Train Rides Pt. 2
Allegro Barbarosso
-Scout Foster, 17, District 10-
I wished that my first train ride wouldn't have been so somber and miserable.
I always wanted to ride on a train, from the time I was just a little kid. I loved to watch the powerful, speeding machine whiz past and wish that I would be on it. I would always ask my Mom if I could go on the train. After all, I got everything else I wanted, why not that? She always told me that riding on the big train was a Capitolite thing that I would probably never get to experience. But, in true Scout Foster fashion, I never stopped dreaming about it. I knew that I'd somehow get on a train. Someday.
Unfortunately, this was not how I imagined it to go. I imagined it would be fun. I imagined sitting by the window, watching the colors fly past me and realizing just how fast we're going, faster, faster! I would be with my friends or maybe my family, and we'd talk about how amazing technology is. I imagined my parents renting me out a train for my eighteenth birthday. Sierra and Memphis would be there, they'd probably be all coupley. Maybe Jon Armistead would have been there with me. Who knows?
I could imagine all I want, but the reality was that this was it. My first ever train ride. And how was I spending it? Not looking out the window in awe. No, instead I was sitting by the window and watching blurs of green pass and trying not to listen to the small kid crying on the couch. I couldn't even blame them for crying. They were scared. I was scared too.
I didn't imagine my first train ride would be like this, that was for sure. I at least tried to enjoy looking out the window and seeing how fast we were going, but the fact was that it was just impossible in a situation like this.
Ellery, the person who is responsible for us being in this mess, is the first person to greet us after sentencing both of us to death. Any other day, I would have been ecstatic to be visited by Jon fucking Armistead, the hottest person I know. Any other day, I would have been glad to see my friends and siblings and parents in a room just as luxurious as that one was. But not on a reaping day. Not after being reaped.
The Hunger Games was something that should have never happened to someone like me. My family had money. Status. Power. I never took tesserae because I never had to. We raised livestock to be sent away to be butchered and sold. What were the odds that this would happen to me, Scout Foster? I still hadn't comprehended it. Of all people it could have been, it was me. What had I done to deserve this!?
Ellery didn't say anything when they walked into the room. After all, they were walking in to a pitiful sight. The sound of my District partner's sobs. The sight of me looking out the window and feeling totally miserable and numb. What a sorry scene.
Our mentor was the next to enter the room. Through all twenty-seven years of Games, District Ten had only won once. That was really reassuring for our odds. After all, I was sure that there were six volunteers just waiting to kill all of us wee little outer District pigs.
"Welcome to your last week!" Chaz said, his voice booming. Our only Victor, who had won the Fifth Games, was not very good at diffusing the tension. At his exclamation, my District partner only cried even harder. It was really pitiful. I wanted to cry too, but at least I could keep myself under control. "You may as well not spend it cryin' your eyes out! Take some food!"
When I finally looked over at him, he gave my District partner a firm slap on the back.
"Come on now, champ. Get some skin on those bones of yours!" I noticed that in his other hand he was holding an empty glass, which had probably once held alcohol of some sort. My District partner curled up into a tight ball, away from his touch.
"Aw, don't get like that with me. I'm your mentor!" he said. He was tipsy, I could just tell. I had been on the verge of drunk before, after all. My District partner didn't respond. They had stopped crying, but were still obviously hyperventilating.
"Get back up on your feet now, eh?" he slurred, touching my District partners head, who curled up tighter. They were obviously uncomfortable, and weren't doing anything to fight him. Probably because they couldn't. Once I realized that, I knew I had to do something.
"Quit touching them," I said, causing Chaz to look over.
"And… You are?"
"Scout Foster," I said, balling my fists. I wasn't exactly used to standing up to an adult, so I didn't really know what to do.
"So, you were both wearing skirts to the reaping. Which one of you is the male tribute?"
The question made my blood boil as I clenched my fists harder. "I don't see why that matters."
"I'm just curious," he said, laughing.
"It doesn't matter what's in either of our pants. Also, I'm not a girl."
"Oh, let me guess… You're a special snowflake?"
That was it. I couldn't control the anger anymore. It was just too hurtful to hear that come out of the mouth of the person that was supposed to help us survive in an Arena full of tributes.
"Just go," I said, trying not to scream at him.
"Aw, come on-"
"Fucking go! Leave! Get the hell out of here before I start yelling for real!"
Chaz didn't know what to do. After all, he was close to forty and still built like an ox, he could have taken me on if he really wanted to and beaten my sorry ass to a pulp. But I decided I wanted to risk that. I just wanted that toxic man out of the room.
Chaz was silent for a second before he suddenly lunged and slapped me hard across the face, yelling, "Oversensitive bitch!"
I could have at least tried to fight back, either punching rapidly or jumping up on him, but I didn't. I had taken a punch from an adult or two in my life before. And I'd learned that fighting back will only end in more pain.
Chaz stormed out of the room, leaving me alone with my District partner in the car, face still stinging from pain, and having no idea what to do next. The car was filled with silence. Koda was quiet, though. I went back to the window, but found quickly that I didn't want to look out there anymore. The sky had become dark and rain was starting to streak across the window, little droplets racing past, running, running for their lives. Like we would be. I found that watching them wasn't fun like I thought it would be.
Instead, I went to sit next to my District partner.
"Are you alright?" I asked quietly.
They peeked out at me with big, teary brown eyes. "He kept touching me."
"I know," I said quietly. "It's okay, though. He's gone now."
My District partner sat up and rubbed their eyes, looking concerned. "Are you okay?"
I instinctively reached up and gently touched my still warm cheek. "I've seen worse." I gave the kid a small smile. "Don't worry about me."
"You've… Seen worse?" They asked quietly.
"I said don't worry. Really. He's gone now."
They wiped their eyes and tried to offer a tiny smile. "Thank you."
"No problem. He was pissing me off."
"Scout, right?"
"Yeah, that's right." I tried to smile but it was hard when I remembered where I was.
"I-I'm Koda." They reached over and took a tissue to blow their nose.
"Koda. Right. I knew that."
Koda looked at me with misty eyes and a smile that almost looked teasing. "I don't think you did," they said.
I let out a small laugh. "You caught me. I didn't."
"I like your skirt," they said, quietly, sniffling a little bit.
"Oh, thanks," I said, smiling. "I like your clip."
Koda looked confused for a moment before reaching up and touching the clip of a little yellow bird. "Oh, this. Right. Thank you. It was a gift."
"It's nice. It brightens up this dreary situation. Somehow."
That brings a real smile to Koda's face. "It does?"
"To me."
"Well… If that little bird can do that, then maybe this one can too!"
"You mean…?"
"Oh, my family calls me Little Bird. Long story."
"Oh. I see." I smile slightly.
"You're nonbinary too, right?"
The question is slightly surprising. "Oh, um… Yeah, that's right. I'm genderfluid, actually."
Koda was surprised. "Oh. I see. That's cool! I'm agender."
"So you like the pronouns…"
"They/them. Thank you."
"Of course kid." I almost reached over to ruffle their hair, but stopped myself. They obviously didn't like to be touched, I could respect that.
"You okay Scout?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "Or, okay as I'm going to be."
Ellery walked in just then, looking shocked. "What happened?!" they squeaked.
"It's fine," I said, as they ran over to look at my face and make sure everything was alright. They had a pack of ice in their hands, which I politely declined. I had to admit, though, it was nice to be cared for like that. I could get used to Capitolites doing everything I asked of them. After all, here there were no parents to keep me from doing whatever I wanted and being whoever I wanted. That was a perk I hadn't realized. And that perk could continue the rest of my life if I won. I would never have to answer to them again! I'd be independent and live in my own house and live by my own rules! If I can make it through the darkness, maybe I can find the light at the end of the tunnel. After all, there is a Victor. As unlikely as it is, there's always a chance that person will be me.
Maybe this is the opportunity to get away that I've been looking for. I just have to keep making the best of it to survive.
I take a deep breath. I just have to keep that mindset until the end.
And I have to be willing to fight for my chance.
~.~.
-Oberyn Thael, 16, District 3-
"I am absolutely soaked!" Rinkah shrieked. "How dare you?! Get some manners!" she abruptly stood and glowered at all of us.
"They're not going to need manners where they're going." Braxton snorted. "Just go, you're of no use shrieking like a banshee."
"It was your own fault for putting your cup like that on a train. You were begging it to dump iced tea all over you," I added dismissively. With an indignant huff, Rinkah finally, finally took the hint and left, to no doubt redo her makeup and find a new dress.
For the last twelve hours, I have endured the constant bickering between our escort, Rinkah, and Braxton Lestrange, the Victor of the 9th Games. If not for the unlimited supply of coffee, I would be completely out of fucks to give. Unfortunately I didn't have a choice. If I wasn't able to butter up at least one mentor, I wouldn't have a lifeline in the arena. That didn't mean I have to be nice to the escort if she was a complete and utter loon (of which she was), at least.
And then there was Hazuki. She had barely exchanged a word with me, instead watching me out of the corner of her eye to size me up. I had a fairly good hunch that she had an inkling that I was a threat and not going to fold. Not that it mattered, because she would fail and I would see to it myself.
"Do you really have to antagonize Rinkah, you two?" Tess, Victor of the 25th Games massaged her temples, clearly dealing with a massive headache. Hazuki could have her. Braxton would be a far better mentor for me.
"Don't tell me you enjoy keeping her around, Tess." Braxton raised an eyebrow, sighed, and reclined in his chair. He put a solid boot on the edge of the table and folded his arms, daring her to tell him she did enjoy the escort's company.
She brushed her bangs out of her face and sighed deeply. "Isn't the reaping recap going to come on soon?"
The remote to the TV being within my grasp, I spun it over to Braxton, who caught it with a flourish. It was a small move to make, but one that indicated he was the one in charge here. And judging by the look he fixed me with dark grey eyes, he got the message I intended to send with the move. Without a word, he flicked it on.
"Good evening to you all! Your hosts for the night are me, Conrad Horowitz!"
"And me, Robin Sarabande!"
As they bantered back and forth, I couldn't help but look the pair over. Anything I could learn about Conrad would certainly be beneficial, considering they were Head Interviewer. Conrad, colorful character that they were, clearly was interested in presenting more feminine than usual for the recaps. They did not seem to do it often, but when they did present feminine, they always looked stunning, I could give them that much. Robin wore a comparatively modest black suit striped in grey with a sky blue tie and pastel purple shirt. I was getting rather sick of pastel purple considering Rinkah's fondness for it.
"Alright, without further ado, let's start the highlight reel!"
Bathed in sunlight, District 1 popped into view from above at first, and then focused on the stage. First the girl, Cadenza Santiago made her bid to volunteer, and she screamed confident Career. She was smiling like she had won the lottery and there was no hesitation in the lean muscles of her arms and the charm she wore just as easily as the heels she strode up to the stage in. But when the boy, Cerulean Holst, strode up to the stage with equal confidence, unlike Cadenza, he faltered when he shook hands with her. His entire body went rigid and the smile on his face froze with something. He knew her. And that could be a very valuable weakness to know.
"These two are looking to be a strong core of the Career pack this year, don't you think, Robin?"
"I agree. They could be quite the duo. But let's see what's waiting for them in District 2, shall we?"
District 2 came into view right on cue. Both tributes were volunteers of course. First came a tall, beaming girl named Latika Hari that also looked to be an issue. Her build wasn't as lean as Cadenza's and she would definitely be a threat as well.
"There's something weird about the boy here isn't there?" Robin asked, his brow furrowed.
Conrad frowned. "Yes, he volunteered as Jack Cherenkov but that isn't his registered name. He nearly gave the Peacekeepers a heart attack. His real name is Ozymandias Cherenkov, but out of respect for the name he gave, we'll call him Jack. I don't think many people want to say a mouthful of a name like that anyway," they laughed.
The red headed wonder sauntered up to the stage as the two hosts discussed why Jack would give Jack as his name. While the prior threes' appearances screamed how much of a threat they were, Jack's appearance alarmingly did not. The lazy smile, slightly messy appearance, and deceptively relaxed smile spoke to a different kind of threat. He would be one to watch indeed.
"They only show me from my bad side," Braxton grumbled as District 3 came into view.
"Me too," Tess pouted. Tess, unlike Braxton, had an enormous scar from temple to chin on the right side of her face, and had a "bad side" much more than Braxton did.
"What do you mean by bad side, Braxton?" Hazuki spoke up for once. She searched his face for some kind of blemish or scar.
"My haircutter screwed up the right side of my hair, don't you see?!" Braxton snapped. "Look!"
Hazuki was clearly not convinced. Braxton's hair was pretty closely cropped, and any asymmetries were difficult to spot, unless you were someone like me.
District 4 came into view, picturesque as always. I had not expected any volunteers but this year I would be unpleasantly surprised. More volunteers meant more trained tributes meant more competition. In place of the boy reaped came another who was scrawnier, pale as death, and had shockingly white hair. He wasn't particularly confident, and when they zoomed in on his face, he wore odd glasses with a smaller lens within each glass panel. I wasn't sure what to make of him. The girl, Valencia Ferriz swaggered up to the stage with a sickening degree of flirtatiousness. Her introducing herself alone caused the escort to blush an uncomfortable shade of red. No doubt she would weaponize that in the time leading up to the Games.
It was raining in District 5. I wondered if that meant District 5 was directly east or west of District 3. It wasn't worth pondering much longer than it took to ask the question though. Rai Raines stormed up to the stage with a scowl never leaving her face. Her face was gaunt and starvation hung over her like a cloud. She probably had some experience in scuffles because of it. The boy, Lars McKinley stalked up to the stage with the same air of intensity. No doubt there would be tension there.
"Keep an eye on those two," Braxton mumbled to me, too low for Hazuki or Tess to hear. "They could be trouble."
The overcast District 6 was also a bit of a surprise. The boy, Felix Hartell was painfully average. I couldn't imagine him making any lasting impact on the Games. But the girl rolled up her sleeves as she came up to the stage, exposing long, ugly, new and old scars. She was too scrawny to have gotten those from street fights. It took balls to show those off though. Not that it would get her too far. Rook Nouvelle screamed bloodbath from head to toe.
Truthfully I wanted nothing more than to leave. The rest of these tributes were more than likely going to die anyway. But I knew I had to stay no matter how bored I was. This was my only chance to see any of them before the Chariots.
District 7 held nothing of interest. Colton Sawyer, a scrawny teenage kid that could barely keep from sniveling and spewing snot everywhere as he stumbled up to the stage and Melanie Shepherd, a wide-eyed 12 year old who wouldn't last more than five minutes in the arena.
Feeling more tired by the second, District 8 came along. A boy who desperately needed a haircut wobbled so badly coming up to the stage that the escort had to help him up. Garrett Oriole seemed like he could cause some issues if he got his act together. The girl, Tessa Armaros, however, seemed meeker than a mouse. But she had a pretty face. And unfortunately, those got people a lot farther in life than it should.
Braxton kicked me from under the table, firmly enough to keep me awake. The exhaustion really was digging its claws into me. I suppose the amount of coffee I've had unrestricted had something to do with that. I had stopped drinking it so that I would not be too energetic to sleep after the recap finished showing, but unfortunately it was not currently working in my favor.
District 9 bloomed into view with a snappy transition effect. The girl reaped first, Nora Baumgartner, sobbed and made a mess on the stage with the amount of tears she was spewing. But the boy however, instead of shaking the escort's hand, gestured for the mic. His eyes were hidden behind cheap sunglasses, but his face only held complete seriousness. "It's Scotty G. Just so you know. Not Scott. Not Scotty. Scotty G."
Well it couldn't be said that outer district tributes didn't have balls, at least.
Hazuki yawned and twirled her hair around her finger, clearly also having issues staying awake. But she stayed fixated through District 10's reaping. I was too focused on her to catch which position was reaped first, and the kid that came to the stage was fairly androgynous so it was impossible to tell. But whatever gender they were, they were almost making as much of a mess as that Nora girl was on stage. At least this Koda kid was keeping it together a little better. The other tribute reaped, without mention of which position was being reaped, of course, was the picture of a deer in headlights. Scout Foster held the look of total and utter shock. I wonder if they'll have that same face when they die, to be honest.
Finally District 11. Sometimes some real threats emerge from there. The boy reaped walked rigidly, but quite honestly he could have been in his mid-twenties and I would have believed it. He had full, ginger facial hair that almost made a mane around his face. The mask of stone that his face was spoke to a tenacity that could be very formidable indeed. Dmitri Cairn would be interesting indeed. Cecily Jarvis however, was another young girl that would start rotting in the ground before day one of the Games was over.
Not that District 12 was one to really pull through with victor material, but since they were the last ones, it was worth watching anyway. Someday they could draw a wildcard into the Games, who knows? First the boy is reaped, Glenn Decim, whose calm, smiling demeanor seemed very much out of place. He didn't look particularly strong, but he was tall and the lack of fear was something to be feared in itself. The wiry girl, Maverick Quinn, looked ready to kill someone though. Those piercing, starving eyes said it all. She was dirt poor, she had had enough, and she could shake things up if she played her cards right.
All in all, an interesting crop. "It could be nasty for you both this year. We'll talk strategy in the morning, get some sleep." Braxton snorted and abruptly left himself. Not needing any more reason to stay awake, I stumbled to my train car.
"Hey," Hazuki started to say as I opened the door to my room. I couldn't care less. I shut the door in her face and collapsed on the bed before I could regret anything.
A/N: We're back! Hurrah! This story is still going strong and hopefully updates will be coming faster now that Legend is home! Hope you enjoyed the reaping recaps and reminder of the tributes (even though Oberyn is clearly biased against anyone he doesn't consider a threat). Can't wait to see you all next chapter for chariot rides!
