five plates {mason/riot}

I've gotten my food. Picking out the delicacies that I've enjoyed the most since arriving. Its been everything I have ever imagined. Being here soaking in the atmosphere. I always thought the process of being in the games would be... stressful. More work. That I would have to subject myself to the unnecessary stuff like the tribute parade. Now I get to do as I please. Train all day and night as I always have. Exhaustion has been my constant companion. Never truly leaving my side as I keep up my regime. I've ate more and talked with some of the other tributes. Now that I have my food, I make my way toward the dining table when I stop short. In front of me is the tribute from four. Nothing like I imagined a career for sure, but maybe there's a surprise in her? Guess I will find out.

With that, I sit down preparing to eat my food. The girl is muttering to herself. Talking to the food? Like what the hell does she think she's doing. I don't begrudge her the tasty food for I myself love a variety of things, but she at least in the first minute or so does not appear to give a damn about training. About winning or glory. Things that I look for. "Welllll, look what the cats dragged in, a nice hunk of meat, if you ask me." The hell kind of talk she be making? I slam my fist down on the table knocking some of the food off her plates. Anger doesn't begin to describe how I feel right now. I wanted to look for fellow careers. Perhaps Hedvig and I teaming up with district four. Or even district one. Right now I'm ruling out the girl in front of me. She's a fucking disgrace.

"What the hell do you think you're doing! You should be training not sitting here. Why are you even here Miss? Doesn't matter what your name is. Get your fucking act together before I fix it myself." The last few words I spew out before abruptly stop my rant. Need to calm down and get through to this woman. If I can make her see some sense then just maybe a career pack will be salvaged. I give the district four girl the deadliest gaze possible. She better explain what she's doing or all hell will break loose right here right now.

She asks me to pass her a plate that has steak on it not even phased one bit by my outburst. Either she has a death wish or does not realize the danger she will be in. I can feel the anger slowly but surely building up. Somehow someway this girl from four is able to push my buttons worse than anyone ever has. Her whole attitude coupled with her apparent disregard for the status of being a career sickens me. So much that I want nothing to do with her. In fact, miss Riot is on my short list to kill as soon as the games start. A bit harsh when in fact there could be a hidden motive, but right now I don't give a damn. With that, I pick up the plate but do not hand it over. Instead I chow down myself on the juicy meat before loudly burping. If she wants to be like this then so be it.

"The meat tastes good. Which is why you get it your damn self if you want it. Not your servant." I'm not sure what I will do after my lunch is over. Go upstairs and rest? Train some more and test my endurance? Throw some spears and watch the dummies recoil from the impact? So many options in so little time. There hasn't been much in the way of mentoring at least nothing too scary. I dread the moment when either of my mentors want to talk with me. Pretty sure any criticism on their part will sting more than any wound I will receive. Their approval matters so much. I can almost hear everything that's wrong with me. Its one reason I half hope to avoid them, but that's extremely unlikely.

One thing that I guess should happen would be finding allies. Haven't really decided who to ask. The pair from one, Hedvig, and the boy from four are obvious choices, but would they want me as an ally? At this point I assume we'll all avoid each other if not teaming up. Which leaves me to consider other districts. My immediate thought turns to eleven. The tributes from that district have been superb in the past few years. That mountain of a tribute from last games nearly won it all. There are options out there. I just don't know what to do at this point. What I would give for a days rest without a thought about the games. Funny considering I've wanted this for years.

She makes an attempt at threatening me. Me of all people all because of a stolen piece of food. If that's all it takes to anger this woman well she will be one of the first to die by my hand. I'm much faster than her and infinitely stronger. It'll be easy to take her down and break her neck. She's practically in my face now calling me an asshole. So what. If she wants us a fight, I will give her one here and now. "Or what hmm? Stab me with that fork? If you want a fight then bring it. If not why don't you fuck off. Don't make me snap your arm Riot. That's not a threat either. I'm promising you that."

I've struck a nerve. That much is obvious when she has an angry outburst of words directed at me. People made fun of her? So what. Its her damn attitude that's brought on the shit she must take back home. She wants me to leave? Too damn bad. "You want me to leave? Why don't you get up and make me! I will not leave here just because you sit on your seat barking orders. You're all bark and no bite. Get up and make me leave or I will stay here as I please." I can feel myself shake in anger. Something about her makes me angry. She doesn't even have to try. Her attitude. I see too much of myself in her. Probably why everyone here wants me dead. Its the same at home. People tolerating me. Here? Everyone will want me dead. Its nothing new for me.

"You're not the only one who's grown up with a tough life. You might have an idea being from four. The expectations of being trained for the games. I never had a choice in the matter. It was either training or be shunned from the family. What do you think I chose?" I have no idea why I'm opening up about my past. My parents saw the fault in their manner of parenting. It was too little too late for them. They raised my brother a bit differently. He had been the good child where as I begun the path that has no return. The path of a career. By the time they realized devotion to that path was wrong, I was too far gone. What they don't realize is, I am the walking dead.

"So before you go off on another angry tirade about a hard life growing up. Just remember you're not the only one." I begin to eat in silence waiting for her inevitable insults against me. There's nothing left to say to her. She'll call me names, I will yell back same as few seconds before. I'm hungry and intend to eat before I go insane. Her words continue to ring in my head though. A very small part wants to apologize. If she wasn't so angry with me maybe I would. The words I'm sorry are hard to utter. Saying it to her would only make her laugh at me. She wouldn't expect someone like me to show any kindness.