A New Hope? [Elijah and Xaahira]

It's been a long week; Elijah can't help but wonder how Ansgar Todd felt during the training process. Although it couldn't be any worse than Elijah is feeling right now. His absolute faith has been shaken during his week here, first by not being able to find Ansgar Todd on the train or since he arrived in the Capitol, then by being consistently proven wrong in his convictions. Has everything Father Todd preached been a lie? Elijah can't help but wonder if his faith has been misplaced. Father Todd brought him in when he found Elijah wandering the streets, searching through garbage to find anything edible. Father Todd gave Elijah hope when he felt like he had none. Elijah can't help but wonder if Father Todd saw someone vulnerable and decided to mold him into a tool to be used. Bile sits at the back of Elijah's throat as he thinks about being used, and it raises a wave of anger in him, a feeling that he hopes he can use in the Arena.

Elijah is still trying to figure out the best weapon for him. He thinks about throwing knives since that was the weapon of choice for his most holy. However, he has to remind himself that his ascension will be different from Todd's if that's what winning the Games can be called. He needs to find his own tools and his own path. He's had a chance to try various weapons, but he's sure which would be best. If he's in the countryside like Ansgar Todd, he feels that ranged weapons are a better option to keep distance between himself and the other tributes. However, a traditional sword might be better if he is in an arena requiring closed combat. Or a spear to utilize his long limbs to keep distance, but that might create a disadvantage. There's still so much unknown to Elijah, and he finds that frustrating. While he's usually not one to plan things, he's never been in this situation. This is the most important few weeks of his life. He either proves that he is worthy of being Divine, or he is sacrificed for Ripred's glory.

He evaluates those around him, finding a good group of soldiers to help him rise to glory. He hesitates to call them friends, as everything in the Arena is fickle. Even Ansgar Todd had allies, one of which he had to kill at the end. Could Elijah face his support system at the end if he had to? As the training week continues, Elijah increasingly realizes how little Ripred's light touches this city. Granted, he has yet to go farther than the Training Center, but the lack of faith is troublesome. Maybe focusing on others' lack of confidence is Elijah's way of facing his wavering belief.

"This is a test; it has to be, Elijah thought to himself as he grabbed a tray of food and tried to find a place to eat. This has to be the part where Ripred shows me a sign and shows me that my faith is not for naught. Elijah's faith is wavering, tugging at his seams. He sees one of the girls from One sitting alone, admittedly looking worse for wear. He doesn't realize he's walking over to her before he's already at her table. Being the awkward person who never had outside interactions before being chosen Reaped, he wants to walk away, but he doesn't want to be rude, so he sits across from her.

"Hey, I'm Elijah. How are you holding up?" he asks, a voice full of genuine curiosity.