Hello friends, it has been a short while, sorry about that. I was ill and University started up again and it was all a bit hectic. But here we are, and for this chapter, I have decided to break up the reapings, because I know it can get a bit same-ish and instead present you with the train rides for the first three districts! Here we can see the tributes interact for the first time, see potential tensions and alliances and start to get a feel for the dynamics of the tributes a little bit. This is slightly on the short side because in all honesty I wasn't planning on writing the train rides at all, but I was getting a bit tired of writing reapings and feared that if I didn't change it up a bit I would end up giving up. Anyway, here is a short 1000 per district detailing of the train rides for our first six tributes!

District One- Luster (72) and Hypatia (27)

"This sure is a step up from my little house." Luster looked to the side, smiling at his district partner, attempting to make small talk, despite the tense situation. He knew there was no use, Hypatia walked with a harshness that Luster wasn't sure he could counter. She was sheltered and stern, something that the man couldn't help but admire. That was the way you had to be in these games, no point making friends, they would just be taken from you as soon as things got hard.

"You best pray they don't pull some shit like they did in the 74th games, you'd be in so much trouble there's no way I'm staying alive long enough for us both to go home." He chuckled, settling down on the padded bench running along the side of the train carriage, gripping to the pole to lower himself comfortably. Everyone knew about those games- Katniss and Peeta were still icons throughout panem, even though their rebellion had failed. And, after all, it was the Quarter Quell, and Luster knew that the surprises the Capitol had already pulled were far from being their last. He couldn't relax, no matter how sure he was that he wouldn't make it home, the Capitol could throw a twist at any moment, and Luster would make sure he didn't look unprepared when the inevitable occurred.

"You talk too much." Hypatia finally piped up, stolling up and down the carriage, careful not to meet Luster's eye. She didn't fully trust the man, he seemed too calm and sure to be letting on the whole truth. Hypatia knew he was prepared, even though he was doing a great job at hiding it. He had watched and learnt from more games than probably any tribute in history, and whilst her male counterpart may not have had age on his side, he surely had the intelligence and knowledge to overtake any other tribute. "So be quiet, you know we are heading to the Hunger Games, don't give me any more reason to kill you." She finally continued, giving into the rewardless pacing and settling down next to her district partner.

"You could use me, you know." Luster stared at Hypatia, forcing the girl to look at him for the first time. He shrugged his shoulders, turning his frail body to the side so they were facing each other. "I'm smart, but I feel like you already know that. And I'm sure to gain you the sympathy vote. You can clearly fight, we're almost the perfect team." His eyes trailed up and down the woman's body. She was fit, no doubt about that, and almost exactly what Luster needed. In the short time since the reaping, Luster had accepted his fate, this was how he died. But that didn't mean he would go down without a fight. The Capitol wanted entertainment, and he would give them that, if it was the last thing he did, which in reality, it would be….

"Sure, you might have the sympathetic vote on your side, but you're not the only old guy in these games, you know. There better be something truly remarkable about you that makes the Capitol break. And besides, you think they'll care how old you are?" She stood up, walking away from her district partner. Hypatia assumed that at his old age, he wouldn't be so naive, but she had been wrong. Luster was foolish to think that the citizens of the Capitol would give a damn about the age of the tributes, if they did, there would have been an uprising by now. No, it didn't take an idiot to know that the type of people that watched the games, were the same people who celebrated when they saw Luster stumble up to the stage. They wouldn't feel pity for an old man who had no chance at succeeding in the games, they would feel excitement at the prospect of getting to watch him be torn apart. One thing Hypatia knew for sure was there was no way she would jeopardise her chance at winning the games due to her conscience. Luster had a lot more to gain from this alliance than she did, and Hypatia was more than sure that there would be a plethora of people ready to welcome her skills with open arms, people that would complement her talents, rather than drag her down.

"It's never going to happen, Luster." She smirked, walking for the door. "Maybe get in touch with that guy from four, he's much more your type." Hypatia smiled, something inside her shifting, as she pictured the faces of the family she had left behind. She couldn't waste time making friends with tributes who would be dead before the end of the first day. Hypatia needed people she could rely on and use, then toss away when the time came. Her head was spinning with plans and tactics and the faces of previously reaped tributes as she made her way back to the furthest room in the carriage.

They needn't reap the rest of the tributes, the Capitol already had their winner.

District Two- Locke (33) and Salome (15)

This place would have been her mother's dream, Salome pondered, as she walked the hallway of the train. The floor was lined with a vibrant red carpet Salome couldn't help but equate to blood, and she was sure the the gold fixtures scattered across the ceiling were real precious metal. For the first time in her life, Salome was thankful for the limited training she had allowed her mother to give her. The girl had had no intention or ambition of ever becoming a fancy party attending woman, considering the time she spent at the Etiquette School little more than a waste. Now, however, focusing on the little details of how to hold a cup, or walk with a straight back, or even the correct way to tie a shoelace, made the young girl feel slightly at ease, as if she fit in more than the majority of tributes. She knew how to conduct herself in the Capitol, be one of 'them' which she supposed would act to her advantage but at the same time, Salome knew this would separate her from the other tributes. She knew the chances of anyone having had the same experiences as her was very slim, and she was desperate not to appear as though she favoured the Capitol. She just wanted to fit in somewhere for the first time in her life.

After a while of aimless wandering and debating why the Capitol had sent such an exquisite train for what was only a four hour journey, Salome decided it was time to finally go find her father. There was no bad feeling between the pair, for the time being at least, but Salome wasn't totally sure she could face her father, knowing that in a few short weeks, at least one of them would be dead. The thought made her feel sick, she didn't know how she would survive in the games, with or without her father. What made it even worse was the possibility that they could be the last two. She paused for a second, taking a few deep breaths to steady her emotions. It was still only day one of this whole Hunger Games journey, she couldn't lose it just yet.

Following what felt like an eternity of waiting, Salome finally gave in, pushing open the door to the central compartment of the train, spotting her father sitting at a booth in the corner, his eyes fixed out the window, watching the outskirts of District Two disappear behind them. She walked over, sliding into the seat next to her father, not speaking, content with just staring out the window as the life she had known disappeared.

"Salome." Locke stroked his thumb across the back of his daughter's hand. Such a show of intimacy was rare for him, he had always favoured tough love. His gift to his daughter had been the training, preparing her for the realities of the world, keeping in touch with the sentimentalities of family had never been a priority for Locke. But he knew now that was what his daughter needed. She was tough, he knew that, but he was also aware of the delicate layer she clearly had. Salome didn't need someone who would just coach her through the games, that was what the mentors were for. No, he knew his daughter needed someone to be there for her emotionally, this was a lot to deal with, and for the time being, Locke was all she had.

"I know how hard this is going to be. But it's not new to you, this is what we have been practising for. And you know I'm going to be here for you, you're not doing this alone. You know the other tributes, it's clear that none of them have the training you do. I'm the best, and I'm with you."

Okay, so maybe getting in touch with the emotional side of the games wasn't going to be Locke's strong point.

Salome looked her father up and down. She could tell the man was trying his best, this was so different from the time they usually spent together. The only alone time they ever had was for physical training, emotions never played an important role, and for most of the time, Salome was thankful for that, prefering to keep herself to herself. But for once in her short, short life, Salome just wanted to break down. She wanted to sob uncontrollably, and have her dad stroke her hair and tell her that everything would be okay, even if she didn't believe a word of it.

"This isn't some kind of adventurous bonding experience, Dad." Salome shot up, pulling her arm away as Locke reached out. "This is real life. We're going to have to watch people die, to be the reason people don't go back home to their family. And you might be okay with that, but I know I'm not." She stalked down the carriage, willing the train to go faster and reach the Capitol so she could escape the claustrophobic confines of the carriage. Salome never thought she would want to be in the Capitol, but she was sure anything was better than this hell of a train ride.

Locke knew that his daughter was right, this was not an adventure. Perhaps it would have been if Locke was here alone, he was trained and strong and prepared, he had a real fighting chance at winning these games, especially looking at the other tributes. But that wasn't the reality, Locke was not a man here by himself, who could do anything and everything to survive, not caring about the consequences. He had a daughter in the other room to protect and care for, and eventually, sacrifice himself for. He knew that he had to funnel all his talent and training into making sure his Salome was the one who made it back on the train.

Locke was aware he had failed his family many times, this would not be one more example to add to the pile.

District Three- Alfred (18) and Diva (21)

"I'm a girl, not an alien." Diva stated, pulling out her chair at the table and sitting facing opposite Alfred. "You can talk to me, I'm not going to come and probe you or something." She tipped back on the hind legs of her chair, gripping onto the table to steady herself. A platter of sandwiches and cakes lined the table in front of them, and almost any other member of District Three would be taken aback by the sheer quantity. But not Diva, this was a common occurrence in her household, a feast every week, most of the time paid for by her. She couldn't help but notice that the boy next to her didn't seem excited by the food, and for some strange reason, it made her feel comfortable, as if they had more in common than she initially thought. Sure, he might not speak, act like he was terrified of every person he came into contact with and stare at her like she was about to murder him, which wasn't that far from the truth, but they might just have had a similar upbringing,

Diva reached across the table, grabbing a cheese sandwich, and pulling the segment in half, offering one side to her district partner. She watched as the boy looked it up and down, letting out a small breath before reaching across, tentatively taking it from her, barely giving the girl a second glance.

"Thank you." Alfred finally spoke, taking a small bite of the sandwich, a smile etching its way across his face. "I didn't think I would be able to eat, you know, I was so nervous and I felt sick and this whole thing is such a nightmare, but when we settled down, I realised I was actually quite hungry, it's weird." He let out a small hiccup at the end of his sentence, realising he hadn't taken a breath the whole time. Alfred instinctively raised a hand, clamping it over his mouth. "I'm so sorry. I'm just really really nervous."

After a few seconds, of painful silence, Alfred stood up. He was used too awkward situations, but nothing like this. This girl was someone who he had to spend most of his time with for the next few weeks, they had to share transport and hotels and dinners, and Alfred had managed to mess that up within the first meeting.

He took a step backwards, ready to leave when a noise from the table in front of him forced him to stop. Alfred turned back around to find Diva collapsed into a fit of laughter, slamming her fists against the table. He gripped onto the back of the chair as his body began to shake, this really wasn't doing much for his nerves. Alfred had spent his whole life being laughed at, being told that he was less than others because his social skills were less advanced. The only favourable quality of these games was the fresh start that they provided. Alfred could be anyone he wanted, a confident, self assured, popular guy, who could work a room with ease. But no, instead he was confined to what he always had been, awkward and nervous, and brilliant at destroying conversations.

"You're an idiot, you know that." Diva eventually spoke as she gained control of her laughter, snapping Alfred out of his tunnel of self doubt and hatred. She looked up, meeting his eye, her face softening to a smile. "But for some strange reason, with you, it's endearing." She pushed out Alfred's chair, motioning for the boy to sit back down.

Something weird was happening to Diva. This was the perfect opportunity to have some fun, she could totally rip in to this boy, destroy him and any smidge of suppressed confidence he may have before the games had even started. And then, all she had to do was sit back and watch the way he flailed about in the chariot rides and interviews and games as a whole. It would be beautiful. It was what Diva knew exactly how to do, she had spent her whole life terrorising and beating down nerds like Alfred, but for some reason, that's not what she wanted to do here. Maybe it was because she knew how much time they would have to spend together, or maybe it was because she actually liked the weird guy next to her. For all of their sakes, Diva hoped it was the former.

Alfred took his seat back, unable to deny the slight smile that was on his face. He'd never really had friends in school, so Diva showing this kindness towards him felt unusual, but he welcomed it. Maybe he wouldn't be able to make a fresh start here, but maybe these games would provide something better, people that would like and respect him for his weird, introverted, nerdy self, and deep down, Alfred knew that was all that he had ever wanted.

"Thank you," He spoke timidly, picking up another sandwich and splitting it as Diva had done just a few minutes prior. "Not for laughing, that was kind of weird, and that's coming from me. But for not being an ass about everything." Forming an alliance for these games had never been high on Alfred's list of things to do before the games. Between his stunted social skills and the fact that they would all eventually die, he had begun to think that going it alone might be for the best. But now, Diva was showing him kindness for some reason, and although she might not be the ideal alliance, the seed was in his mind. There would be others out there like him, and they just might fair better as a pack.

There we have it! The first train ride sequence. I hope you enjoyed and are loving reading this story as much as I am writing it! I know I always say this, and I'm not going to stop, but thank you all so much for your reviews and follows and just simply reading, it means absolutely everything. I hope to have the second part to the train rides with you on Sunday, and then resume twice weekly updates with the reapings. Have a great rest of the week everyone!

Until next time,

Alice