[M] The 49th Annual Hunger Games {Nachthexe x Zulera301}

[Nachthexe]

Rated M for violence, strong language, and other mature themes

It was morning and already Lanni had been awake for some time. Scattered around her were scraps of paper, each one filled with countless encryptions and numbers that had been recorded by the tiny girl herself. She focused heavily on them, most notably the massive "24" that emblazoned the centre of just one sheet. One out of 24 and I'm 14, therefore my name is contained within the system exactly three times. What exactly is the population of District 3? Questions arose - questions that the girl focused long and hard on just as she heard a voice outside her door.

It was unmistakably Miriam, the youngest of the three Samara siblings who had a tendency to simply barge in. It was a rather obnoxious habit of the younger girl, but one that her middle sister was not about to contest this morning. "Fine, come in." She uttered with a sigh. Without hesitation the younger girl came in, immediately taking note of the hoard of half-constructed gadgets, paper, and all manner of other doodads that the older girl had managed to accumulate. The disorderly fashion of the room was not unlike the wild untamed dark hair that laid atop the head of each member of the Samara family.

"What is going on? Aren't you going to come to breakfast?" Miriam finally asked her sister. "Nancy, mum, and dad are already there."

Lanni sighed. "I suppose I was just overthinking some things. I tend to do that on Reaping Day..." Perhaps overthinking was an understatement as the various sheets of paper currently in front of the girl could testify. It was one complicated equation after the other all in attempts to decipher exactly what her odds of being reaped were. Fortunately, it did not come out as extremely high, but how certain could she be? Just how many times did the other children have their names in the lottery? Miriam, being only eleven, was lucky for just one more year.

Without further reluctance Lanni followed her sister to the kitchen where food was already neatly laid out for each member of the family. Each of them managed to eat in near silence, only exchanging brief glances at each other. Transforming Reaping Day into something sentimental was always a risk for it came with the possibility that at least one Samara child was not returning home. Both Lanni and Nancy were eligible to be selected, being forced to their almost certain deaths.

The silence of breakfast was only short-lived, however, with Nancy being the first to break the brief peace. "With you being fourteen and me being seventeen without any Tesserae I infer that we don't have a lot to be distressed about."

"I hope that's affirmative because I'm so diminutive." Lanni replied as she put her shoes on. It was time to leave for the Justice Building where the annual Reaping always occurred.

Upon following her younger sister out the door, and finally with the rest of the family trailing behind, Nancy chuckled. "Size is insignificant. Remember that tiny girl who won last year?" She was, of course, referring to a certain Layla Aranai who, despite being the smallest tribute that year had managed to come out victorious. For somebody like Lanni it provided even a shred of hope in the case that she was ever reaped.

Any hope was needed hope, Lanni realized the moment she stepped into the District Square that was quickly filling with eligible children from all over the District. They registered with the Peacekeepers before finding their place and neatly lining up, according to age. Lanni and Nancy followed the standard protocol, simply waving to each other as they parted ways for the small ceremony to begin.

The routine itself was far too familiar to Lanni by now who simply shook her head as the District's Escort, Marcus, walked atop the stage. He was a rather short and plump man, but to most he was even more recognizable by his vibrantly coloured suits. Supposedly it was some of the more "normal" of the Capitol fashion, but the tiny girl did not much care to find out exactly how much truth there was to those rumours. There was exactly only two ways she could find out for herself: asking another of the District's Victors or going to the Capitol herself. Going to the Capitol was nothing more than another impossibility, however.

Unless one was Reaped for the Hunger Games.

The slim possibility of being Reaped still did not escape Lanni as she gave Marcus her full undivided attention. She nearly froze up at the prospect, particularly as the man gave the usual Capitol spiel that preceded every Reaping. Just how many citizens took it at face value, she wondered. The thoughts of rebellion or loyalty rarely did cross her own mind, but she knew that one could find individuals of either variety all across the District. Marcus himself was focused on one thing only, though, gleefully turning towards the massive computerized system that in only moments would be randomizing two names from the District.

A lump formed in Lanni's throat as the man spoke once more. "Now this is the moment we all await every year! It is time to select our Tributes for the 49th Annual Hunger Games!" He smiled and positioned his finger over the switch that would put the system to work. "As is routine by now, ladies first!"

Nearly every girl in District 3 suddenly held their breath as a series of numbers appeared to be changing on the device's screen. Numbers. What did they mean? The system's interior coding perhaps? Algorithms? It was a fascinating display of technological performance, but the awe that every District 3 child felt at the machine itself was only short-lived as a single name finally became legible on the machine's screen: Lanni Samara.

She froze once again, barely making a single sound as all eyes set on her. This was it. Perhaps her equations had been off? Either way, her fate was sealed. She was going to the Hunger Games.

[Zulera301]

Reaping Day... District 3 always had a tendency to live up to its reputation of cranking out smart, wily, or otherwise clever tributes. Like the electronics and technology they excelled in using however, if the arena layouts were anything to go off of, water seemed to be their most prominent weakness, with only one year out of the last 5 or 6 that they had lost tributes in the bloodbath.

Statistics were always an interesting field of study, and with numbers of all sorts being prevalent across the district, and finding trends in these numbers was always a very aesthetically pleasing thing for the numerically oriented anyways.
Chip Sangster was one of these. sheets of numbers of all kinds were scattered all across his room, with various piles of statistical data and other number crunching aspects scattered about. he had calculators, but hardly used them. Math had always been his favourite subject in school, although today might also be the day he never had to go back there. He'd miss it considering he was always one of the better-performing students in his years of academia, but sometimes that was just how the odds were. The odds were seldom ever in their favour.

His parents weren't around at the moment, likely doing this or that. They'd be there for the reaping and such, but it wasn't like they could tell him anything they hadn't told him a hundred times before, or that he hadn't statistically assured himself of hundreds of times before as well. There was no point in living in fear of numbers, for the numbers never lied—or so the Capitol claimed. The enigma surrounding Paige Alwin's reaping 3 years ago was one of the few times Chip had nearly questioned this philosophy. The odds of her getting chosen and then triggering so many arena hazards that targetted her in particular despite that boy Alice being at her side the whole time... the numbers just didn't add up. He supposed at this point it didn't really matter since if the Capitol was targetting that girl, they had succeeded since she was dead. Maybe that had been a factor in that boy's luck.

And then of course there was the notion of his own odds. for all the math and mind he put into the odds of others, he didn't consider his own too much. "Never tell me my odds," he'd always say. He was fortunate enough to not have had his odds tampered with taking out tesserae, but at 16, his name was still in the lottery enough times to make a difference.
It was a process of elimination. a 1% chance of getting picked was really just a 99% chance of not getting picked. It was an elimination game, and the more times it was played, the higher that percentage would go. 50 rounds of 99% odds and you ultimately only had about a 60% chance of evading misfortune. It was strange how that worked.

Chip was not a very large or intimidating fellow, with his light brown mess of wavy hair and grey eyes being none too memorable. Still, like the notorious Clemont and Hikari from 4 years prior, Chip planned to leave an impression if he was to die. That Zefira Togisala girl from District 12 didn't even seem like she had been trying to win, but he'd be damned if he thought anyone would be forgetting that face. Rumours from the Peacekeepers had it that she and her partner Fenris had actually started a sort of cult following in District 12 that had also spread to District 11, what with these "Painted Tributes". He wondered what they would see in the arena this year.

If there was one thing about the reaping that was always fun to admire though, was the automated machine taht did the lotteries. In eight of the other districts, escorts simply picked a name out of a glass bowl: one for the girls and one for the boys. Districts 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, & 4 were that way. Districts 1 & 2 were crawling with so many volunteer tributes who had been training their whole lives for these games that they had stopped using the lotteries decades ago. Purportedly, District 2 started this trend as early as the 2nd Hunger Games, with District 1 following suit in the 3rd Hunger Games. By the 4th or 5th years, both districts had solid facilities set up. This was technically not considered "fair", but the Capitol seemed more than happy to turn a blind eye to such devoted complacence.

Districts 3 and 5, however, were by far the most interesting reapings to watch, because instead of a bunch of dim-witted teenagers brawling for the position or kids getting their names picked out of glass bowls, they got to watch a randomized generator up on a big glowy screen. It had been an innovation in District 3 first, Chip recalled, but District 5, who specialized in electonics due to being the place that powered Panem, quickly caught on as well. They were the richest non-career District no less, with only '2 and '1 boasting more wealth.Another interesting fact for the day. Facts and useless bits of trivial and knowledge wouldn't save him in the games, but it might give him an edge or two.

He was so absorbed in his own little world that he hardly noticed Marcus's spiel and only when the lottery machine lit up and made noise did he cock his head back towards the stage, waiting for a girl's name to show up.
Lanni Samara. No one he knew, but then again Chip didn't exactly get out and socialize much. People didn't bother him, per se; he'd just rather have his nose in a math book or doing calculations on his whiteboard or stacks of papers at home. It was far from personal, and the boy was sociable enough when he needed to be.

He paid a little more attention when it was the boys' turns, because this was where he would come into play. Almost as if the computer had developed a telepathic connection to him right at that moment, the machine stopped and spit out a face onto the screen: Chip Sangster.

"Ironic," he shrugged. He was probably going to die, but if he was, he was going to go down one of five ways, all reminiscent of past tributes from the last 5 years;
He'd either go down like Kyla Togisala from District 12 in year '44: killing someone with his last breath. perhaps he'd die in style like Lever, Lodan, and Lynx from '47. perhaps the most ragtag alliance to surface in the last decade, the quaint little trio had been the boys from Districts 3 & 8, and the little girl from District 12. There was a chance he'd blunder up and get himself and his own alliance killed the way Lyndis, Smash, and Isi had done in '46: the three girls from '10, '11, and '12 had proven to be a menace early on, but perhaps their inaction had been what had forced the Capitol's hand.
The true way he wanted to go though, if he had to die, was like Zefira Saratoga from District 12 in '48: by striking fear into the hearts of his enemies to the point where even after they killed him, if they lived to escape the arena, that he would haunt their dreams for the rest of their days. Or of course there was the notorious Clemont and Hikari, fellow District 3 tributes from '45: that'd be a great way to leave an impression, except if he did that, he'd hope t win.
Whatever the case, there was no point in fantasizing too much right now. There were goodbyes to say, hellos to issue, and games to plan for and scheme about. He turned to the girl next to him and muttered, "welp, here goes." as Marcus announced his usual spiel.
"Ladies and Gentlemen: your tributes from District 3 for the 49th Annual Hunger Games: Lanni Samara and Chip Sangster!"

And yet, despite all of his own analytics, this felt much realer a few moments later as they were shunted into the Justice Building for what would be either one or both of their last goodbyes.

[Nachthexe]

What exactly were the odds? How exactly had the machine landed on her name rather than the countless others, many of which had even greater odds? Questions flooded Lanni's mind even as she remained silent amongst the crowds all focused on her. It was only moments later that the Peacekeepers had begun marching towards her, prompting the most dreaded steps of any child in Panem. Those several steps she took towards the stage were just the beginning - the beginning to the countdown of potentially the rest of her life. Marcus, much to her dismay, appeared overly excited about the whole endeavour and wore a smile the entire time. The tiny girl simply shook her head and ignored it, staring out towards the crowd of boys from which very shortly her District partner would join her.

Chip Sangster. It was not a name Lanni recognized, but she figured that very soon they would become more than just slightly acquainted. She managed a nod towards the boy just as Marcus made his final announcement. Their fates were ultimately sealed by those words which were arguably some more of the most frightening ones in Panem. Words had power and it did not take a young genius in District 3 to figure it out.

Nor did it take a genius to decipher exactly what was happening as a pair of Peacekeepers made their way up towards the stage.

Lanni knew that she had no choice but to follow the duo of uniformed men that began to usher her towards the Justice Building. They forced her inside, rapidly closing the doors behind them. It was a sense of powerlessness and isolation that began to take over the girl's conscious. Her first instinct was to panic and break down entirely, but what good would it do? What good would any emotion at all do in her current dilemma? The Capitol would not call off the games simply because some tiny girl in District 3 felt uncomfortable and it was foolish to believe otherwise. Instead, she simply sat and waited deep inside the small room she was currently sealed into. It felt almost like a prison cell, but logic told the girl that it was no such thing. Her current reality paled in comparison to what was to come and she knew it.

"Lanni. Win? Please?" She looked up upon hearing a voice. Miriam. It seemed her family had come to say their farewells, possibly their final farewells. That remained the most chilling aspect of it all, leaving the tiny girl no choice but to embrace her younger sister. As she took hold of her she swore that she felt her eyes welling up, leaving tears flowing down her cheeks.

"It seems the odds are proportionally not in my favour, but I will aspire to jaunt out of that arena." She responded just as the remainder of her family joined in the embrace. It quickly became a moment she cherished, much to her dismay. Sentimentalism was dangerous, particularly as she ran the risk of being slain in the opening minutes. The bloodbath of the games commonly resulted in the deaths of eight or nine Tributes on its own, leaving just fifteen or sixteen others to fight for an opportunity to return home. Even if she was to survive the bloodbath herself the odds still did not appear to be great. It was an equation that she had gone over time and time again. Never had she expected to personally live it, however.

"You are intelligent so you will find a way. We are among the smartest people in Panem, remember that." The sincere words of her father brought a small smile to Lanni's face.

"If it is any consolation then I could just rip a leaf out of Clemont and Hikari's book. What a stellar performance. It's truly calamitous that one of them had not returned victorious." She retorted with a shrug. Nobody in the entire District was quick to forget the performance of District 3 within the 45th games. So many had remained fairly confident that at least one of them was returning home. They had had the wits, the smarts, and even the firepower to do so yet to everybody's amazement the less spectacular pair from District 6 had ultimately defeated them in what was possibly one of District 3's greatest upset in the games in years.

"I've seen some of the stuff you've built so whatever it takes for you to walk out of that arena alive..." Nancy was the next to speak, staring down her younger sister rather intensely. Even if she did not always express it she did feel a degree of envy towards the younger Samara. She had always been the more gifted and intelligent one, but for once it was a trait that could possibly even be life saving. The older girl held onto what confidence she could as she took her younger sister's hands in hers. She held them momentarily before reaching into her own pocket. She pulled out what was unmistakably an old and no longer functioning computer chip of some sort. Even more interesting was the fact it seemed to have come from long outdated technology, possibly from before the Dark Days themselves. "I wanted you to have this. A token of sorts to remind yourself of exactly what you're capable of."

As the old computer chip was placed in her own hands Lanni eyed it with great intrigue. It was no doubt a piece of curious technology, a suitable memento for a girl so technologically inclined herself. "This is...fascinating. Where did you acquire such a peculiar artifact?" She asked her older sister.

"I found it, but I suppose you have more use for it now so keep it." Nancy grudgingly insisted. Without further hesitation Lanni pocketed the chip and embraced her family one final time. It was then she heard the door forced open, revealing another pair of Peacekeepers. She knew exactly what their presence meant, only allowing a single nod as they proceeded to force her family out the door and then finally herself.

"If I do not return then take care of yourselves!" She shouted one last time before being shoved down the Justice Building's corridor by the pair of Peacekeepers. They groaned as they led the Tribute out of the building and towards the train station. It was time to leave, possibly for the one and only time.

[Zulera301]

If Chip was frightened, he certainly didn't show it. It was the same sort of smug grimace that Lyndis Montoya had worn three years ago during her reaping, and while he had not volunteered the way she had, he had the same sort of weird morbid curiosity. He wasn't so much interested in causing pain or drawing out someone's death or suffering; but he was definitely curious to see how the minds of his enemies operated. Layla and Valour, the last two victors, in particular interested him especially, because they had been reaped with the same gung-ho attitude that most career tributes had, and yet Valour had returned a very humbled calmer man, whilst Layla had returned a shattered woman who was a shell of her former self.

He had often contemplated that sort of thing: what distinguished men from boys; women from girls. Valour Drazen could have technically qualified with his age, since he was 20 by now, but to Chip at least, it was more his maturity and experience—which was what the now-16-year-old Layla Aranai had going for her, and why he considered her a woman even if he considered some people older than her to still be girls. Not that some random 16-year-old schmuck from District 3 was the authority on such things, but he was a thinker; an analyzer.

It wasn't to say that he was fond of his sudden lot in life or that he was complacent; but what was one boy armed with nothing but a small computer chip and the clothes on his back going to do? his token was in several ways symbolic, even to the point of wordplay considering that his name was also Chip, but there was symbolism here too. If someone didn't know what the small green and gold-circuited square was or what it was used for, they'd think nothing of it. And yet inside it, there was data to process and power to exude. So it was fitting. That said, he had no reason to try and resist the Peacekeepers shunting him and Lanni into the building, especially when his odds of success were literally zero.

His parents showed up, which was a nice sense of relief, although rather than tearful goodbyes, all three of them steeled themselves, knowing that crying over it wouldn't accomplish anything, and that Chip didn't want to remember his parents sobbing over his departure.
"Don't worry mom; dad." he assured them with the same level of cool confidence of a volunteer tribute, "win or lose, I'll give 'em hell. But obviously I'm in it to win it." That was one of the enigmas of people like Lyndis, Zefira, or even Lindell, Fenris, or Kana. Sure they had fought well and fought hard, but they all—Zefira in particular—almost seemed like they were less concerned about winning and more concerned about sending a message. Chip thought that was something to consider. He wanted to be remembered as well if he didn't return home, but unlike them, he also wanted to win by any means necessary. Time would tell how successful he was.

"of that we have no doubt," they responded, "We love you Chip—and like you said: give 'em hell!" that was about all they really felt needed to be said on the subject, and Chip agreed. His parents were by no means neglectful, but were also not overbearing. They stepped in when Chip needed parenting, but otherwise, they let him do his own thing a lot, and learn for himself. This was about to pay off because had he been sheltered, this would have been a rude wake-up call once he was lying in his own blood in front of the golden cornucopia. That was not the way Chip wanted to die.

Once again, his deep thoughts were disrupted by the Peacekeepers though. Had it already been that long? whatever the case, he got up and offered no resistance as they were led from the building towards the cars which then took them to the nearby train station. The first day of the end of their lives started now: and only one of the 24 boys and girls that were in Chip's same predicament would come back home alive.

[Nachthexe]

As she was led out of the Justice Building and towards the car that would escort her to the train station, Lanni remained calm and collected. She did not speak at all. In fact, she barely made a single sound at all. It was only her breathing that could be occasionally picked up between the footsteps of the Peacekeepers that trailed just slightly behind her. Heavily armoured boots of some sort, undoubtedly. It was the only type of footwear the girl could even imagine leaving such a heavy stream of sound.

Once inside the car, though, she was startled by the sudden whirring of the engine. It was no doubt a fascinating piece of technology, one so seldom seen by the regular citizens of the Districts. Such abnormalities had supposedly once been commonplace all over Panem, but supposedly events from long before even the Dark Days had left them scarce. History. It was always a fascinating subject for one to dwell on if they wanted to fully understand their origins. she had taken a degree of interest in it, but suddenly the only factor that mattered in the young girl's mind was survival. It was the only way she would see her family again - a family that was doomed to lose a piece of itself unless she managed to outsmart and defeat twenty-three other children, including her District partner.

Her District partner.

Who exactly was Chip Sangster? It only just occurred to the girl that she actually knew so little about the older, and larger, boy who had been reaped to fight alongside her. All she could do was gaze at him and carefully examine his features once they were both securely inside the car. Nope, definitely not somebody she recognized. Perhaps her sister knew him? A question for later. Maybe. If they even managed to get to a personal level with each other at all. It was an almost guaranteed risk due to the nature of what they were both involved in now.

But perhaps it would take the efforts of them both to produce a District 3 Victor. It was just one more factor that Lanni found herself dwelling on as she kept her gaze on the older boy. "Salutations and all that, I guess." She finally uttered, giving him a playful wave. Keeping on good terms and forming alliances was always nice, but would it last? It was simply too soon to tell.

"Good to see you two finally getting friendly back there!" Marcus cooed, "But will it last into the games? Tune in and see folks!" He unleashed a deep laugh, to Lanni's slight annoyance.

"If all the Capitol civilians are this buoyant then we better strap in for the excursion of a lifetime." She leaned over and whispered to her partner. Was there some sort of requirement in the job description for District Escorts to be as obnoxious as possible? The girl was not even sure she wanted to find that out either and she liked finding out almost anything. She simply loved learning. Did Chip share her sentiment, she wondered. Two analytical powerhouses from the most technologically advanced district in Panem. Now, that was bound to get the Capitol crowds talking. The perfect material for the far too realistic reality TV show they were so eager to host annually.

[Zulera301]

It was not to say that Chip Sangster was shy, but he was very introspective, and the fact that he was so quiet was part of this. He wasn't anti-social—or at least, he didn't intend to come off as such. Whatever the case, he marched with the Peacekeepers to the cars that soon roared to life to take them to the train station. These vehicles made him curious about District 6, where he knew such things were manufactured. However, high-speed trains and massive hovercraft were more favourable modes of transportation if Chip's observations were anything to go off of.

Here he was in the Hunger Games though, and learning about cars wouldn't do him any favours unless they were in the arena, and odds of the 49th Annual Hunger Games being a demolition derby were not in anyone's favour. That thought didn't even cross Chip's mind considering that he, like most others across at least eleven of Panem's districts (and maybe even District 6 as well), likely associated automobiles as being machines used solely by the Capitol. What he began thinking of was both how he wanted to try and survive, and if the odds were truly not in his favour, what he wanted to do so that he wouldn't just become another faceless name in some Capitol record books.

Who *was* Chip Sangster? who would he be? Was he a victor? was he an arena menace? was he bloodbath fodder? Within 2-3 weeks he would find out, and so would the rest of Panem. Would he be a nameless fodder tribute like District 10 had been for the last decade or so apart from Lyndis Montoya? or would he BE the Lyndis Montoya of this year's games? Would he be a silent and terrifying menace like Zefira? the idea of being a brutal savage like Smash or Kamau crossed his mind only briefly before he remembered that he didn't have nearly that kind of strength. No, if he was to win these games, he would have to outsmart his competition the same way Clemont and Hikari did, except also make sure not to die to a couple of druggies from District 6—and of course, to make sure if there were any like Valendria, that beast of a woman from District 4 four years ago, that they were dealt with first. Chip swore she was like 22 or something and just somehow managed to tamper with her records somehow, but perhaps not. That seemed more like something that would happen in a place like '5 or '3.

District 5... Panem's most mysterious District, at least in Chip's opinion, but perhaps that was just because he knew so many of the ins and outs of the wily citizenry of his own home turf. They were rich and purportedly loyal enough to gain favours from the Capitol—they had to be, if the Capitol trusted them to supply power to them and the entire nation. If the arena favoured District 3 though, it would also favour District 5 because they had similar industrial specialties. They would be wroth watching out for even if they did turn out to be bloodbath fodder. District 3 would be another... which included his partner.

It seemed she was the first one to break the ice. Lanni Samara, wasn't it? Chip hoped so, because he was prone to forgetting names fairly easily. When she greeted him, he returned it in kind though.
"Hey," he gave her a friendly wave, and snickered when she muttered about the Capitol man. "I'd put money on it personally... but I don't have any money."
he paused for a moment, and regardless of whether or not she laughed, he would continue.
"and I mean, sure we'll theoretically have to eventually turn on each other if we outsmart everyone else in the arena... but until then, wanna show Panem which district produces the smartest tributes?" That was his fancy way of offering an alliance, and assumed that she would be clever enough to make that deduction. If she didn't... well, then he might have had second thoughts of aligning himself with her anyways. He always liked to keep an open mind, both to possibilities, but also to knowledge and information—and as the old saying went: "two heads were better than one".

[Nachthexe]

Despite the flamboyant nature of Marcus the car ride remained pleasant, or at least as pleasant as it could be for two children about to be whisked off to certain death. Statistically, only one came out alive and out of twenty-three others that did not leave the odds particularly great for anybody. The younger and poorer among them were particularly at a disadvantage most years. It did not even take a genius from the heart of District 3 to work out that bit. Having done the equations beforehand Lanni mostly knew what to expect and she strongly suspected that her own partner did as well. Regardless of outcome, at least one of them was never returning home.

Despite the exorbitant odds against her the most Lanni could hope for was to be remembered in some way. If she was to die in front of the entire nation then she wanted to go down in glory. If anything, she wished to pull off something as bold as Clemont and Hikari had several years previous. Even to this day they were renowned as legends across the District, despite their status as deceased. The small girl could understand why. Few other tributes managed to pull off what they had, constructing fully functioning machinery with the limited resources in the arena plus a few generous sponsors. She also realized that if she wanted to have any chance at survival then she would have to pull off something similar.

There was no way to know for certain, but Lanni easily suspected that Chip was on a similar wavelength as herself. Rarely did District 3 product Tributes that were physically strong. In truth, few individuals in the District even had muscle at all due to the nature of their industry. For some, it was seen as a severe disadvantage in the games, but oftentimes it was simply their intelligence being underestimated. The girl could only imagine the commentary that had come out of the Capitol as soon as she had been reaped. Perhaps their rumoured betting games had already begun, marking her as one of the first to be struck down. That, she was not going to allow to discourage her, though. She had a home to return to. A family. But perhaps so did Chip?

The reality of what would have to happen was not lost on Lanni as her partner spoke. Nonetheless, getting friendly with the guy was probably relatively harmless for the time-being. She even chuckled as he gave a remark of his own about the Capitol Escort. It was well-known in District 3 that allegiance to the Capitol overlords was largely mixed. Did Chip happen to have a more rebellious streak or did he simply toe the line like a perfectly constructed computer algorithm?

An alliance, though? Putting Chip's loyalties aside, it was rather blatant to Lanni what exactly the boy was suggesting. She smiled. It was nearly inevitable year after year that District partners would stick together until it was no longer possible. Two minds was often better than one, particularly if a District was determined to bring home a Victor. "Not exactly conspicuous are you? The Capitol and all the other Districts must always remember never to underestimate a couple of geniuses from District 3." She intentionally winked in Chip's direction, leaving it rather evident what her intentions were. They were on the same side...for now. Sooner or later she knew that would break down, but that was a reality that she would simply confront once it occurred.

[Zulera301]

The Capitol Escort didn't bother Chip so much, although that might have been more because he spoke to them both generally rather than trying to actually engage in conversation. Not to say that Chip minded conversation by nature, but there was meaningful talk and meaningless talk. The Capitol produced mostly people in the latter category, while he suspected that a fellow intellectual from District 3 would offer him the former. Had he not believed that, he may not have even suggested an alliance at all. not 2 years ago, that boy Lever had gone off on his own—or at least been forced to after his partner died in the bloodbath. Either way, he managed to find some wily friends, what with his alliance with that redhead District 8 boy Lodan, or that adorable little District 12 girl Lynx. Miracles happened—that was the only explanation for how that youngster had taken 5th.

Chip liked trends; patterns and inclinations that showed up in the previous Hunger Games records. Going back too far did not amount to much considering that 49 years ago the games were extremely different, with 24 confused kids wondering what in oblivion they were even supposed to do, or if it was even real, what they were doing. Even a decade ago things were different, and so Chip's primary attention was on the last 5 years. One of the more frightening trends was in District 12, which had been on an upward trend regarding performance lately. Formerly famous as bloodbath fodder, in the last five years, two of the boys and all five of the girls had escaped the bloodbath. Of those, plenty stood out, but of those, it was hard to forget little Kyla Togisala, who had had the highest body count that year, even beating out the victor herself. That, and no one was about to forget the infamous Zefira Saratoga. Word on the circuit was that her antics had started a sort of cult following back in District 12, which made him all that much more intrigued to see not only what they would produce this year, but also to see the reapings to see if there really were a multitude of painted faces in the crowds or not.

Chip grinned ear to ear as Lanni offered her allegiance. He understood that it was temporary and she seemed to understand it too, but that just made it better. It would mean less personal or hard feelings in the final moments of their lives if they had to betray each other.
"It's like the old saying back home," he remarked, "there's never a need to outmuscle something you can outwit. Not to say I'm excited about being carted off to a death tournament... but if I'm going to get thrown into the Capitol's game, I'm at least going to take full advantage of as many rules as I can." He wasn't necessarily a rebel although he also didn't have any love for the Capitol. To him this was just how things are, and statistically speaking, the odds of a revolution were far too small to take the risk, especially considering the penalty for failure. Besides, he was no revolutionary either. He might be the analyst that would help a revolutionary make sure things were feasible or practical, but he'd save leadership for someone more qualified.

The vehicles pulled to a stop and a glance out the window was all it took to realize that they had arrived at the train station, with a sleek silver engine waiting for them, ready to shoot them off on a carefully calculated high-speed journey that would bring them to the Capitol around 10AM the following morning, alongside eleven other trains from the other districts. Chip wondered if Lanni was thinking the same thing he was, because the moment they boarded that train and got comfortable, he wanted to see reaping footage. It would be good to at least get an idea of what kind of competition they were up against, especially since the odds of two tributes from the same District making it to the end was slim. Not unfeasible, considering that District 11 had done that exact thing in '44, but still very highly improbable. Still... the idea of two District 3 tributes having a battle of wits as a finale did sort of pump him up. But... no point in fantasizing this early. There was a week and nearly two dozen tributes to get through before any of that were to happen.

[Nachthexe]

An alliance. Lanni could settle for that. Even if she and her partner did not manage to successfully produce a District 3 Victor then she wanted them to be remembered for something remarkable. She did not want to be the nameless and forgotten Tribute who was struck down in the bloodbath. It was evident that Chip did not take much interest in that fate either. No, it was crucial that they survived, ideally to the absolute end. Even if they were forced to turn on each other at least a battle of wits was one that would undoubtedly be memorable. Occasionally upsets did occur, leaving the physically strongest Tributes outsmarted by the wittiest. That was something the tiny girl was confident that she and her partner could accomplish very well, regardless of how far they made it into the games.

"Technically there are no regulations once inside the arena. As soon as those mines deactivate then we're free to do whatever is necessary to come out breathing and intact." Lanni reminded her partner with a smirk. There was simply no taking advantage of rules when they did not even exist in the first place. The presence of the mines also did not escape the young girl's mind. It was known that District 3 Tributes had taken advantage of them in the past, usually to rather, quite literally, explosive results. Would they be capable of doing the same? Only time would tell, but any tactical advantage was one step closer to returning home.

Analyzing each aspect of the games right from the odds of being reaped all the way to the survival and kill rates was hard work. It was one thing to do it at a distance, far away from the arena, but it was another when one was about to be whisked off to participate directly. What had previously served as a hobby was now a lifeline. It was an irony not lost on Lanni as she continued to think about past games and how their properties could apply to her own. She suspected that Chip was lost in thought himself, thus opted not to disturb him over the steady whirring of the car's engine.

It was a whirring that suddenly came to a close as the car parked outside what was unmistakably the train platform. It was a fascinating site, leaving Lanni rather in awe as she took in all its details. She had seen it exactly once in her life, having once put on a job with her father near the site. They, of course, had been forbidden by the Peacekeepers from entering so seeing it close-up gave it a whole other perspective. Everything about it was simply so...immense. Another symbol of the Capitol's might perhaps as it was rare for civilians to travel outside their Districts? "Chip, this is an architectural marvel. Take it from the aspiring engineer." She commented.

"You ain't see nothin' yet, kid! Wait until we get into the Capitol!" Marcus quickly interjected gleefully.

"I can only imagine, but just let me appreciate it. It may be my only liberty to." Lanni begged just as the train itself came into view.

Lanni froze as she took in the sights and sounds, the handiwork of Panem's top mechanics and engineers. They had evidently work so harmoniously to produce the high-speed trains of their nation, among other things. They were fascinating contraptions produced from only the sleekest and most polished metal. If Marcus' words were anything to go by then surely it was only the beginning of what was to come. Perhaps the trip to the Capitol would be almost worth it for that alone. The girl smiled, only stepping ahead once she was certain a Peacekeeper was nudging her forward. It was time to board the train that left her rather awestruck.

To nobody's surprise the reception of the two Tributes on the train platform appeared to be mixed. Some were excited to see them go, perhaps retaining at least a bit of faith in them, while others were dreading the inevitable outcome of a premature death. Lanni simply took it at face value, smiling and waving until she was securely inside the sleek metal cage that would carry her to her death - or glory, if she was lucky.

To her delight at least some of Marcus' statement was already ringing true. Almost immediately she was taken aback by the luxurious layout and furnishings of the train, and it was only the first car so far. "Is everything in the Capitol this sumptuous?" She asked the Escort who proceeded to nod in response. It was Chip she remained truly curious about, though, shifting her attention to him and chuckling. "Well, Chip, at least they're accommodating? It seems we get to live like royalty for a bit."

[Zulera301]

Lanni was right in mentioning that there weren't really any rules in the Hunger Games beyond "stay alive". Even the whole "don't move until the countdown ends and the mines deactivate" clause wasn't really a rule as much as a warning. Tributes were welcome to move all they wanted, and could even jump the gun. It wasn't like the Gamemakers waited with their hands over a red button to blow a pedestal into oblivion. The countdown was to alert the tributes when the mines would be deactivated, and so moving before that would just set them off prematurely. The way Chip saw it, it was like telling a child not to touch a hot stove. It was much less a rule that needed enforced as much as a warning against something dangerous that would have devastating consequences.
Well, that and like any District 3 tribute, he had always given the mines some thought, because there had been some years where they had been turned into some incredibly viable weapons. A lot depended on the kind of items that were sponsored or provided in the arena, because digging up the mines and repurposing them with your bare hands was simply not viable.

When they got to the train station, Lani started geeking out about the train, and while that was not his line of work, he respected hers. It made him wonder how much the districts would be able to accomplish if they were able to actually work together instead of just using imports moved here or there by the Capitol. If they were able to exchange ideas—perhaps that was why the Capitol kept them separate. Too many brilliant minds together and they would no doubt rise up and take control, and that was the last thing the Capitol would want. No, Chip had a shrewd idea that there were some of the more rebellious citizens that may have dreamed of such a day, but logically according to his calculations it was a far cry from happening. He would personally support it on an emotional level, but a rebellion at this point would just be doomed to fail and would no doubt earn severe and horrifying repercussions that would make the Hunger Games look like child's play. He did not wish that on himself or any of his family or friends... and so if in the highly unlikely chance there was a rebellion tonight, he would not likely join it.

But right now? more important things. The train wasn't going to wait forever, and while Chip's thoughts had seemed like hours, they were only a few moments before he stepped onto the train, smiling and waving more out of protocol than actual concern, and once he hoarded the train, his mind went into full-analysis mode immediately and he began taking in his surroundings. This was easily the most luxurious thing he had ever seen or been in, and he didn't imagine that the Capitol had the peak of their extravagance in passenger trains, which meant they were in for a treat.
"I'm alright with that," he chuckled as Lanni spoke, "if one of us is going to die in a couple weeks, at elast some of the final days of our lives might be a little cushy." There was confidence in his tone, which was also why he deliberately only said "one of us", as if to imply that he was certain one of them would win.

"The real mystery is... where's our mentor, and how soon can I sit down and watch Reaping footage? I wanna see what kind of hooligans we're up against and who we need to outsmart."
According to his recollections, their mentor would either be Wiress Plummer from a few years earlier, or perhaps Beetee Latier, the man before her. Maybe even both; he hadn't recalled seeing them on the stage, but he wasn't exactly the kind of person that paid attention to people much. That was about to change when it came to the games and the arena though. Chip planned to learn as much as possible about these 23 boys and girls he was about to be pitted against, because the more he knew, the better an edge he would have...

[Nachthexe]

A lump formed in Lanni's throat as she felt the train disembark from the station at last. It marked the beginning of a new journey, one that she was potentially not returning from. It was a frightening prospect and it admittedly left her rather unsettled. She was simply not ready to accept her death just yet. She had much to live for, even if death was merely the medical process of the body ceasing to function at all. It was like clockwork or a computer and if it was abused or poorly cared for then eventually it would break down. It was with care that the shelf life of a product could be prolonged. This was no different.

The Capitol at least had a way of spoiling their Tributes before they stared death directly in the face. Lanni found herself rather fond of the train's upholstery already so she could only imagine what it was like in the Capitol. She supposed that she would find out in a rather short time. how long was the journey? About a day? Supposedly the Capitol timed it just right to have all Tributes arrive at roughly the same time. It was clever really, no doubt the careful and precise work of some of Panem's skilled specialists. It was undoubtedly one of those small aspects of the whole thing that the tiny girl could not help but to admire.

"Exactly. These specimens have taste." Lanni responded to Chip, taking care to put special emphasis on "specimens". In truth, it was largely what the Capitol folk were to the majority of District 3. Their lifestyle remained so vastly different, almost alien even. It was almost like they were not even part of the same species at all. Nonetheless, they were a species that Lanni knew that she would have to unfortunately grow accustomed to in the coming weeks. Only the other Tributes would remain familiar, despite the circumstances that were bringing them together.

At least the other Tributes were a specimen that Lanni knew she had a chance of understanding.

She nodded as her partner made a suggestion of his own. "He's correct, you know." She seconded as she took a glance towards Marcus. "I would love to become acquainted with the other Tributes and the almightly Wiress who will be mentoring us." The demands of both halves of the District 3 pair was the only cue the Escort needed to drag himself to the next car where Wiress was no doubt killing time. It also left Lanni with plenty of relief, even if just to be away from the high energy radiated from the Capitol folk for a short time.

"Now that we're alone I suppose we have some research to do." Lanni finally turned towards her partner. Naturally, they had probably already shifted to exactly the same wavelength quite some time ago. If one of them was going to come out alive then they would have to study their opposition closely. They had exactly a week to learn everything about their opposition: their strengths and weaknesses, their quirks, and even what made them tick. Why not begin now? It was encouraging enough for the girl to turn on the telescreen and take a seat.

The Reaping Footage began, starting with added Capitol commentary of course. It was only mildly interesting to Lanni who much preferred to see what the commentators had to say about the Tributes themselves. Sure enough it began to play through, beginning with Districts 1 and 2. They unsurprisingly received much praise from the commentators, but the girl fully understood why. The four Tributes were working out to be the standard Career flock: bold and willing volunteers who were ready to smash some skulls in if it meant honour and glory. The District 1 pair in particular also carried the sex appeal that was so common in their District. There was simply no denying that Jewell from the year previous had been gorgeous, a fact that even Lanni who remained indifferent about sexuality could admit.

"Oh hey, it's us. Somehow I seem more dorky on television." Lanni jested as the footage shifted to District 3. The commentators themselves seemed uncertain exactly what to say about the pair, but perhaps it was because they remained so focused on the technology that had chimed out the Tribute's names in the first place. As far as the girl knew they and District 5 were the only Districts in Panem to use such a high tech contraption in their Reapings. A point of envy for others perhaps?

The District 4 pair was significantly much harder for Lanni to read as they flashed on screen. They appeared built as so many from the District were, yet there was fear written all over them. The girl took it to mean they were a possible non-threat, but it was also far too early to tell. Surprises were frequent in the games. Nobody was quick to forget little weak and helpless Kyla who had worked out to be one of the deadliest Tributes in the 44th games. She remained as a prime example that nobody was to be underestimated and certainly not counted out until their face shone in the sky.

"These two could be possible allies I think." The District 5 pair. They caught Lanni's attention almost immediately. They appeared the type who were possibly about as clever as she was. With four brains together they were almost destined to be a formidable force in the arena. At least until that inevitable moment that they were forced to sever the alliance. It would happen eventually. It always did.

Districts 6 through 8 once again were hard for Lanni to read. District 9 stood out, though, providing her with a bit of a shock as soon as the boy had stood up to volunteer shortly after the girl had been reaped. Still more peculiarly they were definitely siblings. With names like Santhe Skyshire and Thatcher Skyshire there was simply no assuming otherwise. They also looked nearly identical, strikingly so. "That pair could be compelling to confront. Siblings, and a volunteer from an outlying District no less. Their District has been nothing but bloodbath fodder for years and suddenly it produces these two. I can just read the anticipation all over their faces." The small District 3 girl decided. Allies? Probably not. Formidable opponents? Quite possibly.

Would District 10 become a repeat of District 9? Allegedly not as the footage seemed to confirmed. It produced a pair of young children, probably no older than thirteen, who were scared out of their wits as they finally made their way atop the stage. The poor dears were probably already doomed and Lanni could not help but to feel sorry for them. Districts 11 and 12 at least appeared to be of some interest. District 12 in particular seemed to be well-equipped this year, luckily producing an older boy, Marsh Greengaze, who appeared to already be rather hardened to the realities of scarcity. It indicated that he was possibly clever and resilient, a definite threat unless they could somehow sway him to their side.

As the footage finally concluded Lanni leaned back and sighed. If this was what she was up against then using her wits was definitely a necessity. It had never been a hindrance for her before and it certainly could not act as one now, otherwise she would end up as nothing more than a corpse; another statistic in the Capitol's sadistic game. "So, Chip, now that we have that out of the way what do you think? Any thoughts or concerns? Anything we derive we can certainly address to Wiress later."

[Zulera301]

Chip couldn't help but crack a smirk at Lanni's choice of words. There were hefty punishments that came from talking ill of the Capitol or its extravagant citizenry in public, but there was nothing inherently offensive about the word "specimen". It was fitting though, and karmaic in many ways, to Chip at least. The Capitol dehumanized boys and girls by even calling them "tributes", and so a little of the same medicine, even if in private, felt vindicating, in a way. Not that he'd ever say it publicly, much less to any of their faces, but still... it was satisfying in a petty sort of way.

Whatever the case, it was game time. Some people might have thought that the games only began after the gong rang and kids began rushing towards the cornucopia and murdering each other for weapons and gear. Others might have thought the mindgames began at the training center when tributes could first see their peers in action face-to-face. Chip knew better, knowing that the mindgames began once they saw their opponents on screen for the first time. While he was normally not one to pay attention to people, this would be one of those times where he broke that rule. These people were now the most important 23 boys and girls of Chip Sangster's life, because knowing them—knowing who they were and how they operated—could literally be the difference between life and death.

He wished they could skip all the Capitol fluff that came between each reaping, although on rare occasions those clowns said something worth listening to. Not this time though, because of course not, Chip mused. On the other hand, it wasn't like they had anything better to do on this train ride to their doom, so there was no point in complaining, and thus Chip just waited it out.
The tributes though—this was when he even leaned forward in his seat to see what they had in store. District 1 produced Azalea Markett and Viktor Williams, who seemed the usual gung-ho tributes. Nothing too unusual, but perhaps they didn't need to be. In nearly every game these days they performed well and made it into the final 25% of tributes still alive, and a couple years ago District 1 produced a pair of bubbly tributes that had not only ended in a victor, but the two of them together had literally killed more than half of the tribute pool that year (52.17%, according to chip; 12/23).

District 2 produced Rafe Terrn and Lenina Cross, who were similarly gung-ho, although it seemed they were more about brawn before beauty. Not ugly, since the Capitol statistically favoured pretty tributes and statistics were there to back this up, but they looked a lot more like fighters than their District 1 counterparts. That didn't stop Chip from assuming they'd still form an alliance with them though.
And then came District 3, and Chip smirked. "I'm just as dashing on TV as I am in real life." he flashed a grin of surprisingly white teeth, although his tone indicated he was probably more joking than actually thinking he was all that and a bag of chips. But he only really watched his own segment to see if there was anything his own body language had given away, being quite pleased to find nothing.

Districts 4 and 5 were always wildcards, ranging from bloodbath fodder to cunning menaces. This year's lot looked like the former, although if District 5 survived the bloodbath perhaps they could be allies? they were a tech-savvy district whose intellect could often almost keep up with District 3—almost.
"D5M? D5F? or both?" he turned to her, "I mean, I admittedly wasn't paying attention to their names." He remembered details about their appearances though, and if nothing else, they would both no doubt have a number 5 on their uniform to symbolize their district, just as Chip and Lanni would have a number 3, and so on.

He didn't expect to see much of anything from 6-10, and while he almost sympathized with the somewhat frightened looking children that were reaped from District 10, he was still coming off of a spike in intrigue from what he saw in District 9.
"Taking a page out of Zefira's book from last year?" he raised an eyebrow. While he hadn't paid much attention to too many names for his own games, he had studied past ones well enough to remember several key names, and Zefira... well, that was a tribute that was very difficult to forget considering that she had somehow puppeteered the arena in a weird sort of way, and had definitely not feared death. These twins seemed not to fear it either, and so to his own slight surprise, he mentally registered this.
"Threats so far: D1, D2, D9."

He had expected trouble from District 11, considering they almost never went down without a fight. Sagittaria had been an extremely cunning tribute, and since Chip knew District 11 hadn't produced a victor since her win, that she was no doubt still the one mentoring them. Granted, it had only been 5 years, and he figured that another victory would soon be theirs soon enough. Hector Lombardi and Lucina Dragmire didn't look quite as threatening and nihilistic as the District 9 twins, but also had that rugged look to them that warned Chip that they could form an alliance with one or more of the other districts, with District 9 being his prime assumption at first. And then District 12 happened.

Iris Coaler looked like something the cat dragged in, like much of District 12 so often did, and her partner Marsh Greengaze looked like one of those hardy fellows from District 11 given the strong and stoic look on his face coupled with a rather robust build. There was a glint in that girl's eye that definitely spelled trouble though.

"Lots of strong-looking tributes this year," he concluded in response to Lanni's question as they both leaned back to absorb and process all the information they had just viewed. He might want to view it again in a couple of hours, but for now it was time to take it in. "1 and 2 are the usual contenders, but that's all they need to be half the time given their records. '11 and '12 were kind of expected. they'll probably make it to the final ten or eight if I had to guess. There's something to be said about those girls from '12..." in the last five years the girl from District 12 had placed remarkably high, although this year it was looking that the boy might be a larger threat. Still and all, District 12 had also produced players like Joss and Fenris so it wasn't like District 12's antics were a girls-only thing by any means. Marsh was likely going to join these ranks.

"To be honest, my biggest concern though, is not with them or with the careers. I'm worried about those District 9 twins. It's like the district spent years of sending up fodder tributes to finally earn being able to send a threat like this. They'll give Zefira a run for her money if my assumptions are correct." He figured Lanni would know who Zefira was, especially since it was just under a year ago when she was alive and killing it (literally) on-screen.
"And what about you? Think my calculations are sound, or would you add more?" He was certainly not trying to be rude, and not even trying to say that his conclusions were absolute. Like any statistician or analyst, he found it best to share data and theories and review them with peers before settling on conclusions, and who better to share his findings with than his newfound ally and partner-in-crime?

[Nachthexe]

There was admittedly only so much that could be deciphered about the Tributes from the Reaping, but it proved an interesting start. Certainly Chip had taken some initiative in sizing up the competition and Lanni couldn't help but to smile. Some of his conclusions, at least the ones he mentioned aloud, even appeared to be much the same as her own. It was refreshing to have somebody so cooperative as a partner if she was being forced to play the Capitol's game; if they continued to work together then there was a possibility of at least one of them returning home. Two brains were better than one and would perhaps even save them from having to confront the others directly. The older boy probably even already realized it.

"Who cares? They will end up deceased and six feet under when all this is concluded." Lanni retorted with a shrug at her partner's remark about not being to recall the names of the District 5 pair. As much as she hated to admit it there was definitely truth to her statement. All but one pictured on the screen would be dead within a few weeks. There was simply no sense sugarcoating that truth that remained constant in the tiny girl's mind now. It hardly put her in a position to make friends beyond the strictly professional. If either of them were going to pay any heed to the District 5 pair at all then it was simply best not to grow too attached.

"District 9 seems the type to play this game solo, so not quite like Zefira. She had allies and there's no guarantee this pair will. In fact, they look the types prepared to rip the others apart regardless of the expense to themselves. Beyond that I could not say what exactly motivates them, but be careful." Lanni went on to explain. Of course she knew who Zefira was and somehow this pair seemed different, but she supposed that only time would tell. The arena could often be unpredictable as past games had proven. "I can deduct that you and I are largely in agreement about these Tributes already." She concluded just as she spotted a familiar face enter the compartment. It was none other than Wiress herself who quickly took a seat across from the pair of Tributes.

"So far I would say your observations are conclusive." Wiress began, "I see you two are already good at this and living up to our District's reputation."

"The years of being forced to watch the games has paid off." Lanni admitted with a wide smirk upon realization that the Mentor, probably hardened and traumatized by her own time in the arena, had just complimented her.

"It can, but actually living it is a rather different experience, of course. I obviously do not know what the Capitol has planned for you, but one piece of advice that is useful to follow is this: always pay attention to your surroundings, whether if it's to keep track of the others or to derive new and creative ways to use the environment itself to your advantage."

"I figured as much." Lanni conceded. Pay attention to one's surroundings and use the environment. It was solid enough and the young Tribute definitely knew that her Mentor was onto something. It was how nearly every District 3 Tribute fought and she doubted she was about to break from tradition like the pair last year had. They had been physically capable and also competent with their weapons. The girl doubted she had it in herself. She was a thinker and a creator rather than a destroyer while Chip was, well, Chip. If they wanted any chance at survival whatsoever then they would have to outsmart the others and rather effectively so.

[Zulera301]

Chip listened to Lanni's assertion and nodded. "well sure their names won't matter in the long run, but we might want to still consider an alliance with them; if nothing else, that's 2 less tributes we have to worry about getting on our case about things—at least for a while. Besides... the less attention they had, the more likely they might be able to run off and become like the notorious and nefarious Clemont Ishiko and Hikari Kuro, who did that exact thing four years ago to great and fantastic effect. Chip still thought one of them should have won, but what was gone was gone, and there was no point shedding tears over that.

"Zefira had allies, sure," Chip reminded her, "but as the final minutes showed after Fenris and Kana had died, she seemed perfectly fine working alone. I'm pretty sure those grenades and bombs she made were just her working alone too. If '9 works alone, great. But we should always anticipate alliances or worse. Statistically it'd be better for us to overestimate our foes than to underestimate them." He wasn't so much trying to tell her she was wrong, but was more just adding his own input on why he thought the way he did. Chip's thought process wasn't always clear-cut and thus he was always happy to spell out how he had gotten from point A to point B to point C and so on. He didn't intend to sound as belittling as he sometimes or often did.

Chip couldn't help but feel vindicated as they were lauded by Wiress for their cunning. That was not a victory over Lanni or a victory for her over him, but more just a victory in general for District 3 living up to its old notorious wily repuitation. Chip planned on making sure that reputation continued by any means necessary. Outsmarting Districts 2 and 1 was often easy as long as they didn't just resort to brute force to overwhelm them. It was the outer districts such as '11 and '12 that were often the threats of the mind, which made them also particularly dangerous becasue their cunning was also lethal in other ways, and some of them, especially from '11, were quite strong. Smash and Kamau came to mind once again on that front.

"But if you want some truly sound advice both to leave a name for yourselves and possibly propel yourselves to victory..." Wiress added, snapping Chip out of his thoughts, "take a leaf out of Clemont and Hikari's books, except make sure your biggest threat is also gone before making your move."
While they were less known in other districts, right near everyone in District 3 knew and remembered the notorious Clemont Ishiko and Hikari Kuro, both for their cunning ingenuity in building lightning machines, but also for managing to evade most of the games altogether, almost outsmarting the Gamemakers too in that regard. Even cooler still was that similar to Zefira, they were tributes of few words, and so whatever secrets they had utilized for those machines went with them to their graves. That was also very much what they and Zefira had in common.

Almost as if Wiress knew this considering her next remark. "and if not them... try that spunky District 12 kid, Zefira Saratoga. I'm sure she'll get a slew of people that wish to emulate her and her actions in the upcoming years, but it also takes a certain level of smarts and finesse to be able to imitate anything like that. District 3... has both. I have full confidence in your ability to succeed as well." This remark was not directed at any one of them in particular, but both of them. As long as one of them one she would be happy, since there was no way to save them both. There was only ever one victor, as Rye Grove and Sagittaria Svenja learned in one of the hardest and most painful ways. Not that Chip didn't like Lanni, but he didn't want to get too close, lest there be any of that kind of attachment.

"Looks like we've got our work cut out for us then," Chip smirked, licking his lips. "we've got this though. Unless they throw us into a water arena, there's no way we could end up as bloodbath fodder. And even then..." he thought back to Lever Mendez, the District 3 boy who had allied himself with the most unlikely companions: Lodan Tracey from District 8, and adorable little Lynx Chantrea from District 12. It was things like that which made Chip's statement for allies ring that much truer. Even if it wasn't an organized alliance, the notion of a ragtag team definitely appealed to him if nothing else. Time would tell when all was said and done though.

[Nachthexe]

Alliances in the Hunger Games were always tricky. If one was not careful then there was always the possibility of prematurely ending up with a knife in the back, rather literally. It had Lanni thinking carefully about whether allying with anybody besides Chip was even beneficial at all. She supposed that only time would tell as there was simply no knowing just what challenges the arena itself would present this year. It varied every year, allowing the Gamemakers to retain an unpredictable pattern for their Tributes. The small Tribute only hoped that whatever they had planned for the 49th games would not be a repeat of the 48th. That arena had been particularly brutal for its utilization of mental challenges as well as physical ones. It was truly no wonder that rumours had begun to spread about the insanity of Layla Aranai.

"We should speculate carefully about whether we want allies." Lanni pondered, noting a distinct nod from Wiress. "There is the possibility of betrayal to consider and I would be bluffing if I declared I did not want a District 3 Victor." Of course she intentionally omitted certain details as to remain more neutral as long as her partner remained alive.

"You two seem to already be devising a strategy, but you should not underestimate the advantages of having allies in the arena. Just think about it." Wiress advised.

"You're correct I suppose. If we're destined to die then we should at least go out in a magnificent bang like Clemont and Hikari did." Lanni chuckled and eyed her partner. There was no mistaking that during the duration of their games the infamous District 3 pair had not secured a single ally. No, they had stuck to themselves, nearly evading the games themselves until the very end. It had truly only been the actions of the Gamemakers that had forced them into confrontation with the others. The tiny girl remained fairly convinced that they could have potentially won as well had it not been for forces like Valendria working directly against them.

There were simply many factors to consider in the games. It all worked out to a rather complicated affair as Lanni was quickly learning. Watching them was indeed one thing, but directly participating was another entirely. The more Wiress spoke the more the tiny girl realized she was right. "There's so many factors to consider here and each will determine how we play this game. It's like one monumental game of chess, except with much higher stakes." She admitted, "I also doubt they will throw us into a water arena as that was done in the 47th. The Gamemakers, and probably the Capitol audiences as well, like variety."

[Zulera301]

Chip couldn't help but also wonder if there would be mental challenges, or aspects of the games that would tear a tribute down mentally. If either of them lost their grip on the situation, they would no doubt fail given that brains over brawn was basically the modus operandi of at least 99% of District 3 tributes. If they had another arena like the nightmare from the 48th, they would not doubt struggle, because breaking down their minds was the best way to take down District 3 when there wasn't any overwhelming brute force to be had. For what the District 3 tributes often had in brains, they lacked in brawn (and thus the reverse was also true), so brute force was often enough to do them in if their adversaries could get past the mind tricks.

But then there were alliances, and those were a mind trick all on their own. Districts 1 and 2 had no trouble trusting each other until they were the last ones left, since to them it was practically tradition, and it was rarely ever broken. In fact, in the last 5 years only one career tribute had broken that tradition: Krystal Saffron, that District 1 girl from the 44th Hunger Games, who had sided with the eventual victor and her partner, however briefly.

"Even the careers know to keep their allies at a distance," Chip reminded her, "we don't have to become lovers with them the way Rye and Sagittaria did half a decade ago, but the less tributes we have on our backs, the better. I get this lasting impression the Gamemakers won't let us off too easy if we all try to run and hide. Not after '47 anyways..."
There was a lot to be learned from the past Hunger Games, and so while Chip had only been 11 back when '44 had been live, he had still been attentive, especially since '44 had been hard to forget, and he knew that the following year, he would be eligible to get dragged into the games. And now here he was, 5 years later, glad he was at least somewhat knowledgeable on said games.

The arena though... Chip was good at spotting patterns, and there were certainly patterns in the Hunger Games arenas insomuch that they rarely ever did the same kind of arena twice. He heard that they had supposedly built two exactly identical arenas for the 11th and 12th Hunger Games just to throw people off, but very few of the early games were worth watching simply due to how much had changed since then. The career tributes had formed fairly early on, with District 2 starting up academies only a year or two before District 1, but even then it still took them almost a decade for the academy-trained tributes to start rearing their heads.
But the arena. Chip had a few points to make there too after hearing Lanni speak.

"Based on patterns from the last half-century of records or so," Chip rounded up, "arena types don't usually cycle back around for another decade or so, unless people start catching on and they decide to throw people for a loop. I doubt that will happen though, so with that in mind, let's look at our last six years. '43 was a forest, hence it was unsurprising that a District 7 tribute claimed the victor's crown. '44 was a jungle, '45 was an urban wasteland that would have been great for us—just like it was for Clemont and Hikari. '46 was that dense woodland, '47 was the seaside scuffle, '48 was that mire of fear... so that eliminates a lot of landscapes. Maybe something mountainous? savanna? grasslands? no, nothing too open; that'd make it end too quickly..." he seemed to almost be talking to himself there for a moment.

"but I digress," he snapped back to reality. If there was one benefit to a logical mind over an emotional one it was that these types had no trouble seeing things as they were and responding logically and accordingly. "It seems at this point there are still too many variables. The arena, the cornucopia supplies, and even the tributes. Sure some might look scary or weak, but not really even the training scores can give us a real impression. Only the battlefield itself could do that."
Plenty of tributes, including some from District 3, sometimes played the scoring system to get people to think they were weaker than they actually were. The only ones who didn't were the cockiest of the careers, who saw the numbers as an end-all solution to who was strong and who was weak. Unsurprisingly (at least if Chip's data was correct), these were the ones that seldom survived. Chip did not want to become part of that statistic, and so he aimed to stay vigilant and to not underestimate anyone—or anything.

[Nachthexe]

With some luck they would be thrown into an urban landscape. It was oftentimes the arena itself that made a difference in whether certain Tributes lived or died. The trends seemed to make it obvious enough to Lanni; Victors like Kiva of District 6 was testament to the fact alone. She had been young then, but being forced to watch the Games with the eventual chance of being reaped almost always made one attentive. It was necessary if one wanted an opportunity to live. Suddenly, it all appeared to pay off. So far.

"We have just have to try to think of something they've haven't used in awhile. Mountain remains logical, but is it practical? Perhaps half the Tributes would waste away from Hypothermia if they climbed up high enough." Lanni suggested with a shrug. The Capitol wanted excitement and in their eyes that often meant Tributes confronting each other directly, or perhaps even the Gamemakers themselves triggering deadly traps. Either way, anything short of fighting to the death was considered anti-climatic in the Capitol's show. "Regardless of what we're confronted with, though, we simply have to circumvent the others."

So far, Lanni found herself feeling about as confident as she could in her current situation. Certainly she would have to outlive twenty-three others if she wanted to see her District and family again, but was that not enough to continue fighting? Nearly everybody thrust into the Games had their own intentions of returning home and their motivations for doing so. The tiny girl quickly realized that she was no different. Perhaps even the moment her name had been drawn from the electronic lottery she had become nothing more than another statistic, but god be damned if she went down without a fight. "Chip, when we arrive in the Capitol I am going to remind everybody present to never underestimate District 3. This year we will transform into something memorable, perhaps even something that will take a notable position in the Capitol's betting games." She mused as she stretched in her seat.

"Now that is the sort of confidence I like to see!" Marcus beamed from across the compartment, "luckily for you both we will be arriving very soon!"

[Zulera301]

Always the statistician, Chip began mentally going over records and recollections pf past Hunger Games. "I actually think a mountainous landscape was used in '42, which was only 7 years ago. Niles Lincoln's games, I believe." He had been the last District 2 victor before Layla, although since Layla's partner Ryker had been the son of victor Luca Szasz, naturally his father had elected to accompany Ryker as the mentor for the two of them. Niles didn't seem too upset about 'missing out'.

"either way, we definitely need to try and lay low to avoid the others. It worked for Clemont and Hikari, and they became some of the most infamous tributes in recent Hunger Games history, right beside Zefira." It was true that District 3 revered Clemont Ishiko and Hikari Kuro as legends, but even more infamous than them nationwide at this point was Zefira Saratoga,the silent, deadly paint-faced assassin that District 12 had produced the previous year. She was the talk of a lot of Capitol commentators not only for what she did in the arena, but because if the audiences of District 12 were anything to go by, she had started a trend. many of the boys and girls at the reaping crowd had had painted faces, as if they were trying to emulate her. Iris, the girl who had actually been picked, didn't paint her face, but she had a devious little smirk that reminded some people of what the outer districts were capable of. Her partner Marsh didn't exactly seem like cannon fodder either, and so Chip mentally noted to avoid them as well. And he wasn't even ready to get started on those maniacs from District 9.
"If nothing else, we have to also remember that just because we get a favourable arena doesn't mean it won't also favour other tributes. '5 and '8 also favour urban settings, and I've heard that despite being focused around grain that even '9 is actually fairly urban unless they're out in the fields. So we should be careful what we wish for, especially with what luck's thrown at us from '9 this year."

It didn't really make sense; those claims that District 9 was urban. But, it wasn't like he had ever been there or seen any of it on TV apart from the Justice Building. He supposed that urbanization made sense in a way considering that there would no doubt be lots of jobs involving the processing of grains, and given that there were 1001 ways to use things like wheat and corn alone, he fathomed that there were a myraid of other possibilities too.

"But hey, I'm with you on that one," he smirked at Lanni's declaration. If Clemont and Hikari are past and gone, then we just need to bake sure we one-up Zefira and remind the Capitol why District 3's always one to watch out for. We've got a record to keep, you and I." Most years District 3 did pretty good in that regard, producing wily tributes who would practically reverse-engineer the arena to their advantage. Given how analytical these two were, both of their surroundings and about facts and statistics, they would likely go far. The next week or so of the training center would be a good way to judge the characters of those around them. The careers would no doubt present themselves at face value, while others such as '5, '12, or '11, might vie more for mindgames and the like. District 3 was notorious for the latter strategy, and that was the approach Chip planned on taking.

Soon the Capitol came into view though, and it was more magnificent than anything Chip had ever seen. But more than admiring the scenery, it put Chip's mind into overdrive as he started contemplating possibilities. They would make their first physical impression with the Capitol when they stepped off that train, and Chip wanted his to be a good one—not only for District 3's sake, but also because he wanted to get sponsors and wreck face in the arena so he wouldn't just be another statistic. It still didn't stop him from looking out the window like a child gazing out at the first snowfall of the year though... even if he wouldn't admit it.

[Nachthexe]

Lanni simply nodded in agreement. So far, she and Chip appeared to be in agreement. It was healthy, particularly if they intended to remains allies. The girl was yet to see any reason to vie otherwise. The boy, early on, regardless of what happened remained an important lifeline. It was rare for lone wolf Tributes to last long unless they were exceptionally strong or clever. The skillsets of each were, of course, also nearly impossible to gauge before ever meeting them in person and it left much to anticipate. The next week was going to be fascinating for that reason alone. The girl could sense it.

The Capitol, though. It quickly caught the girl's attention as it came into view. Much like her partner, she stared upon it in awe. She was eager to take in all the sights of the architectural marvel she would likely never see again. Despite the nature of its creation, she couldn't help but to remain impressed. "If I come out of that arena intact then you better hope Snow allows me to design some sites for this incredible work of craftsmanship." She light quipped to Marcus.

Marcus chuckled. "Perhaps that can be arranged."

"Well, let it be!"

Lanni rose her fist in the air just as the train halted to a complete stop. Her heart sank. Suddenly there was very little to celebrate as once again reality slam dunked directly into her. Unease began to creep up on her as if thousands of butterflies fluttered within her. "Well, this is it. Welcome to hell?" She uttered to Chip. "This is where we make a good first impression." Wiress nodded as the girl spoke, ushering her towards the doorway of the train that began to open up to frantic crowds beyond.

The cheering that almost immediately flooded into Lanni's ears was nearly deafening. She remained silenced herself, instead witnessing everything drowned out by a distinctive chant that so many Tributes previous had surely been greeted by. "DISTRICT 3, DISTRICT 3, DISTRICT 3! OUTSMART THEM ALL!"

I can try. I can certainly try... Remaining speechless, Lanni glanced towards the crowds and smirked. Never underestimate us, and especially not me... She began to wave towards the crowds, furthering capturing their attention. A few of the men in particular responded with catcalls, leaving the girl flustered.

However, it was only a moment later that the girl approached her partner. Still wearing her same smirk, she shoved herself towards him. "No geniuses get far without their sidekicks!" She taunted as loudly as her voice would allow, "Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up and prepare for a shocking experience!"

Remembering Clemont and Hikari well, the crowds gasped. Would the District 3 Tributes of the 49th Annual Hunger Games live up to the reputation that the District had constructed for themselves in recent years? Most of all, were the physically non-intimidating pair prepared to pull off exactly the shocking experience they suddenly promised? Only time would tell, and upon entering the Tribute apartments Lanni felt herself at unease once more.

[Zulera301]

Chip definitely was able to keep his mind at least somewhat at ease with the notion of Lanni being his ally, at least for the bulk of the games. He didn't think they would both get as far as the endgame but he was quite fine if they both did. Both of them seemed to be taking a very curt and professional approach to the games, which was very fitting of District 3. Even Clemont and Hikari had something similar when he thought about it. There didn't seem to be any real enmity towards District 6 when that fight broke out; just two sides trying to survive in a game where survival rested upon eliminating all other competition.

That was honestly how Chip intended to look at the games. If in the unlikely event he had to turn on Lanni it would just be business. If she did the same to him, it would mean she outsmarted him in turn which would mean she was worthy of the victory. Any of the other 22 tributes that he killed would just be business. He didn't know who they were and didn't really care to. Not because of a dislike or distaste for any of them, but because he was taking that cold, professional approach that a lot of career tributes (especially those from District 2 it seemed, based on his statistical collections) seemed to. Nothing was personal to him in these games. It was just business.

"Welcome to the first day of the end of our lives," Chip muttered with the same sort of grim satire that many tributes took. "As Sagittaria Svenja once said: May the odds make it true that when you're mortally wounded in an excruciatingly painful manner, that your body goes into shock so you don't feel anything when you die."
Chip might have been something of an introvert, given his closed and quietly analytical personality, but he wasn't shy. When the crowds cheered and whistled (and he was pretty sure at least two women blew him kisses), he raised his eyebrows at first, but then raised his arms into the air, cheering alongside with them. The chant was clever—befitting the tributes and people of District 3—and it amused Chip and stroked his ego a little. Not that he was a terribly egotistical person to begin with, but there was a bit of District pride there, and being proud of one's wits was nothing to be ashamed of in his eyes.

"Support District 3!" he chanted, wondering if that slogan could somehow be used somewhere for them, like a marquee on or over/around their chariot outfits or something. Their only competitor in the flashy lights-y department was usually just District 5, and to imply that '5 was smarter than '3 (at least to a District 3 citizen) was laughable at best and a criminal act at worst. Whether out of courtesy or out of genuinely believing it, Chip hoped to have a word with his stylists about that beforehand if he could. If not, well, he could always make it up as they went.

The tribute tower was a marvel of architecture all on its own. Technically there were 13 floors, not 12, since there was a floor for each District, and with entry halls and other facilities including the basement training center, the Capitol was certainly not going to shaft District 1 of all places by skimping on floor space. The tributes all entered in differet areas, which may have explained why Chip and Lanni didn't see any of the other tributes entering the building. He swore he caught glimpses of some of them, but tonight would grant him a first real look at them, and tomorrow would mark having to actually meet them and see who they were and how they operated.

"you ready for a week of fun?" he nudged Lanni, that same type of dry humour emanating from his tone.

[Nachthexe]

While not the most charismatic or even accustomed to speaking in front of large crowds Lanni continued her act until reaching the interior of the building where she would potentially be spending one of the final weeks of her life. It was a rather chilling revelation, but one that was almost inevitably destined to come true. There were twenty three other Tributes to outlast - larger and stronger Tributes. About all she had on her side were her smarts. She could only hope that it was enough. Sponsorship alone would not get her out of the arena, but it certainly helped.

Of course, the tiny girl was determined to do nearly anything to obtain such sponsorship. So far, her prospects were promising. The crowds at the gates seemed like fans, but would it last? Tributes often unfolded to be something else entirely once the Games themselves began. It was kill or be killed, which could turn even the most timid into a savage. That, she did not want to think about, though.

"Well, they seem to admire us at least. They're probably expecting a spectacle similar to that of Clemont and Hikari. I definitely planted it in their minds." She inferred once safely behind the tower's doors. A small chuckle slipped from between her lips. "A shocking experience, perhaps rather literally..."

And shocking it would have to be if there was to be a District 3 Victor in the 49th Annual Hunger Games.

Whether herself or Chip, Lanni eyed them both. They at least had something to fight for, bright futures as some of Panem's greatest engineers. Regardless, the small girl knew that her District was losing a great mind if even only one of them was slain. The most they could do if attempt to keep whatever legacy they carried alive. There was no doubting that the larger and older boy beside her understood it about as much as she did. "A week of fun? Well, at least it's not the week of hell." She retorted in attempts to lighten the situation that they were currently trapped in. It was much for somebody so young to take in as the effects on previous Victors easily showed. Trauma; PTSD. It never truly left a person.

"Let's go. Apparently the Capitol will spoil us all week." She finally remarked as she entered the elevator that would take them up to their floor. Being District 3 they were, of course, situated on the third. "It's almost funny really how they're insistent on fattening us up. I suppose to lure us into their game?"

Lanni began to ponder much. The nature of the Games, her role in them, and what exactly it would take to make it out alive. They were fast-passing thoughts that only seemingly shut off as the elevator abruptly stopped, marking the first introduction to her new, and possibly final, actual home before being sent into the arena.

[Zulera301]

Introverted as Chip may have been, he was not shy, and he was decently charismatic for an unimposing 16-year-old tech geek from District 3 whose strength was more mental than physical. Fortunately, he had at least that going for him, and so while it was clear he lacked physical strength that tributes from Districts such as 1, 2, 7, and 11 (and sometimes even places like '12), he had that cunning and witty vibe to him that meant he would no doubt be a schemer in the arena. And that was exactly the sort of image he wanted to give off. Hopefully their stylists would capitalize on that, because Lanni was no doubt similar, given that she was even smaller than Chip.

"Well, let's see what the games have to offer," Chip smirked at the comment, "even if they gave us nothing but weapons at the cornucopia I'm sure there's 1001 ways to use whatever's in the arena to our advantage if we know what we're dealing with. Still, if the last few parade are anything to go off of, I hear the stylists are pretty awesome. I kinda hope we get decked out in dazzly glowy stuff or something. Lots of lights. Is it garish? yes. is it tacky? absolutely. Does it grab attention and does the Capitol gobble it right up? damn right they do."

This upcoming week was definitely the Capitol's Game. Chip was no suckup, but he knew what the Capitol liked to see and hear, based on all of his studies of previous tributes and previous games. As such, he aimed to play these Capitol citizens—read: potential sponsors—like fiddles as much as he was able to. these were the thoughts that went through his mind as he followed the group up to the 3rd floor, knowing full well that their stylists would arrive momentarily. As such, he simply kicked off his sandals and was watching Hunger Games on TV when Marcus came back in with an energetic grin on his face.

"I'm sure the two of you have been dying to meet them," Marcus beamed, "and now you can! Gaius! Maya! do say hello!"
"Hello, hello!" a short but surprisingly agile-looking man with shoulder-length, pin-straight flaming orange hair greeted him. He wore a suit in shades of black and grey, although was lined with a myraid of colours and lights, giving it a very flashy effect. Despite this garish outfit, there was something about his fairly pointed features that reminded Chip of District 3 itself, almost as if this man seemed cleverer than the usual giddy lot of Capitolites. Of course, maybe that was just the young tribute's own bias.
"Gaius is the name, and this lovely lady is Maya... don't be afraid of her. She's literally incapable of doing wrong—much less any harm." he chuckled.

"Hello, hello!" Maya beamed, waving softly. She did seem remarkably shy for a Capitaol stylist, but if her dress was anything to go by, she was definitely talented.
It was quite frumpy, and made it difficult to discern the woman's true weight, but she was even shorter than the fairly short Capitol man next to her. with fair skin and jet-lack hair done into a neat little braided bun, she looked a little less garish than her partner, although the shiny things and hems and accessories of her gown were quite the sight, and Chip was mesmerized by them both.

"You gonna help us light up the show?" he didn't direct the question at either one of them in particular, but he made his own desires and intentions clear.

[Nachthexe]

The apartment was luxurious, but it was exactly the sort of accommodations Lanni had come to expect from the Capitol. She was almost certain that it was a ploy by the Capitol to encourage top performance from their Tributes; "Win and you could live like this for the rest of your life!" It was almost eerie and undoubtedly twisted, but with a sigh the girl took a seat in one of the soft arm chairs that was present. There was simply no sense being miserable in what could potentially be the last week of her life, right? Chip at least seemed to have the right idea, though. If one of them was going to come out alive then they had no choice but to comply. Most of all, play the Capitol's game as best as they could.

"We possess something that many of the others probably do not: the ability to circumvent the others. They won't even know what hit them." Lanni shifted towards her partner and spoke with confidence. It was well known that District 3 citizens were among the smartest in Panem. Everybody be damned if she did not take advantage of that fact. There was a way to outsmart the others. There always was a way.

To pass the time Lanni simply remained in place and reflected. Reflected on her family back home, the Reaping, and everything she was now involved in since that fateful lottery just hours earlier. Would she ever see her District and family again? Surely only if she managed to outsmart every other Tribute in the arena, including the boy who was now sitting only a few feet away from her. It was a monentous task, but one that fate now dictated she completed. Fate was cruel, but fate also did not always deal in absolutes. Fate had lifelines, currently showing up in the form of a pair of garish Capitol citizens.

Lanni was started by the abrupt arrival of the stylists, nearing slipping off her chair as they greeted their Tribute pair. "Salutations!" She simply beamed back at the pair before glancing directly at them. Oddly enough the woman, the shorter of the two, appeared slightly out of place. When it came to Capitol fashion the small girl knew to always expect the flashiest and most outrageous, but this woman appeared to take a different approach. It was almost respectable, for a Capitolite. "So I guess this is when we're made all pretty? Even if the games are not the most congenial of required viewing the parades are always mesmerizing to watch." If there was one aspect of the games that was memorable aside from the gruesome deaths then it was the parade. It was always the parade, with its flashy costumes designed to sell each of the Tributes as a viable contender in the games. It was undoubtedly even more surreal to be personally involved in, making the small girl wonder further which sort of outfit she was going to be forced into.

"Yes, we're going to make you all 'pretty'." Gaius was the first to respond, ushering Lanni towards him. She reluctantly stood up and followed. With a single nod he directed her towards a door leading out to a studio. She continued to tag behind the man, eyes lighting up until she was greeted with a room that greatly resembled that of a mix between a hospital and a spa. Despite its mysterious and almost unforgiving nature, the small girl was fascinated.

"You're a surgeon as well?" She jested, producing a laugh from the stylist.

"No, I'm just a stylist with a single job to make you flawless for the cameras. Firstly, I ask that you strip down and then I can get to work."

"Wha...?" With reluctance the small girl did as commanded. Very soon she was fully in the nude, standing directly in front of a fully grown man. She blushed ever so slightly upon realization that he would quite possibly be the first and only man, besides her own father, to witness her in the nude. It was yet another sad fact of being reaped. There was a likeliness that she would never experience true love and all the intimacies that came with it.

Once fully nude she was further instructed into a stifling hot chemical bath where she simply laid - laid and pondered about the reality that Chip was very well over in another room having a parallel experience. What has happened to us? Is this reality or just fantasy? Truly a girl could wish that she was simply trapped inside a very bizarre virtual reality simulation like those they worked to perfect back in District 3. Surely the Capitol was unafraid to put all the latest innovations to use.

[Zulera301]

It was much less that Chip feared the Capitol and more that he just didn't like them, generally speaking. He had all rights to fear them, considering that they literally controlled Chip's life, his family's life, his district's life, and the lives of all of their countrymen across the twelve districts. However, it was more that he didn't fear death, and his brutal, logic-based approach to life had his fears of death as well as most emotional attachments to people or things, minimal at best. Still, it was not like he was about to go start a rebellion or anything. He would play by the Capitol's rules, but he would exploit them any chance he got. Analyze the system, learn the system, reverse engineer the system. It was a common mindset in District 3 and often the harbinger of progress of some sort. Chip hoped to make the arena no exception in this regard.

One thing that did surprise him about the stylists, however, was that Gaius took Lanni, and Maya was the one beckoning him to follow her. Sometimes tribute and stylist were the same gender; apparently other times they were the opposite. Not that Chip minded... too much. Although Maya had curves... lots of them. She was a plump little woman under that glitzy gown of hers, and while she was mellow and mild-mannered, she did not hesitate to instruct Chip in one way or another to help style him up.

Stripping naked was one thing; he was a short, fairly thin boy with wild hair and nothing else truly that remarkable about him other than that he had rather beautiful eyes, and a flashy smile (according to Maya's comments anyways). Chip simply took these compliments in stride, smiling and nodding as this voluptuous woman checked him out in the nude. Granted, that was only slightly less weird than the chemical bath that followed, which was several weird colours that Chip knew logically shouldn't be part of water. But maybe it was a unique combination of compounds that had not been introduced or used in the districts before. He was going to give them the benefit of the doubt and say that's what it was, not wanting to think about it. It wouldn't kill them though. The Capitol was very picky about when tributes were allowed to die, after all. They were in no mortal danger in the stylists' studios.

Whether it was coincidence or incredible synchronization though, Gaius and Maya were dressing up the tributes at more or less the same rate, and in similar-coloured fabrics. After being cleaned up, Chip and Lanni were both dressed in rather modest black fabrics and shoes: a suit for Chip and a gown for Lanni, with only their heads and hands exposed. In fact, they were also given these visors that were not unlike the ones Clemont and Hikari had been sponsored at some point during the 45th Hunger Games. Unlike the ones the former tributes had though, which had offered night vision and protection against the bright light of their lightning machines, these were entirely decorative, and did not even obscure their vision at all.

and a good thing too (at least according to Chip) because the clothes they wore were mesmerizing. It shimmered in the light, but it seemed to shimmer with shades of green, almost like some of the green text on old computers or matrix-style screens. The only other bit that had Chip wondering was the shiny black techy-looking belts they had around their waists. Gaius explained it to them once they were both together.
"Hold hands for solidarity and all that," he instructed, "and in your free hands, hold these..." he handed them both a small button switch each. "press it shortly after you emerge onto the street. Don't raise your hands or anything though... keep them low... be subtle, since everyone already thinks you two are schemers."

"Observant," Chip nodded approvingly. "so what's the buttons do?"
"It's a holographic marquee!" Maya beamed excitedly, seeming quite proud of herself, "it's near-solid in the same way some of the holo training dummies in the training facility are... A little message to the Capitol sponsors, if you would."
"Right," Chip raised an eyebrow, "what's it say?"
"it's short and simple," Maya grinned again, "it reads "Support District 3". That is what we all want, yes?"
"Heh," Chip was the one smirking ear to ear now. "that's exactly what we want." He turned to Lanni, keeping cool although still showing signs of excitement.

"We've got this parade in the bag, wouldn't you say?" he quipped, "oh, and... you look great." it was less a flirt and more just a compliment, really. He liked these costumes, and was excited to see themselves surrounded by a holographic marquee that made their message abundantly clear. All that cleaning and primping had definitely been worth this moment.

[Nachthexe]

District 3 was not poor by any means. In fact, it was one of the wealthiest districts. Yet, it still seemed to pale in comparison to the Capitol. Whatever the stylist did, and continued to do, eluded Lanni. It wasn't like any hygiene procedure she had ever undergone back home. Despite not being in any position to relay news back home she did not dare ask Gaius what exactly what he was doing. She simply attributed it to science; chemistry to be precise. It was a subject she knew about to some degree even though her true calling laid in engineering.

Still more surprising the process seemed to end nearly as soon as it had begun. Lanni was ushered out of the tub by Gaius with a simple nod. As she stood up she sighed. "I'm convinced my skin was being singed in there due to the extreme temperature, but oddly it was relaxing." She uttered.

Gaius chuckled. "You're not alone."

"Well, it's not like we get to experience all this Capitol innovation daily." Lanni jested as she followed the man to a seperate room.

Her eyes widened as she found herself inside what was unmistakably a dressing room of sorts. All around her, lining each wall, were countless fabrics and designs. They were almost certainly reserved for work on the Tributes themselves. Despite each being literally expendable upon being thrust into the arena the Capitol did take their looks seriously. It was almost ironic, yet the tiny girl did not dare question that either. No, she was willing to go along with anything if it managed to keep her alive. There was something about the Games that always threatened to turn one savage.

"It's all pretty impressive, yes?" Gaius commented upon taking note of his Tribute's curiosity. "Fortunately, I already have something designed for Chip and yourself. I hope you like it." He pulled out a series of black fabric, a gown of sorts that appeared to shimmer green under the light.

"This is...intriguing." Lanni noted as she stared upon the outfit. She gave little resistance as the stylist began to dress her. Within moments she was able to bask fully in its brilliance that fully revealed itself when hugging the Tribute's body. "It's like an old computer?"

"Correct." The stylist answered as he proceeded to add the final touches. Among them was a marquee with a message that would reveal itself on the command of a single button. "We usually like to create some variation, but this year there was little need for it. Your partner's costume is not much different from your own. You will see." He ushered Lanni out of the room to reunite with her partner. Almost immediately anticipation shone on her face as she caught her first glimpses of him.

"Wow, he wasn't kidding when he claimed we would match. These are almost identical, save for my skirt." She mused. "Now we just have to convince the sponsors to follow the message our costumes have been emblazoned with." Hopefully it would be successful too. There were at least a few threats to deal with and the tiny girl realized that within moments she would have to confront them in person for the first time. It was bound not to be a pretty sight as they were all competing for the Capitol's affections. Sure, sponsorship was not a guaranteed victory but it certainly made the road to getting there easily to trek. Oftentimes it marked the difference between life and death.

It became increasingly clear what exactly was at stake once the pair was led down to the chariots. It was there Lanni began to carefully study and observe the others. The careers, naturally, were outfitted in intricate and revealing outfits. It stood as especially true for the District 1 pair who were proceeding to hold their heads up as if they owned the place. They're full of themselves as usual... It only took a single glimpse for the tiny girl to quickly grow disgusted. The District 5 pair looked promising at least and surprisingly friendly with the smiles they beamed towards their District 3 counterparts. Lanni reciprocated the greeting with a wave.

"It's obvious I'm not the only one annoyed by the smugness of that District 1 pair, but I suppose it's hardly surprising. They can die first." The District 5 boy spoke as he approached the District 3 pair. He chuckled as he made a gesture across his own neck as if to indicate it being slit. "The name's Jet by the way, but I suppose it's hardly relevant when in a matter of days we will be trying to kill each other."

"I suppose not." Lanni uttered in response. It came across as unusual that the boy was being so friendly. Was he already trying to secure allies? Or perhaps he was luring others into letting their guard down? It was a cunning tactic, but an entirely feasible one. Nobody would hunt down someone who was not deemed to be a threat, after all. The tiny girl pondered all possibilities. In the Games anything was permitted, prompting her to watch her back. Should I be trusting this guy I wonder...

[Zulera301]

The interesting thing about the Chariot Parade was that it was the first time a tribute got to see the boys and girls that would become their enemies in person. Eleven other districts would pit their tributes against them, with various short-lived alliances forming possibly between some groups or others. Chip's first strategy was to look each of them over while he could. The costumes were visually appealing in almost all cases, especially District 1. District 3 had a weird and delicate relationship with District 1 and District 2. Sometimes they were overlooked entirely, other times they were swift and hard enemies due to their wiles and the careers' fears that these tributes would outsmart them, and other times still, they would recruit '3 into the career pack to put those intellects to use.

Chip suspected this year that they would fall into the 2nd category, although part of him was wondering if he could slip under the radar and let the careers worry less about them and thus put their focus against other tributes. That was what made '11 and '12 useful in his books. Many of them were resilient and fearless, and not willing to let themselves get pushed around by the careers. Three of these outlying district tributes had resisted and destroyed the career pack in '44. a trio of girls from '10, '11, and '12 pretty much controlled the arena in '46 before the Capitol put an end to their games. The tributes from '11 and '12 had dominated the arena and had the larger career pack on strings all through '48. Chip just had to hope that Hector, Lucina, Marsh, and Iris would keep Districts 1 and 2 occupied this year.

Still, as he looked them over, his eyes rested for a while on the District 1 girl's costume, which, in true District 1 fashion, was pleasantly revealing. She looked about 16 or 17, with fair skin and raven-black hair that flowed down her back. Not to say that anything would come from it, but Chip was a young man and was attracted to women, and he quite liked the view. He was only interrupted when a short, athletic woman and a taller young man walked in front of them. District 2 had arrived, adorned in white and blood-red robes, with gold and bronze armlets and shinguards that made them look like some kind of ancient warriors.

"Nice marquee," the girl stopped and looked Chip and Lanni up and down as the latter was checking out the other tributes already present. "it should say 2 though, not 3."
"Don't scare him, Tiki," his partner elbowed the girl. She was short, not unlike Layla from the year before, but with her arms bare the way they were, this tribute had some serious biceps for a girl her size. Chip low-key wanted to grope them, but obviously restrained himself.
"I'll let my stylist know of the mistake," Chip riposted. His original remark was going to be something along the lines of 3 being greater than 2 (because mathematics), but decided that playing along with the girl's joke was much less likely to spark her ire and mark Chip for death.

Still... Tiki. that was an unusual name. His attention shifted from that girl to the tributes from District 5, who wasted no time being outgoing.
"And this is my partner, Mai." Jet turned to Chip although was more directing his remark towards him and Lanni both, as he introduced his partner.
"I can introduce myself, thanks," Mai interjected, "but he's right. The name's Mai, and based on the looks you guys are giving them, I'd say you guys want the careers dead the same way we do, yeah?
"Technically we all want the other 23 of us dead," Chip reminded them, "sadly there's no allied victories."
"Of course all alliances are temporary," Jet quipped, "but 4 bright minds against 4 dumb brutes is more likely to go well than 4 dumb brutes against 2 bright minds, no?"

"Tell you what," Chip offered, "let's show off to the Capitol a bit and then maybe see what happens in the Training Center. Not that I'm ruling it out this soon, but y'know. let's get the hang of what we specialize in and what we're up against. That sort of thing. Y'know?" He cocked his head towards Lanni as he said this, both shooting it as an offer to the District 5 tributes, but also asking Lanni for her opinion on the subject. Jet and Mai did have a point, but so far Chip's only trusted ally was Lanni, and so her judgment counted for more than anything District 5—or any other district—could procure right now.

[Nachthexe]

A career alliance that included District 3? Occasionally it was known to happen in the games, but the more Lanni continued to gaze at the career pack the more she became disgusted by the prospect. This year they were arrogant, a trait they were known to consistently possess. Fortunately for the others in the arena it was also a trait that often worked against them. It was a trait that could be exploited and the tiny tribute was already deriving ways to do so. It seems we will be playing a game of wits this year, Districts 1 and 2... She shook her head with a smirk. They, despite their unquestionably superior strength, would only get so far if they possessed the usual arrogance so many from their Districts did.

Sure enough Lanni found her suspicions proven as the District 2 pair approached. They were quite firmly built, leading to the tiny woman to imagine herself being torn in half by sheer muscle alone. Was it even possible? Not even the District 11 boy from last year had accomplished such a feat despite his being able to pummel and crush his opponents to death. The tiny girl had almost felt sorry for Ryker as he had been slowly crushed by the massive boy. Almost.

Of course Lanni found herself quickly growing annoyed with the District 2 pair's gloating. She simply rolled her eyes before glaring at the pair. "All I have to say to this is that our District should never be underestimated." She replied, thankful that Chip wasn't particularly eager to make enemies himself. The fewer enemies they had in the arena the better. If they were able to pass by relatively unnoticed then it was bound to make their job easier. Certainly it would allow them to pick off the others relatively discreetly. The tiny girl even considered the possibility of playing dirty. It was not illegal, after all. "Sometimes our District does ally with the careers, but this year it's not a risk we should be taking." She whispered over to her partner once the careers were out of earshot. As far as allies went District 5 seemed promising, but the girl did not want to draw any conclusions just yet. There was much to consider: the group's strengths and weaknesses, their individual skillsets, and ultimately how likely they were to prematurely betray each other. That was a subject the girl promised herself to discuss with both Chip and Wiress later.

With the arrival of the remainder of the tributes Lanni found herself able to eliminate just a few more from the potential ally list. The twins from District 9. Every inch of their body now outfitted in an elaborate agricultural getup screamed hostile. They held hands tightly as they approached the chariots and shot each of the other tributes cold glares of death. "Pathetic" they seemed to be expressing as they passed each before finding their place near the back of the procession.

"What's up with them?" Lanni whispered to Chip as she too began to board her chariot. "It's like they want to make as many enemies as possible. It's not exactly a shrewd tactic in triumphing here." She mused. Or what if they don't want to win? Another striking possibility briefly occurred to the tiny woman just as her thoughts were interrupted by the commencement of the parade. Within moments they too were moving, slowing proceeding towards the Capitol crowds and finally President Snow himself. At last they were entering the Lion's Den.

[Zulera301]

Chip definitely didn't want to align himself with the career tributes this year either. It was not to say that he doubted their strength; but rather that he knew it would be hard to "escape" when the tribute pool thinned, and if he were a betting man he would have put his money on assuming that when a 1-2-3 Career pack broke up, that District 3 would be the first to go before '1 and '2 had their fun with each other in turn. Probably something about "a better fight since they're more equally matched". As such, he didn't think that they would be a good alliance, no matter how nice Tiki's biceps were. Best just to let them stroke their own egos for a while before letting them hopefully wear themselves down on an enemy tribute.

Naturally, he looked behind him to see what the outer districts produced. Hector and Lucina were dressed in blue, almost what looked like prop armour. He was sure it was supposed to represent something, but the only thing he could think of was that they were tough and thus were going to be difficult to kill. Hopefully they were strong enough to take down Tiki and her friends. Marsh and Iris looked wily the way District 12 tributes so often did, and he followed their eyes to see who they were staring at. The strong tributes always sized up their competition, and so it was good to see who they perceived as threats. The careers looked right past Districts 3, 4, and 5, skipping right over the twins from '9 as well, looking of course to their old rivals from District 11 and 12.

On the other hand, District 12's eyes turned to District 11 for a moment before Marsh's eyes moved towards the careers. Iris's eyes were pointed at the District 12 kids, whose costumes seemed to have given them at least a tiny bit of confidence. Perhaps for the best that they weren't wetting themselves in fear even if their odds were no doubt abysmal. But when Chip followed her eyes again, he realized that Iris was not looking at the kids from 10, but rather at Thatcher and Santhe, who were shooting cold looks at everyone. They looked somehow even more terrifying in person, and their colourful costumes and facepaint made them look menacing in a way that would have made Zefira proud. Maybe that was why Marsh and Iris were both suddenly staring. According to Chip's old observation, District 12 was the one infamous for occasionally producing "painted tributes" such as Zefira and Fenris. He wondered if District 9's appearance was an imitation or just coincidence.

"if they don't want to make allies, that reduces their odds of survival," Chip commented in response to Lanni's question, "but at the same time, if they are as powerful or stronger than the careers and with the smarts to be able to outwit them, they could very well be like Rye and Sagittaria, where they are both powerful combatants, and also dangerously clever. I will definitely be spending some of my time here watching reruns of recent games to see if I can deduce any patterns from them." Patterns. that was Chip's specialty. Whether in the arena, the weather, the statistical advantage or disadvantage of a certain Tribute or District, or even just a coherent pattern in an otherwise randomly-designed painting or piece of fabric, Chip had an eye for it.

but there were no patterns to spot here once the chariots had lurched into action. There was the obvious one of the chariot order, but that meant nothing. None of this meant anything, really—except for one purpose: presentation. With one of his hands, Chip took Lanni's in his, raising it, as a sign of solidarity together, using his free hand to wave to the crowds as he forced a bright-eyed grin.
"I see little purpose in this myself," he commented; the cameras didn't seem to catch his mouth movement, "but the Capitol seems to love it, which may increase our odds of receiving sponsor gifts down the line." not that he really suspected Lanni would try and oppose it, but if nothing else, a little explanation went a long way... and as their glowing marquee appeared around them, flashing in bright (but not blinding light), there were a few subtle chants.
"District 3! District 3!"

they didn't sound like they had stolen the show, much less monopolized it; but it was clear that they at least had a noticable amount of support from the crowds as the legions of Capitolites on either side of them cheered them on.

[Nachthexe]

Seemingly one by one the tributes arrived, making their way towards their designated chariots. They were lined up by District as was standard, beginning with the Capitol favourites of '1 and '2. Lanni began to wonder briefly if they were favourites in the parade because they were the first to stand out or on virtue of being the most loyal Districts in Panem. To the Capitol it was perhaps a point of great importance, but to the tiny girl they were merely another obstacle between her seeing her family again. Each one present in the room would have to die for that to happen, including Chip himself.

The costumes year after year were known to make a difference in which tributes garnered the most attention. The Capitol liked garish and flashy, and Lanni knew she would be lying if she called this year's costumes any less garish than those of previous years. Even the fearful pair from District 4 stood out in their marine getup, along with the young District 10 pair. The latter even looked somewhat fearsome, despite being unquestionably the youngest tributes in this year's games. It was only a shame that a costume did not amount for much. It was like putting on another persona, acting as a character entirely. Surely a trait that could only carry so far once inside the arena. Skills amounted for so much more there.

"I see the District 10 stylists are trying really hard to sell their tributes. Perhaps there is something we are overlooking that only their mentors know, but sadly I can say they're probably doomed otherwise." Lanni observed as she kept her eyes on the District 10 pair in particular. They appeared about as frightened as they had been at the Reaping, perhaps a testament to their District's notoriously poor performances in recent games. Lyndis Montoya was truly a lot for children so young to live up to. District 9, though. They remained as something else entirely, almost as if they wanted to simply destroy everything in their path. They were seemingly on a warpath and almost nothing was likely to be able to stop them, short of the sweet embrace of death. Chip noted it as well and the tiny girl simply nodded. Watching footage of previous games did not appear as such a bad idea, either. Tributes supposedly had access to the archives, probably for "educational purposes", a.k.a preparing for their own games.

All of Lanni's attention quickly shifted directly in front of her as the procession of chariots began to lurch forward. Beginning with District 1 the girl swore she could already hear the exuberant cheering of the Capitol crowds - naturally, they greeted their favourites as old friends and they ate it all up. The girl in particular motioned towards the crowd in the flirtatious manner most in her District were so well-known for, thus receiving copious catcalls in return. Had Lanni witnessed it more clearly she would have simply rolled her eyes in disgust, but instead she attempted to tune it all out as she focused rather intensely on the crowds herself. District 2 was receiving plenty of attention themselves typical of two careers from Panem's most loyal District.

District 1, and then District 2. That, of course left District 3 as the next to proceed out into the public square. Just as they entered Lanni felt a gentle nudge from her partner, his hand directly in hers. She complied, raising it along with his as the Capitol proceeded to take in all the sights and sounds they had to offer. They too were met with applause, following by a round of distinctive chants. "Well somebody cherishes us. Welcome to the District 3 fan club?" The girl uttered towards her partner as they continued lurching forward before making their rounds into the public square. It was there, on a balcony up above all the action, that she spotted a familiar face that not a single citizen of Panem would overlook: President Snow.

Seemingly almost as quickly as the parade had begun each of the chariots came to a halt within the public square. Within moments the crowd's excitement died down, easily whisked away by a single wave from their president. Their obedience to the man was...almost frightening in its precision. It was reminiscent of a chain of commands being entered into a computer. The computer, of course, had no choice but to obey just as it had been programmed to do. Had the citizens of the Capitol been programmed similarly? Brainwashing? An interesting perception if there ever was one.

Oddly enough Lanni soon found herself similarly attentive as the president made his appearance. He was outfitted in a lavish suit and prominently displayed was one of his signature white roses. Like most others the girl had heard the rumours about the man and how he supposedly carried the stench of blood and roses. Unfortunately, from a distance there was no way to deny or confirm it so she simply stood, completely stoic, as she awaited the man's signature introduction he gave to the tributes annually. Sure enough it came, echoing through the girl's mind; "Welcome to the 49th Annual Hunger Games! May the odds be ever in your favour!"

"Well, that was really something. Somehow the president seems more peculiar in person, and he was even wearing his distinctive white rose." Lanni pondered with a sigh once isolated from the other Districts as the parade finally wrapped up. Stepping into the elevator came almost as a relief of sorts, an escape from precisely the sort of public attention she was not at all accustomed to. She had enjoyed her life of relative obscurity, yet now she was almost like a celebrity. It was a status that was suddenly inescapable unless she ended up killed anti-climatically in the arena. Even many of the dead tributes were remembered, whether for sheer heroism, strength, valour, or a number of other traits.

[Zulera301]

Chip had always wondered what the significance of the District numbers were. It sort of corresponded with wealth, with 1 and 2 being the richest, but then District 5 was next, followed by 4 and only then 3. Similarly, District 7 was richer than 6, and 9 slightly richer than 8, albeit less fortunate in the games. 10, 11, and 12 were in order, although 11 in particular had a remarkable performance in the games, and despite its lack of victors, '12 had proven qui9te a threat in the recent years. Of course, the districts had already been in place when the Hunger Games had first been instated, so he knew it had nothing to do with that.

It wasn't location either. sure Districts 1, 2, and 5 were near the Capitol, but then three was halfway across the country and 4 was on the far coast. District 12 and what was left of '13 were far away, but 8 stood between 11, and 9 stood between the Capitol and District 6. so that certainly wasn't it. Remembering his knowledge of the District Emblems indicated that "order of importance" was certainly not it otherwise 11 and 10 would have definitely been 1 and 2, because the Capitol needed food to survive as much as anyone else. and while "Luxury", "Masonry", and "Technology" were alphabetical, District 4 broke that trend with "Fishing". All in all, the district number order made little sense. Maybe it was random indeed? but whatever the case, '1 and '2 had become Capitol darlings, and so maybe it was for the best that they started the show. maybe District 3 came next not because of their wealth or loyalty, but more because after the usually-impressive displays of District 1 and 2, only people as wily as District 3 and their stylists could compare. so '3 took a lot of the burden of "needing to impress" off of the lower districts as things went on. At least, Chip was willing to stroke his ego with this assumption.

and the stylists, for that matter. For whatever grievances the boy had against the Capitol, he didn't mind the stylists. A bit ditzy and overly enthusiastic for a death match—most likely because they would never need to participate or send their children to it—but both Gaius and Maya lacked any kind of malevolence as far as Chip could see or was concerned, so that was good enough for him to tolerate them. He was admittedly impressed with their costumes and the cool holographic marquee that still floated around them, reading "SUPPORT DISTRICT 3" over and over. The Capitolites were good for something at least.

And yet their loyalty—their devotion to their leader, President Coriolanus Snow... that didn't confuse Chip as much as intrigue him. The Capitol ruled over Panem with absolute authority. Why then, would the top citizens of Panemian society, who had it all, fear this man to the point of unquestionable veneration?
The Districts had reason to fear him. The Districts had reason to fear the Capitol. Each year they were reminded of it, and Chip knew that he and the other 23 boys and girls around him were a reminder of it. This was the 49th annual reminder of why the Districts feared the Capitol—one of the reasons anyways. Maybe they actually believed the propaganda? They didn't exactly seem like very deep thinkers, most of them. Meanwhile, Chip's own loyalty (or lack thereof) was similar to his alleged lack of disagreement with Tiki's assertion earlier. It was better to just stay quiet sometimes, as to not make enemies.

He did have a commanding presence for sure, Snow did. Chip could at least somewhat respect that. His authority, his cool, commanding presence. the odd, intimidation factor he held, swirled around with the rumours of a dark and poisonous past. The rose, a normally beautiful flower on its own, had become his symbol, and whispers among the districts hinted at a much more sinister connotation. But perhaps that was for another time. Soon after the chariots had stopped, Snow gave his usual short speech before their dismissal.

"He's the man of the mindgames for sure," Chip agreed as they headed up the elevator. They hadn't stolen the show, but they had at least garnered some support from the occasional people in the crowds that had chanted "District 3!" repeatedly. It hadn't echoed throughout the square, but it had been loud enough to be audible. "I don't think we could beat him at that sort of thing at our age... but perhaps if we were on equal footing... well, I suppose that doesn't matter either. As soon as we get up to the 3rd floor we should take a look at the recaps of the parade. I guarantee they'll have them available immediately as the Capitol fawns over them. Our escort and stylists would want to see them after all."
The trip to the 3rd floor of the Tribute Tower was short, although Chip mused about how it would technically be the 4th floor, since the ground floor was not counted. Otherwise, District 1 of all places, would get shafted out of a great deal of apartment space, and Chip didn't think the Capitol would do that to their ostensibly favourite district.

"This place is nice," He commented at the sleek and lavish furnishings of their new home for the next week. "kind of reminds me of one of the fancy computer labs back home, except there are way less screens here." it was clear he was kind of thinking aloud here, but he was also ambling towards the large television screen, his mind made up about what he was going to do. it was time to look at the parade recaps and size up their competition. Marcus was making some kind of comments in the background; they sounded positive, but Chip had low-key tuned them out beyond smiling and nodding.
"Care to join me, Lanni?" he turned to his partner. Hardly flirtatious at all, but a polite gesture mixed with a logical suggestion for the next course of events. They had a little bit of free time this evening before the real games began, after all.

[Nachthexe]

It became increasingly evident to Lanni that, while District 3 did not steal the show, they did manage to retain some degree of a fan following within the Capitol. The cheering protruding from the crowds aimed specifically at them, particularly the personalized chants, allowed the small tribute to have some degree of optimism. Somebody liked them and having supporters usually indicated a guarantee of being showered with sponsor gifts when the time was right. Of course, the more sponsor gifts one received was not always a guarantee of their victory. The girl thought back to the 46th games in particular when the victor had been little Alice DeSiete of District 8. He had been the same age during his games as herself, unskilled, and not even particularly popular(thanks to his mouthy partner, but it wasn't like the Capitol had shown all the footage). Yet, he had managed to secure the upset of the generation by walking out of the arena victorious, all after even taking out the two strongest tributes and receiving exactly zero sponsor gifts. Dismal odds or not, a tribute was never out until their face shone in the sky.

Lanni hoped to do exactly that: be a viable contender in the games. For her, it meant studying the others very closely. Between now and entering the arena she had to learn absolutely everything she could about each of them. What were their strengths? What were their weaknesses and how could said weaknesses be exploited? It was pertinent information in this game that seemed to combine every skill imaginable. So far, she had noted at least one significant weakness in the careers and it made her smirk just thinking about it. They can be outsmarted for sure.

From the parade chariot Lanni knew her visibility of the others had been limited, but fortunately there was an easy remedy to that. The tiny tribute did not even need to suggest it either as her partner took the initiative himself. "It's refreshing to know that you've had precisely the same mindset on this as I. Sometimes merely observing the mannerisms of others can convey hints as to exactly how they will react in the impeding circumstances. This is all merely a show for the Capitol to delay our inevitable demise, but for us it's an opportunity for enlightenment." She suggested with a smirk. Enlightening and educational. That's exactly what it would be and the others would not even know what hit them.

If there was perhaps one person in all of Panem on par with the brilliant minds of District 3 then Lanni could only assume it was President Snow himself. The rumours about the man were clear, and so oft repeated that the girl could only assume they were true. Mostly. It was no accident that the man had retained power for so long, supposedly securing it at a fairly young age. In the game of politics only one fully capable of outwitting and outsmarting their competition could ever hope to last that long. It was almost admirable and the girl could only nod in full agreement with her partner. Wits could truly propel one far and, at the least, the young tribute hoped to prove it here even if she was inevitably shot down in the arena. There were reasons many of District 3's tributes were remembered despite having not actually won the games. Clemont and Hikari of the 45th games were legends in their own right, yet both now laid six feet under.

And Lanni knew the Capitol mindgames were no joke as soon as she set eyes on the tribute apartment. They widened in awe as she walked in. There was much luxury to bask in, even exceeding that of the train. It was actually nice, even if it was already obvious to her what the Capitol was hoping to achieve by providing it at all. "They want to get us cozy, remind us of how accommodating and benevolent they are." She uttered, followed by a small chuckle. "The ultimate message here is that if you win the games then the Capitol will shower you with their affection. It does certainly explain the tenacious determination of the careers to win this thing."

It was only too bad for Districts 1 and 2 that this was not going to be their year. Lanni would see to it, all thanks to aid from her equally conniving partner Chip. There were no rules in the arena and the girl was prepared to do anything necessary to secure a District 3 victory. Should she fall in the process then she was willing to accept her partner as a perfectly acceptable substitute. Of course, to actually pull it off would take much careful preparation which easily prompted directly beside the older boy. It was time to watch the parade highlights.

With a single flick the screen turned on and almost immediately began playing through a series of commentary from Caesar Flickerman and his loyal companion Claudius Templesworth. Both were reliable year after year to provide their own thoughts on the games and tributes. This year in particular they found themselves focused on the District 9 pair, making them out to be a possible contender where their District so rarely was. Lanni nodded in agreement just as the footage shifted to the actual parade itself.

First up were the careers of course which the girl had been able to observe personally, all thanks to being positioned directly behind them. Their on-screen appearance remained almost exactly as the small tribute had imagined: full of passion and plenty of genuine excitement in having the opportunity to represent their District. It painted them as mostly the standard strong, but also arrogant, tributes they were so often known to be. It was nothing beyond what District 3 could handle, that the girl was confident of.

District 3, of course, was District 3. Lanni simply nodded as she and Chip appeared on screen. She flashed a smile towards her partner as the crowds had begun cheering for them. It served as a reminder that even if they were not necessarily Capitol favourites this year they were not about to be discounted as serious contenders for the victor's crown. They had a chance to win this thing and the girl was going to take it. It was only unfortunate that she was not the only one. District 4 certainly seemed to be less fearful this time around than they had been earlier during their Reaping. Perhaps they had merely been in a state of shock upon realizing their names had been pulled? All in all the incident was making them surprisingly discreet and rather difficult to decipher. They were a wild card for sure and truly only training would hope to uncover any of their secrets.

Next up was District 5 and Lanni's eyes flashed as they appeared on screen. Jet and Mai simply looked mesmerizing in their costumes that shimmered brightly under the Capitol night sky. Nearly all colours of the rainbow appeared to be present in what was definitely a tribute to the power the District provided to all of Panem, the light of the sun itself reflecting off the panels that reportedly made up a portion of Panem's power. More interestingly the pair remained calm and collected almost as if to say "we've got this". Not a bad mentality to have for a pair who the girl was still considering forming an alliance with. "I'm confident that those two are not going down in the opening minutes if you still have interest in forming an alliance with them." She concluded, facing her partner.

Districts 6 through 8 still remained difficult for Lanni to decipher from the parade alone. More wild cards for sure. "Those ones we will want to watch closely during training, see exactly what they're up to and what they're capable of." She decided. District 9, though. That dreaded District 9. They remained as fearsome as ever, even receiving an unusually spirited reception from the Capitol crowds. It was rare that District 9 stood out, but this year they were more popular than ever. Perhaps it was the way the twins eyed each and every one of their competitions as meat, merely a means to an ends. It screamed hostile and the small tribute did not like it one bit. She could only imagine which sort of skills the two had awaiting them in training tomorrow morning.

District 9 of course stood in strong contrast to District 10 that had managed to produce the youngest tributes, and likely the most vulnerable, this year. Upon closer glance Lanni noticed they possessed the same fear they had during the Reaping. Surely they were already well aware of the gruesome fate that awaited them in the arena. Unfortunately for them it was likely an accurate prediction. There was no contesting that they were bound to be slain in the opening minutes by the older and stronger kids. Twelve and thirteen year olds rarely stood a chance. For any of them being Reaped was a death sentence. "If we were allowed to bet then I would put my money on those two being the first to succumb to the brutality of the games."

Despite the grisly fate lined up for the District 10 kids, in recent years Districts 11 and 12 had been hardy and resilient. This year would possibly prove to be no exception. The District 12 boy in particular had resilience written all over him. He was older, probably seventeen or eighteen, thus had some experiences with hardship. It was possible he even already worked in the mines of his home District which allowed for some useful, and dangerous, skills. "He is somebody else to observe during training. He may begin swinging an axe or something. It's not quite a pickaxe as those they would be more accustomed to in his District, but I suppose it's the next best thing. Those outlying kids always know how to fend for themselves too; survival. They can do it." Lanni proceeded to warn her partner as the parade concluded. It was always significantly different watching it from afar than it was actively participating but the girl was thankful that she had not actually had to participate until now. Being forced to participate indicated a one in twenty-four chance that one was not going to return home. Only one tribute came out of the arena breathing and the girl wished for it to be her, or at the very least, the boy situated directly beside her.

[Zulera301]

While it went without saying that Chip had no love for any of the Hunger Games or the associated ceremoniarchy, he did appreciate that they had a week or so to let the reality of their grim situation sink in. While most kids (except perhaps the ones that volunteered) might have spent the week in fear of their impending doom, Chip saw this week as an opportunity to study; to broaden his knowledge and see what he could learn about his 23 future enemies, no matter who he allied with or not. The first step in such a thing would be to get an idea of how confident or not the tributes were in the parade. If they couldn't stand the limelight of celebrity-dom, then they were doomed to fail even if they won the games. If they were fearful like those poor hapless youngsters from District 10... well, Chip could only hope that they had quick and merciful deaths. Maybe not quite as merciful as sweet little Lynx Chantrea from District 12 two years ago, but even cold and logical as he was, Chip didn't want to deliberately make anyone suffer, not even the careers. Not even District 9, really, although both of those tributes looked like the violent type for sure.

He knew that in proper even combat, that he and even Lanni would stand absolutely no chance against any of the competition except maybe some of the younger tributes bound for the bloodbath His goal was to make sure that he wasn't one of them. He also hoped, both for the same of District pride and for his own alliance, that Lanni would not be either. On the other hand, sometimes a tribute didn't need to win the games to become a thing of legend. Clemont and Hikari had died 4 years ago but neither of them had been forgotten by the locals of District 3. They were heroes in a way; the nefarious tribute pair that had escaped the bloodbath and then proceeded to all but disappear for two weeks, only to reemerge armed with rainbow lightning machines before going out in a blaze of glory. If Chip had to die, he wanted to go out like that.

Seeing President Snow in person, however far away he was, did make Chip realize that there was a lot more of a mindgame to the Games than most people ever thought. Not that he had ever actually experienced one of the President's games (beyond the one he'd be thrown into within a week), but the reputation of this man preceded him. And yet, despite that, he couldn't help but think about the different tributes; all the different game footage he had watched (and would watch; he was going to binge it every night after training), and all the different patterns he had noticed over the years. He wondered what patterns would show up in this year's lot; would he fall into the usual pattern of District 3, with cunning, wily antics that kept other tributes on their toes? or would he fall victim to an unfortunate arena like that girl in the 47th games? Her partner had lasted a while on his boat with that unlikely ragtag alliance with the District 8 boy and that little District 12 girl, but they were no match for the powerful District 1 that year.

The career tributes this year certainly had passion as Chip watched them move across the the square inside the large high-definition screen he sat in front of, but he didn't think they had the same gusto as the likes of Aurum or Valour, nor the same skill. District 1 could almost always be reliably counted on to produce powerful tributes considering that they literally fought to volunteer, but sometimes they were stronger than other times.
District 2 was similar. Powerful, a similar threat to District 1, but even Tiki didn't seem to shine the way Tributes in the past couple years like Layla or Alana. Layla may have seemed scared, but there was something behind those eyes that Chip noticed when she sat behind her tributes on the District 2 Justice Building stage. That which Layla feared was something that had indeed tried to kill her, and that had deliberately injected that fear and terror into her—and in a way, Chip admired the sinister beauty behind it. It was not the Gamemakers that had controlled the 48th arena. it was District 12.

And this year it would be District 3. Chip didn't consider himself a vain boy, but he did admire the way he and Lanni looked, not only in their jazzy costumes and flashy marquee, but also the confident way they carried themselves despite being rather small.
"Confidence!" Marcus beamed, although he had thus far remained fairly quiet in comparison, "the Capitol loves a tribute that isn't afraid of the competition!"
Chip smirked and nodded. He would have to remember that. He would bluff; the other districts would have to try and call him on it if they hoped to see the truth, but he would not reveal his hand.

Caesar Flickerman and Claudius Templesmith seemed to know how to talk up any tribute though, even the less threataening ones from this year, such as '10, '4, '7, or '6. They gushed a time or two about the careers, but they spent a LOT of commentary on District 9. Chip knew they were trouble, and they subtly scared him because they did not fit into his formula. All of his studies of recent trends had painted District 9 as fodder much like its fellow District 10. These two were outliers—dangerous outliers. Those would be the one that he watched even closer than the careers. Dangerous as District 1 and 2 were, they were predictable, and that made them easy to read; predictably dangerous. What would District 9 do though, when their most notable technique in the last decade of so was merely dying in the bloodbath?

And then there was 11 and 12 as well. While they did not worry him as much as '9, Chip had reservations about them just on principle, especially District 12. If they survived the bloodbath, which they had a penchant for doing lately, what then? they had such unpredictable and inconsistent fighting styles that Chip didn't ever know what to expect.
"Look at her eyes," Chip pointed to Iris when she appeared, "she's scanning the crowds. She has an archer's eye, most likely. An eye for sniffing out someone's weak spots... if she and her partner get together, we could have another threat on our hands besides '9. Hopefully the careers take care of them." Not that he necessarily hated any of the tributes here. But very much like District 2, it was all just business, and Chip would rather have the strong tributes get picked off before he came into play. That's where outsmarting the competition would have to take place.

[Nachthexe]

Based on appearance and observations alone Lanni could decipher one fact rather easily: in direct combat she and Chip both were placed at a major disadvantage. The tributes this year were strong - or at least those who looked capable of surviving the bloodbath were strong. If they were to stand a chance in this dangerous game then they had to be tactful. They would have to remain hidden, hopefully out of sight and simply forgotten. There had been at least one tribute from an outlying District who had won the games by doing exactly that, the tiny tribute recalled. Of course it was a slow and risky game, but the girl had hopes of hastening it. Traps, technological or otherwise, always had a place within the District 3 arsenal.

As Marcus shared thoughts of his own, particularly as his tributes popped up on the screen, Lanni nodded in agreement. Confidence. It was arguably the tribute's secret weapon in the week that followed being thrust into the arena. If one could show themselves to be in for the long haul and determined to bring home the Victor's crown then they gained support. As decadent as the Capitol was they had a clear admiration of strength and valour. That was respectable in her eyes. If confidence was what it took to gain their favour as well then she was prepared to play right into it. "I get it. Have no fear. Besides, why be apprehensive when most of these youth can outsmarted?" As she spoke she placed special emphasis on outsmarted, something she knew full well that her partner was just as willing to do.

Her partner's observations...were interesting ones. She did a double take herself and did indeed notice Iris' observant nature. The mark of a hunter, undoubtedly. Rumours spoke of an entire network of them in District 12, circumstances that were only possible at all thanks to more relaxed security in the District. Perhaps it was ever necessary as a means of survival although she did not question it much. It was well-known all across Panem that the hardy little coal-mining District was the most impoverished of them all. Unfortunately for District 3 and others it made for resilient tributes who excelled at surviving in even the harshest of conditions. It was those that they would have to outlive if one of them hoped to return home, she realized.

"That spells trouble for us. If she is a hunter then we are definitely the prey; us and twenty-one others as her partner will have to die also." Lanni pondered. "Her partner looks strong. He is likely already a miner. Split them up and they could be manageable, but conjoined they could be a formidable force." If recent trends were to continue in the games then the girl knew it was foolish to discount District 12 as a credible threat. They were rarely dim like the careers and their ability to withstand hardship was on a whole other level that few others, save for District 11, could match at all. If either of them was to be picked off then they would have to be demoralized and broken down, but the burning question was how exactly that was achievable. Over the next week there was much observation to do.

"Districts 1 and 2 we can easily take down by wit alone if the pack this year is anything like previous years. Districts 9 and 12 we will have to examine particularly closely over this next week. If we can demoralize any of them then they will be ripe for the kill." Lanni decided. Everyone had their weaknesses and insecurities. It was key to exploit any one of them in a fight that was unevenly matched. The 46th games was arguably one of the greatest cases for it in recent years. Everyone in Panem knew of how Alice had taken advantage of Keshet's brief moment of weakness to ready his bow against the powerful girl. If those were the sort of tactics it took to produce a District 3 victor then Lanni was fully prepared to exploit them herself.

Lanni's face formed into a smirk as she faced Marcus once more. "Confidence? Well, I'm confident that most of this competition can be circumvented and led directly into traps."

[Zulera301]

Chip smirked at his partner's observations, adding some of his own insight as well. "in a battle of brains and brawn, the winner is the one that pulls the opposing party into their home field. in a battle of strength, the brawn will prevail without a shadow of a doubt. However, if the brains pull the brawn into a battle of wits, they will undoubtedly emerge victorious 100% of the time. Let the careers play their game of strength with the other tributes, and if they pull any of the allegedly 'smart' ones into their game, then those will be their casualties. We just need to avoid their game at all costs, all while playing our own, and playing the Capitol's game."

"The Hunger Games are everyone's game," Marcus commented, although whether it was an oblivious ditzy remark, or maybe a cover-up remark for the cameras in case they suspected any rebellious tendencies in Chip or Lanni, was unclear. However, Chip did not seem to pursue the subject further.
"Well of course," he agreed, no doubt to the escort's relief, "but we play games within those games. Mind games, confidence games... Don't worry; I'm sure you and the rest of our team won't be disappointed.." Marcus was not as insufferable as Chip thought, but he had a long way to go before he would be as intellectually stimulating as Lanni, and so he turned back to his small partner.

"So it looks like, in summary, the real threats are going to be coming from Districts 9, 11, and 12. As of current I would rank District 11 as the lowest of these three threats, but that doesn't mean they should not be considered. Even with as physically menacing as that District 12 boy might be, or with as cunning as his partner looks, I would still rank them below District 9. They look clever, but District 12 still looks wary enough of death the way normal, rational people are. District 9... does not, and that means they will no doubt be dangerous, because they will be willing to take deadly risks; things other tributes might not be wont to try if they truly wish to live." Chip honestly could see Santhe and Thatcher going out in a blaze of glory or some kind of suicide attack. It had been done in previous games before, and Chip wouldn't put it above someone to do it again.

"The best part about the games as far as combat is concerned is that there's no right or wrong way to fight and win them. Anything the arena gives us can and will be used against our enemies." The only unknown rule to this may have been the forcefields, but Chip, while had had considered something with the electrical qualities of an arena's boundaries, didn't think of anything that could viably work to either get him out, or to harness that energy against another tribute. But on the other hand, apparently even the golden cornucopia that was present in every game wasn't off-limits. There was no way to weaponize the actual horn, but it made for good shelter, hiding places, and occasionally even a refuge from lower-lying mutts or other creatures and tributes that might want to do someone else in.

"Traps are definitely the way to go," Chip agreed. "or rather, the way that most of our enemies will go if they think they're actually going to be able to outsmart us."

[Nachthexe]

Once Tributes were free from the mines that lingered beneath the pedestals there were no rules. The Hunger Games were, quite literally, a brawl to the death. Any tactics necessary could be deployed against the other Tributes, or even the Gamemaker traps. If that meant outsmarting them then so be it; it was easy enough when one was from District 3, right? Ideally, yet, Lanni knew it was foolish to underestimate her opponents. It was often a fatal mistake in the games. It was one she did not care to replicate in her own race for survival.

Lanni nodded as Marcus spoke, providing a surprisingly insightful remark of his own. The man was right. It absolutely could be anyone's game. Even the smallest and lowest scoring Tributes had a chance - legends like Kyla were testament to it.

Fortunately, though, this year the threats appeared much more direct and obvious. Lanni nodded in agreement to all of her partner's observations so far. "That's what makes them dangerous. I have a gut instinct they're not in this to win. They are clearly related so it seems suspect that they're both here. Something, perhaps a waning will to live, brought both of them here." She mused upon carefully studying the District 9 pair once more. In her mind there was some logic to the theory. In the outlying Districts it was supposedly common for children to be orphaned. Were these twins orphaned? Were they simply in mourning and giving up on life entirely? Lanni recalled a girl from her own District who had simply ended it all upon losing her parents in an industrial accident. If that was indeed the case here then she could only feel pity for the troubled siblings.

Even from studying each of the Tributes Lanni felt oddly confident. Brawn, rather than brains, was largely what they appeared to be up against this year. Now it simply left one burning question that would not be answered for some time: what was the arena like? Of course the chosen environment often made the difference between life or death for so many; different environments had to be exploited in different ways to be utilized fully. The tiny girl only hoped that this year's allowed for trapping with ease. Traps or not, though, she was prepared to fight and go down gracefully if she was to be struck down at all. Chip as well deserved a clean and humane death at the very least. She would ensure it if they were forced to confront each other.

Confronting Chip was something Lanni did not even want to imagine having to do, but it was inevitable if they somehow remained the last two Tributes standing and both were relatively intact. That, was a reality she did not want to think about just yet, though, instead turning her attention towards Wiress. She had won before and how exactly she had succeeded the small Tribute was dying to know. It was time to pick the woman's brain.

And pick the woman's brain she did.

Time seemed to flow more rapidly as Lanni approached her mentor, eager for any tips that would potentially save her life in the arena. What began as a simple advice and motivational session soon became something more. The Tribute listened in fascination as the woman relayed accounts of both her games and the events that had followed. It had been hard for her as it was for so many, but it got Lanni to thinking. Would she too come out of the arena a traumatized wreck? If so, how would she be able to cope? A Tribute never truly left the arena. That she had to prepare for, but today was not that day if the fatigue coming over her like an old friend was anything to go by. She unleashed a loud yawn before glancing over towards Chip. "I guess this means bed beckons. Being rested up for training tomorrow is important if we want to kick some ass." She quipped. "Goodnight."