Hunger Games

[fandom-in-reverse]

Axel Zuckerman
District 3

Tech started to talk to the tributes about the ceremony and the interview. What Axel had seen of the interviews and heard of the ceremonies, they were where sponsors got to see and hear from the tributes themselves, though being prompted by the interview's host, Caesar Flickerman. Axel thought that the host was always a little bit too excited for the games, but he guessed that that's just a host's job. But parading around the stage and at the ceremony wasn't Axel's idea of a good time. They were even more like meat parades, like window shopping for your next meal. And Tamera was one, that was more than certain. But Axel thought he had a very slim chance, at best, to get a sponsor, even if it was just one. In the Games, he was more worried about the other tributes coming at him with swords and knives, so knowing that there was someone who was going to send gifts to aid him was comforting.

Then their mentor started talking about how they should act while they were at the Capitol and that they weren't going to get anything on how they were acting. "I thought I had a pretty warm personality. After I got finished with factory work, I was going to be the next game show host. Turn the tables around, y'know." Axel added bluntly. And that was his whole personality- he was blunt and tried to be straightforward. But hearing as Tech suggested that he should use that for his advantage was a bit surprising. Axel remembered how many found his personality rather unpleasant to be around, so getting told to use it and use humor, would pique the Capitol's interest.

Axel thought about this. He was happy that he just had to add to his personality instead of changing it, but having to show off was going to take getting used to. The whole idea was sour to him and he knew that if he didn't show off, there was no way he could survive. If Axel got past the Cornucopia, he might be able to devise some traps, but with what? Everything that he probably will need was in the Cornucopia and he wasn't even sure if he could grab a pack. He needed to think quickly when he was in the arena and surely he could do that, right? But then came the next thought: if it came down to it, would he be able to kill someone? Axel pushed that thought aside- that would be a question when he got to training, or even in the arena, but now wasn't the time.

Tech asked if they had any questions, and Axel looked up to him. "What do we need to do in training- do we go for survival skills or weapons? What can we even expect going into the arena? Because I'm not about to learn how to swim and wield a trident and find out there's no water." Going into the arena without knowing what to expect was another part of the Games. You never knew what environment they were going to put you in, and they had a whole array of them up their sleeves. "And what do you think we should do about allies? Tamera here will need all the help she can get if the sponsors don't send her gifts." Axel thumbed at Tamera, and she let out a small sigh.

"We've already established that the Careers are going to be ruthless, and there will be some from the outlying districts that will have nothing but brute strength, but what should we look for when we're thinking about alliances?" Axel asked. He had learned long ago that friends will always leave you so he was sure he could do the same if he had to.

Int 16
Wis 15
Str 14
Con 15
Dex 14
Chr 8
Chr 19
HP 150​

 

[Kimiwriter]

Hazel Locktree
District 10

Hazel listened to Buck while picking at her own food. "It's good to start desensatizing but it's not a garuntee you'll be prepared for your first kill. If you've never done it before, it's not an easy thing to do. Think of it as sending a calf to the butcher. I watched a lot of the reruns of the previous games when I was preparing, but it's still not the same as seeing it up close and feeling the moment it happens."

She looked between the two tributes. In all honesty, she also had her money on Buck. Just by their reactions and current mental states, he seemed like the most likely to survive. But she was proof that the biggest and the strongest didn't always win, so she wasn't about to let him think he was safe.

"If you think your strong, use that. Eat what you can, bulk up, and focus on one or two fighting techniques while in training. But don't think size is what will get you through this. That District 7 kid might lay a trap that you fall right into, or he might climb a tree and stay out of everyone's reach until there are only a few people left, or he will fit through a hole that no one else can get through." Hazel took a bite and chewed, the memories of her own games snapping in and out of focus for the briefest moment. Then they were gone and she was back in the present. "My point is don't be a one trick pony. If you see that brute strength will give you an advantage over another tribute, use it, if you see someone potentially younger, smaller, or weaker than you has the upper hand, convince them you aren't their biggest threat. You need to read the situations and manipulate them to your own advantage. That's how you make it out alive."

Of course, that required they laid groundwork before any of the tributes even reached the arena.

"First," she held up a single finger, "you'll need to create an image for yourself. That's what the parade and interview is for. What do you want people to see or suspect of you? Buck, you're right, your big and strong so the weakling image won't work for you. Eva, that might work better for you but remember there are also some twelve-year-olds in there. Do you want to seem weaker and less of a target or do you want people to think you have a trick up your sleeve? Either aim for a high number so people are hesitant about getting close to you or go for a low number and surprise them in the arena. The interviews gets you sponsors so turn on the charm but make it work with your persona. If you're a bad-ass, act cocky or aloof, if you're shy and terrified, keep quiet. Got it?"

She held up a second finger. "Second, during training you should focus first on survival, then on weapons. You've got a couple of days so pick one or two things and stick to it. I recommend knives or axes. They're the most likely to appear in the arena. Even if you don't get a weapon right away, your survival skills will keep you alive for most of the days in the game. Remember, water, food, and defensive shelter. Training is also the time to figure out who your biggest threats are. If you go with an ally, kill them off as soon as your common enemy is dead. If you go solo, play for the long game and be defensive, keep away from others and wait to hunt anyone down until there are only a few tributes left. And never think some is your friend; even between the two of you."

Once the food was cleared away, Hazel leaned back in her seat and watched them, looking for any little tick that would give away their thoughts. "In the end, the Game Makers will play a hand in the outcome. If things aren't happening, they will trigger traps to get you to react. These are just as deadly as a tribute. They are focused on entertaining the masses; your survival or death is that entertainment, but if you can convince people you're worth keeping around, you've got a better chance." She spread her hands. "So how do you want to manipulate your game?"

 

[Socio]

Tech Ashlock
District 3 - mentor

Tech let out a curt laugh at his tributes sarcastic response his smile resting as Axel listed off his questions. Excusing himself to refill his glass before he answered, he slid back into the seat with a pensive look and took a sip before speaking. "All good questions Axel," he praised nodding towards the boy. "We don't have much time to train you two so we need to use the time we have wisely. Survival skills are equally, if not more important than being skilled with a weapon. If you can't survive out there on your own you won't even make it into a fight, plus even if we were to spend the whole time focusing on weapons the careers have trained their whole lives for this so they will still have the upper-hand. That being said I'm not going to send you in there defenceless, you will each pick one weapon that you feel most comfortable with and we will work from there. Your training time will be spent first on survival skills and then on perfecting a weapon, hopefully that will give you guys a chance. Remember, you may not be the strongest tribute, or the most skilled but you guys can use your brains as your weapon."

Tech glanced between the two, sighing under his breath. "Please tell me you two aren't going to be totally useless in there. Nearly all of our very numbered victors have used some sort of trap to get ahead in the games, so for your sakes I hope you have some tricks up your sleeves." Tech was worried to say the least, the competition was strong these games and one of his tributes had still yet to compose herself. Axel may have potential though he seemed smart and wasn't in tears, so at least that was something.

"Ah, alliances. Another good question, in my games I stuck with the careers for as long as I could and used that to my advantage, but there is always risk in that. You have a few options here, sticking with the careers until you become expendable, create an alliance with other strong competitors that are outside of the career group, or find people you trust. Now of course you will only be trusting them to a certain extent, they will try to kill you at some point after all. My best advice, feel out the other tributes when you are in training, see who you mesh with, who you don't, and make your decision from there." Seemingly finished with his response Tech sat back and downed the rest of his drink, before placing his glass down and holding up a finger as if remembering something.

"Oh, and as for what you should expect in the Arena, anything and everything. They certainly will not make it easy on you but you will have to try and be prepared for every situation. Depending on what you find when you're raised into the Arena you will need to make a decision on wether or not you want to run towards the Cornucopia and try to grab supplies or wether you should flee and just focus on surviving. Admittedly the surviving will be much harder without anything. If you feel confident in your surroundings do your best to grab a bag, don't go all the way in though just stick with the supplies farther towards the outskirts. If you find yourself out of your element turn around and just focus on getting out alive. Oh and for the love of god, do not step off your platform early, otherwise things will get a bit...messy." Tech's lips twitched up into a grin at the last part. Of course one of his tributes getting blown sky high was not exactly funny, but comedy was few and far between so he took what he could get.

 

[Skita]

Sapphire Dray
District 1
​

Sapphire was taken in awe of how beautiful the interior of the train was. Growing up in district one she had been used to seeing luxury around her but this had to be on a completely different level. If this is what a simple train could look like then she couldn't wait until they pulled up into the Capitol. That was the one thing that probably made this whole thing worth it for her, she'd at least be one of the lucky few who get to see the inside of the Capitol and rub elbows with the elite. If she were lucky she'd be apart of that elite one day too.

Sapphire was pulled out of her thoughts as she heard her mentor, Valor, speak as he turned on the recap of the reaping. She leaned against the arm of a couch as she twirled a piece of hair between her fingers as she looked at the screen. As normal there were volunteers from 2 and one from 4, nothing really surprising. As long as they didn't slow her down there was nothing for her to worry about as long as she smart about it. But the one thing that did surprise her was how many volunteers their were this year from the outlying districts. A boy from 7, a boy from 9 and and a boy from 12 and with the exception of the boy from 7, 9 and 12 looked strong enough to stand a chance. Quite frankly a lot of the tributes from the outer districts looked strong enough to fend for themselves this year especially that boy from 10, and she sure that wasn't a great thing. Years of training or not, she rather avoid coming in direct contact with anyone built like a building.

"I think there's more volunteers than normal from the outer districts which means they have something to live for and won't die easily, especially the boy from 7 since his dad's a victor. They all might get more attention from capitol cause their different from the norm right?" Sapphire said, twirling her hair looking over at Valor. "I wanna know how do I stand out? I know they've seen pretty girl from 1 before, and I know they've seen bloodthirsty too I just want to make sure they remember me one way or another. And on top of that what should we do about the stronger guys like the dude from 10 this year? I mean kill them before they kill me but I don't think thats gonna be that easy."

(15+6=21)

 

[Silverius]

Valentine
D9

As Thorn added more to his plate Valentine pushed his away, unable to make himself stomach the smell of food in light of his next answer. "Well... the first thing that comes to mind is that smell-a-vision doesn't exist for a reason. Death is foul. Stomach wounds in particular smell almost immediately of rot, they are also the longest and most painful way to die. So if you incapacitate someone with a stomach wound a mercy killing is common courtesy so long as you can get close enough. If you cant don't risk getting hurt.... The dead piss and shit themselves. There aren't many tributes that can get their first kill without a physical reaction after. The gamemakers don't show that. The gamemakers are also pretty twisted. They can and will manipulate the arena and mutts to target individual tributes or bring you all together to force a fight if you aren't entertaining enough."

"As for training, if you've ever used a scythe or sickle then it wouldn't hurt to train with them, they are District 9's weapons, but no amount of training can prepare you to handle it comfortably enough to use it the way you'll need to if you've never even held one before. The safer bet is to train with knives. Those will be the most abundant weapon in the cornucopia and the most versatile, there will be different kinds but with the exception of the throwing knives they can all serve the same purposes. Hand to hand combat will be important if the only weapons you can get ahold of are knives in the arena. You can mix techniques and use whichever best suites your situation. A longer range weapon could come in handy, the scythe or whatever you end up being the most comfortable with like a slingshot or a bow and arrows." Val pauses to collect his thoughts, his buzz from this morning's bloody marry no longer doing its job of staving off his hangover. "Ideally you should have three lines of defense, four if you are able to stay close to your shelter. Long range weapons, your shelter, close range weapons, and then your fists. If a tribute approaches and they look hostile don't ask questions just defend yourself. If your long range weapon doesn't work and they get to close for comfort, you back pedal and you back pedal hard. Draw them through land you know, land you preferably set traps in, back to your shelter. If you can lead tributes through a trap line you'll take less damage which means you will have less weaknesses for others to exploit when the time comes and you actually have to fight someone. I want you both to play the long game, this works best without a larger alliance. The less people that know or have the opportunity to figure out your game the less prepared the other tributes as a whole will be to fight you."

"And as far as survival skills are concerned. " Val started after finishing down the rest of his water, talking as if this were a normal everyday conversation-For him it kind of was, mentoring is the most interaction he gets with people outside of his family or even victors village as he prefers to keep to himself. "Traps finding water should be your priority, and then plant identification, first aid, and fire in that order. If you know what plants you can and cant eat then you can make it on berries if there are any. As a whole, you can live without a fire. You should only use it to cook any game you find and only during the day. The human eye can see a single candle light in the dark from five miles away, imagine how easy it would be to spot a campfire."



Silverius
D7
HP: 120

"But I'm not great with an axe. When I have the time to do apprenticeships I work in the wood shops with the carvers and furniture makers because I can stay close to home instead of out in the woods for days at a time like my stepdad. The most experience I have with an axe is chopping firewood and even then its not much. Most of the cutoffs we get to burn are already a good size for our fireplace." Sil informed his mentor on the flaw in that plan, at least in regards to him specifically. No amount of training would make a lanky 12 year old proficient with an axe, or any other weapon for that matter, in less than a week. But then he supposes that's not the point. The point is getting in the experience. But if Ronan is going to actually help him at all he should know of the plans that Sil already has... He's just reluctant to share them in front of Willow. He knows only one of them can make it out and any major information they have on each other is a chink in their armor. On the other hand he doesn't entirely trust Ronan either.

"I care about me being young. My mother cares about me being young. My step-loser probably doesn't give a damn, but my siblings sure as hell do." he started, getting berated by the escort about language be he just scoffed. This 'game' is life and death, he's allowed to be stressed and scared and to have a moment. "The youngest tribute to ever win was Finnick Odair at 14, two (hyperventilating) whole (hyperventilating) years older than I am now. And he's from 4, he might not have volunteered or even trained, but 4 is a capital favorite! 7 is not. When Tim is working in the woods and mom in the workshops I'm the one that stays home to look after Pip and the littles that are too young for school because we can't afford daycare for 5 kids even on two and a half people's salaries let alone Pip's medical bills and still have food on the table at night! I can't count how many days of school I've missed. I don't even know what grade I'm in anymore because I've been held back so many times! All because I'm the one that looks after my family while mom and Tim are working, which is all the time just to keep up with what we need and its still not enough! We were close to starving before I was old enough to take out Tesserae. I had my name in so many times that I'm surprised my name wasn't called, that I had to volunteer!" By the end he was obviously mad at the world and nearly shouting but he lost his steam just as quickly as his rant had started with a quite "I had to volunteer..." And then Ronan had the floor again and Sil answered the mentors next words with a half hearted and bitten out "I guess." Willow, to her credit didn't comment on how personal Sil was getting despite being visibly uncomfortable by his words and anger.

"If the cornucopia is that bad then why risk it at all?" He asked, annoyed by this confirmation and then direction from his mentor to get closer to this dangerous thing. "Especially me? So much could go wrong and if I can't be guaranteed I would get something useful from it I don't want to take the risk. Isn't that your job anyway? The reason the mentors stick around after we go in is to help us and get us sponsors, right? Or at least one of us." And just like that Silverius was on a roll again.

"But let's face it, you'll pick Willow. I'd pick Willow. She is the better bet after all. No twelve year old has won the games before, ever. The odds aren't exactly in my favor, they are stacked towards the capitols favorite districts, but at least Willow has a better chance than I do. And I know you will pick Willow because you had no problem abandoning me before!" He all but screamed, his pubescent voice cracking every few words in his anger. Silverius didn't stick around to hear Ronan's advice on alliances or even defend himself. Sil slammed his fists down on the mahogany table, he vaguely took in the fact that the escort gasped in surprise-if they had said anything he didn't hear it, and then he ran. Like the child he is. He didn't know where he was going other than away. He ran, Jumping cars, until he ran out of train and found himself in the caboose surrounded by storage. He found himself a nice hole in a stack of creates and crawled in to hide, tucking his knees to his chest. Finally realizing his mother was right. He made a mistake. He didn't want to do this anymore. He wanted to go home.

Strength: 17
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 13

 

[Skita]

Philomena Stal
District 2

"Of course you will and that's exactly what I mean. Thinking you can and will kill every and anything is a weakness and it makes you cocky and cockiness gets you killed. Let's hope you don't come across someone smarter than you who uses that against you." She said bluntly as she looked at Lex. This was sure going to be a long week wasn't it? Of course she couldn't blame the girl with her way of thinking. She was just like her at that age and so was every other tribute from 2 before her. She sighed as she finished her second glass, deciding that a third would be a bad idea at this point. Philomena barely poked at any of the food on her plate before heading to the next car for the recap.

"Alright, I want both of you to watch this carefully and pay attention to your competition." She said played the video and took a seat on a chair. For the most part everything was familiar as it had been year after year with this year's careers looking promising enough. She made a mental note as the boy from 3 appeared on the screen. Those from 3 were normally exceptionally smart and knowing her luck it would probably be the same way this year. Another note she made was for the three volunteers and the victor's boy. "I think the main threat this year may just be coming from the outlying districts. The boys this year from 10, 11 and 12 seem strong enough to survive this year, and just because they're from the outer districts does not mean you should underestimate them. On top of that there's the group from 3, from what I know 3 tends to send smart tributes into the arena each year. If I were you I would put them to use and then kill them as quickly as possible."

"But that's enough of what I think. How do you guys feel about the tributes this year, and is there anything you want know about how this week is going to go?"

 

[fandom-in-reverse]

• Axel Zuckerman, District 3
• Ronan O'Brien, District 7

• 
  Tech said to train in survival. If the tributes got past the bloodbath, there were only three things that would kill them within the arena: other tributes, mutts, and the setting. You could freeze to death or even starve, but you needed to learn about how to deal with the elements to survive. Starvation and infections could easily be a life and death situation, and Axel agreed with Tech- he needed to learn how to make it on his own. He couldn't rely on the game makers to put everything that he needed in front of him: if he needed fresh water, Axel needed to get it; if he needed food, he needed to trap it. Then Tech suggested that they try and focus their attention onto one weapon. Axel couldn't even imagine the different kinds and the sheer amount of weapons that the game makers had. From previous games, if Axel remembered correctly, they had tens of different knives and swords at the tributes disposal ranging from throwing to hacking; they had "district exclusives" if you wanted to call them that, like sickles and scythes.
  
  Tech also said for them to have more up their sleeves than just traps. He was right, too- most District 3 victors won by setting up some trap. Axel thought for a moment before saying, almost jokingly, "Get me some wire and a battery; I could probably make a taser." He could set up some an amplified weapon if he had the right tools and supplies. He would need to figure out what weapon he felt more comfortable with, first of all. If Axel didn't know how to handle the weapon, it could cause more harm towards him than anything.
  
  Axel nodded at Tech's advice for alliances. Axel would -if he needed an ally- prefer a smaller group or even more preferably, himself. He thought about forming an agreement and then betraying them, leaving them to their own accord while he managed on his own. Previous games saw several District 3 tributes team up with the Careers, helping them if that's what you called it. They would help in setting traps and then after the Careers were done with them, they would kill them. Out of the few that survived on their own or within a group, there were only a couple that came to Axel's mind that became victors. Besides alliances, there was also the Arena itself.
  
  Their mentor told Tamera and Axel to prepare for everything in the Arena. The Arena was always randomized, and they were not short in the imagination department in that regard. The game makers used many different environments to push tributes out of their comfort zone. Freezing tundras, savanna plains, tropical forests, and even a decimated cityscape. Axel and Tamera and many of the tributes would be flying blind going into the Arena so that Axel would remember Tech's advice. Surely he knew what was best for them, but even Axel was still unsure.
  
  Spoiler: Stats

  Int 16
  Wis 15
  Str 14
  Con 15
  Dex 14
  Chr 8
  Chr 19
  HP 150
• 
  Ronan listened as Sil started to go on and watched as he turned and left. It was better for Ronan to let the boy let everything out before anything else, Ronan thought as the door shut behind the tribute. But Ronan also knew if he didn't give his two cents about the situation sooner or later, the tension was going to stay stagnant. He knew that Silverius wasn't living in a very dependable living situation, Ronan figured as much, but what the victor didn't know was that Sil stayed home on many of those occasions. Ronan knew that money was hard to come by- unless you were a victor or in a very good position, money was very hard to come by. But, with all obstacles, there has to be a way around it.
  
  "That boy is going to get himself in a pickle," the escort huffed as they started to brush off some lint off of their tunic.
  
  "Well, welcome to district life then," Ronan replied.
  
  Ronan straightened his posture and then turned to Willow. "He is right, to be all honest. You would be the better choice but I am going to try and split everything between you two. And, I do have a little mission for you: help him as much as you can. If anything happens to him, I don't know if I can forgive myself," and he really didn't. Ronan didn't help him in the past and while Willow seemed like she could do fine on her own but Ronan wanted to see them both excel. "I can try my best to support both of you, but besides giving you some basic supplies that can make it or break it for you and what advice I can give ya, though once you get in the arena, you two are on your own."
  
  Ronan needed to see Silverius make it out, he needed too. He wanted to see the little boy wear that stupid crown that President Snow puts on the victor's head. He wanted to see the Hamlin family move back into Victors' Village and get an honest meal. He wanted to see them make it.
  

 

[Socio]

Lex Cronin
District 2

Lex rolled her eyes at her mentors warning, the idea of one of the smaller scrawny 'smart' tributes beating her was ridiculous. To her the real threats were any one like herself, kids that had trained just as long as she had and were eager to get into the Arena, though Lex was confident she could beat even them. As she sat down to watch the recap Lex glanced over at the boy who sat beside her, meeting his gaze she gave a sweet smile. She was glad to have such a strong ally going into the games especially one that adopted the same attitude as hers, plus the fact that he was easy on the eyes didn't hurt. The music that filled the room drew her attention back to the screen where Ceasar and Seneca were speaking, she couldnt help the excitemnt that blossomed inside of her. Soon she wouldbe in the Capitol surrounded by the people she wanted to impress, she could hardly wait. Lex watched intently as the tributes were shown on the screen, District 1 of course looked fierce, to Lex that was her biggest competition, though she would be interested in the classic Career alliance. District 3 didn't mean much to her, though her mentor seemed to be concerned that their intelligence would be a challenge,when they reached District 9 Lex understood why her mentor mentioned them, the boys from the higher up districts looked like they could be careers.

"I can deal with the boys." Cato said easily throwing a cocky smile towards first Lex and then Philomena. Lex let out a soft chuckle turning towards her partner in the games, while she was sure he could, she decided to poke a bit of fun at him. "I dont know Cato they look pretty strong, maybe you should get some more training in while you still can." Lex replied a fake earnest look plastered to her face. His eyebrows shot up and he turned his attention back towards the girl. "You're right, maybe I should, after all someone has to stop them from snapping you like a twig." Cato shot back mimicking the innocent look that Lex held. The two of them had crossed paths before, though only briefly in training. It was obvious that they were both eager to volunteer so the two of them in the games together was not that big of a surprise. Philomena's question brought both of their attention back to the Games.

"Well, District 1 looks like our biggest competition, though I agree that the boys from higher districts do seem stronger than usual. I don't consider 3 a threat but if you say so I will keep my eye on them." Lex replied turning towards her mentor. "As for questions, I know its typical to have a Career alliance, is this what you would suggest for these games?" While Lex did consider herself an expert on the games she couldn't deny that she had something to learn from Philomena, after all she had actually been a part of the games, something Lex had yet to do.

 

[Jannah]

Buck Pitwood, District 10

As much as Buck hated to admit it he knew that Hazel was probably correct. Certainly he could say one thing, but the actual reality of it all was much darker. He would have to kill and unless he could do so without hesitation the likeliness of being slain himself was quite high. He may have wrestled cattle back home, but the prospect of actually killing them had rarely even occurred to him. No, that had been left up to the District's butchers who excelled in the art, even going as far as creating specialized cutlets especially for the Capitol citizens who demanded them. They definitely knew a thing or two about killing a living, breathing creature. Suddenly the boy wished it was knowledge he also possessed. Somehow, it would make the entire process of what he was about to be thrust into much easier.

How exactly would he kill, though? It was the next question that arose. He was strong, yes, but rarely was anything so simple in the Hunger Games. If he was to be successful then he would have to either wield a weapon with some degree of success, or simply hide. Supposedly the Tributes had a week to train and that was hardly enough time to guarantee success. He sighed as he glanced over at his Mentor. He was better off simply accepting the kiss of death right now.

"Strength I could show, but cunning as well? I'm anything but..." He finally admitted. Perhaps he was a one trick pony. He really knew little else except what he had been taught by his father since childhood. He knew his way around nearly any piece of cattle, but he was about to be trust into something else entirely. Something that he simply did not possess the skillset for and he knew it. "I don't even know the first thing about where to channel that strength unless wrestling Tributes to death is possible."

The arena was only half the challenge, making Buck more attentive than ever as soon as the Mentor made mention of the interviews. "Me being charismatic and gaining sponsors? Now you're definitely asking too much. Plus I'm up against Tributes who have been preparing for this day for years." He declared. He actually had no idea what exactly the Careers were taught, but he figured that some form of public speaking was a fair bet if the interviews were truly as important as the Mentor emphasized. He, on the contrary, could not even recall a single occurrence where he had had to give a speech or really formally speak to the public in any way at all. His partner likely did not fare any better in that respect.

"All in all I simply want to make it home, which is likely asking the impossible. My family needs me and now I'm trapped in this nightmare. What game do I want to play? The one that will get me out of that arena..." He finally concluded. It was time for him to simply throw away all sense of morality. It simply had no place in the Hunger Games and especially not if one actually intended on coming out alive.

 

[Jannah]

Valour Drazen, District 1

Mentoring was not easy. Valour was quickly learning it. One piece of bad advice could mark the difference between life or death, and ultimately shame among the more adamant of the game's supporters. They were abundant back in District 1 so at the very least it was up to the Mentors to ensure their Tributes put on a show that was memorable. Even if the games themselves were not memorable then it was crucial that the Tributes themselves were. Rarely did anybody talk about the 72nd Annual Hunger Games in the context of excitement, but rather the unique plays that had graced the arena, everything from District 5's electricity, District 6's raft, and even the Career pack's complete dominance of the Cornucopia for the duration of the games. If Sapphire and Marvel wanted to stand out, and for years to come, then they would have to perform something memorable.

"Being beautiful certainly helps prior to being thrown into the arena, but once inside it becomes more meaningless. Your opponents are not going to spare you simply because of good looks. No, they will slaughter you at the first opportunity they get. Those in the outlying Districts are especially opportunist as they are driven by survival. In my own games the District 11 girl slaughtered her District 4 counterpart while she was recovering from injuries. My own partner would had been next to go had it not been for some quick thinking on her part." Valour explained. "You need to find your strengths and utilize those in any way you can. The Capitol needs to know that you are a strong combatant as well. They expect no less from District 1."

The girl's concerns, however, were valid. There did appear to be a lot of physically strong Tributes this year. Valour nodded as she pointed it out. His own games had been more of a mixed bag. Most opponents had been physically weak, yet clever. It had truly only been the District 11 girl and the District 9 boy, besides the District 2 pair, who had stood out as major physical threats. Even then District 9 had relied more on speed than anything else, nearly effortlessly cutting his way through those slower. "There does appear to be a large concentration of strength this year, which could definitely become a problem if confronted directly. The key there is to simply not approach them directly. Trick others into doing the dirty work for you. Before you know it the numbers will be dwindled, allowing you to pick off the rest."

"While being beautiful becomes meaningless the moment you step into the arena, it can be used. If you do not want to go that angle, though, then think about where your personality strengths lie. Use those. The Capitol loves to see strong and confident Tributes and both can be conveyed in different ways." Valour finally concluded. There was much to cover on if he held to any hope of seeing another District 1 Victor just two years after the previous one. That had to be some kind of record, but the man did not particularly care to look into it.

 

[Kimiwriter]

Hazel Locktree
District 10

Leaning back in her seat, Hazel pressed her fingertips together in a peak, a habit she developed when pretending to be blind during her own games. "So you're more the country boy, gentle-giant type. It won't get you any high marks but sometimes that's for the best." She looked between them. "You have to remember first and foremost, this is a reality show for them. They're looking for whoever they think can tell a good story for the viewers. 'Blind girl kills six in the first night' was enough for me to grab their attention. 'Gentle giant' might be sweet, and depending on the others, there's a chance it will work, but everyone will think your story is a tragedy. I'm not saying don't go for it, I'm just saying what do you want them to remember you for?"

She frowned and closed her eyes, trying to focus on a plan. "We could try a 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps- kind of story. You just want to go home in peace, take care of your family, your farm you've worked so hard on. If they ask questions, paint an idilic picture of country life, even if it isn't all true. Then in the arena, you avoid fighting unless absolutely necessary." She opened her eyes and winked at them, "let the others do most of the work. It'll wittle down the numbers and make the survivors exhausted or injured while you stay fresh. I can teach you some techniques you can use and, like I said, knives are your friends, but there are ways to crush someone's windpipe, though it's one of the more brutal ways to go." Hazel had done it to one of the tributes in her arena and shuddered every time she recalled the boy's bulging eyes and blue lips.

Shaking the thought away, Hazel stood and nodded towards the other end of the train. "You have until we reach the capitol to figure out what you want to do. Eat, get some sleep, watch the recap a few more times. If you need me or want to work on your strategy, I'll be nearby." Leaving them to their own devices, Hazel went to the sleeping quarters and slipped into the room she would be using. A slight tremor went through her hand. She combed her hair back and searched around for a place to hide. Just a small break. A small chance to let the fear and fury at these kids' fates consume her before getting back to work. No more than five minutes. She'd lost too many tributes already.

 

[Kimiwriter]

Thorn Commonhill
District 9

Staring at his food, Thorn listened attentively to everything Val said. At least the mentor was honest about what it would be like to kill. Suddenly the plan to fortify an area and wait it out sounded much more appealing, he'd just need to figure out how to deal with the mutts.

"I can use a sickle but most of my work's been in the mill." Yet lifting sacks of grain and flour hadn't done much for his strength. He glanced at the screen again paused on the list of the tributes. If he had to have an alliance, he'd prefer it be with one of the outlying districts but most of them looked much stronger than him, meaning he'd have to find a way to get rid of them when the time came. Not an appealing thought. Helping younger tributes might win him some favor from the Capitol but he couldn't bring himself to hurt a little kid. At the moment, going solo did sound like a better option, at least once the Careers were taken care of.

"What do you recommend we do about the Careers? I'd assume they should be our main concern in the first few days."

 

[Silverius]

Silverius
D7
HP: 120

It took a good few minutes of Silverius quietly humming to himself a half forgotten song from before Panem was an established country, to self-sooth and calm himself enough to leave his hiding spot. When he did come out he chose to linger in the last few cars of the train, finding himself settling in the bar car at a corner table shredding a napkin into small pieces, a small glass of water in front of hm. He wasn't avoiding Ronan per say, he just didn't want to create another scene in front of Willow, and thus was giving Ronan and Willow what ever time they thought they needed to get the basics of the game sorted out. Also, Sil didn’t really want anyone who didn't have to , specifically anyone outside this train, to know that he was just a scared little boy making a last ditch effort to save his brother, the being scared bit in particular would be best kept under wraps. He volunteered for this and he had every intention of keeping up that character when they got to the capitol, that brave, head-strong, and willful little boy willing to take on the world in apparent honor of his dead father.... or at least that was Caesar's first impression and he could more than roll with it and make it work for him. He could keep his plight for his brother to a minimum if it meant gaining the capital's favor. Ronan hadn't had the time to explain a lot about the games and the Capital to him before Sil blew up in the other's face but everything his mother had told him, the things his father had told her, in the months leading up to him volunteering more than makes up the loss of information. He had a pretty good idea of how things were supposed to work, and though any help Ronan gave him would be welcomed he wasn't expecting much from the man.

Strength: 17
Dexterity: 14
Constitution: 12
Intelligence: 13
Wisdom: 13
Charisma: 13

 

[Socio]

Tech Ashlock
District 3 (mentor)

Tech watched the gears turn in his tributes brains, Axel brought up his ability to make a taser earning an approving nod from Tech. Of course it was going to take a lot more than just that to get one of them through this, but it was a start. He rose from his seat stretching out his arms and back.

“Alright well I’ll let you two get to know each other a bit, try to relax you’ll have plenty of time to stress later.” He knew from experience there would be no relaxing of any sort on their end but he figured he would let them try. Making his way to the next train over he left his empty glass on the table next to him, deciding it was probably time to cut himself off. Tech rested his head against the window to his left and closed his eyes letting his mind wander. He couldn’t help but think back to his games, the people he had killed, the allies he had lost, all of their screams still echoed in his head. Their faces were all etched into his mind, especially that of his district partner who had been just 12 years old during his games, unfortunately she hadn’t made it past the cornucopia. Slowly Tech drifted off to sleep the memories from his arena playing like a movie in his dreams.

Tech woke with a jolt, his heart was racing and he was in a cold sweat, this wasn’t anything new for him, it happened almost every night. Turning his attention to the window he saw the towering building of the capitol ahead of them. Just the sight of the Capitol was enough to send a boiling rage through Tech, he let out an aggravated sigh but rose from his seat making his way back to his tributes, they would need to be ready for first impressions. Spotting the two seated across from each other he motioned for them to join him at a window.

“Alright, we are going to be in the Capitol soon, people are on the streets waiting to see you and you need to stand out. Tamera I want you to be all smiles and waves, look like you want to be here, like you’re excited to meet them. Axel, no smiling or waving from you, I want you to appear interested and mysterious. You guys think you can do that?” Tech asked as they approached the center of the Capitol, crowds of people already awaiting their arrival.

 

[Skita]

Philomena Stal
District 2
​

"Oh so you actually give a damn about my advice hm?" Philomena clicked her tongue in annoyance as she looked between her tributes before letting out an exasperated sigh. "But to answer your question, yes. For these games it looks like the safest idea would be to keep the career alliance. Although, be aware of your allies strengths and weaknesses and use their weaknesses against them when the time comes for it. I'd also advise sticking together most of all. There's nothing like having someone from home, regardless of how well you do or don't know each other."

"Also don't kill someone just because you think you can." She said after beat of silence. "There is a large difference between thinking you can and actually being able to. I don't care what either of you think about the outer districts or the joke you both are making out of it. Early in my own games I though the same as you both and thought this girl from 7 would be an easy kill but what I didn't know was the girl was stronger and faster than me and had it not been for Emil I would've been sporting a very lovely axe to my throat then. And besides that, Cato may be right. Lex if you get in a fight with one those brutes they may very well be able to snap you like a twig. And Cato you may be evenly matched but don't think your opponent can't overpower you." She fell back between the cushions of the couch as her voice fell into disinterest. It was almost funny how much she saw her self in both of the children in front of her, especially Lex. So cocky, so full of it, with not a single thought that she could even lose. After all a single thread of doubt could ruin you the second you forget why you're there so the safer option is to wear the mask of cockiness. It was a simple mask that had gotten Philomena most of the way through her games that only faltered once and finally broke with the death of Emil. It was killing her partner that brought her back down to earth and realize how much blood was actually on her hands and what the games actually were.

It was easy to tell that if either of these kids were to win the reality would hit them as it hit her and the more she could metaphorically beat the cockiness out of them and knock them down a few pegs the better off they would be when they went in and left the arena.

"I'd like one of you to live but doing that and how much you decide to listen to me is your business I guess. After all district 2 wants a victor not two body bags. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about with me or do you want go back talking about how much more you both know about surviving the games than I do?"

 

[Socio]

Lex Cronin
District 2

Lex’s lips twitched up at the sass filled response their mentor gave, though she also provided them with some good tips. Lex always believed she knew best but she also understood authority and training, after all that had been her whole life. She leaned towards Cato placing her hand on his broad shoulder.

“Hear that? We should stick together.” A playful grin danced across her face and she turned her gaze back towards Philomena. “Cause yknow how important it is that we take our mentor’s advice, probably the only thing that will keep us alive.” She blinked innocently turning back towards the blonde boy sitting beside her. She let her hand trail down his arm before pulling it away. Lex had never had anything close to a relationship, she wasn’t even sure if she was capable of those types of feelings, but flirting could be a weapon, she had been taught that much. If she wanted to win these games she would have to use Cato to do it.

Shooting Cato a wink she turned back towards Philomena, her flirtatious gaze soon replaced by her usual smirk. “We get it, being cocky can get us killed, but I think you worry too much. Every single day of our lives has been spent preparing us for this and what are we up against? Some twelve year old kids that are in tears right now and a few jacked guys?” She scoffed leaning back in her seat. “I’ve taken down guys five times my size I’m not afraid of them. Plus I know everything there is to know about the games.”

Something in Lex’s demeanour seemed to change, she sat up and leaned towards Philomena a dark and intense look in her eyes. “Like your games,” she began, her voice soft yet serious. “Y’know I’ve always looked up to you, the way you slit the other careers throats while they were sleeping? That was some pretty badass shit, and poisoning your partner, what was his name...Emil?” Lex shook her head letting out a laugh, the sadistic look falling away to her trademark grin. “Guess there’s no one you wouldn’t betray to win, huh black widow?” She has a way of pushing people’s buttons, seeing how far she could push until they snapped. Maybe provoking her mentor wasn’t the best idea but Lex didn’t care much she just wanted to get into the arena, and why not have some fun until then?

 

[Silverius]

Valentine
D9

“It was the same for me before my game. I worked in the mills throwing wheat grass into the machine that separated out the chaff then threw the unwanted bits into another machine that bailed the straw for 10 to use for their animals. I never did any heavy lifting and was much smaller than you are now going into my game. I’ll tell you this right now, if I can survive this shit storm then so can you. But you have to want it more than the others do, have to be able to show that by doing whatever is necessary to see your little girl again.”

Val stood from the table, his old knees cracking; stiff from sitting too long, and poured himself another glass of water wishing it was something stronger. “The careers are always a threat, as is every other tribute you cross paths with, but the careers will cause the most trouble when they get bored. That’s typically when they start to actively hunt and look for other tributes. As for how to beat them... luck will play a part. There will be a lot of things you can’t control. But the best way I’ve seen it done is to play their game, but better. Beat them using their own tactics, without of course ruining yourself in the eye of the capital.”

Val looked out the window for a minute trying to gauge where they were along the route. “Shouldn’t be long now before we get there. I’m going to rest these old eyes until then, preferably somewhere dark.” He added on under his breath, the bright sunlight doing murder on his hangover. “If I’m not back before then just smile and wave when we get to the station. Try not to let them see what you really think of them.” And with that vague statement he was gone glass still in hand in search of one of the sleeping cars, those usually had good black out curtains.

 

[Skita]

Philomena Stal
District 2​

Philomena felt her body stiffen at the mention of her nickname, as she looked up slowly noticing that the girl looked pretty damn pleased with herself. It wasn't the first time someone had the gall to use the name to her face like that but it is the first time someone looked so smug in doing so. Philomena instinctively kept her face calm as she straighten up, a pleasant well practiced smile on her face while her eyes said murder.

"Lex, sweetheart, I don't think you understand." Her voice dripping in disdain as she kept a pleasant smile as she spoke. "It's not just my advice keeping you alive, It's me period. I'm absolutely ecstatic that you enough paid attention in training that you can fight but that's half the battle. If you need food, medicine or a new and most likely better weapon, I help sponsors to empty their pockets. Or course its you who does all the hard work of getting the sponsors but in the end it's me who decides when to send your items. I'd be careful talking about things you don't understand if you want to survive. I'd hate for you to die of something entirely preventable simply because you were stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds you."

She stood and began to head to the exit of the car, before leaning in the doorway looking at her tributes. "One more thing, as much as I hate to admit I earned my title because I did what I had to do. Thanks to that you and everybody else remembers me, can't really say the same for Emil, Ruby, Shine, Aqua and everybody else who I killed. So call me what you want it really doesn't matter I'll unfortunately always be the Black Widow and I'll always be one of the Capitol's favorites. But I hope you know no one is going to remember the smart mouthed girl from district 2 when you die. I'll see you both in the Capitol."

Philomena left slamming the door to the car shut as she walked off. If there was one thing for certain about this is she would defiantly need that third glass of wine.

 

[Socio]

Lex Cronin
District 2

Lex watched her mentor closely gauging her reaction, she wasn't too sure what to expect, some yelling maybe? Noticing Philomena stiffen only grew the smirk that Lex held but as the older girl looked up Lex's smile slowly dimmed. The look in Philomena's eyes was enough to silence anyone, Lex chewed her lip nervously but refused to break eye contact, the murderous look the other was giving was intimidating but Lex was too stubborn to back down. As Philomena began her reply in a calm and condescending tone Lex clenched her jaw, she hated being talked down to, hated being treated like she was stupid. Though Lex would never admit it what Philomena was saying made sense, and she truly had messed up trying to poke at her mentor, the one person tasked with keeping her alive. It was a shame Lex would never apologize, she just didn't have it in her even if it meant a greater chance of survival.

As her mentor rose Lex leaned back in her seat resisting the urge to open her mouth and give some snarky reply. Instead she just chose to fling a halfhearted eye roll towards no one in particular still biting her lip absentmindedly. Lex felt her breath catch at the last thing Philomena said flinching as the door slammed shut. There was a thick silence that hung in the room for several seconds being broken only by Cato's curt chuckle. Lex spun around to face the boy who was wearing a shit eating grin. "You are so fucked." he stated still laughing to himself. Lex's glare shot daggers at him and she punched him in the arm with an annoyed "Shut up!"

For the next while Cato and Lex chatted about their lives back home and the games, finding they had more in common than they had already thought. They decided upon sticking together for as long as they could in their games and taking out whatever opponents they faced. Lex of course planned to backstab Cato somewhere along the way though she had to admit the arrogant yet determined boy was growing on her. All talk came to a halt however as the pair spotted the Capitol in the distance and were out of their seats with their faces pressed against the glass in no time. As the train took them through the Capitol groups of people gathered on either side all dressed in strangest most expensive fashion. Both Lex and Cato beamed at the cheering crowd, waving and nodding towards them. Lex could not contain her excitement, she had finally made it and she was going to make sure these people loved her and remembered her.

 

[Kimiwriter]

Thorn Commonhill
District 9

'Do whatever it takes to see your little girl again.' Val's words dug themselves into Thorn's mind as he watched the mentor retreat from the train car. In the past year, he'd done everything for little Maize. He'd worked more hours, he'd taken tessera during the winter when she'd gotten sick, and he made the stupidest deal of his life to volunteer for the games if it meant she'd be taken care of. He spoke out with the full knowledge that he wasn't going to make it home, but if Val thought he had a chance, maybe he could win. Maybe Maize wouldn't be left alone after all. Twisting the strip of fabric around his wrist, Thorn wondered if he really had it in him to win, to 'do whatever it takes.'

He moved away from the table, giving Bailey space to come to her own decision. Taking a window seat, he watched the land speeding by. Trees and hills, the occasional house, as a mountain range loomed in the distance.

'Alright, idiot. What's the play. You gambled, you know the cards in your hand, so what do you do now?' Thorn glanced around the car again. Bailey was watching the reaping again, a dark frown on her face. 'First off, keep away from Bailey. I'm not going home with her blood on my hands.' He could already imagine her family coming after him if he harmed her in the arena. Better to avoid that if at all possible. 'Second, I'm not killing any twelve or thirteen year olds unless they attack first. Feels too much like cheating otherwise.' An image of twelve year old Maize standing in the middle of a blood bath raced through his head. Thorn shook the thought from his head. That was far in the future. He couldn't worry about that yet. 'And finally, stay away from Careers and let everyone else kill each other for as long as possible.'

"Easy enough, right?" he muttered to himself. The biggest part of being a charming deal-maker was being able to read situations and manipulate the other party which required a flexible plan and a few rules. The question of allies or going solo was still up in the air; he'd need to feel out the other tributes during training before making any decision on that.

The train entered a tunnel, everything outside going dark. Thorn sighed and leaned back into his seat, closing his eyes. 'I'm a young dad just trying to get home to my daughter. I came into these games for her and I'll make it out of this game for her. All I have to do is charm an entire freaking city and survive twenty-two others trying to kill me. Not a problem.'

He didn't open his eyes until the train reached the end of the tunnel. Looking outside, he gasped at the sight. The Capitol was huge and shinning, buildings rising high into the sky all with different colors and shapes. Some were entirely made from windows while others looked like steel and concrete. Thorn had seen images from the other games he'd been forced to watch but he always thought what the Capitol showed of the city was some kind of stage, something to trick the districts into thinking it was bigger and grander than it really was. If anything, the television clips undersold it. For a brief moment, Thorn forgot to be mad about his situation and just stared in awe. It wasn't until the train began to slow and pull into a large station with other trains, the sidewalks packed with people in the most colorful, impractical, and outrageous outfits he'd ever seen that the anger and fear returned. How the hell was he supposed to make it through this?

Bailey joined him at the window, watching the crowd cheer and wave as the train came to a stop. "They're disgusting."

"Val told us not to let them know what we think." Thorn hesitated before offering a tentative smile and wave to the crowd. The cheering outside increased.

"You can kiss their ass if you want to. I'll handle things my own way." Straightening, she turned from the window and walked away.

Stats:
Int: 8
Wis:14
Str: 9
Con: 13
Dex: 10
Chr: 17
HP: 130
Capitol Favor: 28​

 

[Kimiwriter]

Hazel Locktree
District 10

Hazel shuddered as the train slowed to a stop. She'd already drawn the shades so the prying eyes of the Capitol would be off of her for just a few more minutes. Hiding in the corner of her room, she counted each breath.
One . . . Two . . . Three . . .
The tributes would be loading off soon. They'd be cleaned up, decorated like a cake, and paraded around the city like dogs at a dog show before being trained to fight.
Four . . . Five . . .
Training was good. That's what they needed, especially Buck. He could do well with a little fine tuning. And she was ruthless; she had an image to keep up.
Six . . . Seven . . . Eight . . .
She stood and combed back her hair. Survival at all costs. Looking in the mirror she willed her face back to the cold and blank mask she presented to the Capitol every year. "Nine. Ten." Hazel strode from her room and through the train, not bothering to look out the windows at the city or the people. She'd oggled at it once before. Now she wished she could burn the whole place to the ground.
Out on the platform, Hazel turned once to the crowd. A few excited screams and shouts from fans and clients greeted her. Turning away, the victor made her way to where the chariots and horses were waiting for the tributes. Some mentors chose to watch the parade. Hazel stayed only as long as necessary. She'd see her tributes back in the apartment where they would be staying during their training.
Standing by the tunnel wall, she watched as her fellow victors entered, some chatting with each other, some looking for the drink cart. Hazel watched and waited, counting faces, drinks, waves, the twitches of the skin near the eye and the too wide grins that some used as their masks. Hazel nodded in greeting to a few of the mentors but she did not approach anyone. False sincerity had its place even when it left a bad taste in her mouth.

 

[Skita]

Philomena Stal
District 2​

Philomena finished off her glass as she stood as felt the train come to a halt. She took a deep breath as she walked out toward the exit. It was time once again. It was time become the capitol's darling girl for better or worse. It was time to smile and nod as if she liked talking about the (rather high) odds that her tributes would survive. Simply put it was time to become someone else, who they wanted her to be, and pretend.

Philomena made an effort to get off the train first to avoid interacting with her tributes. At this point another sour interaction with Lex more than likely would throw off her entire facade and that would be the last thing she needed before being surrounded by the ignorance of the capitol. After all there would be plenty of time to talk between now and the parade tonight. She exited the train with a practiced amount of poise and grace as she flashed an award winning smile waving to the crowd of spectators and fans as she was surrounded by throngs of reporters.

"Ms. Cree how do you feel about your tributes chances of winning?"
"Philomena! Do you think we'll have another victor from 2 this year?"
"Mrs. Stal! Can expect a great show from 2?"
​

She let out a well practiced laughed biting back annoyance, as she continued to walk slowing down to look at the reporters. "You all know I can't give away information about my tributes!" She kept her voice light and playful as if she was toying with them. "But I can say I have a group of ferocious tributes this year who I'm sure will satisfy the need for a good show. Who knows, we might just have another black widow on are hands." She laughs again making an effort not cringe. However the only thing this statement did was excite the reporters more. She simply smiled again waving to them as she walked off with the escort.

She and the escort made their way to the tunnel where the parade would take place later tonight after they had all the tributes dolled up for the night. It was the parade she was most curious about, especially with this group of tributes. The parade is your first impression to the capitol, fuck that up and you're pretty much fucked. Of course there are ways to improve that with training scores and interviews but this is the first shot at sponsor and sponsor are normally a first glance type of deal. This year would have to be one of the few years she watches the whole thing to see how hard she's going to need to work, if at all, to get those eyes on her tributes.

Philomena walked around the room mingling with who ever she saw. If there was one thing she truly liked about being a mentor was for the fact that there were others like her. It was like a makeshift family in her opinion where each person understood. Almost everyone laughed a bit too loud, smiled a bit too wide, drank a little too much in order to hide. It was the price that was paid to be paraded around like the broken little dolls they were, and everyone understood their place. Well mostly everyone. She couldn't help but notice the young 16 year old from 5 that had won the year before who looked as if a single gust of wind could knock her over. And how she jumped at even the slightest noise. She wanted to go to the girl and tell her it'll get easier with time but she couldn't get the courage to tell her such a bold face lie. Especially when she knew her tributes would probably die this year and the next and the year after. Instead she made her way over to girl lightly touching the girl's shoulder, not missing the way she flinched before straightening up once again. She put her arm on the girl's shoulder posing next to her as camera's flash, whispering in her ear. "Straighten up sweetheart. If there was one thing the capitol hates its a shrinking violet. You already won so the rest of the battle is a game of pretend. Good luck."

She pulled herself away from the girl waving, as she made her way around the room again smiling and hugging other familiar faces. Another thing she can't help but notice are the other mentors who made no effort to interact with anyone. They were normally the type that made it known through body language that they hated everyone and everything having to do with this silly farce. She recognized a few similar faces who had a habit of doing this. One such face was Hazel Locktree the victor of the 68(?)th games, who had habit of seemingly avoiding people since she won until she had to interact with someone. Philomena grabbed two glasses of champinge from the drink cart and made to the younger girl as she offered a glass to Hazel with a soft, almost sincere simle. "With they way you're standing people might think you're avoiding the group of us. Don't you want join us in this lovely facade of excitement and pleasantries?" She laughed softly, teasing.

 

[Kimiwriter]

Hazel Locktree
District 10

Hazel eyed Philomena as she approached. She kept her distance from most of the mentors for a reason, especially the Careers, but she also knew opportunity when it knocked. Taking the glass, she used it to motion to the others. "They know I don't play nice with others; maybe they're the ones avoiding me." She sipped the champigne-- the carbonation tickled her throat and it tasted alright but far from the wines she and her father made every summer-- "But i think you're smarter than that, Philomena."

There was a commotion as some of the designers arrived with their assistants.

Hazel held back a wince. She remembered the struggle of not giving away her secret while the designers waxed, plucked, and stuffed her into the most ridiculous thing she'd ever worn. Just another reason why she never wore the outfits they made for her now. Nodding in the direction of the designers, she decided to shift topics. "What do you think they'll be this year? Cows seems to be a popular one for Ten, though I think they tried to make me look like a little shepherd girl. What about you?" Sometimes leaving a few lines in the water was the best way to get a good catch.

She studied the woman they called the black widow. Such a ridiculous name. Anyone who entered that arena needed to be prepared to do anything to survive. It was the only way to go home, the only way to stay sane once they got back. Those that felt guilty turned to methods to forget. Hazel wasn't guilty. She didn't apologize for her actions; she just wished the faces would stop. Philomena seemed to use her nickname like a shield. Perhaps there was a weakness there that could help Buck survive in the arena.

"You have some good tributes, but I think there may be a few contenders this year."

Thorn Commonhill
District 9

Thorn wished they'd just hurry up an throw him in the arena. The trip from the train was pleasant enough, even though Bailey completely ignored him and the city.

Once in the prep room, however, Thorn found himself scrubbed until his skin was red, then he was sat in a chair while three strangers with the most impractical and outrageous colored hair, impossibly long nails, and cooing like the mourning doves that roosted in his rafters back home. They shaved his chin closer than he'd ever experienced, combed his hair and put make-up all over his face. Thorn struggled not to snap at them.

They're just doing their job. Just doing their job. Be charming.

"So . . . What do you do . . . when you aren't helping with the games?"

That set off a series of long stories and gossip being passed back and forth. Thorn struggled to keep up, committing names to memory. The one named Cress, eyelashes with pink feathers glued to the edges, was studying fashion design under Kousha, while Curio, whose hair looked like a peacock's tail, was seeing someone working under the Game Makers. Thorn picked a spot on the wall and listened, nodding or making a hmm sound whenever was appropriate.

Finally, they left him alone. Thorn felt like any movement and they might swoop down on him again. Breathe. Slowly, he touched the fabric still around his wrist. The door opened and a man dressed in silver and gold stepped in.

Thorn sat up straight and eyed him.

"I'm Torrac," he studied Thorn for a moment before moving to a closet to the side of the room. "I've already spoken with your fellow tribute. You'll be wearing these." He pulled out an outfit. Shiny, silver material with giant gold buttons in rows all over the shirt and pants. "It's not one of my best designs, I'll admit, but you're district nine." He shrugged.

Fighting the urge to snap, Thorn forced one of his poker smiles. "So . . . what inspired this one?"

"Grain mills."

"District Nine. I get it."

He slowly stood and let the man dress him, cringing at the idea of Meadow and Maize seeing him like that. Torrac messed with his hair a bit, trying to get it just right. "What is that?"

Thorn put his hand over the strip of fabric. "A gift from my daughter."

"It clashes."

"It stays." He met Torrac's gaze. "I'll tuck it under the sleeve where no one can see, but I'm not taking it off until I get home."

They stared down for a minute before Torrac relented. "Do not let anyone see it." He turned and motioned for Thorn to follow him out. "Let's get you out there."

Skita