Train Rides Part 1

Amalissa Blackthorne Vesallius, District Two Female, 18

deathless. smile

From the time she was a little girl, Ama had always known what she wanted to do in life. Children in District Two were often taught to value ambition, no matter what path they choose. For most, that ambition was geared towards training in hopes that someday, they would be able to volunteer. While Ama enjoyed training and put a great amount of effort into it, her goal had always been to become a veterinarian. Yet, here she was, on a Capitol-bound train as the District Two female tribute for the Ninety-sixth annual Hunger Games.

Being selected to volunteer was a turn of events Ama had never expected. She was ranked second in her group of girls, behind the popular Kylee Strauss. Kylee had been the clear choice for years, but plans changed when she purposely broke her leg less than a month before the reaping. As the next highest ranking female, Ama was asked to volunteer. Even though she was happy with her life and had already been accepted to get her undergraduate degree in pre-veterinary medicine at a Capitol university, Ama hesitantly accepted. She didn't want to end like Kylee, who was scorned throughout the district for throwing away her chances at bringing pride to district Two. Ama knew that if she declined the request to volunteer, word would spread quickly, and she would be seen as a shameful coward. Besides, if she won, there was no law saying a victor couldn't become a veterinarian after winning. Ama didn't care about the money as much as she cared about animals anyway.

After saying her goodbyes to her friends and family, Ama was joined by her district partner, Ares. Their new escort, Lord Clovander Handsome, stood on the platform to greet them. Ama couldn't see his eyes as they were covered by shades, but his mouth was twisted into a slight smirk. He was an odd looking man, with long salt-and-pepper colored hair tied back and a thin beard dangling from his chin. What caught Ama's attention, though, was the petite black and white monkey perched on Clovander's shoulder. Immediately, she let out a squeal of delight.

"Oh, a monkey! He's adorable! Is he your pet? What's his name?"

Clovander nodded. "His name is Benedict, and yes, of course he's mine. I have several pets in fact. My crow, Argos, my snake, Snuggles, and my dog, Dog, are all on the train already. Speaking of which, we should be, too. Come on, then, follow me."

"Can we see them?" Ama asked eagerly. Ares stared at her, studying her critically, but she ignored his gaze.

"Oh of course! They're all friendly." Clovander paused. "Actually, not right away. Your mentors will probably want to speak with you, won't they?"

Right. The mentors. As much as she wanted to spend hours with Clovander's animals, Ama knew she had to focus on the task at hand.

As expected, the mentors were waiting for them when they stepped onto the train. The older of the two, Cato Bailor, victor of the Seventy-fourth Games gave them a polite nod, while his mentoring partner, Pit Kensy of the Eightieth Games motioned for them to take a seat.

"Alright," Pit began. "You know who we are, so I doubt we need to waste time with our introductions. Cato will be mentoring Ares, and I'll be working with Amalissa. Would you like to talk with us separately or together?"

Ama glanced at Ares, not really having a preference either way. The last thing she wanted to do was get on her bulky district partner's bad side.

"Alone," Ares said without looking at her.

Cato nodded. "We'll go into the next car."

As the guys left, Ama gazed out the window, admiring the mountains as the train weaved through them. Ama had never seen the mountains so close before, as only the poor quarry workers lived out there. Ama lived in Roma, the capital city of Two, close to the main Training Academy. Growing up, the mountains had seemed so far awhile, a border between her home and the glorious Capitol. In reality, the Capitol was only about an hour's train ride away.

Pit cleared her throat, causing Ama to turn back towards her mentor. "Sorry. I'm ready."

"Hmph. You're as easy to distract as my son, Damon, and he's ten."

Ama straightened up, wanting the renowned Pit to take her seriously. "Right. My apologies. It won't happen again."

Pit gave a firm nod. "So, Amalissa, what is your plan?"

"You can call me Ama," she said automatically. "I want to be a part of the Career alliance, of course. As long as they're trustworthy, I'll stick around. If not, I'll leave when the moment is right."

"We can work with that," Pit replied. "What about training?"

"I was thinking about just warming up for the Games and polishing my sword and dagger skills. My parents think I should also analyze the other tributes. Do you agree?"

"Absolutely. Just make sure you don't underestimate anyone. Ignoring one person can fuck up your whole Game plan if you don't treat everyone as a threat. I'm sure you've seen reruns of Johanna Mason's Games?" Ama nodded. "Good. So you know what I'm talking about. Do you have any interest in being pack leader?"

"I don't think so, but I'll step up to the plate if no one else does."

"Whatever you think will work for you." She smiled proudly. "I, as you probably know, was thrown into an alliance with the loudest, most annoying boy from One I'd ever seen in my life. He wanted to take charge, but I refused to let him tell us what to do, vain bastard. I grabbed the reigns and nobody fought me." She sighed happily as she turned her focus back to the present. "Each Career is different, though. No two have ever won in the same way. You have to use your own strengths. Which leads us to our next topic; What are your strengths?"

"I'm best with swords and daggers. I'm also pretty agile on an obstacle course."

"Hm. That's a start. Stick with that. Prove your worth to the pack leader, whether it is Ares or someone else, but don't give them a reason to try to knock you out early."

Ama nodded, soaking in Pit's advice. Ama was full of questions, though for some, Pit shushed her. "We'll have time when we get there. If I overload you with information now, chances are you'll just forget it and I'll have to repeat myself anyway."

Ama was so immersed in her conversation that she didn't even notice how quickly the hour was passing. Sooner than expected, she heard a knock on the train car door before Clovander slide it open. Benedict the monkey was gone, but in his place stood a dog so stunning, Ama let out a small gasp. The black and tan dog was tall, standing at about two feet tall at the shoulders, slightly taller than the fluffier, stockier German Shepherds she knew worked at the Peacekeeper Academy back hope in District Two. She was slender, yet muscular, and her ears were cropped, giving her an even more menacing look. Her dark eyes were zeroed in on Ama and Pit, watching their every move..

"We'll arrive in the Capitol in ten minutes, so I suggest you get ready! We'll be one of the first districts to arrive, so we'll head to your floor in the Tribute Center to watch the recaps before you're scheduled to meet with your stylists."

"Thanks," Ama said, giving the escort a smile.

Clovander nodded. "Dog, heel!" As though she was on an invisible leash, Dog turned with him immediately and walked side by side out the door.

"Well, ready for the fun to begin?" asked Pit.

Ama nodded confidently. She was ready to get these Games over with so she could get home and follow her dreams.

Apple Grey, District Three Female, 18

AmericanPi

Apple splashed water on her face, cursing the tears that stained her cheeks. She had to be at her very best when she met her mentor for the first time. She wanted them to look at her and see a winner in the works. She wanted them to see that yes, she was worth the time and effort.

She had been hoping maybe she would be reaped beside a younger kid, maybe a typical Three tribute with smarts and no athletic ability. It would have been easy to show that kind of kid up in a competition like this, because she was the opposite of that. She was far from typical. She was tall and built strong. She was athletic, and outgoing, and determined. She could care less about school and technology shit, unlike her older sisters. With her toned arms and legs, she surely would have outshone most any scrawny District kid that would have been her District partner.

However, the kid she ended up getting reaped beside was also far from the typical. He was a hulking guy, and was fiery when he was reaped instead of betraying fear. Apple knew that to keep up with him, she was going to have to put in some work. She wouldn't let that slow her down, though. She was determined to come out on top every time. That's what drove her when she was playing soccer, and that was going to drive her now.

It was so easy to get a soccer game started. All you needed was a ball. In a District of tightwads who were constantly talking about work, soccer was a release. It was a release from the stress of constantly being pressured to be smart. Not everyone was a genius, and of the people that weren't, not everyone was a try-hard. Some people just couldn't keep up with the geniuses and frankly didn't want to. That's why Apple really felt at home in the Sports Society. Soccer wasn't the only thing they played there, of course, but it was by far Apple's favorite.

The Sports Society was like a second home to Apple and her younger brother, who was affectionately called Little Mac. It was where she made many of her friends, and had fellowship with them. The goal of the Society was to preserve many of the sports that were prevalent before the formation of Panem. Maybe Three could have used some of its wealth to make training Centers, if they really wanted to, but instead the ambitious District used it to expand their factories and facilities. President Rutilus had just signed a bill that would begin the construction of an, Capitol-funded University in the most urban part of the District. Construction was set to begin in a month, when there were no cameras on the Town Square. After all, construction could get ugly.

Delly and P.C. were psyched when the bill became law. They celebrated the night away. Delly and her husband Steve Keys, who everyone called "Sticky," were celebrating that their ten-year-old daughter Ampere and eight-year-old son Logan would be able to go to University after high school and get well-paying jobs. P.C. and her wife Lydia, were optimistic about the growth of the field of mechanics that would happen when young minds were cultivated to specialize in the field. They were excited for any children they adopted to go there, as well. They often asked Apple about kicking her grades up so that she could get into University once it was built, and were hopeful that Little Mac would get to go there as well.

Apple was pretty indifferent about them, and so was Mac. Their parents and sisters thought they were strange because of this, because Apple and Mac had always been more interested in playing sports than sitting in class. However, in the end the family loved each other, even if Apple and Mac weren't academically ambitious.

"Apple? Are you alright, Dear?" the girl looked up at hearing her escort's voice. Candy always seemed so professional and elegant, but now she sounded concerned, almost like Apple's mother when she came back with bruises or a gash from her most recent victory. Football was particularly rough, and seriously competitive soccer didn't come without the occasional injury, but Apple didn't mind. They made her tougher.

"Yes," Apple slid the door to the bathroom open, taking a deep breath. "I'm fine. Thank you."

Candy's purple eyes still held concern in them.

"Argon and Geno are out and ready for you," she said. "If you're ready for them."

Apple kept her smile on. "Of course. Sorry for concerning you," she said. She flipped her shoulder-length blonde hair and walked back out into the main room, where Geno and Argon were talking to Marco. Marco seemed pretty awkward and uncomfortable as the mentors asked him questions about his strengths and weaknesses. He seemed more than slightly relieved when Candy escorted Apple back into the room.

"There she is," Geno says. Like Little Mac, the Seventy-Third Victor was short in stature, even to this day. Thinking about her brother made the tears threaten to come back, so Apple glanced at the Eighty-Second Victor instead.

"Welcome back. Have some food, take a seat," Argon said, his normally charming and flirtatious smile fatherly and gentle. Apple nodded and walked to the table, where she saw so much food and had no idea where to begin.

She and her family were pretty well-off, but they couldn't even dream of affording things like this. Some of it was food that she only ever saw on TV, and some was food she'd never heard of before. She took a couple of things that looked good to her and took a seat again.

"I think the best strategy would be to mentor the two of you separately," Geno said, to which Argon nodded in agreement. "Unless you wanted to be together."

Apple considered it. They were both so unconventional, strong-built, older tributes. Together, they'd make an unbeatable team. But there also ran the risk of attachment, especially due to Apple's extroverted, friendly personality. There were many pros and cons, but Apple made a quick decision, as her mind was trained to do through her time playing fast-paced, action-filled sports.

"Alone is best. We can always decide to be together later."

"Alone," Marco agreed. He didn't seem to be a man of many words, that was for sure. Either that, or just extremely shy.

Geno nodded and stood up, beckoning to Marco. "I'll work with you then. Argon, you'll be okay with Apple?"

"Of course," Argon said, sounding confident in his tribute. Geno took Marco to another car, and Candy went to make sure things were in line, her professional air as strong as ever.

"So, Apple-" Argon started, but Apple cut him off, her eyes alight with determination and fire.

"I am worth your time and effort," she said, determined. "I won't let you down, Coach. I promise."

Tay Fairingdale, District Four Female, 18

Wetstar

Tay was already loving this. She quickly went to the refreshments table and piled up her plate. Her District partner Soren seemed alright too. He was also trained and a fierce fighter, and Tay knew that if by some horribly ironic twist of fate she bit the dust, Soren had a good shot at taking the title. But, of course that wouldn't happen. Tay wouldn't have volunteered if she wasn't extremely confident that she could win. She loved her friends and family far too much to just volunteer recklessly and leave them behind. She wanted to make them proud, and she was confident she could. And Tay Faringdale was not a coward. She was going to fight hard to get what she wanted.

She sat down, eating happily. Soren seemed was sipping iced tea and looking quite content as well.

"Your District is so lovely," Cobra said, sighing contentedly. "And your mentors are kind as well. Or, at least, basically decent human beings. Much better than District 7." They said it like they had eaten something sour.

"Four is fucking awesome!" Tay said, still slightly giddy from the rush of volunteering

"Although nobody will ever be my first Victor," they said, causing Tay to pout, all in good temper of course, as Cobra launched into a discussion of their first Victor, District 7's Kendal Stowers. The 84th Games were never talked about and the reruns were never played on TV, but Tay remembered them because that was the first year she really payed attention to Four's tributes. Tay was determined to be strong and never throw her chance away by allying with a tribute from 12 of all places, or wandering off to piss in the dark. Kendal was a good Victor, though, from what Tay heard. She listened intently when Cobra talked, drinking in every words.

"He and Gravity- his husband is District One's mayor, of course- they've been training service dogs, of course, they're very good at what they do. Their house does reek like dog something nasty, though, both houses- you know they have one in Seven and one in One, of course- and-" they were cut off when the mentors entered.

"Good show," Finnick said, slow-clapping. "Good show."

Tay felt waves of pride, much like the waves of the ocean that she loved to watch back home and dunk Polar under. She felt a pang of homesickness, but quickly countered it with the thought that she'll be back there sooner than she thinks. She looked at time and realized it was about time for the reapings to replay.

Finnick spoke up. "So, if you two are both planning to join the Career alliance-"

"I'm actually planning to lead it," Tay said, raising her hand. Finnick's eyebrows raised and Tay beamed proudly.

"Anyways, you'll be working together while you're in the big group. So I think it's best that you watch the reapings together."

Nimue, the other mentor nodded silently. Because she had just won two years previous and was still a year younger than Tay, she was known for hanging back and letting Finnick, one of the most successful mentors in Panem, take the reins.

"I agree," Soren said, offering Tay a relaxed smile. She couldn't understand how he could possibly hold in the excitement. They had been training, preparing for this for so long. Tay just couldn't sit still!

She squealed a little bit as Cobra turned on the television and the faces of the Games Interviewer and Announcer appeared.

"Taking notes about all the other tributes is important, but be especially careful regarding the first couple of Districts," Finnick suggested. "They're not only your allies, they're also your competition."

Tay knew that, and grabbed a pencil and paper off of the table beside the couch as Blaine Buchanan and Simone Silver chattered. The screen soon changed to District One, in all its glory. Tay was always amazed when she watched reapings, at the sheer beauty of the place. She wanted to see it in person someday. She wanted to travel the world with Polar and her sisters and Moms, one of the many reasons for volunteering. Victors can go wherever the hell they want.

The girl volunteered, as was typical, and looked radiant. She looked kind of dainty for a Career, but Tay wasn't going to judge just based on her stature. Sometimes smaller tributes were the most lethal, after all. She also seemed determined and glad to be there. Hopefully she could deal with the Games in all their ferocity. Bliss Michalson.

Her District partner was also a volunteer. He was close to a foot taller than his District partner, towering over her, with ashy blond hair and blue eyes. He had the typical cocky smile on his face as he stepped up on the stage, and Tay knew that it was another typical year for District One. Not that it was a bad thing, just an observation. So far, the Career alliance was appearing as if it wouldn't suck. She might have to beat some of the arrogance out of some people to establish her spot as a leader, but Tay was always up for a challenge. Zircon Smith.

Next was District Two. Another lovely District to which Tay always wanted to travel. Someday, she wanted to climb the mountains with Polar and Rie. She imagined it was easy to build that rock-solid District Two strength with mountains like that. Just like District Four made lean, strong swimmers thanks to their beaches and oceans.

The first volunteer was a girl from the section from eighteen-year-olds. When her voice rang out among the crowd, nobody seemed surprised. Instead, the crowd sent evil-eyes to another girl in the same section. Tay wanted to get the dirt on who they were all looking at and why, but the cameras didn't focus on that, instead following the volunteer up to the stage. She had tan skin, black hair in a bun on top of her head, and was strongly built. Tay was not surprised that Two would produce such a powerhouse and knew that the boy would be the same. Amalissa Blackthorne Vesallius.

The boy also volunteers, stepping out on the stage proudly. He definitely looked like a powerhouse. He had pale skin, a barrel chest, and huge arms. His blue eyes were cold, though he looked proud of himself, and his blond hair was styled up out of his face. He assured his District that they would have a Victor in him and when the crowd went crazy, he cheered with them. Another typical Two boy. They were absolutely deadly, but probably not very intelligent. Tay knew she'd have to watch out for him either way, though. Ares Hardy.

"Well then," Soren said, kicking back from where he had been leaning forward, studying every detail of their future allies.

"Well then indeed," Tay said, flipping the page of her notebook. She had written so many notes for each tribute that she was sure she could fill an entire notebook.

District Three was a lot less pleasing than the two before it, but Tay still wanted to see it. The skies were smoggy and the crowd was practically dead as the tributes were reaped.

The girl wasn't the typical Three tribute at all. She had pale skin, blonde hair, and was tall and built well. She was definitely a threat to look out for, and Tay knew it. Apple walked to the stage, a steady pace (albeit a bit slow), and kept a smile on as she mounted the stairs. If she wasn't in a District that openly dreaded the Games, Tay could have actually believed she was glad to be reaped, and totally unafraid. Even so, desperation to get home and give Three another Victor would definitely be strong motivating forces, and Apple looked pretty capable and athletic, surprisingly. Tay wouldn't underestimate anyone. Apple Grey.

The boy was next. He was also reaped, and looked angry as he slowly mounted the stage. He was tall and strong-built, like his District partner, and had light brown skin and black hair. His eyes held fire, and Tay knew that even if he was mad to be reaped now, he would probably end up doing what he had to in order to get back home. If he played his cards right, he, like Apple, had a real chance at acquiring sponsors and earning his way back to Three. He had the potential to be a real fighter, and Tay made a note to brush up on hand-to-hand. Marco Maudslay.

The screen cut to commercial for a while, so Finnick turned to them. "What do you think?" he asked them.

"Nothing we can't conquer," Soren said, his voice a strange mixture of relaxed and determined.

"I'm not worried," Tay said confidently. She didn't come to the Capitol to be scared. She couldn't spend her big debut intimidated. She just had to keep up her smile and show her stuff.

Finnick just smiled and nodded approvingly. "Then I'm confident we'll have a Victor this year."

Tay felt the same way.

Devon Steele, District Six Male, 17

rougeofminds

Despite the best efforts of the mentor, Noa, and the escort, Sayaka, the District Six train ride was awkward, to say the least. Noa was definitely a bit nervous, though she did her best to hide it. Devon couldn't say he blamed her though. It was their first year, after all. His district partner, Nerrah, seemed to have a fiery mind of her own. She seemed to respect Noa well enough, but had completely ignored Sayaka. Of course, Devon didn't give her the time of day either. She wasn't important enough to his survival for him to pay her any attention.

Currently, the group was gathered around the television screen, watching the recaps of the reapings. So far, they had seen Districts One, Two, and Three, but now a string of commercials advertising all kinds of superficial Capitolite products was airing. The awkward air of the room was as thick as smoke, and though Devon could try using humor to break it, he wasn't exactly in the mood.

Finally, the commercial break ended, and the faces of Blaine Buchanan and Simone Silver reappeared on screen. Devon rolled his eyes at the pair. Too bad they went more enthusiastic. Their smiles hadn't expanded off their faces yet, so clearly they weren't happy enough.

"Welcome back, folks!" Interviewer Blaine greeted. "I hope you're ready to meet some more tributes!"

"I know I am!" Simone, the announcer, responded. "Up next, we're headed to the land by the sea, District Four! Let's take a look."

Devon picked up his pen as the camera switched to the Justice Building of District Four. Noa had recommended he and Nerrah take notes on the competition, and Devon decided to take their advice. What harm could it do?

Well, perhaps I might get a hand cramp, Devon thought, smirking a bit to himself.

The District Four crowd was fairly large, and though it wasn't as loud as the crowds for One and Two, people will still milling with excitement. As the names were called, Devon didn't pay too much attention. He was fairly sure both the female and male tributes would be volunteers, and he wasn't proven wrong. The female volunteer emerged from the eighteen-year-old section, her brown hair tied back in a braid. Like Blaine and Simone, she was grinning from ear to ear.

Here excited voice was loud and clear as she introduced herself as Tay Fairingdale. Apparently, she could see the future and was proud to be District Four's next victor. Once again, Devon rolled his eyes and began to scribble down information on his notepad.

District Four female: Tay Fairingdale. 18, volunteer. Very excited to kill children. Yay. -_-

The male volunteer was also eighteen. While he was calmer, he still smiled as he came to the stage.

District Four male: Soren Cantarell. 18, volunteer. Typical District Four look. Probably goes around calling everyone "dude".

After District Four had the chance to celebrate their volunteers, the camera switched scenes to District Five. Like District Six, much of District Five was urbanized, with large power plants puffing out smoke as they generated energy. Despite the smoke, the district had fairly pleasant weather, with mostly blue skies.

When Iris Solaric's name was called, a tall, seventeen-year-old girl with light brown hair made her way to the stage. She looked terrified, as much as she attempted to hide her fear. The male tribute's name had to be repeated before he finally emerged from the section of sixteen-year-olds. He quivered with every step, and couldn't bring himself to speak when the escort attempted to make conversation.

District Five female: Iris Solaric. 17, reaped. Trying to be brave, but failing. Miserably. Why do most tributes try to be brave when they rarely succeed?

District Five male: Avery Hayley. 16, reaped. Stunned into a zombie-like state. Surprising he didn't faint up there.

As the District Five tributes disappeared into their Justice Building, the camera switched to the familiar view of District Six.

"Oh look, you two are up next," Sayaka said, smiling sweetly. "Are you excited to see yourselves on camera for the first time?"

Once again, the young escort was greeted by silence. Her face fell, and a tiny sliver of a frown appeared on her face. To be honest, Devon felt a bit bad, but he'd never admit that aloud. Instead, he turned his attention back to the screen, where Nerrah was about to be reaped. Nerrah also approached the stage with courage, keeping her face stoic.

Then, Sayaka called Devon's name. Watching himself onscreen, Devon noted that he too, wore a calm expression. That was good. Strangely, when Devon was reaped, he wasn't as scared as he thought he would be, so keeping up his stoic expression wasn't hard. Even now, the fear hadn't quite sunk in. It was an odd feeling, to be honest.

On the screen, he and Nerrah shook hands, and then Blaine and Simone announced another commercial break. An ad for a cosmetic surgeon flashed onto the screen, and Devon looked away, disgusted by a man who for some reason had his face reconstructed to look like a scaly crocodile with beady eyes.

"Well, I am going to get something to satisfy my sweet tooth," Sayaka said. "Does anyone else want anything?"

Nerrah stared out the window, while Devon shook his head. Noa, however, gave Sayaka a kind smile. "No thank you, Sayaka."

"Alright. Suit yourselves. It's a while to dinner, though."

The escort made her way to the adjoining dining car, and Devon directed his gaze out the window. He had no idea where they were. He was fairly certainly they had left the borders of Six, but no one in Six was really sure what districts surrounded them. The land around them was fairly flat, but then again, so was much of Six, or at least the area Devon lived in was. The Capitol didn't exactly want district citizens to know the location of each district relative to one another, and had all records of Panem's geography taken away. All that was really known was the Capitol was close to the center of the nation, though farther west than many of the districts, and was closest to Districts One and Two.

"Where are we?" Devon asked his mentor, knowing they had been to every district on their victory tour.

Noa bit her lip. "I'm not sure. I think we're somewhere around Nine or Three. We're still a few hours away from the Capitol, and Three is our closest neighbor, so I would say District Three."

Devon nodded, falling silent again. They would arrive in the Capitol, and that was when the real drama would begin. He could hardly wait.

Authors' Note: Hurrah, another update! Celtic here, still keeping up with the drawings, slowly but surely. Great, four more to add to the list. I'll get through them though, I promise. I say as spring semester prepares to kick my butt. Mine already is and I'm just starting week four, haha XD We're going to do our very best to keep up with an update a month, though, because it's a comfortable speed for both of us. Thanks a bunch for the reviews and support you've given us even if this story is slower than some SYOTs. We hope that the quality of updates are worth the wait.

So, let us know what you think of these tributes and we'll see you in a month!