Layla couldn't help but nod in agreement. "well that's exactly why one of us has to win then. The stakes are high, and so are the prizes. If we both die, it's gonna come back and slap District 2 in the face. With a chair. Coated in spikes." She knew that morale and determination could help a lot. Paige, Rye, Dezna, and Aurum had all coordinated with their partners to try and bring home a victor for their districts--for one reason or another (Alice had at least two reasons, one of which was even able to elude President Snow himself at the moment). Layla felt that her cause was certainly worthy, but that so was Ryker's, whicih was another reason she would be slightly more at peace if he won. Granted, the only way she'd know that he was going to win was if he killed her, and that was not something she wanted to think about too much--not this early in the games anyways.
Layla chuckled. "well if District 3 does turn out to be useless, let's off them in the opening seconds just to remind them that they're pathetic. If they're useful... well, then I figure we'll recruit them long before we're shot up the tubes into the arena." If anything, they and that District 12 girl would be the ones to watch out for in terms of intellect and cunning. Maybe (hopefully) she was just overestimating that District 12 pair, but they looked fairly cunning. Layla did not want to run into the wrong side of that it if really proved to be the case.
"well of course we do... except this time we *really* match. We even have the same numbers on our outfits." she chuckled, knowing that the numbers obviously represented what district they were from. Otherwise, the only real difference apart from sizes were the differences between male and female tributes, which were usually just minor size tweaks around the hips, shoulders, or bust anyways. It was simple, just like many of the arena uniforms were, but it was also stylish. Well, and Layla liked black. The thin blue and grey stripes (well, stripe; since there was only one of each, and they ran adjacent and parallel to each other down the sides of the shirtsleeves and pants) did not detract at all from it, and neither did the numbers.
"Snow always knows," Leto quipped, "who needs elections when you've got protection?" She was quoting a public service announcement that had surfaced in Districts 2 and 5 recently, but given the loyalty of District 2, this was mostly just playfully laughed off rather than feared the way it might be in some of the less loyal districts. But of course it made sense for the Capitol to know everything about the boys and girls that they were sending into the arena, and it wasn't like things such as height and weight were terribly personal or private issues anyways. Most tributes were either fit or slender, the former being from training or labor, and the latter being from scanter meals, such as in poor districts like 9, 10, 11, or 12.
"makes sense to me... no complaints though." Layla shrugged, inadvertently answering Ryker's unasked question. She was indeed loyal to the Capitol for the most part, and was thus not likely to be scrutinized as closely if she became a victor, as someone like Alice or Zerviah might be.
Layla raced after Ryker to make sure he didn't get to the training center before her, and so they arrived there within seconds of each other of course. District 7 was already there doing their thing they did with their axes, and the District 12 boy was over at the weapon station swinging swords surprisingly well. Perhaps he wouldn't be fodder the way a handful of District 12 boys had been lately. the girls had all actually been fairly prominent, with each one in the last 5 years at least making it into the final 8. The girl was over at the traps station, and seemed to be dealing with various spikes and poison. If she was a trapper, that would spell trouble.
"you wanna duke it out while we wait for District 3?" Layla suggested, turning back to Ryker, "just you and me, first one to get pinned loses?" She figured their strength was about the same since they both had small, slender frames, so it seemed like a fair fight to just use fists and feet in--especially while they waited for District 3 to show up so they could decide if they were worthy to be drafted into the career alliance or not.
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