[M] The 48th Annual Hunger Games (Jannah & Zulera301)

[Zulera301]

While Layla did understand that District 1 was generally considered the "prettier" of the career districts, that didn't meant that District 2 didn't have attractive ladies (and guys). Nolan and Alana were pretty good-looking... and not to boast about her own family here, but Roxanne and Zakura (and Ikiza) were fairly easy on the eyes. Not that Layla exactly flaunted her stuff (she wore pants and long sleeves most of the time, and usually in shades of black, which explained her current outfit, actually), but she had been called 'cute' or 'pretty' before by people not related to her. They were nice little boosts to her self-esteem. Hopefully her stylists liked her looks and worked with them.

Layla frowned and crossed her arms when Luca mentioned her sisters. It was something she learned from of course, but it still was not a very nice feeling being reminded about it. Not that that was Luca's fault inherently or anything; it was still just kind of a soft spot for little Layla. Leto's remark had mixed feelings from her too.
"It's like that kid from '44 says..." she quipped. "May the odds make it true that when you're mortally wounded in an excruciatingly painful way, your body goes into shock so you don't feel anything when you die."
"Leto, that's disgusting!" Layla argued.
"And true," Leto quipped, "Laugh a little, kid. I thought I was the ruthless one here. Besides... you'll probably win it or get pretty damn close, so most likely you'll be saying it to others, y'know?"
"Okay," she cracked a smile, "maybe that makes more sense. Sorry, I just..." she trailed off, thinking about her sisters again. Two were dead, and another was experiencing a mild form of depression from those losses. She had to stay strong... for herself, and for Ikiza.

Leto listened to Luca's words about the District 11 pair, and nodded as the man used her name. "Kids like that could probably pick you up and snap you in two." she warned them, "even that girl. No offense or anything... I mean, if they could snap either of you in two, they could probably break me in three, since I'm tinier than you both." Leto didn't even weigh 100 pounds. She was not only short, but also petite and slender.
"but even if you succeed in recruiting the District 3 pair, that doesn't mean you're suddenly on easy street in the trapping department either. I've got friends in District 12, believe it or not... a lot of 'em jump their fences and are hunters. They're good with bows and good with traps... stealthy little bastards. You'll definitely want to watch out for them if they survive the bloodbath. If there's one thing that '11 and '12 have over us, it's a resilience and ability to survive."

"But we're better at combat than they are, right? I mean, on a general basis..." Layla was not arrogant enough to assume that every kid from District 2 could whoop every kid from District 12.
"usually, aye." Leto nodded, "but they fight dirty. And survival doesn't necessarily mean being able to evade combat. Sometimes it's just a matter of blending into the environment and not being seen until it is too late. That is how tiny little ol' me survived against a career pack that wanted my hide." Leto had betrayed her career pack--although in her words, they betrayed her first, with some arrogance complex against such a tiny girl. But, what was past was past.
"Got it." Layla nodded, "since I don't think they'll be too keen on joining us as allies."
"Probably not," Leto chuckled, "they're definitely long past the days of being able to take them lightly though. "Just something to remember. They've probably ironically become some of the biggest threats to the career alliance over the years."
This was something Layla did recognize. Kyla and District 11 had ravaged the careers in the 44th Hunger Games, and with the help of District 6, Leon from District 11 had taken out some of the careers the year after, with tiny little Hazel from District 12 disarming one of them of a crucial weapon. '46 had mostly been done by Keshet Elian, although there was certainly a distraction effort by people like Lyndis, Smash, and Isi in their impenetrable fortress (which was still standing. the Capitol left it as a monument to the girls' craftsmanship). Last year had been the only time recently where the career pack had stood and stood solidly. Hopefully they could re-create that this year.

Layla smiled at Luca's words a moment later though, after Leto's speech had ended with silence. "that sounds good..." she scarfed down a bit of food, but otherwise leaned back and closed her eyes. She had all afternoon and evening to relax on the train, for they wouldn't arrive in the Capitol till morning, so districts that were farther away could arrive at the same time as the ones that were much closer. The Capitol was punctual like that. Not that Layla minded.
"So..." she said softly, turning to her partner but otherwise staying her in relaxed position, "Hunger Games... it's still kind of crazy knowing that I'm here, personally... but I wouldn't want to be anywhere else... how 'bout you?" She was just trying to make small talk at this point, and perhaps get to know the boy that she'd almost certainly be allying with early on in the games.

[Nachthexe]

Luca chuckled. "She has a point you know. If you're going to die then it'll be best to find a way to make it happen quickly and painlessly. That Kiva girl had the right idea at the end of the 45th games to paralyze her opponents before taking them out. Granted she was aided by sponsor gifts, but there's ways to kill people even without such resources." He reminded Layla and by extension, Ryker. "It's been years for me since I've been in one, but I'm sure those sorts of things are even taught in the academies." He noted, knowing that even if there were technically no rules in the games the most honourable deaths were always those carried out quickly and painlessly. It was simply business, after all, and not usually out of malice felt towards the other tributes.

It was quite obvious now that District 11 was bound to be quite dangerous, but District 12 was also often a more overlooked threat. Poverty and starvation didn't seem to hinder them at all in the games, at least not in recent years. That was definitely something to take into account as Leto stated. Survival was something they excelled at, even if District 2 didn't realize it. Life was pretty easy in District 2 while the opposite was true in District 12, making survival skills almost crucial for every day life. "Yes, I know the rumours about that place. It's said their Peacekeepers don't even do their jobs and accept bribes. I'm frankly surprised Snow hadn't cracked down on it yet." Ryker interjected before realizing that if such rumours were indeed true it was almost certainly related to the district's widespread poverty. Then again, few things seemed to be consistent as District 11 was almost as poor yet hosted the strictest Peacekeepers in Panem. Ryker felt like there was some sort of deeper underlying societal cause there, but he didn't think too deeply about it at this point.

"Well rumours or not, that's all irrelevant. What truly matters is how those tributes carry themselves in the arena. You are a tribute now, son. The only thing that matters now until the moment you step out of that arena is survival. Any thoughts outside of that could potentially put you at a disadvantage." Luca advised, glancing at his son as he nodded. The career mindset was an interesting one. While at its strongest it allowed tributes to carry themselves to victory, but it was something that had to remain constant otherwise the entire system would falter, kind of like a single cogwheel being out of place and stopping its entire system.

"Gotcha. I certainly don't want a repeat of the 46th games. I'm thinking something more like the model of the 47th is what we should aspire to. That pack lasted until the very end, even after the District 4 pair ditched them." Ryker replied, taking his father's advice to heart. He certainly had a point, after all. Tributes' personal lives truly mattered little when they became nothing more than prey to be hunted down and killed. The pre-game interviews were the only real glimpse into their personal lives and even it was more for the Capitol's use than the other tributes; they needed something to bet on and support. Oftentimes the interviews made a difference between whether a tribute was sponsored or not as well. Ryker personally wasn't too worried about that himself though. He was confident that based on his status alone he'd be desirable, but while he rode on the train to the Capitol little of that mattered.

Several minutes of silence passed before Layla finally spoke again. Upon advice from his father Ryker intended to relax and save all the deep thinking about strategy for training. Layla seemed to have a similar mindset so it didn't surprise him when she spoke. "It is surreal, but I'm here for a reason just like you're here for a reason. It may not even be similar reasoning, but we both have something we hope to take out of all this. With that said, I bare no regrets. Even if I end up impaled at the end of somebody's spear or continually lacerated at least I'll die knowing I've served my district." Ryker responded, shrugging. It was still a bit hard for him to believe that just hours ago he had been lying in his luxurious bed back in the Victor's Village hardly contemplating what would happen if he actually managed to make it to the stage. Now it began to all slowly unravel and there was ultimately no turning back. He was officially a tribute in the 48th Annual Hunger Games and would be until he either emerged victorious or took his last breaths at the end of another tribute's blade.

[Zulera301]

Layla nodded. "I bet." Incidentally, despite Alana's death being a bit bloody, it had been quick and the girl had hardly felt a thing before she had died. "I suppose that's also why they teach us hand-to-hand... in the case of being devoid of a weapon, it would be good to have some kind of backup, right?"
"Exactly," Leto nodded, "I broke at least two necks during my games--you don't have to be strong to do it--you just need to know how it's done. Obviously I won't be demonstrating though."
Layla chuckled. "I would hope not... Cold Heartless War Machine indeed..."
Layla also was well-aware that there were no rules on how to kill a tribute. Alana could have tortured Lynx and drawn out her death and none of the gamemakers would have batted an eye. Thankfully, no one complained about how she was quickly silenced, and so that didn't even have to be an issue.

Layla listened to what the others said about District 12, and in the end, Leto nodded. "District 11 and District 12 are like the antithesis of Districts 1 and 2 in a lot of ways, except that instead of sucking at the games in contrast to us... they are actually pretty good at being a pain in the ass. District 11's citizens are always a bit rougher around the edges. And while they're usually stronger than their quieter brethren in District 12, '12 is much more likely to pull all kinds of tricks and pull out all the stops. Personally? I don't think Lynn's record is bad because of incompetence... I just think they're some unlucky sods. But I digress. Keep an eye on that girl."

When Luca turned to Ryker, Leto turned to him, nodding at Layla as if to tell her to listen up. When he finished, she had something to add. "The goal here is not to die for your district... it's to make the other sons-of-bitches die for theirs. These tributes cannot be bargained with. They cannot be reasoned with. They will not feel pity, remorse, or fear. And most importantly, they will absolutely not stop their efforts until you are killed. It might be a grim mentality to hole, but sometimes, being ruthless is the answer."
Layla gripped her fork a bit tighter before she took her next bite of food. Thankfully, Ryker's words were a bit more relieving.

"Ryker's right," she insisted, "just because we have to turn on others does not mean we cannot have allies and still carve our way to victory."
"I understand that," Leto nodded simply, "I'm just warning you to watch your enemies closely, and watch your allies even closer. Last year's career pack was strong, but they let one flaw escape that could have been their undoing. If Edison and Joann hadn't stepped in at different points, things could have ended differently."
Layla gave pause, glancing at the stoic-faced little mentor.
"But I'm done with the doom and gloom for now," she chuckled, "don't worry, kiddos. the Capitol will be swooning over both of you, and you'll probably be swimming in sponsors by the time all is said and done."
Layla smiled, remembering this truth. Sure Ryker might be more popular than her, but Layla felt that she could still leave an impression on Panem even if she didn't win--but she was pretty damn determined to put her all into it or (literally) die trying.

Layla nodded at Ryker's logic here. "it's weird to think of it like that... we're going into a do-or-die situation where there's no turning back. The games change people forever, I've heard..." She couldn't relate to the glory of dying at the end of someone's spear, given the reasons she had been so fierce about volunteering.
"If I have to die, I hope I go quickly like Lynx did..." she nodded, once again having those doubts about her abilities. Why? Why was she having them? She was the strongest girl to emerge from District 2 this year, and so surely that had to account for something, right? Now she just needed to wow everyone before the games with a high (maybe perfect?) training score and a smashing interview and she'd be sponsored all through the games, she felt like.
"So despite our conflicting objectives..." she began, trying to divert these thoughts from her mind, "you're still game for teaming up, right?" She was referring to the career alliance of course, since that was practically a yearly tradition for Districts 1 and 2 at this point...

[Nachthexe]

Watch your enemies closely. That was a bit of advice Ryker knew well. Even before volunteering he had regularly received tips about the games outside of his academy from his father. It was perhaps just one advantage of being the child of a victor, but it wasn't something he was about to rub in his partner's face at this point. They were getting alone fairly well now so there was no sense ruining it, especially considering disputes before the games were often fatal in the arena. Ryker could recall at least one incident as told by his father that served as proof. In his second year of mentoring, the 24th games the two District 2 tributes had gotten into a dispute and ended up going after each other in the opening minutes. Needless to say there wasn't a career victor that year.

"Unity's important. Let's just stick with that. My father can certainly attest to it." Ryker blurted out as Luca and Leto finished up giving their advice for the day. It was certainly a good start and something for both tributes to think about upon beginning their week long training sessions. It was also an opportunity to observe the other tributes, something Ryker knew not to pass up. Going into the arena blind was a bad idea. A very bad idea. Last thing he wanted was to be sniped in the opening seconds by a completely unexpected source of power.

Layla's comments soon shifted Ryker's attention towards her. He was glad the girl was willing to converse with him in order to pass the time, although Valour's advice from six months previous did still sit in the back of his mind. "Yea they do. My father can attest to that as well, although some of the traumas he suffered are ones he won't even openly discuss with me. Maybe he fears me going down a similar path? I don't know. That Valour boy from last year seemed to be fine though so I think some tributes are not as affected." He mused, perhaps knowing firsthand more than any other tribute that nobody came out of them the same. Oddly enough, it was something the boy was willing to accept if it was the price to pay for his monumental and historical victory.

"On the other hand though if somehow you make it out instead of me I can definitely attest the Victor's Mansion is so worth it. Those beds? Phenomenal." Ryker spoke once again glancing at Layla before letting out a chuckle. It had been an attempt to lighten the mood and he hoped it worked since the talk of death was admittedly gloomy, even for a pair of Hunger Games tributes. If he was going to die he at least wanted to enjoy his last days alive as somebody happy and memorable. "I always imagined that when I moved out it would be into my own mansion. I suppose now I finally have that chance." He added, trying to imagine the most ideal scenario in his current situation, that he would come out alive and arguably the most famous victor in Panem. Of course such could only become a reality with the death of his partner, something he didn't intend to remind the girl of just yet. He at least wanted to try to be friendly with her for as long as he could.

In the Hunger Games friendliness had its limits and perhaps Layla knew it by the way she had phrased her proposal for an alliance. It hardly surprised the boy though as it was very clear by this point they had conflicting objectives even if both were noble in their own way. Still, if either of them was going to have a chance against the others such as the District 11 pair then an alliance was crucial. Even the proud Ryker recognized this. "Hah, why wouldn't I be? We know District 1 is in and if we can get '3 too then excellent." Districts 1, 2, and 3. THat was bound to be a formidable force and in Ryker's eyes it definitely seemed like the most ideal career alliance. District 4 was also usually an option, but this year they didn't appear to be too impressive. Of course training always had potential to prove Ryker wrong, but for now he had opted to doubt them.

[Zulera301]

Layla did not want disputes between anyone she allied with. She didn't consider the fight between Aurum and Valour against Nolan and Alana to be a dispute--that was just the inevitable business that the Hunger Games always came down to. Now, the conflict between Krystal and Flint a few years ago... that was exactly what she did not want happening between her and Ryker. Ideally, they could face off against each other the same way Valour and Aurum did... and that way they could both sleep well knowing that District 2 was going to produce a victor... but that would be tricky. Besides... if they recruited District 1 and District 3... they would become viable competitors for that very same glory. Leto was right--keep an eye on your enemies, and a closer eye on your allies.

"Fair enough," Layla let out a sigh of relief. Luckily Luca was here, because if they had solely listened to Leto, they'd both probably be trying to play the lone wolf the same way she did. Granted, it was an effective strategy to a certain extent. It had won Leto her games, and even little Kyla Togisala had capitalized on the strategy for a while before District 11 found her. Luckily they had a week of training to learn about the tributes. Sure a few of them would keep their skills a secret, but sometimes, you could watch a tribute based on what weapons they didn't touch to get an idea of what their true prowess was. District 2 was analytical thanks to people like Leto and Lincoln.

Layla smiled at Ryker's reassurance. Layla was sort of friends with Lyme, who had been Leto's mentor (and had been mentored by Luca), but she was certainly not as close as Ryker and Luca, who were father and son. "well, that's what they all have said... so I believe it. I mean... not to say that I can't handle it... but we've seen some of the shit that happens on TV... some of it made my insides churn. If it's that bad seeing it on a screen, imagine how bad it must be to face it in real life."
She shook her head. No Layla, none of this damn doubting shit. You are strong; you are brave; you can handle this.
"but we train to prepare for that kind of thing... that's why our victors are usually pretty stable. Your dad... and heck, even little Leto." she chuckled.

She was glad that Ryker took the cue to keep the mood on a brighter note, and thus Layla's eyes lit up as he began to describe life in the victor's mansion. Of course... he'd be living in one as the son of a victor. Those victors didn't often just live alone... though supposedly a few did, like Zerviah Hawke from District 6 and Alice DeSiete from District 8.
"oh man..." Layla chuckled. "I've always thought my bed and my house were pretty damn good... but now you're making me jealous." she chuckled. In truth, she was more jealous of the fact that he'd have that instant celebrity status backing him while Layla would have to work for it if she wanted to get some Capitol attention. But, she didn't mention that and instead went with the lighthearted mood. "may the odds be ever in our favor indeed."

And thus her confidence was further boosted by Ryker's promise to ally with her (and similarly, her promise to ally with him). "we should totally get '3 in on it if we can." she nodded in agreement, almost getting that schoolgirl-esque excitement as she started envisioning a kickass career alliance to overshadow the glorious one that had existed last year led by the future (now) victor Valour Drazen.
"Dammit, now I'm all excited and we haven't even reached the Capitol yet!" she laughed, "I think the odds are quite in our favor..."

[Nachthexe]

There were many strategies one could use to win the games. It was becoming very clear to Ryker, having two mentors who had employed very different strategies. Something they had overlooked it seemed though was the possibility of retaining a balance of both stealth and more direct combat. It was a vague theory forming in Ryker's head at this point that somehow both would be viable, but one he would have to explore more while in training. In the meantime he simply kept it lingering in the back of his mind. If it became important he would inform Layla of it once in training. In the meantime there was still plenty of downtime until arriving in the Capitol so Ryker intended to make the most of it.

"Seeing it on TV...is not quite the same as actually experiencing it." Ryker responded to Layla, being interjected by a nod from his father indicating he was correct. "A part of me is nervous for that, but another part of me is also fascinated by it. It's a weird feeling, but one I think most careers experience at some point." He continued. Violence was a strange thing. It was one thing to watch it and remain relatively unscathed, but for those actually participating in it the lasting effects seemed to be much more prominent. This was something that oddly fascinated Ryker, even if just for the sole purpose to see if he could overcome it and manage to retain some stability. Of course for that he would have to win the games, something he did technically only have a 1 in 24 chance of doing.

Soon the subject shifted once again, first to the Victor's Mansions and then to the proposed career alliance. If one of them was going to move into their own Victor's Mansion then an alliance with the other careers was almost crucial early on. Layla too seemed to realize this, agreeing entirely with Ryker's proposal to recruit District 3. There was of course no guarantee they'd be interested, but most tributes outside of the conventional career pack were usually flattered by the invitations. If anything, it meant prolonging death, even if just for a little while. For a district like District 3 that wasn't known for physical prowess that was especially important.

Ryker chuckled. "Don't get too excited yet. We're hardly started on what's to come. Shit, the Capitol hasn't even see us in the flesh yet. There's only so much the Reaping footage shows. I'd say it's looking pretty good for us though; clearly the Capitol knows two fifteen year olds from District 2 wouldn't volunteer unless they knew they were capable of holding their own." It was a fair point to be made for Layla, although Ryker knew the Capitol would probably feel he hadn't needed much motivation except for the chance to make a historical victory. He even already imagined they were broadcasting aspects of his private life since they obviously knew who his father was. Surprisingly, it was a prospect that didn't seem to bother him much though since it was bound to be his life after winning anyway.

Ryker had plenty to think about and simply engaged in that for awhile, although it only brought up more questions. Mostly about Layla and some seemed rather important for the sake of the games. "So I never did ask. What are your skills? I suppose that might be important if we, you know, team up." He blurted out after glancing at the girl for several seconds. He also let out a chuckle, realizing that just earlier he hadn't wanted to discuss the games, yet it had come up again. Perhaps his father was right. Upon becoming a tribute everything became about the games until the minute the victor was crowned.

[Zulera301]

Layla did actually muse a bit about the notion of combining strategies, remembering how well it had worked for other powerful and/or long-lasting tribute pairs. Rye and Sagittaria had combined their use of brute strength and ranged weaponry to great effect, placing 2nd and 1st in the 44th Hunger Games. Dezna and Kiva had merged speed and stealth into their game plan, taking 3rd and 1st. Paige and Alice had employed a combination of unorthodox strategies that had launched them into 4th and 1st, and of course, Aurum and Valour had kept that whole 'career unity' thing going to the bitter end, also taking 2nd and 1st. Layla was not oblivious to this trend.

"well, it's an interesting concept, really... this isn't just KOing people like it is in the rush to the stage... it's death. All but one of the people that goes into that arena are never coming back out..." she glanced at Leto, who was silent, her eyes closed and her hands in her lap. She wondered if the tiny woman's emotional distance had had something to do with her games. Surely the 9 people she had offed had all been enemies, right? Layla wasn't worried about being unable to inflict a killing blow on someone. She had been trained to do just that... but perhaps the notion of wondering how she would end up intrigued her--would she die and end it there, or would she come back a changed woman, or a shell of her former self? Time would tell.

Another thing that was worth thinking about was how the other tributes would react to their invitations to join their alliance. There were, after all, tributes who rejected the offer. There had been a district 3 boy a decade or two ago who had declined this offer, and had managed to evade the career pack for most of the games, until near the end where they had cornered him. However, instead of killing him and turning on each other, they had walked right into his trap and he had simultaneously used electrical tricks to fry all 6 of them. The year after, a District 5 girl had joined the career pack and lasted at their sides till the end. Naturally, they wanted to turn on her first, but she survived the onslaught, dropping them one by one. '3 and '5 were notably cunning though, since both of these tributes had produced victors of their own since their own games.

Layla smirked at Ryker's reassurance. "that's a fair point. I don't think they've seen such young tributes from District 2 since Leto won her games a while ago."
Leto's eyes had remained closed, but she raised an eyebrow as if to say 'I heard that...'
But on the other hand, Leto was encouragement. She had been the youngest victor in history until Alice DeSiete beat her record by a few months of age. Layla was older than them both (well, than they were when they had been in their respective Hunger Games), and so perhaps that gave her more of a chance. She wondered what the Capitol was saying about them. Surely they were talking up Ryker because of Luca, but were they talking up her as well? Or were they reminding the Capitol of her two sisters' failures? She mentally cringed, not wanting to think about that.

Skills... Layla actually chuckled, remembering that in their excitement that they had forgotten to talk about those, which would obviously be crucial in teaming up if they wanted to make an effective team. "well, other than speed and size like you might have seen at the reaping, I'm kinda stereotypical. I'm another knife-girl." she chuckled. It had been a trend that existed at least back to Leto's time. A lot of the smaller District 2 girls would go for knives and would be lightning-quick assassins in the arena. When asked about this trend, Leto actually encouraged it, saying 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
"so, not to brag, but I'm a pretty good aim, and pretty good at using them in close range too." she actually had a small collection of various knives at her house, even. Some of them had belonged to her late sisters too.
"how about you? Surely the son of a victor has plenty of skills too, yeah?" She wasn't trying to taunt him either. Just that really, it would make sense. He'd be kind of a laughingstock if he didn't.

[Nachthexe]

Layla did have a point. The games were rather final, literally being a fight to the death. Either one wouldn't live to remember their trauma or they would emerge as a shell of their former self. In that way death almost seemed preferable to some, but death was also final, ending all dreams, hopes, and ambitions. That was not a trap Ryker wanted to fall into. He had his goals and would certainly attempt to remain sane regardless of what sort of horrors he witnessed in the arena. Certainly it was bold ambition for a tribute so young, but perhaps in some circumstances idealism was desirable, even if simply as an attempt to block out a much bleaker reality.

Alliances. They were something else to think about. Ryker seemed to view both pros and cons in the whole thing. More allies meant more protection until the latter stages of the games, but it also meant having to off several friends. At least that seemed to be the recurring trend with so many tributes, having befriended their allies only to have to later kill them. Valour, arguably more than anybody had been a victim of it due to the fact he had seemed so oblivious to the emotional trauma it would cause afterwards. Ryker, however, saw this and did well to remember the 47th victor's advice. Still, even then he wasn't about to turn down the opportunity for potentially powerful allies such as those from Districts 1 and 3.

"Well there was Alice and he actually won. He wasn't from District 2 though obviously and did admittedly use some pretty cheap tactics." Ryker reminded Layla. Young tributes were interesting in that more often than not the Capitol never expected them to make it far into the games. This was a realization Ryker decided he and Layla could potentially use to their advantage somehow. It was only a vague strategy forming in his head at this point, but one he would want to continue thinking about in the future. "But yea, I bet they weren't expecting anybody this young and small out of a career district." He continued, chuckling. He did know he likely already had celebrity status simply based on who he was, but the small stature and young age was bound to add another interesting dynamic.

Ryker immediately became further intrigued by his district partner when she began sharing her skillset. He was hardly surprised that she seemed to fit the usual stereotypes, which had him letting out another chuckle. Of course in that situation the small tributes were never to be underestimated, being able to take out their opposition quickly. Being a career, Ryker wasn't about to doubt Layla's skillset either. Surely she was good at what she did, which had driven her to volunteer in the first place. Usually careers had to be confident for that. Soon she was asking about him though and he didn't need to think on an answer for long. "Me? Unsurprisingly, I do have skills. Spears and lances actually. Many of those things are probably longer than I am tall, but damn can I wield them well. My father certainly noticed it too." He explained, even if he wasn't necessarily intending to brag either.

[Zulera301]

Incidentally, Layla's fear of death was not worried that she would not be able to continue living, the way it had been with Aurum Zianja from last year. She feared what would become of her name and reputation, and what would become of Ikiza, and the Aranai name. Those were not things she liked to think about, especially with her doubts creeping back in and such. She preferred the sugar-coated idealism that the Capitol painted for them. This was how they remembered their past. This was how they safeguarded their future. Honor, Courage, and Sacrifice... this was the name of the game.

Had Layla grown more distant after the deaths of her sisters and after the words from that Valour fellow from last year's Victory Tour? She'd like to think so, because the way their mentors were saying it, showing feelings for anyone was a sign of weakness. As terrible as it was to believe, Layla was falling for it... sort of. There were several conflicts in the young woman's head, and it was unsettling. Ikiza might have actually held her back or something had she known that Layla was already this unstable going into the games. If she was having trouble patching the cracks in her emotional foundations at this point... the games would inevitably destroy her regardless of their outcome. If this turned out to truly be the case... then hopefully she could get her act together before she was thrown into hell.

Layla smirked. "that's what gives us the edge, I think," she suggested, "no one would expect a tiny pair of kids to pop out of District 2. If any of them are foolish enough to underestimate us, they'll learn the hard way about their mistake." it was not so much an ego-stroking thing as much as it was actually true. There was a reason that District 2 was taught specifically to never do that. Perhaps historically that had gotten in the way of some of their tributes and victory. Not to say that Layla was going to pretend she was the weakest tribute in the arena, but she was definitely not about to dismiss any of them as threats. Leto was right. Every single one of them would be trying to kill her at one point or another, depending on the circumstances.
"But hey," she reminded him ,"technically there are no rules to how you win the games.... so if it's a choice between pulling an Alice or dying... I'll take cheap shots and dirty fighting." she chuckled. "I'm sure that District 12 girl would do the same thing." she just named off a random tribute rather than the one she thought was the biggest threat. She was more worried about that gigantic District 11 boy herself, but if anything, his partner and that girl from '12 would end up teaming up. That could be an issue down the road.

Layla smirked as Ryker explained his skillset, laughing at his joke. "A career tribute without skills? that'd be like the Capitol without fashion. don't even kid yourself!" she made a joke of her own. On the other hand, she was glad that hew as willing to share his skills with her. For one, it'd be good to remember in case they had a falling out before the 'games, but more importantly (and much more likely), it would help them be able to capitalize off of each other's strengths and have some kind of synergy thing going on like District 11 often did.
"We'll have to train together or something then," she suggested, "maybe spar. See which tiny kid can pin the other one down first or something." she was just throwing out suggestions. Sure she was cute and he certainly wasn't hard on the eyes either, but her statement had been intended to be taken at face value.

[Nachthexe]

Ryker liked to think he was emotionally stable now, but there was definitely no way of knowing how the games would change him. A part of him was definitely intrigued by it, but another part was also fearful. He didn't even know the full extent of his own father's trauma so there was no way of knowing how he would end up, if it was bound to be anything like his father. Clearly some victors were better able to repress their traumas and fears than others. Based on that alone he wasn't about to ask his father about it due to fear of making something not so desirable resurface. He knew that if he was to get through these games alive he would need a stable mentor.

Ryker nodded at Layla's words. "Exactly. There's certainly an element of surprise for sure." He responded, realizing just how much of an edge they potentially had. Unless they were dealing with a bunch of brainy and elusive kids just as the careers last year had. That somehow seemed unlikely though. The District 11 pair alone was obviously much more physically inclined and even dangerously so. With the others he had hope he could simply sneak in, snipe them, and then run off again. Of course there was the possibility of dirty tactics too though, something that Layla hadn't been shy to point out. Certainly a clean victory would be the more honourable one in Ryker's eyes, but if it came down to it he wasn't inherently opposed to fighting dirty either. Everything in the Hunger Games was simply a means to an end. Every tribute and victor knew it.

"Well don't you worry. I wouldn't be here if I didn't have some sort of skillset." Ryker laughed as he reassured Layla that he as well had been well-trained for the games. Despite the fact they would have to inevitably become enemies at some point he didn't feel too much qualm at sharing his skills with Layla. For the time being she was a valuable ally and possibly even somebody who could compliment his own skills with hers. It had been a tactic used fairly effectively in the past by other tributes, most notably Sagittaria and Rye of District 11. The two had worked together in ways that propelled them to first and second place respectively. A part of Ryker could only hope the same happened with him and Layla, even if the idea of having to kill his own partner didn't sit too well with him already as even Valour have had looks of distress and sorrow on his face in those final minutes.

Training together though. It was definitely a desirable idea and even one Layla seemed keen on. "Again, we seem to be on the same wavelength here. Training together will only serve to enhance us both. We both want victory pretty badly and for pretty honourable reasons so let's make sure there's a District 2 victor, eh?" Ryker responded, winking at his partner. Last year it had been District 1 and this year it was going to be District 2. Two career districts winning back to back. It certainly wasn't unheard of and Ryker was simply going to ensure it happens again.

"Well look at that, kids. We're almost to the Capitol." Vera announced the next day, glancing out the train's windows. The rest of the trip had managed to be rather uneventful for everybody aboard, mostly consisting of small talk. Vera's announcement coming on those grounds simply served to add some excitement to what had been an otherwise dull morning. Certainly for most tributes the on-board showers created quite the adventure, but due to his own upbringing they were something Ryker was already very much accustomed to. The Capitol though... Even upon first glance out the window at the skyline Ryker knew it was something else. Much of what his father had told him about the place was so far beginning to become true so he knew that even if he didn't come out of the arena alive he was in for quite an adventurous week within the heart of Panem.