Train Rides:
Cady twiddled her thumbs and folded her legs. The train had just pulled out of District 8 and was now on route to take her and the rest of the District 8 mentoring team to the Capitol.
She knew she was supposed to feel nervous or shocked somehow but she just…didn't. Didn't feel a thing. Maybe it was the gravity of it all. Maybe it was something else. It was still taking her brain a few moments to understand exactly what had happened to her. She was chosen for the 69th Games and there was a good chance it was going to kill her in the end. It all felt way too surreal to be true.
To distract herself from her thoughts, Cady turned to her district partner. Starknight Victry-no, he asked to be called Knight. Cady couldn't help but chuckle a little at that. Anyways, Knight looked like a slightly younger and male version of Cady, which she found quite interesting. Heck, Knight very well could pass for her younger brother if he so desired.
Knight saw her staring at him and suddenly looked a little creeped out. "What are you doing?"
"Just wondering about your name, that's all."
"Well, when I transitioned and went to change my name, they let me put down whatever I wanted and I supposed I felt like being a bit of a smart aleck at the time." Knight shrugged. "But I like being called Knight. It makes me feel kind of heroic, in a way."
Cady smiled. "Well, District 8 could use a lot more heroes." She supposed at this point, there was no beating around the bush with Knight, so she decided to just say it out loud. "You know, you and I look pretty similar to each other."
Knight gave his short hair a tug. "Yeah, I guess we do?"
That sent gears running in Cady's head. She had seen the other tributes as the television played the Reaping recaps over and over again. And she and Knight needed to stand out against them so people would want them to win. Sure, they were a bit older and Knight had volunteered, but would that be enough? Cady wasn't sure her archery practice would get her through the Games alone. They would need sponsors. What was the best way to get them?
She and Knight looked at each other again. Knight appeared to be thinking about something. Cady decided to speak her own thoughts out loud, but Knight beat her to the bush. "We could pass for siblings pretty easily."
"I was just about to say that!" Cady grinned. "I'm glad we're on the same wavelength. But we can't really say we're siblings, though. That'll get debunked pretty quickly, since we have different last names and all."
Knight shrugged. "Well, if we're gonna lie, we might as well go big or go home. What if we tell people we're long-lost cousins instead? Do you think they'll believe that?"
Cady gave that some consideration. That lie might work better. It gave both them and their families some wiggle room if need be, something that the whole siblings thing was too rigid for. And who didn't like a touching reunion story in the middle of the Games?
"Alright," she finally decided. "Let's do it."
The moment the train pulled out of District 10, Skylar once again burst into tears.
This wasn't fair. This just wasn't fair! Why did it have to be her in all the girls from District 10 that ended up getting Reaped!? What on earth had she done wrong to piss off the hand of fate that picked her? Now she was going to die!
This was bad. This was so bad. Skylar buried her face in her hands, knowing for a fact that the mentors, escort, and district partner were all watching her. She didn't care. She was upset, damn it, and she needed to let it all out. Because crying seemed a lot of a heck better than trying to jump off the train and run into the wilderness.
That's when Rudia, the older of the two women mentoring for District 10, decided to speak up. "I'll be working with Dell. Come on, boy."
"Yes, ma'am," Dell muttered in a strong accent. Skylar felt the couch shift and heard footsteps; Dell had silently gotten up and followed Rudia to a different train car.
Skylar's heart sank deep into the confines of her chest as the sound of the door slamming shut echoed within her ears. Everybody knew that Rudia Sashori was a picky as hell mentor who only worked with tributes she believed stood a decent chance in the Games. The fact that Rudia had chosen Dell instead was like the final writing on the wall: Skylar was fucking doomed.
She only sobbed harder.
"Hey…" The couch shifted again as someone sat down next to Skylar and placed a hand on her back. "Don't worry. It's gonna be alright."
"No it's not," Skylar pouted. Doella Rhumes sighed softly and just continued to rub her back.
"What am I gonna do?" Skylar wailed. "Rudia thinks I'm a dead girl walking! Nobody's gonna sponsor or root for me over any other tribute! Nobody's gonna want me to win! I'm gonna die!"
"I want you to win," Doella said quietly.
"Yeah. And you're the only one."
"That's still one person who wants you to win," Doella continued. "And I can help get you those sponsors. They will want you to win."
Skylar bit back a scoff. She was about to snark about how only Doella rooting for her made all the difference in the world…but that felt way too mean. Skylar needed a plan and sitting here moping wasn't a good one. Granted, it was the only plan she had. But it sucked and Skylar was more than ready to explore her other options.
"...how do I get sponsors?" she finally asked.
"We have a few options," Doella mused. "Obviously, you gotta get people to like you in some capacity, and believe you're a strong contender. But think of it like a popularity contest, if that helps. What do you like to do?"
Skylar bit back another scathing remark about how she'd much rather be in a popularity contest than the Games. "Okay. I like to write a lot."
Doella nodded. "Off to a good start. The Capitolites like a creative tribute. Show them that side of you, the side that likes to invent and make up new stories."
Oh. Suddenly, getting sponsors and people to root for her didn't seem all that hard anymore to Skylar.
Here are the train rides! Do you think that Knight and Cady's plan will work? How will Skylar fare in getting sponsors in comparison to the District 8 tributes?
Hoping to update a bit more frequently now that my exam season is over. Next chapter will be training with Kimberly, Knight, and Eugene.
See you all in the next chapter,
-Vr
