He didn't respond right away and Jo studied him for a moment. She supposed she'd hidden in her room the day she'd been reaped, so he seemed to be doing better than her at least.
"Earth to Elias." She replied, eyes glancing out the window as there was a lurch and the train started moving. "I know it's hard, but you gotta get your head outta the trees." And in the present. It was hard. She'd seen his family, the look of distress on their faces. She was sure that his goodbyes with his families hadn't been a quiet affair.
"There's a show you gotta put on, so I'd start thinking right now about how you want the Capitol to see you." It was a suggestion. She'd known from the minute she boarded the train that she would play the weak card. She was shorter than average and had been less well fed four years ago than now. It'd been easy enough.
Elias just nodded silently to her words, although it was hard to tell if he was fully absorbing them. The shock that he was going through was still very apparent, especially considering his normally optimistic approach to things, but he tried to be respectful to Johanna, especially since she was most likely going to be his ticket to getting home. He finally looked up at her at her last words, eyes still red and distressed from the tears he shed on the stage.
"A show? I'm already going into the arena so that they can throw whatever they want from me. Why do I have to put on a show? Can't they just see me for me?" his voice cracked a bit, dry from use (or sobbing, really). He felt rather pathetic, especially in front of a recent victor, but his exhaustion from the event weighed against everything.
She was the last one on the train. Always was. She liked to see how long she could hold out before pissing the escort off enough to make her scream and yell. Jo got a kick out of that. The Capitol hissy fits could always put a smile on her face even after having to sit back and watch two tributes be reaped. This was only her fourth year and it had sucked putting names on the papers for the reaping bowls.
But eventually she did saunter onto the train. Taking one look around the cabin, she went and plopped into an overstuffed chair, raising a brow as the escort followed her onto the train mumbling something about being off schedule now. Jo snorted before turning her gaze on the only other occupant as their escort disappeared down the hall. "I don't know what's got her panties in a bunch." She remarked. She knew Elias, didn't know who'd put his name in the bowl, but knew him. At least they weren't doomed this year, that was if Elias could find it in himself to kill others.
Elias had found a seat in the lavish center of the train cars, practically sinking into one of the decadent leather armchairs. Perhaps any other time he might have taken in the scenery of such a fancy facility, but he could only sit in silence as he gazed out at nothing. At the very least, the fur that he had been decorated with by his father seemed to hug his shoulders like a blanket, but it just felt like a painful reminder that this family heirloom may never be brought back to be passed down further.
In his hands, he held a collection of things his family has practically taken off their bodies as little tokens to keep with him- a ribbon, handkerchief, necklace, etc. He could still hear his younger siblings' wails as they had to drag them out and get him aboard the train. It haunted him. In fact, he was so lost in it that he had hardly noticed the escort and the victor enter, and as Johanna spoke, he almost jumped.
"Hmm?" he mumbled, his head clearly in another world right now.
"God, what are your mentors and stylist and escort doing?" She scoffed, her displaced anger still evident. Logically the boy had done nothing wrong. However, her mind lived in a near constant state of illogical. It was completely illogical to see Justice standing just to the side of the boy. It was completely illogical to be angry at the boy just for being in a public space. It was completely illogical to snap at him. But here they were.
"Stop looking at me like that." She huffed, though it wasn't aimed at the tribute, but at the smirking ghost who hovered near his shoulder. "It's the middle of the night," this to Elias, "you have to be up at like the ass crack of dawn. You're supposed to be in bed sleeping, not down here."
He folded in on himself a bit, trying to make himself look smaller at her anger, as if that would help the situation. He wasn't afraid of her hitting him or anything- that wasn't allowed and she didn't seem like she would- but he didn't exactly want to be hated by anyone associated with the games.
His eyes snapped down to the floor and away from her when asked to, as if it was an order he was taking and not just because she told him to. He would have to move towards her to actually heed her words, and it seemed like that might make her angrier.
"Sorry, ma'am... I just couldn't sleep and the room wasn't making it easier. I thought I'd find some solace in the atrium..."
Elias shifted uncomfortably as he approached the horse that was pulling District 7's chariot. While he was glad that the outfit wasn't as basic as it always was, the decision to use actual wood as the basis of the outfit made it horrible stiff and itchy.
His outfit was at least better than his district partner's, and seemed more suffocating than his own. He could at least admire the handicraft in it, with supporting pieces like a waist cincher, collar, and end of the sleeves made out of carving wood. For the more malleable parts, pieces of woods had been carved almost like scales or feathers, overlapping and creating something he could move in. Despite having no pine in the design, he smelled heavily of it, as his stylist had sprayed him down with a perfume that smelled exactly like a chemical version of the woods at home; it was unbearable.
He focused on the feeling of the coarse hair of his chariot's horse under his fingers, trying not to think about the crowd he was about to be paraded in front of. He had never cared much for crowds, and even if they'd be away from him, he wasn't ready for the feeling it gave him.
In District 7, you never felt exposed except when you went into a clear cut area. Maybe something was watching you in the woods in secret, but you could also be watching someone else. Even with the tall buildings and skyscrapers, nothing felt so exposing as being in the Capitol with everyone blatantly watching you. It was unnerving, and he felt like a rabbit wandering into a fox den.
Then again, he supposed that that may be exactly what it was.
Trying to distract himself from the thought, he looked around for a familiar face, but didn't find any that weren't busy with their own fancy outfits and chariots. Thoughts flooded his mind, and it took everything to figure out how to react. Wanting to show pride for his district, at the absolute least, he practiced a warm smile, as if the people out there weren't consumers of him as an object, but people back at home, happy to see him representing their home and their people.
He was doing this for his friends and his family. He would look handsome and perfect and at home they'd think that he'd really cleaned up and presented himself nicely. That was all that mattered.
Perhaps a rabbit in a fox den, but one that could make its way through.
Elias shook his hands, not having wanted her to apologize for something that was completely understandable.
"No! I mean, it makes sense. We've never met before. We can think of this as a proper introduction. Instead of just one that was kind of forced on us, I guess."
His head started to tilt on its own, wondering what it could be like. The Capitol played in his minds eye, but he quickly shook that out of his head; it was much too fancy. Thinking of Pike's reaping, he imagined the landscape near the justice building, when he realized he hadn't seen one. Was that it? Just gray as far as the eye could see? If this place was suffocating, he couldn't imagine how District 3 was.
"That sounds... like something," he grimaced, trying not to be too mean about what sounded like a nightmare to him. "I mean, I certainly wouldn't do well there."
He hums as he turns to look at the tree, thinking of home a bit wistfully, and clearly not minding as she got closer to sit; he didn't seem to have any inhibitions against the other tribute, naively enough.
"I mean, its definitely beautiful. But its not like here. Forests are sectioned off into specific kinds of trees- hard woods and soft woods. There aren't as many flowering trees and such, as they aren't as good for lumber. But there are some. It's still nice. But then of course, logging season comes, and huge chunks get taken out. Luckily, the Capitol mostly understands old growth, so clearcutting doesn't take away all the forests..."
Pike nodded, a small but still slightly awkward smile growing on her face. "Yeah, um... true," she agreed.
Her smile then turned slightly sad as he responded to what she would call "home." "Yeah, no, I um... if you're used to trees and greenery, you probably wouldn't."
She had a passing thought that he probably had an advantage in the arena, given it would be more likely to have a place filled with trees than technology. Still, she didn't voice it; this conversation was supposed to be light, not... that.
Her smile turned a bit more genuine as he continued talking. He seemed to know what he was talking about. Maybe Seven was similar to Three in that the young ones learned the trade of the district early. "Do you work in lumber? Or do you go to school? Or both?" She was genuinely curious, but she also couldn't shut up the part of her brain that was thinking about the games; knowing every tribute's strengths and weaknesses would be beneficial.
Elias tried to smile at the awkward introduction, but didn't say more so as to hopefully let the tension dissipate as they talked. It didn't seem to help though, considering he had practically just insulted Pike's home district.
"Well, I suppose that goes for anyone in another district, yeah? Maybe you'd go to District 7 and hate all the mosquitos and poison ivy," he tried with a laugh, hoping it came across well enough.
She seemed to be loosening up a little bit, not looking so stiff and afraid of him, which was enough to subconsciously relax his own body as well. He leaned back on his arms casually, more than happy to answer any questions about his home; it made all of this feel like it wasn't some horrific event that he might never come home from.
"Ah, everyone in 7 does a little bit of both; trees are very versatile in that way. I don't think there's ever a time where kids aren't working- it's not mandatory when you're that young, but its easy enough to help out. Sticks, twigs, and even bark can be used in mulching and sources for fuel, so it's not uncommon to see kids with bundles of them for an extra penny from the factory managers. The older you get, the bigger bundles you can carry, and eventually you can go into the old growth and fell some non-lumber trees that they use for wood detailing. Kids are also great for climbing up high, since the tops of the trees can only hold a certain weight. So- Er, sorry, I didn't mean to start a whole lecture..." he said with a slight flush to his cheeks and an embarrassed look away from the other tribute.
She couldn't sleep. Never could when she was in the Capitol, but especially couldn't now that her own district partner's little brother was in the games. What had the little shit been thinking? She had run away from her own floor, tried to hide and sleep on District One's floor, but that hadn't help. So she'd thrown the covers off, pulled on the flannel that was easily two sized two big and headed down to the lobby.
It was only as she stepped off the elevator that he appeared next to her. She thought she was alone on the main floor at this late hour and so instead of snapping at him, she carried on conversation in whispered tones as she wandered around the silent floor. He wasn't bothering her now, wasn't making her look insane.
But soon enough she found that she wasn't alone and she froze, meeting eyes with one of the tributes. "You're not supposed to be down here at this time of night." She snapped, irate that she wasn't alone and yet hopeful that he hadn't heard her talking to Justice, the ghost of her dead district partner.
Elias had heard little whispers echoing through the empty floor, but he hadn't paid much attention to them. It was more so about how close they seemed to be getting, rather than the contents of their words. Even with that warning though, it did little to keep him from jumping at the other woman's words, shrugging away from her direction as she snapped at him.
"I-I'm sorry. I didn't think this was an off limits things, and the doors weren't locked to the rooms, so I assumed we could wander as long as it was in the building common areas..."
He wanted to get up instinctually to leave, but she was in between him and the elevators, and he wasn't sure where else to go without passing her and giving her a wide berth. Still, he stood to show her his intention, trying to keep a kind expression.
Glancing around her face, he tried to think of where he knew her from as a sense of familiarity grew in his mind. She wasn't one of the tributes, considering he had watched all of their reapings on the way here, but she didn't seem to be some Capitol person, because he had never been bothered to know those people besides the really important ones. Perhaps she was a stylist, or a mentor, or a victor, but he couldn't pin point it for sure.
She nodded slowly. "Yeah, um... y-yeah, sorry, I guess normally introducing myself is kind of stupid, huh?" She didn't like this; she wasn't used to feeling stupid. Awkward? Definitely, that was normal to her. But stupid? No.
At his question, she tilted her head back and forth. "I mean... some? Like there are some small ones in the town square where the Reaping happens but it's mostly just... concrete and pollution." She chuckled sadly before looking around at the plants again. "Is this what Seven is like? Just all this... beauty?"
She knew she had to keep her guard up around other tributes, she couldn't help but slowly gravitate to a seat near him; it would be nice to have a somewhat normal conversation that didn't talk about the inevitable killing and such.
Elias shook his hands, not having wanted her to apologize for something that was completely understandable.
"No! I mean, it makes sense. We've never met before. We can think of this as a proper introduction. Instead of just one that was kind of forced on us, I guess."
His head started to tilt on its own, wondering what it could be like. The Capitol played in his minds eye, but he quickly shook that out of his head; it was much too fancy. Thinking of Pike's reaping, he imagined the landscape near the justice building, when he realized he hadn't seen one. Was that it? Just gray as far as the eye could see? If this place was suffocating, he couldn't imagine how District 3 was.
"That sounds... like something," he grimaced, trying not to be too mean about what sounded like a nightmare to him. "I mean, I certainly wouldn't do well there."
He hums as he turns to look at the tree, thinking of home a bit wistfully, and clearly not minding as she got closer to sit; he didn't seem to have any inhibitions against the other tribute, naively enough.
"I mean, its definitely beautiful. But its not like here. Forests are sectioned off into specific kinds of trees- hard woods and soft woods. There aren't as many flowering trees and such, as they aren't as good for lumber. But there are some. It's still nice. But then of course, logging season comes, and huge chunks get taken out. Luckily, the Capitol mostly understands old growth, so clearcutting doesn't take away all the forests..."
He stared at the newcomer for a moment until he realized who she was, expecting someone but certainly not another tribute. Perhaps it was confusion about how all this worked or just naivety though, since all of them shared the same building and nothing stopped them from meeting inside the facility. Maybe he had hoped he'd get some alone time this late at night.
He rolled his lips, thinking just a bit about self image as he uncurled his legs from his leg, trying to not seem so scared. He isn't sure if it helped though.
"Oh, no, it's fine! It's not like it's my atrium or anything- it's for anyone to use," he explained, trying to not get her to run away just because he was there. Maybe that wasn't what she was concerned about, he thought a bit too late.
"I mean, sorry, I just... Needed some nature...?"
He really didn't know how to talk to the other tributes from other districts. He wanted to be nice- instinctually seeing a lot of scared kids that he wanted to reassure; its something he would like right about now. But weren't they enemies? Most of them didn't seem like it... He was still trying to wrap his head around the concept, and it was dizzying.
With the lights from the outside city hitting his face, Pike finally recognized who he was; Seven's boy. Elias, she thought his name was? She remembered every reaping, just maybe not the names exactly; they'd be harder to watch die eventually if she memorized all the names, she thought.
Still, she remembered his silent tears; practically the opposite of what she had done. The sponsors probably liked his reaction more than hers; she was jealous in a terrible sort of way.
Still, that wasn't what she should've been thinking about then, so she just focused on the other.
He seemed almost as scared as she was. Why? He was like twice her size, could probably snap her like a twig (pun unintended). What did he have to be afraid of?
"No, y-yeah, um... that makes sense, with, like... where you're from, and all," she agreed. "I um... I'm from Three, so... we don't have stuff like this there."
She looked around at the pretty foliage for a moment before realizing in her panic that she had forgotten her manners. "Oh, sorry, I'm Pike."
As he watched her talk, he only felt a bit discouraged- while her face and demeanor seemed hard to read, her words gave her away as just as awkward and scared as he was. It didn’t feel like the kind of danger his mentor has warned him about. This just seemed like a meeting of happenstance. Just in the middle of a bright and new Capitol atrium rather than the forests of home.
“Yeah… Pike Everheart of District 3. I’m Elias Hawthorne, District 7. But it seems like you already know that…?”
He had watched all of the reapings, of course, learning in detail about the people whose names had been drawn alongside his. He didn’t think going in blind would help, and gathering information seemed like the right thing to do. Moreso, he just wondered if everyone felt as strange as he did going up there. From what he remembered, Pike clearly was level headed enough not to completely lock up and actually feel the severity of the situation- something he still couldn’t quite get a grasp on.
He tried changing to something he knew, but also did have an air of genuine curiosity about him.
Despite being in the comfiest bed in her entire life and eating the best food she'd ever tasted, her thoughts still wouldn't stop. She was worried about how her father would be able to care for himself once she went down in the arena, then tried to push that thought aside to what she could do to make sure she got back to him. She was going over what her mentors had already tried to instill in her while also remembering what she had seen of the other reapings, and...
Her mind wouldn't shut up. So she went for a walk.
She wasn't sure exactly where she was going, but she made sure to take mental notes as she walked so she would be able to retrace her steps as she returned.
Alright, the elevator is here, I'm about to take a right, which would be a left coming back, past this television...
She had entered a room she wasn't expecting to be so flush with life as this one. For the first time since the Reaping, the slight tug of her lips upwards was genuine, just enjoying seeing the plants. She never really got to see that many in Three, so this was a rare treat for her.
She was idly running her fingers over a leaf when she looked up and saw she was not alone.
"Ah!" she exclaimed, jumping back in surprise before catching her breath. "I... phew, sorry, didn't, um... didn't see you there."
He stared at the newcomer for a moment until he realized who she was, expecting someone but certainly not another tribute. Perhaps it was confusion about how all this worked or just naivety though, since all of them shared the same building and nothing stopped them from meeting inside the facility. Maybe he had hoped he'd get some alone time this late at night.
He rolled his lips, thinking just a bit about self image as he uncurled his legs from his chest, trying to not seem so scared. He isn't sure if it helped though.
"Oh, no, it's fine! It's not like it's my atrium or anything- it's for anyone to use," he explained, trying to not get her to run away just because he was there. Maybe that wasn't what she was concerned about, he thought a bit too late.
"I mean, sorry, I just... Needed some nature...?"
He really didn't know how to talk to the other tributes from other districts. He wanted to be nice- instinctually seeing a lot of scared kids that he wanted to reassure; its something he would like right about now. But weren't they enemies? Most of them didn't seem like it... He was still trying to wrap his head around the concept, and it was dizzying.
Despite the long train ride that got him here, the many teary goodbyes, the complete barrage by stylists and escorts, and the fact that he was in the Capitol, Elias still felt numb to the whole situation.
He just wanted to go home, or at least be in an area that felt familiar. Even the windows in his room didn't offer any reprieve, showing a world of glittering lights and gray concrete. The only trees he had managed to see were delicate little things with flowers that had to be genetically modified to be that bright, and those kinds of trees just weren't common where he came from.
So, in the dead of night, wanting any semblance of comfort, he found himself going down the elevator of the Capitol building where hopefully no to a few people were wafering around. There was a section of the main floor that had a little atrium, with decorative ferns and mosses and a juvenile maple. Trying to find solace in it, he sat on the edge of the wall that held the soil, bringing his knees up to his chest. It wasn't until he could get a deep breath in that he took in his surroundings, making eye contact with someone else that had wandered down here this late.
"Ladies and gentlemen of Panem!" The Hawthorne family squished together to peer at the small screen that was projecting the Quarter Quell announcement. Most of them had been called inside when their grandmother noticed the flickering notice of an impending dispatch.
While no one particularly liked the news that would come up during these things, their grandmother was a stern woman that told them to "keep up with the world around them." Elias wasn't about to risk the swat to the head with her walking stick by pointing out that the Capitol should be considered a different world than the one they lived in, so he kept his mouth shut as his youngest sibling placed himself firmly on his lap.
The family watched with varying points of interest; Elias could tell that his younger sister was watching the fancy visage of the president's mansion, while one of the twins was whispering to the other as she made fun of the president's Capitol accent, for example. The whole group only started paying attention once the man opened the yellowed envelope, clearing his throat before he read it.
The news of the circumstances of the Quarter Quell went by quickly, and even after the president signed off, the family unit sat there in silence as they took it in.
The victors would choose whose name went in? What did that mean? How would they do it?
Even as everyone started to disperse again, Elias' mind wandered.
Surely, they won't pick my name, he thought. He definitely seemed like the right candidate- skilled with an axe and saw, ability to climb, lean muscles, a handsome face (or so his mother told him). He was a good age, as he hoped that no victor was cruel enough to pick someone younger. But that didn't matter- everyone that knew his family knew how close they were, and what he did for them. A victor wouldn't choose someone so detrimental to the survival of seven other people... would they?
Even if they thought he had a chance, that's all that it was- chance. They wouldn't be wicked enough to let that small sliver of a chance of winning be their reason for choosing him... would they?
No, he didn't think so. He had too much faith in his fellow district members to think of them doing that to him. They knew him, and he knew them, even if it was distant. None of the Hawthornes would be reaped, and they'd be safe for another year.
Elias smiled at his grandmother's kind words, her face all wrinkles as she smiled. She was the only one not occupied in the house, seeing as how his parents were getting the rest of his siblings prim and proper for the reaping. He smoothed down the collar of his dress shirt with a sort of boyish bashfulness, old lapel pins that had belonged to his grandfather twinkling a bit.
"Thanks, Grandma. Although you'll have to check again once I help the twins get dress- I'm sure they'll mess something up."
He left to her chuckling and the promise that she'd only mess it up more as he went to aid his parents. Being the eldest of five meant that he was the fourth adult in his house, and that meant keeping his youngest brother still long enough to shine his shoes again.
At the very least, the busy work kept him from thinking too much about the reaping; his name was in there more than he'd like to admit, but maybe the fact that the victors were choosing meant that his odds were better? He wasn't sure, but it didn't hurt to be optimistic. Either way, as long as it wasn't one of his younger siblings, he didn't care.
The family all got properly dressed for the event, with some of the younger ones only slightly wrinkled and frumpy looking after their inability to keep still. Grandmother had done everyone's hair, and so every single child of the Hawthorne family had unique braids; Elias' was just a single one down his back, with a beaded band his great grandmother had made keeping it in place. Every generation of Hawthornes had survived the reaping thus far, and wearing a piece of them felt like good luck; it was customary at this point.
It was a gray day in District 7, with the foreboding sense of rain on the horizon. Thus, jackets were put on top to keep the chill of the breeze out. Being the eldest and having hit a growth spurt this past summer, Elias' father gave him the fur shawl that had been passed down since- he honestly wasn't sure how old the dingy thing was. Sure, it kind of had a musty smell, but a fur was a luxury that not many people had.
A quiet "thank you" was all he could manage, heart swelling with emotion at the gesture. They shared a hug before catching up with the others.
Their house was a bit far away from the square, but it wasn't so bad as long as the rain held off. The moisture in the air still made the ground rather soft, and every few hundred feet, one of the Hawthorne children would stop to wipe dirt off of their polished shoes.
The kids separated from their parents once they got to the square, and then further separated from each other by age and sex. They believed that the more they talk about it, the more they would manifest theirs names being called. It was easier to just push through the event and get it over with.
With that in mind, after zoning out during the opening presentation, and even the calling of the female tribute's name, Elias hadn't even realized his name was called. All of the sudden, people were looking at him, spreading away from him, and peacekeepers were coming towards him. The full impact of it didn't hit until he heard his sister cry out, soon to be followed by the others as the small gaggle of teenagers and preteens were held back by more peacekeepers.
As they took him by the arms, leading him up to the stage, his mouth could only hang open in shock. Everything felt numb and out of control, like he was in a dream. He tasted salt on his tongue from tears that he didn't know he was shedding, but that was about the only sense that was working correctly. It wasn't until the capital representative spoke again and the mic had some feedback that he was quickly jostled back into the present.
"Our tributes from District 7!"
The only sound that was made was a half hearted appaluse, along with the screaming sobs of the other Hawthorne children as they were dragged away to their parents. He was pretty sure his own sobs made some noise, but he couldn't be assed to care.
How could it be him? Why would it be him? He kept his head down and didn't do anything wrong! He was a quiet and hard worker that helped take care of his family! He climbed trees and felled high branches and got pecked at by birds when he got too close to their nests! That's all he ever was and all he ever should be!
But now he was a tribute. And that might be the last thing he'll ever be.
