darya marin.

21. district 4. just another icarus.

[rowanburl]

Rowan blinked at that. For a second, he just stared at her - then let out a short breath, something closer to a real laugh this time.

“Right,” he said, shifting his weight slightly. “Well… that makes things easier.”

The tension in his shoulders eased, like something he’d been bracing for hadn’t quite landed. “Best swimmer in Four,” he went on. “Yeah. I believe that.” There was no edge to it this time - just a quiet kind of respect.

He studied her again, but differently now - not analysing, not picking her apart. Just… taking her in. “At least you’re honest about it,” he added. “Or trying to be. Not many others here would bother.”

At her offer, he hesitated - not shutting it down outright, but weighing it. “My sister’s the one who really knows her way around herbs,” he said carefully. “I just picked things up watching her. Enough to know what helps… and what doesn’t.” He paused, considering his next words. Unsure how much to reveal straight off. “Not looking to trade everything I know. But… I wouldn’t mind knowing who I’m not going to have to watch my back for every second.”

His gaze flicked over her, then back to the view from the window. “Swimming’s a good edge to have. Even if there’s no water, it still tells me that you're strong and resilient. Useful skills to have when people are trying to kill you.”

A faint, tired half-grin touched his mouth. “Besides… if nothing else, we’re not exactly the pairing they’d put money on.”

A pause.

“Should keep things interesting for them, I suppose.”

[daryamarins]

Darya shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. They felt...observed. Definitely not a good thing- not here. They kept their expression neutral and untelling, and forced themself not to look away. They watched him carefully curate his words, and felt their eyebrow quirk upwards with interest. So much for neutral and untelling.

They kept watching him even as he turned away, studying him like he was something to memorize. Was he suggesting...being allies? No. Couldn't be. Had she given the impression that she wanted that? Darya dug her nails into her palm as she turned his words over in her head.

"What exactly are you suggesting? That you'll only help me if I promise not to hurt you in the arena?" Her face scrunched up. "Because I can only make that promise for myself- not for the people I'll be with."

"Besides, there are plenty of other ways I could learn about herbs," their tone had gone cold, and they looked out the window again. It did little to soften their edge. They'd definitely gone too far, given too much away. They couldn't let him get more from this conversation than they did. "I don't need to do things just to...keep things interesting, or whatever."

Their gaze crawled back to him for a brief moment, a sign that they weren't completely shutting the offer down.

[vainitie]

“i figured i'd better get used to the stuff,” vanity purred. “after all, isn't it all people in the capitol drink? i'd better be prepared for when i win the games.”

vanity knew perfectly well that there had to be other drinks in the capitol — her district alone produced coffee, as well as a sweeter drink called hot chocolate that the capitol seemingly couldn't get enough of — but with the amount of alcohol the district produced, it might as well be all they drank.

she smiled at darya, gesturing loosely at their glass. “how's your... milk?”

[daryamarins]

...when I win the Games. Darya nearly choked on their milk. They'd been told so many times by so many people that they'd win the Games that they'd almost forgotten there were other people who'd been told the same thing. They studied the girl's expression, and it was obvious that she wanted this in a way that Darya never had.

She tore her gaze away the second Vanity spoke again, choosing instead to look at her tall glass of milk. "...Sour," she grumbled. "What makes you so sure you're going to win the Games?"

Darya had trained for long enough to know that training didn't gaurantee anything. It increased her odds, sure, but one stroke of bad luck and she could be out in the bloodbath. Darya knew she was incredible at what she did, but she wasn't delusional. She could make the wrong allies, or piss off the wrong person, or sleep in the wrong fucking tree. There were any number of decisions that could make her end. And, sure, Districts 1, 2, and 4 were having a good run in the past decade- but overall? Statistics were pretty even across all districts. They couldn't count anyone out.

"How do you know Twelve won't win? Or Ten? Or maybe this is Seven's year."

[seraphinavoulgar]

Nakedness had never been a problem for Seraphina, and she found it curious the way people reacted to it. She had never known a public place where it was suitable to be naked. Even the starved and the half mad bore rags, evidence that they were once a part of the society which now shunned them.

"Is that why you're here?" Seraphina asked as she stood up, making her way to the center of the room. "Because you have trouble sleeping?"

Once she was far enough away from her company, Seraphina pulled her dress over her head in one fluid motion. It was a simple thing, plain and frayed with more than one suspicious stain. Now it looked like nothing more than a mess of crumpled fabric.

She wore nothing underneath, so the temparature of the room met her body with a quick intensity. She sighed with pleasure, rolling her head from shoulder to shoulder as she let the heat relax her muscles. After a few moments, she made her way to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and letting her head rest gently on them, looking towards the other tribute.

"You're right," she murmured, "it's better when you're naked."

[daryamarins]

"Maybe," Darya obfuscated, their eyes still trained on their lap. If they were being truthful, they already knew they weren't going to sleep tonight. Aside from the weight of impending doom on their shoulders, they'd also be without the moonlight swim they'd taken most nights since they were ten. Without that, they knew they'd be wired and unsettled all night, desperate for the comfort of their routine.

The sauna simply wasn't going to cut it. She looked up to find the blonde stripping herself of her dress. The sauna definitely wasn't going to cut it.

Darya unfolded herself and stood up, glancing towards the other tribute as she made her way to the floor. "Comfortable?" Darya made a beeline for the door. She wouldn't consider herself a prude, per se, but nothing about being in a sauna with a naked stranger felt appealing right now. "Well, I'm getting pretty hot so I'm gonna-"

A screeching noise clawed at her ears, and then she was pressed to the wall and breathless. A second ago, there had been dim lighting throughout the sauna, but now it was completely dark. A light in the hallway momentarily washed the room in red. Okay, so it wasn't completely dark.

"What the fuck?" She whispered, dragging her feet to the door. It didn't open as she approached. She slammed her fists into it, and it still didn't budge. "What the fuck?!"

[thekaitide]

As Kai continued to stare off into the distance, the metallic, gentle hum of the train filled his ears like white noise. He found himself present, yet not. A specter floating above his own body, gazing wistfully at his meager form. The Kai Tide that had once existed was already slipping away, his atoms twisting and transmuting into something he scarcely recognized. Kai had, quite frankly, never experienced the plethora of emotions that currently stagnated him and held him prisoner. He was sure of himself, cocky even, and that was for damn sure. The sensation of crawling inside himself felt foreign – an action of a lesser, more devolved being. He loathed this feeling: meek, mild, and weak.

Kai inhaled sharply. He returned his gaze to Darya, glad that in this moment – in this neverending, hazy, terrifying moment – that it was her he found himself next to. He’d never been quite sure where the two of them stood, but Kai was so grateful it was Darya he was traveling into the belly of the beast with.

“That’s fair.” He nodded at their assessment. Nobody really could tell what was to come; nobody knew what the blood, sweat and alchemy of the Arena would give rise to. Kai wrestled with the duality of his own reasoning: he was unsure if he could kill, but he also somehow knew if it meant saving Darya that he wouldn’t hesitate for even a second. “Guess it’s better to live and find out.” He paused for a moment, mulling over his words. It was better to survive no matter the cost… right?

It has to be me or you. He felt these words like fire in his blood. He had no qualms with this conclusion. They were right – it had to be one of them. They’d spent too many hours dedicated to this very thing, and Kai would be damned if he let either of them fall at the gates of victory. Kai felt himself returning to his body, settling into his form and feeling a sense of clarity grow within him.

“Me or you.” He held up his hand, extending his pinky finger. “Promise?” His words hung in the air before he continued, “We’ll figure something out. I’ve seen a few others – we have our work cut out for us, but we can win. One of us can, I know it.”

[daryamarins]

The intricacies of their own emotions were often a mystery to Darya until they burned in their gut like fire. They often missed the inception of these feelings, unaware of a spark until their entire self was engulfed in flame. They’d wake up with an urgency, some emotion they couldn’t ignore, and all they could do was wonder when it began. But there were rare moments, like this one, that were quiet enough for them to hear the match being struck. 

They hooked their pinky around Kai’s, let a promise fall from their lips, and suddenly, they weren’t playing this game as an individual anymore. A moment ago, they’d been toying with the idea of giving it all up, of lying down and failing and making an embarrassment of their father. Now, they’d be sacrificing Kai’s chances if they did that. There was no longer a choice. One of them was going to win. Darya had to wipe the sweat and self-pity from their brow and get to work.

Darya slipped their pinky out from under Kai’s, patted his hand, and shook off whatever sentimentality had been blanketing them. It was time for strategy. They didn’t care if they weren’t in the Capitol yet. If they didn’t have the right mentality, they might as well die first. Their trainers had hammered this mindset into them since childhood. If they weren’t locked in on what they wanted from start to finish, nothing mattered. They had to stop pretending like they could will themself out of this situation. The only way out now was through. 

They were on their feet and pacing in seconds. 

“Okay, first, we need allies. We both know you’re the best candidate for that mission. Do whatever you have to do to win over the strong competitors. Anything you have to do. We should start with the siblings, from One. If anyone asks, you want to ally with me because I’m an asset. No other reason. If you need to talk shit about me, do it,” Darya ran a hand through their short curls, shaking them out as they took a second to think. Then, they were rattling off again. “As far as the training districts go, Four is the most overlooked. Use that. Play down how much you’ve actually trained. We don’t want the other trained tributes to view us as a threat until they’re sleeping next to us in the arena.”

Finally, they stopped to breathe. They looked at Kai and paused. “Too much?”

[vainitie]

“nope,” vanity said, emphasizing the second syllable. “never seen the ocean. never seen anything much larger than a pond, really.” district one didn't have a lot of anything that anyone could define as “nature” per se. the closest that they had to nature was the vineyards on the edge of the district, and those were closely monitored and highly cultivated. she'd been to one once, when she was younger, and the bugs had nearly made her run screaming. she'd had nightmares about bugs crawling on her for weeks afterwards.

“i'm really not sure,” she added, in response, resisting the urge to giggle again. she settled for what she knew was a charming smile. it was a lie — she had enough experience with alcohol to know that it made her giggly, friendly, happy. it also made her stupid, which is why she wasn't drinking now. she couldn't afford to be stupid right now. every moment counted.

“maybe it's the drink? i haven't drunk before.” also a lie. the alcoholic exports of her home district were highly regulated, but there were places to get some, if you knew where to find it.

[daryamarins]

A frown found its way onto Darya's lips before they knew to stop it. Of all times to start drinking- weeks before the event they'd trained their whole life for? They hated to think of it. Maybe Vanity hadn't been training for the Games. Or maybe she just needed to adopt a new coping mechanism, given that her life was about to be over. Darya figured she was in no place to judge, if that were the case.

"What made you want to start now?" There was genuine interest in her tone, probably for the first time since they started talking. Was there a chance someone else from the upper districts was dreading this as much as she was? Not likely. "Are you that bored already?"

[rowanburl]

Rowan’s expression didn’t change at her question - but something in his posture did. He pulled back, more guarded now. They didn’t like all the questions, and were beginning to feel like they’d already said more than they should have.

He let out a short breath, something almost like a laugh, but there was no real humour in it.

“Deer?” he jeered, with a crease between his eyebrows. “That’s for Peacekeepers and their families. Too rich for our district rat tastes, I'm sure.” he spat out bitterly.

He tilted his head slightly, and acquiesced.

“Berries, when there’s time to gather them,” they went on. “And when no one’s watching too closely.”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the trees beyond the glass, distant for a moment.

A pause. Then, like the thought slipped out before he could stop it.

“My sister collects herbs. Medicinal stuff mostly, but sometimes something makes it into the food, if we’re lucky. Makes our rations taste actually palatable...”

He shrugged painfully, like it didn’t matter now. He would likely never see his sister again.

His eyes slid back to her, sharper now.

“Though I’m guessing you didn’t have to worry much about where your food came from,” he said, with touch of reproach in his voice. “Captain’s daughter and all.”

Not quite an accusation. Not quite neutral either.

“What's with all the questions anyway” he added, feigning an unaffected nonchalance, “you got some kind of master plan... or just curious?”

[daryamarins]

The mention of medicinal herbs caught Darya's interest. It was easy to tell that he'd pulled back a bit, but this was still helpful information. What would happen to Rowan when someone more deceptive came along? They almost felt like they should warn him to be more careful. For his sake, and also for their own. This wasn't someone they wanted in another strong competitor's pocket.

"Both, I think," Darya answered truthfully. It was too exhausting to play a game of subterfuge. With all of their strengths, they didn't need dishonesty. "And I..."

Darya blew out a shaky breath, avoiding Rowan's gaze. "I'm pretty much the best swimmer in Four. I don't know why I lied about that, because it's probably pretty obvious that someone from my district can swim. And it's probably stupid to admit that I'm lying two seconds after the fact," they realized they hadn't taken a breath since they started speaking, and gasped for air. Fuck, they were bad at this. They should have left all the talking to Kai. "Anyway, it won't matter if the arena has no water."

They cleared their throat, trying to reset. They didn't really know what would come out of their mouth next. "Is it just your sister who knows about herbs? Because if any of that knowledge rubbed off on you... I think I have a skill or two I could trade for the particulars."

[vainitie]

“pleasure to meet you,” vanity said, grinning. she loved being right. she watched the other tribute watch her — their gaze falling to the drink in her hand. hopefully that meant that darya was just wondering how strongly they poured their drinks here.

“what's it like in four? i've never been,” she added, her voice high and breathy, doing her best to replicate the tone of voice she'd heard from other girls when they'd talked about boys. vanity had never had time for that sort of thing, and she'd thought that voice sounded stupid, which of course meant she intended to use it as much as possible until they got into the arena. “i heard it's pretty there.” district one was an ugly, flat place — you could see for miles and miles, and everything died in the winter, turning everything you could see an ugly shade of brown. vanity would be hard pressed to call district one pretty, which was ironic given the industry's exports, all of which were things that glitter and gleamed and shone.

“i mean, i guess i'll see it for myself when the train gets there. but that's not the same,” she adds, with a giggle.

[daryamarins]

"It is pretty," Darya mused pathetically. Pretty was an understatement. Darya was pretty sure being born in District Four was the luckiest thing to ever happen to her. She loved it: the salty air, the chilly mornings, the scorching afternoons. She loved the pace of the days there, the way everyone was always busy but never rushing. She even loved the sand in retrospect. The only thing she'd change about her home was that her father was there. But that was way too many words to say to this stranger.

"So you've never seen the ocean? Or...swam in it?" Darya frowned. What a terrible way to live, and an even worse way to die. They opened their mouth to ask more about the bodies of water within District One, but found another thought surfacing instead. They couldn't hold back their curiosity. "And why are you giggling so much?"

[thekaitide]

A single droplet of water, plummeting down from the heavens above with tearful remorse, crashing into a watery expanse just below. Ripples of kinetic energy radiate outward, entropy colliding with entropy as saline waves heave with delightful chaos-- such is the domain where Kai's mind slips off to whenever it is in need of an escape. He often thinks of the rain drizzling down on the sand; of cloudy shorelines and tempestuous surf. His first love had been the sea, and in times of distress his mind always races back to her. Kai found himself longing for the dark, limitless expanse that his eyes would peer into whenever night fell upon District 4. He missed his rickety home with its years-old gate, its metal corroded by the low hanging marine layer that hugged all of 4.

Now, all that remained of his home was the tribute next to him, shoulder against shoulder as his gaze met a pair of captivating brown irises. The fear of them ending up here had always resided in the back of his mind -- like the sleek body of some apex predator, stalking in the shadows, eyes glittering in the moonlight. Now, it had become a reality.

He nodded at her words, a small chuckle escaping his lips when Darya finally began speaking in jest. "But my ass is so nice, why would they kick it..." he pouted jokingly before the tone intensified once more. He nodded solemnly, taking a deep breath before exhaling long and slow. "I know. I'm not gonna hurt you either."

Kai his words linger in the air for a bit before clearing his throat. "I mean, not that I can hold a candle to ya." He gave them a playful nudge with his shoulder. "Fast in water, fast on land. Always the best. Crowd's gonna love you." He then bit his lip in contemplation, contemplating his next words before finally asking, "Do you really think you'll be able to do it? You know..." He hung his head down a bit, struggling to muster the courage to speak the words. If he did, he knew he was in it for real. "Kill?"

[daryamarins]

Trust was a scarce resource in Darya's life, and not something she expected to have a scrap of in the Games. That was a fact she had long been at terms with. After all, who could support her better than herself? But there had been a far-off feeling her entire life, a distant beckoning. It begged her to be soft, to share her burden with someone else. It had been easily ignored for years, but now her entire life was turned on its head. She just needed something to fucking believe in. She allowed herself to lean into him, her shoulder pressing against his.

Crowd's gonna love you. Darya felt a short huff of air escape her nose- a whisper of a laugh. If there was anyone the Capitol would love, it was Kai. He was just their type. She opened her mouth to say as much when she noticed how hard he was thinking and stopped in her tracks. It was unsettling to see his demeanor change so quickly, so Darya pushed herself up and turned to face him completely.

The second he asked the question, she regretted being in his direct line of sight. Her eyes darted away, studying her hands in her lap like they might have some sort of answer. She knew what those hands were capable of. She just didn't know- couldn't know- if her mind would allow it. "I think...," she sucked in her cheek and bit down. Silence stretched on longer than she meant it to. "I think no one knows what they're capable of right now."

"I mean, I think I could. Yes. I could," A sharp inhale, then a brief attempt to look up at Kai before their gaze fell back to their hands. "I just don't know if I could live with myself afterwards. That's going to be... That would be the hard part."

"We need to figure something out, Kai. I can't die for nothing, and I refuse to kill for nothing... So it has to be me or you."

[rowanburl]

Rowan looked at her hand for a moment.

The gesture felt… off. Not wrong, exactly. Just out of place here. Like something from a different world.

He hesitated, then took it, wrapping his larger, calloused hand around hers briefly before letting go again.

“Rowan,” he said, nodding tersely.

His eyes flicked over her, taking in the way she carried herself: steady, precise, unflinching. Could probably hold her own in a fight, he thought. Maybe even quietly dangerous. Was she testing them—or just being friendly? Hard to tell.

“Besides the usual,” he said, rolling his eyes and letting a hint of a smile touch his lips. “We hunt, fell trees, try and make sure the forest doesn’t swallow us whole.”

They shrugged and decided there was no real harm in being friendly. For now. “As for me, its pretty much the same as anyone who works the forest,” they said. “Cut. Haul. Climb when you have to.”

A pause. Then a teasing half-smile. “Though I’d bet you’re more at home in the ocean than up a tree.”

[daryamarins]

The roughness of his hands served as a warning. Sure, Darya had their own calluses: from grip fighting, from ropes, from running. It was armor, and they'd chosen it, careful not to let any part of their body get too worn. It was obvious that Rowan hadn't had a choice. He'd probably spent countless hours with an axe in hand, just because he had to. That instinct to survive was something Darya knew not to discount.

"Rowan," they repeated. Their stomach churned at the sound of it. It would be easier not to know anyone's name. It would be easier not to try conversing with them at all. They wiped at their pants and looked back to the trees, desperate to ground themself.

They listened to Rowan rattle off each of their abilities. Nothing Darya couldn't have guessed, but still far too honest. Their eyes flicked back to him as he teased. For a moment, they considered telling the truth. The moment passed. "Well, my father's a ship captain," they started. That part was true, at least. "Spent most of my childhood on deck, so I guess I feel more comfortable on top of the ocean than in it."

In truth, Darya's father hardly let her near his ship. She wasn't sure why, but she didn't care to ask. She hated that hunk of wood, and she hated the crew that worked it. But she knew everyone would assume correctly that she was a strong swimmer. It was never too early to start a campaign of confusion. That campaign would probably be more effective if she were any good at lying. One follow-up question and she'd be figured out.

"Do you eat a lot of fish in Seven?" She deflected. "Or is it mostly...deer? Rabbit? Berries?"

[vainitie]

milk. that was interesting. maybe vanity needn't have bothered pretending to drink, if this was her competition.

“well, it's always nice that when my skincare routine gets the acknowledgement it deserves,” vanity said, smiling. her routine consisted of buying stolen products from the factories, and those certainly didn't come cheap. when she won the games, she wouldn't have to resort to factory leftovers and what could be smuggled out in a sleeve any longer. that victor's stipend was going to be put to good use.

“i'm vanity. from one,” vanity said, and then, because she couldn't resist, added, “why, don't i look like enough of a luxury?” she batted her eyes at the other tribute dramatically, almost clumsily — all the better to sell the tipsy act with.

“you don't look so underfed yourself... so i'm guessing you're from four?” she was guessing, but she would've bet money on it, if she'd been a betting kind of girl — they couldn't have been two, and that left very few districts where there was enough food to go around, four being one of them.

[daryamarins]

Darya blinked awkwardly, not knowing what to say in response to the eyelash-fluttering. They were almost positive they hadn't made an expression like that in their entire life. They eyed the drink in her hand curiously. They were only allowed two drinks a day- was it that easy to get drunk? That, or the girl- Vanity, apparently- was a real lightweight.

Their gaze snapped back to her face when she guessed their District correctly. Someone was observant. "You think I'm well-fed? Could be a mayor's kid from a lower district," they shrugged, taking their milk gratefully from the avox. "Or... a merchant. Or something."

"But I'm not," they sighed, taking a sip of milk. "I'm Darya. From Four."

[thekaitide]

"Soooooo, you're not here to kiss and makeup?" Kai was incorrigible, but the modicum of decency he maintained meant he knew he couldn't keep up the antics for long. He smirked that infamous, lop-sided grin of his before lifting his shoulders in a shrug and putting his hands up in defeat. "Kidding. I'm kidding, Darya."

Their next question hit Kai in the chest with the same velocity of the bullet train that they were currently floating along in. "I- what? Vote for you?" Kai stuttered, genuinely taken aback. "Shit, Darya, you're the one who's gotta be joking now." He let out a huff of air, quickly coming to the conclusion that this conversation was getting dire, and fast. God, Kai hated serious conversations like these -- serious conversations of any kind, really. The directness of Darya's words crawled under his skin and nestled into his nerves before giving them a slight shock. He looked down at the floor in meditation before realizing he still needed to adorn himself with more than just a towel and a shirt. "Give me a sec."

Kai ducked into the lavatory, shutting the door behind him and dropping a towel before amending boxers and joggers to his increasingly chic ensemble. He exited the bathroom, eyes fixed on the other Tribute from 4 before sighing. "I didn't vote for you." He spoke the truth, running fingers through locks still slick with perfumed moisture. "You shouldn't be here. Even if your father did basically ship you off." His words were meant to be kind, but he regretted mentioning their father as soon as he said it.

He slowly sauntered over to the edge of his bed, lowering himself to the floor and resting his back against the edge of the mattress. He took another sigh, eyes plaintively staring off into the distance. "This place is already fucked up. Like, really fucked up." He patted the carpeted floor next to him, offering a seat to, perhaps, the only other person in the world that he could currently trust.

[daryamarins]

It was disconcerting to see Kai get so flustered, stumbling over his words like that. Then Darya followed his gaze to his scantily clad bottom half and understood. She probably should have let the guy get dressed before asking if he wanted her to die. She focused on steadying her breath as he changed in the restroom, trying not to read into the fact that he didn't answer right away.

Tension left her shoulders the second he confirmed it, and then returned at the mention of her father. There probably wasn't a soul in the district that he hadn't told to vote for his child. They could only imagine how much he rejoiced when the Quell was announced. Darya sank down solemnly next to Kai, their shoulder brushing his gently. There was no use staying sorry for themself, especially when everyone else in their position would be trying to kill them soon.

Well, all but one. Hopefully.

"You don't deserve to be here either," they said finally. A beat of silence. They pulled their knees up to their chest. They could feel the discomfort radiating off of Kai, so they followed up with a small smile. "I mean, I could easily list, like, ten people back home that could kick your ass."

She'd meant it to lighten the mood, but she didn't like the aftertaste of the joke. She cleared her throat, looking at him seriously again. "You know I'm not gonna hurt you in there, right?"

[thekaitide]

The relentless heat from the summer sun in District 4 -- coupled with the recycled air of his new, temporary home -- resulted in a layer of grime and sweat that enveloped his body in the most undesirable of ways. His memory of the Reaping seemed to belong to that of another person -- far off, hazy, and riddled with static like some bad television connection. In reality it had only been that morning, weak streams of moonlight pouring in through the cylindrical window of his private room and pooling on the ornately carpeted floor. He'd stripped off his clothes and entered the shower, turning and poking intricate knobs and buttons before a downpour of water cascaded down from the ceiling. "Oceanside Bliss" was the fragrance he'd managed to punch in to the panel, but the aroma that filled the room was the furthest thing that he knew of the sea. Kai's line of sight fixed itself on the drain, watching the water swirl into an aqueous vortex, washing away the last remnants of District 4. His heart already ached for the brine and the moorings, the sensation of his toes nestling into the warm twilight sand. Truth be told, he couldn't quite wrap his head around what was going on. One second, he was in 4, mentally plotting his evening plans when suddenly--

A knock at the door. He missed it the first time, but the urgency of the second and a faint "Kai!" finally registered in his psyche. He quickly shut off the shower -- as fast as his unfamiliar fingers could -- before hastily wrapping a towel around his waist and heading for the door. As infamous as Kai would soon be, there was only one human who could possibly shout his name with such familiarity.

The door opened with a metallic swoosh and sure as the tide rises, there they were.

"Darya Marin," he beamed, running his fingers through decently wet hair before crossing his arms. Darya was a familar face. Darya meant home. Kai leaned against the door frame, glistening and damn near half-nude. "We've gotta stop meeting like this."

He quickly flicked on the light, motioning for the other tribute from Four to enter his abode. Capable hands slipped themselves into a mundane gray shirt before he pulled it down over his head and onto his body. "How ya holding up, kid wonder?"

[daryamarins]

Something that had been tied up in Darya's gut finally unraveled at the sight of Kai. Even his stupid pickup line, which usually elicited nothing but an eyeroll, made the corners of their mouth twitch upward. They pushed their way past him, catching the unfamiliar scent hanging in the air. They weren't sure they knew what Kai usually smelled like, but they knew this wasn't it. They paused for a second, looking at him curiously, and when he asked how they were holding up? Their eyebrow shot up in the air.

"How do you think I'm holding up, Kai?" They absentmindedly paced the length of the room, dragging their fingertips along the wall.

They hadn't explored every corner of their emotions yet; they weren't sure they'd have the time. But there was one thought that had rattled around in their head all day: Did anyone see them for more than their talents? A small part of them had hoped that, someday, their father would wake up and realize he couldn't bear the thought of losing his only child. They thought that if they worked hard enough, people would see that they were indispensable to the community.

When they were voted into the Games, no one seemed scared of losing them. Maybe Darya should feel good that everyone had so much confidence in them, but it stung to know that no one wanted them to stay. They spared a glance at Kai. Did he know how they were feeling? Or did he also think of her as the sum of her abilities?

"Did you vote for me?" The words fell out of their lips like dominoes, quick and unstoppable. There were things Darya had to know before privacy was a thing of the past- before cameras followed their every move. She could only hope Kai took this seriously.

[vainitie]

vanity raised an eyebrow as she looked at the other tribute. what they were doing was a clear power play — sit down, wait for vanity to talk first.

vanity knew the game they were playing. and like with all games, she was in it to win. she took a long, slow sip of her drink, trying desperately to ignore the squirming, uncomfortable feeling that was settling itself in underneath her ribs.

the problem, of course, with this game, was that vanity was not the kind of girl who liked silence. she couldn't stand silence, in fact.

“like what you see?” she asked, her voice calm and smooth and easy, in no way betraying her real feelings.

her mother's voice rings in her ears. you need to do better than this, vanity. this is the hunger games. you need to learn to keep your mouth shut.

she takes another long sip of her drink, wishing for a brief moment that there was gin in her drink. at least that would help shut her mother's voice up.

[daryamarins]

The staring contest that ensued was, to say the least, extremely entertaining. Darya could have sat and stared all day. She noticed the way the girl couldn't sit completely still, the way she sipped her drink just to have something to do.

When the silence was finally broken, Darya leaned back in her stool, a dangerous smile playing at her lips. "Haven't decided yet."

Darya leaned her elbows on the bar, waving the avox over. She didn't drink- had never had a drop of alcohol in her life- and she wasn't about to start now. There were plenty of things she might regret not doing before the Arena, but drinking wasn't one of them. So when the avox looked expectantly at her, she ordered a tall glass of milk.

"So, are you from One or Two?" Darya didn't bother turning her body towards the blonde, but she addressed her with her eyes. "Can't be from one of the outer districts. You look like you moisturize."

[seraphinavoulgar]

She watched with undisguised interest as the tribute continued to warm the sauna, noting the increased steam and the hiss of the coals. She wasn't even sure District 10 had an equivalent to this place - nothing that she was aware of, at least - but it seemed to be a familiar environment to her company. More evidence of the kind of life they had lived before finding themselves on the train.

"I didn't know it was that bad," she felt oddly protective of the odour that radiated from her skin, "it was fine 'til I came in here."

Truthfully, she had felt the grease in her hair and the grime under her nails some days ago, but had not felt inclined to wash it away. The bathroom attached to her room on the train only had a shower, and she was immediately averse to all the buttons and knobs that she was faced with.

She didn't trust where the water came from, didn't understand how they were able to hook the water up to the train and keep it flowing. The shower was useless to her - at least with a tub she'd be able to see the water she was using, watching the dirt and dead skin cling to the surface as she scrubbed.

She looked at the person before her, with their straight shoulders and quiet confidence, and sighed. Perhaps it could be interesting to see how their lives differed, how the things that came naturally to Seraphina would be completely foreign to the person whose head now rested against the wall.

"You've been in here before?" Her words felt stilted and unnatural, and she hesitated slightly before approaching the girl and sitting beside her. "A sauna, I mean?"

[daryamarins]

The stench grew closer, and Darya was surprised to hear the girl settling in next to her. She cracked an eye open and glanced over lazily. She parted her lips so she could mouth-breath and withstand this person's company for a bit longer.

"I have," they nod. They'd never thought of it as a privilege, but it was apparent that some districts didn't have comforts like this. In District Four, they even had saunas that floated on rafts. Darya decided not to mention that. "Usually people get naked for these."

Finally, Darya pried open their second eye. Their eyes caught on the stranger's grease-slicked hair, then dropped to her blood-crusted nails. It was likely that her nails were a product of their current circumstances. Darya had bitten their own nails down to stubs in the quiet of their room. It was a reminder that they were the same now. Maybe yesterday she'd been privileged, but today she was just a lamb to the slaughter.

"I'm not encouraging you to get naked, by the way," Darya pressed her palm to her brow and swept some sweat away. "Just be prepared to sweat a lot. It's supposed to help you release toxins. Could help you sleep."

[rowanburl]

Rowan heard them the moment they stepped into the train car.

The space had been quiet before, but their presence settled into it, disturbing the fragile sense of refuge he had managed to find. His shoulders tightened slightly, though he kept his eyes on the passing tree line beyond the glass.

At their words, he frowned faintly.

“I didn’t realise we’d travelled so far,” he said, more to the horizon than to them. A small pause. “Maybe you’re right.”

Only then did he glance over, brief and measured, before looking away again.

At the mention of the sequoias, something in his expression shifted—subtle, but wistful.

“I’ve seen them,” he said. “Near the coast.”

His hand came to rest against the cool glass, fingers pressing lightly, as if grounding himself. He shifted his weight, still aware of them lingering nearby.

“Not used to being this far from it,” he added, quieter, unable to fully hide the note of sorrow in his voice.

[daryamarins]

Darya's interest was piqued when he mentioned the coast. He probably knew how to swim, then. Maybe he'd even fished before. They looked over at him, but all their curiosity died when they saw how sad he was. She recognized the feeling because she was pretty sure it was in her, too. But if she was going to be a threat, she couldn't be as obvious about it as he was.

"District Seven, then? We're neighbors," her tone was even, her expression unmoving. Then, a flicker of a smile. She extended her hand towards him in a way that felt unnatural. "I'm Darya."

It was strange to introduce herself to someone she'd have to be killing in a few weeks, especially when the person seemed so...normal. Maybe he'd even be likable if the circumstances were different- hard to tell, really. The important thing was that he was open. If she kept being cordial, maybe she could get a read on his strengths before they got to the Capitol.

"What do you guys do in Seven, besides cut down trees and make paper?"

[daryamarins]

@thekaitide

Darya would knock down the train walls if she could. She missed the wind, the smell of salt in the air, the moon's reflection on the waves. The moon was barely visible now, and it didn't look the same as it did in her district. The sunset looked different too- less vibrant, and smaller in a way. She could see a District Four sunset again, if she tried hard enough. She would lie back on the beach, a bottle of wine in hand, laughing about how she'd never credit her father for any of her accomplishments. Maybe that was worth winning for.

If she wanted to win, or to tell her father off someday, she knew who she needed at her side. Kai Tide was a thorn in her side for years. When they were younger, she was so annoyed by all his flattery that she shut him out completely. She couldn't quite remember when that changed. It just took her a while to see their similarities, she supposed.

Now, she was ready to knock his door down. "Kai!" She slammed the side of her fist into the metal, probably more urgently than needed. "Are you in there?"

[vainitie]

vanity moved like a woman on a mission. as soon as her door unlocked, vanity was headed straight for the bar car, a smile on her lips and a sway in her hips. there was no need for her to say goodbye to her beloved district — after all, in only a few short weeks, she'd be back here, a victory crown placed delicately on her head and wearing a beautiful gown that was sure to be the envy of the district.

no, what vanity needed to do was assess the competition — surely district one hadn't been the only district clever enough to realize that this year they didn't have to risk sending in some unprepared, underfed child. this year, they could send in the best of the best, and vanity wanted to know who, exactly, she was up against. sure, some of the outer districts had probably failed to put two and two together, but there were enough districts that she knew that some of them had to have sent someone worth competing against.

she takes a seat at the bar, on one of the fine leather stools. she waves a hand, ordering a tonic with ice and lime. it was the perfect drink to make it appear as though she was drinking alcohol, while surreptitiously keeping all of her wits about her, and the only one who would be the wiser was the bartender, and, well — it wasn't as though an avox could tell on her, now could they?

[daryamarins]

After seeing the entirety of the train, Darya was content with sticking to their car for the rest of the trip. The dining car, too, of course. They could do without the sightseeing or the spa days. When they got back to their car, they'd have to find Kai. They'd trained together for years, and it was almost a given that they were going to be allies. They didn't know how his usual tactics would work on this batch of tributes, but he was at least better with people than they were. It was probably best to let him do the talking and to keep their mouth shut until they made it to the tribute center.

Oh, fuck- Darya winced as she accidentally made eye contact with the blonde sitting at the bar. The girl had a healthy complexion, shiny hair, and a dangerous glint in her eye- very reminiscent of the District One tributes of the past few years.

Reluctantly, Darya put her hurried mission on pause. It would be a rookie mistake to make eye contact with a possibly well-trained tribute and simply walk away like it hadn't happened. Instead, she sat right next to the girl and stared intently at her, studying her face and the way she sat and the drink in her hand. It was her way of saying hello.