{just a little} Help (Topaz)

[Spesh]

Your long time caretaker told you to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you talked to them quite a few times, the only problem with this now is Topaz Ross’ situation is too difficult to imagine for you. Because of this, you are not able to understand exactly what she is feeling right now, but you are sure it is a mix between anger, disappointment, and just general upset. She cannot be emotionally stable right now, that is for sure, so whatever you do it must be carefully planed out, or else you risk her getting upset at you.

Of course, the last thing that you want is to upset your mentor, she is the only lifeline you have to the outside world in the games. She is the only one who controls the gift flow when it comes to sponsors, which you undoubtably have. Chances are you would not have to worry about her emotions if her sister did not get reaped, but you have never been someone who fantasizes over 'what ifs,' instead just accepting the situation you are in. If you are to lose the Games, which is not even a possibility, it clearly would be the fault of Sapphire Ross. She just gets in the way in everything, she is distracting the only person who can actually help you in the arena. It is completely selfish of her to do so. Hopefully someone else kills her before you do, because you will not hesitate in taking away that girls life.

Simply putting it, you will have to overcome so many obstacles just to win the games. If just focusing on living was not enough, no matter how easy that task is, you are also thrown into the drama of a victors family. It is practically like that District Twelve family in the 56th Hunger Games, the Petros', that fluke winner. The only difference is you are not Ocean Jones, this situation may be difficult, but you will handle it. There really is nothing for you to worry about when it comes to your skill, instead, you are worrying about your mentor. It seems that things should be the other way around, Topaz should be worry about you, not you worrying about her. The world cannot be less fair to you right now, it granted your one wish, but it has turned it into a curse. Nonetheless, you will make the best out of this awful situation.

Complaining to the Victor of the 56th Hunger Games will only make matters worse for you, she surely does not want to hear about your problems with the situation you are in, as they all have to do with her. Maybe it would be better to just give up on trying to find an answer and speak to your mentor. The trainers never told you what to do in this situation though, the chances of Sapphire Ross being reaped were zero to none. How could this happen to you, the one tribute that was supposed to win. Hot blood courses through your veins, but you cannot allow anger to take control right now.

Knocking on the door you drain all emotion from your face. Now is not the time to be upset, it is the time to learn anything that can help you win these games that seem farther from your grasp than ever before.

[/blockquote][/justify]

[Lulu]

.:.:.:.:.:.:.
i wanna scream i love you from the top of my lungs
but i'm afraid that someone else will hear me
.:.:.:.:.:.:.

Topaz was beginning to grow used to this room, having stayed in it three times and counting. The first time had been awful, a painful reminder of the year before, when she'd been a tribute about to be sent off to supposedly die in the arena. The second time, last year, hadn't been as bad, save for the fact that Kaiser had made her swear not to go out to drink and party for the entirety of the Games, so she'd spent a lot of her time just lying in her bed or pacing around the room mulling over the unfortunate events of her sad, sad life. The only time she'd gone out at night was when she'd snuck out to a bar with Arbor Halt, the guy who'd won his Hunger Games two years before her, gotten completely wasted, and came back to the training center to ride elevators up and down until Kaiser of all people caught them. It had been a fantastic night, but Tope had paid dearly for it the next morning when she'd awoken to a killer hangover complete with a migraine that was worsened by the screaming stylist standing over her bed.

This year, the training center just felt...normal. It was an unnerving feeling, one the nineteen-year-old didn't like at all; she didn't want this place to feel normal for her. She hated it, hated being here, sending more tributes off to their death every single year and being forbidden to go out and drink her sorrows away to make it easier. First came Anastasia and York, the cousins she hadn't particularly enjoyed dealing with - well, York, at least. They'd died before the third day of their Games. Then Soyala Delaire, who had admittedly made it far only to be stabbed in the back by former alliance members, and Allen Hearst, twin brother of Topaz's former district partner who'd had his head torn off by a sphinx hardly ten minutes into the Games. And now? This year was the worst. A Career male who was already rubbing her the wrong way with his seemingly obnoxious personality, and her very own sister.

On the train, Kaiser had made the two Ross girls promise to remain civil around each other when there were cameras around, presumably because the Capitolites assumed that they would each be heartbroken and dreading their separation - they were sisters, after all, and Topaz had even volunteered for Sapphire just three years before. If they played up their little sister act well enough, maybe Saph could catch the interest of enough sponsors to maybe give her a fighting chance. She didn't see why Kaiser cared so much - after all, his job was to dress Saph, not to care about her. He hadn't cared about Topaz until she'd become a dazzling little star of a victor, earning him plenty of notoriety. Then he'd decided to actually take interest in the champion's well-being. Too much interest, she thought. But it didn't matter; Saph, who was surely going to die, wasn't going to get the same respect, if she knew Kaiser at all. And if he did start to actually look out for her, Topaz would consider it a horrid betrayal and refuse to speak to him.

Perhaps he was only trying to help win her sponsors because it was obvious that Topaz was absolutely not going to mentor her, not going to speak to her, not going to even speak about her unless there was a camera nearby. Kaiser, probably sensing her misery, didn't even try to make her; he didn't yell at her for ignoring Saph at dinner, didn't insist she coach her on what training stations to practice at, nothing. For this, she was extremely grateful. Sapphire could fend for herself; Tope was done caring. Caring hadn't gotten her anywhere, especially where the Games were concerned, and she wasn't about to make the mistake of doing so again.

She was, however, obligated to mentor the other fool from One, the big, muscular guy who was the absolute epitome of an arrogant Career male. They couldn't be more than two years apart in age; Topaz was sure she'd seen him in training at one point or another, though she didn't remember it. He probably wasn't even going to listen to her, anyway, just like York, who was even more irritating, hadn't. But Kaiser would have her head if she didn't try, so she'd cleared her schedule for this morning to work with him - or at least, pretend to work with him. She was determined to delay this as much as possible, though, so five minutes into their designated coaching time, she was still in her room, eating bites of toast.

Knock knock. What, had he come looking for her now? Topaz's irritation with him grew even more, though technically she was supposed to be out in the sitting area advising him on training stations and Games strategies and interview angles and whatnot already. But she'd specifically told him to wait for her, was he incapable of listening? "For future reference, next time you knock on my door instead of waiting for me to come to you, I'm not going to answer," the red-haired victor snapped as she opened her door to reveal Michael Smith standing there, just before stalking off past him down the hallway towards the sitting area. If he had any sense at all, he would follow.

.:.:.:.:.:.:.
you can only blame your problems on the world for so long
before it all becomes the same old song
.:.:.:.:.:.:.

[/color]

[/size][/center] [/justify]

[Spesh]

In normal circumstances, telling someone to hurry up because they are late would be okay, but maybe it is not during the Games. If the later is the case, then you just disrespected your mentors privacy, which, clearly is not a good thing. In your defense there is training to get to, and you would like to be on time to that so you can prove just how great a tribute you will make. But if you do not talk to Topaz then you might miss out on some valuable that will make becoming a victor easier.

You wonder how she can possibly help you win, what secrets she might have? Surely she knows nothing more than any other mentor, she probably knows less about the games than you. Besides, she will not be rooting for you, she has to root for her sponsor-stealing sister Sapphire. If you die, she will not care. In fact, she will probably happy that she has one less tribute to deal with. Though you have never been in the games before, you do not think that is how things are supposed to work. Mentors are not supposed to have favorites out of their two tributes, they are supposed to try equally hard to keep the two alive. You doubt that your mentor will not play favorites. After all, blood is thicker than water.

The weird thing is, you do not find yourself so different than pre-games Topaz Ross. She was a career tribute from district one, like you, people thought she was going to win the games, just how like they think you are going to win, and clearly, she would kill anyone to get the crown, even Nash Harvey, her arena lover. You can only hope that you do not become like her while you are in the arena, temperamental and basically crazy. It does not seem like you would change who you are just because of the games; in reality, what could change? The whole of your life has been about the games, your days and nights full of thought, your body always training, mind always thinking of strategies. The Hunger Games define you, Michael Smith; you never were able to change it, and now that you are a tribute, win or lose they always will be the definition of your life.

She opens the door snapping at you in a demeaning way; it does not bother you. You find it no different than when trainers yell at you, even if this situation is slightly different from where you train back in District One. People randomly snapping at you is a common occurrence, so you do not even flinch at the sight of her. The whole of Panem has basically seen your mentor turn from a loved tribute to a laughed at, alcoholic victor. She is your only hope of survival, so it is a hope of yours that she manages to stay sober until the end of the games, even when her sister dies. Without sponsors you will have a difficult time in the arena, your trainers have always assumed that sponsors will be there for you when you need them, as well as times when you do not.

Turning to let her walk past you, it crosses your mind to follow her, but that idea makes no sense to you. If Topaz Ross wanted to speak to you she would have asked you to follow; she must know that teenagers from District One were not the brightest, it was better to just tell them exactly what you wanted them to do. Sadly, you are not an exception to this. Your grades in school were good, but that was only because they teachers thought you might be a victor someday, so they wanted to be in good standing. It does not cross your mind that you are now the one who is late for the meeting. Keeping your mentor waiting cannot be a good thing, so you briskly follow Topaz to the sitting area.

"So, umm, you're probably better at this then me when it comes to what we are supposed to talk about. But before we start with our quote on quote meeting, can I just ask that your blood relationship with Sapphire doesn't get in the way of you mentoring me, especially due to the fact that I am the best chance District One has for the next few years." You ramble on much longer than you wished to, and you can only hope that this does not set Topaz off. Based on the picture in your head of how this victor's mind works, you are pretty sure speaking of her sister goes against that hope.

[/blockquote][/justify]