POV District 9 Adshywor Tash
I bit down on my lip, shifting my fingers as my palms started sweating. When I glanced over my shoulder, to check that Romara had gone back in the elevator, I caught Neassale glancing at me with the corner of her eye, hiding behind her curtain of curly gold hair. As my head drifted back, it stopped on her. She turned away from me, though I could tell she was uncomfortable from my gaze. I looked ahead at the opening into the training area. "You know Saest," I spoke up, my voice sounding like I hadn't used it in years. "The girl you volunteered for?"
"Yea," Neassale responded quickly, sounding tense yet uninterested.
"She's a good friend of mine," I continued, keeping my eyes ahead. We both began to slow down, side by side. "I guess more than friends, though its not like we even realized it until I was sitting in tears on the floor of the waiting room." Her gaze slowly turned to me as I talked, but I didn't meet her until I had finished. "That's why I wanted to know 'how' you volunteered." We came to a complete halt. She was shorter than I was, but with a stern, intense look and a threatening stance as she crossed her arms across her chest and leaned onto her right foot, I felt like I was being interrogated.
"I volunteered to escape my uncle," She responded eventually with a long sigh. "That's how." I stared back at her, blankly, and she rolled her eyes. "My older brother, Fagav, and I's parents died. We moved in with my uncle. He had always been harsh on me, but once I lived under the same house as him, it escalated to physical punishment. Fagav never knew, and I didn't accept him trying to include me in with his friends."
My eyes widened and my throat tightened, but she went on. "He always said that one of us should volunteer, so we could win the Games for him and 'make ourselves useful'. So that's my plan. I volunteered, I'll make it seem like it's all for them. Try and get as far as I can." She broke my gaze to look down at her sleeve, pulling it back to reveal and big, gold watch on her wrist. "This is my District token."
Neassale looked back up to me, holding out her wrist for me to look at it. "This clock doesn't count up, it counts down." I looked from the watch back up to her. "When it runs out, I'll kill myself." She hissed out the last word. Her voice was so steady, so sure of herself, so determined. "That's what I'm doing for them."
"What if you win the Games before the clock runs out?" I pointed out, since it was the only thing that came to mind.
"Same fate."
POV District 10 Foemshay Odane
"Where do you guys want to go first today?" Sulsay asked, glancing around at us. We all stood in a ring, though we looked a lot more disheveled than we did the day before. Adshywor wasn't paying any attention, glancing over his shoulder towards Neassale, Eagee, and some of the careers were practicing climbing. Miryp wasn't paying attention either, watching another pair of careers. Aramdash and Sulsay seemed to be the only ones who were acting normally, seeing as I was jittery and shooting glances at every single person in the room.
"So Jemafy, how did training go?" Aramdash gently tapped between my shoulder and neck, and I turned around so fast I almost fell down. "Hmm?" I asked. I noticed Miryp walking off towards the camouflage station, and the three boys were left staring at me.
"I asked," Aramdash repeated slowly, eyeing Sulsay and Adshywor. "What do you want to do?"
"I-I don't care," I stammered, looking at them with a terrified look. "It's a lot harder than raising cows." I glanced around, looking at everything until my eyes settled on the knife throwing station. "But I got pretty handy with the knives - which will probably come in handy."
"Ok," Adshywor responded, his voice sounding monotone. "We could-"
"Try the knives," I butt in, and everyone looked at me again.
"Good idea," Aramdash responded quickly. He put his hand on my back, gently turning me around and moving towards it. I kept my arms over my chest, stumbling beside him awkwardly. I didn't move my head, but in the corner of my eye, I saw him give a look back at them.
I pressed my lips together, hearing the words in my head before I said them. "Stop it, Aramdash." What exactly I would be telling him to stop at, I didn't even know. "I thought you would protect me, from myself, I thought that's how this worked." Maybe from protecting me. "That's what I am trying to do!" Thunder rang in my ears, and I blinked the sounds away. I needed someone to protect me.
POV District 11 Delmosskelmer Nonyt
"We could try the axes," Samundirban suggested. I glanced over my shoulder, following her gaze. But the first thing I saw was Luipos and Arale, the District 2 tributes, had already gotten into a rhythm of swinging.
"Oh really?" I asked, a bit too harshly. She turns her big blue eyes on me, and I try to hold a glare against her. I could tell without meeting her that Arale wouldn't be dangerous. But Luipos was bad news - he was full career. He wasn't different than the others. I let out a strangled sigh, taking another glance at them. They weren't training with the other careers. It was always just the pair of them. Maybe I could get to him through our sisters. "Fine."
"Great!" Samundirban took off across the room, and I trotted after her. "Hey Arale!" She greeted. When the defected career-girl turned around, she quickly abandoned what she was doing and ran over to her. I lurched forward, the axe still dangling in Arale's hand. Luipos stooped down, grabbing the head of it and pulling the handle out of her hand. I slowed my pace, my muscles tensing as I gritted my teeth. I didn't want to try and appeal to any career.
"Hi Samundirban," Arale replied, a broad smile on her face.
Luipos gave a bit of a look at the pair, but neither of them noticed. He only turned to me when I stepped right in front of him. "Hey De-" He started out stiffly, but he cut himself off when I held out my hand to him.
"I'll protect your sister and I'll have your back," I whispered just loud enough for the both of us to hear, looking him firmly in the eye. "If you are willing to do the same."
"Why would I-"
"Hey Luipos," Arale cut her brother off. He didn't move his head, but his eyes darted down to her. "What if we ally with Samundirban and her brother? You're always saying that the rest of the careers are untrustworthy." He turned back to me, with a bit of a terrified look. I didn't break my gaze, and I had my hand stretched out to him.
This was the beginning of many risks to come. And every single one, I had to make sure, were in Samundirban's best interests. That's what Luipos wanted, anyone could see it. His sister was in his mind, at all times. It was probably worse for both of us that we form this alliance, seeing as we both were ferociously protective of our sisters. But I had to weigh the pros and cons of just me and Samundirban, or the four of us. And he had to weigh the pros and cons of just him and Arale, the four of us, or him and the merciless careers.
"Sure," Luipos replied stiffly, taking my hand and tugging on it in a sort of handshake. He then hissed through closed teeth, quiet enough so only I could hear, "You better keep your promise."
POV District 7 Cidet Shyn
I plop down beside Aleas, who had already found her seat for lunch. We hadn't trained together at all. She was sitting as tall as she could, leaning forward just enough to balance on her elbow while she ate her food, looking elsewhere. I was hunched over, giving her a death stare though the corner of my eyes. "We have some new developments at Table de Career," She said softly, rather suddenly. I looked up, following her gaze over.
The District 1 and 4 tributes were the first ones I saw, and I wasn't very surprised. The typical careers. But the District 2 tributes were absent. I scoped the room, to find them sitting at a table with the District 11 tributes. "Wait," Aleas continued, pointing me back towards the original career table. "Look again." There were still six people at the table.
"Who is it?" I asked, sitting up straighter. There was a young, tall girl sitting there. She had curled, raspberry-blonde hair and even when she frowned at the careers, the corners of her mouth were tilted upward. Then there tall, strawberry blond hair that was cut short and curled upward at the front. He had a pair of glasses sitting on the brink of his nose. He glanced over his shoulder, and intense blue stare setting on me. I stared right back, undaunted. He quickly turned away from me.
"The girl from District 9 and the boy from District 3." I glanced back over at the table of District 11 and 2. Both boys from the Districts were shooting glares at the careers, though the girls didn't seem to mind.
"It's a shame both of those little girls got reaped," I mumbled, turning back to my food.
"It's a shame anyone got reaped," Aleas replied curtly. "And anyways, I'm pretty sure Samundirban volunteered to save her brother's girlfirend."
"Who?"
She turned to me, looking straight down her nose at me. I hadn't realized how much she had changed, within about four days. She had always wore her hair down, hiding behind her hair. She always looked young and innocent. Aleas looked older, with her hair pulled back and the makeup she let Fexolal put on her every morning. She had a deep, intense stare across her green eyes. I wondered if she would've volunteered for me.
"The girl from District 11, Samundirban Nonyt," Aleas continued when I stayed silent. "I would've figured you, of all people, would learn your tributes."
POV District 8 Sulsay Honshye
We had taken over the bows and arrows room, pushing out the District 6 tributes and the District 5 girl. Aramdash, Foemshay, and Adshywor were all practicing together. I was leaning against the glass by the door, my back to them. I was too busy focusing on Miryp. She was over at the knife station - where we had started that morning - with Ludacris, the District 1 boy. She had broke into the careers - or at least into one. There was nothing keeping her here, with us.
She may be just trying to get him on our side. But I doubted it. Ludacris would be smarter than that. He had an alliance of trained, professional killers. Or, he could swap to us. I couldn't even find anything to say about my own alliance. We were just us. I grinded my teeth, sliding my jaw back and forth across my upper teeth. I could easily understand why anyone would find something in her, but I didn't see why Ludacris had to see anything.
From a strategical stand point, it wasn't really smart, what he was doing. Miryp wasn't exceptionally strong, she wasn't District 3 smart, she wasn't deceiving or a liar, and she was completely convinced that some sort of thing was out to get her and her entire family. She's convinced she's as good as dead, because that's what her sisters were. She was constantly afraid of some sort of thing. I had never seen a career that had the mentality to even understand it.
The announcement that training was over sounded, and the rest of my allies trickled out of the bow and arrow room. Foemshay was the one to get me to move, putting her hand on my shoulder and nudging me off the wall. Miryp was waiting for us at the door, and she let the rest of them pass in front of her to find me trailing at the back. She didn't say anything to me, and I didn't say anything either.
Miryp was looking at her feet, quietly trotting along beside me. I slowed down even more, and she kept my pace, letting all the other tributes arrive at their escorts that were waiting for them. "Where does he stand?" I murmured, looking down myself. I watched her feet instead of mine, walking unsteadily and barely moving at all.
She glanced at me, and I looked up at her. It seemed like we were in our own room, all to ourselves. I suddenly pictured her in my mind, standing behind Ludacris while he demonstrated with the knives. But she was turned towards me, and her gaze locked with mine across the room. She knew what I was talking about. "No where." I stopped complete, straightening. She turned towards me, and I was giving her a confused look. "He offered to leave his alliance, if I leave mine."
My look was frozen on my face for a few moments, and slowly I started to narrow my eyes at her. "And why would you do that?" Miryp shriveled a bit, looking at me with a pained face. "It could be a tactic, ya know." Her eyes widened, almost out of terror. "See, if he could get one of us to bail, it could undermine everyone. Then he can ditch you, return to the careers. Then we're down in numbers, because the others wouldn't want you back if you abandoned us, though I would stand up for you. As a bonus none of us trust each other and we'd be divided."
Miryp was glaring at me now. "So you're saying you are the only one who actually likes me as a person?" My jaw fell open. I hadn't meant that - or at least it hadn't been intentional - but it's what I said. Ludacris was using her and no body would stand up for her. I tried to find something to say, but nothing came to mind. I just stood a gape, while she slowly hated me more and more. "Right. Maybe this is why I would."
"Miryp, Sulsay!" We both looked up when Mortanny called us. Everyone else had left. I was glad, so no one would hear him call to us like little children, but Miryp probably wasn't. She'd have to wait until tomorrow to tell Ludacris she was done with us. Miryp didn't hesitate to head over, but I trailed behind her, breathing quietly. She probably didn't want to hear a sigh, as a reminder I was still there.
POV District 7 Aleas Chemore
"So, what's the entertainment today?" Belm asked nonchalantly as we started heading up the elevator.
"A whole lot," I replied, rocking back and forth on the heels of my feet. My body was turned towards him, with Cidet blocked off by my shoulder. I could feel his glares in the back of my head, but I ignored him. As I began my rundown, I noticed Belm wasn't looking at me, but my cousin that was seething beside me. "Somehow, Luipos and Arale ended up trading their career alliance for one with Samundirban and Delmosskelmer."
Belm turned his look to me, but I just narrowed my eyes. "It wasn't me." He looked unconvinced, but if I was the one who had got them together, I would've been dragged in by the two girls. "And Neassale and Eagee seem to have taken their place."
"The District 3 boy and the District 9 girl, right?" Cidet jumped in. I just gave him a glare over my shoulder. He only learned that from me. He narrowed his eyes down at me, but I turned back to Belm. He had a concerned look, and I got confused. He gently turned me so I was facing the door instead of him. I didn't understand, but I didn't turn to look at him or say anything to find out. None of us said anything. We just stood stiffly in silence until the door opened on the seventh floor.
Cidet brushed past me immediately, knocking me off balance. I shot a look at Belm, but he looked like he had already anticipated it. He led me out, putting his hands on my shoulders. Kykuta and Ony were sitting on the couch in the living room, and were looking at us startled. I looked around, but Cidet was already gone. "Where'd he go?" I asked, turning back to our mentors. Kykuta pointed towards his room.
I pursed my lips, and I took a step towards it. But Belm didn't let go of my shoulders. I looked at him, and he mouthed the words, "I'll take care of her," to Kykuta and Ony. I glared at him, but he just gave me and awkward smile as he pushed me across the open floor and into my room. I whipped around to face him, and he was standing outside the doors.
"You stay here," He told me, looking down his nose at me with a firm look. "I'll come get you for dinner. Until then, just stay here, and don't screw anything up." My mouth fell open indignantly, and he gave me a sympathetic smile as he let the doors close. I saw him turn around just before they closed all the way. And I had the sudden wish that he would just stay with me.
-X-X-X-
"Aleas?" I was stretched out across the bed, my head dangling upside down on the side opposite the door. I was looking out the window, out at the Capitol, upside down. It was interesting to see buildings stretch down like stalactites in a cave or branches on a tree. "Aleas?" I ignored him, again. I heard Belm's footsteps creep into my room, and his reflection appeared in the mirror.
"What are you doing?" He exclaimed, lurching towards the bed. I lifted my head just in time to see him crash knees-first into the edge of the bed.
I raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you really still think I'm trying to kill myself? By hanging my head upside down?" I asked, unimpressed. He looked at me, his breath coming fast. "You're just a bit paranoid." He gave me a glare, sitting down on the edge of the bed. I swung myself around, letting my head drop onto the sheets at the foot of the bed while balancing my bare feet on Belm's shoulder.
"Very nice," He sneered, moving my feet so they rested in his lap while he brushed off his shoulder. His jacket had blue-green squares turning silver as the design progessed down.
"You really are from the Capitol, aren't you?" I commented, folding my hands beneath my head.
"How could I be from anywhere else?" Belm replied, a bit mockingly, and stretching his arms out to motion towards the Capitol displayed on the windows. His arms then fell to his sides, and we stayed silent for a few moments. "Come on, let's go to dinner, I'm hungry," He suggested after a few seconds, messing around with my toes.
"I don't want to," I moaned, pulling my feet back from him and getting to my feet.
"Too bad," He responded quickly, getting to his feet. He offered me his hand, and I just stared at him for a moment. He gave me a stern look down his nose at me again, and I took it reluctantly. "Just try to pay attention to Cidet, not me," Belm advised, pulling me to my feet. "You're starting to loose sympathy with him from all the attention you give me."
I felt my face get red hot, but he had turned away and was leading me out towards the door. I bit down on my lip, closing my eyes and tried to find my way through memory and sound. I didn't want Belm or Cidet to see how embarrassed I was - even if neither of them could figure out why. I hadn't even caught myself.
-X-X-X-
"We didn't do a good job, did we?" I asked, falling back onto my bed. Belm nodded, making a sympathetic face. "It's not fair that I had to appeal to my cousin and our mentors. Shouldn't I just be able to appeal to other tributes, and not the ones who are supposed to train me and my own family?" I complained.
He plopped down next to me on the edge of the bed. "It's a bit of my fault. The mentors hate us because I've seemed to take over your mentoring."
"Explain what I did to Cidet," I instructed, crossing my arms over my chest.
Belm pressed his lips together at this. "I don't know how this started, but again, he despises you now because of me." My face started getting red again, I could feel it, and I opened my mouth to say something, but he cut in. "I'm not going in the Games with you, and part of your family is. He should be more important than I am."
I made a pained face, biting my lip as I tried to think of something to say. He looked at me expectantly for a few moments, before his gaze fell to his lap. "It's his own fault," I mumbled. "He set out to make sure that I had no one else to talk to, that I would rely completely on him to survive this." Belm looked up at me, with a doubtful expression on his face. "He didn't anticipate an escort who would care if I died."
"That's going to make the Games a lot harder, won't it?" He commented. I gave him a look. "That's the whole point of it though. Make every single person fall in love with every single tribute, and then kill off everyone except the one that will work for the Capitol the most." My heart leaped into my throat, but I couldn't say anything. I let him keep going. "That's what Mylute and I wanted to do, maybe finally get a victor that was real."
"Mylute...Mylute Picker?" I clarified. A small smile crept across his face.
"Did you never notice?" He asked, and I shook my head. "Mylute Picker...Belm Picker," He said slowly, and the connection clicked in my head. "He's my younger brother." I nodded slowly, pressing my lips together. Cidet was like a brother to me. I was doing everything possible to not die by him, while Belm and his brother were trying to cure the Capitol's sickness...even if the whole thing was awful.
"I don't know if that would make much of a difference on the whole thing," I sighed. "But it's an honorable cause."
Belm shrugged, but I could tell by his face that he already knew that. "It's not the best plan to change our world," He sighed. "But we were a bit naïve when we started this scheme of ours. Once we got there, we realized we didn't really have a plan. But it's so dangerous, we wanted to have some sort of accomplishment if we were to get caught." I gave him a confused look.
He moved over closer to me, and leaned down to whisper in my ear. "Our uncle was the old gamemaker. We were way too young to get into the business, but we were able to convince him to lie to us and get us connections."
I narrowed my eyes at him, still a bit confused. "How young were you?"
"Well, if we lived in the Districts, this would be my last year in the Reaping," Belm muttered even quieter. My eyes widened in shock and my mouth dropped open. "You'd be surprised what this makeup can do." I frowned a bit and I reached up, running my thumb under his eye. It came back darkened, and I looked back to see that I had almost wiped age off his face. I remembered his face on the morning in the train, how different he had looked from when he came to my "rescue" and when we went to breakfast.
"Why are you telling me this?" I wondered aloud, quietly.
Belm shrugged, staying silent, without an answer. "It felt wrong not to."