The throwing knife station seemed to be the only empty one, so I found my way there after eating lunch, again, by myself.
The array of knives was intimidating as I looked them over, picking up the smallest one I could find. The metal was cool in my hands as I found my way to a confusing panel of controls, clearly designed so only the Erudite could ever know how to work it.
I pressed a button on the screen, then drew my hand back as I realized it was the wrong one. My eyes grew wide and flit up to the still targets, sighing in relief. My fingers found what seemed to be the right control, then stood before the center target and swallowed as the first target glowed to life.
The middle target lit up as it spun around, and I flung the knife at it before it could go away again. The knife whizzed by the first target, and I wasn't surprised by my failed attempt at a throw. Taking a larger knife from the rack as a target behind the first one spun around, I threw the knife weakly towards it, but found it lodging into the floor.
My inexperience was quite depressing, and I looked up towards the people on the balcony. A few of them were staring, snickering, and I turned around before they could see my fear. I jumped as the target in front of me whizzed back around, and I groaned in frustration as I'd missed a chance to get a knife into the target. One knife in and maybe I wouldn't be killed by my stylist.
But, thankfully, my stylist wasn't among the ladies in the balcony, rather, she was probably off getting her hair dyed a different shade of fluorescent pink; a color that hurt my eyes whenever she was in my peripheral vision. Snapping out of my trance as a target on the back left corner spun around, I flicked a small knife at it, but sighed as it clattered to the ground.
I spun toward the control panel and shut down the knife throwing system as I seemed hopeless, sighing as I went to the other side of the Training Center.
Truth or Snare || Damon & Serena || Traps & Snares
Considering I've managed to waste most of the morning lying in bed with Lianu, I figure I should actually do something productive. By the time I'm up and showered, half the day is over. I force myself to get dressed into that stupid training uniform and head back down to the training center.
When I arrive, it's more of the same; tributes scattered about at stations throwing around weapons, and starting fires. I glance around. It's about time I stop fucking around and do something useful. I figure the Amity stations are probably the ones I'd be weakest at, so with a shrug I walk towards them. I see a girl with blonde hair sitting at a station that's foreign to me. There are wires and sticks and other things I can't make sense of. When I walk closer I realize she's making a trap of some sort. "Mind if I join you?" I ask, squatting down beside her.
The day didnt end well and I needed to go somewhere that could make me feel better before heading to dinner. I ended up going on archery, one of the rare thing I was weirdly good at.
As I walk to the station I saw the shy guy I spoke the first day. Miles. He seems different. Less shy. Probably less overwhelm by all this. I remember feeling dizzy after the parade.I put my best warming smile on my face, not wanting to show my mixed emotion today. «Hey!» I say tapping his shoulder. «There is no horses to ride but I guess we could train here together? What do you say?»
Deciding I needed a little more practice with recognizing plants, I make my way over to the Plants and Poisons station. My brief interaction with that shift Abnegation kid had resulted in me not leaning as much as I'd have liked. Come to think about it, almost all the Abnegation kids were off their nut. Whatever.
I sit down, pulling on some gloves and get to work, mostly focusing on leaves and berries. They all looked so similar, so I wanted to commit them to memory before I went to the arena. I had just got started when I saw a flash of red out of the corner of my eye.
After reentering the Training Center, I immediately move over to the GM station. It may have sucked, but getting knocked around by that stupid Abnegation girl had snapped me out of my stupor. I was an Erudite, not Dauntless. I would win with my brain, not with my brawn- not that I had a whole lot of brawn to begin win- and I needed more information.
The blood had been cleaned up and there were kids at various stations all around. But I wasn't interested in any of them, only the people who were responsible for bringing us here. The ones who designed the hellhole we were about to be dropped in.
“I’ll draw a smiley face on it if it will make you feel better?”
The trainer drew me out of my reverie, a blush spreading across my neck as I sighed. I don’t know why I had decided to come over here but as soon as I stepped onto the mat the female trainer had descended on me like she hadn’t seen another human being. She had lifted my arms, inspecting muscles and cooing over how strong I looked before declaring that this might just be my strength. She had pushed me over towards the punching bags, wrapping my hands with tape and going through every move she knew while I nodded mutely.
I think she had thought I would take to this discipline like a duck to water but years of avoiding a fight because it was frowned upon in my faction was deeply ingrained in my being. I didn’t want to purposely strike anyone and I’d been telling myself that ever since the announcement. However, I was quickly running out of time. Soon enough I’d be thrust into the arena and I’d have to fight if I wanted to continue to draw breath. I needed to wrap my head around this or I was going to have a giant target on my back. What good would I be to Chessa then?
I reached up to rub my neck, trying to give myself a silent pep talk. Heaving out a shaky breath I lashed out at the punching bag, my hand hitting it as the bag of weighted sand wobbled on its chain.
The trainer claps but reminds me that there is more to it. I need to persevere and as I relax my shoulders I try to just let everything fall away and concentrate on hitting. Breathing out I struck, following one hit with another until the thought that this would be another human being was the last thing from my mind. My knuckles burned and my chest ached but still I hit, the punching bag rocking back and forth as I moved slowly around to avoid it hitting me in some unmentionable place. Finally the trainer reached out, a hand on my shoulder as I hugged the punching bag while I caught my breath.
“That will do, Mr Winsted.” She whispered as I nodded silently. I could do this, I just needed to clear my mind and act first. There was no time now to be passive, I had to become a warrior if I was going to survive this place.
Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Prickled Peppers || Plants and Poisons Station || Lydia & Miles
What was it with the Capitol thinking everything could be learnt from a book?
I hid the data pad under a pile of leaves, choosing to just take my chances with the poisonous substances before me. Dragging on a pair of gloves I surveyed the berries, twigs and leaves that were spread out across every surface. I picked out the poison ivy quick enough, putting it into the non-safe pile, and then there was nightlock it followed closely behind. But now I was at a distinct disadvantage. Everything looked the same and without prior knowledge of the things I was coming up at a loss. I was about to cast off my gloves and give up when I saw a tiny little form coming towards me.
One weaponry station a day is more than good enough for me so, after leaving the knives station I end up just passing by some other stations and choosing to stay in the camouflage one. It's something I know how to do quite well, even though I never had to use leaves or face paint made out of berries to do so.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice a girl approaching. "Oh hey there," I greet.
