-Dania Lidano, 18, District 2-
Dania wasn't sore at all as she was sent to the styling room. The District Two train was among the first to arrive, so she didn't have to wait long to get her tracker injected. When it happened, it hurt more than she thought it would. Even the strong, conditioned girl from 2 had to make an effort not to scream. The man who did it, Cupid, seemed fairly sorry. Plus, he was pretty no-nonsense, probably because there were a lot of tributes to get through. He left her laying on her stomach as the pain faded.
Dania had just closed her eyes when she heard the sound of high heels entering the room.
"There's our District 2 beauty!" said a voice that Dania didn't recognize but she knew had to be from the Capitol. She felt them come closer, and when she looked up, saw a young man with light blue hair and gray eyes peering down at her.
"Oh, she's awake after all! Up on your feet now!" Dania sat up slowly before she got a good look at her prep team.
"Nice to meet you dear, we're your prep team," said the only woman, who was dressed all in purple. "My name is Alexa, and these are my lovely brothers Achaicus and Anastius! Yes, we're triplets! We must get you to the prep room, Cambria is absolutely dying to meet you!" The two young men helped Dania off the chair before she walked ahead of them. She didn't need their help, she felt fine. Alexa made cheerful conversation as they walked. The two men were nice, but Alexa dominated the conversation. That was fine with Dania, though.
"How have you been enjoying the Capitol so far my dear? Isn't it simply beautiful?"
"Yeah, I've had a good time. I haven't gotten out and about much though."
"Well, I'm sure the crowds love you, you are from District Two!"
"Yeah, we're pretty awesome." Dania smirked pridefully as Alexa opened the door to her styling room. The tribute and her prep team entered the room.
"Now, it you don't mind stripping so we can get a look at what we have to work with."
Dania didn't really mind doing so, as she knew that her prep team was there to help. However, if they made one remark about her stature or really anything about her body image, she would not hesitate to defend herself. She was patient as her prep team swarmed around her, making minor adjustments here and there. They raved over her long, blonde hair, chattering about how it is District 1-level gorgeous, and oh the things they could do with it! They also raved about her pretty hazel eyes, her toned arms and legs from years of training. Dania certainly felt like a princess, and she loved that. She could be vicious, but she knew she was pretty and that she could use it.
After the triplets decided she was ready, she was wrapped up in a robe and sent to a small, sunlit room for lunch. There were sandwiches out, and Dania helped herself. Soon, she was joined by an older lady with multi-colored hair and two mismatched eyes.
"Hello Dania," she said. "My name is Cambria. I am your Head Stylist."
"Nice to meet you," Dania said. She puffed out her breast, trying to appear taller than she was. "I am going to bring honor to my District."
Cambria shook her hand, smiling. She didn't seem to look down on Dania, which caused the girl from Two to relax a bit.
"Sit with me, talk with me." The older lady took a sandwich, smiling at the girl. Dania relaxed into the comfortable chairs, knowing that cooperating was the only way to get good sponsors. The questions started out pretty general: what is your favorite weapon? The triplets sure are loud, aren't they? Aren't these sandwiches simply delectable?: and got more personal. Dania could tell where the questions were leading, but she let the conversation have its course. The truth was that she wasn't afraid to tell her stylist about what she had at home. Cambria was only there to help her, after all, and thinking about Carlen and her parents only put more of a fire under her ass. She knew she had to get home, and that this twist wouldn't throw a wrench in her plans.
Dania was sipping some sweet, cold lemonade when Cambria asked the final question on her list, but only after dabbing her lips gingerly with a napkin.
"Dania Lidano, just how brave are you?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How brave are you?"
"I'm practically fearless! …Why? That's… A bit of an odd question for a stylist to ask, I think…"
"You'll soon see why." She stood up and Dania did the same, handing her plate and glass to an Avox. She went back to the styling room, and Dania followed, wondering what kind of courage she could possibly need for the tribute parade.
It wouldn't take her long to figure that out.
-Desiree Menghiasi, 15, District 6-
Desiree had a good train ride. She was sad when she first stepped on, of course she was. Along the way, though, she had collected herself. The beginning of the train ride was spent in tense, awkward silence as both of them tried to work through what was going to happen to them. Desiree was staring at her token, a block that had been painted by Aimee, just for her.
Their escort, Jovia, had come on and introduced herself to the tributes, but soon could see that they weren't really in the mood. She remained bubbly, trying to get the tributes to eat, but neither was very hungry in the moment. The mentors soon came on and that's when things started to warm up. Gian got coffee, Anatoly got alcohol, and then they were both ready to talk to their tributes. It was nice having a young Victor, and he even recognized Aimee's signature on the block Desiree was holding. He was pretty nice, but it was still hard not to feel weird talking to some huge celebrity in such a bad situation. She was shy, and when Desiree was shy she had a habit of signing instead of speaking. That interested everyone on the train, even Jovia, and before they arrived she taught them numerous signs. That kind of broke the ice. Even Anatoly was interested, which was a surprise.
After they had arrived and the tracker had been injected, they took Desiree to a room and started working to make her beautiful. The stylists were very interested in the fake tattoos she had put on for the reaping, and didn't do anything to them.
"Would you want to get real tattoos if you won?" one of them asked her, and Desiree nodded. "I'd want to design it," she said, "Or my girlfriend design it. She's really talented."
"You have a… Girlfriend?"
"That's surprising?" Desiree raised an eyebrow at them as they ran a comb through her thick black hair. "Why is that?"
"It's just… You're so young…"
"I'm fifteen, it's not that young." She was so sick of hearing that she was so young. Frankly, it was nobody's business how old she was. She was perfectly confident in who she was and who she chose to date. There was an awkward silence after that as the rest of Desiree's body hair was ripped off of her and she was left to sit in a stinky tub full of some rancid substance. She sat and simmered, as her raw, throbbing skin eventually stopped complaining.
As she sat, she wondered what her grandparents were doing, and how Johann was. She wondered if Aimee was with them, or at home with her own family. Or even out painting. Desiree had never made her promise not to. Part of her almost wished she had, though. It was dangerous to be out alone, and the last thing Desiree wanted was for the people she loved to be in danger.
Her mind wandered to what her chariot costume might be. She had no idea what was in store for her. She hoped it was tasteful. She liked the Capitol because it was very creative, like her, and hoped her costume could be something vibrant and colorful. She thought about what she would design, if she lived here and not back in District 6. What she could design if she came out of this alive. After all, this could be an opportunity. She just had to play her cards right, that was all. She could do it…. She had to.
She was taken out of the tub and wrapped up in a robe. It was soft and plushy, and felt like a big, dry blanket, as opposed to the scratchy rags that she'd used back home. Her hair was dried immediately, silky and totally untangled. It was amazing what they had here in the Capitol that would be unheard of to most District 6 citizens. And to think that it could all be hers…
It was then that she was shown her chariot costume. It was bright, which she liked. It was a bright red. The top was a suitcoat with a matching bright red skirt. The suitcoat was accented with gold and there was a little red hat with a gold pin on it. It was bright and vibrant for sure, even if it wasn't as assorted as she would have wanted. Her hair was put back in a braided bun, the hat gingerly pinned to her head. She stepped into the costume, and her Head Stylist zipped it up. Under the skirt she wore tights, and stepped into shiny red heels. It was strange for her to be in heels, but she didn't fight it. Her face was given new life with make-up, including shiny red lips and sparkly eyeshadow. The final touch was Desiree's favorite part of the outfit, a neckerchief colored pink, purple, and blue that was tied around her neck. That was the part that really made her smile. It was the perfect pop of color to an already vibrant outfit.
The girl in the mirror was not one Desiree recognized, but that wasn't a bad thing. She felt like a beauty queen, and confidence was always good. She felt like a piece of art. Sure, the lip gloss was sticky, and the sparkles itched, the heels were painful and the tights- ah!- they definitely rode up there- it was alright. She imagined Aimee watching at home and a smile spread across her face.
"I think we did a good job on this one!" the prep team all jabbered at once, admiring their work.
"Come with me child. Keep your chin up and smile." The Head Stylist left and Desiree followed, keeping her head up like she was instructed. Desiree wondered if she was as tall as Riggs yet. It was doubtful, but the heels made her feel powerful and tall. Soon, they saw the District Six group by the chariot. Riggs was already there. He looked taller than he did when he was reaped. His stubble was shaved off, and he was wearing a navy suit accented with gold like Desiree's outfit, and a hat that was navy with gold accents. In that get-up, and now that he seems to be more relaxed, he's about an inch taller than Gian.
"I will ride that horse bareback," Riggs was saying, "If you want a knight that rides a horse I will do it. Go on, say the word, don't think I won't!"
"You'd rip your pants," Gian said, taking a long sip of coffee. "Which would be funny but probably wouldn't do so well for sponsors."
"Go on, dare me, I will do it!" Riggs seemed serious. Desiree thought about how funny that would be. She'd want to see that, so she decided to enter the conversation.
"Do it, you won't!" Desiree said excitedly. There was nothing she wanted more than to see it.
"Watch me!" he would have done it if Gian hadn't grabbed the back of his suit coat.
"All you have to do is stand in the chariot."
"It'd be impressive if I did it, no? Wouldn't you be impressed? Come on, Sweetheart, tell me you wouldn't be impressed." He had a schmoozer smile on his face. Was he… Trying to pick up a Victor? Desiree hadn't pegged him to be the type with big balls like that.
Gian took another long sip of coffee. "Get in the chariot," he sighed. "I will be impressed if you just stand there and smile and wave."
Riggs rolled his eyes. "No fun. You already took my facial hair, isn't that enough?"
"I didn't touch your facial hair. If I were your prep team I would have kept it."
"Oh, so you liiiiiked it?"
Another sip of coffee and a disgruntled "Oh my God," came from the Victor.
Desiree was thoroughly amused at this impending trainwreck. She was sad when she had to get up in the chariot, which put her out of earshot for the conversation. She glanced at the chariot in front of her, District Five. They were in a cage-looking dome, which Desiree thought was strange. The tributes talked quietly, both of them seeming nervous.
She got a quick glance behind her to District Seven. Instead of the usual tree ensemble, though, it had taken a different approach. Syca was dressed as a typical lumberjack, plaid flannel shirt, jeans, axe, trying to look tough. Persei was dressed in a little red dress with a red hood, also including a little basket. That was certainly different. Desiree's gaze rested on the girl for just a second longer. Her freckles and curly hair were quite adorable. Surely she'd be getting some sponsors if she pulled this off.
Riggs got up in the chariot, glancing down at the mentors. The doors opened and the first chariot soon left.
"Good luck!" Jovia called up to them, waving and smiling as the District Five chariot rolled out and theirs soon went after them.
-Lux Hastings, Head Gamemaker-
The doors had just opened. Lux was panicking, just a little bit. So far, everything had gone smoothly, which was a good sign. But this was only the beginning.
President Blossius was hard to please. He would be tough on the Gamemakers, and now, it was Lux's life that was on the line. He was responsible for every part of the Games, and this was no exception. He was responsible for his crew, his life, and the lives of everyone he loved. It was more than a little pressure.
The President was on his left. President Blossius seemed in high spirits, but that man never told the truth. It was totally possible he was already planning Lux's demise.
Lux jumped when he heard Piccolo's booming voice over the loudspeaker saying, "Here they come, the tributes for the 125th Hunger Games!" He swallowed nervously, doing everything not to let his nerves show. He had to be mysterious and professional, after all. Lux felt a hand slide into his and took a breath. This year was different than most, and because he had played such a big role in the twist, Cupid sat in the balcony with Lux and the President. Lux was really grateful for that.
He didn't think he'd like the scientist, but he really, really did. What started as a purely sexual relationship has changed into more. For Lux, anyways. He had no idea how the other felt, as he was too afraid to ask. It was really fast and sudden, after all, and he didn't want to spoil their professional relationship. That would really suck. Sometimes he thinks about that fateful day in which he was taken and injected, but the emotions are so real he knows that it can't be any stupid serum that was making him feel this way. Cupid's touch relaxed him as the first chariot came out, the snow white horses of District One.
District One's tributes were dressed in complementary costumes. Wicke was wearing a dress made of red, white, and black tulle with sparkly gemstones. The sleeves were white and puffy, the neckline was red and heart-shaped, and a black, red, and gold skirt. On the gold part, which hung down in the center, three red, sparkly hearts were attached. She was the queen of hearts, for sure. It was an interesting take on a costume that had been done once before, when the Arena theme was cards and the District One girl, Empress Nakashima, was the Queen of Hearts. That was a question Lux got wrong during the heated Ultimate Games Trivia Competition game he played with the Wallaces and his crew. Chance was dressed as the King, a slightly tackier costume with a big red robe with white lining spotted with black polka dots, puffy sleeves, a white sash decorated with hearts, and a crown to match. Both of them had scepters with matching hearts on them. The crowd loved the allusion to the twist and the seamless integration of the theme. Chance looked just about as sharp as he could have, given his costume. Wicke looked beautiful, a determined but excited look in her eyes as she beckoned to the crowd.
District Two came next. The crowds roared with applause for the two. Both of them were dressed in the typical gladiator, District Two fashion. They had golden armor, each of them adorned with golden laurel crowns. Dania's long hair was styled and braided elegantly. Both of them were wearing gladiator sandals up their legs. However, the best part of their outfits tied into the twist. On tall poles were colorful flags. Dania's was a bright rainbow, and Acacia's was pink, yellow, and blue. Both of them were radiant with pride, cheering with the crowd and waving the flags high, which caused roaring applause. Dania stood tall as she could, waving her flag pridefully even though it was about double her height. The sight caused people to laugh, as it looked pretty ridiculous. The girl kept doing her best to smile and wave, even though she was being severely underestimated and she knew it. Acacia bounced on her feet and waved the flag high, engaging the crowd and cheering with them.
District Three was next. Kaelys was wearing a white collar and a black vest with three silver buttons. It was barely big enough, of course, to hold her cleavage. She was wearing a black tie around her neck, a red plaid skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs, and a pair of argyle gray socks. Her hair was styled up into a messy bun, and she had some props: a pair of fake glasses and a stick with a little red apple on the end. A teacher. Lux got it. Bec's was even worse, though. He was wearing a pastel blue shirt with blue lines making checkers rolled up to the sleeves, a pair of pastel pink shorts with a black belt, an olive ballcap on backwards and a pair of sunglasses around his neck. And, the worst part is fucking boat shoes. Why was he wearing boat shoes? Cupid was snickering to himself, though.
"What is he?"
"He's a frat boy."
"A what?"
"Stereotypical rich college kid."
He waved at and wooed the crowd, grinning at his District partner and being very theatrical.
Lux realized it. "Ooooh, got it. District of technology and education, I guess." He chucked to himself as well. "Cute." The chariot moved out and Four's moved in.
District Four's costumes, or, well, costume, was laughable. Both of the tributes were dressed in scales, part of a costume that was connected. They were a sea monster, each of them one of its giant heads. Nerio was doing his best to appeal to the crowd through smiling and waving. Luna was also waving, and had an easy smile on her face. If she was displeased with the costume, she didn't show it, and the crowd loved it.
"You couldn't pay me enough to wear that," Cupid murmured, and Lux laughed. He was funny, too. What a good guy, that Cupid.
As much as everyone loved District Four, with the exception of at least one of the tributes involved, it was nothing compared to District Five. This was an idea that had been pitched years ago, but put to the side because of logistics and safety. Now, after years and years of experimenting, they've done it. The tributes were in a metal spherical cage, a generator attached to the cage. Both tributes were wearing metal suits. Bolts of electricity traveled flashed in the cage, controlled by the tributes putting their arms up andwaving them slowly.
Once Dyna got over the shock (Lux chuckled to himself), of being in the cage, they put on a smile and waved at the crowd, the lightning cackling off of their arms and hands. Joule stayed calm and collected, looking almost as amazed at the electric bolts zapped his hands and arms waving at the crowd.
District Six was next. Both tributes were dressed as transportation employees. Riggs was a hovercraft pilot, in a classy navy suit, clean-shaven. He looked good, and Lux knew he would rack up some serious support from fangirls and boys alike. Riggs looked sharp, smiling and waving and engaging the crowd. Desiree was an attendant, wearing a bright red suit, heels, tights, and a pride-colored neckerchief. Her glossy red lips were smiling, and she was poised as she waved to the crowd.
District Seven came afterwards. Syca was dressed as a woodsman, with a plaid shirt and jeans, like a typical lumberjack. It was pretty underwhelming as he wasn't the typical District Seven powerhouse. He seemed pretty nervous, and Lux couldn't help feel bad for the kid. Syca was so focused on keeping his balance that he didn't even look up. He stared at the bottom of the chariot, wobbling slightly and looking nervous. Persei was smiling and waving, however. She was dressed as little red riding hood and the crowd adored her. Her freckles, curly hair, and the bright red hood that had become iconic was absolutely adorable, and she worked it well.
District Eight was after them, and the tributes looked adorable. They were both dressed up as cuddly, fuzzy teddy bears. She was dressed in a pink felt costume with a dark blue stomach. She looked extremely cuddly. Some big bear ears, a painted nose, and freckles completed the outfit. Semper was a little tan bear, with ears, paint, and freckles as well. He had a red center and a little heart painted on his face.
"He's cute," Cupid whispered, and Lux nodded. Hopefully it would do him well.
Semper looked awkward as he put up his hand and waved to the crowd feebly. He looked intimidated, like he wanted to sink away into the soft, fuzzy costume. Ester looked slightly bummed that she was dressed like a bear, but tried to make the best of it anyways. Lux could tell she was embarrassed, though.
The next chariot to really excite the crowd was District Nine's. Jasper was cheering along with the crowd, throwing his arms up and yelling, pumping up the crowd to cheer his name. June was giving the crowd a flirty smile, blowing kisses and waving. The District Nine pair didn't seem nearly as awkward as they were when they came face to face at the reaping, but Lux could see it was mostly just an act. Jasper tapped his cheek, and June gave it a quick kiss, which caused the crowd to go wild.
Even District Ten pulled out all the stops this year. Lux had no idea it was possible for tributes from District Ten to be anything but sunny funny cowboys, but this year he was proven wrong. Miya looked beautiful in a lasso dress that was very intricately made and knotted. She looked beautiful and worked it well, giving a strong, confident smile and staying perfectly poised. Attila looked truly deadly in his costume, a black jumpsuit with barbed wire wrapped all around him.
District Eleven had pulled a different angle than in years past. Instead of dressing like food, their tributes were decorated with beautiful flowers. Daria looked stunning in a flower dress decorated with a full flower crown, butterflies: both real and fake: flying around the ensemble. Ollie was a little flower prince himself, decorated with a flower crown and just as well-liked by the butterflies. But tributes had a sort of immortal shine to them. Daria looked almost too perfect to be real, her eyes glistening and her face smiling ear-to-ear. Her hair was absolutely perfect, and every part of her costume was pristine. Ollie's skin shone, his cheeks with a new lively color to them. They looked like exactly what it meant to be alive, which was a new angle for the District of rebellion. Ollie was doing his best to keep a smile on his face as he waved, but it was obvious that he was quite awkward. The crowd thought it was cute, though. Daria smiled and waved at the crowd, blowing kisses and smiling widely, as if this was the best day of her life.
The last District was half original. Ever since they started using synthetic fire, it had become somewhat cliché, which is why Ashlyn's getup was less than appealing. Her stylist was staying with the fire thing. She was wearing a black dress with synthetic flames dancing around it. The flames cast an eerie glow on her scars, though, which the crowd was definitely interested in. Maybe the use of fire actually worked on this one. Lux wouldn't judge until they got a better idea of her personality. She stared at the ground, not engaging the crowd but looking extremely formidable. The look of the angry tribute plus the scars made everyone think she was a serious threat. Jacques caught everyone's eyes though. It was a little impossible for him not to. Instead of going the fire route, Jacques was wearing a black jumpsuit decorated with diamond rhinestones. They reflected Ashlyn's fire all over the place, amazing the crowd and making them ooo! and aaah! He put his hand up and smiled calmly, giving the crowd a small wave.
The horses reached the main circle, making a lap around where the crowds were cheering. Lux did his best to keep a calm, professional expression on his face as he looked at each of the tributes, each of his tributes. One of these twenty-four would be his Victor. That was more than a little bit crazy to think about.
President Blossius stood up, giving both Lux and Cupid a smile as he walked out to the edge of the balcony.
"Tributes, tributes, tributes. In the spirit of love and goodwill, we welcome you." He glanced at each of the tributes, giving them all an easy, authoritative smile. "We welcome you to our Capitol for the Fifth Quarter Quell!" the crowd went wild, cheering and applauding. "We thank you for your courage and your sacrifice. One of you will make your District very proud, and return home with wealth, fame, and honor as the Victor!" he added pauses for the crowd to roar. It was a huge noise, carried by the wind, echoing through the city. It was amazing. Lux knew his Mom was in the crowd, and hoped she was proud of him. She was really the only person he had left to love. Well, besides Cupid, but… Yeah, that's still a weird situation. "We hope you embrace your time in the Capitol and learn all you can while you are here. We hope you use your time wisely and expand your horizons. And, most of all, we hope you will find the comfort and warmth of love in a seemingly hopeless place." The crowd went wild, and Blossius cleared his throat for them to quiet. "Tributes, you are all worthy of the tile. It is yours for the taking, if you learn, fight, and remain open. We love you, tributes. May the odds be ever in your favor." The crowd went wild some more, many of them shouting out the names of the tributes that stood out to them, a jumble of words in the ruckus. The chariots made one last roundabout, and then were on their way back to the Tribute Building.
"See? No big problems." Cupid nudged Lux's arm and grinned at him. Lux felt a dumb smile spread across his face.
"Yeah, you're right. But this is only the beginning."
There were still so many opportunities for disaster yet to come.
-Dania Lidano, 18, District 2-
Dania was sure Acacia would have actually exploded if they'd been out there a second longer. She never lost the excitement and fervor of being on the chariot. She loved waving that flag around, and the crowd went wild.
Dania loved her flag, too, if only it were just a bit shorter. The pole was made for a girl much taller than her, which was ever-so-frustrating for the short girl. She tried to make the best of it, but she was sure everyone was underestimating her, which was ever-so frustrating. She was going to make sure everyone feared her, as they rightfully should. She earned the spot for a reason, and she didn't want to play weak. She refused to be anything less than her full potential at all times.
When the chariot stopped, Acacia whooped again.
"THAT WAS AMAZING!" she shouted. Dania's ears were still ringing from the noise of the crowd, but she quickly nodded in agreement. Together, the gladiators stepped off of their chariots. "DO WE GET TO MEET THE OTHERS NOW?"
Dania tried to keep her voice down when she said, "Yeah, I think so!"
The ringing gradually faded as they were approached by the tributes from the District of Luxury. They were dressed like royalty, combined with the twist of love. Dania tried to appear as intimidating as she possibly could, but in front of the tall, strong, piercing gaze of Chancellor, even someone like Acacia looked small.
"Hey there hey there hey there!" Acacia said, waving her flag in excitement. Chancellor put a hand up in a silent greeting.
"Hey," Wicke said, brushing bangs out of her eye. Her hair was styled in an elegant braided updo, and she looked pretty regal. They had succeeded in that respect. "I'm Wicke Valentine."
"Chancellor Magnusun."
"I'm Dania Lidano," Dania said. She gave each of the tributes a look, daring them to underestimate her. Neither of them seemed to look down on her, though (well, they had to physically, but not metaphorically).
"Acacia Blasdell!" she said happily, taking Wicke's hand in her free hand and shaking it.
"You think the Four tributes are going to join us?" Dania asked, looking around for them. They spotted the pair coming closer, but it was a struggle. Luna and Nerio obviously didn't get along, and were having trouble getting around as they were bound by the costume.
Acacia laughed loudly. "I love that costume!" she said loudly. The others all agreed, and all were snickering. The pair from Four looked pretty ridiculous, and the fact that they weren't very in-sync made a very drunk-looking sea monster approaching. Other tributes quickly stepped out of the way for the tributes, which made the tributes from One and Two laugh and exchange amused glances.
The pair eventually hobbled over, bickering quietly as they went.
"Hi!" Acacia said, giggling.
Soon, though, she was looking at the District One girl again. Dania could admit that she was easy to look at, but tried to stay focused on the Games. Nona and Vesperus admitted that neither of them was completely sure if and how they were going to make this crazy twist work, but Nona told her to be sure to stay focused. Vesperus seemed pretty on-edge about the whole thing, but Nona remained calm. Dania wasn't sure if Acacia was conscious she kept glancing over, or if Wicke noticed, but she was going to stay out of the drama if at all possible.
"Hey there," Nerio said, putting up a weird scaly, tentacle and waving, which caused Acacia to burst into giggles and the others to stifle laughter.
"Nice to meet you both," Dania said, amused. "I'm Dania. That's Acacia."
"Chance," the One boy said.
"Wicke," the girl introduced herself.
"Good to meet you. I'm Nerio!"
"My name is Luna." The girl was pretty as well, or at least, from what Dania remembered from the reaping. She hadn't gotten a real read on Luna, the only thing she knew for sure was that the Four girl was determined. She was going to go out there and not stop until she won. Dania would have to make sure that didn't happen.
"Happy Hunger Games all," Wicke said. Her eyes sparkled with determination. "I didn't come here to place second."
"None of us did," Chance said. He looked at each of our future allies with a hard gaze, establishing dominance. Dania sunk back a little bit, surrendering control. She was never really a leader. It wasn't that she wasn't worthy or capable, it was mostly that she wasn't confident enough. She didn't follow anyone blindly, though. She only followed those she considered worthy and deserving. Back home, that was her older brother Carlen. He was her best friend, her best support, and her strongest training partner. He always encouraged her to shoot for the stars, and she would always appreciate him for that. She wanted to get home so she could repay him for everything he did for her.
"May the odds be ever in your favor then," Luna said cooly. She had a very calculating look to her as well.
Dania knew that she couldn't afford to let her guard down this year. She was definitely going to have to earn that Victor title. It wouldn't be easy, but it wasn't impossible.
"We have some outer-District big shots this year. So the big question is… Join with them?" It was a tough question, but Wicke obviously wasn't afraid of it. Nobody got to answer, though, before two more tributes approached the group.
It was the pair from District Ten. In previous years, one tribute from Ten had joined the Careers as the outer-District scapegoat. Now, both were on their way.
Dania knew that eight tributes in one alliance was a lot, but she wasn't shut-off to the idea. It would be a quick couple days as they took out those that weren't deserving, then they'd duke it out. Hopefully it would be clean and fair, but with these allies, she wasn't so sure. Acacia didn't have an ounce of deceit in her body, it seemed, but she never knew about the others. Dania hoped that District loyalty would be stronger than anything else, but she could never be sure.
"Hi there!" Acacia said, as all of the tributes glanced at each other. The Ten tributes were dressed interestingly this year. Attila was a lethal mass of barbed wire. He was already so hulking and tall that it only made him look more lethal. Dania would have to pull a lot of tricks out of her ass to beat him in a fight, and she knew that. It would be good to keep eyes on him, though. He put a hand up in greeting.
"Hi!" his District partner, who had been reaped, said. She may have been reaped, but she could still be lethal. Dania had seen it before from District Ten's tributes. "I'm Miya. This is Attila." The rest of the group introduced themselves. Dania found herself looking at the Ten girl's dress. It was so intricately knotted. It was tough, but beautiful. Like the girl herself, it seemed.
Dania glanced back at Attila, shaking off the thought of it. She knew that she couldn't forget where she was. She would always be guarded and on her game, and wouldn't let anyone sway her.
Then Miya smiled, which made that task… harder. It wasn't Dania's fault that girls were such spectacular specimen. She glanced back at Acacia, wondering what was going through her District partner's mind.
"I think we've got ourselves an alliance," Nerio said, offering the others a grin.
"Good stuff," Acacia said enthusiastically.
"We should be getting back to our compartments," Luna said. Though she was hard to read, the underlying meaning of the statement was easy to see: I will cut a bitch if I have to be in this costume any longer.
"Aw… Already?" Nerio said, pouting, but Luna was already dragging him towards the elevator.
"I'm going to stay out for a bit and see the dynamics between other tributes, I think," Wicke said. "I'm not that tired."
"Oh, can I come with?" Acacia was quick to ask, the One girl quick to agree.
Dania walked to the elevator with the Ten tributes and Chance, making strategic small-talk along the way.
Dania liked her outfit, but was glad to change into PJ's and climb into bed. She had a long day and it was only going to get trickier from there.
She fell asleep easily as soon as she closed her eyes.
-Desiree Menghiasi, 15, District 6-
After the ride was over, Desiree took the initiative. She wanted to see what she was dealing with here, and the best way to do that was to jump right in. Riggs immediately went off to talk to the District Nine tributes, but Desiree was more focused with tributes that were closer to her age.
First, she approached the Seven tributes. They were pretty close, and both of them were her age as well.
"Hi there," she said, causing both tributes to look up.
"Hi," the girl said. The boy waved, but just looked shy. The getup was supposed to make him look tough, but didn't do much to help him out.
"Desiree," she said, "I'm from Six."
"Persei. I like your outfit."
"Oh, thanks. Red's a pretty neat color, isn't it?" she gave the Seven girl a grin, who gave a small smile and nodded. They were both pretty on-edge, that was easy to tell.
"Yeah, I like it well enough. I don't know how I feel about being a helpless little girl, being fifteen and all, you know? This costume doesn't do me justice. I'm tough, don't be mistaken."
Desiree's grin widened. This was exactly the kind of girl she could get along with. "I believe you."
"I'll play the role for the night, though, if that's what they want."
"Yeah, you don't look so tough in that getup. Just a bit helpless. But at least you're the protagonist," Desiree teased. Persei gave her a slight smirk.
"Then again," she whispered in Desiree's ear, "It's not like he's really much of a savior, is he?" She bounced her eyebrows at Desiree, who gave a laugh. She was pretty cool, especially now that she seems to have relaxed from the reaping.
"Doesn't seem like it," Desiree whispered back. The girls laughed together. Syca looked bothered, though, and Desiree felt a little bit bad for leaving him out.
"Syca, right?"
"Yeah," he said, frowning. He was looking over somewhere, and looked pretty bothered. When Desiree was able to steal a look over her shoulder she noticed that he was looking at the District Eight boy, who was talking with the Eleven girl.
"Nice to meet you," Desiree said. He wasn't nearly as much fun as Persei, or nearly as nice to look at. That really didn't mean much, though, as Desiree was looking for who would make the best, strongest ally. He just nodded in response. He still seemed to be in a bad mindspace, while Desiree was looking for someone who could roll with the punches like her.
The other fifteen-year-olds approached just then. Well, it was more like Daria skipping over and Semper following slower after her.
"Hi there!" the Eleven girl said. She was definitely not from District Eleven, and nobody was totally sure how she was here. Piccolo and Viola had assured everyone that she was, indeed, a District Eleven citizen, but that didn't make it any less strange. Especially seeing someone like her next to someone so genuinely Eleven: dark-skinned, calloused, and scrawny: like Oleander. "My name is Daria Junius! That's Semper Celandine, District Eight."
The trio introduced themselves, and they all exchanged "nice to meet you!"s. Daria looked like the princess of everything pastel and girly in her flowery outfit, which wasn't Desiree's jam, but she didn't count the princess out yet. Semper was slightly shy, which was cute and comical in his little teddy bear outfit.
"I think we could have a fifteen-year-old Victor this year!" Daria said, her blue eyes sparkling with optimism. She even had a Capitol accent. She was the least Eleven person Desiree could have seen.
"I hope so," Semper said quietly, and the others nodded. Desiree needed to get back home. The others may have wanted it, but nobody needed it like Desiree. Nobody wanted it like her. She didn't have a choice.
"Well, I wish you the best and hope we're going to talk soon, but I'm so sleepy," Daria yawned. She made eye contact with Desiree and flashed her a confident smile. Desiree smiled back before glancing back at Persei. Of them all, she seemed like the most reliable, but it was still early on.
"Night," everyone said. She and the boys went to bed. Syca kept glancing at Semper, with something that looked like a stink-eye. What'd Semper ever do to him? It was only day one, there were many questions that would be answered soon.
Persei and Desiree stayed back from the others.
"So you wanna keep in touch or what?" Desiree asked, out of earshot of the others. She didn't want to commit to anything too early, but Persei could very well be a strong asset.
Persei gave her a nod and a smirk. "Yeah. Find me during training."
"Swaggin."
"What?"
Desiree shrugged. "Swaggin."
"Right…" The elevator came and the girls stepped on.
Daria wished them all a good night after stepping off at the Eleventh Floor. Semper was dropped off next. The elevator stopped at District Seven.
"Night," Desire said. Syca gave a nod, staring at the floor as he exited the elevator.
"Rest well," Persei said, winking at Desiree. Desiree winked back as the doors closed, taking her up to her floor.
Desiree smiled as the doors open and Jovia told her how great she looked, asking how she liked it and who she talked to. She answered the escort's questions before going back to her room, changing and getting ready for bed.
Desiree was content for where she was. There was still plenty of time to figure things out, and she had a good start.
She was still smiling as she dozed off to sleep.
~.~.
A/N: Hi… Sorry this took so long. Holy shit, over a month! That's crazy. Hope the length makes up for it.
So, I'm officially home for the summer, which means that hopefully I'll be able to crank out updates getting us to the Games before school starts again! Also, the tribute POVs are longer than 2000 but they do feature other tributes so the length is to ensure that the tribute gets some time plus interaction time.
Sorry if this chapter felt a little bit off, I'm getting back into the full SYOT swing of things after not even thinking about this story for a time due to some personal shit. But I hope you enjoyed this look at Dania, Desiree, and Lux!
Reviews are always appreciated, I love to know what you think of the dynamics and the tributes in this chapter and if your opinions on any of them change! And, of course, how I did with your tributes, if applicable.
If you haven't already, vote on the poll! :)
Oh, and I've started drawing this story's tributes! I'm just drawing them in the order they were submitted, because that's easiest. That's on the story's blog, just-let-lux-eat-pastries . blogspot . com
Also, I'm still taking fan mail by PM, and dates for Victors are still open and on my profile.
Chapter Question: Here are some alliance prediction questions: Do you think the Careers going to stay strong with eight people or split off? Will it be ugly or fair? Do you think any of the fifteens are going to stick together?
Here's to hoping this story can be back in swing with fast updates as summertime boredom sets in! Thanks for the support so far, my dears!
Next chapter will be another long one, we'll hear from Wicke, Bec, and Syca for the first day of training!