Tyler Booke: Part 2; WrenGearheart|TheEntertainer

"Yeah, well I guess the Capitol doesn't see any need for us knowing about that sort of stuff, do they? Well, unless you count the talent the victors take on but I don't think they'll teach everybody that stuff just for one kid a year to it up, huh?"

The victors had to take up a talent like painting, singing, dancing, and the like. Once you win the Hunger Games, you're something like a celebrity. It's ridiculous that they send 24 children to fight to the death, put them on parade, make them compete and dress up, and eventually watch them all but one die, and then expect the survivor to be some puppet or doll to put on show.

"Yeah, friends always make living here more tolerable, I guess," she replied. She didn't know whether she meant school, the poor part of her district, District 8 in general, or all of Panem. Living in Panem was all she ever knew and she didn't expect for it to change but she figured that life couldn't have always been this desolate. At least she hoped.

He asked her what her name was and just when she was about to answer, only letting about a syllable, a snobbish older girl came out of the wood working and starting talking in a superior fashion. She knew the girl too well. This girl was Desiree, daughter of the Mayor. Of course, she thought she was superior, because she was. The vast majority of district 5 was fairly poor, and the merchants made a decent living, but if your father was the mayor, you could've been considered princess. You got to live in the Mayor's fancy home and knew all about the Capitol. Desiree had probably visited the Capitol once or twice before most likely and she probably got some of the clothes from there and the delicasies.

Wren rolled her eyes. She wasn't one to put up with anyone being rude or condiscending towards her. "I'm Wren Gearhart and no, you don't need to be making up a name for me, thanks," she said with a tone of disdain towards the girl. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "And you're Desiree right? Daughter of the Mayor? Shouldn't you be helping your daddy prepare for the Reaping? I bet it's causing a load of excitement in your home, huh? Oh, but you don't have immunity when it comes to the Reapings, either. All that's protecting you is the fact that you don't have to take a tesserae."[/color] Wren wanted to remind the girl that it didn't matter who her daddy was. If her name got chosen, that she'd go straight to her death just like any other citizen of Panem (except the Capitolites). She was just as vulernable as Wren, Tyler, and all the other citizens of the districts between the ages twelve and eighteen.

To show that she was having a conversation with the guy and how Desiree rudely interrupted, Wren turned to the guy and said, "I didn't get your name either."[/color]

"Good to meet you too!"[/color] she said, savoring the fact that she had completely shoved the prissy Mayor's daughter completely out of the conversation. To her, it was quite funny to see Desiree cope with not being the center of attention and hshe wanted to keep that going. "So, does your family make enough for you to just go to school or do you work or take out a tesserae?"[/color] she inquired. Some kids were lucky enough not to work or take out a tesserae. They weren't rich but their family made enough to get by. Wren was sort of on the border. She didn't have a job but she traded regularly and shoplifted and pick pocketed occasionally. She took out a tesserae too but only on a year. (OOC: I didn't take out a tesserae on her but for the sake of RPing I'll say she did)

"I have a tesserae. And I do some... bargaining,"[/color] she said. She didn't want to say that she traded on the Black Market, shoplifted, and pick pocketed in front of Desiree. It would probably make Desiree so happy to squeal on her and get her whipped in the Square or shot in front of all of District 5. That wasn't a risk Wren was planning to take, so she chose her words carefully. "It's just my Pa and I. My mother passed away when I was like five and I don't have any siblings so it isn't too tough to keep food on the table for just the two of use."[/color]

It was odd to Wren to speak so casually of her mother's death. She never even talked about it before but something about Tyler made her feel like she wanted to tell her whole life story. Maybe she felt like he wouldn't judge her and he cared about what she had to say. That wasn't too common for her. He seemed like he wasn't a judgemental guy or someone who didn't care, unless you were an idiot (like Desiree).

"It's alright. I've still my Pa. Right now, what I've gotta worry about is the Reaping. We all do, though. I guess it's unlikely since there are so many people here and so many of them have more than one tesserae but still... there's a chance, right?"[/color] Wren was a pretty fearless girl and if she was Reaped, she would do fairly well. But still, no one wanted to be Reaped, unless they were a Career.

Every year since she was probably 8 or 9, Wren would watch the Hunger Games in detail. It pained her to see the people die and angered her to see the Capitol and Game Makers be so heartless, but she also took mental notes of Tributes' strategies. If she was ever Reaped, she didn't want to be defenseless. She wanted to have a chance at winning. Wren might not've had the strongest morals but she didn't want to be murderer. Still, when put in the Arena, one did what they had to do to survive.

What? Wren didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't tell whether or not he was flirting, joking, or being serious. That just wasn't something most people said. Though she though it was sweet of him to actually care about her, a perfect stranger, she inwardly had a twinge of irritation but she didn't let him see it. Wren knew how to navigate these kinds of awkward situations with perfect ease. She didn't want him to be embarrassed and wanted to keep talking to him. He was really cool and definitely better to talk to than Desiree.

Wren giggled just a bit, not too girly, and said in a slightly flirty tone, "Who said I would be murdered if I were Reaped?"[/color] That was her thoughts, to be honest. She was no Career and didn't even have a strong secret weapon, but she could hold her own. If she were Reaped, she might have a chance; at least she wouldn't die at the Cornicopia or in the first few days. It would probably be something intense and dramatic. She was not some fragile, little girl. And she wouldn't even think about dying until she was taking her last few breaths. That was what made her different. She wouldn't accept defeat going into the Games. Despair was the first step towards failure. "And what about you? You don't think you'll be a Victor if you're reaped? Anyway, I hope you don't get Reaped either. It'd be a shame to see you go through that Hell. Once you're in the Games, you either die or your screwed up for life usually. Some people are okay after it but some turn into drunks or morphlings."[/color] She wasn't trying to be pessimistic, just stating fact. The Game Makers were heartless and the Games were traumatic towards the Victors. And honestly, could you blame the Victors for going mad or being a drunk or morphling?

"I know you don't think so, but you'd do pretty good in the Games. I hope we don't both get Reaped. I probably wouldn't stand a chance against you."[/color] Sure, she was being a tiny bit modest, but from what he said, he could do pretty well in the Games too if he was Reaped. Even though everyone knew they had a chance at being Reaped, most people took it as a death sentence. They were too busy working to support their family and keep their bellies full. On the flip side, there were the Careers, who's parents trained them since they were little to become Victors in the Games if they ever were selected or got the chance to volunteer, which they always tried to. Wren was neither. She didn't want the fame or glory of being a Victor but she wasn't going to lie down and die if she was Reaped. She would fight for her life. It was survival instinct.

"I've really got no skill except stubborness and being sneaky, I guess. I can make things from wood so that could come in handy I guess."[/color]

Tyler was right. The Hunger Games controlled the lives of the citizens of Panem. It was bad enough that they were forced to watch it when it was on and see children murder each other. They should be trying to put off having to think about it for as long as possible. After all, Reaping day was less than a week away. It was better to keep living life the way it was instead of dwelling in anxiety to for the next week to come. Hopefully they'd get through it and they wouldn't get Reaped so they could keep living their desolate lives.

"Yeah, you're right. The Games are so morbid! So, you're into the arts right? What sort of stuff do you do?"[/color] Wren wasn't the artsy type except when it came to widdling and occasionally writing poetry but she never told anyone that she would write poetry. She didn't know if it was because she was embarrassed or what but it just wasn't something she wanted to share.