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[SunnyJustice]

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The 12th Games featured a pleasantly cool pine forest blanketed in snow. Despite the wintry-looking atmosphere, the temperature started off mild and only warmed with the passage of time. Tributes expected the melting snow to reveal flowers and spring grass, but received a horrific surprise instead. Not only did the snow melt, but everything else did too - even the trees and terrain. Trees began to slump over, needles distorting into dripping masses of mulch. The rapidly-vanishing snow revealed barren earth that sagged with sinkholes and mud pits. The only sanctuary was a clearing to the south with an exact replica of the 2nd Games Careers' camp. Gravestones for Acacia, Sam, Prince, and Genesis marked the borders within which safety lay. In the center sat a plaque: OBEDIENCE WILL BRING SALVATION.
No mutts roamed the arena at first, although agonized cries could be heard in the distance the first night. Only on the second day did the creatures appear. Twisted, intertwined chimeras, their bodies stuck together in almost-incomprehensible abominations, wandered the arena in search of release from their torment. They'd lash out indiscriminately at anything that moved.

Tributes
➵ Azuline Arden • career • D1 • female • 18
➵ Hickory Aiba • career • D2 • male • 18
➵ Aletriss Ruesso • career • D4 • nonbinary • 18
➵ Riedo Vivendel • career • D4 • female • 18
➵ Jillian Tybalt • victor • D10 • female • 16

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------
Azuline Arden
the footsoldier
Career of the 12th Hunger Games

Full name: "Azuline Arden, reporting for duty."
Gender: "I am female. Pronouns are she/her, although others are acceptable."
Sexuality: "Not applicable." Azuline doesn't have a particular label. While she has a specific 'type', gender isn't part of that equation.
District: "I am from District One." Her home is the Borden Plains, once a military base in the era before Panem. Ancient, overgrown trenches still mar the earth, but greenery has reclaimed most of the gouges. Some of it was recently repurposed into Academy training grounds. A quick description of the real-life version can be found here.
Age: "I am eighteen."

Voice type: Alto
Appearance: Azuline stands at 5'8" with a strong, wiry build. One look at her toned arms or fierce blue eyes and other tributes take off running. She wears a vivid red wig often tied in a high, flowing ponytail, which covers the barrenness caused by alopecia. It's the potential of scalp sunburns that bothers her - Azuline's pale and thin skin will fry under the sun without the protection of a thick wig.
Personality: "I follow orders and do what I must." Azuline is as loyally obedient as a well-tuned machine. All she knows is the order, discipline, and strength necessary to fight as a Career, as well as the honor that's been drilled into her malleable mind for years. Despite being from District One, her social skills are on par with some of the worse Twos. She simply doesn't know how to conduct herself in a social setting unless others are directly giving her orders. If told to fight, this fiercely loyal Career will charge into battle without hesitation or fear - it's all she really understands. Her love language is showing respect to others by following their instructions to a T.
Partner: "Duke, my district partner. I would die for him - but he died for me first."

Alliance: "I am undeniably a Career." Her family allies are Duke, Hickory, Katy, Riedo, and Aletriss. Azuline places herself squarely at the bottom at the chain of command, since she unquestioningly respects an order from any of her allies. While Jill from District Ten also worked with them for some time, Azuline doesn't consider her part of the group because of her reprehensible actions. Whatever justifications Jill concocts in her head are worthless in the face of what she did behind Azuline's back. ⚔
Reaped or volunteered: "It was my duty to volunteer."
Parade outfit: "I was honored to represent our history." Azuline and Duke led the parade clad in ancient military garb. The stylists based this year's outfit loosely on the 'Canadian Air Force', filling in information gaps historians failed to recover. For example, Panem has no idea what the headpiece looked like (or if one existed), so Duke and Azuline were instead given opal-encrusted tiaras.
Interview angle: "Admittedly, I struggled with this." Social skills and improvisation without being given orders are both Azuline's weaknesses, so of course combining the two makes for a near-impossible task. Thankfully, her mentor Amber showed excellent leadership skills in helping her develop an angle: The intimidating, emotionless soldier.

Alignment: Lawful neutral
Weapon of choice: "I use a sword. While I prefer dual-wielding, during a shortage of weapons I am more than happy to share with my allies." Azuline gave her extra sword to Hickory out of respect for him. Her fighting style consists of swift, clean strikes and nimble footwork, so a single blade works just fine.
Fatal flaw: "I have been told my greatest weakness is 'failure to think for myself'." Azuline struggles to make her own independent decisions. Growing up in the Academy taught her that loyalty, obedience, and following a strict code of honor would be rewarded. However, she's taken it a little too far and internalized this role as a follower. Now she can't function properly without someone telling her what needs to be done.

Mentor: "Amber is an excellent mentor." Azuline's mentor was originally an exchange student from District Three, so academic leadership is her strong suit. This was incredibly helpful for someone like Azuline who thrives on following others' lead.
Training score: "I scored an eight, which I respectfully accept." Azuline received a Career-grade score. It's lower than her allies due to her lack of original thought, but still remarkable nevertheless.
Death: "It was a necessary sacrifice." As her pedestal rose into a wintry landscape, Azuline took a deep breath of the pine-scented air. A cool breeze swept around her and low clouds shrounded the sky overhead. This arena was the best-case scenario for a northerly Career like herself: No blazing sun, no tropical humidity, no unbearable arid heat. The only issue was the lack of weapons around the Cornucopia. She made eye contact with the other Careers, but the others seemed equally confused.
The gong rang out, and most tributes snatched up a bag or two of meagre loot before fleeing. Azuline ignored them and ran for the tiny pile of weapons. If that fell into the wrong hands, these games might take a disastrous turn for her alliance - and the previous year already proved the Gamemakers showed no mercy towards Career packs down on their luck. To her surprise, the stoutly-built Jill from District Ten reached the weapons before any Career. She grabbed a sword and viciously slashed up a larger male tribute, then fled.
Chaos raged all around the Cornucopia, but a stony-faced Azuline grabbed the only remaining functional blade, then posted herself in front of the weapons pile like a guarding statue. None of her allies were in any real danger since the only armed tribute had already fled. Of course, if a particularly strong tribute caused any trouble, Azuline would be there for her allies in a heartbeat.
Once the fighting died down, she scoured the weapon pile to distribute them among her allies. Everything was rusted beyond hope and crumbled to dust the moment she moved it. Out of respect for her leader, Aletriss handed Hickory her rusty sword - the only weapon the Careers managed to seize. Everyone would have to craft new weapons together once they set out into the wilderness.

Since the desperate non-Careers had plundered the already-barren Cornucopia to near emptiness, the Careers voted to spend the first day hunting, gathering, and making crude weapons. Shelter could wait: a team of six had to ensure it wouldn't starve. Thankfully, water was no issue with all this snow and slush. As for the weapons, Katy made some crude daggers out of stone, then helped Riedo sharpen a long branch into a makeshift spear. Hickory used his own sword as a model to carve a wooden one for Azuline, which she whittled down further with a stone as they walked. Duke tied a massive rock to a branch and called it his mace. As for Aletriss, everything she created broke almost immediately. She eventually decided to carry around a big rock just for sheer intimidation purposes.
Azuline and Duke guarded the Careers' rear flank as they journeyed through sopping snow. Despite their efforts, the team found no food other than a scrawny squirrel Katy killed with a well-thrown knife. It hadn't even attempted to escape, and upon closer inspection, its fur crawled with parasites. Riedo confiscated the sickly carcass before anyone could do something stupid, then mentioned something about using the meat for fish bait if they found a river. They didn't. All the Careers' stomachs were growling like mutts by nightfall, and they clung to one another's arms so nobody would keel over from their dizzying hunger. The only thing that spurred them onwards was a silly topic of conversation - the massive dinner party they'd have once this little famine was over.
To Azuline's horror, she heard footsteps approaching and alerted her allies. Hickory gave the order to stand in a tight circle facing outwards, watching one another's backs in case the enemy surrounded them from all sides. Which was exactly what happened. Several opportunistic tributes, emboldened by the sight of exhausted, hungry Careers, emerged from the thick bushes with makeshift weapons drawn. A massive tribute wielding a stone club advanced towards Azuline and Duke, who inched closer together.
"I've got your back," Azuline assured him. With a nod, Duke swung out at the towering tribute and the two clashed in a brutal brawl. Just as the larger tribute prepared to cave in Duke's skull with his bludgeon, Azuline darted in front to thrust her sword into his heart. He fell, taking both his club and Azuline down with him, but Duke helped his partner back to her feet.

To Azuline's relief, the Careers survived the attack without losing a single member. At this point they were too exhausted and beat-up to continue hunting for food, so Katy suggested they find somewhere to make camp. The whole alliance seemed to exhale a sigh of relief as their outspoken knife-wielding ally vocalized what they'd all been too overwhelmed to say.
Under the Careers' feet, the snow seemed to melt faster than before. Azuline expected this sudden thaw to reveal fresh grass and new life, even food, but only a mire of mud lay underneath the slush. Irritated complaints bounced from Career to Career as everyone's feet sank into the foul-smelling earth. Was this stench of decay their punishment for wiping out that alliance earlier?
"We must get out of here," grumbled Riedo, now barefoot as her tiny, discarded boots and socks sank out of sight.
"Agreed. Hey, this is going to sound creepy, but I swear I've seen this arena before." Aletriss confessed to the other Careers. "Wait, these trees... I know exactly where we need to go! You trust me, right?"
"Of course we trust you, silly! Lead the way," Hickory teased with a light chuckle.

The Careers followed Aletriss as they slashed through the melting undergrowth. Even the trees appeared to slump over, distorting into amalgamations of waxy melted needles and rotten wood. Finally, they reached a hauntingly familiar clearing and Azuline's boots fell on solid earth. The unnatural melting somehow hadn't reached this place.
Upon investigating, four gravestones marked each corner of what used to be a camp. "The names on these graves are Prince, Acacia, Sam, and Genesis," Aletriss observed. "My hunch was right, this is similar to the 2nd Games' arena - but why is everything melting?"
"The graves make up a square border. As long as we stay here, we won't be caught in... whatever that is." Hickory said, his brow furrowed in thought. "I know that doesn't answer your question of why, though. Maybe we're missing some piece of the puzzle?"
Azuline poked around camp until her wandering feet bumped into a peculiar black shape. She bent down to investigate as her allies gathered around. "It says, 'OBEDIENCE WILL BRING SALVATION'."
"What the disgrace?" Katy started, only for half the alliance to flinch as horrible screams echoed through the arena.

Inhuman cries of agony pierced the air all night, and all the Careers could do was huddle together in their clearing. By the time midnight struck, all six Careers had agreed unanimously to find the source of the screams and end it. No one, mutt or tribute, deserved to suffer like that. But the moment Hickory led the alliance outside the four gravestones' border, they all sank up to their waists in mud and had to help one another crawl back to safety. No one got a wink of sleep until the sun rose, at which point the shrieks finally faded. The absence of cannons hinted that the horrible voices came from mutts rather than other tributes. A slight relief, but Azuline's intuition told her those mutts weren't quite done with their ordeal yet.
Too on-edge to rest, Azuline volunteered to take first watch with Duke as the others curled up under a bush. Her empty stomach churned as the forest's eerie silence seemed to close in. Thankfully, Duke's warm presence lent her comfort as she leaned on his shoulder.
Before she could register the danger, something small and metallic careened towards her. Duke pushed her out of the way before the knife struck, but fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Horror widened Azuline's once-cold eyes as she saw the knife lodged between his ribs. In the half-melted bushes past the camp border, she saw a familiar outer-district figure slink back into the shadows.
"Sorry, Azuline. Couldn't let you die on me," Duke whispered, an ironic smile on his face. Speechless, Azuline pulled her district partner into her arms, but his cannon fired before she could say a word in return.

The cannon woke the other Careers, who reacted with grief and horror at the sight. It took a half hour to coax Azuline away from her partner's cold body and another to snap her out of her wordless stupor. She quietly explained it was the male from District Nine, who'd been lying in wait at the outskirts of their supposedly-safe camp - and his knife was originally meant for her.
"Don't blame yourself, if that's going through your head." Aletriss placed a gentle hand on Azuline's shoulder. "Riedo and I will give that fishstick a taste of his own medicine. We've dealt with plenty of mud back in Four - we can catch up to this worm. Permission, Hickory?"
"Of course." Hickory flashed a quick thumbs-up to the Fours, then knelt beside Azuline. "As for the rest of us - we can't just sit in an unprotected clearing, so you'll help us build a real camp and make sure this doesn't happen again. You hear me, Azuline?"
His voice was more authoritative than usual, as if forcing himself to speak this way, but this sort of clear order was exactly what Azuline needed. Life seemed to return to her numb body as the command registered. Smiling again, Hickory helped her stand. His district partner Katy beckoned her over to the clearing's edge, where trees had begun to regain their shape again. Maybe Azuline's heart could, too.

That night, Aletriss returned to camp in disarray. Blood matted their uniform, Riedo was nowhere to be found, and a different tribute walked uncomfortably by their side. Azuline recognized Jill Tybalt, the stout blonde who'd mercilessly savaged a boy during the bloodbath. Her first assumption was that Jill had murdered Riedo in such a horrible way that some kind of war-crimes trial was about to begin. Much to her surprise, Aletriss turned her back on the supposedly-dangerous District Ten girl and approached the other Careers to explain.
It took Azuline a few minutes to process her ally's explanation. They'd found Glen near another clearing, but failed to land even a single hit on the rogue tribute, and he escaped after fatally injuring Riedo. The District Ten girl then showed up out of nowhere and didn't immediately attack, so Aletriss offered to team up in order to defeat Glen. Jill hadn't done anything uncooperative so here she was.
No protests came from the other Careers, who were more focused on mourning their lost allies. Azuline wasn't particularly well-versed in this 'emotions' thing but she, too, knew the crushing pain of watching a partner die. She, Hickory, and Katy gathered their stoic-faced ally into a group hug, shielding Aletriss from the Gamemakers' cameras as she shed silent tears. Only then did Aletriss explain that the wounded Riedo had asked her to make the end quick, but Jill - arriving on the scene with no understanding of the situation - witnessed it and called Aletriss a traitor for what she did. At that moment, Azuline knew she wouldn't ever truly accept the District Ten girl as an ally. Katy seemed to share her wariness but neither of them spoke it aloud.

Jill sat around nonchalantly as the Careers finished building camp. Their lean-to log shelter wasn't perfect, but Glen wouldn't be repeating his knife trick anytime soon with his would-be victims tucked behind a wooden wall.
Crunching noises filled the air as Jill munched on handfuls of nuts. The District Ten girl had somehow scavenged up food before meeting the Careers, but she made a point of not sharing even a single morsel. Azuline's aching stomach growled to mirror her annoyance. Still, she remained silent out of respect for Aletriss' decision to recruit this tribute. Full and content, Jill soon fell asleep in the shelter entrance, barring anyone else from entry.
By midnight, the exhausted, famished Careers finished the final touches to their shelter and split up to hunt. Katy and Hickory stayed behind to guard the slumbering Jill, while Aletriss retrieved the inedible squirrel carcass stashed in one of the few remaining snowbanks. They skewered it on Riedo's spear and gestured for Azuline to join her.
The world outside the Careers' camp seemed normal again, without the unnatural melt that plagued it before. Azuline and Aletriss chatted idly about their favorite Capitol foods as they searched for a body of water.

"In the 2nd Games, Sam and Prince went swimming in the river that used to be here." Aletriss pointed to a muddy scrape in the earth as they passed by. "The arena melting must have diverted the water."
Azuline nodded, then swivelled her head almost owlishly at the sound of distant water. Aletriss gave her a knowing smile and led the way in that direction. Before long, the two Careers reached a broad river rippling with shadows of fish. As Azuline stood guard, her fishing-district friend tore off pieces of squirrel meat to place into the water.
A few hours of patient spearfishing yielded enough fish to feed the entire alliance and their District Ten guest. Azuline's survival course had granted her basic knowledge of fish, and these curious catches seemed to be two halves of different species fused together into one being. She turned over a plain-looking sunfish, only to find the other side had the tell-tale redness and humpback of a salmon. Its second head protruded from the side with hooked jaws only found on a male of spawning age.
"Finally, good food!" Aletriss exclaimed, putting on a smile despite their recent loss. "These fish are... weird, but I'm not complaining."

As the duo trekked back towards camp, Azuline heard a familiar shriek and whirled around, sword drawn in preparation. What emerged from the bushes could only be described as a nightmare. Mismatched limbs thrashed and clambered forward, dragging an incomprehensible patchwork of melded-together creatures. The Careers backed away slowly as the horror emitted another tortured wail. The screams they'd heard on the first night - this was their source.
"Is that a mutt?" Azuline whispered, hoarse with mingled revulsion and pity. Whatever this thing was, it wouldn't go down easily - but leaving it to suffer felt wrong. "Triss, what do we do?"
In response, one of Aletriss' fish sailed through the air and landed beside the writhing amalgamation. It didn't respond to the attempted distraction - did this thing even have a stomach? Azuline glanced over at her ally to see her placing the remaining fish on the ground. "We fight. It's not going away on its own, and I'm not about to lead a monster to our alliance," said Aletriss, readying her spear.
With a nod, Azuline charged the abomination. Its many limbs slashed at her from all angles, but she nimbly evaded each desperate attack. She'd defeat this embodiment of terror in one swift blow before it had the chance to wear the famished Careers even further. The moment she saw an opening, Azuline leapt atop the mass of haphazard parts and plunged her sword into its very core.

"Get back, Azuli-" Before Azuline could react to Aletriss' scream, a knife-like limb slashed her in the stomach with enough force to fling her off the mutt. The taste of copper filled her mouth as the barrage of claws and talons continued. Just when she thought it would never end, an auburn-haired blur darted in between Azuline and her assailant. Strong arms drew her into their protective embrace and carried her away from the thrashing abomination.
"I've got you," Aletriss repeated it like a mantra as the mutt's death throes ceased in the distance. "I've got you. Not letting go."
Azuline's eyes widened at the sight of blood staining her ally's left side and back. "Triss... you're hurt." Because you protected me, she wanted to add, but even breathing felt like a monumental labor. The words just wouldn't form in her ragged throat.
"I'm hurt? Look at yourself!" At her ally's horrified words, Azuline took in the sight of her own body, mangled with no hope of survival.
"Oh." She rasped, but images of her allies' tears and sorrow filled her mind. No. If Azuline died here, it would break the other Careers' hearts all over again. This wasn't what Hickory wanted from the loyal teammate he'd recruited. "Can't die... he wouldn't want..."
"'He'?" Understanding sparked in Aletriss' eyes. "Just hang in there. We'll be back at camp soon, and then you can speak to him."

Upon arriving at camp, Aletriss didn't even need to call out for the Twos to come running. Katy swore up and down she'd take revenge if it was the last thing she did, while Hickory took Azuline's hands and clasped them between his palms. He felt so warm. In a voice heavy with forced calm, Aletriss explained the full situation, complete with details of the horrors they'd encountered.
"Is that right? You didn't want to die," Hickory repeated, locking eyes with Azuline, "because you were afraid it went against my orders?"
With a slow, slightly sheepish nod, Azuline confirmed this was the truth. She'd cling to life with every desperate scrap left in her broken body if it meant respecting her leaders' wishes. No matter the pain she had to endure, it was nothing compared to the disappointment and heartbreak that would surely wrack her remaining allies if she gave up so easily.
"I'm honored you think so highly of me, but you don't have to..." Hickory gave her hands a light squeeze. "Azuline, I want to thank you for everything you've done. Fighting for us, protecting us, losing sleep to keep us safe - I didn't order you to do any of that. You chose to do it because you care. And since I care, too, the last order I'll give you is to stop suffering for our sake."
Azuline gazed up at him with wide, glistening eyes and a silent question: You sure?
"It's okay to let go." Almost as if he'd read her mind. "When we all see each other again, let's have that dinner party we talked about, alright?"
I'd love that. As the world faded around her, his reassuring smile was the last thing Azuline saw.

Azuline's Relationships
Alliance: | ◆ allies | ◈ neither allies nor enemies | ◇ enemies | ❖ betrayed
Feelings: | ♡ romantic | ✿ very positive | ✓ positive | ▣ neutral | ✘ negative

The 12th Hunger Games

【 D1 ◆ ♡ 】 Duke: Azuline's partner. They're always found fighting side by side on the front lines.
【 D2 ◆ ✿ 】 Hickory: The leader of this year's Careers, who Azuline respects unconditionally.
【 D2 ◆ ✿ 】 Katy: A spirited, honorable fighter. Azuline looks up to her like she's a cool older sister.
【 D4 ◆ ✿ 】 Aletriss: Azuline instantly liked Triss the moment they met, and they only grew closer.
【 D4 ◆ ✿ 】 Riedo: They share atrocious social skills, but ironically they can communicate with each other perfectly.
【 D9 ◇ ▣ 】 Glen: Azuline dislikes the cowardly way he killed Duke, but he's just another tribute in her eyes.
【 D10 ❖ ✘ 】 Jillian: What she did to Hickory, when Azuline wasn't there to protect him, was unforgivable.

Other

【 ✿ 】 Amber: The perfect mentor for Azuline. Absolute respect from her end.
【 ✓ 】 Veritas: Back in District One, Azuline served as a "mentor before a mentor" to him.

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------
Hickory Aiba
the accidental leader
Career of the 12th Hunger Games

Full name: "Hey! My name's Hickory Aiba. Yeah, it kind of has a District Seven flavor to it but I'm cool with that." He tried to make a nickname in the past, but when he proposed 'Hick' and 'Hicky' to his friends, they just laughed uncontrollably.
Gender: "He and him for now!" He's always identified as male, but doesn't want to close himself off to questioning.
Sexuality: "I haven't thought about it much, I just know gender isn't important to me."
District: "District Two to my core! I've got the warrior's appetite to match. Er, maybe that's not such a good thing in the Hunger Games." Like many residents of District Two's north, Hickory is well-adapted to the cold. Their naming conventions tend to resemble more naturalistic districts, so Hickory and his siblings are all named after plants. His hometown is named 'Vanguardia' but historians have excavated inscriptions bearing the forgotten name Vancouver.
Age: "I was eighteen when I volunteered. Unlike my siblings, I'm not a prodigy! It's important to tackle life at a pace you can handle." Despite being the top male from District Two this year, he's still not as insanely strong as his siblings were.

Voice type: Tenor
Appearance: At 5'7", Hickory is physically the middle child of the triplets. His narrow frame is unimpressive when obscured by baggy clothing, but underneath is a wiry and muscular figure from years of training. He just refuses to wear anything more revealing than long sleeves and pants. Although the burns covering his body have healed, they're still a secret Hickory doesn't believe he needs to show the world. His playful ruddy-brown eyes always hold a spark of humor, but the embers of a memory haven't died from them.
Of course, his clothes aren't the only things with something to hide. On a lighter note, there's always something lost in his shoulder-length mane of jet black hair. Hickory often throws it into a messy ponytail to minimize the amount of inevitable disasters it will cause. It isn't even that long - Hickory just forgets his hair exists, so goggles, pens, and assorted trinkets disappear into it and become lost to time. The goggles are most common, since he always wears them when cooking... or as Katy puts it, 'science experiments in the kitchen'.
Personality: "I'm a hard worker! Maybe a little too much, since it's led to some uhh problematic situations." Compared to his outrageously powerful siblings, Hickory's always been the runt of the litter in terms of skill - so he made it his policy to always give one-hundred percent effort. He's just some honest and simple District Two bloke with no standout talents of his own. Fighting instincts never came as naturally to him, so he threw himself into every remedial course possible just to stand as an equal to his peers. If one-hundred percent is inadequate then he'll just push himself beyond that. Unfortunately, this led to burnout in the most literal sense of the word.
The way Hickory presents himself to the world is custom-tailored to his perception of what others need from him. He'll contort himself into those criteria, no matter how uncomfortable it is. That's how he accidentally became the leader of the Careers.
Hickory in his natural state is loyal, impulsive, hasty, and a little socially awkward. He's gradually learned to become comfortable with his real self without masks. The other Careers know Hickory for the clumsy tryhard he really is, and nothing has changed between them- except one positive development. Nobody expects him to act all leaderish in the afterlife! That's a huge relief.
Partner: "Even in my edgy teenager phase, I could always count on Katy! It felt safe to just be myself around her."

Alliance: "I'm a Career, in fact I kind of accidentally became the leader." Since the moment he arrived in the Capitol, Hickory put on a confident face to hide his awkwardness... but certain other Careers had even worse social skills so they assumed Hickory was naturally this calm and assured. He clearly radiated leader vibes of the 'team dad' variety. Oops! By the time he realized his mistake, it was too late.
The other Careers are Duke and Azuline of District One, Aletriss and Riedo of District Four, and his district partner Katy from Two. ⚔
Reaped or volunteered: "Oh disgrace, I rehearsed my volunteering speech so many times and didn't get to finish it." He'd scripted out each movement, word, and gesture, in addition to memorizing a huge speech he started working on at twelve years old. The Capitol escort cut him off mid-speech because their short attention span couldn't take it.
Parade outfit: "Things were very historical." This year's parade outfits were all history-themed, and the Careers specifically represented military history. District Two historians examined an ancient time called the World Wars and found it was mostly men who fought. They concluded that a majority of the female recruits must have died in a highly specific plague before the war era, leaving armies of the world with half the soldiers. This tragedy was depicted in District Two's parade outfits. While Hickory wore a military uniform roughly reconstructed from information about the United States' army, his partner Katy wore an ethereal silver robe that flowed in ghastly waves. The stylists painted her skin with a deathly pallor to resemble the ghost of a woman who'd died before fighting in the war she'd trained for.
Interview angle: "I tried to go for the dignified, diplomatic leader look." At this point, Hickory's allies already saw him as a leader, so he leaned into the angle. The Capitol audience didn't respect him much. While his hastily-acquired leadership skills were enough for his naive Career friends, these Capitolites were connoisseurs of tribute personality. To them, his charisma was flaky, his charm curdled like wrongly-aged cheese, and his authority could only be compared to a chimpanzee mutt's cooking experiments.

Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Weapon of choice: "My cooking experiments could all be weapons, but I'm no torturer! Serious answer: any polearm. I do best when I can keep danger at bay." Hickory isn't the most formidable tribute in strength or size, but his nimble movements make it easy to fend off attackers with a polearm. He's more of a defensive fighter than one who deliberately goes for the kill. Rather than overpowering others, he evades and keeps them at a safe distance until they give up trying to fight him. In line with this, Hickory has tried niche pacifist weapons such as Olive's scarf - but couldn't live up to the tremendous skill shown by previous wielders.
Fatal flaw: "I might be Panem's biggest tryhard." The triplets were sixteen when it happened. Hemlock swept the floor with the male cadets that year, even defeating leagues of eighteen-year-olds three times his size. Hazel knocked out and apprehended two notorious criminals even the Peacekeepers failed to capture. And Hickory? Once again, he'd booked himself for extra courses. He couldn't accept the mediocrity that defined his life. The train brought him and his classmates to the untamed wilderness of District Two's redwood jungles, where they disembarked and made a makeshift camp. After several days of hiking, swimming, fighting, and training with barely any sleep, the scent of smoke began to permeate the air. Fire encroached on the stranded trainees from afar. Academy staff escorted most of the cadets back to the train station to evacuate, but the head count came up short. Two students hadn't made it back to the platform. Adaro and Candela were only fifteen - the prodigies embarked on this trip to challenge themselves, but both had a reputation for being recklessly hotheaded.
Several staff members joined emergency workers to find the children, while others ordered the students to board the train and stay put - any underage heroics would likely lead to more endangered trainees. Ignoring this, Hickory dodged under his homeroom trainer's arms and rushed back into the smouldering forest. This was his moment. He'd save those kids, he'd carry them back in his arms - and the tears of relief in his teachers' eyes would wash away all the failures of his past. But smoke overwhelmed the impulsive boy, bringing him to his knees in a coughing fit. He dragged himself onwards, stubborn as ever, only for a rush of fiery wind to catch the surrounding bushes ablaze. The hungry flames consumed him in his panicked attempts to flee, and his screams echoed through the woods.
Hickory woke up in the hospital, covered in burns but miraculously still alive. He later learned the emergency workers had already rescued Adaro and Candela - his hero-wannabe attempt only meant another child needed saving. The reckless incident nearly led to his expulsion from the Academy, but his homeroom teacher argued his impulsive choice came from a place of true selflessness; he'd shown the honor of a true Career. Deep down, Hickory knew the truth. It wasn't pure altruism that drove him into those flaming woods. Thanks to his obsession to prove himself worthy, he threw away his life on a grand gesture that helped no one.
He promised himself - and his teacher - that he'd never act so foolishly again. This was Hickory's second chance at life, and he'd be a disgrace to waste it. No more reckless stupidity! From now on, he'd devote himself to helping others the way they wanted.

Mentor: "Lily. The Academy already filled her in about my near-expulsion, and we had a talk about my recklessness."
Training score: "I couldn't tell you how I got that nine. When I came out of that training room, I thought I'd flunked for sure!" Hickory showed off his athletic ability, nimbly leaping around the Training Center to impress the Gamemakers. It just lacked that 'wow' factor to earn a perfect ten.
Death: "I didn't think it was possible for a Career to die at the hands of a traitor, but then we recruited an outsider and she took advantage. It's kind of my fault! We should've kicked her out when the signs started appearing, but I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt." The 12th bloodbath went down in Hunger Games history as a mostly-weaponless melee. This year's Twos didn't exactly excel in physical might, so Hickory and Katy spent the ordeal dodging burly tributes and their hammerlike fists. Thankfully, the Ones and Fours kept an eye out in case their allies ran into too much trouble. When it finally ended, the Careers regrouped at a scarce pile of weapons Azuline had miraculously secured - only to be disappointed as the decoy blades crumbled into piles of rust. Only a single sword remained borderline-usable, and Azuline handed the rusty scrap to Hickory. He thanked his ally with an over-enthusiastic bow. The weapon might be barely functional, but at least he no longer looked like a defenseless, twig-shaped target for cattle-wrangling tributes with horrifying physical strength.
The Careers left the Cornucopia nearly empty-handed. Throughout the day, the alliance crafted some makeshift weapons: stone daggers for Katy, a branch-spear for Riedo, a wooden sword for Azuline, a rock-headed mace for Duke, and a simple club-like stone for Aletriss. Their subsequent hunting trips only left them hungrier than ever. Eerie silence permeated the pines, and the rare animal they encountered was always dead or dying from some horrible disease, rendering them scrawny and inedible. By nightfall, Hickory's head spun with hunger-induced dizziness. He and the other Careers clung desperately onto each other's arms for support as they journeyed on.
Unfortunately, the team's weakened state attracted a band of keen-eyed tributes who circled in for the attack. One boy lunged at Hickory, swinging his wicked-looking shank at his throat. All the exhausted Career could do was evade the vicious blows. His arms slumped limply at his side, too weak to lift his sword and strike. Noticing his struggle, Katy disengaged from her previous opponent and lunged at Hickory's attacker. It took mere seconds for her to take down the larger boy with her painstakingly-sharpened stone knives.

Hearts still pounding from the attack, the Careers checked each other for injuries. Hickory retreated to the shelter of a nearby bush so Katy could examine the tender skin under his sleeves. While he trusted his alliance enough that they knew about his burn scars already, he wasn't entirely comfortable making this revelation to cameras broadcasting to all of Panem.
None of the Careers were seriously wounded, but Hickory felt no relief at this knowledge. "We should get a move on," he suggested in a hushed tone. "If the Gamemakers think we have it too easy, they might throw in a little 'creativity'."
Silent agreement rippled through the alliance, though no one dared tempt fate by speaking too loudly. After all, fate in the arena was a tangible force enforced upon them by the Gamemakers' panel. Katy gave Hickory a look and spoke in a louder tone to cover for his mildly anti-authoritarian comment. "Yeah, I agree. I'm exhausted too! Let's find somewhere creative to make camp, like you just said."
"Yep! My thoughts entirely," Hickory responded a little too enthusiastically, then met Katy's eyes and mouthed a silent thanks. An almost tangible sigh of relief swept over the entire alliance. They marched on through the woods, trudging through snow, then slush, then mud that deepened with each step. Irritable from hunger, Hickory cursed at the sludge as it neared knee-height.

Thankfully, Aletriss from Four had a hunch about the arena's design. Her clever navigation led the Careers to a clearing that hadn't melted into a dripping mire like everything else. It resembled an abandoned camp - specifically, the 2nd Games Careers' old home after mutts destroyed it. Despite their painful hunger, Hickory and his allies couldn't help but pry around curiously. Four named gravestones marked the camp's outer border - Acacia in the north, Sam in the east, Genesis in the south, Prince in the west. Outside their protective confines, the arena's geography warped and distorted as its unnatural melt continued.
Azuline almost tripped over a stone plaque that definitely wasn't there before. Hickory rushed over to make sure she was okay, but his ally just bent down to examine the curious finding. Soon, the entire alliance gathered around, and Hickory's eyebrows quirked in annoyance at the words etched into this rock. "OBEDIENCE WILL BRING SALVATION." Disgust churned within him. Not only had the Gamemakers defaced the fallen Careers' memory with unsolicited words, they just had to choose propaganda as their centerpiece.
"What the disgrace?" said Katy. Before Hickory could even think of replying something reckless, an inhuman scream pierced the air.
Hickory huddled with the other Careers as the shrieks continued, assaulting their ears and hearts. One of his allies shouted over the onslaught that they'd better find whoever was screaming and put an end to it, no matter who it was or what horror assailed them. This was a Career's job after all, was it not? The rest enthusiastically agreed, but their attempts to leave camp resulted in six stuck Careers waist-deep in mud and sinking deeper. All they could do was drag each other back to the clearing's safety. It seemed like an eternity before dawn broke in the east and the horrible screams subsided. Shaken and doubly exhausted, the sleep-deprived Careers curled up to sleep under a broad-leaved bush. Azuline and Duke volunteered to take first watch - they couldn't even sleep after that ordeal.

A cannon jolted Hickory awake. Hearts pounding, he and the others scrambled out from the bush, but it was already too late. His shoulders slumped in despair at the sight of Azuline cradling her district partner's body. A throwing knife protruded from Duke's chest, and Hickory's eyes narrowed at the Capitol insignia emblazoned on its handle. This was a sponsored weapon. Not only had it claimed his friend's life before the other Careers could even say goodbye, it also bore the mark of blatant rigging. Someone rich and powerful had sponsored these weapons into the arena on a whim, causing a chain reaction that left five Careers huddled in a clearing, mourning their lost brother. Hickory didn't even have a single breadcrumb for a proper sendoff in District Two tradition.
Surrounded by her allies' comfort, Azuline eventually calmed down enough to explain what happened. Glen from District Nine had crept through the mud and dripping undergrowth, hidden from the sentries' eyes - until it was too late. His knife flew in Azuline's direction from seemingly nowhere. Duke pushed her out of the way, only to take the blade himself. Survivor's guilt seemed to weigh on her shoulders as she recounted this painful memory. Aletriss reassured their grieving ally, then volunteered to lead a hunt for Duke's killer. The Fours set out to scour the mud-laden arena, while Hickory knelt beside Azuline to snap her back to reality.
Comforting words wouldn't reach Azuline in this state. Instead, Hickory spoke to her friend in the language she understood best: direct instructions. He put on his best 'authoritative leader voice' and directed Azuline to join him and Katy in building a safer camp. At the clear, simple directive, a spark of life returned to the grieving Career's eyes. Despite their recent loss, they still had each other. The thought brought a smile to Hickory's lips as he helped Azuline stand. Together, they joined Katy at the clearing's edge to gather wood.

The three Careers worked through the day, only pausing to catch their breath when their hunger-weakened bodies stopped cooperating. Water wasn't an issue thanks to the unmelted snowbanks tucked away in the woods, but whenever Hickory melted the snow in his mouth, his meagre energy seemed to evaporate a little more. Even staying hydrated is a struggle when you're this hungry, huh?
By nightfall, Hickory and Katy had slumped against their wood pile in exhaustion, while Azuline kept toiling away despite her trembling arms and unstable stance. It occurred to Hickory she was probably pushing herself this hard because nobody told her to stop. "Azuline, you can rest," he called out, and the dutiful girl from One collapsed to the ground almost immediately.
"Nice ragdoll physics," Katy teased lightly. "That was me a few minutes ago."
"Thank you," Azuline ran a sheepish hand through her hair. "But, to be truthful, I don't think my classes covered that type of physics."
"Physics is the one with the apple falling on some guy's head, right? Maybe we should've studied harder... I would love for an apple to drop on my head right now." Hickory laughed, then winked at the nearest wood-knot that probably hid a camera.
The sound of a cannon interrupted the Careers' banter. Hickory instinctively reached out to squeeze Katy's hand, and Azuline inched closer to the Twos in a protective crouch. "Should we go check on Triss and Riedo to see if they're okay?"
Hickory shook his head and explained his reasoning. The single cannon most likely belonged to Glen, which meant Aletriss and Riedo had taken him down. They'd soon return home to camp on their own, possibly with food. If Glen had the energy to attack Careers in their own camp, he'd probably received sponsorship meals - and the leftovers would now be reclaimed by the alliance he tried to sabotage.

When Aletriss returned to camp with an unfamiliar visitor in tow, Hickory's breath caught at the absence of Riedo. He didn't have to ask questions to infer what had happened. The distant, traumatized look in Triss' eyes, the bloodstains on their uniform in spots where you'd cradle a dying loved one - that was enough. His heart ached on her behalf. As for the other tribute, it took Hickory a few seconds to recognize Jill from District Ten, but she seemed non-combative at the moment so he opted not to react.
In a numb, almost robotic tone, Aletriss delivered a summary of their fateful expedition. The hunt for Glen failed so horribly, he was able to mortally wound Riedo before escaping unscathed. At that moment, this new tribute - Jill - burst in shouting about how she'd kill Glen. Jill didn't immediately attack Aletriss, so the Career suggested they should unite against their common enemy from Nine.
Hickory only acknowledged the Jill part with a brief nod. All that mattered at the moment was their fallen ally, Riedo, now the second of Glen's victims. Along with Katy and Azuline, he rushed forward to embrace Aletriss in a comforting huddle. Silent tears soaked into his shoulder as Triss finally allowed themselves to weep. Now sheltered from listening ears by the other Careers' arms, the tribute from Four confessed they hadn't told the full story. "I'm the one who killed Riedo," Aletriss sobbed, barely audible even to the allies holding them. "After Glen hurt her, she- she asked me to make it quick. And I did."

Katy reassured their distraught ally that Riedo would be forever grateful for that, to which Hickory and Azuline nodded their agreement. Eventually, the tears subsided to shaky breaths as Aletriss calmed down. They stole a quick glance at Jillian before returning to the Careers' huddle. "There's something I have to warn you about," Triss confided in a voice wavering with forced calmness. "Jill is... one of those tributes who doesn't handle death well. I wanted to bring Riedo's body home so we could say goodbye together, but when I picked her up, Jill reacted so violently I thought she might attack. So I had to leave Riedo behind, and..." they trailed off.
Hickory nodded, irritation burning in his chest at Jill's disrespectful actions - but he pushed it down. Comforting Aletriss was more important than that. "Don't blame yourself, alright? I'm sure Riedo understands you just wanted to avenge her and protect those of us still alive." He then caught himself. "Oh - sorry, I think I interrupted you."
"No, don't worry," Aletriss insisted, then drew a shaky breath. "It's just... she - Jill - called me a traitor. For Riedo. That really hurt." Even the memory seemed to make them flinch. "So, when we're working with her, let's be careful alright? We have a lot of differences."
"You are the furthest thing from a traitor." This time, Hickory couldn't keep the anger out of his voice. All he could see in Jill was hypocritical Clark from the 4th Games. He'd preached against the evil of all killing, while the dying ex-ally he'd tormented lay pinned under his boot. "And, alright. We'll try our best to be patient with our guest." Just as he released his clenched fists, he noticed Jill snooping closer to eavesdrop. His disapproving gaze stopped her mid-step. This was the Careers' time to grieve the loss of their friend, not a spectacle for her. Katy and Azuline also looked wary of the stranger in their camp. Most likely, Jill wouldn't become any more than a strategic truce.

While Katy put Triss and Azuline to bed, Hickory introduced himself to the wary newcomer. "Welcome, Jill! I'm Hickory from District Two. That's my partner, Katy, over there - and the sleeping allies are Aletriss and Azuline. You've already met Aletriss, right?" Aletriss let their friends call them Triss, so Hickory refused to use that nickname around Jill. This was a strictly business relationship.
Jill's nose wrinkled up in disgust. "Unfortunately."
Hickory bit back the urge to yell at her to get out. If the alliance wanted to truce with this tribute to defeat Glen, he couldn't let his own impulsivity ruin all their odds. Instead, he put on his best audience-pleasing polite voice and said, "We'll do your best to ensure your stay here is pleasant. It would be nice if you made an effort to return the favour, Jillian."
With that, Hickory returned to Katy's side. Neither of them trusted Jill enough to sleep in her presence; it would leave themselves and their other allies vulnerable. So, despite their exhaustion, the Twos worked on their makeshift shelter until the sun rose. Jill didn't lift a finger to help them despite the well-fed glow to her cheeks. When Azuline and Aletriss awoke, they immediately joined the other Careers in their shelter-making efforts. The famished quartet took until midnight to complete their basic lean-to. At that point, Hickory felt he'd fall over from hunger. Jill's incessant crunching only made it worse; she had plenty of food, just refused to share. Not that Hickory would even expect her to. At this point, he just wished she'd stop with the obnoxious sounds already.

"Finally, you're done." Jill huffed as she sauntered over to the shelter. A tantalizing scent of fresh seeds and nuts clung to her, and Hickory's stomach rumbled in jealousy. All he could do was muster a forced smile while their guest sprawled out right in the lean-to's entrance. She blocked the entryway with her stout body, well-muscled from a life wrangling cattle and swine.
The others swallowed their irritation and worked around her until midnight. Once they'd veritably completed the shelter, Aletriss suggested they redouble their efforts to hunt for food. Hickory agreed, and despite his frustration at Jill's inconsiderate attitude, he decided to stay behind and guard their sleeping truce-mate. Leaving her behind to the mercy of roaming mutts would go against everything the Careers' honor stood for. So, while Azuline and Aletriss headed out together, the Twos took watch in front of their occupied shelter.
"I'm sooo hungry, I'd need a sneak-attack to win against you if we sparred now," Hickory joked, pulling his most annoying face.
Katy let out a blunt laugh. "So you admit it? You couldn't beat me if I knew you were coming!"
"Wha- I didn't admit anything!" His brows shot up in exaggerated incredulousness. "Just wait till Triss and Azuline come back with food. I'll rematch you right then and there, no dirty tricks, and I'll win for sure." Realistically, he'd most likely lose, but some teasing was fun.
"Keep telling yourself that!" Katy playfully punched his shoulder, but she, too, was so weak from hunger he didn't even feel it.
"Can you two gnats shut up? I'm trying to sleep," snapped the District Ten girl taking up the Careers' shelter. Hickory barely restrained himself from flipping her the pinky finger. He had to admire Katy's patience; despite her blunt nature, she only rolled her eyes.
"As you wish. You're the guest in our camp after all," he replied sharply, his smile dripping with passive-aggressive irritation. This tribute sure was overstaying her welcome. Before he changed his mind and said something impulsive, Katy pointed him to a nearby caterpillar creeping through the grass. All Hickory's frustration melted away as she picked up the squirming, fuzzy insect for them to examine.

Aletriss returned to camp once again as the harbringer of terrible news. This time, the wounded District Four tribute cradled their fallen ally in their arms. Hickory and Katy didn't hesitate. They rushed over to their comrades' side as Aletriss knelt, still holding Azuline in their lap. Haphazard wounds from talons, claws, and vicious fangs marred the swordswoman from One.
"How the disgrace are you still alive?" Katy gasped. At that moment, Hickory realized with sinking horror that no cannons had fired. The faint rise and fall of Azuline's chest confirmed what he already knew. Somehow, inexplicably, their ally was alive in this state.
As Katy swore bloody revenge on whatever was responsible for this mauling, Hickory reached out to hold onto Azuline's cold hands.
Aletriss explained what happened. On their return route after a successful fishing trip, they'd encountered the source of the screams from before. All the mutts in the arena had melded together in an indescribable abomination with too many parts and limbs to understand. Azuline took it down, but it lashed out in its death throes, fatally wounding the redheaded Career. Yet despite her terrible injuries, Azuline refused to die because she claimed Hickory wouldn't want her to. His sympathetic eyes returned to his dying friend, who nodded to confirm this was true. Her intentions were noble - by clinging to life, she fought in vain to save her allies from re-experiencing the pain of loss. But these feeble efforts to stall an inevitable death only caused her unimaginable torment.
"Azuline, I want to thank you for everything you've done," Hickory told her, assuming the fatherly leader-voice she responded best to. "Fighting for us, protecting us, losing sleep to keep us safe - I didn't order you to do any of that. You chose to do it because you care. And since I care, too, the last order I'll give you is to stop suffering for our sake."
She met his eyes with an almost pleading look, as if hoping for reassurance that he meant those words. Hickory didn't hesitate to restate them. "It's okay to let go. When we all see each other again, let's have that dinner party we talked about, alright?" Although his chest ached and his soul felt unbearably heavy, he accompanied the words with a gentle smile for his ally. Azuline managed to return the smile even as the light quietly left her eyes. A distant cannon echoed through the arena, marking the end of the Careers' faithful ally.

Triss, Hickory, and Katy mourned their most recent loss until the first birds began to sing, breaking the eerie silence that plagued the arena since the scream-torn first night. Aletriss offered to retrieve the fish they'd caught with Azuline, but hesitated. "No, I can't do this. Not again. Every time I go out, it's a whole disaster - someone always gets hurt," Triss confessed, shoulders slumped with defeat.
"Well, you're not going alone." Katy nudged their arm and drew her stone blades.
"The strength of the pack is the Career, and the strength of the Career is the pack," recited Hickory. "Our homeroom trainer always said that. And it's true. You don't have to force yourself to be all independent when we're safer together, anyway."
"Okay," Aletriss breathed, then repeated themselves more confidently. "Okay. We've got this. I'll wake Jill up, then we'll head out."
Hickory and Katy shared a sympathetic look with them as they went to rouse Jill. After a brief bout of District Ten drama, the cranky non-career joined them in a huff. It didn't take Aletriss long to retrace their steps and gather the missing fish. By the time the sun rose, all three Careers were back in camp roasting their first meal in the games. Jill ditched them, disgusted by the stench of seafood, and nobody made a move to stop her. That tribute was neither an ally nor a prisoner, she could leave as she pleased.
"I want to dedicate this meal to Azuline, Riedo, and Duke," said Aletriss, raising the two-headed salmon impaled on their spear.
Hickory nodded. "They never got the chance to eat with us in the arena, so we better eat a double portion in their honor!" This suspicious wording put a devious smile on Katy's face, and in that moment Hickory knew it would morph into a competition.

Piles of fish bones littered the ground next to the extinguished campfire just ten minutes later. Three satisfied Careers leaned on each other's shoulders, full and sleepy for the first time since the arena claimed them as tributes. Hickory's eyes began to close - only to snap open at the sound of pained screams. This time, it was another tribute. The trio didn't even think twice and raced off towards the cries.
Hickory found Jill viciously attacking a rail-thin tribute near the Cornucopia clearing. Horror seized him at the brutal scene, the primal rage in the District Ten girl's eyes, the unarmed, helpless tribute pleading for mercy at her feet. "Stop this!" he cried out, running forward without another thought. "Just end it, Jill!"
His voice only stoked the flames of her hatred. Jill lashed out indiscriminately with her sword, but Hickory ducked under her wild blows. Clenching his jaw, he tackled her away from the dying tribute, who curled into a helpless, sobbing ball. Katy and Aletriss held the enraged Jill at bay for the few seconds it took for Hickory to finish off her tormented victim.
"Let me kill him!" Jill raged, straining against the other Careers' arms. "That cur, Glen - I'll make him suffer!"
Hickory dried his sword on the grass and rose shakily to his feet. The tribute from District Six was still curled up, their expression finally peaceful in death. "This wasn't Glen," he muttered. "And, Jill, we're going to have a talk if you want to keep working with us."

Back at camp, Aletriss stood guard while Hickory and Katy sat down with Jill. "I want to make this clear: We don't work with torturers. If you're going to kill someone, then make it quick. It doesn't matter who they are or what they've done."
"That includes Glen," Katy added, but Jill interjected with a harsh laugh before she could say anything else.
"Are you seriously lecturing me about killing with 'morals'? Well, let me tell you a little fun fact. That traitor-" Jill jabbed her index finger in Aletriss' direction, "killed your ally. I watched it happen. So why'd you let them get away with it, huh?"
An incredulous look flashed across Katy's face. "Because said ally asked them to?"
Hickory's temples pulsed with a throbbing headache. This disgrace really went and changed the subject just to trash-talk Triss and slander Riedo's death, and it sparked a gnawing anger in his chest. "I'm going to be completely honest. I hate your attitude, Jill, and I assure you I hate this truce just as much as you clearly do." He was about to suggest they either reconcile these differences or part ways peacefully - but a sudden, blinding pain riveted through his back. Glen's knives. Through a haze, Hickory could make out his allies' shouts of horror and rage.

Katy knelt beside him, hands empty. She must've thrown all her knives at that fleeing coward. "Hickory! Disgrace it, are you okay?"
"Oh Atlantis, Hickory," Aletriss's eyes glistened with anguish as they joined Katy by his side.
Hickory tried to respond, but all that came out was an agonized gasp. Glen! That dishonorable, boot-licking disgrace - he'd already killed two Careers with his Capitol-sponsored blades. There was no way Hickory would let him claim another. Not like this.
"Just finish it," he rasped, sounding a little more impatient than he'd expected.
Before his allies could act, Jill stepped forward with her sword drawn. Hickory assumed this was her way of redeeming herself for the torturous atrocities earlier. Maybe she wasn't so terrible after all. Just as the hopeful thought crossed his mind, Jill's face twisted in hatred as she stabbed him - and stabbed again and again and again, unrelenting in her brutality.
Hickory regained his senses after Aletriss and Katy dragged a shrieking Jill off him. His allies held him close in a protective embrace, but he couldn't make out their words. As darkness fell over him like a blanket, Hickory's last thoughts burned with irritation: Now there's two back-stabbing cowards in the arena Katy and Triss will have to deal with. I'll be seeing those disgraces soon.

Hickory's Relationships
Alliance: | ◆ allies | ◈ neither allies nor enemies | ◇ enemies | ❖ betrayed
Feelings: | ♡ romantic | ✿ very positive | ✓ positive | ▣ neutral | ✘ negative

The 12th Hunger Games

【 D1 ◆ ✿ 】 Duke: Hickory's brother-in-arms. They're pretty much inseparable.
【 D1 ◆ ✿ 】 Azuline: As close friends, Hickory and Azuline worked together to tackle 'being confident in oneself'.
【 D2 ◆ ♡ 】 Katy: It's not clear if they are romantic or platonic life partners, but they've been very close for a while.
【 D4 ◆ ✿ 】 Aletriss: Another of Hickory's beloved Career friends. If only they'd led the alliance, not him!
【 D4 ◆ ✿ 】 Riedo: Her social skills didn't impede their bond at all. In fact, it just made Hickory relate to her more.
【 D9 ◇ ✘ 】 Glen: He's a dishonorable, sneak-attacking tribute, one of the most annoying sorts.
【 D10 ❖ ✘ 】 Jillian: Trucing with her was a mistake as she betrayed and brutalized half the Careers.

Other

【 ✿ 】 Lily: Hickory respects his mentor tremendously, so he was honest with her about everything.
【 ✿ 】 Hemlock: Often asked Hickory for help, even when he clearly didn't need it. Hickory appreciated that.
【 ✿ 】 Hazel: Hickory and his sister often went exploring together.

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