Favor of the odds

"Everyone's here so far except District 12." Zach nodded, stepping towards Danny. They pretty much look unapproachable." He admitted. "They had the Reapings playing on TV while they were cleaning me and the District 12 kids don't look too bad, so I'm hoping they'll get here soon. We've got to make as many allies as we can." He spoke, looking around the room. "District 1 looks pretty rich and snobby like usual. Don't look threatening though. District 2 there's a smaller boy who looks like he'd kill us all without a second thought and then a big burly type guy, brunette..." Zach swallowed as he spoke of the other District 2 boy. He hated to admit it, but he was gorgeous and something about him made Zach shudder. "They'd be good allies but they're careers, so..." He trailed off. "District three isn't too bad, can't get a good glimpse of the other boy but there's a ginger kid who doesn't look too threatening. We might be able to align with them. 4 is this little bitchy kid who's been getting in fights all day, I don't want to see what he'll do in training." He continued on through the rest of the districts, referencing a large man from 7, before finishing until he reached them. "And the 12 boys who haven't arrived are a couple it looks like. Everyone's making a big deal because the other guy volunteered to keep the one safe." He finished explaining just as they could see the 12 tributes arrive and be taken to get primped and cleaned like the rest of them.

"Awh!" Danny cooed softly, a smile lighting his face. "Thats sweet!" And then his smile dropped off completely as he realized what it would mean for them. "Oh..." He himself didnt want to die, he was afraid, but it wasnt like he would be missed. These two though were going to have to watch each other die, maybe even kill each other.
It made Danny sick to think about.
"So, wait, did you say we? Like me and you?" It was almost as if Danny couldnt work that over in his mind. An actual ally was more than he had hoped for. Surely it was out of pity, something Danny had grown to resent, but how could he turn down an offer of possible friendship? It just made him feel bad for Zach, because now was not the time to be pitying anyone.

"Yes, that is, if you want me as an ally." Zach shrugged although Danny couldn't see it. "Like I said, I need as many friends as I can get. I'm desperate." Danny didn't seem bad, but Zach had killed before and he was not afraid to kill again. He would kill him eventually, but for now they could be friends. He was going to get back home to his guardian. Trever would be waiting for him, the man had faith in him to win this.

"Oh wow! Yeah! Allies, that sounds great!" Danny grinned in his excitement, drawing many disapproving glares, including a threat from the district 4 boy. The large boy from two was smiling at the pair though, something that looked akin to relief flashing across his face. He caught Zach's eyes, nodding approvingly to the boy.
Maybe they hadnt lost all their humanity yet.
The boy from 4 stood, snorting on his way across the room. "Dont you fucking worry," The boy growled as he passed other tributes that despised the smiling boy. " Let that blind bitch smile. Ill cut his fucking lips off come game time!" This kid couldnt weight over ninety five pounds, and to add on only looked to be 5'2, if that, and yet still had the audacity to leave the room with one last threat, to all of them.

"I hope he does first." Zach murmured softly. "But... try not to smile so much." He nodded to Danny, patting the boy's shoulder. The smile from the District 2 boy had made him quite weak in the knees. He looked away quickly though, considering going over to him. Maybe they could be allies? But no, he was a career and he knew to stay away from them. They were out for blood.

"Yeah, okay, sorry." Danny swallowed hard, the district 4 boy having reminded him what was waiting.
He stood, hands outstretched in an attempt to keep himself from falling over. He still knocked into things, almost falling on several occasions before he heard the movement in the room. It was someone large, coming toward him with heavy steps. For a moment Danny thought it was over already, they were going to kill him now and get it over with, but instead he felt a hand on his shoulder. The hand felt rough, not like the hard callused hands in 11, but they werent soft either.
"Dont worry kid. Names Roman Roden, im district 2. Let me help you out, maybe find you a walking stick or something?"
Danny gaped up at the man, swallowing hard at the thought of being so near to a career. He had never even seen anyone from another district, and to have one touching him? But the man sounded sincere, and when you're blind, you learn to read those things, voices and movement.
He felt like Roman wasn't going to hurt him, at least not yet.
"Uh...." His mouth moved but he couldnt seem to form words, confusion and sadness seeping into his bones. They had to kill each other....How could this guy be so nice? He was a career...
"Look, sit down, i'll go ask for a cane." The newly named Roman lead Danny back to his seat, not trying to hide the way he looked at Zach. He had never seen anyone like that before, hair and eyes, his skin...It was the kind of beauty they never saw in 2.

Zach was wary of how nice the Roman was, not trusting him but being unable to stop his heart from beating faster. He was the most attractive man he'd ever seen... and no one in District 11 ever looked at him like that. He caught himself before he could think any longer, shaking it off lightly. They were going to all kill each other, he couldn't get attached. And he didn't even know if they could really trust him yet.
The other boy from District 2 had followed Roman over and stood in front of them, eyeing them skeptically. He didn't know why Roman insisted on greeting these tributes, they already had their alliance solidified, they were careers.
"Roman, he's blind. He's of no use, he'll only hold us back. He's lucky if he survives the bloodbath. Let's go."

"Come on Bane, he's a kid! We're all kids. He's going to die here, try to have a little compassion. Plus." Roman looked back at Zach, a smile gracing his features. "I think the other one could really help, and he doesn't seem to like us right now. We need to fix that." He lead the boy outside in his pursuit of a cane.

"We don't need the other one's help." Bane rolled his eyes at Roman, following the other tribute as Zach's knees went weak. That smile was too perfect to be real. He wouldn't allow himself to trust these Careers, no matter how nice they seemed. Maybe that was their strategy. Make everyone trust them so they could kill them off quicker.
The District 12 tributes were just getting finished and were ushered into the room with the rest of them soon.

Chandler found a place to sit immediately, trying to subtly scan the competition. He didnt want the others to know he was nervous, but he hadnt let go of Jordan's had ever since they were reunited after the prep team.

"Alright, we've gotta make some sort of alliances." Jordan murmured, unaware that they had all already heard of the couple from District 12. Eyes were on them and Jordan swallowed a lump in his throat.
But thankfully, before they had to do too much looking, Zach had approached.
"Zachariah." He introduced. "This is Danny." He gestured to the blind boy who walked over with the cane Roman had succeeded in finding him. "We're District 11."

"I don't fucking know about this tender foot. " Chandler glared at the strangers at first, as though there entire being was threatening him.
And wasn't it? For him and Jordan to live, they had to die.
"We're 12. " He didnt bother with his name. Why get close to someone you're bound to kill?
"Nice to meet you guys! " Danny leaned on his cane for support, thankful for the district 2 boy who gave it to him.
"Oh wow, so what your names? Whats 12 like? " The boy rattled off questions, trying to quell the mounting hostility.

"It's... dirty." Jordan shrugged in response to Danny's question. He was hesitant with these strangers but knew that they stood no chance on their own. "I'm Jordan, he's Chandler. He's a bitch, I apologize in advance."
"Everyone's talking about you already." Zach informed them.
"They are?" Jordan blinked.
"Yeah, not common there are couples in the games."

"Yeah well, thats why there are so many unhappy fuckers! Its either watching them die on screen or going with them to fight!" Chandler started at the comment, hatred for the situation sparking in his eyes."People they love go off to fight in these games and they never fucking come home! I don't recommend this shit but..." what the hell else could he do? "I know someone's going to die, shit we probably all are, but if I can just make things easier for tenderfoot..." he trailed off, realizing he was talking to strangers, people who may want to use Jordan against him.

"It's sweet." Zach smirked lightly. "And I would wish you two the best of luck, but we all know we're going to kill each other in the end. But if we don't team up, they'll take us out even sooner. So I'm proposing an alliance until we're the last four standing. Then it's every man for himself."

"What the fuck ever. If you make it out of the blood bath, we'll fucking work it out. " Chandler groaned into his hands, for once grateful of their chill.
Danny stepped back, heart aching for all the people in the room, everyone to die. "Ill uh, be back...wow" The blind boy turned, allowing the cane to guide the way. He listened for Roman's voice, knowing that while the man was a career, he might still be some help.
Approaching where he expected Roman to be, the boy was so focused on how he would start up a conversation that he didnt realize Bane would be right there with his partner, so when his cane struck something solid, he thought nothing of it.

"Will you watch that goddamn cane?" Bane hissed as the boy hit him. "What the hell do you want now, anyways?" He was in no mood to make friends. He was aligned with Roman because he had to be, that was it. He was going to win this, even alone if he had to.

"I uh...I wanted to say thanks for the cane." Danny, for the very first time since entering the building, showed signs of hostility in the slight down turn of his lips. "But not to you, to uh, Roman. You...You need to keep quiet if you cant be nice. You know im going to die here, everyone does, and really you probably are to, but you still cant be civil, so uh...Yeah. Fuck you, but thanks for the cane."
It had all been said evenly, even though the boy stumbled through some of it. Danny didn't have it in him to be cruel to someone, especially in these circumstances, but he couldnt take anyone adding on to his bad situation. He turned to leave, but paused only a moment to tilt his head up, speaking as if to no one in particular. "If you change your mind, I know everyone's voice now. I know what there steps sound like. Im not completely useless."

Bane's jaw dropped at the way the boy spoke to him because no one else had the nerve to do so, and they were all able-bodied and healthy. Fuck this blind kid, who did he think he was anyways?
"Fuck you too, kid." It was all he could muster, being shocked at the bold words even if they were said in such a stumbling manner.
Zach rushed over at the sight of what was happening, taking Danny's arm and leading him back to their little group.
"Danny." He groaned softly. "Don't go pissing off careers."

Roman snickered from behind Bane, making no attempt at hiding his amusement. "I got to give it to him, I didnt expect him to talk back. I figured he would be so afraid he would shit himself." Danny had simply seemed pitiful, and while he still was, Roman also found himself interested in the pair from 11 even more. Especially the dread head.
"Eh, Don't worry about me pissing them off Zach. If anything I can spare our group some time if they're out for my blood....Oh wow." Danny shuddered at the thought of his awaiting death. "Anyways, im already weak by default! If I just let them walk all over me now then what chance do I really have?" He accepted death, but he still didnt want to go down without some kind of fight.
Chandler's head nodded in approval of the boys words, pushing himself up to stand with them. "He's damn right, I was already fucking thinking about picking his ass off before meeting him. He has to do sometfuckinghing."

"Well we could use you, so don't go getting yourself killed too fast." Zach sighed. "There's only four of us and I'd rather we keep a low profile or we'll be the first picked off. And I won't hesitate to leave any of you." He warned. He was pretty confident in his ability to defend himself on his own.

"Fine by me if you fucking do, the only one that will suffer is stevie fucking wonder over here." Chandler jerked a thumb at Danny, his scowl still in place. He wasnt sure how he was going to get them out of this one, but he had to figure it out before they got killed.
"I uh...Sorry." Danny stared down at his cane, not wanting to look up at Zach even though he couldnt see anything.

"It's fine, just you know... keep calm." Zach nodded slowly, eyeing the rest of the tributes around them, eyes lingering just a second longer on Roman than they did on the rest.
Jordan noticed, smirking softly because Roman had just been staring at Zach the same way a second ago. He knew it was really quite unfortunate because they'd all be dead in a matter of weeks, but it was still nice to watch the two of them have an interest in each other.

Chandler reached for Jordan's hand, tugging the boy closer so he could wrap an arm around him. "Don't worry about them. Worry about us." While Jordan had been watching Zach and Roman, he had been watching Jordan. He didnt want his lover pitying people, or even liking them.
It was too dangerous here.

"Chandler, this is the last time we get to spend together. Don't make it sad." Jordan murmured, pressing a kiss to the man's cheek and squeezing his hand tight. He was determined to make sure Chandler was the one who lived through this. But he ached at the thought of Chandler going home with out him and always being cold...