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

[Zulera301]

Rated M for strong violence, blood, language, and some suggestive themes

"Reaping Day"… why they still called it that in District 2 was still a mystery to Layla Aranai, given that it was more like “Frenzy Day”, given the crazy things that potential career tributes would do in the frantic rush from the line to the escort’s stage. No one had actually died during it, but there had been some considerable injuries, and now and again a girl would get her skirt ripped off or something. Aurum Zianja last year had almost suffered that fate.

Layla would not be one of those. She tightened her belt and was wearing pants. She was one of the youngest potential volunteers, but that was not enough to stop her. Theoretically, those who never wished to see the games would never have to, as Districts 1 and 2 were teeming with boys and girls itching to volunteer for the games. Of course, not wanting to be among these kids usually meant scorn and ridicule, especially in the dedicated and culture that was Panem's strongest district. For Layla, it meant avenging the deaths of her two fallen sisters. The eldest, Roxanne, had died in the 45th Hunger Games. The 2nd daughter, Ikiza, was still alive, and had failed to reach the stage in time, being beaten by her younger sister Zakura in the 46th games, and by Alana Drogo in the 47th. Now, she was 19 and unable to compete.

The 3rd daughter, Zakura, had died in a fiery death against Paige Alwin during the 46th Hunger Games. The 4th daughter, Layla, while only 15, was fully ready to do whatever it took to come back the victor. She was not about to make her parents lose a third child to this.
And thus, perhaps it was a bit relieving that at least one of their children was alive.
"Look, Layla," Ikiza put a hand on her sister's shoulder as she got ready to head out to the reapings, "even if you don't make it, it's not like you're about to take a walk through the hall of shame or anything like that."

"I know..." Layla sighed, "but I want to do this... I need to show people that the Aranais are not a laughing matter. We've placed high, but not high enough. I do not feel pressured into doing this... I *want* to do this. Roxanne and Zakura had their turns, and you did too. Now it's my turn."
"I just don't want to see my last sister get herself killed," Ikiza admitted, taking Layla's hands, "Layla... you're a good person. Alana was a good person. I wished that she hadn't made it to the stage, so that she could have achieved her dream of becoming a Peacekeeper instead."

Layla sighed. "I'm just sick of being overshadowed--you all don't do it to me... it's kind of just more a Panem thing, I guess. It's hard to explain."
"Well... just don't get yourself killed then..." Ikiza ruffled Layla's hair, "win it, sister."
"I plan to." Layla cracked her knuckles, heading out the door and to the reaping.

She jostled her way through throngs of older girls between the ages of about 14 and 18, although most of them were 17 or 18. District 2 girls seemed to come in two sizes: large, heavyset girls who could swing heavy weapons with ease, and smaller, lightning-quick girls that usually specialized in stealth and fast-paced projectile weapons. She was more of the latter, herself.
Cheers of excitement erupted as a woman in dark green stepped up to the stage--Vera, the District 2 escort. She was enthusiastic as they all were, but seemed to be a bit more level-headed than most.

"Welcome!" she chanted, "are you all ready for the 48th Annual Hunger Games?"
Naturally, this was met with passionate shouting and cheering as the excited (potential) tributes were raring to go. Layla threw one of her arms into the air excitedly, roaring proudly.
The formalities of the reaping, such as the footage the Capitol showed year after year, as well as Vera's speech on why the Hunger Games were 'celebrated', were over before Layla and the other girls knew it, which in turn transformed the Justice Building square into pandemonium.

A gunshot was fired (into the air of course) to signal the start of the frenzied dash, and the girls all took off. The faster ones pulled ahead, but the stronger ones were able to drag them down or shove them off their feet in the vicious scramble. Clothing was grabbed, and so was hair. Luckily, Layla did not face either of those things just yet, and she zigzagged through the other brawling girls till she was knocked over. Someone had grabbed her belt.
Well... it wasn't like this particular belt had any real sentimental value, and so without hesitation, Layla unbuckled it, leaving the larger girl holding it as Layla scrambled off.

She reached the stage and nearly faceplanted, as another girl grabbed her leg. Layla shook her off and scrambled to her feet. Her pants did slip, but she caught them before anyone caught a glimpse of her (black) undergarments. Her face was red from both a tiny bit of blushing, but mostly from the frenzy that had just gone down.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Vera announced, turning to the girl and in a whisper, asking for her name. "We have ourselves our female tribute... Layla Aranai!"

There was clapping from the spectators, and a bit of grudging respect from many of her competitors. Layla raised her hand up triumphantly, her other hand clutching her waist to keep her pants from dropping. That belt would have been nice to still have.
But still. Layla had done it. She was going into the games, just like two of her sisters before her... except that she planned to actually survive--and that meant winning. But... she turned her attention as well for a moment. There was an important factor that had to be determined: Layla's partner.

"and now..." Vera turned as the potential male tributes lined up where the girls had just been a few moments before.
"...for the boys..."

[Nachthexe]

Reaping Day was funny. Most youth dreaded it while a select few anticipated it. Still, this didn't stop any of them from showing up for what was a forced annual event in Panem. However, attitudes seemed to differ drastically within the District 2 Victor's Village on this particular day. Each victor did their time and was guaranteed a life free from the games, but on this day such excitement about the games came from a vastly different source: a boy who seemed to shadow his father in many ways. An ambitious boy who wanted his chance in the spotlight. That alone had the boy bolting out of bed upon realization of what day it was.

"So you're absolutely sure you're going for it this year? Don't you want to train for a few more years and come out even better?" The boy's father asked as soon as his son came dashing down the stairs, already showing signs of exertion. Despite his small size, however, he was fit and was confident he could handle whatever physical obstacles the arena presented. The first step of course was making it to the stage before anybody else, which was bound to be a challenge all its own for the 15 year old, 5' 2" boy. He was predictably bound to be one of the smaller aspiring tributes present at the Reaping and he knew this.

"We've been over this, dad. Weren't you tiny when you won?" The boy pleaded as he took a seat at the breakfast table. Like any victor did, he ate like a champion and it showed in the vast array of food his father suddenly began piling food onto his plate.

"Not at tiny as you, Ryker. Not to mention, I was older." The boy's father responded, addressing his only son by name like he often did when a discussion was about to take a more light-hearted turn. This seemed to be a trait he shared with his wife who also made an appearance and glanced down at her son before letting out a chuckle. "He's talking about the games again. Says he's going to volunteer. I wouldn't be surprised if those older and larger kids beat him out. I nearly didn't make it in my own games, as you know." The boy's father explained as he proceeded to also scoop out food for his wife who simply chuckled once more. She was a woman of few words, but the middle aged man found it charming.

"Since when did size matter? Remember that Kyla girl from the 44th games? I'm pretty sure she was smaller than me." Ryker replied, although he was soon drowned out by more playful laughter from his mother. "Laugh all you want. I'm going to get to that stage, win the games, and make history. There is yet to be a victor who is a direct descendant of a previous victor; I will be the first."

"She also didn't win." Ryker's father retorted, letting out some more chuckling of his own. This began to annoy the messed black haired boy slightly, although he knew it was all in good fun so didn't take it too hard. He knew that his parents arguably more than anybody in District 2 knew of the honour that came from the games. It was truly a concept that victors seemed to understand more than anybody, although it was often emphasized in the various training academies as well. Naturally, Ryker like all aspiring tributes had picked it up easily and hoped to only be able to bring more of it to his district; he wanted to show the rest of Panem that not only were they powerful, but it was a trait that ran in families as well. Not an easy task certainly, but one the boy was determined to partake in.

Almost as quickly as the playful bickering had ceased the entire Szasz family managed to finish breakfast and depart for what was to potentially going to send their son to his death--or to a monumental victory. Naturally, they were confident it would be the latter, but in his case it was like joining into a match of high stakes poker. Very high stakes. Ryker's father was very well aware of the immense fame and glory that would come to his name if his son managed to get to that stage and outlive 23 other tributes. In case that his son did fall he could only be sure some sort of embarrassment would ensure, something the victor of the 22nd games did not want. He had firmly taken his place as one of the Capitol's favourites and wasn't about to risk losing that spot due to the plunders of his son. No, it was for that reason alone he was determined to help him in any way possible to complete his goal.

"Now stand back. Watch me triumph." Ryker announced once he and his family arrived at the Justice Building. Already throngs of children were lining up for what was going to be a potentially violent Reaping. They almost always were in District 2 as each ambitious aspiring tribute rushed for their chance to compete. Sure enough, very similar traditions occurred in District 1 and it clearly worked well due to the fact they along with District 2 had the largest pools of victors. In fact, nobody was about to forget that the victor of the 47th games had come from District 1. Ryker had admittedly been rooting for Alana Drogo, but also felt Valour Drazen was a suitable alternative. A career tribute was a career tribute, after all. He was just glad it hadn't been little Lynx Chantrea for that would have been an embarrassment larger for he career districts than that of the 46th games. He still couldn't get over the fact that most of the career pack had been obliterated early on and by urban tributes nonetheless. They rarely stood a chance in the games and for obvious reasons.

Soon all the aspiring tributes were neatly lined up, awaiting what was to come next. Vera, the district's escort finally made an appearance and began on the usual Capitol spiel that preceded the Reaping in each district. Ryker knew it all quite well by this point so simply allowed his eyes to wander during the propaganda video. He caught sight of the district's two latest victors at the end of the stage. The mentors. They of course had won the games before so Ryker was confident that any of them could help propel him to victory. This was only a short-lived thought though as the first gunshot was fired into the air, signalling the beginning of the pandemonium for the girls. This was something Ryker began watching with intrigue until only moments later he noticed a girl close to his own size make it up to the stage. He put on a smirk, realizing he was in good company. Most of all though, he recognized the girl almost immediately as one of the Aranai siblings. Their family history regarding the games was certainly a tragic and complicated one, but he couldn't let the girl take the Victor's Crown. Not this year. Not when he had history to create, which would start within seconds.

Seconds was really all it took before Vera finally made her announcement and then fired off a second gunshot. It was now the boys' turn. Ryker's turn. At that, he almost immediately began struggling through the crowds. Initially he found himself at a disadvantage due to his size while many larger older boys had situated themselves in front of him. However, he soon noticed a gap opening up within the crowd of boys, allowing him to crouch beneath them and between them. "Sorry, the 'small boy' wins this year. It hurts, doesn't it?" Ryker taunted as he proceeded to punch another equally determined and larger boy in the crotch in order to slow him down just as he had been about to leap onto the stage. Sure enough, it worked, thus enabling Ryker to take his rightful place atop the stage as tribute for the 48th Annual Hunger Games. This was a result that was met with a beaming smile from Vera and thunderous applause from the remaining crowds. Almost immediately it dawned on him that he was going to be a promising tribute and this was only further confirmed as Vera proceeded to speak once again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our tributes for the 48th Annual Hunger Games, Layla Aranai and Ryker Szasz! May the odds be ever in their favour!"

[Zulera301]

Layla hitched up her trousers and sighed contentedly. She had done it... she would show Panem what it was like, and would win the games now. Granted, a victory over her peers who were not trying to kill her was nothing compared to a victory over 23 other children who were or would eventually be hostile. There were only a few bragging rights associated with being able to volunteer from District 1 or District 2.
On the other hand, it was also a good idea for her to get a good look at how her new partner was now that the boy, Ryker Szasz, had made it to the stage to join her. He was only an inch or so taller than she was, and looked about her age too. This would be an interesting year--both tributes from District 2 were a small pair of 15-year-olds, instead of the usual hulking pair of burly 17 or 18-year-olds that usually reached the stage first.

There was always the possibility that she would have to kill him or vice-versa, since she didn't imagine it would come to that this early on. On the other hand, three of the latest 4 victors had had to kill their partners: Valour Drazen killed Aurum Zianja last year, and Sagittaria Svenja killed Rye Grove 4 years ago. Alice DeSiete had technically killed Paige Alwin as well, although that was more a mercy kill rather than a required kill. Part of her hoped that she could kill Ryker simply because that would mean District 2 outlasted everyone (she did have that District Pride), and obviously she wanted herself to win here. It was nothing personal against him though, and so she'd never admit it.

After a few more moments, Peacekeepers escorted Ryker and Layla inside the Justice Building where they could say their goodbyes. The Peacekeepers were here were a bit more lenient given the district's loyalty to the Capitol, and so some protocols could be bent a little bit if goodbyes went a little overtime or something.
This time Layla's parents did show up, as did her sister Ikiza. The later of these pulled out a pin with a District 2 seal on it, pinning it to Layla's chest.
"What's this for?"
"Good luck," Ikiza responded, "or a tribute token... it's not like you always need something intricate and fanciful... just remember us back here in District 2" she chuckled.

Layla glanced at the pin. "...or that there are only two of us left," she sighed.
"and there's gonna still be two of us left after this year," Ikiza put her hand on Layla's shoulder.
"do you think I can do it?" Layla asked, although the question was a bit rhetorical as well. "mom? dad?"
"we do," Layla's mother replied, "just remember... treat every tribute as if they are dangerous. You never know what they might be able to do."
"I know," Layla nodded. "thanks..."

There was otherwise a fair amount of silence apart from hushed conversations between Layla and her family, whom she very well might never see again. While she was determined, she did have a few doubts. She would have to ask Leto and Lincoln if they could watch footage of the other reapings, to get a taste of what they were going against. Actually, she wondered if Luca would replace one of the mentors, since his son had made it into the tribute pool this year. She did not now them terribly well personally, but did know *of* them. It was definitely something to consider. Either way, this was going to be a very interesting year for sure. The reapings had hardly finished, and already, District 2 had produced an unusual pair: a son of a victor, and yet another Aranai girl, both of whom were a couple of rather diminutive 15-year-olds. An interesting twist indeed.

[Nachthexe]

One of the first things Ryker noticed upon leaping atop the stage was that his partner was indeed close to his own size. It began to further intrigue him since it was rare that two tributes so small and young would emerge from the career Reapings as victorious. Most were usually easily trampled and overpowered by the larger children, which had been exactly the case with Alana and Nolan emerging the previous year. This didn't discourage Ryker though. If anything, it motivated him; if he could beat out many larger children to the stage then he sure as hell could beat out many larger children in the arena as well. He also wasn't quick to forget that like any other career he had years of training under his belt. Even his father had surely known that some day his son would aspire for the ultimate title.

Unsurprisingly, the two unusually small career tributes were getting positive reception from the rest of the district. Ryker took pride in this and simply performed a fist pump in the air before a pair of Peacekeepers came to escort him and Layla inside the Justice Building. In both District 1 and 2 it was merely tradition at this point since every tribute was willing and unlikely to attempt fleeing. A much different reality than that in the other districts Ryker was sure, even if he didn't think about it too much. That stood especially true now for each one of them would now have to die for him to make it home and create history. If their stock was anything like last years then he was fairly confident he could get out without much problem too. Figuring out exactly who his opposition was would come later though for now his parents stood outside the door, prepared to say what could possibly be their final goodbyes if there was a single flaw in his plan.

"So look at that, you actually did it. You're really serious about this, kid." Ryker's father spoke as he entered the room. He took a single glance at him before rubbing his hands through his messy hair. This was always something that calmed the boy and had since he was an infant, but at this time it was more out of mere habit than any real desire to calm him down. If there was any emotion Ryker felt right now it was definitely not those of panic. If anything, he was excited for everything that was to come. His father have had his turn in the spotlight and now it was his.

"Of course, dad. I told you I was." Ryker replied, getting chuckles out of both his father and mother, even as the latter was just entering the room. He then shrugged as his mother also began glancing at him. Despite being blood related they bore little resemblance to each other, which often surprised people. It was his father whose resemblance he truly bore, even possessing similar green eyes in contrast to his mother's blue eyes. Regardless though, he loved both his parents dearly and after several seconds of awkward silence he proceeded to embrace them both. However, his father resisted, simply winking at him instead. This puzzled him slightly, but then he quickly caught on to what the man meant. He was a victor so was going to the Capitol this year to mentor his son to victor. "Damn, you're sure?" He asked, knowing that if he messed up his father would then have to bare the burden of having failed as a mentor to his own son.

"If I wasn't sure I would have not suggested it, you little shit." Ryker's father responded, playfully squeezing his son's nose. "Once you got on that stage I told them if you're going to the Capitol then so am I. They of course couldn't deny my request. Victors have that sort of power." He continued, knowing full well of what sort of power his own son would have if he managed to emerge as victor. This seemed to excite the boy as well, widening his eyes before he proceeded to glance at his mother again. Interestingly enough, he soon noticed his mother beginning to well up. due to her reluctance to speak there was no way of knowing if they were tears of sorrow or tears of happiness though. It did have the boy embracing his mother once more though before the Peacekeepers returned to indicate it was time to go.

In any other district there may have been struggles to get tributes to leave behind their families, but it was rarely the case in career districts with each of the tributes simply holding their heads high as they parted ways. They knew the sort of rewards and benefits that would come out of the games and so did their parents, who were clearly just as receptive to the idea as their children were. In fact, it was almost always considered an honour to be the parents of a tribute. This was something Ryker's own mother understood arguably better than anybody else so she simply waved at both her son and husband before bellowing a few words. "I love you both!" Ryker acknowledged this by nodding before he was out of her sight completely. He knew already he was going to miss his mother's sweet, but simple words.

for everything he was going to miss, Ryker knew there were many more to look forward to. The first of these was the trip to the Capitol aboard one of their many high-tech trains. Despite being a common sight in the district he had never actually ridden one. It was a similar case with the car he found himself escorted to for the trip to the train station. Once inside he glanced over at his district partner, although didn't have much to say to her at this point. He quickly remembered the advice Valour of District 1 had offered just six months earlier: "Don't grow too attached to your allies." He knew the victor of the 47th games had been sincere too due to the fact he have had to kill his own partner whom he had clearly been fond of.

"You're probably surprised to see me here or maybe not, but Lincoln is not mentoring this year. I volunteered to take his place. The name's Luca Szasz, but you probably already know that so there's little need for formalities." Luca, Ryker's father, was the first to break the silence, shifting towards the back seat of the car to face Layla. As always in District 2 there were two mentors, although Luca knew he was breaking the conventional pattern by having volunteered this year. He was breaking no rules though as the Capitol typically didn't care which victors mentored as long as there was at least one. Layla didn't seem like the type to care much either, but Luca knew there was always Leto to help her out if for some reason going to the father of her district partner rubbed her the wrong way. The close familial ties this year were bound to make the 48th games very interesting and unique.

[Zulera301]

The funny thing about it was, was that Layla had in fact nearly been trampled during the scramble. While she was still a few inches above Leto, she was still not a very tall or large young lady. However, she did fit the "small and lightning-quick" mold that Leto had fit to a rather intriguing extreme. She had been a lone wolf all through her games, attacking from the shadows, without a single friend or ally. She had become fairly popular among the Capitol and so received a good number of sponsor gifts. She had even earned a nickname, having been dubbed a 'cold, heartless war machine' after her 5th kill, which had been on Day 4 of her games. Her final kill count had been 9.

On the other hand, Layla's family had said what they needed to, and so they shuffled out with final hugs and 'I love you's and such, before the Peacekeepers got there, leaving Layla alone to listen to the familial discussion going on between Ryker and his parents. She sat down, yawning and stretching, already ready to put her hand around the hilt of a knife and have some action. That was probably mainly because of the adrenaline rush she was still feeling from managing to make it to the stage. She had done what her remaining sister could not. On the other hand, a brief twinge of doubt lingered in her mind. Poor Ikiza... if Layla died, she'd be the only one left. Perhaps that was all the more reason why she couldn't die. She had to win this thing.

And in that moment, Layla Aranai suddenly felt alone... it was a strange feeling, and one that she couldn't' really explain, and wasn't even necessarily a bad one. It was weird though. Ryker and his parents were right there, there were Peacekeepers at the door (mostly just to follow protocol; they did not think that tributes who fought to volunteer for the games would be trying to bail on them), and cheering citizens outside stoked about their new tributes that would hopefully bring further glory and Capitol benefits to their district by winning the games. She didn't feel pressured; she just... felt. For a moment there was just an empty void around her as the Justice Building faded; Ryker's conversation dissolved into blurred noises, and a surreal feeling sort of loomed overhead.

And then as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. Layla actually let out a nearly inaudible gasp, as she realized where she was. It had only been a few seconds--hardly more than a little daydream. She shook it off, flipping her mess of black curls behind her. Young as she was, she was not at all hard on the eyes, possessing sort of a wild and exotic look to her. She hoped sincerely that her stylists would capitalize on that exoticness. She knew she'd need something to stand out against the inevitable celebrity that her partner would become--who *wouldn't* be thrilled to see a victor's son win the crown? The only other time District 2 had gone that wild was back during the 15th Hunger Games, she had heard, where a District 2 tribute had won. It was significant because the girl who had won the 14th Hunger Games had been his mentor--and thus also from District 2. Hopefully they would still like her when she came back alive though... she didn't see a reason why they wouldn't. Sure victors from their district popped up about every 6 or 7 years (sometimes less, but almost never more), but that didn't stop them from partying hard in celebration.

She was also not slow to realize that Lincoln was absent and that Ryker's father had followed them. For a split-second it surprised her, but then she instantly remembered that he was a victor of the 'games, and thus still qualified to be a mentor. It made sense that he'd want to mentor his own son.
"A pleasure," Layla smiled, shaking his hand. She held nothing against him. He might obviously favor his own son over her, but there was always Leto to turn to, and surely he'd still be willing to tell her a few things too, right? She'd have to wait and see. The 'Cold Heartless War Machine', was sitting quietly in the passenger seat.

But, before they knew it, they were on the train, where Leto grabbed a small flask and had at it, while Layla got herself comfortable. She was fairly certain the train took a scenic route to get to the Capitol, since they were in close proximity to each other, and yet they always arrived at the same time as the trains from the farther-out districts like '11 and '12. That didn't bother her much though--more time to get mentally prepared and what have you.

When the Peacekeepers finally showed up, Layla stood up and smiled, and offered no resistance as she and Ryker were escorted to the train--well, the car, that would take them to the train. She was kind of at a loss for words at the moment herself, not even sure she could say anything if she wanted to. Instead, she simply gave him a friendly smile and said "nice job." Sure she didn't want to get *too* close to him, remembering the words that that District 1 victor had told them last year during his stop in District 2, but they could at least form the typical career alliance, right? well, as long as District 1 weren't a pair of flops. Thankfully they hadn't been. Even Gemma and Marcel hadn't been *too* bad; just really unlucky that the kid from '8 had been such a good shot, and that that District 7 girl had been such a spectacular saboteur.

[Nachthexe]

The silence between Ryker and Layla seemed to continue all the way to the train. Only Luca had taken the liberty to speak in order to introduce himself to Layla, even if it was probably a bit redundant. District 2 was proud of their victors, after all, so surely knew them all by name. It was certainly the case with many of the district's citizens at least. Despite this sort of pride, to Ryker's surprise Layla didn't seem too hostile towards his father. Not yet anyway, although predictably the man was bound to favour his own son. It was only natural. Leto at least seemed liked she would serve as a level headed mediator between the two, but only time would tell just how much conflict there would be between now and entering the arena.

"Well here we are. Make yourselves comfortable." Vera assured the team once they boarded the train. Almost immediately Ryker examined the exterior with fascination. It was almost exactly as his father described and in many ways did remind him of home. The Capitol's tastes seemed to extend to all forms of interior decorating so he knew he could enjoy himself here. Sure enough, he whole-heartedly embraced it too, taking a seat in one of the finely upholstered chairs. It was only several moments until his father took a seat across from him and glanced at both the tributes he would be working with. In District 2 it was hardly mentoring, but more like advice giving as most were already well-trained and well-conditioned on what to expect in the games. Clearly the two fifteen year olds in front of him were no exception.

After several more minutes of silence once the train was well on its way to the Capitol Ryker finally took the initiative to speak to Layla. "I say we size up our competition, what do you say? We don't even know what we're up against yet." He gestured towards his father to turn on the projector screen which was bound to be playing footage of each of the Reapings across Panem. Sure enough, it was. Starting with District 1, which seemed to produce their typical stock. The reddish-brown haired girl, however, had a rather prominent pair of breasts that Ryker couldn't help but to stare at as a hormonal teenaged boy. Upon learning from the commentary that the girl's name was Jewell Shar and that she was seventeen he even let out a small giggle like that of a shy schoolgirl.

Next up was District 2. Ryker and Layla's own district. It was admittedly quite fascinating to him to watch his own Reaping on video due to the actual experience of it having felt quite a bit different. He could only assume the same stood true for the games as well, something he knew he would want to ask his father about later. "You girls love to lose your belts and I nearly lost my place on the stage. That's what I got from all that." He commented once the District 2 footage wrapped up as he let out a chuckle at the fact that so many of the girls had a tendency to lose their belts during the aggressive career Reapings. This was a trend that ended, however, as the footage shifted to District 3. Usually they produced tributes who preferred brains over brawn, although the extremely pale, possibly albino, girl somehow seemed promising based on the way she had so calmly proceeded to the stage upon getting reaped. A potential ally was Ryker's first thought. Occasionally District 3 was known to join the career pack anyway due to their useful technical skills. "Her for sure. Assuming she's up for it." Ryker remarked before being injected by his father.

"No, no. Don't just jump in. You don't even know what she's capable of yet. From this footage she does look like she could have potential though." Luca advised as he intently watched the footage, thus able to correct his son who was definitely eager. Ryker seemed to take it to heart and simply nodded once the footage changed to the other districts. Most of the others were unimpressive, although the District 7 boy managed to leave an impression on Ryker even if only for his striking facial expressions. Overall though he seemed like the usual District 7 stock and probably not another Keshet. Somebody like her was truly somebody Ryker found himself fearing, considering how she had so expertly sabotaged the career pack. Together they were powerful, but separated they were often quite vulnerable. Clearly the girl had known it.

It wasn't until District 11 that any of the tributes managed to stand out again. They seemed to had produced a pair that were exceptionally strong. The boy in particular looked as if he could smash hard objects with his bare fists. It quickly reminded Ryker somewhat of the girl Adrianna from the 46th games. This boy, however, was clearly much taller and very possibly the tallest tribute of the 48th games unless District 12 managed to produce somebody larger. That seemed unlikely though as they seemed to have a trend of small but resilient girls while the boys were almost always forgettable. Still, the District 11 boy, whose name was revealed as Kamau, was large and unlikely to be friendly to the careers so was a probable threat. Even more striking to Ryker about him though were the series of tattoos that ran down his bare chest. He wondered if they had any significant meaning, but he very much didn't seem like somebody he'd want to get close to.

Sure enough, District 12 did seem to stick to their usual trend of producing a memorable female tribute. At least it seemed that way based on appearance alone, but Ryker knew his father was right. It was in training where he would truly discover the potential of each of these tributes. So far though the only real threats appeared to be the District 11 pair and the District 3 pair if they turned out hostile. Otherwise Ryker felt confident he could take on whatever came his way. He had to if he was to survive and make Panem history, after all. Fortunately(or unfortunately?) Layla seemed to display some confidence as well, but Ryker was hardly surprised by it. The girl had arguably been as eager as him to volunteer so it was only natural she felt herself ready to take on the games. He did want some confirmation though so proceeded to speak to her once again. "So anything to add to this? I'd say District 11 is a definite threat. That Kamau kid looks like he could smash our skulls in with his bare hands."

[Zulera301]

Leto was attentive and was polite enough to at least let the tributes know that if they needed anything, she would be happy to help. Otherwise, she stayed fairly quiet, watching them with the quiet kind of observational methods that she was known for. It had been one of her secrets in the games, actually. There was not much mentoring for them to do given that a lot of it, even down to oratory skills for the interviews and potentially one's victory tour, were covered at the academies. But, the mentors did make nice companionship most of the times, and could still give them tips about what to expect.

And then there was also Vera, who seemed rather level-headed for an escort from the Capitol. Layla can't say she minded that. Vera was fairly new, for Layla remembered a few years before she was even 12 yet, they had had this absolutely ditzy woman that Layla could not stand. Hopefully she had been fired and summarily executed. She stretched again, finding herself oddly comfortable here in these seats. Well, and hearing her neck pop was a gratifying feeling.

While she had not said much to Ryker just yet, the boy had the right idea. Sizing up the competition would be crucial. It would warn her of any potential threats to her attempt at victory. She'd need to watch for those subversive tributes that would want to off the career pack. Any kind of Rye, Dezna, Paige, Keshet, Glimmer, Kyla, Edison, or Joann... would need to be stopped. She was not necessarily looking for the "perfect ending" that Valour and his friends had managed last year--she just wanted to be the one to come out on top by any means necessary.

Funny enough, once it started, Layla laughed at Ryker's schoolgirl-giggle. It did make her briefly glance at her own bust for a second, which, given her size and age, was slightly smaller, but it was far from flat. She could at least take solace in that. The boy, Sheen, was a bit taller, and looked like the typical career tribute--a large grin on his face and a sturdy, fit body shape. He fistbumped his mentors, Valour and Miriam, on his way inside the Justice Building before the footage faded and moved onto District 2.

Layla evaluated her own performance, looking analytically for flaws in her movements that she should try and rectify once she got into the arena. She blushed slightly at Ryker's joke, but she did have a comeback for it. "hey... it's either that or gettin' grabbed by the trousers." she chuckled. Grabbing people at the waist was a good way of yanking them back, as Layla had both seen and practiced.
Her attention shifted to District 3 soon though,, and the girl did look fairly promising. Then the escort pulled the lever again, getting the numbers on the large screen behind them to spin again. A number appeared a few seconds later, and suddenly changed into a boy's name: Buzz Coronado. He appeared on the stage with a grin on his face, and seemed fairly eager to compete as well. Like many folks from '3, he didn't look too muscular, but that probably meant he was smart and very quick. Definitely someone to consider as well.

Layla also noted the District 7 tributes, both of them looking like the common but fierce axe-weilding stock that the district was famous for. District 8, perhaps by contrast, was harder to decode, since they didn't really have any weapon specialty, but those tributes did seem to have a knack for avoiding trouble, for hand-to-hand combat, and dirty fighting. It was common knowledge that they were rebellious, but it was not common knowledge that some of these defensive skills were developed in the event of a rebellion against the Peacekeepers. Thus, District 8 was not entirely helpless like it had been in some earlier games.

District 11 stood out this year too, for one of the first real times since Rye Grove and Sagittaria Svenja 4 years prior, although their record of volunteering and then both scoring improbably high was not lost on Layla here either. The boy, Kamau, was a gigantic beast of a kid, and it made her wonder if he was even 18 yet. She was also a bit intrigued by his tattoos since most of his chest was revealed as well. Tattooing was commonly practiced in the Capitol, although some of the outlying districts such as 7, 8, 11, and 12 also seemed to practice it. Some dark red tribal-looking markings also showed up on the bare arms of the black-haired tribute girl, Kana Loreziah. She also had dreadlocks just like her partner. They were a muscular and rather intimidating pair--and not just because the girl had several inches on both Layla and Ryker, or that the boy was at least a foot taller than them both.

And then there was District 12. The boys were often a mixed bag, given that many had been unremarkable and had died in the bloodbath, although a few, such as 46's Joss Kolton, stood out. Sometimes a tribute didn't have to be a killer to still be remembered. Case in point, Hazel Prezelin from the year before Joss and Lynx Chantrea from the year after.
On the other hand, there was quite an array of memorable girls from this place in recent years. Maybe it was just Layla, but District 12 seemed to produce kids that were always a bit rough around the edges. This year seemed to follow that trend, when a black-haired, black-skinned girl stepped up onto the stage--Zefira Saratoga. She must have been breathing through her nose or something, for her lips never parted a single time. She simply gazed stoically ahead, and the reaping footage ended.

"My only thoughts," Layla answered Ryker's question, "is that both kids from '3 look promising. We should learn how they feel about the careers, and what they're good at. If they fit the bill, we should definitely recruit them. District 1 is a given, pretty much... but District 11 and District 12 will almost certainly be trouble."
Leto actually cracked a smirk.
"And this is why I love District 2," she quipped, "you two are using your heads. There's much more to the games than just strength and brute-force, after all. It's how we tinier folks tend to get far... no offense or anything, Luca." she chuckled quickly, "...or the districts with more of a mental prowess, like 3, 5, or 8."
"Well I'm certainly not taking them for granted," she shook her head.
"Good." Leto nodded, "cuz sooner or later everyone will be trying to kill you. But... you two seem aware enough of that, so keep up the good work." Despite Leto's short words, they were meaningful. Hopefully Ryker didn't interpret them as saying that he and Layla couldn't be allies, at least for a while though...

[Nachthexe]

Unsurprisingly Ryker blushed as soon as he noticed Layla laughing at his reaction to Jewell. This was only short lived though as he began laughing at Layla's comeback regarding the belts. "Well just be glad you weren't one of those girls who lost their entire skirts." He replied, recalling several incidents over the previous years where the girls had foolishly worn skirts to the reapings, only to get them torn off. It was a more common occurrence in District 1 where citizens tended to dress up a lot more, but it definitely wasn't unheard of in District 2 either. Clearly Layla had known better though to avoid such a wardrobe malfunction on national TV.

Layla was clearly no fool and Ryker could see it in the way she intently examined the Reaping footage, probably in search of any potential flaws in any of the tributes. Those were possible to exploit and, if necessary, Ryker knew he wouldn't be beyond doing so. Alice of the 46th games had cheap-shotted his way to victory, after all. If that was what it took then so be it. He was coming out of that arena the first ever direct descendant of another victor. Layla very clearly had the same idea, but out of vengeance rather than any attempts at creating history. Perhaps it was noble in its own way as a last ditch attempt to save her family from shame, but Ryker knew what had to happen for him to emerge as victor. That was something he didn't want to think too deeply on just yet though.

Once the Reaping footage finally wrapped up Ryker simply nodded as Layla spoke. They both seemed to be on the same wavelength anyway regarding possible alliances. Training was where everything would be determined though as most tributes did hone their skills quite openly. In fact, careers were always encouraged to as a sort of way to mark themselves as the dominant force of the arena. There was of course no rules set in stone about it, but Ryker couldn't think of a single incident where a career tribute had scored below 9, intentionally or not. He of course was aiming for the highest possible score, remembering that his father had only scored a 10. If he really wanted to leave an even larger impact he would have to outdo him as well.

Soon Leto, the second mentor of the two tributes, interjected with some advice of her own. Ryker smiled at her compliments, although it soon shifted to chuckles as soon as she threw in her jab at his father. "Watch it, lady. If I hadn't been capable then I would not be here right now." The older mentor retorted, truly realizing for the first time since departing that he was in the company of some very short people. The only one who even came to close to his own height was Vera who appeared to be only a few inches shorter. She was also wearing heels which likely made a difference as well.

Leto's words seemed to strike a chord with Ryker. "She's right, dad. Layla and I are very possibly this year's smallest tributes. We need to figure out how to use our lack of stature to our advantage. I have just the idea. You saw how I squeezed between the others while rushing to that stage. Nobody said I can't do the same in the arena." He explained, winking at his father. Luca quickly caught onto what his son was implying, even if it had not been the sort of strategy he had been able to use during his own games even if he had been quite a bit smaller then. Leto more than anybody knew that small size could be advantageous if used correctly so if it was a technique that either of the two tributes wished to develop further she was just the woman to go to. This was something he indicated by simply pointing at her as he took a sip of water.

[Zulera301]

Layla chuckled. "I think some of them do it on purpose--at least in District 1." she quipped, "then again, that pretty girl Aurum from last year wore a skirt and got to the stage with it intact. But yeah... pants." she laughed, tugging at her trousers a moment as if to reaffirm that she had not gotten pantsed at the justice building. If that *had* happened, she might have tried analyzing how it could have been avoided. That was what Layla was scrutinizing herself over--she did not--and could not make mistakes. Any such things would be her detriment and probably her downfall.

On the other hand, she knew that Leto and Lincoln (since the latter was usually a mentor as well) had their own horrors to work with, and that perhaps Leto had not always been the 'cold heartless war machine' that she was so often described as nowadays. Her mentor Lyme spoke of the horrors that had hardened her as well, but perhaps Layla could rise and shine above the rest of them without letting the games affect her--well, too much anyways. She knew what she needed to do, and would do it without wavering, or would die trying. It was that simple.

She was already very interested in training. Were Sheen and Jewell from District 1 strong? or was it just all show and no go? And what of Buzz and Dayta? Would they be promising allies, or would they defect and form their own alliance? And then of course, there was the likes of Lindell, Kana, Kamau, and Zefira, and maybe even that shady-looking District 8 pair. Sure technically all tributes, even bloodbath fodder, were technically threats (even if they were just brief and easily-resolved threats), but these kinds of tributes, particularly those three from '11 and '12, seemed like they'd be threatening. the muscular pair from '11 had it practically written all over them (or was she just stereotyping them because of their tattoos and muscles?) and there was a certain spark in that quiet District 12 girl's eyes that screamed 'DANGER'.

Leto laughed at Luca's quip. "But of course." she cooed, "Look at Lyme and Lincoln... they aren't exactly what I'd call diminutive, and they came out of the games just fine too." She certainly respected Luca just as he respected her; she was just making a point that the smaller tributes didn't necessarily have a universal disadvantage here. She was a contrast to Lyme though, who had been a broad-shouldered beast of a woman--almost like Alana Drogo from last year, except taller and not quite as huggable. Otherwise, it did seem that this year's team was all fairly short in stature, since Vera, who was the only one to come close to Luca's height, was wearing heels.Leto

Leto couldn't help but smirk at Ryker's remark and suggestion. "Hey... I'm sure Luca can still help even if he didn't have the stunted growth that I did. 27 years old and I still haven't grown an inch since I was 14." she chuckled. It didn't bother her at all, since she had shown up every single other tribute in her games, all of which were larger and older than her. "but hey... if you're looking to learn a few things about stealth... I can help you there for sure. I'm sure both of you remember my games a bit..." They would have both been extremely young, but districts like 1 and 2 were proud and would often put extra focus on showing their potential tributes the games where their district had produced a victor. Thus, footage of Lincoln, Lyme, Luca, and Leto's games were all fairly commonplace.
Layla actually grinned, turning to Ryker. "seems we got the perfect lineup then, wouldn't you say?"

[Nachthexe]

Ryker knew Layla was probably onto something. Many of the girls in District 1 were indeed good looking so perhaps their wearing skirts to the Reaping was just another way of them wanting to show off. It certainly seemed like a foolproof and effective way for them to each get their very brief moment of attention, even if they didn't make it to the stage. It was certainly something the fifteen year old boy couldn't complain about though. He even briefly pondered the likes of Jewell being a distraction once in the arena. That alone had potential to make her dangerous and sex appeal was certainly an angle many tributes took, even if not necessarily in the arena itself.

"Size never mattered in the arena. All across Panem there's victors of all sizes. It's the circumstances that matter and what truly makes a victor. Layla's two sisters? Clearly they had gotten thrown into circumstances that did not favour them. It's perhaps just one more way in which the Capitol's infamous slogan 'may the odds be ever in your favour' stands true." Luca explained to Leto. He was the older of the two victors so arguably the more experienced of the two, although he knew Leto was no pushover herself. The circumstances of her own victory proved as much. Taking out nine tributes, and as somebody her size nonetheless, was no easy feat.

"Well then what are we waiting for? I'm sure you both have your own wisdom to offer. Having two mentors is obviously advantageous for that sole reason." Ryker interjected once Leto offered to give advice. He knew she was likely the stealth expert while he knew his own father had specialized in more direct combat. Both had their uses and with the two mentors having used very different tactics in their own games, Ryker knew there was potential to learn a bit of both. That was an opportunity that typically only District 1 was able to take up. It was no wonder that both the districts had so many victors. Their ability to excel definitely went beyond the academies.

"The tributes this year are particularly interesting. Many of them do seem like the types you probably don't want to confront head-on. The District 11 pair especially. Shit, that boy alone looks like he could effortlessly throw either of you over his shoulder." Luca began, realizing both Leto and Ryker were onto something. "Again, that's something I suggest taking up with Leto since she's clearly the stealth expert. Of course, traps could also be effective assuming you two do actually recruit the District 3 pair into the pack." He continued, knowing very well how District 3, and often District 5 as well, made very effective use of traps. He recalled a particular incident from his own games where he and his partner had been pursued by the District 3 boy. The chase had gone on for several minutes until finally they had found themselves being led straight into the boy's domain. It was there when various traps had triggered, launching thousands of tiny barbs into his partner's flesh. She did not make it out.

Luca took another sip of water, leaving the entire train compartment in awkward silence. The mentor man had little else to say though, trusting his tributes would have plenty to think about. There was an entire week set aside for training, after all, so now seemed like the prime time to relax. "As you two know there's an entire week before you'll even see the arena. That gives you plenty of time to think about everything Leto and I have told you. In the meantime you should both relax. You've earned it after a job well done at that Reaping." Ryker nodded in agreement with his father. Seeing him at the table suddenly made him feel quite hungry anyway, realizing he hadn't had anything since breakfast which had been hours ago. Taking advantage of the downtime could possibly even serve as an opportunity for him to learn more about his partner anyway. Despite having been together for hours now Ryker realized he still knew so little about the girl.