Fighting the odds training (CiCi , Cass)

Opal Shore was worried. She bit at her lip apprehensively. When the quell twist had been spoken her stomach had twisted painfully. She’d been alone in her victor house, her family did not live with her nor had she wished for them to come within one hundred metres of her new home. The twist had been a cruel one and for the first time victor it was just evil. She had, however, been lucky enough to receive two tributes that were not twelve years old. Part of her was positive she would have not been able to function had they been simply children. But as it was one of them came from one of the strongest career houses within the district and the other, according to what she had heard was a career as well. That pleased her, but it did not set her mind at ease. Topaz had been right, this was going to be more difficult then she had expected. She was confident in her ability to teach others, but she was not confident in her mind set to let them go into an arena where they’d have to experience the pain and the suffering that she had.

She’d never wish that open anyone.

Sighing heavily she slid off of her bed; she was already dressed and ready to go. She’d asked an Avox last night to leave a letter for each tribute, letting them know that they were to meet with her at the training centre. She knew, from personal experience, that a mentor did not generally lead their tributes down to the training centre, but Opal was in desperate need to see the other tributes. Part of her held back, though, unwilling to let her eyes land on twelve year olds about to be put to death like dogs. She’d watched every single reaping, shocked mostly at the district eight one (watching little Hope Woodards step up onto that stage after volunteering had been painful), but regardless she had watched, her heat sinking in her chest with every name. As every puffy cheeked, chubby child walked into stage. It made her ache all over, it made her want to run the other way, but she couldn’t. She’d chosen this in the end and so she’d have to do her best and make the most of what she had done. Opal’s steps were light as she moved out of her room; the fake leg had become so familiar she was almost willing to begin more strenuous exercises like running with it. Hell she’d even become so comfortable with it that she was now wearing a pair of shirt and a simple singlet. The recently turned seventeen year old hadn’t worn something so simple and relaxing in a long time.

The elevator, the halls and the room brought back painful memories, but she bit them all back, forcing her mind to turn them into something brighter. Her mind fumbled over the words she was planning on saying to the tributes she would be mentoring. She had yet to ask Topaz for more advice, but she planned on doing it as soon as she could. When it came to mentoring and talking and friendship she instantly went to Topaz. Opal had never had a friend that was a girl before, her first friend had been Xanthus and Topaz had been her second. Peridot and her were slowly becoming closer and closer and she was finding the odd boy more intriguing every time they spoke. She could see something forming between them and she was willing to push to create it.

Running a tentative hand along the walls she walked over to the training centre. To her surprise she could already hear movement, and when she entered she was shocked to see Darren Dublin spinning around on the floor, flipping, twisting and turning. Opal Shore could remember when she was able to do that. Hell it had been little more than a year ago when she had been at the peak of her gymnastic skill. But since the loss of her leg she’d had to give it up. Smiling she walked into the room, she waved at him, catching his attention before beckoning him over. Her dark hair fell around her shoulders and she ran a hand quickly through it before offering it to Darren. ”I’m Opal Shore, I’ll be mentoring you and Emery.” She told him with a bright smile. She turned around at that moment, her smile broadening as Emery stepped into the training centre. ”Hello, Emery. It is a pleasure to meet you, although I would have preferred better circumstances-“ she shrugged, there was nothing she could do about it now, ”-but hey? What can we do about it now?”

Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand

I stand there waiting for Emery to speak what comes next surprises me which is bad since I am a very hard person to surprise. I am one to think then act about how to turn things in a positive way of what someone does or says, not think about it for hours until I know, but emery's little rant stumps me. I am expecting to hear her suck up to Opal, but no she does the exact opposite of that. She demeans her.“Okay, cut the introductions. I’ve only seen your idiot smile on every last billboard so don’t think I don’t know damn well who you are, Miss Shore." My mind is whirling with questions like why is she not sucking up to opal? After my little stunned moment of thoughts I kick into making things better mode, and I think about how to turn this into a joke, but I am not sure how. I keep thinking back to how stunned I was. Idiot smile? Yeah she totally insulted Opal get back to thinking how to solve this dispute, Perhaps she is jealous of Opals smile maybe that could make a joke? Yeah it could, no someone as thick as Emery won't accept it as a joke I would be dead before the games start.Before I have more time to lay down the comedic relief per say Emery speaks up again perhaps two seconds after her other little rant.

In fact she even folds her arms, and speaks. “I don’t know what ‘better circumstances’ you’re talking about, …But you’re interrupting my vacation time, okay? I’ve spent the last I’ve-lost-track years of my life training for this stupid thing so right now I would really appreciate it if you’d cut me some slack. Since your win was a very obvious accident, I’m sure you’d be excellent at helping me screw these games up, so thanks, yeah that's kind of my plan, but it’s not even ten yet, what the hell? Talk to me after lunch.” I am so surprised by every word that I don't hear the pause between sentences all that I hear is one rant coming out of a little girl. I am lost for words. Nothing can help what is bound to come next I suppose I was never good at the comedic relief anyways I mean I held off the fight between Phenom and I, but I only slowed down what fight would come between Scar, and Phenom the only thing I can do now is sit there ,and wait till this little fight blows over.

My feet turn cold as I see Opals expression unfold. It is like the hottest volcano that has been waiting to explode, one that once it haves a chance there is no stopping. No chance saving what ever could have been saved, no it is destruction time. Time where what ever was, and what ever could have been is being whipped out. Whipped out by the molten rock within. There will be no escape from the nearby land, and people no it has exploded with just a small warning that it was ever there. I am there with an indifferent face expression cold feet, but sweaty hands. My feet is the land waiting to be warmed by this new volcano while my sweaty hands have already tasted the affects of the lava from the volcano. It knows it is not a nice affect. And yet it will listen till the end.

”Now you listen her you snot-nosed little shit. I don’t give a shit about what you think and what you want. I have been in that arena, I have fought for my life and there is no accidents. Winning those games does not come by accident.If you want to die you can go die, but I’ll be bloody damned if I don’t say another word to you whatsoever. I don’t care that you are a Moreno I couldn’t care if you were short of two legs and as ugly as a fucking rat," These words usually would have made me laugh, but instead my face gets even more haunted by every word." but whilst you are here and whilst you are in this training centre I am in charge of taking care of you. You will listen to what I have to say or you will go into that arena knowing that if by luck you get any sponsors whatsoever you will not get a damned thing. You have no clue what I have been through, but know this when I say that I mean it. So before you even think about walking out of that room and jumping into your self-pity think about how you are going to scream when a knife slices your little face open. Or what it feels like to lose a limb, or to hear a person burn to death. You will know pain and I won’t care.” I gulp down the spit that in the time listening built up in my mouth. Nothing can prepare me for what came next.I don’t have time to be baby-sitting a bunch of babies that can’t get out of bed. When you have finally grown up-“ She looked at Emery and then at myself I l quickly looked at my shoes being a bit intimidated. “-and that means both of you – you and your stupid fucking cartwheels, what you gonna do with that? Entertain someone to death? – then you can come and see me.”

I was just so surprised as I watched Opal walk off I suppose I did not even know I had a smart a joke in me, but I did. I mean I wanted to be mad at Emery for getting myself on Opal's bad said, but I suppose I did not have it in me. I am not one to be mean or say mean comments on purpose. No joking is my thing, and I guess now was the best time to joke, but no matter what these words surprise even myself. I look at emery, and say." Wow" It was in such a cool manner you would think that I was oblivious as to what was going on. I continued though just as nonchalantly in fact I was so at ease about the situation I went on my hands, just started to walk on them while talking to Emery not at all afraid that she will strike back at me. " Emery or Emmzzz can I call you that? Yeah well I like that I am calling you Emmzzz. So Emmzzz" I am just walking with my hands exactly what Opal said won't get me through the games. So You know you probably should not have yelled at her. I mean Who would ever know she hates the same things about me as you do. Awww yes you could have started a anti Darren doing cartwheels fan club? My smile came back slightly although I am still just pretending to be more interested on walking on my hands like I need the work even though I have gotten so good I don't have to concentrate on walking with my hands." Anyways when you get the chance tell Opal yes that is exactly how I plan on winning the games will you?" I am now in front of emery looking up at her still walking on my hands. MY tone was sarcastic, and after thinking about what I just said for a few minutes I know that I want some type of reply that shows that she at least is ok with me not in the sense of friends or even acquaintances, but to be ok. That is what I suppose I am looking for. I heave a breath of air, and finish walking on my hands with a cartwheel to get on two feet. When I am up I am looking directly into Emery's eyes for some kind of reply.

Opal Shore doesn’t even flinched as Emery sends her fist flying at her face. She takes one step backwards, giving herself room, just in case the little brat decides to have another go, but other than that she doesn’t move away. Instead her eyes narrow and her lips draw themselves into a snarl. She looks at Emery and some part of her wants to nod her head in approval. Another part of her wants to strangle the kid and beat her up some more. Because for a girl that didn’t want to survive she sure as hell was letting Opal think otherwise. This girl was feisty, strong and had an entire skill set before her to use, there were kids with none of that and what was more, was she was definitely putting on a good show to prove to Opal that she definitely wanted to fight. It was making Opal think she was a big liar. There was no way in hell this girl wasn’t going to fight for her life in that arena.

Opal sighs, rolling her eyes at the stubborn child. Of course she knew she was messed up, she’d had this conversation with half a dozen other people. She couldn’t understand how people in this world were just so stupid. How could they think that living your life as a sobbing, alcoholic mess was better than trying to make the most of a horrid situation? Or was it that these people simply had nothing better to do with their lives then sob and mop around. Ripred it peeved her off. How on Earth did people not understand the concept that there was a better way to living life then fucking turning it all away and becoming Arbor Halt, or a drug addict, or a person that just wasted every single moment moping about because they had done something bad. What was wrong with them seeing that she wanted to live, that she wanted to be happy that she wasn’t fucking dead.

And what was more this little shit was saying that she had even an inch of the skills set that Opal had. Emery Moreno was so full of herself, it was almost like she had just suggested that she could kill Opal in a fight. Now if that weren’t a laughing matter then Opal would eat her shoe. This kid wouldn’t last a minute against Opal. And Opal wasn’t even being cocky about that fact, she had been through hell and back and she knew her skill level, she knew what she was capable of and here before her was a child that threw out threats that she could never follow through with.

”Dear lord you are more of an idiot then I thought you were.” She replied. She rolled her eyes at the girl. Her face throbbed, but it didn’t hurt at all. She had been through a lot more than a tiny punch from a girl with arms as thick as sticks she could snap without breaking a sweat. The girl had skill, but her punches were as weak and pathetic as she was. “I think you have a lot of skill, but if you are planning on going into that arena and punching people then you shall get your wish within the first five minutes, because frankly the power within that hit is shit. You have the right movement, but even my sister could hit with more power than that, and she is dead.” She drawled. She raised an eyebrow, taking in the short, girl in front of her. Opal was taller than her, and her brown eyes surveyed her, flickering up and down. This girl was anything, but physically powerful.

“I really don’t understand how you, and everyone else seems to believe that becoming a sobbing, alcoholic, druggie will make me any better of a person. Because, frankly, people who turn to drugs and drinking are a lot more psychotic then someone who can keep themselves going through willpower. Why is it you believe that making the most of a horrid situation means I’m psychotic? Would it suit your taste more if I spent every night of my life crying over the mistakes I’ve made? Or maybe you need me to become like any other victor, a depressed shell of who they once were because they are too weak to deal with it all? Well look around you princess, this world is fucked up and unlike you I’m not a suicidal douche that hates her life. I like living. And even though I’ve done a hell of a lot wrong I’m not going to hate myself for doing exactly what you are going to do in a few days. You will fight. The only way to prove me wrong on that matter is for you to step off that goddamn plate early. But you won't. As soon as you place a weapon in your hands, or even throw a punch at another person you have basically sold yourself to playing there game.

I don’t believe for a second that you are going to just stand by and let yourself be killed. I don’t believe that you want to die, because if you did then you wouldn’t have punched me or even come down to that training centre at all. You’d not be interested in anything I said to you, you wouldn’t be offended and you sure as hell wouldn’t be standing here.

So for a girl that doesn’t want to die you sure as hell are fighting it all.”

Feeling my way through the darkness
Guided by a beating heart
I can't tell where the journey will end
But I know where to start
They tell me I'm too young to understand