Keeping To Oneself {Rachel/Mitchell}

[djed carnelian . d8m [kap]]

RACHEL VIOLETTE | 74th HUNGER GAMES | DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

The whole idea of volunteering for the Games hadn't even crossed Rachel's mind before the day of the reaping. For some reason that she couldn't think of how to explain, when she got to the reaping, she wanted in. She wanted to fight, which was a very rare thing for her to feel in her life. Normally, she was quite the sweetheart, and was rather protective of others. There was no way she could be that way in the arena, though. It was like she had just devoted herself to being someone completely different.

Rachel had been told by her brothers and mother that the Games are something she would never want to experience. Her father, however, had been a career in his youth, and saw it as a wondrous thing that his daughter should volunteer for the Games. He had always wanted to see one of his children put in the effort of trying to become a victor, but didn't normally speak of it, due to the disagreement that most of the family had on that particular topic. Regardless, at the reaping, Rachel's gut seemed to want to follow her father's wishes, rather than that of her other family members.

When her family came to visit her in the Justice Building, her father was proud, but the others seemed frightened with tears in their eyes. She wished she could have had a better explanation for why she did what she did, but she wasn't even sure if she could explain it to herself. Rachel wasn't someone who normally made rash decisions- especially not those that had a chance of ending her life. Generally, despite her curiosity that she always seemed to have, she remained as cautious as she could manage to be.

In the Training Center, Rachel had so many options of what to do. Did she want to train with weapons, and reveal to her fellow tributes the slight array of skills she had? Perhaps not. It was likely that it would be best for her to start with survival-related things, such as fire-making. The seventeen year old girl made her way over to the survival stations, scanning with her eyes what the best options may be. She saw some of the other tributes nearby, but wasn't sure if she should approach any of them. Would that be a risk she wanted to make before the Games even started? She was nervous that if she spoke to someone, she may end up with a disagreement with them, and result in them targeting her. That was one of her worst fears- being a target.

Rachel eventually settled on just observing what the other tributes were doing in order to decide what she wanted to do. She saw some tributes that seemed very knowledgeable about what they were doing, and others that seemed to be just now learning. Regardless of what the others were doing, though, the girl continued to observe, unsure of what to think. Could she trust any of them, or would they all want to kill her? She expected that the latter was more likely than the former. Rachel was standing alone, somewhat hoping that she wouldn't be approached by anyone. She would be alone in the arena, whether she had allies or not, really. That likely meant that she should keep to herself here, too, right?

556 words
Benson Sharpe D3M [Tom]

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[Benson Sharpe D3M [Tom]]

Hell. That's what the training center reminded him of. Death loomed over them all, watching and waiting for the deaths that would come. His hand picking them for first death with a game like a child trying to decide what game to play. Will it be Mitchell whose first? Only death would know. They would soon fight for their own reasons and why should he have to fight? Mitchell had no clue. No idea what to fight for in the arena. Jenoah fought for an escape. Asha fought to be remembered. Desi seemed to fight for survival. Then there was Mitchell who had no reasoning to fight. Love could be it, but Mitchell had already said his goodbyes to his brothers and Jasper. What was he fighting for? How could he figure it out? These were the questions that truly stuck to his skin like the scars from whips that he's endured.

That's how he found himself watching Rachel Violette from afar. Alone and curious of the reasoning for her volunteering. A girl who was a career or was she not one, Mitchell wouldn't know until she told him or someone else did. Torka Hammerfell would have been a good person to pursue to find out, but the man was frightening in his own right. Comfort was something Mitchell would lose within the walls of the arena, until either he died or won. Comfort would never be in his life, especially since his name had been called for the reaping. Standing patiently watching Rachel as she stares around the room at others who are busily working to survive in the arena that would be coming to kill them all.

Comfort zones were meant to be broken.

That's how he found himself approaching her silently. Hands in pockets like he was casually not approaching her for information. His mind telling him to be quiet and walk away while he can still escape wandering eyes and protesting emotions about Mitchell Laws. Murderers whisper their kill lists in their minds like little devils with a plan to take out the world. As he notices her eyes, all he can do is flaunt the pearly whites that his mother had blessed him with. His voice is calm, yet his eyes are watching her every move. Flattery was something that he was good at, but flattery wasn't what he needed in this situation. Blunt words would do more progress than flattery. All he needed was a moment to ask her. A calm sets in and he turns his head to check and see if anyone else is watching, like he has an evil plan. Which, he didn't. All he had was a more personal question for her. His voice is normal and as blunt as can be.

"Why did you volunteer, Violette?"

The smile that sits on his face is calm and natural, like his form. As he stands before the girl from District Two, all he can think is how much people were truly sitting in their homes or districts, watching him and wishing he would make it home. He wouldn't, as long as he didn't have a reason to get home, there would be no Mitchell Laws victor of District Twelve. That was only a wish in the mind of Carter Laws. Thieves weren't meant for greatness.

[djed carnelian . d8m [kap]]

RACHEL VIOLETTE | 74th HUNGER GAMES | DISTRICT TWO FEMALE

Rachel had been deep in thought about the Games and the tactics she would need to use to survive when she heard a male voice behind her. She hadn't recognized the voice, and she couldn't quite put her finger on what the name of the tribute who had said it was when she turned around to see him. Recognizing him as the boy from Twelve, Rachel couldn't quite think of his name, or at least not exactly.

What was his name again? Michael? Mitchell? Matthew? Something else? wondered the girl from Two. She couldn't put her finger on it, but decided that it didn't matter yet, right then. The boy had asked her a question that would have surprised her, had it not been a common question towards her from others tributes. Why did she volunteer? That's what he wanted to know. She gave him a bit of a smile when he asked, although not too bright, as she didn't want to seem overly friendly, but not like an enemy, or at least not yet.

He had known her name, or at least her last name, as that was what he had referred to her as. 'Violette' he had called her. Rachel was an optimistic girl, and assumed that perhaps he was trying to make friends when he approached her. At least, that's what she was hoping. Yes, she already had an alliance and wasn't looking for others to join her, but it would at least be nice to have someone aside from her alliance that wouldn't kill her as their first choice. Waiting a little bit would be nice. Answering Twelve's question, Rachel decided not to try to get around it.

"Oh, you're from Twelve, right?" she started out. Then, she proceeded to speak, answering the question she was asked. Rachel didn't find a reason to wait. It wasn't like sharing this information would reveal any weak point that the girl had. "It's kind of funny you ask. I've gotten that question a few times, to be honest with you." she laughed a bit and continued. "I've been training for a while; my father wanted me to. He was a career when he was younger and never had the courage to volunteer, so he wanted one of his kids to one day. It helps on his part that he's rather convincing with his reasoning as to why volunteering would be a good thing." she laughed again. "I guess I did it for him."

Hoping that her answer was enough to satisfy the boy, Rachel decided that is wasn't necessary for her to continue the conversation unless he tried to. She knew that when she initiated conversation, like she had with Rolf, that they sometimes didn't go well. No matter how optimistic Rachel normally was, she still knew that it was good to heed on the side of caution, especially in a potential life or death situation like this. A death match was nothing to mess around with.

494 words

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