A/N: Before the train rides start, I must point out something. In District 1, Diamond has the same name as her escort. I will call her escort by Diamond Tiara or Miss Tiara. Diamond Cortez will just be called Diamond. I hope that will help for the District 1 train ride. :)
The goodbyes have finished promptly at three o'clock and every tribute is boarding their respective trains. Depending on which district they come from, they will arrive within a day or two. Once they arrive in the Capitol, the citizens will be booking their seats for the tribute parade. They will buy handfuls of roses and throw them to their favorite tributes. The Capitol citizens eagerly await the arrival of the tributes. They must wait the allotted day or two before seeing them in person.
District 1:
Diamond and Ian are escorted onto the train by Diamond Tiara. They are used to luxury, the export of their district. All of this luxury can put their houses to shame. Velvet seats, tables filled with food and an enormous table for them, Diamond Tiara, and the mentors. Diamond moved her way to a comfy chair with blue velvet. Once she sat down, she relaxed every muscle in her body. What can upset her now?
Ian took a seat beside her, looking like an opposite of his female counterpart. His black hair was the dead giveaway. Not a lot of children from 1 have black hair. Black hair becomes more common as the district numbers rise. Ian and Diamond sit in silence as Diamond Tiara goes to grab the mentors. The train begins to move at over 200 miles an hour. Trees began zipping by before either of the new tributes can see them.
"Fast, isn't it?" Diamond Tiara notices their faces. They are gaping at the speed of this amazing vessel. "Over 200 miles an hour, you barely feel it. Trust me. I have been escorting for years. Judging by this speed, we should reach the Capitol within a day. Rooms have been built here for you both, so you can enjoy the luxury the Capitol provided for you."
A moment of silence comes over everyone in the train. Diamond Tiara adjusts her hair and looks to Diamond and Ian. They sit so stiffly to one another. Were they avoiding each other because they must kill one another? That would be smart, just so they don't get too attached.
"Well, I'll go get your mentors. They are probably in their rooms." Diamond Tiara stands up and smooths her skirt out.
"Who are our mentors?" Diamond asks her escort.
"It's a surprise, Miss Cortez." Her escort replies and leaves the pair alone.
The silence is coming at all sides. Diamond's eyes are focused on the window and the passing trees. Within a day, she will be in the Capitol. Within a week, she'll be in the arena, ready to kill the tributes from 2. Her fingers spin the ring on her throat. When she delivers the death blow, she'll be whispering her mother's name in their ears. Bad mistake to mess with a Cortez.
Her head snaps to her district partner. Ian is looking at a small picture of a family. His family. Five people gathered together and laughing. They all had dark shades of brown and black hair. No wonder why the Strace's always stood out in District 1. She clears her throat. "Who are they?"
Ian's eyes flick to Diamond. Her eyes are blue like an ocean. How could he miss those eyes at the Academy? "My family. This is my father, my mother, my older brother Jake, and my youngest brother Sammy. What about you?"
Diamond pushed some hair behind her ear. "My Aunt Shine is my only family. Do you remember hearing about the 160th Hunger Games?"
"Oh, yes! The best showdown in history! District Two came out victorious, just beating the District One girl. I wish I could have watched it when it was happening." Diamond was awestruck. Did he not remember the girl's name? The last name would have given it away. Ian looks at her and notices her eyes have turned to a dull shade. "Oh, she was your…"
Ian didn't need to finish. He knew the answer already. That is why Diamond lives with her aunt. The tribute that perished in the 160th Hunger Games was Diamond's late mother.
Diamond turned away from Ian. As they were heading to the biggest time of their lives, he chooses now to bring up a dead family member? Diamond knows that he couldn't help it; it was one hell of a showdown. Her mother and the District 2 boy gave the best fight in history. She also knew that Dusk Shine would bring up her mother in the interviews. She calms herself and looks to Diamond Tiara, who was bringing in their mentors.
The young male mentor was none other than Quaid Ethers. He had just won a previous Games and this was his first year mentoring. He looked like he did on T.V, wheat golden hair and emerald green eyes. The ring on his finger was brand new and the gold shined in the light. Diamond couldn't stop staring at her mentor. Jada was one lucky girl.
The other mentor was Emerald Octavo. She had the typical look of a District 1 girl, long blond hair, slim figure and somewhat strong from her training. Emerald won a few years back, the 172nd Hunger Games to be exact. Emerald took a break from mentoring for two years after the loss of four tributes. She was determined to bring back a victor this year. And she lucked out with these two.
"Now, I would like to start off with strengths." Emerald said, gesturing to Ian and Diamond. "My strength in the Games was throwing stars. Quaid, yours were spears. Ian? What are your strengths?"
Ian focused his attention to his mentor. "Spears. I also am very charismatic." Emerald and Quaid nodded in approval.
"That would be great for reeling in sponsors." Quaid noted. He turned to his tribute. "Diamond, how about you?"
The seventeen year old flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes. "I can handle anything you throw at me." Both mentors looked at each other with the same look. We have very good tributes this year.
"I hate to break apart your meeting," Diamond Tiara speaks up. "But I believe the Reaping recaps are airing. Let's go size up your competition!" Diamond Tiara leads the way down the hall and into an entertainment room. A large T.V adorns the wall and the seal of Panem spreads across it. Dusk Shine and Chal Sherwood are sitting at a desk, with the various districts seals behind them
They introduce themselves and explain the wonderful occasion that took place a few hours ago: the Reaping. Video begins to feed to Diamond and Ian as their eyes were intensely focused on the screen. District 1 starts off the Reaping, as normal. Diamond volunteers, Ian follows, and everything is normal here. District 2 comes up next. When their escort calls out their names, Diamond and Ian gasp in unison.
These strong looking tributes are siblings.
The rest of the districts fly by. Ian makes special note of the District 4 tributes, noting how strong they both look. When District 7's Reaping is played, his mouth gapes open at the male tribute. That guy is huge! Dusk's commentary on the Reaping says that the boy (Ian barely caught his name. Linden Ulmus?) is the largest tribute in history. He just beat out a boy from 11 from the 74th Hunger Games. Ian looks at Diamond with the same look in their eyes: make that boy an ally.
District 9's tributes make Diamond giggle. That boy who was called looked like an absolute mess. The District 10 male looked strong. He was tall, just like the 7 boy. Everyone, except Quaid, laughed with the District 12 girl began crying and screaming when her name was called. They all laughed at their escort. Just when they thought they saw everything, another pair of siblings was representing a district. It was the new district, District 14. The Panem seal flashes on screen and the anthem plays out.
"So, did you guys see any tributes you liked?" Quaid asked, moving onto the couch with his tributes.
Diamond pushed some hair behind her ear (is that the only thing she can do?) and looked at her manly mentor. "I liked the tributes from Four and I liked the male from Seven." Emerald looked at Diamond with a confused look in her eyes.
"Why not the tributes from Two?" She asked.
"I don't care if they are siblings. The boy knew what he was getting into and, besides, Two is so overrated." Diamond snaps and walks away. Ian and Quaid look at each other. Ian mouths to Quaid, I'll tell you later.
"Um…okay. So, what about you Ian? Which tributes did you like?" Emerald asked her tribute.
District 2:
Kleo and Caden are escorted onto their train, shock overwhelming them. Yes, they are one of the richer families of 2, but the train was more elaborate than one room in their house. And the train has multiple cars! Who knows what else could be on this speeding vessel? Scootaloo has them sit in front of two younger looking people. Neither of them looked older than thirty-five.
Caden remembers the man in front of him as Braxton Lester, victor of the 160th Hunger Games. He still looks as toned he did sixteen years ago when he defeated that District 1 girl. He defeated her by using his nails to claw out her throat. The Capitol decided to alter his fingernails, turning them into gold. If you ask any child in Panem who Braxton was, they would know right away. Luckily for Caden, Braxton is now his mentor.
The woman in front of Kleo will be her mentor. Luna Lester, a twenty four year old victor, was in front of Kleo. Luna wasn't as well-known as Braxton, but she won her Games by her strength. She was a tinier Career, being only fifteen when she volunteered, but that gave her an advantage: No one could catch her; therefore, no one could kill her.
"So, you two," Scootaloo says to her tributes. "These are your mentors. Ask them anything you like and they will answer. Right, Braxton?" Scootaloo raises an eyebrow to the past victor in front of her.
"Yes, ma'am." He says, his voice dripping in sarcasm.
"You two are siblings, am I correct?" Luna says. Caden and Kleo nod heads in unison and Luna begins to talk. "Blessing and a curse. Okay, you both know what you are good at and what you suck at. Just for the hell of it, can you tell me your strengths and weaknesses?"
Caden cleared his throat and talked for his sister. "I am good at wielding an axe. Kleo is…"
"I'd rather hear it from her." Luna says, interrupting Braxton's tribute.
Kleo's eyes land on Luna and a moment of silence slaps against the moving walls. Kleo hasn't spoken since the goodbyes and she doesn't know if she would sound good at all. Before she knows it, she is speaking her own words. "I am also good at axe throwing. I am also smart. No one can fool me." Her voice has cleared from the overwhelming amount of tears in her throat and she was able to speak understandably.
Luna and Braxton exchange nodding approvals. They knew that District 2 might be victorious just when Kleo was called. When Caden volunteered, they were sure that 2 would reel in a victor. Even if one of the siblings must die in the process.
Moments passed filled with strategy talk. The two most memorable victors are sharing their ideas with the siblings. Since Braxton won, everyone wanted him to be their mentor. He was Caden's role model for years and Caden was learning strategies from him. How exciting!
Scootaloo kept running her orange hands through her purple hair. Over the years of being an escort, she has always grown tired of the strategy talk year after year. In her six years of escorting, this has to be the most boring part. District 2 won the Games three years ago, and the year before that. These past Games have been so slow.
Her eyes glance to the clock. It reads 5:46pm. She's been on the train for almost three hours. Suddenly, she remembers the Reaping Recap. It should be on. "Excuse me! Let's go watch the Reapings." Scootaloo says to the chit chatting group. Braxton's brown eyes glare at her purple-ish colored irises.
"Calm down, Scoots. We'll be there in a moment." He stands up and grabs his small glass filled with alcohol. "Alright, before Scootaloo drives us all insane, we should watch the Reapings. Afterward, we will eat dinner. We should arrive at the Capitol in the morning."
"Will other districts arrive when we do?" Kleo asked, standing up with her brother. Braxton was already halfway to the entertainment compartment. Luna places a hand on her tribute's shoulder.
"Yes. One, Three, and Four should be there when we arrive in the morning." She says, moving the siblings to the compartment. "Five, Six, Seven, and Eight should arrive by the afternoon. The other districts should be there by evening, giving them enough time to arrive before the Tribute Parade."
Kleo nodded and walked with her brother to watch the Reapings. When they walked in, Kleo and Caden took the couch that can seat two while Braxton, Luna, and Scootaloo sat in the end chairs. The T.V took up the whole wall, expanding everything that was dancing on screen. Suddenly, the Capitol seal flashed on screen with the anthem playing behind it. Words floated onscreen that read '176th Annual Hunger Games: Day 1. The Reapings.'
When the words faded, Dusk Shine and Chal Sherwood showed up onscreen, ready to recap the Reapings. They started off with a few jokes and started with District 1. Typical Careers volunteered, nothing new there. Add them to the alliance. Then, District 2 appeared. Going through the Reaping was hard, but watching it happen is another story. Caden wrapped his arm around her for comfort.
District 3 was nothing special. But, a volunteer for 3. That hasn't been done in over forty years. 4's tributes were strong, which would add them to the pack. The Reapings didn't interest Caden, until District 7 showed up. The girl was pretty, but she was nothing more than a bloodbath causality. The boy, however, was a different story. He was strong, built, and tall. That's something that might help their alliance. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13...nothing truly memorable. Kleo clutched Caden when 14's Reaping showed up.
The girl was called and no one volunteered. She stayed strong and didn't show any emotion. When the boy was called, a volunteer stood up and went to the stage. It wasn't until their escort asked for his name when Kleo realized that they were related. She wasn't the only one giving up her brother. The Recap ends with Dusk saying the worn out line, "May the odds be ever in your favor!"
"So, you know who you want? I can already see which ones stood out to you." Luna says, glancing at Kleo.
"I liked the Seven male." She states. "He looks pretty touch. That's something we need to survive."
"What about you?" Braxton asks her brother.
"I liked the tributes from One and Four." He replies, then turns to Kleo. "I don't think we should add that Linden boy. He might be trouble. Did you see how built he was? He might use that against us." Kleo rolls her eyes.
"We'll have to see what the tributes from One and Four want. If they want Seven, we get Seven, got it?" Her voice rose unwillingly. She felt like she was at home, arguing with Caden to see who would win the Games.
"Alright, Princess DemandyPants." He taps her nose and walks to his bedroom compartment. Kleo follows, leaving the mentors and escort alone.
District 3:
Violet sat beside Daniel, not talking to him. He was three years older than her, making her feel younger than what she was. Her palms began to sweat and she wiped them on her dress. Something about this boy made her severely uncomfortable in every way possible. It wasn't just the age difference; it was the stories she heard about him that made her uncomfortable around him.
They waited patiently for Braeburn to bring out their mentors. District 3 is known for having as many victors as District 11, meaning they don't have a lot. Four are living, and the others are dead. They knew Pace Caywood would be mentoring this year, but they were unsure of the female mentor. They have had two female victors in the past forty years and neither Daniel nor Violet knew who they were going to get stuck with.
A yellow man with his Granny Smith colored suit brought in past victors. Pace Caywood sat in front of Violet, claiming her as his tribute. The woman sat in front of Daniel, her brown hair sprinkled with gray. She, for being as old as she is, looks wise about the Games. How many tributes did she mentor, only to see them die within a few days?
Pace introduced himself to Violet, shaking her hand. "For being Reaped, that was the greatest cover-ups I have seen. You are very brave, my dear." Violet felt the heat rise up in her cheeks.
"Thank you, Mr. Caywood." She says, pushing some hair behind her ears.
"Call me Pace." He says. Violet smiles at her mentor.
"Who are you?" Daniel asks his mentor abruptly. The woman doesn't change her expression one bit. She simply smiles at the sullen boy in front of her.
"My name is Folami Beck." She says, extending her hand to Daniel. He refuses her hand. "I won the Hunger Games many years back, and have been mentoring for almost thirty years. I even mentored Pace." No one responds to Folami when she finishes speaking. The train continues to whizz past the wilderness and on its way to their death.
Braeburn starts the conversation again, by talking about strategy. Unlike most escorts, Braeburn enjoys this part of the Hunger Games journey. Although most of the tributes of 3 die, he finds that strategy talk is something that is needed in order to survive. You need to know when to leave the bloodbath, how to find water, and how to win over sponsors. Nothing is more important than this talk right now.
Pace talks to Violet and Folami talks to Daniel. Each past victor won their Games in completely different ways. Pace won by stabbing people in the back once they trusted him. Folami, being only thirteen when she won, hid out and snuck food from everyone. Daniel and Violet listen intensely to their words. Daniel asks questions and Folami answers to the best of her ability. Their talking continues for a few hours before Braeburn suggests the Reaping Recaps.
Pace escorts Violet to the entertainment compartment while Daniel gets away from his mentor. Something about that woman irks him. It could be her age, or how she won her Games. Who wins by hiding out? You have to face that one last person sooner or later. Daniel sat on a secluded chair to watch the Reapings. Violet sat next to Pace while Braeburn and Folami sit in separate chairs.
"Now, watch out for One, Two, and Four. Those districts are tough competition and will target you first." Pace says to Violet, not so much to Daniel. "Also, look out for any tribute you like. You can use a lot of help in the arena."
Violet nods to Pace's orders and watches the Recaps. The girl from 1 looks tough, and so does her district partner. The siblings from 2 are gladiators, like the pair from last year. The pair from 4 are equally as tough as 1 and 2, because they have swimmer's bodies. The girl from 5 looks about Violet's age, so she considered her as an ally. The girl from 10 looked like a good ally. She intently watched the Reaping, remembering what every tribute looked like and who would try to kill her.
Daniel barely looked at the screen. 1, 2 and 4 didn't scare him. They all get training at the Capitol anyway, so why should he be scared? The boy from 7 seemed like he might be a good ally. They are the same age and he looks strong. Everyone else seemed weak. Everyone is weak when it comes to the Hunger Games. He got a good look at the sibling pairs from 2 and 14. They are especially weak. When it comes to siblings, who would go home? Only one can win the Games.
The Recaps ended with the famous line and Pace looked to Violet. "Who did you choose?"
"I liked the girls from Five and Ten. Maybe the girl from Nine, but I don't know." She tells him, looking at Daniel, who hasn't said a word since he met Folami.
"Daniel, who did you like?" Folami asked. Daniel shrugged as he turned to the window.
"I guess I liked the boy from Seven." He says bluntly.
"Good choice. Dusk said that he is the largest competitor in Hunger Games history." Braeburn puts his thoughts in.
Everyone stood up to go eat dinner. The table was stocked with food from the Capitol and places that no one has heard of. The desserts and entrees are so tempting that Violet has to tell herself to wait until she sits down. Everyone takes their place at the table and begins to choose their foods. Daniel's plate is stacked high with the Capitol delicacies while Violet has only picked a few foods to try. Daniel probably has the better idea. If you are going to die, why not enjoy it?
The conversation is light and steers clear from anything Hunger Games related. Braeburn knows that the Games are touchy for the tributes, and he tries to make them feel welcome to the Capitol. Not every tribute liked his approach. One tribute from the 170th Hunger Games told him to shut up because of how annoying he was. He retorted with, 'What do you want me to talk about? Your death? That would make the conversation much better now, would it?!'
That tribute only lasted until the end of the bloodbath.
The food filled Violet's mouth as some soft music played above. She enjoyed every bite and every flavor of every food she tried. The music made the meal seem...right. It's as if she was living in the Capitol already and she didn't want to leave. However, every good thing must come to an end. In Violet and Daniel's case, it would be the Hunger Games to tear them away from this wonderful food and train. They didn't think of the inevitable. They ate their dinner like every other Capitolite.
A/N: How did you like it? I was writing all week to make the chapter seem wonderful and light. The next chapter will be districts 4 to 6, like no one saw that coming. I have all the tribute forms printed out so I can look at the personalities of each. If they seem too out of character, PLEASE tell me. I would love to correct it and make this story to your liking. (No, not every tribute will win. Don't ask.)
Panem's Victors will be posted either tonight or tomorrow, but no later than that. I will posting a poll after this chapter is posted, so take that poll. Also, if you want to know when I will post a chapter (or what my next project will be), look on my profile. The release dates are ESTIMATED! This chapter was post on the date, but Panem's Victors is late. Not everything is on time, unlike my homework. ;)