Poplin Ombre (14) – District 8
"I hope the arena has a real sky. With all the stars you'd see at night, like in the real world."
"So you know something about star navigation? I heard there was a way to use them, but I have no clue how."
Mari sits opposite of me on a white leather sofa, netween us our glasses of water, in which she watches the bubbles go up. She has put her dark hair up into a ponytail even though there is no training today, and it looks to neat, too often done in her life, probably for rich-family stuff, like dinners and meetings.
Does she consider this a meeting? The dress suggests it, contrasting her coffee skin, but she's warned me not to ask about her private life, because that's none of my business. Well, she's right there...at least that we have in common. Otherwise, we seem to be different and this night I thought several times about why I would even ally myself with a rich girl.
Now she looks up in surprise. "Navigation? No, I just find stars beautiful."
Urgh. Dreaming of stars and fairytails, or what? I want to symbolically stick a finger in my mouth, but doubt she would find that funny at all. So I settle for a chuckle and a bit of a side blow towards the Capitol. "Fair point. But I wouldn't put it past them to ruin that as well."
"I'm optimistic. Most arenas are some kind of nature environment, so there should be a sky. And I plan to see it, unless of course...No. Lin, please tell me you don't want to go into the bloodbath, or do you?"
I hesitate for a moment. Real arena tactics are more intimidating than I imagined and honestly, I avoided them until now. Damn them, making me think about how to avoid my own death, because that's what it's all about. The only ones able to attack are the careers, if we're being realistic. It sucks. Not only are the Games an unfair punishment, but the mechanics, how everything works here.. Right, I need to answer.
"Haven't thought it through – but what have we learned all the fighting for, if we don't get weapons to put it to practice?" I put my doubts into words best as I can, but it feels weird. I'm no good with the serious talking.
"The trainer said if I can fight with a spear, I can use a stick just as fine. For us to get a spear and a sword like we learned to use, we'd have to go all the way and that's how you die on the first day", Mari says after some consideration, still making it sound more like a question than a statement.
"A stick will be heavier and you can barely hold up the actual spear for a whole fight", I tell her, at which she immediatley bites her lips in anger, yet it's true, not even accounting for the much sharper tip of a real spear. "But you're right, I don't want to go into the middle of the bloodbath either. I might be mad, but not that much. We should get some food and water", I suggest. That can't be wrong now, can it?
"Alright. If something's close, I guess", she agrees with a nod and a thankful smile. So that's it, I made that decision now? I gulp down the lump in my throat – so easy to set your potential death date up.
"And if not? Hey, I don't want your complaints if you can't eat what you like, okay?"
"I'm not stupid. I know the arena is not a buffet."
"I saw you pick the carrots out of your soup at yesterdays lunch. What will you do if the only thing we have is a bag of carrots?"
The image is still fresh in my head, way worse than just the carrots. She had fished them out one by one, stacked them up on her napkin, followed by the celery pieces, then the potatoes. It was a massacre and I know my mother would have hit me on the head for such behaviour, even back when our relationship was still good.
"That's absurd. There will be something else", Mari insists. I stop myself from getting angry, instead seing it as a challenge to make her turly disgusted.
"Dried beetles, then? I'll eat half of'em and then put the rest into someone elses' sleeping bag. Scare them to death" I wink at her, making my fingers into crwling legs. To my surprise, she raises an eyebrow and puts on a happy face.
"I'd actually try those. I don't find them gross when seeing them, and I like meat."
"What? Okay, one surprise point for you." I didn't expect that. Aren't all girl supposed to be scared of bugs? Even some of my own neighbours had that.
"Thanks. Now, you need to earn a surprise point for yourself, so that we're even."
She leans forward in the sofa a bit with what I guess is honest interest. She doesn't want us to argue, but to get to know each other. Even though we are allies right now, is that such a good idea? But it's hard to resist, since I know a lot of things to tell her in order to earn said surprise point.
Luna Hayden (18) – District 7
I was dreadful when I got reaped. I was furious when the Escort forbid me to take any more pain medication. I was hopeful when I swung an hatchet again, but that didn't last long, as I fell to the ground gasping.
If I had slowly built up my endurance, and my lungs capability over time, I could have been alomst like my old self by now. Simple as that, the trainer said it, in very simple words, but the Doctors at home didn't know – or at least they never told me. So here I am, educated people telling me I could have had a life even with a single lung, but I wasted it because I didn't know better.
No need to say, the District 7 apartment was a mess afterwards.
Nike, who kindly invited me into his own room, could never get so angry. The weird boy from three remains a mystery to me in his naivity, but I imagine I might have been the same, at least on some grounds, before my world broke down. And while my wake-up call was brutal, I want his to be as gentle as possible with the start of the Games just around the corner.
It's tearing me apart inside. I should know better. He could be playing me just like that Avox Bella did with both Solace and me. They cut out her tongue for murder, yet we believed she was the nicest, caring person in the world. Nike isn't a criminal by any means, but he is rich, and spoiled, and his parents must be the cruelst people alive – if they shared at least a bit of their money, nobody would have to take out tesserae.
He told me of them for hours, and I told him my judgement. 'Really? Maybe there is some rule that prevents them from doing that...' he said in tears, because tears seem to be one of his go-to reactions to anything. He's scared of snakes. Scared of the careers. Scared of the dark. Scared of blood. Scared of being hunted. Scared of death. How is he going to be useful in the arena?
Shockingly, though, he listened to every single word of mine and thanked me for it. When for years, people were driven away from my harsh comments, he was grateful for me trying to be mean. He didn't even realise I wanted to get rid of his presence. I almost cried too when it didn't work, but was too exhausted to get even more emotional.
"You don't look so good. Do you want me to get you some water?", Nike asks as he gets out a pen and paper from a cupboard.
"That won't help. The headache is from pain-med withdrawl. They won't give them to me, even though those have been in first aid kits in the arena every year."
"Hm, that seems illogical. But we can get you some once we're in then", he says encouragingly and I raise an eyebrow at him, for why has he chosen to care about me?
"We? Who even determined we were allies?" Do I want to go in a death battle with him? No. Do I want to go alone? Maybe. Do I want him to go alone? No.
"Um, we talked a lot, and you were so nice to me, I just thought we are. Have I gotten that wrong again?" Nike asks, sounding pityful, since he's probably been in a lot of trouble due to his unworldliness. His big, scared eyes bore into mine and I sigh.
"So fine. I'll grab us weapons and you go for the supplies which are closest to you – then we meet up and run. Afterwards, we'll see."
"Thank you, that sounds great! I thought about finding water and maybe do some electricity traps...if I get the right stuff, I could make our weapons give electro shocks! That's what I wanted to show you, I experimented with it yesterday. Here."
He finally makes use of the paper he got out earlier, drawing lines and patterns and connection on it which I don't understand, but to him they seem to make some sense. Then he writes a list of materials, probably what he'd need, all the time grinning like he was having the greatest fun with this. I decide to stop him.
"Nike? Nike. You are stupid to show me now – what if I decided to walk away and don't be your ally anymore? Then I'd have the knowledge, and you'd have nothing."
His eyes go wide, then sad. "But you promised just a few minutes ago...why do people break their promises?"
"For their own advantage. Especially in the Games, that's natural. So better get used to the fact that you can't trust anyone."
"Okay. Trust no one but you", he says, repeating the last sentence a couple of times. I shake my head, but don't correct him – I guess he is right. I couldn't kill him and right now, I couldn't let anybody else kill him. However, I know that sometimes you don't know yourself all so well – my brother Solace never thought I could kill a person either.
Connor DuPlessis (15) – District 5
The floor is littered with pieces of paper, all in the different District colours, with the names of the tributes on them and Leela starts ordering them for their current alliance status, while I cut out some directional arrows in white.
"Do you think much will change now?", she asks with a wary voice, eyes fixiated on the pieces she already has put together.
"No. After the private sessions some may chicken out though", I give my opinion, strangely thankful for the conversation, as it makes me forget how my fingers hurt from holding the scissors for so long.
"Okay."
Leela goes back to her task and for a few minutes, it's silent again. I'm glad she isn't very talkative, so we haven't had to do much of the 'get-to-know-each-other' stuff. Since we're going to be enemies soon enough, it wouldn't make much sense and we only need to know that we can work together – which we can enjoyably well.
It was stressful at first, with Leela a watchful girl, and her eyes disturbed me quite a bit. Robot-eyes, but she hates it when I call them that. I still think their cool.
"I'm done."
I put away the scissors and come over, both of us standing up to have a better look at the alliances she put together from what we came to know during training. The careers are on top, with the names of Eleanor – District 1, Gnaeus – District 1, Talise – District 4 and Tanzan – District 4.
"I like that they are a smaller group than usual. Maybe someone can beat them, or at least it'll be easier to get away if we meet them", I comment.
"If we meet them, we failed. No, I fear they might stick together better, now that the rebels have sorted themselves out so early", Leela picks some dirt out from under her nails, then nervously fumbles with her fingers.
"Yeah, we should avoid them as long as we can, but we should also stay away from the group with Amran, Owen, Kitana and Wisteria. If it weren't so unpredictable, we could set them up to fight..."
Leela nods exaggeratedly. "Definetly. I don't like that their so unpredictable – even more than the careers, because they could have so many secret skills..."
One thing that just creeps me out is that she doesn't close her eyes when she's deep in thought. She just keeps them wide open, seemingly staring into her own head, and doesn't appreciate to be pulled out of that state. Luckily, she doesn't stay in there for long right now, and instead moves on.
"Then we have Jade and Austin, Nike and Luna, Poplin and Marigold...and us two. Leaves eight loners, which isn't much anyway, but I know some are still searching."
We agree to mark the allied tributes with a symbol on their name card, and will just go with what we have at the moment for cornucopia strategies. After we are done, Leela picks up the pieces and throws them into the air, so they are in no particular order anymore.
"Now, close your eyes and arrange them in a circle", she orders and I go down to my knees, feeling stupid. Well, but how else should we do it?
"What if they do a triangle this time?" I joke, but only get an 'hmpf' as answer. The cornucopia has always been a circle. Fairest. The best order. Once I'm done, I open my eyes again, looking at the random draw I've made.
We decided it would be wise to go through a couple of different cornucopia scenarios today, so we can be prepared for whatever should happen on that morning. If we both know what to do in which case, we can be the fastest, without wasting time for sponatneous arrangements or misunderstandings. I look at the picture and frown.
"This looks terrible", I speak my mind, but then I realise that probably all of the options will look like this. Always someone near who is dangerous, who could try and kill me immediatley.
"I honestly just don't want to go in there at all...but we really should. Without supplies it's likely we'll be short of at least one thing that is hard to come by in this particular arena", Leela argues, but it's the first time there is actual emotion, worry, in her voice. Her feet tap on the floor, like she'd run right now, if she could.
Would I run, too? I'm not sure, though it's certainly a possibility.
"Well...if we stand about a quarter of a circle apart like this, it would be wise for us to stay in that part – each one gets something in a straight line in front of us, then we run back that line and meet up", I start planning and put down some of the arrows I cut out earlier to show her.
"Good. If the terrain behind us is at all usable, we should go there. But I don't like how close I'm placed to Galvan here. I'd take a slightly longer way, just to avoid him."
She moves some arrows and I agree. Then again, it strikes me as almost impossible to avoid any potentially dangerous tributes – there are too many and with some, we'll just have to hope they want a good weapon and amount of supplies more than an early kill. I can fight back, at least more than Leela, but I don't know how I woul dreact in an actual battle, and it would cost too much time to even engage in a fight.
"Let's do another one", I tell Leela, suddenly in a panic that we won't get the chance to play out all the eventualities.
Um...hi? Skipped a week again, and it wasn't even because I wasn't done with the chapter, but because I hated it. I still do, but now that I fumbled around with phrases and stuff, I know it won't get better. So yeah, I hate how training Day 2 turned out – maybe one of you can tell me what's wrong with it?
Contrary to that, I'm super proud of this Freetime chapter, since it looks at the dynamics within some alliances more, and it has a ton of conversation, which is just my thing.
I hope you had a great Christmas/are having a great Christmas and I know things are stressful around that time of year for many people. Therefore, and because I'm late, you can still bet on the private session stuff (see Ch. 19 for more info) until the 1st of January. I can't believe the next chapter will be out next year.
See you next time with the private sessions!