The 98th Hunger Games.

Chapter Two - The Ride To The Capitol.

  T/CWS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
none:]

Tubbo, Tommy, and Ranboo are all escorted onto a chariot ride. Halo is telling them all about the fancy captiol; the snacks, the rooms, the chandeliers.
  None of them, besides Ranboo, is listening.
  They arrive shortly at the tran to the Capitol, each of them boarding it. Halo wasn't wrong.
  The tran is beautifully decorated, and is filled with yummy treats and pretty sofas. Tommy's never seen or even imagined a place so elegant.
  "Wow..." Tubbo says in awe, eyes wide and amazed as he looks around the room.
  "It's beautiful," Ranboo says softly.
  Tommy eyes the enderman, "who are you again?"
  Ranboo gives a soft smile, extending his hand. "Ranboo. My name's Ranboo."
  Tommy doesn't take his hand.
  But surprisingly, a smaller hand fits into Ranboo's rather large one. "Tubbo, I'm Tubbo and this is Tommy. He's uh..." Tubbo looks over to Tommy, who's staring at their conjoined hands confusingly, "not great with other people."
  Ranboo smiles, shaking Tubbo's hand, "I understand, hello Tubbo. Hello Tommy."
  Tommy shudders when another tran door opens, and a tall, built pig walks through.
  "That's our mentor?" Tubbo half-whispers.
  "Yeah, probably," Ranboo replies, taking note to let go of Tubbo's hand.
  "Hello." The pig says, adjusting his crown and staring down at all three of them.
He's even taller than the weird enderman, Tommy thinks.
  Ranboo steps forward first, "Hello, Sir. When can we start discussing the basics?"
  "Blade, please. Call me Blade." Blade says, "and, we can start right now. Please, have a seat."
- - - - - - - - - -
Ranboo is looking at Blade, confused. "So, use our strengths and build each other up, basically?"
Blade nods, "yes, exactly. It's the only way you're going to win. Let's go over our strengths, yeah?"
"I'm good with nature," Tubbo shrugs. "I'm good with animals, plants, climbing trees... bees."
"Bees?" Blade asks.
"Yeah, I mean. I've studied bees and i'm good at deciphering them. And knowing how to treat or care for them."
  Tommy nods, "watch him do it all the time. It's all he ever does."
"We'll have you ever considered that maybe you shouldn't be caring for bees?" Blade says, mouth in a thin line. "I mean, what's that going to help you?"
Tubbo's clearing his throat and shrugging. "Uh... well." The wheels in his head turn. "I mean, I could use some type of trap to kill off other tributes. I know how to guide them, how to properly anger them. I could get them to track down other tributes."
Tommy sits back in his seat, "Seen him do that too." Tubbo's looking at Tommy shyly, "We hunt like that. We find an animal, set up a bee trap, and the bees will chase the animal down until.. well. Until it's dead. Though of course we have to care for the meat, since it's full of bee venom."
  Tubbo's eyes are bright and passionate, "yep. It's how we get food for our district. Or trade for it, more so."
  Blade nods. "Good enough, you?"
Ranboo's finishing up his drink. "My strength is height, I guess. I can reach things well. I could help Tubbo climb, get him higher up quicker."
Tubbo's nodding. "Yeah, that's true. You could lift me and I could climb."
"But how will that benefit?" Blade's asking, curious and intrigued.
"Well, if there's a fruit or bee hive that's high up, he could help me get closer to it. He could also help me swing on things higher up." Tubbo shrugs.
Blade looks interested. "Hm. And you?" He turns to Tommy.
Tommy looks down, trying to find a strength. "I... I don't know."
"Really?" Blade asked, more annoyed than angry.
  "Tommy's good with combat. He can use swords, bows, and things like that well. Sometimes when we hunt, we just stick to that method. He's got fast reflexes." Tubbo's ranting.
  "Finally! Something I hear that instantly makes sense. I'm glad one of you has a normal talent." Blade's smiling, though this makes all three tributes uncomfortable.
  "I guess Tubbo's right. Usually when the bees don't go after the animal, I'll just uh..." Tommy looks down, feeling guilty, "shoot it."
  Blade's nodding. "Alright, cool. Well. These strengths are all admirable, in a sense, but if you truly want to stay alive," he leans forward, "people have to like you."
  "Like us?" Ranboo asks.
  "Yep. Sponsors, my children. You're going to need a story line, something to make you desirable. Something to make you seem... worthy. That's how you get sponsors." Blade continues.
- - - - - - - - - -
  Tommy's look at himself in the mirror. He's in a red robe, gifted by Spifey, and he looks... rich. It's strange, seeing as Tommy is very far from such.
  Tubbo walks in, wearing an identical green one. It fits, luckily. "Hi Tommy."
  "Hi Tubbo," Tommy looks down at his friend, "what are we going to do?"
  Tubbo shrugs, not thinking twice before pulling Tommy into a hug. He keeps his arms around the others waist.
  "How are we going to come up with a story line when we're just... best friends? The two, fearless, loving best friends who are polar opposites?" Tubbo chuckles.
  Tommy nods, "I mean, we might just have to. At least we won't be acting in that case." It's hard for Tubbo to hear him when his face is buried in his brunette hair.
  Tubbo breaks the hug. "I guess we'll have to see what happens when we get in there." He gulps.
  "Go to bed, Tubbo. We're going to need all the sleep in the world for tomorrow."
  Tubbo walks to the door, looking back, "Goodnight, Tommy."
  Tommy nods, "night Tubs."