Chapter 2 - Training
Training Day 1 - Recap
The mattress all but ate Bliss' body as she collapsed into the fluffy sheets. Her muscles deeply ached, her mind spun, but she found herself somehow excited at the same time. Not excited about the games, that would be certifiably-insane, but watching the ways others interacted with each other was fascinating.
She didn't bother thinking too much about the tribute parade or her horrendous outfit; an "artistic arrangement" of Douglas fire pine tree limbs- dyed red with white accents, a nod to the flower that was her namesake, a "wearable sculpture" her stylist assured her. It gave her a rash that still hadn't settled.
Bliss recalled what she discussed with Harlem earlier that night- her observations throughout the day. The careers were mostly typical, blasé. Swinging weapons and throwing glances at anyone that dared move too close. The D1 male appeared to be the leader, a hulking and charismatic individual.
The D1 male, Cable Saers, broke apart from traditional career conduct to chat with some of the outer-district tributes. Bliss couldn't decipher the reason for his actions, but he seemed jovial throughout. She deeply, deeply distrusted him, moreso than the outwardly angry careers. He reminded Bliss of Bryce, easygoing, cocky, with a joking exterior- and what Bliss could only assume was a vile, violent, and manipulative interior.
The D5 male, Callum Stallard, appeared to be forming an alliance with the stronger and older out-district tributes. So far, he's got the pair of eighteen year olds from D9 on board: Weiss Caddel and Treble Cyprus. Both teenagers were covered in ropy muscle, built only through years of labour. Callum was the same age and strong, if not as strong as the D9 pair. The three of them were an obvious threat. Bliss wondered if the careers would target them immediately in the bloodbath in order take out the greater threat first, saving the weaker tributes for later. Harlem said it could be a possibility.
After thinking about the others, Bliss tried to come up with a strategy to handle the following day. Today, she'd stuck to light-weight weapons and plants. With hours at the plant station under her belt, and an insatiable mind, Bliss was confident in her ability- at least with the plants at the station and the plants she was already familiar with. She wouldn't have to spend anymore time there.
Tomorrow, she decided, she'd look at other survival stations and try to hit the target with the throwing knives. Maybe add some hand-to-hand training too. Luckily, laughter at her expense didn't bother her, and the careers could try and intimidate other tributes away from weapons stations, but they couldn't forcefully remove them. Bliss vowed to stand her ground.
Harlem instructed her to identify tributes she'd potentially ally with, so she'd do that as well. With her mental list done, Bliss fell into a restless sleep.
Training Day 2 - Recap
By lunch, the training centre was rife with tension. By the end of the day, it had descended into chaos. At lunch, Chase was asked to join to the D5 male's, Callum's, alliance, along with the members of D10, Ken and Dawn. Bliss' lip had curled in anger upon the realization, breaking her neutral facade. Plum had steered her away from the group after that.
The tributes from D10, Ken and Dawn were seventeen and eighteen respectively, and though Chase was fifteen, he was exceedingly large. Callum had managed to align all the oldest, most physically powerful tributes- aside from the careers, of course. All within one and a half days.
As it stood at lunch, the numbers in each alliance matched. The balance didn't last long, though, because by the end of the day, the D8F- Cass Gallio, D11F- Eddie Abbera, and the D12F- Callisto Nadir, had all be enticed to join the main non-career alliance, surely impressed with them already. They began calling themselves the Pack.
At the end of the day, the Pack stood at nine members, the careers at six. Still not a fair fight, as the careers spend their lives training for the slaughter, but nine people was substantial. Perhaps the biggest non-career pack in history. Bliss wasn't sure.
The careers had training, the Pack had coordinated desperation and heavy numbers, they wouldn't go down easily. Bliss was so distracted by the conversations, she barely managed to pay attention to the stations in front of her. She didn't consider it much of a loss, though, one day of training wouldn't save her from death.
Bliss was hurt, though, that she wasn't asked to join the pack. She may be small, but she's not to be counted out. As Bliss conducted herself throughout the day, she repeated the mantra to herself, trying to quell the body-shaking fear.
All that was left was half a day of training, their private sessions, the interviews, another night of rest then… she could be dead.
Bliss tried not to cry to loudly, wrapped in her sheets. She prayed the rooms were sound-proof. Her mind spun. She couldn't stay there. Bliss silently crept out of her room, then through the front doors of the apartment. She took the elevator down to the training centre, before the decision became conscious, before considering if the elevator would even let her down.
It did, though, and the doors opened to reveal to rows of weapons and mats and books and- avoxes. Stationed at the doors branching off to different areas of the building, blocking tributes from leaving the vicinity of the training centre. Bliss considered it a deliberate message that they were being watched- they may go for a walk in the night if they desire, but the may not cause trouble. She was okay with that, seeking any sort of distraction to calm herself down.
Bliss wound through the various smaller rooms within the training centre, nodding at the avoxes blocking exits to other segments of the building as she passed by. They didn't acknowledge her, but they didn't look angry that she acknowledged them. The etiquette with which one should interact with slaves was unknown. As it should be, the practice is ungodly. Bliss shuddered.
Lost in her own thoughts, Bliss almost didn't notice the voices until it was too late. She found a desk to hide behind as the sounds grew closer. Hushed voices, two of them, both male. Bliss shrunk into the crevice.
The voices passed by, none the wiser, not expecting company, and started to grow quieter. Bliss instinctually wanted to return to her room, but the games had already began, had they not? Bliss followed the voices.
The voices settled in an alcove beside the break room. Great, billowing fabric hung from the walls and ceilings, sectioning off parts of the room. The ambiance was cloud-like and almost comforting- which was disconcerting in itself, being lulled into a false sense of comfort. Come to think of it, Bliss had barely seen the D8 male- Rubal Pentone during the past few days.
A discarded sweater with a D8 emblem on a couch by the door confirmed her suspicions. He'd accepted his fate and used his days to nap. People handled imminent death differently. Best of luck, regardless. Bliss thought, genuinely.
She focused her attention on the remnants of the conversation between the two boys, creeping as close as she dared. The fabric floors made her careful steps all but silent. She dared not lean on any furniture, instead crouching down and closing her eyes.
Bliss honed in on the voices.
"…not sure I can do this." A voice said, roughly.
They were distracted. Bliss dared peek out from behind the pedestal where she crouched. She caught a glimpse of Cable, the D1 male's face, the one who'd spoken. He sat on a chair. The other boy stood above him, half hugging him, half caressing him. His back was towards Bliss, identity indecipherable.
He didn't have the prominent blonde locks of the D2 male, Harp Vitto. It must be the D4 male- Saber… can't remember his last name. It must be him, though, right? Bliss ducked as Cable looked up at his counterpart. She didn't miss the tears in his eyes, though, before she lost the visual.
What's going on? Bliss curiosity peaked.
"You can." The other boy said, quietly but with a commanding undertone. "You know it's for the best."
The remark was met with silence. Bliss dared steal another glance. She was well in the shadows, but didn't want to risk being seen so she kept her appraisal short. Cable looked up at the other boy, face streaked with tears. The other boy- Saber? The person Bliss was assuming was Saber wiped them away. Saber whispered comfort to Cable, and put his fingers under Cable's chin.
Saber raised Cable up to standing, guiding the boy with his fingertips. The boys locked lips, sadness falling away from Cable's face. The kiss became breathy and passionate, the boys pressed up against one another.
Bliss disappeared before she could see them do anything more than PG-13.
Her mind reeled as she crawled back into bed, sleep an entity far away.
Training Day 3 - Recap
In the morning, things seemed less hopeless, as they often did. Bliss found the courage to approach the D11 male and the D5 female, a pair of athletic sixteen year olds she'd been watching, who'd begun spending time together the day previous. She timed her approach, waiting until they were working at the plant station. The D5 female, Lily-Rose Mercury and D11 male, Plum Sweet- ridiculous name, but who am I to talk, Burgundy Bliss?- were deep into study.
Plum seemed to be having an exceptionally hard time. Flash cards with pictures of plants and bushes and trees were spread in front of him, disorganized. Lily-Rose was deep in thought, only doing mildly better than him. Bliss took her chance.
"From what I've gathered with these…" Bliss cleared her throat. Plum and Lily-Rose looked up at her. "This pear-shaped cactus would be edible over the barrel looking one, the open white and purple flowers are white poisonous whereas the flowers that are a bit smaller and more prickly and dense- yes the dark purple ones and the red ones- they are safe. You can eat certain trees too, but I hope it doesn't get to that." Bliss tried to sound casual.
"How do we know you're not bullshitting?" Lily-Rose said, looking Bliss up and down. Bliss bristled, but remained composed enough not to show it. Bitch. Whatever.
"Lily. Hush." Plum said. "Just Lily" and not Lily-Rose rolled her eyes but relented.
"You can verify with the trainers, if you want." Bliss said quietly, infusing her voice with the slightest amount of sadness. Plum took the bait.
"Hey, sorry. Thanks for trying to help. That's honestly really nice of you." Plum said, then nudged Lily.
"Yeah, thanks. Sorry." She said, then turned her attention back to the flash cards. Bliss stared after her.
"Why don't you join us for lunch?" Plum asked, diffusing the tension. Lily shot him a glance but didn't say anything in protest.
"Sure, I'd like that. Thank you." Bliss said, genuinely.
By the time lunch finished, Bliss found herself in an alliance of three. Which was good, because they were out of time. Individual evaluations were beginning. Harlem had advised Bliss not to hold anything back, which she interpreted as trying her best not to look pathetic. Harlem had the courtesy not to tell her she was wrong, and for the self deprecating effort she earned herself a chuckle from her mentor. She found a break in tension by making him laugh, a small reprieve. She was going to miss him when she died.
During the evaluation, Bliss sorted plant cards steadily and with ease, and with enough speed that most of the evaluators hadn't nodded off by the time she'd finished. Noticing she was loosing their attention, though, she began climbing. She climbed ropes, structures, dummies, anything in sight. Then, she threw knives, landing a solid three out of fifteen. At last her time was up.
After dinner and a debrief with Harlem, Bliss flopped into bed. She didn't go on any late night strolls, tonight, but wondered what Cable and Saber were up to. At least someone's happy at the games.
Final day - Recap
The interview was forgettable, regrettably. Bliss tried to come off as confident and capable, but with a training score of three, she wasn't quite able to pull it off. If there was any point of interest, she said she knew who she was going to marry, she'd found the love of her life. The host oowed and awed over her, but she didn't make the admission for them. She hoped Ambrosia was listening.
Later, at the dinner table, guilt made her shrink into herself over not thinking of her girl more. Ambrosia would understand, Bliss was trying to survive. Harlem kept a watchful eye on Bliss has her thoughts raced.
But unfortunately, it seemed she would never get a moment of peace, and Chase made comments about her score and interview, digging at her. She didn't care what he thought, but the hurtful words were true regardless of who's mouth they came from, and that's what stung.
She didn't have the energy to fight him verbally, brain already molasses. Instead, she picked up her water glass and hurled it at his head. It was a square hit, the impact splitting his skin. Glass shattered and rained down around him, shrapnel leaving a few bloody trails on his face. Chase looked at her in shock as blood pooled over the lip of the cut under the impact point and began to trickle down his forehead.
His skin began turning red, anger simmering. He didn't yell, though, he didn't throw anything back.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you." Chase said cooly. The escort rose from her chair and began leading him to a bathroom to clean up. She was muttering about wild, unruly children, but he was not listening. He stared Bliss down until she was out of sight.
The room let out a collective breath. Bliss couldn't stand the silence. The chair tumbled over in her wake as she hurried from the room.
Harlem found her sulking in an apartment alcove, a giant bench fixed under a window overlooking the sparkling, lively city below. There was a small public courtyard, people laughing and eating, kids playing although the sun had already set. Safe. She felt so far away from it.
"May I join you?" Harlem asked, politely. Bliss nodded.
"Truth hurts, doesn't it?" Bliss tried to say with levity, but it sounded strained even to her own ears. She tried to hold his inquisitive gaze, but failed, lips twitching, eyes glued to the floor.
A wave of emotion washed over her, pulling her into its depths. She willed it to ebb, but instead all the terror/panic/anger/frustration/sadness/longing that Bliss had shoved down was flowing through her veins, spreading with every beat of her pulsating heart.
"What he said wasn't right, okay? Besides, people love a good love story. Who's the lucky guy?" Harlem asked, trying to be nice.
"Ambrosia." Bliss whispered. Naming her lover was like breaking a dam, though, and Bliss hugged her legs to her chest, crying into her knees. Her hair fell all around her body, a blanket, a layer of protection.
"Bliss…" Harlem started, voice ever so slightly shaking.
As Bliss' cries grew louder and more desperate, she grew more self conscious. She stalked into a sound proof meeting room, not waiting for him to follow, but not closing the door behind her, either. He trailed after her and locked the door, then sat on the floor in front of the couch she huddled on.
He crossed his legs, picking at his cuticles, waiting for Bliss to finish crying. She'd expected a speech, expected to be chastised for being weak. But as she told him before, crying didn't make her weak. She tried to hold onto that as she sobbed.
His respect disarmed her. Bliss launched herself off the couch, at Harlem, into his arms. He held her in his lap, awkwardly at first, but then his arms wrapped around her tiny frame, maybe in a manner similar to how he comforted his own children. She hadn't sought comfort like this from an adult since she was a toddler.
Harlem would never know how grateful she was for his comfort, for his kindness, for not giving up on her. She clung to him as if to communicate the thoughts. Harlem tried to keep his breathing even, but it hitched every now and again as Bliss' pain washed over him and combined with his own.
They broke apart once her tears had slowed, and Harlem went to the kitchen, returning with mugs of tea.
"Any last minute advice?" Bliss asked, almost silently, wiping her face.
"Find water? Don't die?" Harlem said. It sounded like a question.
"That's kind of shit advice." Bliss said, cracking a smile.
"It isn't, though." Harlem said.
"I guess not." Bliss responded.
They settled into silence as they sipped their tea, a floral herbal blend.
"Hey, Bliss?" Harlem said, after a while.
"Yeah?"
"I believe in you. Don't go down without a fight." Harlem all but pleaded.
"That advice I'll take." Bliss said.
"Harlem?" She asked quietly, after a beat. He looked up. "I saw the D1 boy kissing someone the other night. Late- I went for a walk and saw them. Might mean nothing, I guess, but is that normal during training week?"
Harlem cracked a smile, himself. "Here I was, thinking you were going to say something sincere."
Bliss rolled her eyes.
"It is unusual, to answer you question." Harlem started. "But it does happen, romance in the arena. Could mean something, could mean nothing. Depending on who it was, I suppose. Could you tell who he was kissing?"
"No, unfortunately. I stayed pretty far away, didn't want to get caught snooping. His back was turned to me. I think it was the D4 male, Saber, though. Couldn't have been the D2 male, he has blonde hair… The boy kissing Cable had brown hair, but so many people have brown hair, including Saber, so I don't know, really. Who else could it be, though? He'd be kissing someone is his alliance, surely."
"He would, likely, be kissing someone in his alliance." Harlem repeated, lost in thought over the subject. "Keep you eyes sharp. Clandestine meetings are suspicious. They could meet in each other's apartments if they wanted to, it's allowed. Hell, they could sleep in each other's apartments as long as it's consensual. No need for the runaround." Harlem said more concisely.
"Could it be because they're both guys?" Bliss asked.
"As far as I know, neither of the D1 or D4 mentors are homophobic. The tributes could be trying to keep the extent of their relationship a secret from their alliance… I don't know what they'd have to gain by doing that, though. Nobody usually cares if a few members of their alliance are kissing at first. And from what you've told me, the D1 male is already the leader. He can do what he wants." Harlem rambled on. "Think on it, Bliss. You have a keen mind."
More minutes passed, they finished their tea.
"Hey, Harlem?" Bliss said, breaking the silence.
Harlem looked at her, appraising her.
"Thank you." Bliss said, trying to convey more feeling than could be fit into two simple words.
He dropped the eye contact, unable to hold her gaze. "You're welcome." A beat passed, then he met her eyes again.
"Give them hell, Bliss. I'll be watching, I'll be rooting for you." Harlem said, setting his empty cup on the table.