Nobody's POV, Capitol
The tributes stand in a semicircle around Atala, some listening to her words carefully and others paying little attention. This is the first time the tributes can see one another properly, not from behind a TV screen or dressed up extravagantly. The outfit they wear is tailored to be tight, to show off the muscles of those who have them and so that the tributes can see who's a real threat. The obvious threats just from a glance are Calloway and Calamity but the other Career district tributes, Buckingham and Shelldon notably, aren't slacking behind either. Other tributes such as Bobbin, Laurel and Ellie are visibly smaller and more vulnerable. There's some oddities like Stellar who's visibly smaller than the other Careers and some are surprised that Diamond, who they had assumed was puffing his chest out far too much at the reaping, is fairly built for his age - if he was taller, he'd fit right in with his counterparts.
For some, like Delta and Melvin, being face to face with the tributes makes it all the more real - in less than two weeks all but one of them will be dead. The tributes know that and some of them, in their heads, pick who they think will kill them and who they want to avoid. Thoughts go away from Atala to connect how each other looked at each of the stages of the Games - the reapings, the Chariots and now.
Some tributes can afford to be more confident at this stage, namely District Five; their chariot costume had been all the Capitolites were raving about with Districts Seven, One and Two coming up behind in interest. Victoria and Tesla, both built like units in their own rights, look around and try to replicate the Careers' nonchalant expressions. It succeeds - smaller tributes like Bobbin turn their heads away from them.
"Exposure can kill as quickly as a knife."
With Atala dismissing the tributes, it's clear to see alliances are already forming.
Buckingham Shine, District One Female, 18 years old
When Atala dismisses us, the Careers amalgamate straight away. There's five of us initially - Diamond, the two from Two and Stellar from Four. We stand in the centre of the room, arms crossed and look around. Other tributes keep on turning around to catch glimpses at us. We look threatening - we're all decently tall and, with our arms crossed, we're accentuating our physical strength even further. We take note on who goes where; Dion from Ten goes towards the healing station, Brock from Eleven goes towards a sickle-type weapon, and Victoria from Five goes to the archery section and wastes no time in shooting the targets perfectly - too perfectly.
We notice that Stellar's partner isn't among us, instead he busies himself at the knife section.
"What's he doing over there?" Calamity asks, eyeing him. It's never good when a typical Career tribute doesn't stand alongside the others - it shows that there's potentially mistrust. Some of the other tributes notice it too; Candella from Seven and Alys from Twelve keep switching their gazes from Shelldon to us.
Stellar shrugs, "Don't know, don't care. He didn't volunteer - he's a reapee! He's not a real career."
I look Stellar up and down and laugh a little, "He looks more like a Career than you do."
Diamond, Calloway and Calamity laugh and Stellar's cheeks tinge a pale red. She rolls her eyes in an effort to fake not caring but the slight rubbing motion of her arm shows she does care.
"If you're not going to berate him anymore," Calloway says with a smile, "I think we should ask him to join us. Six is stronger than five."
"I think that's the best idea you've had in a while," Calamity chimes in, earning a laugh and a playful punch on the arm from her brother.
God I can tell these two are going to get on my nerves already.
Shelldon Flanders, District Four Male, 18 years old
One and Two come walking towards me with Stellar training behind, looking incredibly embarrassed. I'm somewhat sad I missed whatever was said to her - I'm sure it would've made me laugh.
The boy from Two pats my shoulder a few times as I stand up, assuming a friendly tone, "How come you're not standing with us? Don't want to be a Career?"
I look all of them up and down. I'm sure if I was one of them the Careers would look even more formidable, but they look like that now. Even Stellar, not that I want to admit it, looks like she could take a few hits and deal out some nasty ones of her own. "You can't always assume alliances, can you?" I say with a shrug.
"See what I me-" Stellar begins to say something, face looking insistent as she points a finger at me. She stops when she gets a glare from the One girl, Buckingham, and quickly quietens. I might just need to fear Buckingham if she can make Stellar shut up, and it looks like I might have to - she's already eyeing me up and down as if I'm her next target.
"Well I'm here to tell you, if you want, that a spot for you is free!" Calloway says, sounding friendlier and friendlier. Mad to think that he could be one of the most vicious tributes in the Games.
I weigh up my odds. Guaranteed if I don't die beforehand, Stellar will try to kill me in my sleep but that's if we haven't killed her for being annoying but then again, an easy life for the first couple of days in the arena does sound tempting. Besides, I can always leave in the middle of the night and take out a threat with me if need be...
"Fine," I say - it'll be the only alliance offer I'll accept so I better not waste it.
Diamond, Buckingham, Calloway and Calamity look rather content with this, beaming because their alliance has just gotten one stronger. Stellar, on the other hand, simply glares at me and I can only help but wonder what she'll say to me tonight, if she says anything.
Nobody's POV, Capitol
With the traditional Career alliance being solidified, they mutually agree to tour the room and see what each tribute is doing. An alliance any bigger than six could be dangerous but they all agree that if anyone else they accept gets too difficult, they'll eliminate them at the nearest opportunity. However unified the Careers look to the other tributes on the outside, within the alliance duos are already forming. Calloway and Shelldon converse as they tour around the room, the two of them looking as if they'll be leading this year's pack. Buckingham and Calamity follow behind. They look around the room more and make comments on tributes - they'll be the dangerous and calculating ones this year. Diamond and Stellar bring up the rear, talking to each other about how their partners don't think they're capable. Both of them make a pact in secret to break away at the right time. No, the Careers aren't as united as they may seem.
They start at the fire creating station. There, Melvin, Delta and Alys look at the instructor's movements as he starts a fire naturally. The Careers decide that none of the three tributes pose any obvious threats and that, if they did have some hidden talent, chances are one of them would be better at it because of the differences in the districts and they promptly move on.
They stop at the spears and archery section, both located side by side. There, respectively, Tesla and Victoria from Five stand, preparing themselves to launch another weapon at the targets. Both of them consciously acknowledge the Careers, though Victoria's gaze trains on them for a little longer.
"What's her problem?" Diamond whispers to Stellar, both of them staring at the girl from Five intently.
"No idea," Stellar replies with a shrug in the same hushed whisper.
The tributes from Five look at each other before nodding, an unspoken action about to occur. Tesla goes first, throwing a spear directly at the target. It's slightly off-centre and it's obvious he's not as well versed in spear throwing as he could be, but it proves he's dangerous. Victoria then fires at the target, hitting the bulls-eye and standing back. Both of them look very proudly at each other and glance over at the Careers again. Calloway, Calamity and Buckingham nod, secretly impressed, before they move on. No point dwelling on certain tributes.
They pay little attention to the three are the healing and medicinal station - Illea, Dion and Ellie - for none of them prove to be a large threat. Whilst the two from Ten look larger and more substantial in size, the Careers are sure they're not in an alliance and figure they'll be weak by themselves.
The Careers have to stop themselves from cringing at the pair from Six who argue at the camouflage station. Kumple attempts to draw his superhero insignia over Kaiya's attempt a grassy patch of dirt. The Careers don't pay them a second glance, certain that neither of them will be a threat. Buckingham, mentally, makes a note of Kumple and how satisfying it'd be to be the one to take him down. It crosses her mind to ask the other Careers if she can do that.
Brock Ushums, District Eleven Male, 18 years old
I haven't moved from the sickle station - why would I? It gives the illusion that I'm best with my somewhat long ranged weapon but questions my ability with close combat - a big build doesn't necessarily entail a good fighter. I'd like to keep that part of me a secret.
I've seen the Careers walk around the room from the corner of my eye. They disregard some, including my district partner Ellie, but take great notice at others like the two from Five. It's clear they're scouting out who they think will be the biggest threats and who'll be Bloodbath fodder. I notice that the boy from One points over in my direction and I do my best to ignore them, swinging my sickle at the dummies again. It's better if I don't acknowledge them just yet. The person leading the station is impressed at my ability, praising me as the Careers walk up.
"Brock, right?"
I look up and see the boy from Two offering out his hand to which I inspect, trying to hide my face of scepticism. It's clear he's leading the pack, or at least he is for now. It seems like the girl from One, the boy from Four and Two's district partner could all be leaders too. I nod slowly, taking his hand in my own and giving it a shake - why start tension for no reason at all, "Yeah. It's Calloway, isn't it?"
Calloway nods with a small laugh, "Yeah that's me."
He looks me up and down once, looking as if he's reaffirming a decision, before looking back at the other Careers. They nod, sans the girl from Four, and he turns back to me.
"We've been thinking," He says, outstretching his arms in a way to show that it was a unified consensus, "That we'd like to take the risk of a seven member alliance with you."
Whilst I had been considering joining the Careers, I hadn't expected them to come up to me. I wouldn't have gone up to them either, no, but I was preparing myself for being a lone wolf. It's a tempting offer, but I raise an eyebrow all the same.
"How do I know I can trust you lot?" I ask pointedly. The girls from One and Two look somewhat surprised, as if they had expected me to just ally without any questions. The boy from Four smiles. I had seem him on his own and he was probably asked to join the Careers too - maybe we're on the same wavelength. The two smaller Careers look shocked, probably thinking I should be honoured that I was asked and wondering why I would even considering rejecting their offer.
Calloway laughs and leans in close, whispering in my ear, "Well, you're not Diamond or Stellar, are you?"
He pulls away with a smile, nodding subtly in their direction. If I want my promise to Savanna to at least potentially become fulfilled, I should ally with them. I give the collective of them another look before nodding, "Fine. If you'll take a risk so will I."
Most of the Careers, again sans Diamond and Stellar, look happy which makes me think that they see me as one of the biggest threats to them. That's a good piece of information to know.
Laurel Eresong, District Nine Female, 15 years old
I stand at the blowgun station with the small girl from Eight, Bobbin. She's learning how to use one but I don't think she intends to use it in the Games themselves. We've made light conversation and she's rather pleasant - I might consider allying with her. The instructor also helps me with a slingshot. Bobbin and I take it in consecutive turns to hit small targets with the weapons. I'm not hopeless with the slingshot but it's obvious I've not used one often. Bobbin, on the other hand, struggles a little with the blowgun but she tells me how she thinks she might not make it out of the Bloodbath so realistically it won't be useful knowledge.
"If you were going to ally with anyone," I say, looking at her with a small smile, "Who would it be?"
She stops loading the blowgun and thinks, eyes looking upwards in thought. It takes her a good few seconds before she smiles, "I think I'd like to ally with the pair from Three."
I tilt my head slightly, "How come?"
She shrugs, smiling still, "I just think the girl's holding something back - she seems like she'd be the most likely to be the unlikely winner."
We both look around to find the girl from Three, seeing her at the physical combat station. Her partner, Melvin, watches her in awe as she puts up a good fight against the trainer. I think he's shocked too because there's quite a few times where he lets his guard down after getting overconfident. Of course it ends with her being defeated, but he seems like he praises her to which Melvin claps excitedly.
Bobbin looks back at me and giggles, "See?"
Maybe Delta is someone to watch out for then.
Chandler Fenn, District Seven Male, 16 years old
Lunch with the other tributes is somewhat surreal. There's about six or so long tables and we're so spread out it's weird. The Careers sit together, naturally. What scares me is there's seven of them; the usual six and the boy from Eleven. That disheartens me a little bit - he was one of the older tributes I was going to see and ask about an alliance. I take this time to look around and see who's sitting with who, just to see if I can get a grasp on any alliances forming.
The pair from Five sit together, discussing something seriously. When they were at the stations I saw the boy keep looking over at the Careers - I think he might want to join them. The girl seems indifferent and I think she only sits with her partner because it's someone she knows. The girls from Eight and Nine sit together and I don't know if they're in an alliance or not. I wouldn't say it's impossible - Bobbin is the youngest tribute and Laurel, from what I've heard, has motherly vibes. The two from Three are still attached at the hip, like they have been for the majority of the festivities. It's clear to say they're in an alliance together.
The two from Twelve sit on the same table, but not together, much like myself and Candella. The girl from Eleven sits near the boy from Ten and looks like she wants to start a conversation with him. Illea from Ten is on her own table, eating methodically. On the other end of the table to her is the boy from Eight, who looks about every so often. Blake, from Nine, sits on the same table as Candella and myself and, like the boy from Eight, doesn't speak to many people.
It's crazy to think these people will be killing each other in less than a week.
So I decided to split this day into two! So the other tributes (mainly Candella, Phantom, Blake and Cadin) will get POVs and some of the other tributes will!
We're so nearly there, I can't wait!
Tell me your predictions on the alliances now, after this chapter, and who you think will be Bloodbath fodder and how many'll die in the bloodbath!
Also, self promo, I've published a new syot (100th SYOT) just so I can hopefully get all the tributes before it starts! So, if you like these games, submit!
As always, reviews make me happy~!
- Oli