Author's Note
I do not own the Hunger Games.
Vivaldi Perlman, 16
Two of his District partners, the other boy and the older girl, seemed to have struck it off well. Or maybe they knew each other. Either way, now Vivaldi was left with the younger girl, who had yet to say a word, not even on stage. Maybe she suffered from stage fright.
"I'm Vivaldi," he said, holding his hand out.
She stared at him with large, pale eyes.
She didn't take his hand.
Awkwardly, Vivaldi retracted it. "What's your name?"
He was pretty sure one of them was Sabrina and the other one… well, he hadn't really been listening. The District Ten square had had some pretty colours. The designers had put some true thought into this game.
This was beginning to get super uncomfortable, and the girl still wasn't saying anything. Maybe she just didn't like him. Or…
"Are you mute?" he asked. "I can't sign, but we could just…"
She shook her head and stepped past him to the screen the escort said would show the other players. Well sure, he might as well.
Pressing the button started an immediate review of the other 'reapings.' The digitalized District One was beautiful, with its white buildings and wavering banners. All the players sent there were older, none that he recognised. He wouldn't. There were thousands of kids between twelve and eighteen in the Capitol, and he'd never been too close with any. He had to focus on his schoolwork, his music, his art.
Then District Two.
The girls were older too, Octavia Lyric, who looked like she'd been working in the sun, and Hestia Vanuna, who had beautifully shaded pastel hair.
But the boys–
The first boy was Thorin.
Vivaldi's heart beat with confusion. He'd been the one to disparage The Game; he called it nonsense!
But there he was on screen.
"You love him," said the girl with him, the first words he'd heard from her.
Vivaldi smiled. "That's my boyfriend." He frowned. "But he told me there's no point playing!"
"He lies," she replied.
"I'll speak to him. I'm sure he has his reasons."
Andreas Amandiel, 18
The District One mentors chosen for this Game were Ebony Truffle and Maxon Lush. They were old, now, in all the appearances Andreas had seen, but the Game programmers had chosen to make them young and beautiful, as they would have been for the Fiftieth. Ebony wore some long, white thing with ruffles, while Maxon was dressed much smarter, in a crisp tuxedo with a purple bow tie.
Two of the tributes in his District – One, which was a perfect starting point – seemed uninterested in the entire train ride. Indeed, the pair had vanished into one of the bedrooms. Here together then. They'd had a stroke of fortune, being sorted randomly into the same District. Though with forty eight players and only twelve Districts, perhaps the odds of that weren't too low.
"You're… Araminta, correct?" he asked the younger girl, who had thick, curly black hair and a ring piercing through her nose. He would have preferred someone older, more capable of holding their own, but he could work with what he had.
"Yes! Sorry, I don't remember your name. I was… distracted." She giggled. Too young and too distractable then. He'd have to find an ally sorted into another District. Plenty did that; it wasn't like they held Capitol loyalty.
"Andreas," he replied. Only polite; he'd asked her name.
"Oh, look at that, we match!" She peered up at him with curious eyes. "Are you really only eighteen? You look…"
"Older." He grinned. "I get that a lot."
Some eighteen year olds still looked like kids, but him, he was more mature than that.
She blushed and ducked her head. "Oh. Sorry, I hope I didn't insult you."
Andreas laughed. "No insult." He gestured at the screen. "There are a lot of players here bigger and older than you."
Distractable maybe, but she seemed like the sort to be easily led. Unfortunately, Araminta only laughed. "Oh, I know. But it's okay, I'm here with my foster siblings. They're both eighteen."
Another one marked off the list then.
Sorcha Summerfield, 17
District Eight. Ugh. She'd have to work extra hard for sponsor points in Eight. On top of that, there were two boys in her District this time round and both of them were boring. One was too young, and the other had only shaken his head and gone to join the younger one. If she wanted an alliance with them, she'd have to work hard.
The only positive was her female District partner, Calpurnia.
Calpurnia was great.
"So why did you enter?" she asked. The boys had disappeared off further down the train, but the two of them had settled on the bench opposite the big screen to talk. Calpurnia was a year younger than her, but almost a mini-version, proud, pretty, and popular.
Sorcha laughed. "To prove to my disbeliever sister that I can place. You?"
"To stick it to Lysandra." Calpurnia rolled her eyes. "She thinks she's so great, getting third place. We're going to outdo her. Especially in a Game like this."
"Perfect."
She even thought like Sorcha. Maybe it was fate, that they'd been sorted into the same District.
"Are you looking for allies?" Sorcha asked.
"Of course! But I'm already allying with my friend Marcellina."
"Oh, that's not a problem."
The more allies she could gather, the better. Especially in a Game like this. Less people trying to kill her.
"I'm already allying with my sister, I guess."
They hadn't really discussed it, and Luminita wasn't exactly the ally she'd have chosen, but she was her sister, and they were here together. Staying together made sense. Sorcha put her smile back on her face. "So we can all ally together. It's perfect!"
Current Alliances
These are the alliances as they stand so far. If there's a player you'd like your character to try and ally with, let me know!
POV Alliances
Alliance 1: Luminescence, Radiance, Iridescence
Alliance 2: Apollo, Artemis, Ares
Alliance 3: Sorcha, Luminita, Calpurnia, Marcellina
Alliance 4: Silverie, Emeria
Alliance 5: Zephyr, Celeste
Loners: Vivaldi, Hortensia, Etheria, Maximillian, Phoenix, Andreas
Non-POV Alliances:
Alliance 6: Venice, Julius
Alliance 7: Sabrina, Justice
Alliance 8: Cyan, Plutus
Alliance 9: Angelica, Araminta