There's No Way (Team St★rkid)

s u n d r a

She doesn't expect everything to go well the first day. After all, Sundra Wie is anything but likely to win the Hunger Games, and a few days worth of training isn't likely to change a thing . But to her astonishment, everything seems to not be terrible. She actually is learning skills, albeit slowly (she must admit that using a bow and arrow is rather entertaining when she doesn't have to worry about it hitting someone else's artery or whatnot). First aid is easy for her - she had taken care of Io's bumps and bruises often in District 5. And although other things are not as easy to master, they aren't impossible.

Perhaps she'd be able to make it out alive. But it would take a great amount of strength, both inside and out. Yet she makes no move to contemplate this as she walked into the Dining Hall. Rather, all that she can think about at this point is that she is very very hungry, and that her expectations of the Capitol's food has not been let down. In fact, it is better than she thought (she has thought about this - there isn't much to do while sitting on the train heading towards your doom other than a) worry about your upcoming demise or b) wonder about the Capitol's luxuries that you've never ever had). Food is particularly savory looking at this point in time, and it is spread out among the buffet, smells wafting into tributes' noses as they walk into the large room.

The old Sundra Wie would hesitate to move, wanting to make sure that everyone else got what they wanted before she did (she would take the smallest piece or maybe the worse looking dish). But this Sundra Wie knows that her time is limited in this world. She knows that very soon, her life will expire simply because another teenager (or in the very unlucky case, muttation or sheer stupidity) will cause it in a week or so. Therefore, the new Sundra Wie is willing to try as much as possible (just not so much in one sitting that she gets sick - that would ruin the whole point of experimentation). So that's what she does.

Sundra returns from her exploration with a plate-full of succulent delicacies and a small drink that sparks whenever she put her tongue up against it (it also tastes like oranges, a luxury that she hasn't been able to afford since she left before harvesting the trees next to her house), sitting next to the girl from eight. Of course, she doesn't realize this because she is far too focused on her stomach than company, only realizing that the younger girl is there when she looks up after eating a small mouthful of rice topped with a gooey, salty sauce. A bit surprised, the girl pauses to wipe her mouth before speaking in her typical polite manner. Even the new Sundra knows that politeness gets you everywhere, and it is simply the right thing to do (and in this world of deceit and lies and bloodshed, the least thing she can do is be polite).

"Oh, hi. You're Ember, right?" Of course, formalities start out the same way - Sundra already knows Ember Hillbrook's name. She knows that Ember is from District 8, that she simply sparkled with a bright red dress and a poofy red wig (it is rather difficult to take one's eyes off of a breathing persona of a sparkly strawberry). But of course, Ember Hillbrook may not know that Sundra knows who she is, and intimidating one with bits of creepy stalkerdom is not the way that Sundra wants to appear to anybody. "I'm Sundra, from District 5," she finally concludes with, and attempts to allay the obvious awkwardness in the room with a slight smile. Does it work? It might, or it might not.

But the least thing she can do is try.