Terezi is still cackling as you help her out of the elevator, her painted fingernails digging into the thick material of your costume. Your head feels heavy and the adrenaline rush that just passed has left you feeling exhausted.
"Cut the act, Terezi." You groan as you make it down the hallway. "No one's around."
"That's what you think." She has just enough time to say before you come face to face with the district Eleven tributes.
"Oh." You stop, sucking in a deep breath. They are equally surprised, and Aradia gives you a wide smile before shaking your hand.
"Sollux!"
You smile back. The intimidating girl from the chariot is gone- her make up looks fake from up-close, red-rimmed eyes look tired, and she has a plain basic robe thrown over her costume (or the lack of thereof). Karkat looks like he could use a robe himself, arms wrapped around his bared arms protectively, snarl set in place.
"You did well." You say, just to break the tension. Aradia's grin widens.
"You too." She shakes Terezi's hand next, and the latter sniffs the air with a grin.
"You smell like KK."
"Anyways." You subtly pull your blind co-tribute away. "We all look like we could use some sleep, see you tomorrow?"
"The training." Karkat's eyes widen for a moment. You chuckle. "Shit."
"Don't think about it." You tell him before you squeeze through, Terezi still clinging to you. You hear their muttered whispers as they walk away.
"Sollux, do you want to tell me something?" She asks as you near your chambers. You look down, surprised by the wide grin thrust in your face.
"What now?"
"You smell like flushed feelings." She whispers with a suggestive eyebrow-wiggle. "And something tells me that might have to do with a certain blood-red candy lower down the hall."
"Shut it." You say, shoving her through the open doors. She doesn't even stumble, instead blowing you a kiss over her shoulder and walking over to the table.
The dinner is served, and you are suddenly very hungry- Tavros lets you eat you fill before clearing his throat awkwardly.
"So, the training starts tomorrow." He mumbles. You roll your eyes behind your shades, and Terezi grins at him.
"Speak louder." She commands. "I can't lip read any more."
He blushes, and clears his throat again. "The training starts tomorrow, and we need to, uh, discuss your strengths and-"
"Poor blind girl's strength?" She mocks a sigh, head hung low. "Well, I suppose I have Sollux…"
"Jesus Fuck shut up." You snap. "She uses the cane as a weapon."
Tavros looks up at that. "Really?"
Terezi fakes an annoyed huff, but nods.
"You need to show it to the Game Makers." He talks in the sped up, excited manner. "Don't do it in front of the other tributes-"
"I won't." She assures him. "I know how to keep my act up."
"Game Makers will love you." He grins widely, before turning his eyes to you. "And-"
"I'm useless." You shrug.
Terezi huffs again. "Liar, liar, brother on fire." She then grins again. "On fire in a figurative sense, because he is making some good money."
"Please don't." You slouch back.
"He's good with the little stars." She goes on. Tavros gives you both a confused blink.
"Shurikens." You state calmly. "They are called shurikens."
"Oh." Tavros gives you a little smile. "That is good."
"Do I keep my ability a secret too or-"
"No, no, no." Tavros looks so excited, it is almost sad to watch. He is known for getting attached to his tributes. You'd think he'd learn by now. "You should show the other tributes you are capable of putting up a fight- that way you can form alliances-" He notices your scowl. "I mean, if you want to…"
"We're thinking of forming an alliance with district Eleven." Terezi jumps in. Tavros gives her a shaky nod.
"Karkat Vantas and Aradia Megido?" Terezi nods. "Yes, they seem like a good choice."
"Funny, I don't remember us ever having a conversation like this." You speak up. Terezi frowns.
"Female intuition." She offers. "I read you like Braille."
"Can you not."
"O-kay." Tavros' chuckle is shaky and forced. "Sollux, would you rather go on your own or…?"
You have a stare down with Terezi- well, she stares in your general direction, and you make sure she can smell your disdain- before turning back to your mentor. "No, no, district Eleven is okay."
Terezi chuckles. You ignore her.
"So, uh, do you want me to talk to their mentors or…"
"No, we'll talk to them." Terezi gets up. "I'll go get some shut-eye now."
You roll your eyes, but feel yourself grinning. "Good night."
Tavros stares at you awkwardly for a moment before excusing himself too. Another sigh, and you are the last to leave.
***huh***
Breakfast is, surprise, awkward. Dave is sitting across the table, making a point of ignoring your gaze, still brooding about the last night.
Kanaya would have allowed him to keep his shades, after his initial protests haven't subsided, but you intervened and, long story short, now the entire Capitol saw his eyes.
You know his eyes are a sore spot. You know he doesn't let people see them. You feel like an ass about the whole ordeal, honestly, but the crowd loved them- "Of course they love them did you see what they do to their orbs?!"- and you know you've only helped your little brother gain some sponsors and that he'll get over it eventually.
You still feel like an ass, though.
Roxy is quiet and brooding- she's been going cold turkey for two days now, and it has taken a great toll on her usual bubbly personality. Rose is barely eating, and you notice a hint of bags under her eyes.
"Hey, kid." You nudge her under the table. She looks up, surprised. "You've been getting sleep?"
"Some." She shrugs. You scowl.
"Dave, you?"
He gives you a glare through the shades, but doesn't reply. You sigh.
"Okay, I know it's not easy for you, but you need sleep." You say, giving them both a stern look. "You'll have plenty of time to stay up in the arena."
"Don't you think-" Dave's voice sounds like acid, and you almost flinch. "That we've thought about that already, jackass?"
You are taken aback for a second. "Jackass? That's sad."
He pushes his chair back, probably destroying the floor tiles, and storms out of the room. With an apologetic shrug, Rose rushes after him.
***well***
Karkat and you stick to the corner, eyeing the competition.
Everyone is dressed much less elaborately today, and you study their faces, hoping that, in the natural lighting, void of all the make up, they might tell you some useful information about their owner.
Nothing of the sort happens, naturally. You still keep trying.
The two Trainers tell you about the platforms, and then allow you to do your own thing. Karkat goes for the cold weaponry the moment he is allowed to, and you trail behind somewhat awkwardly, watching as he studies the sickles selection.
"Hey." There is a sudden heaviness on your shoulder, and you spin around to come face to face with Terezi.
"You still smell like candy." She cackles. Sollux, who is standing next to her, gives you an apologetic shrug.
"You use the sickles?" He asks Karkat. The latter frowns.
"No, I think they're pretty." He snaps back. "I will kill people with the power of my bubbly personality."
Sollux gives him a lopsided grin before walking over to his side, fingers trailing over the wide assortment of shurikens. Terezi sniffs up, smile on her lips.
"You use those?" You butt in as he picks one up to test it's weight. He nods.
"Tavros says I have to impress and intimidate all the other tributes so they agree to form alliances with us." He says, and without any warning, there is a piece of metal jammed into the target the district Two tribute was practicing with. He spins around, jaw agape, and it takes you a second to realise the entire room is staring at Sollux. He shrugs.
"Do you want to form an alliance?" He asks, and you and Karkat share a grin before nodding.
***heh***
You've always imagined the meals during the training to be awkward, but with your newly acquired teammates by your side, it is not at all that intolerable. If it wasn't for the small pangs of nausea twisting your insides every time you remember that most of you will die soon, it would actually be pretty pleasant.
Karkat and Sollux bicker over everything and nothing, Terezi makes a show of sniffing, licking and tasting every bite she takes, and you just sit back, studying the rest of the tributes.
District Thirteen is sticking together, and are talking in hushed voices- Strider has his shades on again, and you wonder whether he'll take them to the Arena, and whether it will be a weakness or an asset. That train of thought gives your migraine a boost, so you quickly switch over to the other table. District Four is sitting with district Eight, princess chatting away while district Eight girl and district Four boy exchange awkward glances. The face paint guy just giggles, and doesn't seem intimidated by Feferi Peixes royal status at all.
You then glance over to the district Two, and are surprised to see they've already been watching you. The male- Equius- quickly looks away, while Vriska gives you a grin and a wink. With a groan, you return your focus to your team members.
"We all know you're not as helpless as you pretend to be." You murmur to Terezi. "But how…helpful are you, exactly?"
She grins around her fork, and swallows another bite. "You'll find me very helpful."
You glance over to Sollux, who nods.
"How about you?"
"Aradia can hold her own." Karkat jumps in, and you roll your eyes.
"I'm good."
"I know you are." Sollux smiles back. "It was just customary to ask."
"This will sound weird," You say, pushing your plate away. "But your lips is stronger when you type than when you talk."
Karkat sniggers. Sollux rolls his eyes.
"Are we going to ask the other Candy boy to join us?" Terezi interrupts, and it takes you a moment to catch on.
"Dave Strider?" Karkat scowls. "Why should we?" He places a finger to Terezi's mouth before she can reply. "No, no, I know, he smells nice."
"He looks like he'll stick to LaLonde." Sollux notes, studying the pair. "Are they related, or?"
"I think they're just good friends." You shrug. "He's probably a good fighter, too."
"He also volunteered." Karkat notes. "And I'm really not into the whole, lets fuck with the Capitol thing, okay?"
"Okay." You sigh. You know Karkat has every right to speak this way- back when Kankri had just won, he wasn't as co-operative as Capitol had wanted him, and Karkat had spent quite some time in the Capitol custody, and he never talked about that but you can guess it wasn't pleasant. He knows what Capitol can do.
"We'll talk about this later." Sollux coughs, somewhat awkwardly. "Lets intimidate some more people first."
***heh***
The day is long, and the swords are inviting, but you know you're as good as dead if you show the Capitol that you can use them. Instead, you do as your brother has advised you, and focus on flaunting your stamina, upper body strength, and fast reflexes, and spend most of the day learning about poisonous and edible plant because you wouldn't put it past the Game Makers to withhold any food your Sponsors might send you.
If you get any. Rose keeps telling you will, but that's something she's almost bound to say, so you don't put much faith in her soothing statements.
Rose is almost glued to your side, and then goes off to work on nooses, and you are left on your own. That is when you hear someone plop down onto the chair across the table, and you stare up to meet the grinning face of the district Ten tribute.
"Terezi." She holds out her hand. You stare it down, before remembering she is blind, and you don't really want to be rude to a blind girl. So you shake it, and she grins wider.
"Dave."
"I know." She leans forward and sniffs the air. "Smells like brooding and candy eyes."
You blink. "Uh."
"I can smell colours."
"That's good."
"Maybe if I learn what smells I can eat, I don't die as fast as I'm bound too." There is a hint of a smile in her voice, and you frown.
"You don't seem to worried."
"You are worried for the both of us."
You stare at her some more, and wonder if she can feel it, and whether she minds.
"I'm sorry you got reaped."
She laughs. "I'm sorry the Capitol hates you."
"You're not."
"No, no, I am." She plays with the photos on the table. "We would have made awesome team mates."
You are taken aback for a moment, and that is when the angry looking guy from district Eleven shows up, and lowers himself to her ear.
"Terezi, what are you doing." He mutters, and you are not sure whether he wants you to hear or he just can't keep his voice down. "We have agreed to-"
"I agreed to nothing." She reminds him. "Karkat, this is Dave Strider. Dave, meet Karkat Vantas-"
"Fuck no." You have almost offered your hand, and you quickly pulled it back. "What the fuck are you doing, Terezi?"
"Making friends." She grins up at him. "It's very hard for me, don't be like this, KK."
"Stop-" He taken in a deep breath. "Do you want us all to die?"
"As if you need my help with that." She gets up from her chair. "See you around, Dave."
"See ya." You look after her, and then back to the angry tribute. He is scowling, fists clenched.
"Sorry, but you fucked up big time, and we're not going with you." He says, before backing away.
"It's cool." You slouch back in your chair.
This is shit.
*A/N* MARTA YOU HAVE THREE OTHER FICS THAT NEED UPDATING MARTA MARTA GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER
Thank you to my ONE reviewer
And to my wonderful (sburb)beta
And to Hussie for the hidden panels bc that shit THAT SHIT I needed that thank you Hussie
He also owns this did I mention that? He owns Homestuck. He owns me. He owns all of us.
And Suzane Collins owns the Games. Yeah.
Please if you're reading this and you want me to go on drop by and say so. Yeah. K thank bye