Mercy – from Old French "merci", meaning "pity"
Nike Queerin (17) - District 3
They have taken my beloved headphones from me, for 'inspection', and our Escort Yules told me that I'd get them back before the Games start, if nothing is wrong with them. They have taken Leela's earring as well, as if we both were some criminals trying to cheat. I don't understand how someone can be that untrusting, but I guess if they take all the personal things from the tributes, it's fair at least.
Now the silence in front of the training hall is scary, as it's only nine thirty and no other tribute is here. I realise that ten minutes later would have been enough, probably, but if they open the doors a bit early and I can somehow have a minute more of training, that will be worth the wait.
I just wish I was allowed to call home again, where my parents worry for me, and I could tell them that I am fine, I'm doing well here and learned a bit of weaponry skills yesterday. The Machete is kind of heavy and that is why my wrists and arms feel sore today, but Blizz said it's what builds muscle and strenght, of which I apparently have none.
But there are things I'm good at as well, for example swimming. The trainer was impressed and had me swim for half and hour straight, and also walk against the stream in a hip-deep river. She said that most other tributes can't swim, and going into the water might be a good tactic, especially in an open field with no hiding places. I repeated her words in my head yesterday before bed, just to make sure I remember them.
A swishing sound makes me look up as the elevator doors open. A girl walks out, her head hanging down and dark strands of hair hanging into her face. She's from District 7, her name is Luna, but otherwise I don't know much about her. Blizz said it would be clever to have as much information as possible on the other tributes, so I learned their names, that's the least I could do.
"Good morning!" I greet her and she looks up like she hasn't expected anyone to be here, changing her tired expression to one that doesn't seem all that friendly.
"As if you mean it", she grumbles looking away.
"I do. With all the pressure of training and maybe death, the least I can do is wish you a good morning", I explain.
"Whatever."
The way she seems to look at this situation saddens me. Like there was only one way to see it. But it isn't like that, I mean, I've learned so much in these last few days and even though it's troubling how much I didn't know, this is a fresh start and I'm going to make the best out of it.
"Sometimes people's advice can be really valuable. Like, I got some great lessons about being determined and keep working from my Maids back at home, and I bet you got those too from someone who loves you, or else you wouldn't be here. You are determined to learn as much as possible, just like me, so that we are given this opportunity alone makes this a good morning."
Now Luna does look up, with her expression an mixture of disbelief and anger. "I don't have anyone who loves me. I'm doing this for myself, if you care to know."
I let that sink in for a moment. No one who loves her? That seems super unrealistic and simply imagining to live like that is impossible. She must have a very negative outlook on life.
"What about your parents? Friends from school? I'm sure you have someone", I try to make her think, I'm sure that if she puts her mind to it, it will occur to her that she is important to someone.
"No. And now stop being so hideously friendly, I won't fall for that kind of an act", she snaps, her voice sharp as a knife.
"An act?" I ask, unsure what exactly she means, but it scares me, how she looks at me like I'm the enemy here.
She rolls her eyes. "I know you think you can make me trust you by playing sympathetic and understanding, but I've been through that and you know, people grow out of their experiences. I can handle myself without your oh-so-wise words and if you try that again, the first thing I'll do in the arena is split your skull with my hatchet!"
I wimper, wishing there was somewhere to go, or I hadn't even started this conversation. There woulde be blood and brain, and my eyes tear up as I imagine it for a second. "Please don't", I beg hurriedly, barely able to speak some words.
"Pf", comes her answer, a noise I can't quite pinpoint to an emotion, but I guess if she wanted to attack me, she would have. I wish I had my cat Flower to protect me. Yet she's not here, but home alone and probably missing me as well, while I'm here, where people threaten me with gruesome things like putting a hatchet in my skull.
I curl up into a ball, back against the wall and the girl from seven does the same. We sit there for a few minutes in silence, she glancing over to me, while I try to stop the tears, which won't stop streaming down my cheeks. I wish I could get away.
The other tributes start to arrive now, this time more talkative than yesterday, as some seem to have found friends and soon the doors are opened as well. I remember why I went down here so early in the first place – to get as much training as possible. So I get up with the support of the wall and hurry to get in, thinking about which station I should go for.
"I'm sorry", comes a whisper from behind me, Luna's voice silent and reluctant, completely different than what she has sounded like a few minutes ago.
"Apology accepted", I answer and give her a smile.
"Just like that?"
"Of course. I hope you aren't angry with me anymore?"
Her mouth goes into an O-shape and she shakes her head, nervously fixes her hair. "No, not at all. In fact, I could need some cheerfulness around, I just forgot that I wanted that new start earlier. I mean, it's not easy at all."
"Yeah, it's not. But we can make the best of it if we apply ourselves", I tell her.
"Right. So how about we find something to learn together?" She seems to struggle with a smile, but I take her words for enough motivation and it will be fun to have someone to talk to while learing. So I nod and we head towards the stations.
Gnaeus Isselhardt (17) - District 1
I look around satisfied as the spear hits its target, the dummies heart. The weapon feels exactly like home and things have been going well so far, even though the trainers here seem a bit retarded in some regards. I mean, and outlier migh have to rely on a wooden spear, but I'm sure getting into the cornucopia to secure all the best weapons. They still tried to make me test it, with the trainer Lillia hellbend on making me see how this experience could be helpful. Yeah, sure.
On my way to get the spears back for another round, someone puts a hand on my shoulder and stops me.
"Wow...that's impressive", says a girl who isn't Eleanor, making me quickly check that she's from eight, hair done in a high ponytail and expressive eye make-up making her look quite lovely, as she indignantly pulls her hand back. "Um, sorry, I just had to touch those muscles, they didn't seem real unless...well."
"Trying to flirt with a career, don't you think that's a bit dangerous?" I wink, leaning onto an impaled dummy, as I assess her from top to bottom, and I have to admit, she's quite something. Well fed and more of what you'd expect from someone from District 8, as she knows how to look good, being the only tribute who has chosen an oversized version of the training T-Shirt, which she has knotted on the side, though sadly no skin shows.
"What? I...I don't think I was trying to flirt...sorry if I offended you, I just wanted to be nice."
"Haha! No worries, you could never offend me with that", I assure her, wondering why she has decided to talk to me in the first place. My impressive muscles, really?
"Good. Good. Would have been just typical me, to ruin it before I could even ask you for an alliance, you see?" She looks down, seemingly desperate to vanish into the dusty gym floor.
"But you do know that we're not the protection guard, right? We're the wolves who'll be hunting you, even if that sounds cliche."
"Hm...I just thought you look so nice talking to each other and had fun together. Maybe you could make an exception for me?"
"I don't think so. As you've seen with your pretty eyes, we're a good team and can't afford to drag someone around. I say that to be nice." She looks up now, eyes wide and biting her lip. While it does look cute, it attests to my judgement being right here – she'd be of no use and there isn't even chance we could take her in.
"What? But I could be useful. I learned a lot about plants here, which ones are edible and which are poisonous. You don't have someone with that knowledge, right?"
Right. Still, if I wanted survival skills, I could just ask anyone. Also, am I really so sure? I decide to give a nod to Tanzan here, whom I've spotted talking to a guy at the plant station. I'll need to go over there and maybe stop him from doing that later.
"Well I don't know, maybe we do...with whatever Tanzan has been doing he could as well have become a master of wild herb salads."
"Please! If you don't take me in, I'll die in the bloodbath, and I don't want to die! At least with you I'd have a bit longer, and maybe it's stupid because it's just a couple of days, but it matters to me."
I can't help myself but to chuckle a bit, it's just interesting to see how desperate some of these other tributes can get. She went from shy to determined to panicked and I have to say that I feel luckier than ever now, to be one of those who they fear, not the other way around. Even this situation is stressful enough.
"Okay, calm down. Here's a tip, because I admire you trying: Just stay away from the bloodbath and you will survive. If you don't I'll eat you for breakfast and not in the sexy way."
With that I rip out the spear from the dummy, collect another one that's lying on the floor and move back, signaling the girl from eight that this conversation is over.
I look after her as she walks away with her head down, but there was something in the end that I thought might have been anger. Well, there was now way I was going to accept her into our alliance. It's fragile as it is and any new member would probably make me feel more on edge. I might know Eleanor, and I know she'd not have an outlier under any circumstances, but at least she'll be loyal till the end. I'm sure of that.
With the others, not so much. Halfway through the second day of training and I feel like I don't have a clue about who my opponents really are. Jade is definitley the easiest to assess, or so I thought until she started to talk to that twelve guy, they both throwing knives at the dummies for hours and hours. She always misses – but that is my only comfort.
Otherwise that girl is a ticking time bomb, always ready to go off and the way she and Eleanor butt heads makes me worry what is going to happen once they are allowed to actually hurt each other. It would be best this alliance stands as long as possible, yet if the girls get into a fight I', not sure what the pair from four will do then.
Even though I trained with Tanzan for a while yesterday, us throwing some punches and all, he still is a mystery to me, and at the same time might be my greatest enemy. In terms of scaring the other tributes he's been the most successful of us, weirdly enough by not showing his weapon skills at all. Instead he has gone around and talked to them, he's been to these survival stations the outliers are known to waist their time on and they usually run once they see him. Does he do that on purpose or does he actually want to make friends? In both cases that's a big worry for me, since for whatever reason, I feel he outshines me in making an impression here.
Talise is the least of my worries, as she clearly stated she hasn't trained as much, but she does seem useful and has been busy refining her dagger skills, as well as doing sprints, so she can be save at the cornucopia. The only thing that has me nervous about her is that she seems to be on Tanzans side, them making just as good as a District team as Eleanor and I. We will have to find a way to be better than them, set a plan into motion earlier, because clearly the element of surprise will be important.
Back at it again, and yeah, you bet I'm giving everyone their opportunities to try and get into the career alliance, but I just feel like this is not a group that would let outsiders in easily :D Also, I'm honestly happy with the dynamics most of these characters have, because I can just make them talk, and talk, and talk...and that's fun to write!
I did only manage two POVs for this chapter, so it's a bit short, but I'd rather post something short than being late again, and overall this doesn't matter so much, since it's still the same Training day – it just means that there will be four POVs in the next chapter, so I can catch up.
Thank you so much for all the reviews, it's super fun to read your thoughts and that motivates me a ton!
See you next week :)