#ruleandstarter

[vix-holt]

As soon as the training centre opened, Vix was there, mainly because she couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she relived the scene at the reaping, Sam handing over the baby to some unknown figure, and her heart felt like it was shattering inside her chest. Where was she now? Had they fed her? Did they hum her favourite song until she fell asleep? Did they use the special cream on the rash on her legs? 

She had to get back, there was no other choice, so here she was, hours later, still fighting the same simulation, punching, kicking, over and over again until finally it fizzled, finally she’d killed it. 

“No human has that much fucking energy” she mumbled through heavy breaths, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

[banshee-grove]

Banshee had to talk to someone. She knew she did. This was a vast, slick building and she didn’t seem to know up from down. There was no dirt, no sunlight, no trees to mark how far she’d walked or when she should turn back. She’d been told something about a schedule on the train, but she didn’t remember much of it. Someone passed her in the hall, and she stopped, opening her mouth to say something. But the words caught in her throat. She didn’t know who this other person was, or what they might think of her voice, or how they might interpret her question. This was all life and death now, and not in the way she was used to. She said nothing, instead letting her jaw hang open a little as she stared at the person who passed.

[jeaninetwill]

Perhaps she finally understood it, now. 

It hadn’t quite registered in her mind up until now, why some victor’s went straight for a bar once they had touched down in the Capitol. Now though, she was itching for a drink, if only that would ease her up a little. Her hands were still trembling, and after dropping a glass on the train, she’d stopped trying to pick up breakable things. She needed the tremble to go away, at least momentarily. 

Her own name, in Allard’s voice, continued to spook around her mind. All the while the hushed gasps of the crowd in Thirteen sounded from every corner in the Tower. Jeannie was going insane now, she must’ve been. 

“Anyone up for a drink?” She schooled her shaking voice, speaking to anyone at all familiar in the crowd around her. 

[juno-dearborn]

Indy thought she’d get some privacy in a viewing room, one at the furthest reaches of one of the public floors, but she was learning quickly that there was no such thing in the Capitol. Everyone felt entitled to her space, and frankly, for a Tower so huge people were real fucking good at needing to occupy the same five square feet as she did, and it was getting irritating.  The door opened, and she snapped her notebook shut on instinct, immediately clamping her forearm down over the cover. “What the fuck do I have to do around here for a little peace and quiet?!” she shouted.

[knoxxcarbon]

Knox was sitting alone at a random table that she had found. She sat there with her arms folded on the table and face resting in them. She had felt funny and the feeling wasn’t going away. This was her first time above ground. Her first time in twenty years that she had ever seen sunlight. It was needless to say her eyes were currently burning. So, she chose to keep them hidden. Then, she suddenly heard someone sit next to her. She tried her best to just ignore them. Maybe if she didn’t say anything, they would just simply go away.

[moxiepitlocks]

The first night in the Tower was always the hardest and Moxie had excused herself down to the bar, trying to stomach the events of the past 48 hours. She was exhausted and felt like she had been worn down to her core;  it was fine though. She could handle it, this was year four, and she had known people who had been reaped before and, maybe, honey would win. Moxie walked into the bar, body aching with need for a drink to just cut down the physical distress waning on her psyche; she ordered a G&T and began to drink. A figure out of the corner of her eye caught her attention and she chirped, her habitual Capitolite persona taking over, as she raised her glass in greeting, “Happy Hunger Games!”

[everettlance]

He didn’t see it until after the chariots, when he was heading back into the Tower, following his team, though his services weren’t really needed with the stylist and their team buzzing around the tributes. But a Capitolite was standing outside the doors holding a stack of Gazettes, those special edition Games ones he hated so fucking much, and she shoved it at him, opening it to page 2. “Here you go, sweetie. Looks like you’re famous again.”

He read the short blurb with growing panic, instantly transported back to 122, when a picture of his kiss with his mentor, Orpheus, was posted on the front page of the Gazette. When he was asked about it in his interview. When he’d gummed up, panicked, not sure what to say. That time, at least he had actually slept with Orpheus. This time, it was just a rumor. He and Thetis had gone back up to her floor after drinking probably too much at the Tower bar, but he was just trying to make sure she got there okay, not wanting to be responsible for a tribute getting lost or hurt.

“Fucking vultures,” he hissed, heading towards the nearest trash can, still reading it over and over.

[aspensawyer]

The first training was the most uneasy part to Aspen – trying to stand confident, to protect herself from the other tributes. Ash had even told her not to get attached but she hadn’t done such a great job of that even just the night prior; literally blubbering over a girl she developed a whirlwind crush on in less than a day. She needed to establish herself more, maybe at least make an attempt at another uneasy alliance – or a real one – she’d pretty much take anything. 

Observation was part of the first day as well, she didn’t want to show everything she knew how to do to the other tributes, to give away all her secrets, so she sat on the ground, next to a rack of weapons, carefully attempting to take in everything she saw as a potential threat. Pulled from her intense focus as she caught sight of the approach of another person. She pulled herself to her feet and greeted, “Uh, hey!”