Training Day 2

Tybal Marran (17) D9M

Tybal had, apart from practicing with a mace, been observing the situation at the training centre keenly. The Careers had taken in Jordan in their group, and Tybal had noticed how Ari had shrugged them off. Of course, after the incident with Maurice, if nobody else, then Saunder would target her, and it was a shame because he was considering to ally with her. But now… not so much.

He had also noticed the small kids all forming a team with that one tall guy from Seven. Somewhere, he wished they had Tapicca as well. The little girl had absolutely no chance, because she was just as miserable as she was in the train, if not more. He just hoped it wouldn't be dragged too much when it happened.

As far as Tybal was concerned, he himself was strong enough to win this. He had what many people didn't- experience of fighting. The many battles he had fought certainly gave him an edge, and Tybal recognised and admitted it.

However, during the initial part, some kind of alliance would be good too. That way he could get more supplies, and maybe more rest when required. The need for rest in the arena was often underestimated, but Tybal, having fought so many battles, knew the importance of proper relaxation. Having an ally would also give him a better chance to fend off danger.

So now Tybal looked around, trying to understand whom he could ask, or whether he should ask. He had considered talking to Aryton, but there was just something about him that put Tybal off. He was strong, certainly, but Tybal wondered if he was as reliable as he'd like him to be. As far as he was concerned, Aryton could betray him.

There was another pair that he considered for allying, and he was hoping they'd agree. The duo from Ten looked strong and yet, not that strong. They looked just fine, the kind that he could use. So maybe he should talk to them…

But before he could go to them, they came over to him, looking a little nervous as he eyes them in a bored fashion. This alliance was certainly going to work.

"Hi!" District Ten boy greeted with a smile, "I'm Wesley, and she's Lily. We saw how skilled you are with a mace, and wondered if you'd like to join our alliance."

Tybal regarded them coolly. So… they were here due to his skills. Well, he could have said yes, but then it wouldn't be fun, would it?

"I see," he replied airily, "So what do you two have to offer to the team? Why should I tag along?"

"We have trained here. I've done pretty well with a machete, and Lily here knows well how to use a sword as well as a tomahawk. I think that should be good enough."

Tybal nodded at Wesley, but his attention was on the girl beside the boy who was talking. Lily was too quiet, and seemed to be studying him rather keenly. There was something off about her too, Tybal could just sense it. It looked as if her entire demeanour was fake. He was surprised Wesley didn't feel so.

Tybal would have to be careful. He didn't want a situation where both the tributes would be just playing each other. But looking at Lily, he was certain such a circumstance could arise.

"Alright," he said slowly even as Wesley's face lit up. Lily broke into a smile too and the two shook hands with him.

"Looking forward to working with you Tybal," she said, maybe for the first time contributing to this conversation.

"Same. Looking forward to working with you Wesley and Lily."

Tybal had emphasised the word 'and' on purpose, for he was sure that would get a reaction, even if for a micro second. And that was what happened.

Lily's smile faltered for less than a second, but the frown that had replaced it was unmistakable. Tybal let a smile play on his lips as he regarded her. Oh, Lily was certainly hiding something from Wesley and himself. Tybal could smell her lies, after all, in his 'family', being fake was pretty prominent.

Nodding to the two tributes, Tybal excused himself and walked away to practice with the maces, thinking about how to tread ahead.

Lily Angler (17) D10F

Lily narrowed her eyes as she and Wesley set down their plates for lunch. It was break-time, hence every tribute had gathered in the cafeteria, where flavoured rice with curry, mashed potatoes and roasted chicken was available. No, it wasn't the food that bothered Lily Angler, it was their new ally. Even as she recalled the way he was studying her movement with clinical interest, she wondered if she had made a mistake by suggesting to Wesley this partnership.

Her flawless acting had certainly fooled Wesley into believing she was a 'nice and timid' girl, but she doubted she could convince Tybal. It honestly came as a shock to her, for her acting skills had never failed her before.

"You look worried."

Lily looked up at Wesley. The fool was eyeing her with concern etched on his face. He should know not to be concerned in such a situation.

She let out a sigh for his benefit, and then smiled sadly.

"I-Tybal gave me the vibes, you know. Negative vibes."

Wesley too let out a sigh and nodded.

"Yeah, he seemed a little too cold."

"We haven't made a mistake asking him, have we?"

Wesley regarded her question as he played with his food, his eyes immersed in the curry. Lily knew he was giving it a serious thought and hence kept her face as worried as she could as she waited for an answer.

"I don't think so," he said finally, "We'll keep this team together only initially. Then we'll just leave Tybal to himself."

"I don't think that will be a good idea Wes," Lily countered as she continued to look at him worriedly, "He-he might just get after us!"

"Then what do we do? We can't kill him after being his ally!"

"Oh Wes…!" Lily whispered, and as she spoke, fresh tears appeared in her pretty eyes. It was another one of her talents. She sobbed and wiped away her tears even as Wesley reached out to her and held her hand, before continuing:

"Wes, I know you'll think I'm a monster after I voice out my opinion. And I am a monster! But-but we'll have to…! Oh Wes, you don't know how dangerous it can be to leave him alive. I-I feel horrible for saying this but we-we'll have to-"

And with that she broke into tears once again and suddenly Wesley was by her side. He put his arm around her and patted her shoulder. Even as she sobbed, Lily could barely suppress her grin. That's why she had partnered with Wesley. The fool was emotional and could see the goodness in everyone, even her.

"You-you think I'm a villain, don't y-you?"

"No dear," Wesley said kindly as he rubbed her back, "I-I understand your point, and I'm afraid I agree. It can be-it can be dangerous to let him be. But-but we can't- I can't- do this."

Lily let out another sob as she whispered her reply, "N-neither can I, Wes. Neither can I. But we need to prepare ourselves for this situation too. It's not too-too long from n-now."

She let the words sink in and Wesley soon withdrew his hands as his eyes focused on his uneaten lunch. Maybe he hadn't really thought much about his time in the arena. But this was the only favour that Lily could do him, of reminding him why they were there in the first place.

However, even as she urged Wesley to go back to his own seat and finish eating his lunch, she saw, from the corner of her eye, Tybal watching the two of them with a smirk on his face, a smirk that she wished to wipe off immediately.

Fear began to rise in her chest as she observed him give her a sly smirk before turning to his own food. Had they been too loud? She remembered that she had talked in a whisper all the while. But what if Tybal had heard what she said…? That they were planning to ditch him… and kill him before even the Games began?

Suddenly, Lily wasn't hungry any more. No, no, she should have waited for them to be back on their floor before discussing this! Tybal's reaction had told her all she needed to know.

But before she could do anything else, a loud voice attracted everyone's attention to itself, and Lily Angler looked up at Teddy Formico, raging towards the serving counter.

Teddy Formico (16) D12F

Teddy was surprised that despite her stunning presence and various antics, nobody was ready to even spare her a glance. No, she didn't resort to any cheap antics yet obviously, because Teddy had a class, but now was enough of neglect.

Earlier Teddy had passed audible comments on Maurice but the boy had simply ignored her other than a fearful glance. She had flirted openly with Aryton, but he looked beyond disinterested. She had interrupted Vis when he was trying to figure out about traps, but he had just regarded her with clinical interest. Teddy had, however, managed to impress her trainers really well. They all were singing her praises, and she knew that a few of them might even bet on her. She just hoped her parents did what they could back home. Victory would definitely give her some well-deserved attention.

However, right now Teddy was fuming, and the reason was not her need for attention but the food that rested in front of her. She had heard a lot about the Capitol, and how seriously the colourful idiots took everything, especially hygiene. Therefore, it was natural that she was shocked to see a single strand of hair in her curry even as she was about to eat it.

"WHAT THE ***!" she cried out and stood up abruptly. Every pair of eyes turned towards her, startled at the loud voice, even as Teddy lifted her plate and marched towards the serving counter. Upon reaching the counter where the guy handing out food looked at her fearfully, she slammed down her plate hard on the counter and glared at him.

"What the hell is this?!" she screamed, holding that strand of hair dripping with curry, "Why the hell was there a hair strand in my food?!"

"We're really sorry, ma'am."

"Sorry! What the *** am I supposed to do with your sorry?!"

The man in front of her visibly cowered. He was not some big guy, just a servant at the Training Centre, only slightly better than an Avox. Teddy did not care about all those unnecessary details though. She was here with a complain and as a tribute, a 'representative' of her District, she had the right to know things. Especially when it concerned her food.

"It's not as if you'd have gotten better food at home," Vis muttered under his breath.

"I heard that boy," Teddy replied, "Why don't you eat it then?"

Vis turned around to face her, no expression on his face, only to remind her he was eating the same food as her, before turning back to his roasted chicken.

At the moment Teddy felt like slamming the plate right on Vis' head for his reply. but there was no need, for the bloodbath was approaching soon. And anyway, the boy didn't look like someone who would be able to handle it.

But one thing that Teddy noticed that she had accomplished due to her outburst was that everyone was looking at her, every single person. Some looked at her as if she was rouble, some looked bored, but everyone had their eyes on her.

"Cook me something new," Teddy said in a much steadier tone as wheeled in towards the poor boy, "Something that doesn't have hair in it."

"What's wrong here?"

Everyone looked at Agatha Shine as she appeared at the doorway. Teddy heard Vis swear under his breath, and Canon visibly disappearing behind his table. Agatha was the head trainer, and was responsible for everything regarding the tributes- including food. Teddy noticed that the boy's eyes widened in fear, but before she could say or do anything, Agatha was beside her. Without a word she reached out for her hand, only to see a single strand of hair in her grasp.

"What is this?"

"I-I-I'm s-s-sor-ry."

The poor boy was trembling now, his eyes on the floor, his expression suggesting his fear. Teddy had never wanted this to happen, she had just been annoyed. But what was to follow… she just knew it.

"Vida! Vida!"

At Agatha's voice, a young girl looking as poor and helpless as the boy at the service counter appeared, and stood in front of her.

"You're going to be cooking the food now. And take away the tributes' plates; serve them food again after you've cooked. Make it fast."

Vida nodded and then disappeared behind a door again, even as Agatha turned to face the servant boy.

"I'm sure it must have been a mistake," Casper spoke up, startling everyone present there.

"Sorry?" Agatha asked as she turned towards the boy from Two. Teddy frowned. He was playing hero again, gaining the attention of everyone. She could feel rage boiling in her stomach as she looked at him, who met Agatha's gaze evenly.

"I don't think he meant to do this. He's been looking after our needs diligently, Ms Shine."

"Ah Casper, honey, you're a good guy," Agatha said and her face softened, "However, we at the Capitol cannot compromise with quality."

"What do you mean?" Teddy asked as Agatha turned towards the servant. The woman smiled sadly at her, apologising for the inconvenience before saying what she had to.

"Boy, go and meet Romulus now. Your punishment is that your hands be cut off. If you don't report this straight away you and your family will be handled rather brutally."

And, just like that, without meaning to, Teddy had managed to ruin the servant's life.

Casper Cavette (18) D2M

Casper felt that he was the only person affected by the turn of events.

Everyone around him was eating the food that had just been prepared, talking and discussing strategy or whatever they were doing. Nobody seemed to be concerned about the boy that would be having his hands chopped off. Casper himself had been unable to even touch his food, that rested uneaten on the table in front of him.

"Why the hell did you have to do that?"

Casper looked up at Saunder, who was challenging him with looks alone. Casper sighed internally; Saunder had already stated how un-Careerish he had been during the parade. He had disapproved greatly. He had clearly let everyone know that Casper was going to cause their doom if he didn't stop his heroics.

Casper had told him just as clearly that he wasn't into heroics, that whatever he did was because he felt that it was right to do. However, Saunder was self-entitled to his opinion, and thus none of Casper's words swayed his thoughts.

And now, Saunder was here to question him again.

"I did what I felt was right, Saunder. Let it go now."

"You doing what you 'think is right' doesn't mean it's for the best, you get it? you, and everyone else should do what is best for everyone of us, not what is right."

"I agree with Saunder."

Casper looked up in surprise at Emeline, who just appeared to be down as she looked at him straight in the eye.

"Casper, I know you were worried, but we have to look out for ourselves first."

"I agree," Siobhan added, "You speaking up for that guy could bring trouble for you."

"You all have the right to think that way," Casper replied calmly, "However, I can decide for myself what I need to do."

Siobhan sighed and continued finishing her lunch, indicating that discussion was over from her side. But Saunder just couldn't let it rest, and soon Casper had his eyes shut as the other boy went on and on and on about his stupidity.

"Oh, come on Saunder," Everette snapped at him finally, "Shut up and eat."

Casper desperately wished that he had a camera, for this was a moment that he dearly wished to capture. Saunder's face had contorted in rage which made Casper want to laugh out. Maybe the boy had never been talked to like that, but from what Emeline had told them, Saunder should be used to much more.

Ivory face-palmed as the boy from Four jumped to his feet. Pointing a finger at Everette, he mouthed some really obscene words, before storming away in rage. Even as he saw his teammate's retreating form, Casper considered calling out to him. however, recalling that all this had happened only because he did what he considered right, he decided to let the boy be.

"We need to do something about him," Siobhan whispered, at which Emeline nodded.

"What?" Ivory asked, her eyes darting between the two of them.

"Can't really afford to have him with us all the time acting like that."

"Agreed," Siobhan added, "Thus we need to…"

Casper felt weird. They were already plotting their group member's death, before they were even in the Games. He had a bad feeling about this, and chose to remain silent. So did Everette. The two boys watched and listened to whatever the girls had to say, but Casper doubted they could take down the boy in the bloodbath. Sure, he might be weak and unskilled, but he was still trained. And Casper didn't believe for a second that he trusted them.

As far as trust was concerned, he couldn't bring himself to trust the girls, neither the Careers, nor Jordan. Jordan just gave him bad vibes and the others… well, the conversation going on right now gave him enough reason to doubt them.

He looked at Everette through the corner of his eye and nodded slightly. The boy excused himself to go to washroom and Casper followed him after a few minutes. Looking at Everette, he knew what was to be done. They could not ally with the girls, not after witnessing plans of backstabbing.

And maybe, it would be for the best.

Aryton Masserats (18) D6M

What had happened during lunch break was something Aryton knew he couldn't do much about, and was just happy that it wasn't he who was the servant. Of course, much worse could happen to him; he could die. But for the moment, he was focused on how to use his sabre.

He ran his thumb lightly on the edge of the weapon, relishing the familiar touch of metal. Aryton might never admit it, but he dearly missed working. After all, working was his outlet and now that had been taken away.

The boy was determined about winning though, and hence was the only outer district tribute who had had bothered to train under simulation. This training was extremely intense, as he could see people all around him in an arena whom he had to kill- or who could kill him. The other Outers had decided that it was too much for them, but not Aryton. If he could master the simulation, the boy knew he would have better chances.

However, as he practiced, another tribute attacked him from behind. He barely managed to dodge it, and for a second he thought that the other tribute just looked too… real? It took him a second to realise whom he was looking at.

"***!"

He had not thought that somebody else would bother training under simulation. But he saw Teddy facing him with a sword clutched in her hands. The two looked at each other for a second before attacking one another, metal clashing against metal. Neither of them knew how to handle their weapons well, and many-a-times Aryton felt that he might stab himself accidently.

"This *** is *** hard!" he yelled out, even as Teddy nodded.

The other simulation tributes were ignored. If they showed up, the two simply swung their swords at them before getting back to their own combat. Aryton didn't like it but he was getting extremely tired. Teddy too, looked just as bad.

Her weapon brushed his arm and a large scratch glared angrily even as hot red blood seeped out. Aryton swore loudly, but ignored the pain nonetheless and kept up with the fight, when suddenly the arena disappeared.

The two came to a stop as the smiling trainer walked towards them, clapping lightly.

"Well done Teddy!" he remarked, "Aryton, you should have been a little more careful-"

"Shut up."

The trainer expertly ignored the words and then called upon an Avox to treat Aryton's wounds. The boy visibly recoiled as the slave came forward; Aryton just couldn't stand the thought of having an Avox being ordered to look after him. It just made him feel less… human.

"I can *** do it myself."

"Ah no Aryton, the boy here is expert in handling wounds. Now, boy."

Aryton noticed Teddy watching him with narrowed eyes even as the Avox started bandaging his arm. She was clearly studying him. Aryton, however, felt that she had no business doing that. And so, raising a brow, he confronted her.

"What's the matter ***?"

Teddy didn't react to being called the abusive word, but simply stared. She watched as the Avox did his work and didn't even blink when Aryton told her to buzz off. Finally, when the trainer and the Avox left the alone, did Teddy meet his gaze.

"You're really skilled," she said with a light smile, "But you didn't want that Avox to treat you. Maybe you won't admit it, but being nice in the arena is not nice for you."

And with that, without hearing what he had to say, Teddy Formico walked away to put her sword back in its place. Aryton now noticed that a certain boy was coming his way, and he frowned when Saunder stopped in front of him.

"That was cool," he said in his arrogant drawl, "Care to join us?"

"Well, you guys are a piece of ***. All Careers are. But about joining… why not?"

The boy had mentally prepared himself for any verbal attacks that could come, but Saunder simply threw back his head and laughed. Aryton was surprised for a moment but when Saunder extended his hand, he shook it firmly.

Because… why not? Aryton was no fool. He knew he was more expendable. But being with the Careers could definitely help him cross the initial barriers. And who said that he had to be with them forever? At the first chance he would say goodbye to barbaric people.

And even as he watched Saunder leave, Aryton thought about what Teddy had said. He was not a 'nice' person as such. Why did she think so? He shouldn't think much about her words, he knew, but he wondered if he should heed them. Maybe, just maybe they really were words of caution.

But for now, Aryton was just concerned with one thing, and that was that he had allies.

So this chapter turned out to be a little weird, I'd say. Still, I'd like to know your thoughts. Don't judge me on my writing style, I know it's not as good as my previous one, but I just want to write fast now and I want things to make sense. By the way, I love every tribute that featured in this chapter. I mean, I love them all, but these are people who I can connect with. Even the bad ones.

Alliances:

Careers [all-inclusive]: Ivory, Everette, Siobhan, Casper, Emeline, Saunder, Jordan, Aryton

Careers 1: Ivory, Siobhan, Emeline

Careers 2: Everette, Casper

Team 1: Dwayne, Shama, Canon, Lanai

Team 3: Lily, Wesley, Tybal

So, I hope you enjoyed this. Let me know what you think of the alliances.

Have a good day!