Hymn For The Shameless (WT, Cinder, Tori)

You've been hanging with the unloved kids
Who you never really liked and you never trusted
But you are so magnetic, you pick up all the pins
Never committing to anything

Dru was having a mental debate inside her head. The opponents were both skilled politicians, citing examples of why she should or should not find herself a few mindless minions, or as people usually referred to them, 'allies.' At this particular moment in time, Dru was thinking the Pro-Allie politician had a point. People were more likely to come after a lone Career than if she were surrounded by a fearsome band of misfits. Dru was already inclined to like the wild-eyed, mumbling girl from District Twelve. The one who wanted to be a rock star. Or just a rock? Dru did not recall, although it did seem like a polite conversation starter if the situation presented itself.

Then there was that one, Hilderic. He had the look of a Career about him although Dru was fairly certain he did not hail from one of the three main Career-breeding Districts. Pedigree did play a part in who Dru Charlesburg chose to hang out with, especially when her life depended on it. That's why she found herself sashaying across the training center, hips 'a swinging and eye-lashes dropping in that flirty way boys usually responded to as she approached Shanks. The boy was about a year or two younger than herself, but he had volunteered plus he came from a Career District nonetheless. She liked the sound of that.

Dru approached him, all the while fabricating an opening line. How did you go about saying, 'I want you as an Allie in the killer, Hunger Games,' in polite society these days? One did not state the previous out loud. Dru found her saving grace in the form of the boys eyes locking on the First Aid station. She slithered up from the right side of the boy, glanced at the cheery, smiling woman at the station who bore a name-tag that said she was a certified medic by the name of Roxanne. Dru let her eyes slide from the painfully boring woman to the all too interesting Tribute.

She attempted to insert some flirty tones in her usually unchanging voice. "If you had somebody with you in the Arena, you wouldn't need any medical training because there would be somebody to watch your back." Dru non-chalantly leaned against the wall behind them, assessing the situation, tasting the atmosphere for signs of startled prey. Had she just scared or intrigued the volunteer-Tribute? Dru let a coy smile loose and batter her eye-lashes for good measure, praying to God her good-looks would save the situation Dur may have just made a mess of.

Irritation fought its way onto Dru's face, replacing the suave expression that had won over more than one boys heart. Insolent boy! roared a part of her mind. Her mother had once called her an insolent girl, unworthy of the Charlesburg name. Dru recalled having snuck in through her bedroom window after a night of too much fun to find the woman sitting on her bed, blue eyes flashing in the predawn light. Her fingers had been curled up into a tight fist, her long, talon-nails grazing the delicate, white skin that was the palms of her hands.

Dru thought she looked rather like her mother in that one moment, as the younger boy aired his weakling status. Buckling knees? Miss Charlesburg assumed that only happened in B-rate movies. Of course he could be faking it, complimenting Dru in the one way he could. She didn't care much--her mind was set on an Allie, and all the better he have a thing for her. The boy was tossing a casual line her way in an instant. She liked his bounce-back time although the line was much cheesier than her own.

"Hmm. Huddling for warmth? Did your trainer teach you that back home? Its a useful trick." She turned her attention to the two Tributes standing a few feet away, slightly bored with Shanks. He was a bit of a let-down, just some self-impressed punk. Ara, Dru's secret favorite and a boy by the name of Jango were conversing, that was better considering they were two Tributes sure to get sympathy points. Dru assumed she was a little too... off for even the most eccentric of sponsors, so joining up with people guaranteed to receive help from the outside world seemed like a wise move on her part.

"Ara, you look like you already know how to use that stuff," Drusilla commented, impressed by the girls knowledge. Dru made eye-contact with everybody, quickly, before introducing herself. "I'm called Dru, by the way--from District One. I think I know all of you already." A bright smile plastered to her face eluded to her kind nature. Dru was trying to come across as the slightly misunderstood, suspected-Career girl with a fabulous face that would earn her fans in the Capitol, and a need for companionship. Thats what her Mentor had told her would work best. The scary-chick stuff was too hard-core for the Capitol, her soft, physical appearance also made it impossible. She simply could not pull off the dangerous-Career 'tude that so many District One Tributes usually went for. It made her unique, but Dru hated the idea of people thinking she was a flower, delicate and controllable. She was a wild-card in real life. Pretending to be somebody she was not would just make things harder on Dru.

ooc- meh. I wanted all four of them to talk but couldn't think of anything to say.