. She did her best to keep her mouth shut though especially around the other Careers as she didn't want to make them upset. She knew they all thought as Cato did. It was the way they were raised and she couldn't compete with that.

Finally it appeared as though as people were beginning to filter out. Tomorrow she assumed they would line up and be paraded around the Capitol in front of the infamous President Snow. The odd thing about the Capitol was they all seemed to like her. Probably because she was a pretty young woman, but whenever she got the chance to talk she never had one nice word to say about the Capitol. Even so, they cheered her on, helped her in the Arena, and so forth. It was the strangest thing. Serena looked at Cato for a moment before starting to head for the elevator. "Are you coming?" she asked as she looked back at him.
~
Gale smiled slightly at her question. "I mean come on I'm definitely better than any girl here," Gale teased for a moment before shaking his head and regaining his solemn face, "I think anyone can win these Games. I would just prefer for them not to exist. I think they're ridiculous. A lot of these people are mad that they have to come back and go into the Arena again. No one should ever have to do that once let a lone twice. If I get out of here, I mean I don't expect to but if I do, I want to try and fight this." He knew that was a dangerous thing to say, especially amidst the trainers and game makers. They could make it so that he could never escape and show his views. The last thing they wanted was a revolution.

"I really do think that we could take them down. If we show that the Districts are united against the Capitol they will have no choice but to bow to us. They keep us separate and make us kill each other because they don't want us to unite. If we did we would overpower them with ease. I want to try to make a few statements during the parade and the interview but I know Haymitch would murder me in my sleep before I even go to the Games," he continued as he noticed the other tributes begin to disappear back to their suites to get some rest.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

Smirking a bit Alice could tell he was trying to joke a bit about the topic, before he got a bit more serious saying how anyone could win, and she nodded "That's true. But who knows, you could really be better than every girl here. And every guy" She spoke seriously as she looked forward at the target he had hit with the knifes. Alice honestly though Gale had a really good shot of winning. She liked to think that she did too....but she'd by lying if she said that. She had won before, sure. But so had everyone else in this room. If Alice got stuck in a close combat fight...she knew the chances of her dying were high. She shook her head and the thoughts from her mind, deciding it would do her no good to dwell on such thoughts for now, and turning her attention back to Gale as he started speaking about the capitol, and what he wanted to do.

She was a bit surprised - not by his words, but more so how he was talking like that where they were. She glanced around a bit nervously, relieved to see no one seemed to be listening or paying any sort of attention to them, and she looked back to Gale "I'd be careful how much you say. While I certainly don't disagree with you....and if by some miracle, in another life where we both could survive, I would certainly love to help you take them down. But I'd be careful about vocalizing your opinion too much...you know how the capitol loves to have their own fun in the games. You don't want to make yourself more of a target than necessary" she spoke, before also noticing how the day was ending "Come on, lets head back to our suites for the night..."

~

Cato just smirked a bit in amusement when she spoke as if she would be going home after all of this, as if she would be the winner. He decided to cut his rude comments for the time being though, not going to outright tell her that she was going to die. Even if she knew it, and he knew it. Even he knew not to say something like that directly to a person. Sure, he may say it indirectly, arrogantly proclaiming how he would be the winner - which meant she and the others would die. But he wouldn't actually say it to her face that she was going to die. He may not know many boundaries and lines that shouldn't be crossed, but that was one he was familiar with.

After remaining with the rest of the careers so that the could try and get a little more familiar and comfortable with Serena, Cato hoped that they would all be able to get along. Well, maybe that wasn't possible, but at least enough so they didn't try killing each other - not until the end, anyways, of course. Cato would feel better having Serena around and on his side so he wouldn't have to worry about her and her arrows until the end. Although, there was the chance she could always turn and try and kill them by being close to them. But then again, he doubted that would happen, since it would be pretty foolish for her alone to go against the whole group of the careers. As the training seemed to be winding down, he glanced to her when she motioned to the elevators, and he smirked as he followed up beside her "Sure. I didn't think you'd want to be around me more than necessary though" he commented as he stepped into the elevator with her.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena crossed her arms for a moment before rolling her eyes. "Oh please," she replied as she walked with him, "I just feel as though I need to get used to your sore attitude before I'm actually handed a weapon. I don't want to get aggravated and shoot you 'by mistake'." She brushed her hair behind her back as she entered the elevator with him. "Besides I know how much you enjoy myself and my 'lectures' so I figured I would do you a favor and let you listen to more of them," she continued as she pushed the '8' button for her level.

She figured that she would at least get to know the kid for the time being. Sure the Games were only a few days away but if these were going to be her last days on this cruel earth she might as well make the best of them. "Tell me something: why do you enjoy the Games?" she asked, "I mean...if you like fighting so much wouldn't you rather fight the Capitol?" She paused for a moment as she found herself jumping to conclusions. "I'm sorry I don't mean to lecture, but I am curious," she corrected as she looked at him.
~
Gale looked at her and shrugged slightly. The Capitol didn't scare him anymore. "They can't take anything else from me," he said gently as he walked with her quietly, "It's not possible." He didn't really have anyone that he loved around anymore. The Capitol had put him in the games and stripped him of his dignity, pride, and worst of all, his innocence. There was literally nothing more that he could imagine losing.

"The only thing left for them to steal would be my life," he replied, "And even if I do get out, what is there to go back to? The only reason I want to win is so that I can go and unite the districts, but if I can't do that, then I'm close to useless now." He was quiet for a moment before giving her a slight smile. "I'd rather see you win," he replied, "I think the people back in 12 like you better anyway." She was a bit more personable than he was. Softer but that wasn't really the right word. She definitely had more self control than he did, and that was admirable.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

When he just spoke of how there was nothing more possible for the capitol to take from him other than his life, which he only wanted to get back at them for, she frowned a bit at how sad it kind of was. But she could kind of relate. She understood that feeling in a way, and she just sighed a bit "I get what you're saying. But you know you've already let them win if you think that way. Sure, the games are a way to control the districts, to control us and make use feel inferior, and to further pin the districts against each other so we have no desire to unite....but you shouldn't let them take something that is yours, and yours alone. And I'm talking about your hope" she said before smirking "And yeah, that sounds corny as hell, so shoot me" she rolled her eyes, before realizing the irony of her words.

"Actually, preferably don't shoot me. But really, I don't think what I'm saying is wrong" she commented as they stepped into an elevator, and she pressed the 12th floor for them, and leaned back against the wall of the elevator. "And about the district..." she sighed at his comment of saying he felt they liked her more anyways "I have no place in winning the games. My life has been borrowed time since I was born pretty much" she commented as she looked out at the glass walls of the elevator as they moved up "I was supposed to have died a long time ago. Before these games, and before the one I was first in and won" she commented softly, thinking about her adoptive father, who had been her only treasure in the cruel and poor world of District 12.

~

Cato couldn't help but chuckle slightly at her words. Though the funniest part about it? Was the very likely fact that she wasn't just joking. Following her to the elevator, he pressed his floor level, being 2 and half groaned when she commented about giving him another lecture and not wanting to miss the chance "Well thank goodness my floor is way before yours then" he huffed, before hearing he continue to talk, and instead of a lecture, she was actually asking a question. Which as invasive as it was a little bit with her assumptions, he didn't mind it, and smirked a bit as he looked to her "This isn't a lecture, this is a conversation. Don't tell me that you folks in District 8 are that uneducated you don't know the difference" he half teased, but also half was being genuine and serious in his words.

"You're right about me enjoying fighting. I love it. Death really doesn't phase me at all, so...I guess I enjoy having something I can be so good at. I mean....since I was born my parents were practically prepping me for the games and how to survive them. I was raised to win, for myself, for my family, for my District. And for the Capitol. Training for the games...it's what I've been raised to do. So when I got the chance to finally participate in what my life was raised for, i felt ready, and excited to finally do it. It had been such a focus in my life...I guess i felt it just kinda because a birthright kind of thing?" he said with a shrug of his shoulder. In reality, outside of his almost brainwashed sort of perspective...it was almost kind of sad, that the whole purpose of his life was training for the games to win them for his family and district. Before either of them could converse more though, they arrived at the second floor pretty quickly, and he nodded to her "Too bad, guess I don't get to hear anymore of your lectures tonight" he smirked as he waved to her, stepping off of the elevator.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena looked at him and listened as he spoke. She really couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could some take their child and teach them to kill others. Not just for survival but for pride and glory. She would never be able to teach her child something like that. She would do anything and everything she could to keep her baby from the games. To hide and shelter them from it. She didn't want them to be subjected to the horrors that she had witnessed.

She brushed her hair back before moving her hand in the way of the door so that it wouldn't close. "What do you owe them?" she asked, "The Capitol I mean. Can't you just fight for yourself, your family, and your District? What have they ever done for you?" She knew that was a lot of questions but honestly what had the Capitol ever done for them? Sure they sent them food, but they treated them like slaves. If they were free to do as they pleased they could be better off. They could live however they wanted and do whatever they saw fit. That seemed much more desirable to her.
~
Gale looked her quietly. She was right. How did she always manage to see the good in such dark times? He had no idea how she managed to stay positive but she had. He walked into the elevator with her and smiled slightly at her. "You're right," he said gently as the doors closed, "Hope is the only thing we have left to hold onto. Without that the Capitol really has won." He chuckled slightly as she gave a little laugh.

"Don't worry," he replied, "I won't hurt you. I promise you that." He vowed right then and there that if they were the last ones in the Arena together he would let her hurt him. The world needed someone like her. They needed a light at the end of the tunnel. He wasn't good at that kind of stuff. It was hard for him to focus on the light when everything else looked so dark and gloomy. It took a few moments before they reached their floor and he let Alice walk out first before following close at her heels.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

When Gale assured her he wouldn't hurt her, even promising as such, she looked at him in a bit of surprise "You don't know if you can keep that promise. But I appreciate the attempt" she spoke with a small smile "You probably know from my past game, but I don't prefer killing unless I have to for my own life. So while I know it's hard to trust any tributes words, and I don't blame if you don't trust me, I won't turn on you or anything like that" she said as she reached a hand up to her pony tail to let her hair lose, now that they weren't training or anything "It'd be great if neither of us had to die" she mumbled softly in thought "Or anyone for that matter..." she said, more so thinking aloud to herself at this point, before snapping out of it when the elevator dinged at reaching their level, the highest one.

Stepping out she shook her head "Sorry, ignore my rambling" she said with a soft smile as they headed into their floor. Honestly, it made her uncomfortable every time she stepped into it. She was used to life in District 12....this floor alone was grand, and several times the size of a single average house back in District 12. It was just so drastically different. After parting from Gale, she headed to her room to wash up - even the shower was huge. Almost everything was glass or marble of sorts. By this point though, Alice no longer cared if she broke anything - the Capitol had to pay for it anyways, so if anything, it was almost incentive to break things.

~

Hearing her ask a few more questions just as he was moving to leave the elevator, he looked to her curiously "The Capitol has done a lot for us. Without them, we would starve, they govern our society so that we can all live. Aside from those involved in the games, of course...But aside from that they provide for us. It's only natural that we do what we can to give back to them and show our gratitude" he explained. To many, like Serena, it was a completely ridiculous response that sounded of nothing but bullshit and lies. But to people like Cato, to the select few top districts that were closest to the Capitol, they were the ones that benefited most from this society, aside from the Capitol themselves, of course. But because of these and how the career districts were the wealthiest of the rest, they were blind to the fact that the rest suffered so harshly, opposite of how people like Cato got to live.

"Anyways" he spoke up again as he stepped out of the elevator, turning to her with a smirk "Thanks for the lecture. Goodnight" he spoke to her, before the elevator doors started to close between them. He watched the elevator leave before he just shook his head to himself and headed into his suite on the floor. She certainly was an interesting character, that was for sure. Honestly, he wasn't quite sure what to make of her...For now, he shook the thoughts from his head and headed towards his bathroom, where he would take a shower to clean off from training before eating dinner.

 

[SerenaStark]

Serena listened to him quietly. She really couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wanted to ask him to come back and talk to her but she knew he wouldn't. Instead she moved her arm as the elevator doors made their second attempt at closing. She leaned against the wall as she felt the elevator start to move. What kind of life were the Careers living? She knew they were close to the Capitol but even so they had to be better off than she had thought.

She wanted to envy Cato but at the same time he deserved her pity. He was completely oblivious to what was going on in the real world, and if he was as lost as he claimed to be, she couldn't imagine what the other people of Districts 1, 2, and 4 must be thinking. They needed to see what was going on in her home district. If they saw what people were being subjected to perhaps they could change things. It would be risky though. She have a target on her head once the Games started if she tried anything at all, but she had to. She knew this would be for the best. She walked out of the elevator when the light dinged and the doors slid open. She walked out and back to her suite.
~
Gale listened to her as she spoke before smiling slightly. He shook his head slightly as the elevator brought her back to the real world. "I like when you ramble," he replied with a smile as he walked out behind her, "Don't apologize." He needed to talk to her about making a statement during these games. It would be risky because they would then be wanted dead by President Snow, but hey they wanted a show. Why not make it a show they'd never forget?

He walked to his own room and hit the shower. It felt good to finally get clean. There was really nothing like this in District 12, and he assumed the other districts lacked a proper shower as well. He washed his hair and body off before grabbing a towel and changing into a set of clothes that the Capitol had left for him. He threw them on before walking out to the living room area where Effie was quickly setting up for dinner and Haymitch was busy attempting to steer clear of the alcohol.

 

[ChibiMonkey]

When Gale just said he liked her rambling and not to apologize, she looked at him as if he was crazy, before laughing a bit "Well, sorry to disappoint then. It's not often I ramble. I guess it's just the games sinking in again causing me to do that" she sighed a bit as she ran a hand through her reddish locks as they walked through the floor of their suite. She took a shower first, ignoring Effie and Haymitch for now while she just enjoyed her shower, where she could be completely, entirely alone, for the first time since the announcement of her being forced to compete in the games again. She sighed, running her hands over her face as she finished cleaning up, before she stepped out and dried off, changing into some clothes provided in her room, before she went to go get dinner, ignoring nosy Haymitch who wanted to hear and know everything that had happened in the training room with the other tributes.

Sitting down at the table, she leaned back in her seat Effie and Haymitch chatting away and trying to include her and Gale, but Alice wanted nothing to do with it. She was never a very talkative person, and honestly, her mind was preoccupied with other things. She kept thinking about the upcoming interviews...and how Gale said he wanted to go more vocally public about his opinion regarding the Capitol and the system and everything. She of course agreed in his beliefs, she didn't think he was wrong, but....it was troublesome to say too much and displease the President Snow and anyone else who could end their lives in an instant during the games. She knew they'd probably have to talk more about it with each other before the interviews came up.

~

Heading straight for the showers, he cleaned himself off before getting dressed and heading back out to the mail floor area, where their District's advisor and escort were, along with his female counterpart from the district, whom, didn't seem all too pleased with him "Cato" she snapped as she practically demanded him to join her in just the tone of her voice, which he sighed, expected to be questioned as he headed over, plopping down on one of the luxurious couches as he looked to her "What is it?" he raised a brow at her, although knowing very well likely what it was she probably wanted to talk about. Serena. And he was right, of course.

"What was with today? That girl, Serena? I get that it's good to have a variety of fighters with skills in our group...and I agree we could use a better long distance fighter....but her? Just what district is she from again anyways?" she frowned as she crossed her arms, and Cato sighed "She's good, you have to admit that. Not better than us, of course. But too good to go unnoticed and left alone. It'll be easier to have her closer than not knowing where she is at any moment in the games. Then we can just kill her off when she's outlived her purpose" he said as he leaned back on the couch "I think it was 7?" he said before shaking his head "No, never mind it was 8. Yeah, District 8."

 

[SerenaStark]

The day of the interviews rolled around and she couldn't have been more nervous. She had gotten up early to meet with her stylist and he had prepared something beautiful for her. He always did. Her team was quick to get to work on her as they chattered amongst themselves and at times would include her as well. A few hours later, her stylist finally entered with a beautiful gown draped over his arm. Serena smiled slightly when she saw it. "Lovely as usual," she said with a smile before getting up.

"Only the best for you," he replied with a grin as he carefully dressed her and zipped her up. Soon after, he went to work on her hair. It was times like these that she was reminded of her mother, Eliza. When she was younger she used to beg her mother to play with her hair so that she could try and look pretty whenever she meandered off to school with other children and her mother had always obliged. Eliza had been a beautiful young woman who had her life taken from her too soon. Now those thoughts were nothing but painful memories. Finally he finished with her and he helped her to her feet. He escorted her outside where she met up with her male counterpart who looked a bit odd but that was because his stylist had an interesting mind of his own. The two proceeded to head over to gather with the other tributes who awaited their turn.
~
Gale sat in a chair for what seemed like eons. How in the world could someone do this for a living? It was exhausting. He had gotten up early so that he could 'touched up' but to him it felt like they were covering up every part of his body with clothes, make up, and sometimes a ridiculous amount of hair gel. He did his best to be friendly to his team because they really were quite innocent but at the same time he just wanted to get these interviews over with.

His stylist paraded around a white suit that looked quite absurd in Gale's mind but he remembered the last time he tried to object. For time purposes he knew he should just shut up and let the woman work. Portia excitedly dressed him and fixed his hair, all while showering him with compliments. Gale only gave her slight smiles in reply which he figured was rude but then again he was about to enter the Hunger Games so rudeness apparently didn't apply here. He made his way out of the room a few minutes later and waited for Alice to arrive so they could line up together.

Serena Dress: http://picture-cdn.wheretoget.it/s5...ed-sequin+dress-sequin+prom+dresses-style.jpg
Serena Hairstyle: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/6d/31/86/6d318660ef9afc8ef545d9756cdf587b.jpg
Gale Suit: http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net...terview.png/revision/latest?cb=20131007201903