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Constance Baudin
District One Female, 18 Years Old
"Any idea as to why they haven't approached us yet?"
"Pride," I answer, glancing at the others and then back at Audric. "They don't want to show weakness."
"By approaching us?" He asks, placing the spear back on the rack, clearly preparing to approach them. That's exactly what they want, but there's no point in trying to explain that. Audric won't understand.
I understand, though. I do.
"How bad could it be?" He says, his voice not as confident as it should be.
I don't blame him for being intimidated. The boy from District Four, Alamar, clearly knows what he's doing, as does Kace from Two. Unfortunately for the two girls – Ceres and Carina – I just don't think they know what they're doing. They've already stepped out of their designated boundaries, threatening the alliance altogether. Perhaps Alamar could bring it all back together.
Doubtful, but there's always a chance.
Audric walks right over towards the group of the four of them, not really waiting for me. I saunter behind him, taking my time, not wanting to ruin our chances. Audric could get in, but once they see that I want to join them, they'll be skeptical. Everyone is always skeptical about me.
I'm used to it.
"Audric Lavier," he states, holding out his hand for Alamar to shake. Alamar crosses his arms, making Audric lower his hand awkwardly, and the look the two girls in the back of Alamar disgust me.
Who are they to judge? Being in this alliance should shut them up as it is.
"Okay, okay," Audric mumbles, standing his ground now. "Both Constance and I are interested in joining the alliance. "Isn't that right, Constance?"
"Yes," I say, folding my hands in front of me and stepping behind Audric.
"A yes? Is that all you have to say?" Carina intrudes, looking me up and down.
For a moment, my hands twitch, but I quickly control myself, not wanting to stoop to her level. They all look at her, a smile on their faces, as if she said something that deserves praise. As if she had contributed something to this alliance and hasn't made herself look like a fool.
Do they not know their place?
I sure know mine. I always have known my place in life.
"Constance?" She asks, stepping forward a little. She rolls her eyes, sighing. "Please, not another one…"
"So," Audric interjects, cutting Carina short, which I should praise him for. He should be in charge of the conversation right now, leading me and him into the alliance. Carina should just keep quiet and wait for orders. "I assume we're in?"
"Of course," Alamar says, letting his guard down slightly. "Welcome to the Careers, District One."
Nodding my head, I make eye-contact with Alamar, who just scowls at my gesture. Keeping my hands folded in front of me, I stand behind Audric, waiting for him to move or to initiate another conversation. It goes silent for a little, and once Kace and Ceres walk away, Alamar and Carina follow. At least they know they should always follow the male around; women never have enough control to lead themselves.
Wherever Audric goes, I go.
It's what the Capitol wants.
Standing there, I choose not to move, waiting for someone to tell me my orders. At the Training Center, I was always told what to do, where to go, and how to act. So, until Alamar or Audric give me a direction, I will wait here. That's what I was taught.
"You don't have to, you know, stand there, Constance," Audric says, stopping in his tracks from walking away. "You can come along with me?"
Nodding my head, I spin on my heels, keeping my hands folded in my front. I walk beside Audric, and every time he looks at me from the corner of his eye, I nod my head again. Wherever he goes, I go, and whatever he does, I do. My mentor Vanora – who frankly oversteps her boundaries at least once a day – tells me I should be more independent. That wasn't what I was taught, though, so I can't. I was taught to be obedient and loyal.
I wouldn't disappoint the District.
Vanora and Audric's mentor, Clara, just laughed. They went back to drinking their alcohol, clearly not knowing how to act in front of a crowd. It disgusts me how women like would win the Hunger Games; did their trainees not teach them a thing? Or is their only talent killing?
Do they not know how to do anything else?
At the Training Center, we learned different qualities. We learned how to carry yourself, how to act, and how what to do with an audience. Every little detail – every step, every breath – has to be planned accordingly. Weaponry and survival skills came second, since those wouldn't reflect the Capitol. How you act reflects the Capitol more than how you would kill.
The Training Academy I attended had one goal in mind – to live up to the Capitol standards. It was always to impress them, to show that District One was not the only the most superior Career District, but that we were more than that. That we are loyal and that we are patriotic.
That's why I'm here – to impress the Capitol. For them to see that District One produces loyal and competent tributes that do not go into the Games for selfish reasons, but for their country. With the new Head Gamemaker Arevan, that's one thing he wants; to see that the tributes sent into the Games are dedicated to the Capitol. That we show no qualms or reserves about living under Capitol rule.
That's what my family taught me from a young age. That the Capitol was always right, that they were superior, and that we should follow suit. I had no time for petty or childish things in my household; my father wouldn't allow that. He gave me books to read, papers to write, and shows to watch. As I grew older, I realized that he made the person I am today, regardless of whatever anyone says.
He gave me the motivation to live up to the Capitol.
The Capitol are my superiors, the ones that I will act upon without question. Culturally, they are superior to District One, despite District One's high-end characteristics. The Capitol has the best fashion, the most graceful mannerisms, and the attitudes that we should all attempt to have.
For the Capitol, I would do anything.
I'm here for the Capitol.
And for the Capitol only.
Limnic Hablitz
District Five Female, 16 Years Old
No harm no foul, Limnic.
It's your only chance.
Pushing myself off the counter, I bring my hands to my hair, patting it down to make sure that everything's in order. I carefully fix the intricately made braid; one where I have a single long braid, then it gets wrapped in a circular formation on the back of my hair. I always used to wear like this back in District Five, but now that I have a professional to do it, it looks a lot better – if I may say so myself.
The boy from Three, Chet is his name, lingers around the electrical station, not really doing much with it. He just stands there; ever after that boy from Five left him. They were talking for a while, and I assume that they're allies now, which would only help me. I just need one of them, then the others will follow. Chet seems like the weakest link, anyway, not that girl from Six or Evan.
I approach the station slowly, wanting to draw attention to myself in a graceful manner. Walking up to him too quickly would foil my whole plan; he'd think I'm too eager. No, that's not what I want. I want to draw him, then capture him on the last possible minute. It's pointless if you're going to ruin your chances right off the start.
I know what I'm doing. I've had a lot of practice.
Once we make eye contact, I give him the smallest smile I can, showing a little interest a time. He stops where he is, placing his hands on the table of the station. He waves at me, an awkward smile following it. How fidgety he is almost makes me embarrassed for him, but I'll deal.
I just need to get to him. For now, anyway.
"Is this station taken?" I ask, trying not to sound too over the top. It's a cliché way to start a conversation, but apparently, it worked. Seems like he's a simple-minded boy.
"No," he says, which disappoints me. That's all he has to say?
"I'm Limnic from District Five, what about you?" I ask, leaning on my elbow on the tables.
"Chet from Three," he replies, glancing downwards quickly. "What's up?"
"Oh, nothing," I say, tilting my head to the side, looking up at him. "Just wanted to try something new, you know? What are you up to?"
"Well, Evan said that I should look for other people to join our alliance."
"Alliance?" I perk up, knowing that I have him already reeling into me. "An alliance with who?"
"Evan and Inger," he says, and once he gets the hint, he looks up at me, his eyes widened. "Would you like to join our alliance? That'd be cool and we could use the extra member."
Standing back up, I tilt my head downwards, looking up at him. I smile, not wanting to show it all for him. I shrug my shoulders, playing up the act, wanting him to beg for me to join. I might get some satisfaction then, and honestly, I want to see him do it. He seems like the type of boy that would beg for me.
"Oh, come on!" He says, the eagerness in his voice making me gag. "It'll be fun."
I scoff at the way he says the word 'fun,' as if he anyone should be enjoying their time here. I, for one, am most certainly not enjoying my time here. If only I had someone to complain to, I'd start with what I'm doing right now. It's completely desperate – me going for a boy like Chet. I could have gone for someone like Kace or Dymas, but no, I went with Chet. Honestly, it's just because he's easier and because he has an alliance. It only took a few minutes to get this far.
I just wonder how far he'll actually go.
"So, what do you say, Limnic?" He asks, nearly standing up on his tippy-toes.
"Fine," I say, letting out a deep breath with it. "I'll join your alliance."
Chet's already turned around before he can say anything else, going right towards the area Evan and Inger are at. As I trail behind him slowly, I can't help but smile at myself, checking this off of my list. One boy down, now I just have to deal with this alliance. How hard could it be?
They seem pathetic.
Evan, the boy who can't even take himself seriously, Inger, who has the most repulsive name I have ever come across, and Chet, who's like a pillow cushion. Then there's me – Limnic who will have them all wrapped her finger soon enough.
Who could blame me in a situation like this?
I'm here to survive. I'm here to go home. I'm not here to play around, to let myself get run over by the Careers. I'll do what I have to do, and unfortunately for people like them, that includes manipulating them. It might be fun, who knows.
Once Evan sees that Chet is bringing me over, he gets Inger's attention, both of them looking at me now. I fiddle with my hands, pretending to be embarrassed by their attention. But, every time they look back up at me, I feel great. I feel better than I ever have.
Why couldn't people back in District Five act like this?
If they did, I would have enjoyed life more. I would've missed it more than I am right too, which says something. Sure, District Five had it perks, but it was awful.
"This is Limnic," Chet states, holding his hand out for me. "And she's the new member of our alliance."
The new member of our alliance.
It almost seems official. That I actually am a part of this alliance.
That I'm not only here to help myself.
If they can believe that I'm really an ally, it would make my life easier.
For a moment, I feel bad that I don't really care for their lives or for what will happen to them, but then I smile and get over it. I'm here for myself. I'm here to survive.
I'm here to do what I do best.
If I can't win the Hunger Games, I won't let myself die in vain.
I'm worth more than that.
Kace Edevane
District Two Male, 17 Years Old
"At the right angle you're kind of cute. But, other than that, I don't see it."
Carina lets her arms slide down her side, the spear dangling from her finger-tips. She smiles to herself, shaking her head, not wanting to respond to me. Sure, I see how it is. If she doesn't want to talk, that's fine, but she could at least entertain me somehow. All of this training gets kind of boring after a while.
Besides, I had enough training back in District Two.
It was all about training then, so why not do something else now?
"Kace," she says, her voice serious, clearly not wanting to play around. "Please – I'm actually begging you here – go do something. Please, Kace. Please."
"Please," I repeat, chucking under my words. "Please, calm down, Carina."
"You know what would make me calm?" She asks, finally looking over at me. She looks like she's about to wink at me, but she tosses the spear up in the air, handing it over to me. "Throw this spear. Show me that you're actually competent."
"Oh," I say, leaning forward a little. "You don't trust my skill level?"
"Not one bit," she replies, her words not offensive at all. She's see eventually. "I think you just take up space."
Grabbing the spear from her swiftly, I toss it back and forth from hand-to-hand, testing it out to see how heavy it is. It's lighter than the ones we used to use in the Training Center back in Two, but I can work with it. I position myself in front of the target, waiting a little to draw out the suspense. Giving Carina one last look, I wink at her, opening my mouth to tease, but she stops me.
"Shut up and do what I told you."
Nodding my head, I concentrate on the target, and as I raise the spear in the air, I aim it. With one forceful movement, I launch the spear hurling towards the target, and as it drives itself into the target, I hear Carina snort. Turning to my side, I see her grabbing two more, handing me another one.
"You could do better. There's no guarantee that would kill them."
Before she can say anything else, I throw the next spear, this one landing a little more up from the last one. Still, it landed in the chest area, which would probably be more lethal than my last one. Regardless, I showed her what I can do, and if she doesn't believe me now, then she's missing out.
I'm a good ally.
She should see that by now.
"I'm done with you," she deadpans, stepping in front of me with her own spear, waiting for the trainers to replace the dummy. "You know what you can do? Tell me what you see. You like to talk, so you might as well spit out useful information."
"What I see?" I ask, looking at the Training Center as a whole. "What do I see…"
"Well?" She asks, the sound of her spear hitting the dummy being louder than her voice.
In one corner of the Training Center, near the fire-making station, I see a few boys. It's the boys from Ten, Eleven, and Twelve, all congregating in that one area. It's probably an alliance, and if this is what Carina wants me to tell her about, then I'm concerned. Is she really worried about a few boys from the outer-Districts? They can't even be any older than fifteen.
"Alliance between the boys from Ten, Eleven, and Twelve," I answer, scrutinizing them even further. "Weak, though. Nothing to worry about."
"What makes them weak?" She asks me, and now I realize that she wants to prove something. Of course she does; she's always one to impose herself on someone else.
"They're probably, like, thirteen years old? Plus, they're from the poor Districts. I think that says it all."
"How would you know?" She counters, still throwing spears at different targets. "They could be saying the same thing about you."
"Stop being pretentious," I retort, being completely honest with her now. She's just saying things that don't matter and that don't make sense. "They wouldn't be saying that, would they? I can kill them, and if they don't realize that, that's their problem."
"I'm not saying you can't kill them, Kace. I just don't think you should underestimate anyone," she answers, her words not really meaning much to me still. "Our own allies, for example. What do you think of Audric?"
I shrug, since I really don't know much about him. He only introduced himself into the alliance with Constance earlier today. "I don't know? He's nice and he doesn't bother me. Not as much as you, anyway."
"What about Constance?"
"She makes me uncomfortable, but I can deal with it. She's pretty too, so I don't see any other problems with her. Except for the whole 'I need assistance with everything I do' mantra, but…"
"Ceres?"
"She could use some excitement in her life. I could probably give it to her. Even our mentors think she's too serious for her own good; especially Brutus."
"Alamar?"
"He needs to simmer down, I guess. There isn't much about him; he doesn't reveal much, but I guess that's what he wants."
"What about me?"
"I'm still trying to figure you out," I say, winking. "You're not as easy as the rest."
Despite her nonsensical rambling before, I understand what she means now. Even our own allies I don't know much about, and honestly, I didn't see it before. Just because we're allies doesn't mean much; they could still betray me. They could still be hiding something from me – a part of them that could change the whole Games.
Back in District Two, I thought I had everything figured out. I was pretty confident that I knew everyone and what they would do next. But, now that I'm in the Hunger Games, it isn't as easy. They're all children, around the same age as me. I shouldn't hold them to a different standard; I'm not giving myself all away yet, so why would they?
If they don't know me, do I really know any of them?
What if Carina does have a point?
What if I have been underestimating my competition?
Author's Note:
Update!
Here's another one. Since it's Spring Break, I'll try to get out at least two to three more updates, and then we'll see where I go from there. Remember that this time the Capitol will be shorter; so, we only have Training Day Three, Training Scores, Interviews, and Launch left. Then, it's the Games.
Anyway, questions!
What tributes stood out from this group?
And a personal one.
What type of person would you ally with?