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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Unless one was Reaped for the Hunger Games.

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

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

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

    She froze once again, barely making a single sound as all eyes set on her. This was it. Perhaps her equations had been off? Either way, her fate was sealed. She was going to the Hunger Games.
    Last edited by Nachthexe; 03-17-2019 at 09:12 PM.

  2. #2
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    Reaping Day... District 3 always had a tendency to live up to its reputation of cranking out smart, wily, or otherwise clever tributes. Like the electronics and technology they excelled in using however, if the arena layouts were anything to go off of, water seemed to be their most prominent weakness, with only one year out of the last 5 or 6 that they had lost tributes in the bloodbath.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    And yet, despite all of his own analytics, this felt much realer a few moments later as they were shunted into the Justice Building for what would be either one or both of their last goodbyes.
    'The Crown of Zivia' Word Count: 64319
    'The Crusade of Zulera' Word Count: 52548
    'The Shadows of Shinzoka' Word Count: 51000
    'The Rebirth of Krippa' Word Count: 51000
    'The Seer of Koldia' Word Count: 49114

    The Avatar in Chains (fanfic)
    Z. Zu. Zul. Zuzu. Zuly. Zulera. Lulu. 301. Zu-Zu. ZZ-Top. Zuliette. Zuley. Zulz. Zuul. Zubat. 'Lera. Zulianne. Z301. Z-hizzle. Z-dawg. Zulerey. Zully. Zulio. Luz. Ra-ra. Z-swiss. Zulera301.

  3. #3
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    What exactly were the odds? How exactly had the machine landed on her name rather than the countless others, many of which had even greater odds? Questions flooded Lanni's mind even as she remained silent amongst the crowds all focused on her. It was only moments later that the Peacekeepers had begun marching towards her, prompting the most dreaded steps of any child in Panem. Those several steps she took towards the stage were just the beginning - the beginning to the countdown of potentially the rest of her life. Marcus, much to her dismay, appeared overly excited about the whole endeavour and wore a smile the entire time. The tiny girl simply shook her head and ignored it, staring out towards the crowd of boys from which very shortly her District partner would join her.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  4. #4
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    If Chip was frightened, he certainly didn't show it. It was the same sort of smug grimace that Lyndis Montoya had worn three years ago during her reaping, and while he had not volunteered the way she had, he had the same sort of weird morbid curiosity. He wasn't so much interested in causing pain or drawing out someone's death or suffering; but he was definitely curious to see how the minds of his enemies operated. Layla and Valour, the last two victors, in particular interested him especially, because they had been reaped with the same gung-ho attitude that most career tributes had, and yet Valour had returned a very humbled calmer man, whilst Layla had returned a shattered woman who was a shell of her former self.

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

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

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

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

    Once again, his deep thoughts were disrupted by the Peacekeepers though. Had it already been that long? whatever the case, he got up and offered no resistance as they were led from the building towards the cars which then took them to the nearby train station. The first day of the end of their lives started now: and only one of the 24 boys and girls that were in Chip's same predicament would come back home alive.
    'The Crown of Zivia' Word Count: 64319
    'The Crusade of Zulera' Word Count: 52548
    'The Shadows of Shinzoka' Word Count: 51000
    'The Rebirth of Krippa' Word Count: 51000
    'The Seer of Koldia' Word Count: 49114

    The Avatar in Chains (fanfic)
    Z. Zu. Zul. Zuzu. Zuly. Zulera. Lulu. 301. Zu-Zu. ZZ-Top. Zuliette. Zuley. Zulz. Zuul. Zubat. 'Lera. Zulianne. Z301. Z-hizzle. Z-dawg. Zulerey. Zully. Zulio. Luz. Ra-ra. Z-swiss. Zulera301.

  5. #5
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    As she was led out of the Justice Building and towards the car that would escort her to the train station, Lanni remained calm and collected. She did not speak at all. In fact, she barely made a single sound at all. It was only her breathing that could be occasionally picked up between the footsteps of the Peacekeepers that trailed just slightly behind her. Heavily armoured boots of some sort, undoubtedly. It was the only type of footwear the girl could even imagine leaving such a heavy stream of sound.

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

    Her District partner.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    It seemed she was the first one to break the ice. Lanni Samara, wasn't it? Chip hoped so, because he was prone to forgetting names fairly easily. When she greeted him, he returned it in kind though.
    "Hey," he gave her a friendly wave, and snickered when she muttered about the Capitol man. "I'd put money on it personally... but I don't have any money."
    he paused for a moment, and regardless of whether or not she laughed, he would continue.
    "and I mean, sure we'll theoretically have to eventually turn on each other if we outsmart everyone else in the arena... but until then, wanna show Panem which district produces the smartest tributes?" That was his fancy way of offering an alliance, and assumed that she would be clever enough to make that deduction. If she didn't... well, then he might have had second thoughts of aligning himself with her anyways. He always liked to keep an open mind, both to possibilities, but also to knowledge and information—and as the old saying went: "two heads were better than one".
    'The Crown of Zivia' Word Count: 64319
    'The Crusade of Zulera' Word Count: 52548
    'The Shadows of Shinzoka' Word Count: 51000
    'The Rebirth of Krippa' Word Count: 51000
    'The Seer of Koldia' Word Count: 49114

    The Avatar in Chains (fanfic)
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  7. #7
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    Despite the flamboyant nature of Marcus the car ride remained pleasant, or at least as pleasant as it could be for two children about to be whisked off to certain death. Statistically, only one came out alive and out of twenty-three others that did not leave the odds particularly great for anybody. The younger and poorer among them were particularly at a disadvantage most years. It did not even take a genius from the heart of District 3 to work out that bit. Having done the equations beforehand Lanni mostly knew what to expect and she strongly suspected that her own partner did as well. Regardless of outcome, at least one of them was never returning home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The vehicles pulled to a stop and a glance out the window was all it took to realize that they had arrived at the train station, with a sleek silver engine waiting for them, ready to shoot them off on a carefully calculated high-speed journey that would bring them to the Capitol around 10AM the following morning, alongside eleven other trains from the other districts. Chip wondered if Lanni was thinking the same thing he was, because the moment they boarded that train and got comfortable, he wanted to see reaping footage. It would be good to at least get an idea of what kind of competition they were up against, especially since the odds of two tributes from the same District making it to the end was slim. Not unfeasible, considering that District 11 had done that exact thing in '44, but still very highly improbable. Still... the idea of two District 3 tributes having a battle of wits as a finale did sort of pump him up. But... no point in fantasizing this early. There was a week and nearly two dozen tributes to get through before any of that were to happen.
    'The Crown of Zivia' Word Count: 64319
    'The Crusade of Zulera' Word Count: 52548
    'The Shadows of Shinzoka' Word Count: 51000
    'The Rebirth of Krippa' Word Count: 51000
    'The Seer of Koldia' Word Count: 49114

    The Avatar in Chains (fanfic)
    Z. Zu. Zul. Zuzu. Zuly. Zulera. Lulu. 301. Zu-Zu. ZZ-Top. Zuliette. Zuley. Zulz. Zuul. Zubat. 'Lera. Zulianne. Z301. Z-hizzle. Z-dawg. Zulerey. Zully. Zulio. Luz. Ra-ra. Z-swiss. Zulera301.

  9. #9
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    An alliance. Lanni could settle for that. Even if she and her partner did not manage to successfully produce a District 3 Victor then she wanted them to be remembered for something remarkable. She did not want to be the nameless and forgotten Tribute who was struck down in the bloodbath. It was evident that Chip did not take much interest in that fate either. No, it was crucial that they survived, ideally to the absolute end. Even if they were forced to turn on each other at least a battle of wits was one that would undoubtedly be memorable. Occasionally upsets did occur, leaving the physically strongest Tributes outsmarted by the wittiest. That was something the tiny girl was confident that she and her partner could accomplish very well, regardless of how far they made it into the games.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  10. #10
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    Lanni was right in mentioning that there weren't really any rules in the Hunger Games beyond "stay alive". Even the whole "don't move until the countdown ends and the mines deactivate" clause wasn't really a rule as much as a warning. Tributes were welcome to move all they wanted, and could even jump the gun. It wasn't like the Gamemakers waited with their hands over a red button to blow a pedestal into oblivion. The countdown was to alert the tributes when the mines would be deactivated, and so moving before that would just set them off prematurely. The way Chip saw it, it was like telling a child not to touch a hot stove. It was much less a rule that needed enforced as much as a warning against something dangerous that would have devastating consequences.
    Well, that and like any District 3 tribute, he had always given the mines some thought, because there had been some years where they had been turned into some incredibly viable weapons. A lot depended on the kind of items that were sponsored or provided in the arena, because digging up the mines and repurposing them with your bare hands was simply not viable.

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

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

    "The real mystery is... where's our mentor, and how soon can I sit down and watch Reaping footage? I wanna see what kind of hooligans we're up against and who we need to outsmart."
    According to his recollections, their mentor would either be Wiress Plummer from a few years earlier, or perhaps Beetee Latier, the man before her. Maybe even both; he hadn't recalled seeing them on the stage, but he wasn't exactly the kind of person that paid attention to people much. That was about to change when it came to the games and the arena though. Chip planned to learn as much as possible about these 23 boys and girls he was about to be pitted against, because the more he knew, the better an edge he would have...
    'The Crown of Zivia' Word Count: 64319
    'The Crusade of Zulera' Word Count: 52548
    'The Shadows of Shinzoka' Word Count: 51000
    'The Rebirth of Krippa' Word Count: 51000
    'The Seer of Koldia' Word Count: 49114

    The Avatar in Chains (fanfic)
    Z. Zu. Zul. Zuzu. Zuly. Zulera. Lulu. 301. Zu-Zu. ZZ-Top. Zuliette. Zuley. Zulz. Zuul. Zubat. 'Lera. Zulianne. Z301. Z-hizzle. Z-dawg. Zulerey. Zully. Zulio. Luz. Ra-ra. Z-swiss. Zulera301.

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