Prim had to admit that her talks with Haymitch had not been going well. For one thing, she had yet to see him sober. She was also more than a little dismayed at his continued refusal to make eye contact.

The first time she had gone to talk to him, when they were on the train, he had actually patted her on the head and called her sweetheart. Then he'd wandered off to have another drink. Peeta, however, had stayed and talked to her. She was already inclined to like him. His gift of bread back when her family was starving had been so much more than a meal – and a meal, to a starving person, was a gift beyond repayment. But on top of that, Prim had seen the desperation fade from Katniss's eyes, replaced with the total determination that characterised her sister. In Prim's view, Peeta was responsible, if indirectly, for giving Prim her sister back when she needed her most.

Over the long train ride, she had discovered that the older boy was a good listener too. Without deciding to, she found herself explaining how she'd come to the decision to fight for her life and the half-formed plan she had come up with. Peeta helped her refine her plan, making suggestions and asking a few questions that Prim hadn't thought of. Afterwards, tentatively, she asked him if he would help her carry it out. "Of course," he'd responded, as if he thought that was obvious.

Maybe it was.

Now, it was the morning of their first training session with the other tributes. Prim had woken early – all right, she'd barely slept. It amounted to the same thing. She had some time before breakfast to prepare herself for the day.

The first thing to do was shower. She experimented with the unmarked buttons until she found lilac-scented soap and a steady stream of hot water. She smiled when she saw that her clothes for the day were laid out. The deep blue tunic and leggings would accent her eyes and light hair. Just right. Once her hair was dry, she brushed it until it was smooth and shiny, and found a white hairband to keep it from her eyes. She'd tie it back properly in the arena, of course, but she wasn't in any danger in the training sessions, so the impression she made was more important. Peeta had agreed with her.

Last night, after the opening ceremony, she and Peeta had watched the recaps of the reaping as well as the ceremony, examining each tribute's demeanour and discussing the possibilities. All the Career tributes, from Districts 1, 2, and 4, were right out. Prim didn't like the look of the two from District 3, but Peeta did, so he would talk to them today. Prim wanted to watch the other tributes in person before she approached any, but they were short on time. She thought she would try talking to the boy from District 10, who had a crippled foot, and some of the other girls who weren't too intimidating.

And then there was Rue.

Prim didn't think her plan depended on Rue, not entirely, but she could make an enormous difference. Connecting with Rue was Prim's most important priority for the day. The only thing that was almost as important was making sure none of the Career tributes noticed.