Cleverness can only get you so far

Balo nodded, “I don’t know if it’s possible to one hundred percent avoid the additional politics of the Capitol. Snow always seems to know what buttons to push to get you to do what he wants.” She admits, “but the games? Ivan had the right idea there.” She told him, “The Capitol seemed to love the whole star crossed lovers thing. It’s quite scary if you think about it. Although, the Capitol’s treatment of the games is scary in general.” She never understood how they could just normalize the deaths, she tried - but that was one thing that never made sense to her.

“I don’t think he had anything to do with it. I doubt he’d be eager to get placed in a dry district.” She told Jasper, “and with the way he was getting sponsors? I doubt he knew. It wouldn’t make sense.” Not that everything going on made complete sense - Twelve especially. Why that district? Why bomb any district? There were other messages that could have shown his displeasure she was certain.

“Sticking together usually does.” That was the Career strategy after all - and it worked well in most cases until the end. But this wasn’t the games, and there was no risk with grouping up if they did get kicked out from the district.

"No, but every little bit helps." Out of sight, out of mind. He certainly wouldn't have minded not getting an invitation to the Capitol one of these years if everything hadn't happened the way it had. "Anything to put on a good show and then of course our Tributes look like the villians for trying to get rid of the biggest threat to their continued survival. Short of each other." There had been other factors, but really it seemed a little dull compared to some of the other arenas, relying more on the tributes themselves.

Jasper smirked at the assessment of Twelve's only living Victor. Considering he'd fallen off the stage he wouldn't have been terribly surprised to find out their Escort had done much of the legwork if only to push for somewhere she wouldn't get molested annually. "Not much ever really makes sense unless you feel like digging." Why now? What had suddenly changed to bring District 13 out of the shadows of everyone thinking them gone?

“Always, there’s a difference between watching it on a screen and living in the moment. Forrest was a dear friend, I used to walk home from school with him every day.” She admitted, “watching the highlights was hard, but coming home was harder. I’m very slowly trying to make Forrest a little less painful for me, to focus on the good parts of his memory. It’s hard though sometimes.” She watched his face contort in confusion, “well, Ivan doesn’t mentor ever, I think the only reason he stepped up last year was because it was me. He tries to distance himself from the Games in what little ways he can.” She explained, “They’re really good at getting people to sponsor, although, this year was apparently rough due to Twelve.”

“I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting to end up here. One day I was watching the screens, the next? I was here.” She admitted. “I wonder if anyone knew what to expect? Or if they just surprised us all.”

She nodded, “Sounds like a good plan for the worst case scenario. Hopefully it won’t get to that, and Madame President will be understanding of our situations and not kick us out” She wasn’t sure what to expect with Coin though, so who knew. Maybe the wilderness plan would have to be put into affect.

Jasper wouldn't argue that and it was interesting to get a little more insight. He bit his tongue at the comment that it was a pity Forrest hadn't declared his undying love for her. It had likely crossed all their minds at least once what that rule change could have done for their own games. Not that it really mattered all that much now. "It's easier if you can avoid the additional politics of the Capitol and the Games. And there's always sponsors if you're willing to compromise enough. But even then it's how "brave" it was and how tragic the whole thing was going to be when one of them died." Jasper shook his head a little. Inside vs. outside.

"Snow apparently blames Twelve there. But Abernathy always seemed to have a hard enough time walking without planning a revolution." When they were sticking to the outside of things however he wasn't to sure that they would ever really know who was in charge here. "And why bother so hard with sponsors if you know the Games are going to end up the way they did?" He didn't know why Snow would blow up Twelve other than to send a message.

There was a small part of him that would be honestly amused to see some of his fellow Victors have to live without the luxeries they were so used to. Even down here seemed like a challenge, but at least it was safe. And had indoor plumbing on top of indoor everything. "Sticking together would get us further than breaking up."

“Fair point, but, usually when the career pack breaks, it breaks. I wasn’t alone until the end.” She was trying to make Forrest a less difficult topic for her, but, she still couldn’t help but feel sad when she thought back to him. He had been her friend, and it was impossible for her not to regret her part in his death - regardless of him attempting to kill her. It was understandable to her, extremely so. “Enobaria and Brutus tended to cover the sponsors, I got to shadow a bit this year - learn the ropes in case either of them wanted me to mentor, but, it was hard, knowing that something bad could happen to the Tributes at any minute.” 

"True. Some might have said that was intentional, but it all fell in your favor. And things always look different from the inside than they do on the outside." And usually it was things inside the arena that rang more true he'd found. Particularly after having to watch his own highlights. Jasper's face contorted in confusion that out of Two's victors those would be the ones that had the best chances with the sponsors. Then again, after short consideration... "Makes sense. Someone who likes all the shine and glamor of the Capitol at a District level? Send in the glamor siblings. Someone who wants warriors in the games you send the one with razor teeth and the guy that could crush your skull like an egg between his thighs... Excessive charm? Odair." No wonder they all pulled in the most sponsors.

"Doubt you exactly expected all of them to be grabbed and taken to a District that we thought was destroyed though." Apparently there were some things no amount of watching could train you to expect when all hell broke loose. At least they were alive.

Jasper just nodded however at their new lot in life. Any other year by now they'd be celebrating a new Victor and preparing to take home their dead to have arrangements made. He had an easier time with keeping deals with Snow than he did with facing the parents at the end of another unsuccessful year. One less thing to worry about this time really. "Really worst she could do is turn us out, and then... Well find a good empty place and find out how well we'd do in an actual arena when we're able to actually work as a team without it coming down to just one survivor." They couldn't be the only two Victors that would have a hard time with putting their faces out there.

“I didn’t exactly do it on my own.” She reminded him gently, Forrest had helped her throughout the games, and the sponsors had helped with their gifts. “That’s probably why we’re not allowed to tell anybody. People would stop volunteering.” She told him, “it was hard, seeing Cato and Clove go into the arena, knowing I couldn’t protect them. Ivan was right when he decided he didn’t want to mentor.” She hadn’t been the official mentor, but still, it had been hard watching tributes go into the arena. If she hadn’t been just shadowing, if she had been actively involved? It would have been much harder.

"Almost ironically it's usually the ones who don't train that do it more on their own. We Careers aren’t exactly known for lone wolf tactics." It was practically a given from the first day of training that their Districts would be allies as long as it was convenient in the arena along with whoever else the tributes wanted. He'd still been surprised to see them team up with the boy from Twelve. They had the sponsors and often the victories. But not always. "If Cash and Gloss didn't have the sponsors almost fighting to give them money I might have had a mentor position. Instead I had kind of settled into my role as keeping an eye on the screens. No sending gifts without authorization but otherwise not too bad." As far as jobs within the games went at least...

“I guess I could see the appeal - I just… I’ve never wanted to hurt anyone. I may have been raised a Career, but I’m a ‘pretty poor excuse for one.’ That’s what my father calls me at least.” She shrugged, her father was complicated, there was no doubt about that. She knew he loved her - he just had a very… confusing way of showing it. “If only they told us the games were just the beginning,” The cost of coming out of the games was high, that became more apparent every day. The constant nightmares, the insomnia, Snow’s treatment of the victors - whichever fate he decided for them. They lost what little freedom they had before the games after them.

"I'd think a poor excuse for one wouldn't have survived." Not won. The rest of the world could call them Victors but there were no winners. "I don't think you'd have nearly the number of volunteers if they told everyone out front that even when you go into the Games you never really come out." It was one of the many reasons he didn't mind Cashmere and Gloss doing most of the "official" Mentoring. He didn't have to look tributes in the face as much then and bite his tongue. Though it also left him more free for whatever appointments Snow wanted to set up during the day.

“They likely weren’t, like you said, it’s a large facility. I haven’t ran into a lot of people I know so far.” Balo admitted, she was constantly getting lost in Thirteen, it wasn’t uncommon for her to have to ask for directions back to where she belonged. There were just too many halls around.

She listened to Jasper explain why he volunteered, “That’s a rather bold proclamation.” She noted, “Nobody expected me to go into the games after Ivan’s win. Even though I won, my father wasn’t exactly happy with how my games ended.” Although, how could anyone be happy with how her game ended, she killed a friend - her ally and District partner - and the nightmares still plagued her because of it.

“Yes, well...” It still felt like weakness or some sort of betrayal to the Capitol that could sentence his whole family to death. That not all of their older siblings had come back Victors after volunteering. How his older sister had volunteered the same year a 14 year old boy from District 4 killed most of his competition with the biggest sponsor gift in the history of the Games? The same one that seemed so eager to join this whole rebellion, but what had any of them known as children? After losing one child, him volunteering had been as good as suggesting he was volunteering to be murdered. Jasper still tried to keep a smile. “When one of your main career options is making wigs for the Capitol, being a Victor of the Games instead doesn’t sound like a half bad idea at that age.”

“I haven’t ran into any of the victors from Three yet, but, if I see any of them - I’ll be sure to ask.” Jasper had a good point, and she was curious to see if anyone knew anything about it. She wasn’t about to ask any the residents from Thirteen - she didn’t exactly know many of them, and she figured snooping would be discouraged, but the other victors? Well, maybe someone knew about them. “I’m not sure what my parents are going to do. My mother adores us, my father? Well, he’s… complicated.” She glanced down at the floor for a second before looking back up at him, “I hope your sister is safe, and that she remains safe.” She honestly hoped that his family hadn’t been targeted by Snow. Perhaps his parents disowning him would be enough to keep his sister safe.

"Can't imagine they'd get left behind, but it is..." He paused and looked around just the room they were in. It was easy to get lost. "A very large facility." One he would do well to learn it seemed if he was going to last very long and not just keep between his room and the training room.

"Mine just took my volunteering as somewhere between a suicide attempt and a proclaimation that I wouldn't join the family business. Which it was," he admitted with a shrug. "The latter that is." Or at least part of the reason he'd spoken up, but even he'd had some doubts about actually returning again. "And thank you."

"Might have to ask someone from Three about the lighting in here. They're getting food from somewhere and plants need sunlight." He was relatively sure humans did as well, but perhaps the citizens of 13 had evolved past that already. Ivan he recalled however with some fondness as the one that took the spotlight off of him at last. And now Balian was possibly going to be the last Victor. "My parents have likely already publicly disowned me. Don't know what my sister will do with everyone thinking we've been in on this the whole time." Hopefully she hadn't been invited to the Capitol to play Prisoner of War.

low on self esteem, 

Throwing knives just sounded like a good idea.

Balo tried not to spend a lot of time in the training facility, but, on the days where she just needed to unwind, to relax? Well, she found herself in the room with a target and knives. She missed her knives back home - but, she wasn’t likely to have those back any time soon. Not with how District Two was, the rebellion probably wasn’t something anyone wanted.

It personally wasn’t something she wanted - she could see the use, agree with the message. But, she didn’t dare say anything else on the matter. Too many lives were at stake, and she wasn’t sure she liked the idea of that. 

hunger games aesthetic; district one.