Happy Hunger Games Tuesday everybody! I hope you all are enjoying the story so far!

Chapter 3

Her room was small and quiet. She could not hear the people talking or the waves just outside her window. She knew she should change into night clothes, there was a closet and dresser full of outfits next to her, but she refused. Asami had spent so long picking out this dress for her. Korra wanted to wear it for as long as she could still smell her perfume. She let the scent engulf her as she pushed herself under the furs on the bed.

Korra bunched the pillow under her head. She wanted to cry. If there was a time for it to happen it was now. The thought of doing it though was almost painful to consider. Tears were a weakness water tribe warriors couldn't afford. That was what she was now, even if she was a woman. No one should be allowed to see her in pain.

Her thoughts were all for Asami when the first tear finally fell. What was she doing now? Korra expected she caught at least the recaps that would air at sunset. Mr. Sato was wealthy, never needing to take a tessare and knowing volunteers would spare his daughter from the games. With the fear of losing his child removed he enjoyed the games with the same enthusiasm of a capitalist. What did she do when she saw Korra's face? Was Korra's smile for the cameras enough to keep her fears at bay? Was she proud of the necklace Korra wore for her? Korra's fingertips faintly touched the blue stone.

Korra envisioned an embrace. Asami's arms were around her. Korra's rested at her waist. They had kissed like this before but this one felt almost primal. Like she needed this touch. She could almost taste salt. Were they Asami's tears or her own?

Korra woke to the feeling of water on her face.

She looked up to see Kozan standing over her with a wet rag above her head. Every few seconds it dripped with stinking seawater. "Get up or you'll miss breakfast." The escort demanded and left the room to let her change.

Korra now regretted sleeping in the dress. It was lined with deep wrinkles that she would never have the chance to iron out. That would be something for Asami to fuss about. Korra at least had the decency to put it on a hanger when she slipped out of it.

Korra spent a lot of time putting together an outfit. The selection was pretty varied but Korra was careful to focus on the fashion details Asami had told her over and over. She finally chose a sky blue and silver dress before removing the wolf's tail on the back of her head. Asami had always told her she looked beautiful with her hair down. She kept the two tails on the side of her face though.

"Well someone's got themselves all dolled up," Koyak jeered when he saw her. Unless Asami forced her Korra was not the type to dress up.

"It doesn't matter. The prep team will do away with it once we're at the station." Kozan reminded her.

"People will still see me right? First impressions and all?" Korra took a long look at the breakfast table as she sat down. The quail pheasant she had left at the table from the night before was gone. She wondered what happened to it. Probably tossed in the water behind them for the tiger sharks. "Where's the kid?"

"Narak's still sleeping." Korra winced. Great. Now she knew his name. She still refused to acknowledge it. "It'll be a few more hours till we're at the capitol. Eat up."

Korra didn't see a need to be told more than once. She sipped at a cup of coffee. She found the drink horribly bitter and despised it but Asami seemed to live off of it. There were cereals and oatmeals and toasts. Kozan had taken some kind of bread topped with egg and covered with a golden yellow sauce. Korra took an omelet for herself stuffed with seared meat, peppers, and onions.

She wanted to eat like Koyak. He had no bottom to his stomach. The oats were seasoned so heavily with brown sugar and honey they had a sickly muddy shade to them. His plate was piled with mangos and pineapples coated with glistening sugar.

The kid came down late to breakfast. His face was puffy and his eyes red from crying. His hair had not even been brushed. He had to be convinced to eat his food.

Pathetic little boy. He had already given up. He wasn't wrong, no one thought he stood a chance at winning. He could have at least attempted to have a little fight in him. He was almost sad to even watch.

"So, we'll pick up what we didn't finish yesterday." Koyak started, "How do you want to handle your training."

"Together," The boy immediately agreed.

"Does it really matter?" Korra didn't want to have the same little fight as the day before.

"It does if you know a waterbending move you don't want him to see." Ilaq reminded her.

That method had worked several years ago for the district four tribute. His name was Tarlok. He was bright, charismatic, and manipulative when it came to other tributes. Even the other district four tribute, the career volunteer of that year, fell victim to his tricks. It wasn't until the final six tributes that he revealed that not only could he bloodbend, but that he could do it outside of the full moon. Victory at that point was inevitable for him. Now he lived in Victor's Village only two doors away from Korra's own home. His abilities made Korra both curious and nervous.

"Separate." Korra decided then.

"Why?" The kid whined

Korra shrugged, "No reason not to."

"Des it even matter to you?" He almost cried.

"It might."

"Well to me it does. I need all the training I can get. You're probably going to kill me anyway so what."

"If that's your attitude then yeah I will." She snapped, "I wasn't going to because I was being nice."

"Then someone else would." Now he was crying. Korra wondered how he was ever going to call himself a man if the games didn't pick him off. He would at least need to act stronger in front of the cameras at least, for his family's sake. No one wants to be related to a coward of the games.

"We'll do the training together," Ilaq decided. Before Korra could object again he raised a hand. "If you want to separate later then you still can." Korra crossed her arms and sat back. How long was this boy going to hold her back?

The boat's horn sounded drawing attention to the window. Korra could see the first signs of land. The capitol was close.

"Now when we make port. . . "Korra paid less attention to the mentor and more attention to her breakfast. She knew the process. Tonraq had made sure of it. Cleaning, tribute parade, training, evaluation, interview, and then the games. It was the same progress every year.

Beside her the boy was listening with half hearted interest. Almost as though the little argument had consumed all of his strength.

Korra's head began to fill with questions. None about what would happen but what it will be like. A lifetime of planning was focused on the next few weeks. Weeks that started just this afternoon. It was a surreal feeling Korra couldn't describe.

A shadow passed over the boat as she finished her first omelet. The statue of Fire Lord Azulon blocked the sun. Korra was amazed it stood after so many years. When New Ozai Society took power they went through the world destroying ancient buildings and artifacts that attributed to the four nations as they created the districts. Not even the Air Nomad temples remained despite their lack of inhabitants. Even a lot of the old water tribe snow forts built during the war had been demolished. But a statue? That can stay.

With another blaring horn the ship made port beside a crowd of spectators. They were well dressed, all of them, and even the men wore make up. She could almost feel the boy next to her cringe at the sight. A man should never cover his face except for the sake of battle. There was no denying the sheer energy of the crowd that jumped and wave. They were cheering the name of the career tribute they didn't even know. When Korra stepped from the boat and raised an arm they went wild.

Korra could not even help but smile. It wasn't the same smile she had been using. The one that was perfect, rehearsed and practiced. It was bright and hopeful. They were cheering for her. It's hard not to look happy in front of hundreds of people that love you.

The two water tribe tributes were led to a satomobile by their escort. All the while the people were calling for attention. Korra tried to meet them all, to smile for every picture. Every camera flash blinded her. When she was told to leave she only did so after telling the crowd goodbye.

The people were saddened to see her go. Their attention quickly turned back to the dock where another tribute boat was arriving. The door opened but Korra could not see the people who emerged. She knew the ships came in order by district. It would be the boy from district five. Mako right? The crowd was almost as excited to see him. Almost.

Korra took her time trying to enjoy the view of the capitol. She had always seen it in pictures and in movers of previous hunger games. But never up close like this. The buildings were taller than trees and made of hard steel. Thanks to high winds and winter storms buildings in district four rarely reached three stories. Here she felt small against them. She wondered if any of them touched the clouds and then thought the idea was silly.

There was a sort of unjustified pride that came from just looking at the size and magnitude of the city. Every moment, every year seemed to lead to this moment. To give her this view. Even as the satomobile passed people in the streets they would wave to her and she would wave back. In the water tribe courtesy was earned. And what would she do to deserve this, to earn it? Win.

I feel like my chapters are kind of short? Are they good short do you think?