Stay Casual [Stare/Rook]

p a n d o r a + w o o d a r d s

<sub>I've never told a lie,

And that makes me a liar.</sub>

<sub>The Train journey was grim. From the Justice Building, I was practically manhandled onto a glamorous, yet dull looking train. The doors were sealed behind me and I wasn't allowed so much as a final glance at my home District before the high-speed locomotive was jettisoned on it's route to the Capitol. It hurts, they allow you to say your goodbyes to your family, but not really to your home. In a way, it's just as bad.

There's no doubt that the train was set for the Capitol. The fabulous ornaments that I was sure shouldn't have be perched as precariously as they were on a fast-moving vehicle. The chairs were lined with velvet, probably from my District. The carpet was better than anything in our house, and it was a train. The mahogany tables looked valuable, I was careful not to damage them in any way. And then there was the food. Wow. There was so much of it, more luxury than I could ever imagined. Pig, fruit, some strange spongy tower that's decorated with brown goo. The latter didn't look as appetizing as food I'm familiar with, such as the pie.

It all looked fantastic, but at the same time it made me more depressed. Like they had put this buffet on the train almost in pity. It churned my stomach and made me less hungry. How ironic. I turned my nose up at the food and moved on down the train. There was a room for me and a room for Chloe. I didn't see much of her, I avoided her the entire trip. I knew we'll be trying to kill each other in a few days, so maybe it was best not to converse.

Looking back on the train journey, I can say that it did quell me a little. Still, I'm as nervous about this as with any part of the games, but at least I've come to terms that I am now a tribute and I need to start acting like one. That means no more thinking about Hope or Rubik, nor the last words we shared.

I stand in what is being called the Training Center. It's a place where Tributes live for a week in luxury and get to hone their skills, before displaying them to the judges at the end of the week. I'll get a training score, which will in turn give me better (Or worse) odds. The better odds I get, the more likely I am to get sponsors. Sponsors will be my lifeline. I'm starving, they send me food. I'm injured, they send me aid. It's all relative, and I need to do my best to impress, else risk doing this all on my own.

My reaping clothes are gone, replaced with a uniform. All the tributes are required to wear them in the Training Center. At this stage in the games, we're all equal. It's pretty plain, the only defining feature being a large "8" on my arm. It's my identity now. District Eight Male. Despite looking the same as everyone else, I need to get the attention of the Gamemakers in my private session. Maybe even get their attention in training.

If it's one thing I'm good at, it's impressing...

I also get my first glance at the other Tributes, who I'll be training alongside. No doubt tensions will be high between us all, but alliances will surely be made. The Career pack seems to already have formed, I consider myself big enough to ally myself with them, but they already know each-other and seem to not be very approachable. They'd likely laugh at the thought of me joining them, and I don't want to make enemies early.

They're all your enemies, jackass...

True. I can't consider anyone not to be my enemy. One of the people in this room will be my murderer. It just beckons the question: Who? As I'm shown around by a Capitol representative, I glance at other tributes. I know all their faces, I watched their Reaping videos on the train in. Jae Moreno, a shock tribute from District 1, I know he's somehow related to last Games' Reyes. No doubt he'll be in the Careers. A large bunch of attractive girls, no doubt as deadly as gorgeous. Most tributes looked shocked in their Reaping recaps, me as much as anyone else... Now? Now most of them ooze confidence. I must mirror this.

A lump forms in my throat as the instructor shows me the Weapons station. A few tributes are trying out the weapons, some look to handle them with ease, others are just making a fool of themselves with the heavier stuff. I'm tempted to show people my strength, but I can't reveal what little talent I have.

It annoys me that people are already forming alliances. I see two or three trios or quartets. Clusters of tributes plotting who's weak and who's dangerous. Am I dangerous? I'm one of the tallest guys in the room, so I take that as a yes. They still don't know how good or bad I am with a weapon. I don't intent to give that away. The instructor shows me to the rest of the stations: first aid, firemaking... The usual stuff. She nods and leaves me to the vacant stares of the other tributes.

I stand awkwardly for a while, looking around.
Don't make an idiot of yourself
I'm so nervous, I just walk away from the stares and go straight to the buffet of food. I nochalantly grab a bread roll, use my mouth to hold it, and grab two more. I walk way to the confused stares of some Gamemakers. I wave with the bread roll in my hand and start eating one, holding the other two in my left hand.

Yeah. I'd rather eat than train at the moment. I haven't done so since before the Reaping. As I tuck into the basic bread, I realize I should have tried the luxurious food on the train. Now my head has cleared, I feel less sick and I'm able to eat more. The others don't look like they've eaten much, but that's no consolation to me. I finish the first roll, leaning against the wall and watching some of the older tributes at the weapons stations. I look so casual, leaning and eating like I'm watching some kids in the park.

Don't I look confident?

I give a wry smile and start my second roll. I watch Chloe for a while, still not being sure who she is or what she's about. Maybe I should have gotten to know her, something could have come up to give me an edge against her, but I don't really label her as a threat. Elon, Jae, Klaus... The big guys... They're threats. At this point, I'm glad I was picked ahead of Rubik, he'd crumble in this situation, probably try to befriend some fourteen year old kids, make an idiot of himself. Learn how to light a fire or something. He'd lose face. I'm not one to lose face.

In my head I analyze my strengths and my weaknesses. I then decide that I want to cover my weaknesses more than I want to build on my strengths. This way I won't give away my raw power. It's probably evident anyway that I'm somewhat of a physical rival to the Careers, but having power and using power are different things. I could bet anything I'd be lethal with a mace.

As for my weaknesses? I'm clumsy and loud. If we're in a Forest Arena, I'd be easily detectable to any tribute in possession of ears.
Consider learning to tread more carefully
Okay, I can learn that. But I also want to become more able with a weapon, and I need to light fires. First Aid is also a priority that could prove key in the arena. And defending against attacks is important. I can't do it all, so I need to choose wisely.

Go get more food first

My stomach is right, I'm still hungry. I head over to the food table and grab some more rolls. Carbs are important. I can't overstock on fatty foods, but I do need to consider putting on weight to counteract starvation in the arena. Then again that could backfire and make me more prone to hunger. There's so much to consider.

I lean against my wall and sigh, my eyes losing themselves as tributes continue to train.</sub>