AUTHOR'S NOTES: This one didn't get delayed quite as badly as '94, but 5 months between updates is still way too long, and I apologize for that. Here we get to see the alliances start to form that were briefly mentioned in the 95th chapter of Victors' Chronicles. For those who have not seen the updates, I'm getting back on a huge Hunger Games kick, and I plan to capitalize on that by hopefully making a lot of progress on many of these fics. No promises, but I'll do everything I can. Thank you for your patience and feedback.
Happy Reading!

CHAPTER 8: Resting Tribute-Face

Every career tribute worth his or her salt woke up with some level of excitement on the first day of training week. For them it was a time to show off their skills to 22 or 23 other kids; to scare the lesser ones and to show why they were the one that would survive the arena and be crowned victor. While this excitement was standard fare for District 1 and District 2, it also extended into districts such as 5 or 3 which produced the occasional volunteer. As such, Lux's lack of enthusiasm was noted not only by Malcolm and Atticus, but also by Lucas and Cashmere. Malcolm's expression hinted that he had thoughts on his mind about it, while Cashmere knew better than to try and pester the golden-haired girl about it. Lucas was much more vocal, but surprisingly polite—perhaps to keep Atticus off of Lux's case.

"Oy now," he looked her up and down once she emerged from her room in a black and red outfit with a large number 1 on each shoulder, "Lucas did nothing this morning to make Lux angry."
Lux simply shrugged and shook her head. He had not upset her at all, and she wasn't necessarily even agitated. At the moment, she did not feel like trying to explain this at all, and so she remained inert.

"Lucas, dear," Cashmere stepped in, "how familiar are you with Resting Bitch-Face Syndrome?"

"Glad to know I wasn't the only one who thought that," Malcolm admitted with a laugh.

"Oy, Lucas is no dummy." Lucas guffawed, "but Lucas know better than to tell pretty girl with already short temper that she has resting bitch-face!"

Funny enough, and to everyone's surprise, Lux actually giggled. Hers was an airy, barely audible laugh; hinting that were she able to speak, hers would have likely been a very soft and gentle voice. She shrugged, and with a few gestured indicated that it was mostly true. Her constantly-irritated expression was actually just her resting face when she was not feeling any particularly strong emotion one way or the other. People might have annoyed her, but she wasn't fed up with her team just yet. Any killing she wanted to do would happen in the arena.

Both Malcolm and Lux ate a quick breakfast, and were among the first ones in the Training Center. The only ones that had gotten there before them were District 7, District 3, and the twins from District 4.

"I would've thought Zack and Esmeralda would be here waiting to tell us we were late," Malcolm quipped, causing the corner of Lux's lip to curl upward in amusement. Gradually, the other tributes began to show up, with the wild tributes from District 12 gracing the training center with their presence last of all. While they lacked the red face paint that often denoted dangerous characters from a really shady part of District 12 that the other districts (including "sister-district" 11) talked about in hushed whispers, they wore the same sleazy grins that belonged to ruthless troublemakers. Lux knew at once what kind of tributes they would be in these games, and felt that she would be genuinely surprised if they didn't make it out of the bloodbath.

It did not take long for Atala, the veteran old overseer of the Training Center, to let the tributes get to work. Lux was the contemplative type that wondered why they let tributes wander into this place unsupervised the evening before, but it seemed that even the most rebellious tributes from Districts 11, 8, or 12 knew better than to attack one another or think they could have an armed uprising with 2-6 of them against a legion of Peacekeepers that patrolled the premises.

Funny enough, this was exactly what Colton and Anna were 2whispering about in one of the corners as they constructed makeshift traps.

"There's no way it would work, Anna." Colton quipped without even looking up.

"A girl can dream, can't she?" Anna riposted.

"As long as those dreams don't become a terrifying reality of a bloodbath in here—because you know as well as I do that it would translate into a bloodbath back home, and not the kind where '12 walks free."

"You've heard they have a Mockingjay now, haven't you? And she's from District 2 of all places!"

"Would that we survived to see it then, eh?" Colton elbowed her. "I'd offer you my protection in the arena, but if anything, I feel like I should be asking for yours."
"Nonsense," Anna shook some hair out of her face. "If I had any money to bet I'd put it on you getting a higher score than me at the end of the week."
"Are you going to throw it?"

"And get targeted by those bloodthirsty careers as easy-pickin's? I think not."
"You say that as if you don't stand a chance against them."
"Against a few, sure; but 5 or 6 against 1 is hardly a fair fight. Even if District 3 doesn't join them, that's still 4 on 1 and I'm screwed. That girl from '1 will probably drink blood from my skull or something."

"You mean the one watching us right now?" Colton was well-aware of Lux standing behind them, her arms crossed, listening to their banter with amusement.

"That's the one," Anna nodded before turning around, "on that note… need something, '1?"

While many other career tributes might have been insulted at the audacity of tributes from the poorer districts not putting them on a pedestal, Lux found it refreshing to be treated more as an equal or as a challenger than as some high and mighty paragon of strength, beauty, and perfection. That was not sure. She was strong, but was pretty sure Malcolm, Zack, and maybe even Esmeralda had more physical strength than her. She was far from perfect, even if she had been able to talk. As for beauty… okay, that one she would admit to.

In response to Anna's question, Lux merely shook her head.

"I don't think either party would settle for us being allies," Colton pointed out. "No offense."

Lux shrugged again, altering her expression to look less hostile as if to say she both understood and was not offended. She then shook her head again, waggling her finger before pointing at her eyes and then at the dark-skinned pair in front of her.

"No… wrong… looking at us?" Anna mumbled, "well, I guess you're right there. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to watch us other than it being slightly awkward. You do you though, I guess."

Lux had been training for years before this moment, and so the idea that she should spend every breathing moment trying to get a few hours or minutes of experience in was not really something she deemed as necessary. Even her reason for volunteering was much different than most other career tributes. Fame and glory and unwanted attention from the Capitol and her peers was not exactly something she dreamed of, and while she had no qualms with killing anyone in this room if necessary, that was also not on her agenda. No, she told herself that she had volunteered for the Hunger Games as a lesson that she could play by the rules and still twist it to her advantage. Her childhood had been spent preparing for this moment; she played by District 1's rules, and was now playing by the Capitol's rules both this week and then the next couple of weeks or so when they were thrown into the arena. For now, however, she was going to practice her swings and observe the other tributes.

It seemed that Esmeralda, Zack, and even Malcolm were operating on good faith that she was joining their alliance—and she would, as long as it suited her; that was standard fare for every tribute that fought their way to the stages in Districts 1 and 2. However, instead of aligning themselves with the careers or even with their peers from District 4, the volunteer pair from District 3 moved to an alliance with a wily District 7 girl. Anna and Colton had wasted no time making friends with Lincoln and Mariah from District 11 shortly after their conversation with Lux had ended, bringing back the 1-2/11-12 factions that had been dominant in most recent games.

The only ones that Lux wasn't sure about by the end of the first day were the siblings from District 4. Why two siblings would volunteer for the same games was beyond Lux's comprehension. Maybe they hated each other? If they did, it was subtle, because they acted amiably towards each other and didn't seem to show any hidden hostility. District 4 was always a hard read though. They had not been fazed by any of Lux's displays of strength or agility, and only watched the other careers with mild amusement. What were they planning? It nagged Lux's mind for several hours after dinner and after they had retired back to their apartment for the evening. Malcolm was the one to shake her out of it.

"I've been meaning to ask you," he pointed out, "Zack, Esmeralda and I were kind of just assuming you were going to join our alliance. Any thoughts or objections?"
Lux shook her head, before smiling and offering her hand.

"that's a yes to joining then, right?" Malcolm just wanted to double-check. Lux nodded.

"Awesome," he smirked, "I'll let them know tomorrow to keep them from pestering you. '3 decided to wimp out and joined up with a kid from '7, and I don't think '4 is allying with anyone. If they are, it's hard to tell."
Lux nodded, but mentally cursed.

"Here I had hoped you would be able to give me some insight on them," she mused to herself, "perhaps another day." The thoughts surrounding Lars and Nina occupied most of her mind that night as she drifted off to sleep. Perhaps she would learn the truth tomorrow.