Sorry for the pause in updates... I read homestuck...

heehee

This one's pretty dialogue heavy, I'm sorry. That's the way it tends to go when you introduce three new characters in one chapter -.-'

The next day brings much of the same before I go to the training center. We wake up, eat, and dress while Dredd and Kristen to talk alone for a few minutes. I notice that as District partners, we're drifting farther and farther apart. When I think about it, it's probably a good thing. If I make friends with her then end up having to kill her, there's probably quite a few people at home who'd take issue with me.

We'll work on getting Preston, Trawl, Jason, and Dai Lao to join us today. It's unfortunate that William's so certain Jarratt won't get with the group. I would go talk to the guy myself, but alliances fail when they stop trusting each other. Right now, it's probably just best to roll with something like this rather than to get William mad at me.

Down at the training center, William and Ayler walk over to me immediately.

"So," William says.

"We were thinking," Ayler continues.

"We think we should split up to get the rest of the guys to join us," William finishes.

I nod in agreement. "That's what I was thinking too."

William's eyes light up excitedly. "Really? Fantastic!"

I wasn't thinking that at all, actually. I was so busy thinking about Marie Lynn that I totally missed the ball on planning out how to get the rest of our crew together. It worries me a bit that Ayler and William "were thinking" without me, but I still have my deal with William to protect me from mutiny as reassurance. Besides, he's standing closer to me than he is to Ayler, that must be a sure sign that he's more comfortable with me.

"It just works out because that way, you know, we can talk to people without them feeling like they're being antagonized by a group; make it more personal," the tall boy finishes.

"Plus, I think some of us would be better at talking to some guys over the others," Ayler says. I'm not sure whether that's him being modest about his lackluster conversational abilities, or a tiny shot at William and I. I'm pretty sure I could talk to anyone, except maybe Preston, whereas Ayler might have a lot of trouble with quite a few people.

I admit that I may have burnt a bridge with Preston, so William decides that he'll take him on. Ayler's going to talk to Dai Lao, so that leaves me with Trawl, or Jason.

The choice is fairly simple. "I think we should leave Jason until we see who else is up for the plan. He could probably do some damage on his own, I bet we're going to have to present him with a deal he can't say no to."

Plans in place, we split up to start the campaign. As soon as my focus is away from the group, I notice that a lot of the tributes were watching us talk. We're pretty much the only group who's surfaced so far, save for a couple of District pairs who nervously stand around with each other. There's always a few of those though, that's nothing new.

Marie Lynn was one of those who were watching. I make eye contact with her from across the room. She's leaning against the wall, observing everyone mill about. I check to make sure William and Ayler aren't looking before I start walking towards her. She notices and instantly shoots me some daggers. Taken aback, I slow down. She keeps glaring at me until I stop, then smiles, tips her head, and walks away.

Women.

Either she's decided to go back on her deal, or she doesn't want me to initiate conversation. Last time she talked to me, it was pretty far below the radar, so I could understand if she wanted to be the one who pioneers exchange between the two of us.

I've never met a girl this smart before. If she weren't going to die, I'd definitely make a move.

Attention back to the task at hand, I find Trawl at the fire starting station. I came here yesterday and the instructor told me that she doubted I need to come back again, but there's no way I could pull off suggesting to him that we switch stations without looking too assertive.

William and Ayler were definitely onto something when they said we don't want to intimidate anybody too much, so I suppose I could go over and offer to help him? Would that be too forward, too nice? I mean, I could see myself doing that to one of the smaller tributes, or a girl, but this is an eighteen year old guy. If our positions were switched and he did that to me, I'm not sure how I'd react.

Aw heck, I'm just going to do it.

Walking confidently, I crouch down next to him and rip some of the dry grass out of the fake turf. He watches me as I straighten out the strands to stoke the flame. I focus on getting the fire going and don't notice that Trawl dropped his hands from the fire and stood up until I'm staring at his shoes.

"Is this some sort of icebreaker, because really bro, you're not my type," he says, looking down at me.

"Wh- what? Icebreaker? No, no. Well not really – not like that at least. I mean-"

He takes a step back. "I don't wanna insult you or anything, I don't know why you came over here, but I think you probably want to be allies and I don't. Sorry, I don't know how to say that nicely."

Introductory strike-out number two. What am I doing wrong? That makes two guys, Jarratt and Trawl, who have made it clear that they don't want anything to do with me.

Trawl is looking at me funny. Oh right, I have to say something. Two and a half days in the Capitol and I've completely lost all social skills.

I stand up to meet his face. "Yeah, I get it - it's okay. No hard feelings… uh, good luck."

He stares at me until I walk away, and then starts working on another fire. I find myself at a weapons station before I turn around to look again. A flush of pride washes over me when I see that he's using dry grass the same way I did before. At least I helped him out a bit, even if I couldn't sell him on essentially the best deal that would ever come up. I don't want to be the tribute that swears to take down everyone who says no to them. If I want to win, it's obvious that everyone else has to go, getting angry at targeting a certain person is only going to mess up my head.

"Um hello? Everett?" I turn around to see William and Preston behind me, confused.

"Oh hey."

"How'd it go with Trawl?"

Deflated, I explain to him what happened. Preston just listens intently with wide eyes.

William lets out a low whistle once I've finished and an uncomfortable moment of silence passes. "Well, I don't think it's anything you did. Sounds like he just doesn't want to be in an alliance."

"I guess so," I say, still peeved off that I had to be the one to get shot down. Remembering the other person in front of me, I turn to Preston. "So William told you about what we're planning?"

Preston nods. "Yeah."

"Great!" I say, realizing afterwards that I spat out that response before I had even processed what he said; he didn't confirm whether he wanted to be a part of it or not yet. There I go again, just assuming everyone wants to be a part of my group. I still think that there's no reason not to join, but both Trawl and Jarratt are ammunition against that idea. When it becomes clears Preston's not going to say anything more, I prod him. "And?"

"Oh, well I'm really flattered that you want me in the group. I guess I'd be happy to join you guys if you want."

William shakes his hand. "Fantastic, we're probably gonna go over the plan at lunch again with everybody."

"Okay," Preston nods. "Um, I'm going to go do some training if that's okay."

Preston says his goodbyes, making plans with us to meet at lunch. William and I go over to one of the many weapons stations to talk.

"Why do you think Trawl didn't go for the plan?" William asks, picking through the sword stack for one he wants to practice with.

"It seemed like he really just wanted to be left alone. Like he wanted to play by himself."

"That's stupid. He'd last longer in a group with people to protect him. Having at least a few people in the arena who aren't hunting you down would definitely lift the pressure a bit."

"I don't get it either, he's not even from a good District. If he was from One or Four where they've each got a couple winners I could understand him thinking he'd have a chance on his own. Three's never done well."

"Maybe he's one of those tributes that doesn't want to kill anybody," William whispers while the station instructor swaps his chosen sword with a smaller, more modest one.

The instructor tries to get his attention. "I have met tenth-year swordsmanship students who cannot wield that blade, you start with this one."

William nods absently to the stocky Capitol trainer, accepting the new sword and trying to act like he's not too hurt. I locate Trawl in the room, who's now shifted to a combat station where he's holding his own fairly well.

My partner follows my gaze, letting his lifted weapon lower. "Or he's plotting against us."

William and I try to make it look like we haven't pre-planned the seating arrangement for lunch, but in fact, it's all we did between rounds of sword, bow, and staff/stick practice. The two of us sit across from each other at the front of the group with Preston on one side and Dai Lao and Ayler on the other.

Dai Lao does his introductions, praising our plan and his excitement to be a part of it. On the scale of eccentric characters, I'd peg him below Ayler, but definitely above myself. I'm suddenly relieved that we sent Ayler to recruit him.

Halfway through our explanation of the plan, Dai Lao interrupts. "So why isn't Jason in the group?"

Everyone turns to him. He just sits there smiling and I completely lose my train of thought and speech. He has more guts than I do, interrupting the leader of a group he just joined.

Ayler, Preston, and William look to me to answer. "Well, we're planning on inviting him."

"When?" Dai Lao asks. "I'm just wondering cause he's a really good fighter. He's like that guy! You know, Cynth Spears!"

He must mean Cynth Spires, the first – and completely overrated – victor. The guy was just pure strength, of course the Capitol loved it, but I saw through it. His sponsors and size were what allowed him to win, anyone who thinks he's someone to admire clearly doesn't know the games very well.

I can't resist the urge to correct him. "Cynth Spires, you mean?"

Unsurprisingly, he ignores me. "I'll go talk to him if you want."

"No- uh that's okay, I mean, I think we were going to just talk to him as a group."

William nods, taking the conversational baton. "Yeah that's definitely the direction we're going to go, we've already worked it out."

I think Dai Lao takes the hint to quit talking over top of us, because he shrinks into his meal. Before I get a chance to re-re-explain the rules of the group, William asks me if he should go invite Jason over. I approve the idea and he politely excuses himself.

Jason and William have what looks to be like a friendly conversation and the two of them return to our group, all smiles. It hasn't been the smoothest flowing introduction to my plan, but I can't allow myself to get down and lose hold of the leadership.

Jason's round of introductions takes place, we tell him what the group stands for and everyone shakes on it. It's only now that I realize we've attracted the attention of almost every loner tribute in the room.

To my surprise however, some of those loner tributes don't seem so lonesome. What looks to be a secondary alliance made up of two girls and one boy is glaring at our group from across the dining hall. Preston is the only other guy in our group who seems to take notice of the crowd of three and shoots a worried look at me. He's a quiet guy, but I think I can tell what he's thinking; the only thing that can stand up to one alliance is another that's angry about being excluded.

Well, that and a leader with a blonde, five-foot seven second agenda.

Trying to get through this quickly to get to the action, thanks to anyone who's reading!