Travis O'Quinn, District 7, 17
At the beginning of the second day of training, I noticed the guy from Twelve over by the axe-throwing station. I sighed and headed over there.
We'd spent all of yesterday together in silence. It was a good chance to size this guy up, see if he could be alliance material. Honestly, if he'd been from Seven, he might've ended up in my friend group. The guy was clearly strong and athletic, so he could hold his own without my help. And after seeing how much his axe-throwing skills had improved after just a day, he was clearly a threat. I'd rather have someone like that fighting with me than against me.
The only apparent downside was that I had no idea who he was. I knew he was from Twelve based on his uniform. Other than that, I didn't even know his name. Could he talk? I had no idea. I needed to learn more about him before solidifying any alliance.
I arrived at the axe-throwing station. The tribute had just thrown an axe, one-handed, and it had landed right in the bulls-eye.
"Nice throw," I said.
He turned, spotting me off to the side. "Thanks."
"I'm Travis," I said.
He nodded. "Dale."
We shook hands. He had a firm grip.
"I wasn't sure you could speak after yesterday," I joked, testing the waters.
He shrugged. "I'm not the most talkative," he said.
I nodded. "I get that. So you're from Twelve?"
"Yeah," he said, glancing down at his uniform.
"How's that?" I asked.
"It's fine," he said. "Not for everyone, though. And you're from Seven?"
"Yes," I replied. "Lots of trees."
He smirked. "Nice."
"Mind if I join you again?" I asked.
"Go ahead," he answered.
The trainer handed me an axe, and I took the target next to Dale. Soon enough, we were both throwing, working on our two- and one-handed throws.
By the time we got to lunch, we were both dripping with sweat and hungry from all the physical exertion. We headed to the cafeteria together, grabbing a tray and finding an empty table to share.
"So," I said as we began to dig in, "how has your time in the Capitol been so far?"
He shrugged. "It's been okay."
"Do you get along well with your district partner? Mine barely speaks," I said, glancing over at Chaney. She was eating alone a few tables over.
"I guess," he replied. "She's a lot younger than me, so we don't really talk. You know that pair of girls that won't stop giggling?"
"Yeah," I said. I'd noticed them running around together yesterday. They seemed to be having a great time together, although I wished they'd stop talking for three seconds.
"She's the blonde one," he said. "Sienna."
"Oh, okay," I said. "I know which one she is."
He nodded. "Yeah. Don't think she really likes me."
"Why?" I asked.
"Our Mentor likes me a lot more than her," he said. "She barely acknowledges her existence anymore."
"That's really rough," I said.
"Yeah," he said. "She's from One, too, so she's pretty sure Sienna's a bloodbath death. She actually said that to me once. Isn't that brutal?"
"I mean, she is fourteen," I said. "Glad my Mentor's not like that, though."
"What's your Mentor like?" he asked, sipping from his glass of water.
"I actually know her from school," I confessed. "Her name's Acadia, she won the Games last year."
"Oh, yeah," he said. "She was the badass one, right? With the axe?"
"Yeah," I confirmed.
"And you knew her from school?"
"Yeah," I said. "We're the same age. Even had a few classes together."
"That's so weird to think about," he said. "Of all the tributes from my district I've seen in the Games, I've only actually met, like two. And I didn't know them personally. Are you guys friends?"
"We're not close, but we're friendly," I said. "And yeah, before Acadia, I didn't know anyone in the Games."
"Did you think she'd win?" asked Dale.
I considered. "I mean, usually one of the Careers wins, right?" I asked. "It's not like I wasn't hoping she'd win, because she's pretty nice, but I wasn't expecting her to, you know?"
"Yeah," said Dale. "That makes sense." He thought for a moment. "I wonder if anyone at home actually thinks I'll win. Like my coworkers and classmates and... my boss."
"I bet," I replied. "And we both have good Mentors, too, which helps."
"True," he said.
"Have you and your Mentor talked about alliances at all?" I asked.
Dale looked up from his food, his lips faintly twisting into a smile. "A little, why?"
"Acadia thinks an ally could be good for me," I said. "And I agree."
"Anyone in mind?" Dale asked.
"Yeah, you, obviously," I said. "What do you think?"
He nodded. "Sounds good to me." He flashed me a smile.
I nodded back. "Allies?"
"Allies," Dale confirmed.
Ethan Hart, District 10, 14
At around midmorning, Parker and I got tired of weapons stuff and looked for another station. I wasn't a big fan of any of the weapons, but it turned out that Parker had some strength from working in the fields, as well as half-decent aim.
After lunch yesterday, we'd decided to stick together for the rest of the afternoon. It had only seemed natural that we'd continue that into the next day. Honestly, I knew I probably wasn't going to make it out of this, but Parker didn't deserve to die. Maybe on my way out, I could help them survive the Games.
We wandered over to the survival stations. I noticed that the edible plants station was only occupied by one person. She stood with her back to us, tapping rapidly on the screen, identifying what was edible and what was poisonous. I recognized her as one of the younger girls, but I couldn't quite place the district.
"She's alone," I said, looking over in her direction.
Parker began scribbling on their notepad, answering my statement. Do u kno her name?
"No," I said. "But I know I wouldn't want to be alone right now. I don't know how I'd be doing if I didn't have you around."
I like hanging w/ u 2, wrote Parker, but we don't kno if she's trustworthy.
"I mean…" I said, thinking. "There's only one way to find out, right?"
Do u rly think we need any1 else? Maybe she wants 2 b alone.
"Only one way to find out," I repeated. "Come on."
Parker followed me begrudgingly as I walked up to the station.
"You're really good at that," I said.
The girl glanced at me, her green eyes suspicious behind her purple glasses. She was pale, with acne-ridden skin and tangled brown hair. Her district number, 3, was stitched into her training uniform. "Thanks."
"You're welcome," I said.
She turned back to her screen without another word, focusing on her memorization tasks.
"I'm Ethan," I said.
She turned back to me, rolling her eyes, her lips pursed with frustration. "I'm busy."
"Oh, sorry," I said, taking a step back.
"Yeah, right," she replied, returning to the machine. She stabbed at the images rapidly, her eyes passing over the questions so quickly I wasn't sure she'd actually read them. It was fascinating to watch how fast she was.
Parker slipped me a note, breaking my attention. She wants 2 b alone, so let's go, it read.
"One more try," I said.
Parker sighed, tapping their foot.
The task ended. I looked at the screen; she'd achieved a perfect score.
"Wow!" I said. "That's amazing. How did you know all that stuff?"
"Why are you still here?" she asked, turning sharply. "I just said I was busy."
"I wanted to say hi," I said. She was probably just stressed out, so I didn't take it personally. "I'm Ethan. I'm from District Ten."
"Halley," she said, still eyeing me closely. "Three."
"Do you want to try another station with us?" I asked.
She peeked around my shoulder at Parker, who was standing behind me. "Who's that?"
"Oh, this is Parker," I said. "They're from Eleven."
Parker gave a halfhearted wave.
"Can they not speak for themselves? Jeez," she said snarkily, pushing up her glasses. "Let them talk, dude."
Parker passed her a note.
"Can't talk. Hi, Parker from 11, they/them," she read out loud. "Huh."
"You don't have to join us if you don't want," I offered. "It's up to you."
"Why are you even talking to me?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I don't know you. You don't know me. You could try to murder me in, like, three days."
"We noticed that you were by yourself," I said. "We thought you could use the company, if just for the day."
"So you pity me? Is that it?" she asked, her eyes flashing.
"No, no no no," I said. "Not at all. We just didn't want you to be lonely. It can be kind of intimidating around here, and we thought a friendly face might be nice."
She looked me up and down, and then did the same to Parker. "Well, I have been meaning to find some allies… I guess you'll do." Then she walked away.
"Where are you going?" I called after her.
"To the next station!" she called back, not looking behind her. "Are you coming or what?"
Parker handed me a note, their arms crossed. Allies? I didn't agree 2 that, it read.
"I didn't think she was interested in allies," I said. "I just wanted to be nice."
Maybe b less nice, Parker suggested.
Halley turned around, stomping her foot. "Come on!" she said. "We don't have all day! We're going into a death arena soon, people!"
Parker gave me a look.
"What? She has a point," I said. "And besides, there's a little bit of good in everyone. Sometimes it just takes a little longer to find it. I bet she's acting like this because she's scared- she just needs some compassion. And we can give it to her."
Parker shook their head. We better not regret this.
"We won't," I assured them. "Come on!"
We hurried after Halley, who led the way to the snares station.
Journie Teffs, District 9, 17
Reese and I were eating lunch when a tribute walked up to us, holding a tray. "Hi."
"Hi," said Reese, always friendly.
The kid hesitated, looking at me. "Can I sit with you guys?"
"Of course," said Reese, who gestured to an open seat.
"Thanks," he said, setting down his food. "I'm Deltro. I'm from Six."
"Hi, Deltro," said Reese warmly. "I'm Reese, and this is Journie. We're both from District Nine."
"Cool," said Deltro, who was still looking at me.
"Hi," I said.
"Hi," he replied.
If I were being totally honest, this kid kind of reminded me of my brother True. Same skin and eyes, and True kept his hair short too. The face structure was a little different, and Deltro was taller than True, but they seemed to be around the same age. I wondered how similar their personalities were. But more than that, Deltro seemed familiar, as though we'd actually met. Had I seen him before?
"So, what's Nine like?" Deltro asked as he began to eat his lunch. I noticed that he couldn't seem to hold his fork completely steady- his hands wouldn't stop shaking. Probably just nerves.
"Nine is good," I said.
"We both like it there," said Reese. "We have big families and work in the fields, though we hadn't met until we were both Reaped."
"That's cool," he said, nodding. "Does Nine have cities?"
Reese and I exchanged a glance. "Not really," I said. "A few big towns, but no real cities that I know of. Most of it is fields."
"Oh," said Deltro. "Six is full of cities. And factories."
"What's that like?" asked Reese.
Deltro shrugged. "Lot of smoggy factories and really tall buildings. Honestly, Six is pretty dangerous. There's a big drug problem and the Peacekeepers aren't afraid to put you in line. It can get pretty violent."
"That sounds pretty different," I said. "Do you like it there?"
He shrugged. "It is what it is," he said. "You do what you can to avoid the drugs and the violence."
"Well, I sure am glad you've avoided all that," said Reese kindly.
"For the most part," said Deltro. "My mom had a drug problem, but she's okay now."
"Thank God," said Reese. "That's really great to hear."
"Yeah," said Deltro. "And the violence… well, everyone knows someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"That's terrible," I said. "Never been a fan of Peacekeepers myself."
Deltro turned to me, his eyes wide. "Really?"
"Yeah," I replied. "Had a few run-ins with them in Nine, but it doesn't sound nearly as bad as in Six."
"Run-ins?" he repeated.
"Yeah," I said. "A scuffle here and there, but I've always made it out okay."
Deltro stared at me for a moment, seemingly studying my face. "That's good," he said softly. He bit his lip.
"Are you okay?" Reese asked.
Deltro blinked. "Yeah, I'm all good," he said. "So you fight a lot?" he asked me.
I shifted in my seat. "Yeah, I guess," I said. "Mostly when I have to."
Deltro nodded. "I get that. You guys mind if I run to the bathroom real quick?"
"Go ahead," said Reese. Deltro stood, walking off towards the restrooms.
"Poor kid," said Reese, watching him go.
"Six doesn't sound fun," I agreed.
Reese turned to look at me. "What do you think about asking him to ally with us? The more the merrier, right?"
"I feel bad for him," I said.
"Is that a yes?" they asked.
"Do you think we can trust him?" I asked them.
Reese considered. "I think he's looking for allies, and I think he's going to ask us eventually. Besides, he doesn't seem, well, you know, the strongest."
"I think you're right," I said. "He's friendly enough, and he doesn't seem aggressive."
"Exactly," Reese said.
"You know, he seems real familiar," I said. "But I can't place him."
"Maybe we've seen him in the Training Center," ventured Reese.
I snapped my fingers. "That's it! He's the kid I saw yesterday when we were at the scythes!"
"Oh," said Reese, understanding immediately. "He's probably lonely, then."
"All the more reason to ally with him," I said. "But let's make sure he wants allies first."
"Good idea," said Reese.
Deltro came back just then, sitting down in front of his lunch.
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked him.
"Shoot," said Deltro.
"Are you looking for allies?" I asked.
He thought for a moment. "Usually, I don't really trust new people," he said. "But something about you guys feels different. You kind of remind me of my friends back home."
"Is that a yes?" Reese asked.
Deltro nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, I think so."
"Would you be interested in sticking with us?" I asked.
Deltro smiled, the first time I'd seen him do so. "Yeah, I would," he said. "That would be great."
"Then it's settled!" said Reese, who was also smiling.
"It's settled," I repeated.
Ainsley Blare, District 5, 18
I was spending every second in the Training Center learning something new. As far as I was concerned, the more prepared I was, the better. By the second day, I'd tried most of the weapons and stopped by several survival stations, picking up skills as I went. I was best with the throwing knives so far- I had good aim, and I liked the idea of avoiding a hand-to-hand confrontation.
It was easy to notice everyone socializing around me. The Careers were a fairly loud group, especially the boys. The two bigger ones would shout loudly and make noise when they sparred. Some of the girls also liked to chat while they practiced. However obnoxious they were, though, there was no denying that each and every one of them was deadly.
Besides the Careers, there were various other groups forming around the center. It was impossible to not notice. A large proportion of the tributes had begun to section off into pairs, or in some cases, groups of three or four. I'd already spotted the duo from Nine sticking close together, and the pair from Eight seemed keen on the same idea. Two of the younger girls, one blonde and one brunette, wouldn't stop giggling. A silent pair of boys threw axes together. Another tribute seemed to be writing messages to another on a notepad.
Still, there were a few loners around the center, including myself. Samuel, too, which was to be expected. As far as I could tell, he spent most of the day hiding from everyone else. I honestly preferred being alone, though; no worries about trust or reliability. I could observe everything on the outskirts, with no need to get directly involved. As my mother often liked to remind me, I preferred to be in charge of my own situation. It was who I was.
Now, towards the end of the morning, I was practicing setting fires. There were a few others there too, including the girl from Eleven and the boy from Three, so I contained myself to the corner, where I worked on various different methods of starting a flame.
"Hi," said a voice. I looked up at the girl standing next to me. Her voice had an easy drawl to it, and she was a few inches shorter than me. She had pretty blue eyes and curled brown hair. "I'm Jess."
"Ainsley," I said.
"It's nice to meet you," she said politely.
"You too," I replied.
"How are you doing?" she asked.
"Fine," I replied, wishing she would go away.
"Need some help with that there fire?" she asked.
"I think I'm okay, thanks," I said. I wasn't trying to be mean; it was the truth. I was really starting to get the hang of it.
"Well, then, maybe you could teach me a thing or two," she said. "I've never set a fire before. Never really needed to, y'know?"
"Yes," I said. "I get that."
"Cool," said Jess, who took the opportunity to kneel down next to me. "What do we have here?"
"Pretty basic," I said. "Wood, twigs, leaves. The instructor said I was ready for the friction method, because I was good at using the flint."
"Wow," said Jess. "You're pretty handy, then."
I shrugged. "I try."
She watched me work to light the fire. After a few grueling minutes of rubbing the sticks together, I got a small flame going.
"Wow!" said Jess. "You're a natural!"
"Thanks," I said absentmindedly, scrambling to feed the tiny flame with kindling.
"You know," she said, "you and I… I think we'd make quite the team."
I glanced at her, still busy coaxing my flame into a fire. "Really."
"I do," she said. "I've been out looking for allies, and you're obviously one of the most capable people here. I don't know how you haven't allied with anyone yet."
"Maybe I'm just not interested," I said, adding in another twig.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous," she said, smiling. "Everyone knows you're better off with allies. It's the Hunger Games, for heaven's sake!"
"No, really," I said, comfortable looking away from the fire now that it was larger and steadier. "I just think I'm better off alone."
I bit my lip as she frowned, her eyebrows knitting together with confusion. "Wait, really?"
"Yes," I said. "I'm sorry, but I think you're better off with someone else. I… I just need to do this myself."
"Aw, come on," she said. "You can't be serious?"
"I am," I said.
Jess stood back up, dusting off her knees. "Have it your way, then. Best of luck."
"Thanks," I said, although she didn't seem totally sincere.
Jess didn't respond. She turned away and walked off towards another station, clearly upset. I sighed. Jess seemed nice, but I didn't know her, and I couldn't trust her. I'd talked to my Mentor Albert about staying alone, and he'd seemed fine with the idea.
Gazing at my small fire, I hoped I'd made the right call.
Virgil Amatore, District 1, 18
As it turned out, both Caligula and I were big fans of swords. After promising the trainer we wouldn't hurt each other, he reluctantly allowed us to spar with wooden swords and some padding. We'd spent much of the first afternoon there, and some of this morning too. Caligula kept beating me somehow, but I was determined to overtake him. He had to be cheating- no one was this good.
After a while, I got frustrated, pulling off my safety helmet. "Dammit, Caligula!"
Caligula smirked, twirling his sword. "Care to go again?"
"I need a break," I said. "Where the hell is Muir, anyway?"
"No idea," said Caligula, who looked around. "Haven't seen him much today."
"I'll go track him down," I said.
"I'll be here if you're up for a rematch," said Caligula.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, tossing my weapon aside and yanking off the safety padding. "See ya."
Caligula gave me a wave and turned back to the instructor, chatting about something. I stepped out of the station and began walking around the different weapons stations.
"Seen Muir?" I asked Sadie, who was practicing her archery.
"No, why?" she asked, lowering her bow.
"Just wondering," I said. "Haven't seen him today."
"Me neither, actually," she said.
"Thanks. See ya," I said.
"Bye," she said, turning back to her station.
Sadie was pretty cool. She didn't seem to dislike me as much as Glowy did. And she got along well with Caligula, who I liked. That didn't mean I considered her a threat, though. My sword could beat her little knives any day.
Speaking of knives, I checked the throwing knives station, but only Glowy was there, and she didn't seem to be in the mood to chat. I walked by the throwing axes, but none of the tributes there were Muir. I spotted Isla over to the left, practicing with… was that a gun?
"Isla?" I said. "What is that, anyway?"
She lowered the gun, rolling her eyes. "A harpoon gun," she said.
"That's awesome," I said. "Never seen one before."
"Have you thought about my offer?" she asked.
I waved her off. "Kinda busy right now. I'm looking for Muir."
"Why do you care?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Chill, man, I was just wondering," I said. "Haven't seen him yet today."
She sighed. "He's over by the snares," she said, pointing behind me. "It's his favorite station."
"Wait, what?" I asked, spinning around. "Why would he be at a survival station?"
"I don't know," Isla said from behind me.
"Thanks," I said, walking away.
"Don't forget we need to talk later!" she called after me.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," I said, jogging over to the snares station. I'd never been over there before. Materials were scattered everywhere, ranging from rope to chains to nets to sticks. There were fake trees and bushes, and even fake dirt on the ground. In the corner was Muir, who was fashioning something out of a complex mix of wires and rope and shit.
"Muir?" I asked, walking up to him. "What'cha doing?"
He looked up at me, surprised. "Oh, hi, Virgil," he said. "Just working on something."
I scoffed. "Why are you in this pussy-ass survival station? We're the freakin' Careers, dude. We just have to take the Cornucopia and boom, we've got everything we need!"
"You never know," he said vaguely.
"No, I'm pretty sure I do know," I said. "It's pointless."
He shrugged. "I like doing it," he said. "It relaxes me."
I sat down next to him, watching him work. "Does it at least kill someone? That way it wouldn't be a total waste of time."
"This one is meant to trap only," he said. "Then you come back later and do the work yourself."
"Hell yeah," I said. "Wait, that could actually make searching for tributes way easier."
"Exactly," he said. "Now you're getting it."
"And it really works?" I asked.
He nods. "Nineve and I used to spend days practicing this stuff. I'm pretty much a master at this point."
"Nineve?"
"My girlfriend," he explained.
"Ooooh, Muir's got a girlfriend!" I teased.
"Don't be jealous that I can get some action," he quipped.
I chuckled. "Man, you're full of one-liners, aren't you?"
He nodded, finishing off a knot. "I am. And this one should be done."
"How does it work?" I asked.
"It pulls the victim up into the tree," he said, gesturing to the fake tree next to him, "and slings them over the branch. Then it clasps their hands and feet together, so they're tied around the branch and can't escape."
"That's wild," I said, rubbing my hands together eagerly. "And then you kill them?"
He gave me a look. "You've never actually killed anyone before, have you?"
"What?"
"You talk about it like it's fun and games," he said.
"Well, this whole thing is called the Games for a reason," I said. "Why not have some fun with it?"
He shook his head. "It's more of a task to me," he said. "But there's no pleasure in it."
"Why, have you killed anyone before?" I joked, elbowing him in the ribs. But he didn't smile back. "...Muir?"
He looked at me, his eyes heavy. "Only because I had to," he said, his voice low. He looked away, staring at the floor.
"Holy shit, really?" I asked. "No fucking way, dude!"
"It wasn't fun," he said. "He was going to kill her. I had to do something."
"Who? Who was going to kill who?" I asked.
"I haven't told many people about this," he said, hesitating.
"You can tell me, dude," I said. "We're allies, right? Teambuilding and all that."
He sighed, lowering his voice even more. "Let's just say that after my uncle died, my father wasn't the same. My mom… she was close to divorce, and he didn't know what to do. I woke up one night, and I heard them fighting, so I grabbed a knife from the kitchen just in case. Thank God I had that knife."
"Holy shit," I whispered. "You're a badass."
He shook his head. "I just did what I had to," he said, still staring at the floor. "I didn't want my mom to die."
"Fuck, man," I said. "That's wild."
He sighed again, fiddling with his trap. I watched him tinker with it. I was glad this kid was on my side- I'd known he was good, but he might have been even more dangerous than anyone had realized. I was definitely going to keep him close.
Just in case.
Jessie "Jess" Tuscon, District 10, 18
I stalked back over to the knives, irritated at being told 'no.' It wasn't a word I was used to, or one I liked hearing.
I'd been looking for the right ally for days. I knew the Careers weren't for me. Most of the decent tributes seemed to have a partner already. Looking around the room, watching everyone carefully, I'd picked out Ainsley as an approachable yet capable tribute. Being shut down by them hurt. I wasn't sure what to do anymore. I really wanted an ally, but I wasn't sure who was willing.
I arrived back at the knife station. I'd spent a decent amount of time at the knife station since training had started. The knives felt familiar in my hands, and I liked how portable and versatile they were. Throwing knives were a little much, but regular knives were perfect for me. They could be used for cooking, or cutting, or self-defense, or offense. Seemed good to me.
I lingered by the station, not really in the mood to practice. Suddenly, just as I'd sucked it up and was ready to get started again, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
"Hello?"
I turned around to see two girls, one blonde, one brunette. The brunette was the one who'd spoken, the number 6 embroidered on her uniform. The other had a 12.
"Hello," I said, putting on a polite smile. "How are y'all doing?"
"We're fine," said the brunette. "We were wondering if you wanted to practice with us."
"Practice with you?" I asked, surprised.
"Well, yes," piped up the blonde. "We thought you looked lonely. And we wanted to talk to you earlier, but then you were talking to that other tribute by the fires."
The brunette smiled. "We're pretty good at the fire station," she said.
The blonde giggled a little. "Definitely."
"What are your names?" I asked.
"I'm Salome, from Six," said the brunette, smiling widely.
"Sienna," said the blonde, sticking out her hand professionally. "Twelve."
"I'm Jessie, but I go by Jess." I shook Sienna's hand. "Not to be rude, but how old are y'all?" I asked.
"We're both fourteen," said Sienna. "But that doesn't mean you should count us out. We each have a unique skill set that renders us very dangerous tributes."
I raised my eyebrows. "Do you now?" I asked. "Like what?"
"I'm sneaky," said Salome. "And I'm smart, and I have a lot of energy. I never get tired."
"What about you?" I asked Sienna, still doubtful.
"I'm smart as well," she said. "And I'm determined. I won't give up, no matter what."
"Well, the two of you sound like a dangerous pair," I said, only half serious. "What do you want me around for?"
They exchanged a glance. "Well, we aren't the strongest," said Sienna. "We can be fast, but in a fight, we could use some help. Salome noticed how good you are with a knife, and that could be really useful. And there's safety in numbers."
I considered that. I did want allies, and these two had fallen right into my lap. Still, they were both fourteen, which wasn't great. Maybe I could negotiate. "I'll join you."
"Yes!" cheered Salome. She and Sienna high-fived, and it took all I had not to smirk.
"On one condition," I interrupted.
"Aw," she said, slumping a little.
"I agree," I said. "Even if I join you, we could still use some muscle. That's why I think we need at least one more alliance member before we hit the Games."
"More people?" asked Sienna, clearly skeptical.
Salome shrugged. "Fine with me," she said. "I like people."
Sienna eyed me. I could practically see the wheels turning in her head. Then she shrugged as well, smiling. "As long as you're with us," she said. She stuck out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"Quite the little businesswoman," I said, trying to hold back a smirk.
"That's right," said Sienna. "Deal?"
"Deal," I said, shaking her hand.
At lunch, the three of us ate together, staking out the potential options.
"We should join the Careers," Salome joked, munching on her food.
Sienna snorted. "Yeah, that'll go over well."
Salome glanced around the room. "What about Dale, Sienna?" she asked.
"Who's Dale?" I asked.
"My district partner," she said, gesturing in the direction of a well-built blonde boy. "He's over there."
"He could be a good option," I said. "He does look strong."
"I'd rather not," said Sienna.
"Oh, is there a problem between you two?" I asked.
"Not really," she said. "He barely knows I exist, and he hogs all of our Mentor's attention. I'd just rather not deal with him. Besides, it looks like he already has an ally."
"Fine," I said, continuing to survey the room. "Who's that over there?"
"Which one?"
"The one with the red hair," I said. "He's eating with that girl."
"I thought you only wanted one alliance member?" asked Sienna. "They look like they're already together."
"The girl looks like she's my age, which is good, right?" I asked. "She could be strong too."
"True," said Sienna.
"I think it's worth a shot," said Salome, who stood up from her seat and dusted off her hands. "Be right back!"
"Wait, Salome," I said. But she had already taken off. I looked at Sienna, who shrugged.
"Once she wants to do something, there's not much stopping her," she explained.
I watched her walk across the room. "Yeah, I can tell," I replied.
Levi Viscose, District 8, 18
Ianto and I were eating lunch when we were approached by a girl with the number 6 stitched into her training uniform.
"Hi!" she said, sitting down across from us. She had brown hair and eyes, with round, rosy cheeks.
I glanced at Ianto, who shrugged. "Hello," I replied.
"My name's Salome. I'm from Six," she said.
"I'm Levi, and this is Ianto," I said. "We're both from Eight."
"Cool! I've never been," said Salome. "What's that like?"
"It's shitty," said Ianto. "Fucking Peacekeepers everywhere."
I gave Ianto a look, but Salome didn't seem to mind. "We have those in Six, too," she said. "They're not very nice. Also, a lot of factories. Like, way too many."
"So do we," said Ianto.
"How are you doing?" I asked her.
"I'm good," she said. "Actually, my allies and I were just talking, and we think you guys would be a really good addition to our alliance."
"Really?" I asked.
"Who's in your alliance?" asked Ianto.
"We're over there," she said, pointing off in another direction. "It's me, Sienna, and Jess."
Ianto and I looked in the direction she was pointing. A small blonde-haired girl and a taller brown-haired one waved sheepishly.
"Why do you want us?" asked Ianto. "'Cause Levi and I are already allies. Five people seems like way too many."
"It seems fine to us," she said. "There's power in numbers, you know. And we wanted to balance our skill set."
"'Balance our skill set?'" I repeated, confused.
"Exactly," said Salome. "We're really good at being fast and getting food, and Sienna and I build awesome fires, but we need some help with the self-defense."
"No," said Ianto. "No way."
Salome's expression fell. Were those… puppy-dog eyes?
"Could you give us a minute?" I asked her. "Ianto and I would like to talk about this."
"Of course," she said brightly, the puppy-dog eyes immediately gone. "I'll be right over there when you're ready."
She headed back over to the table with her allies, leaving me and Ianto alone to talk.
"You seriously want to ally with them?" Ianto asked, incredulous. "Look at them! They don't stand a chance!"
"Well, if they don't stand a chance, then they'll die in the Bloodbath and we don't have to worry about it," I said. "But if they don't, we have three other allies to help keep ourselves alive, which could make a major difference."
"This seems stupid," said Ianto, crossing his arms. "They're a liability. They could try to kill us!"
"We'll leave before things get that bad," I said. "Having a large alliance, with all the supplies and different skills, is the best way to go! You and I will still be allies even if the group doesn't work out. If we're all together, we can cover each other's weaknesses with our individual strengths."
"And if we don't get along?" he asked.
I sighed. "Then we'll leave."
He grumbled. "If this gets us killed, I'm gonna be pissed," he said reluctantly.
I perked up. "Really? You'll do it?"
"It makes sense, doesn't it?" he asked. "More people to cover our backs. And if they try to kill us, I'll kill 'em."
"Thanks, Ianto," I said.
He waved me off, frowning. "How'd I end up in an alliance with a bunch of girls, anyway?"
"Come on, let's go introduce ourselves and tell them what we decided," I said standing and picking up my lunch tray.
Ianto grumbled again, but he followed me over to Salome's table.
"Hi again!" said Salome, smiling. "Are you guys gonna join our alliance?"
I nodded. "We decided it would be in everyone's best interests," I said, smiling back.
Salome high-fived the blonde girl, cheering. "Yes!"
"But I don't want anyone telling me what to do," said Ianto. "I don't like being bossed around."
Salome and the blonde girl nodded. "Understood," said the blonde girl.
"I'm Jess," said the older girl. Her voice had a lovely drawl to it that I'd never heard before, but I quite liked it. She looked to be about my age. Her brown hair was curled, and she was lightly tanned. Her eyes were a pretty light blue, and she had faint freckles across the bridge of her nose. She seemed like she'd lived a well-fed life, and showed no signs of being malnourished.
"I'm Levi," I said. "We're both from Eight."
"I'm from Ten," she said. "Nice to meet y'all."
"I'm Ianto," said Ianto.
"Hi," said the blonde-haired girl. "I'm Sienna, and I'm from Twelve." She stuck out her hand, which both of us shook. Her blue eyes were a beautiful shallow blue, like a fresh puddle just after rain, and she had the cutest button nose. I noticed that she was a little on the thinner side.
"And I'm Salome from Six, but everyone already knows that," said Salome, grinning widely. "Ooooh! We need to name our alliance."
"No we don't," said Ianto crossly. He sat down next to Jess, and I took the seat across from him.
"Don't mind him," I said. "I think a name would be fun."
"'Salome's Ultimate Dream Team,'" said Salome, spreading her hands out above her, her voice deep and grand. Well, as deep as a fourteen-year-old girl's voice could go.
"Maybe something that includes all of our names?" said Sienna. "Like… S, S, I, L J. Sillj!"
"Sillj?" I asked.
"It combines the first letter of all of our names," she explained.
"Interesting," I said.
"Maybe we could edit Salome's idea to just 'Dream Team,'" Jess suggested.
Ianto grunted. "Too optimistic."
"I like optimism," Salome declared.
"So do I!" said Sienna.
"I kind of like it too," I confessed.
"Then it's settled. The Dream Team it is," said Jess.
I glanced at Ianto, who shrugged. "Whatever."
I smiled to myself. Now that I had this alliance, I was feeling better about my chances.
Isla Evenair, District 4, 18
It took me almost the rest of the day to track down Virgil again after he blew me off by the harpoons. Eventually, with about an hour left, I found him by the spears.
"Damn," he said, watching his latest throw miss the dummy altogether.
"Hello," I said.
He looked over at me. "Oh, hi, Isla."
"How's that going?" I asked, gesturing towards the intact dummy.
He frowned. "It's going great, thank you very much," he said.
I raised my eyebrow. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Your district partner's pretty hardcore, you know that?"
"Muir?" I asked. "We don't talk much."
He shook his head. "That dude's seen some shit."
I glanced over in Muir's direction. He was still by the snares. He seemed innocuous enough as he worked on weaving a net. Perhaps he had more merit than I'd originally estimated. "Interesting."
Virgil chucked another spear, but it was too wild, and it missed. "Damn," he muttered again.
"Can we talk?" I asked. "You haven't responded to my offer."
He shrugged. "It just seems unnecessary," he said. "We've already got a badass alliance; what's the point in worrying about all that? You need to relax."
I took a step closer to him, getting in his personal space. He glanced back at me, his brow furrowing with confusion. "What are you doing?"
"I'll tell you what I'm doing," I said. "I'm giving you the best possible offer. I don't know if you're noticed, but the Twos are practically best friends over there, and Glowla doesn't seem to take you seriously."
He glanced over at Sadie and Caligula, who were laughing as they raced each other on the obstacle course. Glowla was standing by the throwing knives, her weapons hitting the mark every time. "So?"
"So," I said. "They'll band together and betray us. The two of us need to stick together and take them out before they cross us. If we do that, I guarantee we'll be the final two."
"No way," he said, taking a step back. "They wouldn't do that."
"You really think Glowla wouldn't kill you if she got irritated enough?" I asked.
He glanced at Glowla again. Glowla's next knife landed in between the dummy's legs, right in the crotch. "Well…"
"I'll tell you this only once, so listen up," I hissed, becoming impatient. "You. Me. Final two."
He glanced at Glowla again, and then the Twos, and then over by Muir. "Muir's my buddy," he said. "He could come too."
"I'll talk to him later," I said. "Is that a yes?"
He nodded slowly. "Yes."
"Final two," I said.
"Final two," he repeated.
About an hour later, I found Glowla still by the throwing knives. I made a mental note to watch out for those. She was clearly well-versed in handling them, and I didn't need to find myself on the wrong end of her knives.
"Hi," I said, walking up beside her.
She glanced at me, arm in the air, seemingly caught off guard. "Hello," she said, lowering her knife.
"I've been meaning to speak with you," I said.
"What about?" she asked. She began twirling her knife between her fingers, deftly avoiding the pointy bits.
"An alliance," I said.
Her brow furrowed. "We're already in an alliance."
I sighed. I'd hoped she'd be a little smarter than Virgil, but apparently not. "Within the alliance," I explained. "And less… well-known, let's say."
"You want a secret alliance?" she asked.
"Keep your voice down," I hissed.
"What do you want that for?" she asked, lowering her voice.
"I consider Caligula and Sadie to be a major threat," I explained. "They're clearly in this together. They need to be taken out before they can turn on us."
"Really," she said. She thought for a moment, spinning her knife around in her hand. "Interesting."
"What do you think?" I asked. "You and I… we could take out the rest of the Careers, make it to the final two."
"The final two," she echoed. "Can I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"Have you ever played cards?"
I scoffed. "Of course I've played card games."
"Let me rephrase. Have you ever gambled?" she asked.
"No," I said. "It's beneath me. I'm an Evenair."
She gave me a look. "You see, in gambling, you learn to read your opponents pretty well," she said. "When they're telling the truth, when they're lying."
"What does this have to do with anything?" I snapped. "Are you in or not?"
"I need reassurance you're not bluffing," she said. "That you won't double-cross me."
I scoffed again. Maybe she was smarter than Virgil after all. "I'm not bluffing. There's no reason for me to bluff."
"Then why do I keep seeing you talking to Virgil?" she asked, watching me carefully.
"Because we're in an alliance," I replied.
"So you haven't tried to establish a secret alliance with anyone else, then?" she asked.
"Of course not. I wouldn't do that." I crossed my arms.
"I don't know that for sure," she said. "Ever since the Chariot Rides, you two have kept finding ways to chat."
"You're ridiculous," I said.
"Maybe," she said. "Prove you're not bluffing, and maybe I'll consider it. If I find out you were bluffing, well…"
I swallowed, staring back at her. "Don't threaten me."
"No one said anything about a threat," she said, flipping her knife in the air and catching it. She never took her eyes off of me. "Don't bluff, and there won't be any problems."
"I'm not bluffing," I said. "Are we in an alliance or not?"
She eyed me for a moment, continuing to flip and catch her knife. I had no idea what she was thinking- her poker face was excellent. This girl really knew how to get inside someone's head. I made a mental note to review her tactics for future use.
"Sure," she finally said. "Can I get back to training, please?"
"Of course," I said, stepping back. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," she agreed, turning back to her target. Before I could leave, she threw the knife right into the dummy's heart.
I walked away. I had my secret Virgil alliance, and I tentatively had a separate one with Glowla as well. I'd have to make sure she didn't see through my bluff. Now, there was only Muir, and I'd be able to unseat the Twos cleanly. I was curious to find out what he was hiding.
I glanced at the clock. Training was nearly over for the day. I'd have to corner him tomorrow.
*Hi, everyone! That concludes the second day of training! A lot going on, for sure. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter- be sure to let me know what you think of these alliances! Up next is the last day of training. Anyone who hasn't had a training POV yet will have one on day 3.
I know this is a stressful time of year, so I hope you're all doing well and staying healthy :) I'll see you next time!
-r-b*